Chapter 1898: Pry

“It had to be Ba Zun'an!”

Inside the Pavilion of Ancient and Modern Forgetfulness, Xu Xiaoshou leaned against the window, gazing at the vast sword sea outside, his face etched with a sigh of wonder.

To be able to summon so many swords from across the Five Domains with just the Absolute Imperial Rule of the Ten Thousand Swords Technique…It truly showed that a great reputation is never unfounded!Ba Zun'an still had something special about him.

In reality, even with the Emperor's Seal, commanding the famous swords of the juniors—oh, wait, his peers—was easy. But when it came to figures like Gou Wuyue and Feng Tingchen, it was clear that if they chose to resist, it would likely be a standoff for a while, much like Hua Changdeng's Ghost Hunt.

This was still terrifying.During a battle, who could possibly withstand their own sword wavering at such a critical moment?Fortunately, the goodwill from those few pots of wine had done its job.Counting the ones forcibly taken from around the Spirit Lake, those from Xiao Kongtong’s sack, the ones from the Storyteller’s Book of Life and Death, and Hua Changdeng’s...There were twenty famous swords present, with only his own Blazing Python missing!

“Master Shou, the whole world is waiting for you.”On the other side of the window, Kong Yuhen also watched the situation outside. A faint smile graced his face, and his voice was gentle, showing no sign of the fierce argument they had just had.

“I know.”Xu Xiaoshou smiled and nodded, but he didn't jump out the window to the Spirit Lake battlefield. Instead, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Kong Yuhen. “Origin Stele: Time, you really can’t give it to me?”

After the refining experience of endless temporal hardships on the River of Time, his mindset was now incredibly stable. Although he had debated heatedly with Kong Yuhen just moments ago, when it came to the battle, he could remain quite relaxed. He knew clearly that after Ba Zun'an led the charge, he was truly the only one left in control of the situation. There was no longer a backer behind him. He had become everyone’s hope, and he couldn't afford to rush.

Kong Yuhen forced a smile. “It’s not that I don’t want to give it, but that I truly cannot.”“The Four Ancestors reincarnated, and thus the Origin Stele came into being. Its original intention was to pass down their respective paths, offering an opportunity to either the Four Ancestors themselves or later generations. Although in the end, it was intercepted by the other ancestors’ contingencies, blocking the opportunities.”“And the Time Ancestor…” Kong Yuhen paused, a lost look in his eyes. “Whether the Time Ancestor reincarnated or not, I also don’t know. As for their Origin Stele, I feel like it exists, and I seem to have obtained it? But I truly don’t know where it is or how to take it out and give it to you.”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded thoughtfully. “So, you have the will, but not the means?”“Yes…” Kong Yuhen replied hesitantly.“Does that mean you can give me a promise that if you ever obtain the Origin Stele: Time, you’ll give it to me immediately, no matter who asks for it?” Xu Xiaoshou wasn't merely guiding him; he was clearly stating his demand.

Kong Yuhen’s eyelids drooped. He glanced at the situation outside the window, wondering why Xu Xiaoshou could remain so calm. He was the one who should be nervous and anxious…“Yes!”He finally stopped arguing. After debating for so long, he was tired. Xu Xiaoshou was a tenacious negotiator at the bargaining table, clinging stubbornly to the last of the Six Ancient Gates, the Gate of Reincarnation. He’d negotiate the rest, but if it couldn't be negotiated, he'd simply force it. There was no winning against this guy…

“I won’t take your things for free, Brother Anxious.” Xu Xiaoshou chuckled, patting Kong Yuhen’s shoulder.The Gate of Reincarnation, after appearing on the River of Time, had entered his consciousness space, just like the golden orb of the Origin of Time and Space. With a thought, he brought it out.“This is a symbol of our friendship!”He pressed the wooden gate pendant into Kong Yuhen’s hand, his smile bright. He shook Kong Yuhen’s hand warmly.“Here, with your help, I have mastered the avatars of the Heaven Ancestor, Dragon Ancestor, and War Ancestor. The Origin Stele: Time, even if it’s just a promise, I believe Brother Yuhen’s word is a thousand pieces of gold, and he will give it to me later.”He paused, then Xu Xiaoshou grew more serious. “The reconstruction of the temporal realm is a meritorious deed for the present generation, beneficial for all future generations. I personally support it wholeheartedly. Even though I know you have colluded… cooperated with the Demon Ancestor and Sui Yin, I believe the friendship between us in recreating the temporal realm is far, far superior to that.”

Kong Yuhen looked conflicted, unsure how to respond.Xu Xiaoshou finally stopped shaking his hand and pulled his hand away, proactively stating, “I rarely pay for friendship. Even when Dao Qiongcang became my friend, he gave me many benefits.”

Having received the last Gate of Reincarnation, Kong Yuhen understood Xu Xiaoshou’s meaning. “Master Shou, rest assured, what I promised you, I will certainly deliver.”“No!”Xu Xiaoshou shook his head. “Brother Yuhen, I think you’ve misunderstood me. How could I be someone who takes advantage of favors for repayment?”

*Aren't you?*Kong Yuhen was startled, not understanding.

“What I mean is, negotiations are negotiations, and transactions are transactions. You helped me cultivate the Ancestor God avatars, and Ba Zun'an and I gave you two Ancient Gates. These were all things agreed upon in advance, so they don’t count as friendship fees.”“Then…”“Brother Yuhen should know that I met the Demon Ancestor on the River of Time?” Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow.

Kong Yuhen felt uneasy. He could never keep up with Xu Xiaoshou's train of thought and was always at his mercy at the bargaining table, unsure how to respond.“What the Demon Ancestor and I discussed is not very important. But on the River of Time, I also met other Ancestor Gods. I wanted to inform Brother Yuhen about this as well.”

Kong Yuhen grew even more anxious. He didn’t quite believe “not very important.” Since Xu Xiaoshou dared to bring it up, it must be crucial. Perhaps they had also reached some form of cooperation? And the other Ancestor God on the River of Time…“Brother Yuhen, do you want to know about your own origins?”

At these words, Kong Yuhen’s pupils constricted. “You know?”“I know.”Xu Xiaoshou’s reply was decisive. Unlike Ba Zun'an, Dao Qiongcang, the Demon Ancestor, Sui Yin, or anyone else he had met and questioned across various generations and bodies, Xu Xiaoshou could give him a precise answer. This realization dawned on Kong Yuhen, though he wasn’t sure if it was due to Xu Xiaoshou’s certainty or some guidance he himself had received. His expression finally became incredibly serious. This friendship fee might be too valuable. Moved, he said, “Master Shou…”“But it’s not free.” Xu Xiaoshou’s single sentence extinguished all of Kong Yuhen’s emotion.

He took a deep breath. “Master Shou, please speak.”“I can give you three choices,” Xu Xiaoshou said, holding up three fingers. “A lower option, a middle option, and a higher option. The decision is yours, I won’t interfere.”

Kong Yuhen opened his mouth. “What is the lower option?” He decided to go one by one.“The lower option: I tell you everything about the future of the Ancestor Gods, the past of the Ancestor Gods, the mysteries of the River of Time, the path of time and space, as well as your origins, your past, present, and future—all the ins and outs, all the causes and effects…”Hearing this, Kong Yuhen’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his expression already somewhat frozen. So much? He interrupted, “What do I need to pay?”“Brother Yuhen, time, whether long or short, is but a fleeting moment to you, am I right?”Kong Yuhen didn't dare to answer Xu Xiaoshou directly, instead asking again, “For the lower option, what do I need to pay?”“Not much,” Xu Xiaoshou said casually. “You serve me for ten thousand years.”

Kong Yuhen's vision went black, and he immediately gave up. “What about the middle option?”Xu Xiaoshou spread his hands, puzzled. “Brother Yuhen, you could actually reconsider. The Demon Ancestor, trying to sell me this secret, couldn’t even provide full information but dared to make an exorbitant demand of 129,600 years from me. I only ask for ten thousand years and give you even more. Who is more sincere? You can judge for yourself.”“The middle option!”

“Alright. Middle, as in the doctrine of the mean, going too far is as bad as not enough, an equal exchange… I can still tell you this secret, and I can also guarantee that every generation of you will know this secret, as long as I am alive and remember it.”“The price?”“Brother Yuhen, with the middle option, you no longer need to serve me or assist me. You only need to promise to sever all ties with the Demon Ancestor, Sui Yin, and all other Ancestor Gods in this current situation. The transaction will end when any of the five ancestors—Saint, Demon, Medicine, Ghost, or Sui—falls. After that, you can do whatever you want, even backstab and kill me.” Xu Xiaoshou pointed out the window, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Kong Yuhen fell silent. He once again felt immense pressure. Despite the incredibly young man before him, he truly exuded the same oppressive aura as the Demon Ancestor and Sui Yin. What exactly did he want to do? What was he plotting? Ba Zun'an dared to entrust his back and the overall situation to him, which certainly wasn’t without purpose…“Brother Yuhen?”Xu Xiaoshou waved a hand in front of him.Kong Yuhen snapped back to attention. “Master Shou, how can you guarantee that what you say is worth the price, with mere words?”

If Xu Xiaoshou’s words were true, it would undoubtedly be more than worth the price. The middle option merely required him to shift from a neutral stance slightly towards the Saint Servant side, without needing to exert any effort. Kong Yuhen could accept that. He believed this was the best choice, and there was no such thing as a higher option. The problem was, if Xu Xiaoshou was lying and merely making empty promises…

“I know what you’re worried about, but I won’t give you a guarantee.” Xu Xiaoshou wasn’t about to make a pointless self-justification for this. He simply shook his head slowly. “The Demon Ancestor at that time was truly making empty promises to me. But I can tell you plainly now, consider it a bonus. Brother Yuhen, on the River of Time, in places even you couldn’t see, I have already passed through an epoch and witnessed too many unknowns…”

Kong Yuhen was stunned.Xu Xiaoshou pressed on. “Precisely because of this, I am certain that the reconstruction of the temporal realm is no longer a pipe dream. That’s why I’m willing to give you this Gate of Reincarnation and renew our friendship, rather than it being a mere equal exchange.”

Kong Yuhen fell silent. The Pavilion of Ancient and Modern Forgetfulness remained quiet for a long time. Xu Xiaoshou didn't interrupt his thoughts, giving him ample time. Then, he changed the subject. “Brother Yuhen, what do you think Dao Qiongcang is doing right now?”

Dao Qiongcang…Kong Yuhen had met this person. He too had gone to seek answers, answers to questions he didn’t even know. Yet, no matter how enigmatic Dao Qiongcang was, the final result he provided was merely ambiguous, far less straightforward than what Xu Xiaoshou offered now. Kong Yuhen had, however, discerned Dao Qiongcang’s ambition. He was far from satisfied with merely being one of the Ten Greats! What the Demon Ancestor sought, the Medicine Ancestor plotted, and Sui Yin pursued, he was also scheming, yet he had remained submerged beneath the surface until now… Dao Qiongcang was plotting something much grander!

Kong Yuhen found it even more difficult. Xu Xiaoshou always managed to use these miscellaneous things to increase his bargaining chips. He didn't know how to speak.But Xu Xiaoshou knew exactly what to say; he was too adept at it.“Ba Zun'an values me. Since White Cave, he has treated me as an equal and helped me a lot. Though I don’t say it, I am deeply grateful. That’s why, when he went out alone this time, I was willing to clean up his mess and help him… Brother Yuhen, why don’t you think about why?”

“Dao Qiongcang fears me. From his schemes in the Four Symbols Secret Realm to Green Origin Mountain and Changde Town, I knew he had opportunities to capture me, but in the end, he actively gave up and chose to befriend me in the Divine Ruins. He paid a friendship fee, and I am also willing to be his friend… Brother Yuhen, why don’t you think about why again?”

“The Demon Ancestor is friendly to me, though we are strangers. He is an Ancestor God, and I am an ant. After meeting on the River of Time, he wants to cooperate with me. Is he after my future, or something else on me… Brother Yuhen, you can ponder carefully again, what is the Demon Ancestor thinking?”

For some reason, when these words were spoken, Kong Yuhen looked again, and the figure before him was no longer merely a young man. He seemed to have transformed into another Ancestor God. He sat smiling gently at the starry chessboard, and arrayed opposite him, engaged in a game, were the several great Ancestor Gods who represented the pinnacle of their time, as well as the several Ten Greats who harbored ambitions and abilities to reach that pinnacle. And suddenly, Xu Xiaoshou was there too! It was just Xu Xiaoshou, not anyone else behind him.

“Master Shou, this is truly putting me in a difficult position.”Kong Yuhen clenched his palms, feeling a slight chill. In reality, he never wanted to be at the table, plotting anything, nor was he keen to investigate which Ancestor God’s contingency was behind Xu Xiaoshou. But he knew that if the situation continued to develop like this, as he learned more and gained more, even if he didn’t want to be at the table, the interwoven forces would compel him to join. He wouldn't be able to help himself. At that point, alone and isolated at the table, with everyone else calculating and being old foxes or young foxes, it would be extremely difficult to escape!

“I…”Kong Yuhen struggled to make a decision.Xu Xiaoshou smiled. “Brother Yuhen, you don’t have to make a choice now. You can think it through completely before speaking.”“Okay.” That was reassuring.“But our time is limited.” Xu Xiaoshou walked towards the window, stepping onto the sill. He was about to make his heroic entrance.“What do you mean?” Kong Yuhen looked at him.Xu Xiaoshou turned back, grinning. “Brother Yuhen, I don’t want to lie to you… The choices I’m giving you now, I’ll be going to the Demon Ancestor, Medicine Ancestor, and Sui Yin one by one to tell them the same thing.”

What?!Kong Yuhen felt a chill run down his spine. Looking at that harmlessly smiling face, he felt it was the face of a devil.“Once one of them makes a choice that I deem suitable, I’m afraid I’ll have to say ‘sorry’ to you in advance…”Was this a threat?Kong Yuhen’s gaze tightened, staring intently at the young man clinging to the window, but he couldn't speak. Should Xu Xiaoshou not do this? From his perspective, he should absolutely do this!

“You seek answers, and I also seek them. The Battle for the Dao will inevitably be bloody; an elder once told me this…” Xu Xiaoshou clearly understood the priorities of relationships and the situation. “Brother Yuhen, our friendship is not shallow, which is why I’m telling you this first. But our friendship is just that—friendship. I can wait for a while, but I cannot wait forever, don’t you think?”

A compassionate person cannot lead an army. When entrusted by Ba Zun'an, and after returning from the River of Time, Xu Xiaoshou began planning everything. He wouldn't wait for death. He always knew that behind him, there was a poisonous snake named Dao, colder and more terrifying than himself.

Watching the young man about to leap out the window, Kong Yuhen seemed no longer able to bear the invisible pressures pushing him from behind. He blurted out, “I choose…”“Brother Yuhen!” Xu Xiaoshou interrupted him.He was already halfway into the spatial vortex but turned back to say softly, “There’s no need to rush. You can watch the battle between Hua and Ba first, then give your answer.”

Kong Yuhen became anxious. Who knew if Xu Xiaoshou would contact the great Ancestor Gods in the starry sky during Hua and Ba’s battle and pull the rug out from under all sides? One must remember that those alliances were unstable, with each harboring ulterior motives. If Xu Xiaoshou, with his silver tongue, managed to sway any one of them, what would be the point of his choice later?

“I have already made my decision,” Kong Yuhen stated emphatically. Indeed, as Xu Xiaoshou said, after contacting all parties, when he had to enter the fray, Ba Zun'an and Xu Xiaoshou were, in his opinion, the most trustworthy people. It had nothing to do with the situation, nothing to do with friendship. Kong Yuhen didn't fully understand the strengths of each party either; success or failure was a matter of fate and destiny. But purely based on personal character and comfort in their company, he chose Ba Zun'an.

“It’s not important.”Xu Xiaoshou leaped out the window, standing above the spatial vortex, his form sometimes solid, sometimes blurry. He smiled and waved his hand. “Brother Yuhen, words and vows are not important to me. Actions are what matter most. If you have made your choice, no matter which one, please stand firm in your resolve.”“I have eyes…”He extended his hand, bent his fingers, and pointed to his eyes, his figure gradually receding and fading. “I have eyes, and I will see. When the time comes, you will receive it.”

This guy… Was this playing hard to get? Kong Yuhen once again personally experienced Master Shou’s negotiating prowess. He felt like a fish in the River of Time, clearly seeing the hook and bait Xu Xiaoshou had cast into the river, so obvious they were. Yet, he himself was anxious to bite and eat, his heart burning with impatience, as if if he didn't eat it, that not-so-delicious bait would be snatched up by other fish!

“Xu Xiaoshou, I choose…”The Pavilion of Ancient and Modern Forgetfulness trembled, and his words stopped short. Xu Xiaoshou’s figure completely vanished into the spatial vortex, but the Time Ancestor’s Shadow Staff, which had been resting quietly on the tea table, flew after him.The figure was gone, leaving only a carefree voice.“Kong Yuhen, I don’t accept impulsive confessions. But thank you for your Time Ancestor’s Shadow Staff; I’ll continue to use it for now.”