Chapter 1590: Fee-Paying Friendship's Deep Golden Firmness, Divine Religion Invites to Hold Hands

"Friendship fee?"

If this so-called "Friendship Fee" were truly paid, could the friendship between the two parties still remain pure?

Both Sang Shui and Cen Bai felt a sense of strangeness toward this redefined word "friend."

In contrast, Dao Qiong Cang adapted quickly. After a brief moment of surprise, he understood the new term and happily asked:

"Friendship Fee—how much do I need to pay?"

What a picture of innocent sweetness!

Xu Xiaoshou saw the flamboyant old Daoist wearing such an expression and immediately sensed something off. From the corner of his eye, he could see the surrounding Four Saints all showing signs of wariness.

But on second thought, this Friendship Fee was his own idea, and Dao Qiong Cang was volunteering to pay it, so what could be the trap?

"As friends, we should start by not being on guard against each other, right?" Xu Xiaoshou pointed between them, implying something.

"Master Xu, speak your mind."

"Don't! Don't call me Master Xu!"

Xu Xiaoshou cringed at the title "Master Xu" now. "We're friends, so just call me by my full name."

"Xiao Shou..."

Dao Qiong Cang murmured the name, then smacked his lips, feeling it sounded a bit intimate...

Very intimate, in fact!

They weren't that close yet, so you could add my surname, thank you very much!

Xu Xiaoshou's face turned a bit unpleasant, feeling like this Friendship Fee hadn't even started, and Dao Qiong Cang was already acting like he was clinging to him.

As for what he might be clinging to...

Hmm, who knows!

"As friends, I can't be on guard against you backstabbing or possessing me every moment, can I?" Seeing that Dao Qiong Cang wasn't getting it, Xu Xiaoshou had to be direct. "How do I undo the Da Shen Jiang Shu? I need to know, friend, don't you agree?"

So that's what the Friendship Fee is about... Dao Qiong Cang thought for a moment and nodded slightly. "Yes."

"Then what?"

"But if I tell you, will you believe me?" Dao Qiong Cang looked up with a half-smile.

Instantly, even the Four Saints beside them felt a chill.

How could anything good come out of Dao Qiong Cang's mouth?

What if they followed his method at a critical moment, and instead of undoing the Da Shen Jiang Shu, it made things worse and led to death? What then?

Now, facing Dao Qiong Cang, who was willing to pay the Friendship Fee, whether to accept it or not had become a dilemma for Xu Xiaoshou.

How should he resolve this?

Sang Laoshi opened his mouth, racking his brains for a roundabout strategy, just about to speak up.

But at that moment, Xu Xiaoshou met Dao Qiong Cang's gaze with intense eyes and nodded emphatically, patting his chest as he said:

"Friend, no deceiving each other, mutual trust—what do you think?"

This straightforward statement completely blew the minds of Sang Laoshi and the others, who had been thinking in circles.

Dao Qiong Cang was also stunned, clearly not expecting such naive and adorable words from Xu Xiaoshou. Soon, he nodded with a smile:

"I think you're right."

"Then go ahead and say it!" Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand, as if fully trusting this new friend. "How do I undo the imprint?"

The scene fell silent for a moment.

The words Dao Qiong Cang hadn't yet spoken suddenly carried immense weight under everyone's gaze.

This first installment of "Friendship Fee," through their back-and-forth exchanges, had become the foundation for determining the reliability of their friendship.

Everyone present felt a strange mix of emotions—as if this unreliable topic, once raised, was actually moving forward step by step.

"There are two ways to undo the imprint of Da Shen Jiang Shu."

After a long pause, Dao Qiong Cang finally said this, his expression becoming firm and passionate.

It was as if he were saying...

Xu Xiaoshou, I'm making you my friend today!

"Hmm?" Xu Xiaoshou didn't interrupt, waiting for more.

"First, completely erase the person's memories, and the Da Shen Jiang Shu imprint will naturally disappear." Dao Qiong Cang spoke slowly, staring at Xu Xiaoshou. "Do you believe that?"

"Completely erase them?" Xu Xiaoshou didn't answer the question.

"Yes."

"But memories are a person's past. If you erase them all, what's the difference from being dead?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

Dao Qiong Cang nodded matter-of-factly: "None."

Xu Xiaoshou froze for a moment.

After thinking it through, he almost cursed, his expression turning gloomy.

This first Friendship Fee felt like a total waste.

"What's the second method?" Xu Xiaoshou asked again.

"Kill me."

Dao Qiong Cang answered bluntly, as if it were obvious.

Indeed, it was—if you kill the caster, the imprint is useless even if it exists.

Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath: "In the Shi Jin Zhi Kui's memories, you demonstrated a method using a drop of essence blood and a drop of soul blood..."

"Ahahaha." Before he could finish, Dao Qiong Cang laughed dryly to interrupt. Seeing Xu Xiaoshou's face darken further, he added: "I made that up. Did you really believe it?"

Seeing the young man about to erupt like a volcano, he quickly followed up: "We weren't friends back then, so I could deceive you, right?"

"Now that we're friends, you shouldn't be deceiving me or hiding anything from me, right?" Xu Xiaoshou countered.

Dao Qiong Cang frowned: "You said, 'Friends don't guard against each other,' so are you guarding against me now?"

"Now I'm the one asking questions, so just answer, my Dao friend."

"No, Xu friend, if we're going there, I asked you first—do you believe what I say?" Dao Qiong Cang looked regretful. "And up to now, you haven't given me a clear answer, my friend..."

Xu Xiaoshou froze again.

Beside him, sweat beads formed on Bai Zhou's forehead, as if he were struggling to comprehend some profound truth.

The Three Saints of Sheng Nu frowned, watching the two go back and forth, thinking, Aren't they tired?

Shui Gui held back for a long time and really wanted to say:

Making friends to this extent—take my advice, you two shouldn't be friends anymore, okay?

"I believe you!"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly spoke with conviction: "Dao friend, from now on, I'll trust you unconditionally!"

"Me too."

"Then, as good friends, can I ask you to answer my next question with just 'yes' or 'no'—no beating around the bush?" Xu Xiaoshou asked sincerely.

Dao Qiong Cang thought for a moment but didn't answer directly: "Then, as good friends, if I agree to that, can you answer one of my questions the same way afterward?"

You son of a...

I'm impressed!

Xu Xiaoshou nodded cheerfully, with a warm smile: "Of course, my good friend."

"Then I have no issues, my Xiao Shou."

"Xu!" Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth.

"My Xu."

Xu Xiaoshou suppressed the urge to slap a Saint-level Five-Finger Seal Technique on his face and asked softly:

"The two methods you mentioned for undoing the Da Shen Jiang Shu imprint— you're not deceiving me or hiding anything, right?"

Checkmate!

With that question set, Xu Xiaoshou felt as steady as a flipped coin landing—solid.

I don't care about your twists and turns or your shady thoughts.

As long as your answer is just 'yes' or 'no,' I can verify the truth through my passive system.

Yes, I'm playing dirty. What about it?

I'm hacking it! Hacking it! Hacking it!

Dao Qiong Cang hadn't expected Xu Xiaoshou to be so fixated on Da Shen Jiang Shu, going in circles and still not trusting him.

He sighed helplessly:

"Yes."

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at his info panel, and it popped up: "Deceived, passive value +1."

You damn Dao Qiong Cang, you really are deceiving me, you treacherous dog...

Xu Xiaoshou's face turned iron-blue, about to explode in curses.

But after that heavy sigh, Dao Qiong Cang continued: "But actually, there's another method that isn't really a method... If we keep talking, I'd be paying way too much Friendship Fee."

"Not at all, I'm good for it." Xu Xiaoshou put on a friendly smile.

Dao Qiong Cang stared at him for a long time, as if gauging whether that "good" was enough or not, before finally saying:

"The Dao of Memory!"

"As long as someone comprehends this dao beyond my level, they can find and undo the imprint of Da Shen Jiang Shu."

Memory...

Xu Xiaoshou finally pinpointed what had felt off.

What he mastered was the Yi Dao Pan—memory being part of "intention," so the Yi Dao Pan included aspects of the Dao of Memory.

But it was broad, not deep.

Dao Qiong Cang's Da Shen Jiang Shu specialized in "memory," and it was unparalleled.

That was why, with his 90-point Yi Dao Pan, tracing the imprint had been so unclear.

Now that he knew it was the Dao of Memory, even with just the Yi Dao Pan, Xu Xiaoshou was confident he could find it by focusing in that direction—it might take time, but he'd get it.

"Your Dao of Memory—if we rate it from 1 to 10, how much have you mastered?" Xu Xiaoshou asked curiously.

Dao Qiong Cang's lips curved into a smile, and he just stared at Xu Xiaoshou without speaking.

His expression seemed to say...

Xiao Shou, you're asking too many questions!

Do I look like a doll to you?

"Deceived by mockery, passive value +1."

Fine... Xu Xiaoshou admitted defeat and said: "I'm a man of my word, so it's your turn to ask, my friend."

Dao Qiong Cang instantly dropped his teasing expression and became deadly serious.

His mind flashed through all the details he'd observed, including Xu Xiaoshou's feigned and subconscious reactions, as well as those he couldn't tell were fake or real...

In the end, all questions converged, and Dao Qiong Cang's eyes sharpened, as if piercing straight into the heart. He stared at Xu Xiaoshou and asked affirmatively:

"Xu Xiaoshou, the reason you asked that is because you have some kind of ability like a 'mind-reading skill'... or something similar, right?"

In an instant, the gazes of the Four Saints also turned to Xu Xiaoshou.

Sang Laoshi's expression didn't change, but he was shocked inside.

He remembered—back in the Ling Gong period when he was with Xu Xiaoshou, there were so many times he had tricked him this way?

Oh no...

He couldn't recall exactly what he'd been tricked into saying... Sang Laoshi grew even more anxious.

"Shocked, passive value +1."

On the other side, facing the multiple gazes, even though his heart raced, Xu Xiaoshou remained composed.

His eyes showed a mix of surprise, then confusion, and finally a perfectly timed pretense of doubt...

He opened his mouth to respond:

Facing a friend, Xu Xiaoshou was honest.

He felt that saying this might make Dao Qiong Cang overthink, leading him to the third or even fourth layer, reverse-engineering an ambiguous answer.

But to his surprise, Dao Qiong Cang pursed his lips, left a meaningful expression, and raised his hand to stop him:

"You don't need to answer that question."

Xu Xiaoshou felt like he was holding back a huge urge to speak, only to be cut off halfway—like wetting his pants mid-stream. It was excruciating.

What a master!

He truly was a master!

From Tian Sang Ling Gong to Bai Ku, from Dong Tian Wang Cheng to Yun Lun Mountains, from Xu Kong Dao to Shen Zhi Yi Ji...

Xu Xiaoshou had schemed against so many people, but it was rare to find someone like Dao Qiong Cang, who could pique curiosity so intensely with a few words, making you desperate to ask:

You sly old Daoist!

Have you figured it out or not?

Let me put it this way—the Yue Hu Li was annoying enough, but in Xu Xiaoshou's view, his annoyance was nothing compared to one ten-thousandth of the sly old Daoist's.

Because what Dao Qiong Cang had wasn't just "annoying"—it was that deeply "irritating" kind...

But he couldn't ask!

Xu Xiaoshou was a pro at playing hard to get, and he knew that if the enemy retreated, he should advance—but with Dao Qiong Cang, advancing would just mean stepping into a trap.

At that point, he wouldn't even need to worry about the question's content; once he stepped in, Dao Qiong Cang's previously ambiguous answer would become certain.

The scene froze.

Xu Xiaoshou said nothing.

Dao Qiong Cang waited quietly like a big jar.

The two shady characters faced each other with smiles—smiles that were so... radiant!

Bai Zhou looked left and right, up and down, and finally sniffed, detecting a chilling scent of decay.

He realized...

Some people look human, but their hearts are black, and even their bones are rotten!

"My Xu, why aren't you speaking?"

"My Dao, you told me not to answer."

"Then won't you ask something else? Or maybe the Friendship Fee can end here?"

"You're the one bringing it up—looks like you really enjoy paying Friendship Fee, my Dao?"

"Since we're paying, let's pay it all at once. I don't like owing anyone, my Xu."

"Oh my Dao..."

"You two, enough! Both of you, shut up!"

Sang Laoshi couldn't stand their bizarre antics anymore and glared fiercely at the Yin Yang Guai Qi of Xu Xiaoshou. "Can you two talk normally? Do you even know how?"

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at Sang Laoshi.

Remembering that Sang Laoshi had been controlled by Da Shen Jiang Shu earlier, he casually asked: "Friend, does my master have the Da Shen Jiang Shu imprint on him?"

"Yes."

The others nearby were stunned by the straightforward answer, as if they hadn't processed it.

Soon, their expressions toward Sang Laoshi turned to shock and subtle sympathy.

Sang Laoshi's face stiffened, and he uncertainly looked at Dao Qiong Cang. Seeing him nod slightly, his pupils dilated.

"Want me to remove it for you?" Dao Qiong Cang offered goodwill toward his friend's master.

Sang Laoshi shook his head and stepped back without speaking.

How could he trust Dao Qiong Cang? In fact, from start to finish, he'd listened to the conversation between Xu Xiaoshou and Dao Qiong Cang and just let it slide.

He didn't dare remember it, nor did he dare take any of it to heart.

At that moment, the only thing he could do was look at Xu Xiaoshou.

"I'll give it a try."

Xu Xiaoshou frowned, stepped on the Yi Dao Pan, and began his search.

He didn't dare let Dao Qiong Cang touch Sang Laoshi's body—if he left some hidden trick that activated at a key moment, it would be terrifying.

"Actually, you don't need to be so afraid of Da Shen Jiang Shu." Dao Qiong Cang took the initiative to speak:

"The cost of using it is enormous, and it depends on the strength of the person imprinted, their current state, and how much they resist consciously."

"Forcing a possession is like forcing a soul seizure—the chances of failure are much higher than success."

"Besides, memories are messy."

At this point, Dao Qiong Cang paused.

Xu Xiaoshou stopped what he was doing and looked over, hearing him continue:

"Every time I perform a possession, I have to experience memories that aren't mine. It's like leaving a stain on a pure white paper."

"One stain might be okay, two or three... even ten, that's fine."

"But when there are thousands upon thousands of stains, countless and mixed with my own self, I won't be me anymore." Dao Qiong Cang stared at Xu Xiaoshou.

Is that a hint at me?

Xu Xiaoshou realized that Dao Qiong Cang had seen him in Shi Jin Zhi Kui's memories, so he knew Xu Xiaoshou could read souls and access past memories.

"Can those stains be erased?" Xu Xiaoshou asked offhandedly, while manipulating the Yi Dao Pan to delve into the memory layer and search the unguarded Sang Laoshi—at this point, he could erase most of his memories in an instant.

"Yes."

Dao Qiong Cang's answers always came unexpectedly.

Once everyone turned back to look, he added: "But the price is also huge."

"For example?" Shui Gui couldn't help but interject.

"For example, me."

Dao Qiong Cang raised his hands, and his robes fluttered as intricate Tian Ji Dao patterns lit up on his body.

Those patterns were etched deep into his flesh, dazzling and disorienting, impossible to comprehend.

He transformed like a radiant truth, bathed in extreme light, slowly rising above the ground, above everyone else.

"Xu Xiaoshou."

Dao Qiong Cang looked down again, like a descending god, his voice ethereal and purifying.

"Called, passive value +1."

"Bewitched, passive value +1."

"Guided, passive value +1."

What now?

Xu Xiaoshou looked up, watching Dao Qiong Cang suddenly get all dramatic.

In that moment, Dao Qiong Cang was indeed extraordinary and sincere:

"I've hidden nothing from you, and what I said on Xu Kong Dao still holds."

"Since you're so interested in Da Shen Jiang Shu and yearn for the essence of Tian Ji Shu, as I once said, the doors of Tian Ji Shu are always open to you..."

Xu Xiaoshou interrupted: "You mean the doors of Sheng Shen Dian Tang, right?"

Dao Qiong Cang choked a bit but ignored it:

"I can teach you the Thirty-Six Styles of Tian Ji, and even the ways to counter them, without holding anything back."

"I can also guarantee that from now on, no one related to you will be possessed by me."

Xu Xiaoshou interrupted again: "What's the price?"

"No price needed." Dao Qiong Cang smiled. "You just need to nod and agree to join the 'Tian Ji Shen Jiao' as my vice leader—one below all others."

"Make me vice leader so you can ride over me?" Xu Xiaoshou sneered. Back in Sheng Shen Dian Tang, you tried to pull me in, and now you're trying again. How badly do you want me, my Dao?

"No, no..." Dao Qiong Cang shook his head. "Our statuses would be equal. I'd also be a vice leader, at your command, one step below you. In any case, my offer is better than what the Eight Venerables can give."

Dao Qiong Cang, at my command?

For a split second, Xu Xiaoshou was tempted, but only because of the earlier "bewitched" and "guided" notifications.

He put on a disdainful expression and said oddly: "We're both vice leaders—who's the leader? Your sister?"

Dao Qiong Cang shook his head for the third time and slowly extended his hand, waiting for Xu Xiaoshou to take it:

"You don't know, but I have a friend who's also a master of Tian Ji Dao, named... Nangong You Shu!"

Nangong You Shu?