Chapter 1986: Luo Jing

“Liu Dao?”

The dead silence of the crossroads was suddenly broken by a high-pitched voice.

Xu Xiao Shou looked at Dao Qiong Cang, who was still shaking the token in his hand with a faint smile on his lips, and inexplicably felt a tearing sensation, as if his soul had been punched by Shen Yi.

—I’m torn!

“You mean, you are that old… Sixth Seat, the one who is the elusive leader of the Saint Servants? The Saint Servants where Ba Zun An and Wu Xiu are?”

“Because you rank ‘sixth’, and you take the character ‘Dao’, casually combining them to form a codename… Liu Dao?”

Dao Qiong Cang nodded, giving a soft hum.

“You also said that Hai Tang’er is in the North, Hei Bai Ye Zi in the South, Xiao Kong Tong in the East, Wu Xiu in the Center, and others might have assistance from other Seats, but only the Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat is responsible for the Western Regions alone?”

“The Saint Servants’ intelligence agency in the Western Regions is called ‘Da Mo Ling’, fully managed by the Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat, ‘Liu Dao’, with the authority to act first and report later?”

Dao Qiong Cang nodded again, holding the token with a smile, saying nothing.

“You also said that you had known about Fen Qin’s headquarters in He Ting Shan long ago, and if it wasn’t for Gou Wu Yue accidentally stumbling upon it, you would have turned a blind eye, pretending not to see.”

“It’s not because you were nurturing the Saint Servants to oppose the Ancestral Gods, but because you were already one of the Saint Servants members, just that Wu Xiu was in the open, and you, Liu Dao, were in the dark?”

Dao Qiong Cang finally chuckled, then retorted, “Otherwise, do you think Fen Qin could truly hide under my very nose? Is there any place in the Central Regions without my mark?”

Xu Xiao Shou wanted to speak but hesitated, his words ultimately caught in his throat.

The story of Fen Qin was told by Aunt Xiang in You Gui Ge. As the Summoner of the Saint Servants’ Third Seat, Aunt Xiang’s words were, of course, credible.

But…

Now it seems, with the Guidance power running wild, whose words can be trusted?

Dao Qiong Cang explained his identity as the Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat, and seeing that Xu Xiao Shou still didn’t believe him, he seemed a little helpless:

“Could you still believe that I was jealous of Elder Sang’s position as second-in-command, and that I could only be ranked sixth, which is why I subtly guided Gou Wu Yue to take down Fen Qin’s lair?”

Elder Sang…

It’s already “Elder Sang” now?

Xu Xiao Shou opened his mouth, but had nothing to say.

Dao Qiong Cang frowned, spread his hands, and shrugged:

“Then think again, during the battle at Qing Yuan Shan that night, I had clearly calculated that you would eventually perform the Golden Cicada Shedding and appear in Chang De Zhen, and at most you could only seek help from Kui Lei Han.”

“But why did I not pursue you, and instead chose to lift the restriction of the Devouring God’s Blood Food, allowing the Devouring Body to merge with you, to cut off the thoughts of Yao Zu and Bei Huai?”

Xu Xiao Shou felt there was a logical loophole somewhere, but before he could point it out, Dao Qiong Cang smiled again, asking and answering himself:

“Isn’t it precisely because you also wanted to understand the true nature of the Ghost Beast Parasite?”

“Then, what is more effective than personally entering the game?”

“And after merging with the Devouring God, troubles from Xu Yue Hui Gong might follow. To allow you to proceed without distraction, didn’t I ultimately lead people to completely destroy Xu Yue Hui Gong, nipping the danger in the bud?”

Xu Xiao Shou’s mouth hung open, speechless for a moment.

So, you seizing Bai Zhou wasn’t for the Witchcraft Body, and destroying Xu Yue Hui Gong wasn’t for yourself, it was all for me?

You, Dao Qiong Cang, are actually a great benevolent person?!

Dao Qiong Cang saw the shocked expression on the face of the person before him, and relentlessly cited another ironclad example:

“Then think again, I have never suffered a single defeat in my life. What I pursue is an undefeated reputation and face before the people of the Five Regions.”

“I value face so much, yet I utterly lost in the Battle of the Void Island. And for me, you should know that even if I lost, if I wanted to take away two or three people, it would be as easy as flipping my hand. What was the result?”

Xu Xiao Shou was stunned, recalling the Battle of the Void Island. Indeed, the Saint Servants had achieved a complete victory.

Dao Qiong Cang clapped his hands: “The result was Yan Wu Se, Rao Yao Yao, and even my beloved Er Hao, I let them all go, watching them perish. Yet, of the Nine Seats of the Saint Servants who have appeared, not a single one has died to this day. Is it because they are strong and I, Dao Qiong Cang, am weak?”

Indeed, Xu Xiao Shou was stumped by the question.

“Not so!”

Dao Qiong Cang spat furiously, “It’s not that the Nine Seats of the Saint Servants are strong, but because of my other identity, named ‘Liu Dao’. For the sake of the overall plan, I had to sacrifice my individual self for the greater good.”

“It even completed the scene where that water ghost, like a clown, directed and acted, and also completed his long-sought after reputation of ‘Unpredictable’ which he couldn’t obtain.”

“I, Dao Qiong Cang, yielded my name for him, Yu Mo. Is this not enough to explain something?”

Growing angrier as he spoke, Dao Qiong Cang rolled his eyes to the heavens:

“That fellow, Yu Mo, was merely the Chief of the Spirit Department back then, working under me. I’m not bragging, others might not know how formidable I am, but how could he not know my power?”

“If he didn’t know that ‘Liu Dao’ was one of his own, would he dare to scheme in front of me, or even during the entire Void Island game, be confident that I wouldn’t detect any hint of it?”

There was indeed some truth to it!

Xu Xiao Shou was almost convinced.

“Let’s take a step back,” Dao Qiong Cang spluttered, “Do you think if Yu Mo hadn’t secretly communicated with me, would he dare to join the Saint Servants? Would Yu Mo be conquered by Ba Zun An’s charisma? Ba Zun An excels in swordsmanship, not verbal debate. Could he have persuaded Yu Mo?”

Surprisingly, there was still some truth to that as well?

Xu Xiao Shou gasped, seemingly already immersed in Dao Qiong Cang’s world-shattering theory.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed the token from Dao Qiong Cang’s hand, examining it from left to right.

That token was of the same design as Ba Zun An’s “Ba Zi Ling”, identical except for the engraved characters.

Only…

“Missing the Sword Intent, right?”

Dao Qiong Cang didn’t stop Xu Xiao Shou from repeatedly examining it, but sighed slightly: “But do you think, if the dignified Palace Master Dao carried a Saint Servants token, and the token contained Ba Zun An’s unique Sword Intent, and above…”

Dao Qiong Cang pointed upwards, indicating the Ancestral Gods three feet above: “Are They blind?”

This, you can also explain?

Xu Xiao Shou was utterly amazed. Holding the Dao Zi Ling, it felt like a hot potato. He didn’t know whether to return it or not.

Dao Qiong Cang, however, still had something to say, letting out a soft sigh:

“I know you would think that now that Ba Zun An is gone, everything I say relies solely on my words, Dao Qiong Cang?”

“But my Xu, you might as well think again, if Ba Zun An truly regarded me as an enemy from the bottom of his heart, do you think the Buddha Sword Fury Immortal, carrying Sword Intent, would be entrusted to me, and finally handed over to Yue Gong Nu as her protective talisman?”

“Furthermore, before the Ancestral God War has even begun, why would I risk my life to go to Han Yu, under the potential scrutiny of two Ancestral Gods in the Han Gong帝境, to first rescue Yue Gong Nu, thereby cutting off Ba Zun An’s worries, allowing Him to seal his Ancestral God and return to nothingness without distractions?”

I’m really going to be convinced by you!

Xu Xiao Shou’s eyes widened like brass bells, staring fixedly at Dao Qiong Cang, not uttering a sound.

“You don’t know how much effort I secretly put in to stall Yue Gong Li and Cui Yin, as Yue Gong Li herself isn’t stupid, and Cui Yin is the progenitor of the Path of Guidance…” Dao Qiong Cang’s voice was filled with bitterness, almost on the verge of tears.

“How much effort?” Xu Xiao Shou asked.

“A lot! I started planning as early as the Divine Remains, step by step luring Yue Gong Li into my trap. Only after returning to the Saint God Continent did I choose a good opportunity to make him realize something was amiss, and select a law-abandoned place for continuous self-destruction…”

Dao Qiong Cang gestured wildly, very agitated: “Do you know how difficult it is, to make a normal person constantly self-destruct to stall for time, to make self-destruction stall the Ancestral God’s time, so that I could obtain a time node that couldn’t even be called correct, to risk my life as my sister’s identity to rescue Yue Gong Nu!”

You’ve worked so hard!

Someone as hardworking as you surely deserves a little red flower as a reward, right?

Xu Xiao Shou stared blankly at the hypocritical face before him, only wishing he had an extra bowl of white rice to forcefully cover that flamboyant old Dao’s face.

Dao Qiong Cang, Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat, Liu Dao?

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

Xu Xiao Shou would rather believe that Dao Qiong Cang was born from a dung beetle pushing a dung ball too hard, causing the dung ball to explode, than to foolishly believe that Dao Qiong Cang had another identity as Saint Servants’ Liu Dao.

But it must be said…

His explanation was perfect, even a little too perfect.

But then again…

He is Dao Qiong Cang!

When Dao Qiong Cang pulled out this token and intended to trick people, did he not foresee how many questions he would have at that moment?

Others might not be able to sort things out clearly, or might even say too much and expose themselves, their lies collapsing without a puncture.

But he is Dao Qiong Cang!

If he hadn’t sorted things out beforehand, would this fellow dare to pull out this token in front of him and then speak eloquently?

Xu Xiao Shou even felt like covering his ears.

He knew all too well that whether he listened or not at this moment, Dao Qiong Cang would absolutely be able to justify himself, because he must have prepared too much for this "confession."

Listening to him explain would definitely not clarify anything.

The only ones who could prove the true identity of the Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat were not Dao Qiong Cang, but the other few Seats who had truly met the Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat back then!

“Xiao Da Zui!”

With a thought, Xu Xiao Shou’s avatar found Xiao Kong Tong outside the Nan Li Realm. After confirming that he had no trace of Dao Qiong Cang’s urine smell, he immediately asked:

“Who is the Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat?”

Xiao Kong Tong had already recovered from his injuries, like Li Zhu, thanks to the large amount of healing holy medicine in the Apricot Realm. Seeing that the person was Xu Xiao Shou, he confirmed his identity, then pondered for a moment and said:

“Luo… Oh, Liu Dao!”

Xu Xiao Shou keenly sensed something amiss and tugged at Xiao Da Zui’s big mouth: “What were you trying to say just now, Luo what?”

“Luo…” Xiao Kong Tong frowned, “The Sixth Seat is responsible for Da Mo Ling in the Western Regions, codenamed Liu Dao, and seems to also be called ‘Luo Jing’.”

“Have you met this ‘Luo Jing’!”

“No, I haven’t met him. Liu Dao is very mysterious, a top secret within the Saint Servants. Perhaps only Teacher, Senior Wu Xiu, etc., know his true identity… What’s wrong, why are you suddenly asking about this?”

Xu Xiao Shou couldn’t help but fall silent.

Ba Zun An is gone, and Elder Sang’s influence has waned.

Asking the Saint Servants’ First and Second Seats would likely yield no clear answers. It seems he can only look for the Third Seat…

The Third Seat was fighting.

So Xu Xiao Shou went to the Third Seat’s Summoner.

Again, with a thought, this time he surprisingly didn’t find anyone in the Central Regions. He then used both space and perception to expand his search to all Five Regions, and with the help of a marker, quickly located a place with very chaotic spatial coordinates.

On a small island in the Eastern Regions!

Aunt Xiang truly knew how to hide. She knew that Shen Yi’s biggest weakness wasn’t Shen Yi herself, but herself, so she ran far away!

With a whoosh, Xu Xiao Shou’s avatar landed. After first confirming that Aunt Xiang also had no urine smell, he dared to ask directly:

“Who is the Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat?”

Aunt Xiang, who was devoutly burning incense in the Buddhist hall converted from her side courtyard, trembled. She suddenly turned her head, confirmed that this person was indeed Xu Xiao Shou, then breathed a sigh of relief and pinched her brow:

“Liu Dao.”

As these two words came out, Xu Xiao Shou thought, “It’s over.”

He probably didn’t even need to ask the others; the answer would likely be the same as Aunt Xiang’s — as fellow Ten Honored Seats, why couldn’t you, Aunt Xiang Yao Yao, transcend even one answer?

“What’s wrong?” Aunt Xiang saw Xu Xiao Shou’s troubled face and reached out to pinch his cheek. “You’re very irritable, do you want Auntie to introduce you to…”

“Who is Luo Jing?” Xu Xiao Shou interrupted her.

Aunt Xiang paused, seeing Xu Xiao Shou’s extreme seriousness and knowing the gravity of the matter. Her thoughts returned to the right track. After pondering for a while, she said:

“I seem to have heard… hmm, Shen Yi mention that name, but the Saint Servants’ Third Seat is Shen Yi, not me. I didn’t attend their last banquet back then.”

“Last banquet?” Xu Xiao Shou’s thoughts stirred.

“Exactly!” Aunt Xiang’s thought process was equally astute and to the point: “If you’re looking for ‘unknowns’, Auntie can only tell you that the Nine Seats of the Saint Servants usually don’t gather together, but before they completely went their separate ways, they did gather for one last meal—that meal was so serious that Shen Yi didn’t even bring me along!”

“Meal?”

“Swallows depart south, gathering and scattering are impermanent, all wild geese have passed, a safe journey.” Aunt Xiang nodded her delicate head. “These were the words Ba Zun An said when the banquet dispersed back then, and also the secret code they would use later to prove their identities.”

“Yan…”

At the crossroads, Xu Xiao Shou suddenly spoke.

Dao Qiong Cang was momentarily bewildered: “What Yan?”

Excellent!

Game over!

Xu Xiao Shou knew that Ba Zun An could circumvent the Ancestral God’s guidance, so these words used to prove identity must also have some power.

Just then, Dao Qiong Cang scoffed: “Oh, you mean that? Suddenly coming out with a single word, who knows what you want to ask…”

After muttering, he then put on a serious face, pressed his hand to his chest, and spoke passionately:

“Swallows depart south, gathering and scattering are impermanent!”

“All wild geese have passed, a safe journey!”

The crossroads immediately fell silent, with only the low purring of a cat remaining.

Xu Xiao Shou stared intently at Dao Qiong Cang, as if trying to discern his true identity beneath the mask.

Dao Qiong Cang met his gaze without fear, truly embodying the saying that a righteous person casts no crooked shadow, and one who does no wrong fears no knock at the door.

Finally, the fellow’s form flickered, his luxurious robes turned into white clothes, and as his face transformed, he changed from Dao Qiong Cang to Ba Zun An. With a slight wave of his hand, he turned and presented Xu Xiao Shou with his back:

“Disperse.”

It was as if he had truly been sitting at that banquet of dispersal, personally witnessed Ba Zun An’s final speech, saw Ba Zun An leave first, and finally, the nine and ten or so Saint Servants went their separate ways.

—I simply refuse to believe this evil!

Xu Xiao Shou’s consciousness again escaped, finding the Storyteller. He appeared right in front of him, and the first step was to verify if the Storyteller had any lingering urine smell on him.

After Dao Qiong Cang’s confession of the Divine Descent Art, he indeed no longer dared to tamper with the Saint Servants’ people. All the imprints had already been destroyed.

Naturally, he feared Xu Xiao Shou seeking retribution later, and of course, he also feared Ba Zun An’s revenge. This much, he understood very clearly.

And the Storyteller Ning Hong Hong, who was he?

In terms of cultivation, combat power, or ranking among the Saint Servants’ Nine Seats, the current Storyteller could no longer be considered crucial.

But he had another identity!

He was Ba Zun An’s sworn brother. Regarding everything about the “Banquet of Dispersal,” others might be vague, but the Storyteller would definitely know all the ins and outs!

“Time is tight, and the task is heavy, Senior Storyteller. I must offend you a bit. I won’t ask; I want to directly search your soul.” Xu Xiao Shou said concisely.

“This is too offensive, isn’t it…?” The Storyteller was slightly taken aback, not expecting such directness, but then covered his mouth and chuckled lightly:

“Come on, if it were anyone else, I naturally wouldn’t allow it, but if it’s you, feel free to offend me as much as you like.”

I’m sorry for the offense!

Xu Xiao Shou had no time to argue with the Storyteller. He performed a soul read, skipping over large fragments of past memories.

Not long after, he precisely located the specific scene of the Banquet of Dispersal. However, he still had to break through a Sword Intent restriction left by Ba Zun An, and only after verifying his identity could he see the scene.

“Very good, with the power left by Ba Zun An, the authenticity is guaranteed…”

It was an antique room, with the dim evening glow filtering in from outside the window, casting light upon the marten rug on the floor. A sense of farewell and sorrow already permeated the air.

On the long red wooden table in the center, there were over a dozen dishes, all colorful, fragrant, and delicious, yet no one had touched their chopsticks. On both sides of the long table sat figures, some familiar, some unfamiliar.

Sitting north, facing south, at the head seat, a figure in white robes held up a gourd bottle, reminiscing about the past, undoubtedly Ba Zun An.

To his left, the second-in-command, Sang Qi Ye, showed his true face, a straw hat placed on the table.

Across from Elder Sang, drinking heartily, chest and spirit open, muscles bulging, was the third-in-command, Shen Yi. Even sitting, he stood out, a full head taller than others.

The second and third-in-command sat facing each other, and down the line, others were seated in clear order of precedence. Clearly, at this last banquet, no one dared to act out of line.

Xu Xiao Shou then looked down. There was Cen Qiao Fu, the Saint Servants’ Fourth Seat, with his small Pan Immortal Axe also on the table. The Fifth Seat, Shui Gui, wore a golden beast mask—all familiar faces.

Below Shui Gui, was the Seventh Seat, the Storyteller, in a red dress, covering her face, clearly sobbing.

On the other side, drawing attention, were not the Sixth Seat, but a pair of twin sisters, one black and one white, both exquisitely beautiful, but also crying. They must be the Eighth Seat, Hei Bai Ye Zi, who oversaw the Hua Cao Ge in the Southern Regions.

Below the Storyteller, on his right, sat Hai Tang’er, whom Xu Xiao Shou had met once in Bai Ku. She was undoubtedly the Ninth Seat. Each of their identities could be confirmed.

Xu Xiao Shou’s main focus, however, was precisely the Sixth Seat, who was sitting across from the Storyteller!

He had his back to the window, arms crossed. The sunlight from behind him cast him in silhouette, making his face unclear. Moreover, the Storyteller was sobbing and didn’t even look at him properly.

Xu Xiao Shou’s thoughts shifted, and he decided to jump out and observe.

He almost zoomed in and enlarged the Storyteller’s memory, grasping every fleeting glimpse he could of the Sixth Seat’s face, meticulously examining each frame.

The Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat was not Dao Qiong Cang!

That person’s face was quite long and fair-skinned, with a high nose bridge. At this moment, he was slightly bowing his head, eyelids lowered, his right hand pinching his chin, seemingly contemplating some issue.

Ba Zun An was talking eloquently from the main seat, and the memory flowed down according to the Storyteller’s recollection.

Xu Xiao Shou called out a few times, but Old Ba did not respond.

This proved that even if Ba Zun An had sealed his Ancestral God and was in the time realm, he could no longer interfere with the memories of people in the Saint God Continent.

Even the Ancestral God of Returning to Nothingness couldn’t do it. The restrictions and power left by the Ancestral God of Returning to Nothingness were still there, and only he, who controlled the Sword Intent, was allowed to penetrate them.

Then this Saint Servants’ Sixth Seat, Luo Jing, protected within the restriction, must be the true person, irreplaceable.

What he saw now was the truth!

And Dao Qiong Cang, with the Sixth Seat token in his hand, could only mean one thing — a change of identity, replacing Luo Jing, and altering the memories of Xiao Kong Tong, Aunt Xiang, and others!

“Phew…”

Xu Xiao Shou let out a long breath, having made up his mind.

However, just as he was about to leave the Storyteller’s memory scene, Luo Jing, the Sixth Seat of the Saint Servants, who had been deep in thought with his head bowed, let out a silent sigh.

He actually transcended the established narrative in the Storyteller’s past memories, raised his head, and looked towards himself, who was observing this memory from outside the frame with an omniscient perspective!

Xu Xiao Shou’s heart stopped abruptly!

The banquet of dispersal was still proceeding in an orderly fashion, following the historical timeline…

But within the memory scene, Luo Jing looked over!

It was like when he had crossed the river of time, returned to the Divine Remains, and eliminated the reversal of the evil god Cui Yin under his nose. In the forbidden zone of life, Dao Qiong Cang’s observing eyes had shown a certain “awareness.”

It was also like when he read Hua Chang Deng’s fragmented soul, and in his past memories, under the purple bamboo forest, when he saw the young Rao Yao Yao, Yue Gong Li, and others, the tiny stone figure of Dao Qiong Cang could also look up and sigh about the “blinding sunlight” with an implied meaning.

Their eyes met!

At that moment, Xu Xiao Shou’s pupils dilated, as if he had seen something indescribable.

Compared to the previous times when Dao Qiong Cang had been secretive in others’ memories, this time Luo Jing directly ignored Ba Zun An, who was eloquently speaking at the main seat, and pushed back his chair, standing up, spreading his hands towards the “empty nothingness” in the sky, expressing his helplessness:

“It’s really me, my Xu!”

“Luo Jing is Dao Qiong Cang. I really have no need to lie to you!”

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