Chapter 434: Xu Xiaoshou, A Habitual Offender Who Speaks the Truth With Eyes Wide Open

"A war of attrition..." Xu Xiaoshou furrowed his brow. He had always watched Su Qianqian grow up like a younger sister, so he naturally couldn't stand by and let this happen. Although she was a genius and a Sword Sect master, not everyone present was merely a pretender. At the very least, Xu Xiaoshou had already spotted several formidable opponents. The only reason these individuals seemed overshadowed was due to his own overwhelmingly brilliant presence. If he weren't here, the young generation in the arena would still shine with their own light. Su Qianqian was a solitary young tiger, and she wouldn't be able to withstand this pack of wolves!

"Actually, don't worry too much," Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. "If it really comes to that, just mention my name, Brother Xiaoshou, and it should keep some of them in check." Su Qianqian smiled along, but the deep-seated worry in her eyes remained. "Relax, there's no need to be overly concerned. It hasn't come to that yet!" Xu Xiaoshou said, his gaze drifting into the distance. "Who knows," he added meaningfully, "which will arrive first, an accident or tomorrow?" He continued, "Perhaps a giant meteor will suddenly fall from the sky, smashing the banquet hall to bits, leaving no place for anyone to challenge you." Su Qianqian giggled, amused. She hadn't expected "Brother Beast" to be the most innocent one after all.

"That's it then." Xu Xiaoshou stood up and ruffled the girl's hair.

"Where are you going now?" Mu Zixi immediately grew alert. Su Qianqian might think Xu Xiaoshou was joking, but as the only one who truly knew him inside and out, Mu Zixi sensed something was amiss. A meteor? How could Xu Xiaoshou possibly conjure a giant meteor? But if he couldn't, was he just joking? Yet, would Xu Xiaoshou joke? *Mountains crumble, heaven and earth merge, then Xiaoshou jokes!*

"Sit tight," Xu Xiaoshou snapped, glaring as Mu Zixi prepared to follow him. His "perception" swept across the entire hall; he had long realized this was a golden opportunity. The elder brother he had just befriended, Elder Feng, hadn't returned yet. Fu Xing was unconscious. Fu Zhi was probably still being held by Elder Feng, chatting about family matters. The few Throne-level elders he had gleaned information about from Elder Feng were confirmed not to appear unless the sky fell. And Shouye and Shiti were, by sheer bad luck, tied up by those four old spiritual array masters... What was this? Wasn't this the almost perfect killing opportunity Xu Xiaoshou had been waiting for?

Even after causing a commotion here and gaining nearly 200,000 passive points, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't forgotten his original intention. His goal was to enter the City Lord's Mansion and find a chance to eliminate Zhang Taiying! If Zhang Taiying didn't die, Xu Xiaoshou's path outside the mansion would surely be fraught with danger. Now, let's consider the current situation. Xin Guugu's connection to the Zhang Estate had been retracted. The flower sea array was already set. A-Jie and Xu Xiaoji, whom he had dispatched earlier, were likely restless by now. Adding to that, the various Throne-level experts were all, by chance, held up by minor matters... "All is ready, save for the east wind!"

Seeing Mu Zixi's wide, wary eyes, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but chuckle. "Why are you so tense? Do you really think I can dig up a meteor and smash this place?" He continued, "Setting aside the strict security of the City Lord's Mansion, do you think I, with my current strength, could even dig up a giant meteor?" As he spoke, Xu Xiaoshou gently turned Mu Zixi's head back towards Su Qianqian. "Stay with her. It's rare for her to have a friend, so talk to her more and help her relax." He added, "You young people are all too anxious. It leads to wrinkles, which isn't good. I'm just going to pee; I'll be right back."

[Suspected, Passive Points, +1]

Mu Zixi's eyes darted back. "You can't dig it up, but what about Xin Guugu? Where did he go?"

"Sleeping in the Yuan Mansion!" Xu Xiaoshou's gaze dropped, thinking to himself that *the ancients were truly wise. 'Big chest, no brains' was indeed true!* He had considered bringing Mu Zixi along. But such an idea was best left as a thought. What help could someone at the peak of the Juyu realm be?

"Stay here. I'll be back soon. Remember to look after Su Qianqian and don't let her get hurt." Xu Xiaoshou pointed at Fu Xing, who was still lying on the high platform. "Remember that spot. If the war of attrition gets out of hand later, go find him."

"Fu Xing?" Mu Zixi was stunned. "Fu Xing is unconscious. How can he help?"

"Idiot!" Xu Xiaoshou lightly tapped his junior sister's head. "Since he's unconscious, he's definitely defenseless. Go tie him up, threaten everyone, and wait for me to arrive." Mu Zixi merely stared blankly. Su Qianqian, however, was utterly dumbfounded. This... Brother Beast, why did he seem to have changed somewhat? But... his thoughtfulness for her remained as always!

"Stay put." Xu Xiaoshou settled the two girls, then pretended to stretch casually, but his fervent gaze was directed unreservedly towards Zhang Taiying in the distance. The man, without any overt signal from Xu Xiaoshou, also cast his gaze over.

"Heh, third meeting?" Xu Xiaoshou mouthed. As the saying goes, bad things come in threes. So from now on, there would be no need to meet again, right? Tilting his head, Xu Xiaoshou said nothing more, merely gestured briefly towards the door, then stood up and left directly.

Would Zhang Taiying follow? A better question would be, was Zhang Taiying an idiot? If Xu Xiaoshou could see that this was the perfect time to kill, would that guy not notice? At this moment, even if Xu Xiaoshou were genuinely stepping out to pee, Zhang Taiying would find an excuse to follow. As for whether Zhang Taiying could guess if Xu Xiaoshou was laying a trap, or even predicting his movements... it no longer mattered. A Throne-level expert could arbitrarily kill someone for no reason, dismiss it, or at worst, offer a casual apology and some compensation if caught. But even if Zhang Taiying racked his brain, he wouldn't believe that a mere Innate realm practitioner would try to scheme against him, especially within the City Lord's Mansion! Taking a step back, if he *could* conceive of it, he'd think the person was insane. Taking two steps back, daring to *think* of it might be possible, but if that person actually *dared* to act on it, Zhang Taiying could only respond with a mocking "Heh."

Stepping out of the threshold, Xu Xiaoshou looked up at the moon, feeling the gentle breeze, his heart unperturbed. "The night is truly beautiful."

"What does he mean?" Zhang Taiying, sitting at the stone table, narrowed his eyes, flexed his powerful arms, and quickly tapped his fingers on the tabletop. "What was he trying to say just now? Is he asking me to go over?" Zhang Taiying thought Xu Xiaoshou must be insane. Was the man unaware of his undisguised killing intent? Or was he simply unafraid?

"Heh." The thought of Xu Xiaoshou being unafraid amused Zhang Taiying. If he were truly unafraid, then that day in the City Lord's Mansion, the young man should have displayed his full power and wiped out the three Throne-level experts of the Zhang Estate, instead of playing mind games and ultimately getting away with it. To be honest, the memory of being restrained by Xu Xiaoshou at that time made Zhang Taiying's face burn. If he hadn't been swayed by Zhang Chongmou's judgment initially and had gone after Xu Xiaoshou directly, perhaps the young man would have long since become a cold corpse. "What 'Throne body'? Perhaps that little boy has one, but Xu Xiaoshou is nothing but a fraud!"

"Is he challenging me to a duel?" As Zhang Taiying watched Xu Xiaoshou disappear through the doorway, the image of Xin Guugu, who had been mingling in the crowd earlier, flashed through his mind. "Does he really think the three Throne-level experts of the Zhang Estate can't be killed? And now that he has one Throne with him, he's confident enough to bury me, alone, here?" He scoffed, "Can the strength of a Throne be measured by numbers?"

Zhang Taiying's mind was made up. He turned and summoned an old Grandmaster from the Zhang Estate. "Master, what are your orders?" the old Grandmaster transmitted his voice.

"If I'm not mistaken, we control sixteen factions from Heavenly Mulberry City and twenty-two from other prefectures combined?" Zhang Taiying asked, turning his head.

"Yes, Master."

"Good. During the challenge matches later, ignore the others for now. Su Qianqian must die." The old Grandmaster lowered his eyelids upon hearing this. "This old servant understands."

Waving the old Grandmaster away, Zhang Taiying's eyes became dangerous. He deeply regretted the Su family's plight. As one of the four great families of Heavenly Mulberry City, he didn't want to see anything that disturbed the balance. But since the event had occurred, the Su family's outcome had to be stable! Any unstable factors that might harm the Zhang Estate's expansion plans had to be resolved immediately. This included Su Qianqian, and also... Xu Xiaoshou!

"Excuse me for a moment." Rising and bidding farewell to the various family heads at the table, Zhang Taiying walked away from the side. The night was deep, and the evening breeze was gentle. Looking up at the moon, Zhang Taiying smiled softly. "The night is truly beautiful."

*Tap, tap, tap.* A rhythmic sound of footsteps came from behind him. Xu Xiaoshou didn't need to look back to know that this sound couldn't have come from Zhang Taiying.

"Stop!" a sharp female voice called out.

Xu Xiaoshou halted and turned around. Two people.

"Fu Yinhong... Oh! You're here too? Weren't you supposed to be in charge of the main event?" Fu Yinhong's pretty face darkened. She was indeed supposed to be in charge of the main event. But the fact that she still rushed out under these circumstances showed that whatever Xu Xiaoshou might be up to was more important than the main event.

"Xu Xiaoshou, what new trick are you trying to pull?" Unwilling to engage in any unnecessary banter with the young man, Fu Yinhong cut straight to the chase.

"If I say I'm going to pee, would you believe me?" Xu Xiaoshou chuckled, his gaze seemingly on the woman, but his "perception" was secretly sizing up the old man behind her from head to toe. A Grandmaster, Star Offering realm. Judging by his aura of returning to simplicity, he was probably the strongest individual below the Throne realm. But as long as it wasn't Elder Feng, everything was manageable. Fu Yinhong bringing this person implied several things. First, this old man was strong, or at least in her misconception, he could keep an eye on Xu Xiaoshou. Second, Fu Yinhong herself couldn't continue to follow him; she would ask a few questions at most and then leave. Third, Elder Feng was indeed unreachable for the time being, otherwise this old man wouldn't have appeared, which meant it was highly unlikely Elder Feng would arrive in time. Fourth, even the beautiful Throne-level expert beside Fu Yinhong was temporarily occupied, or rather, Fu Yinhong herself didn't value Xu Xiaoshou as much as she did Fu Xing. And whether they were tied up by something, or Fu Yinhong didn't value him enough, or the City Lord's Mansion's defenses were currently dispersed... All of it was good for him. Fifth... well, that should be enough. Can't be too over the top. Xu Xiaoshou deduced all this in the blink of an eye. He was never vague when it came to major matters, especially when those matters could potentially affect his life.

Fu Yinhong's focus, however, was not on the same wavelength as Xu Xiaoshou's. Or perhaps, in Xu Xiaoshou's playful, bantering tone, she would always unconsciously be led astray. "Peeing?" This guy... couldn't he speak more elegantly? Didn't he know how to use more subtle language when addressing a refined lady? Before she could speak, Xu Xiaoshou slapped his forehead as if remembering something and chuckled, "Oh, I forgot. We agreed to poop together when we had time, and I forgot to call you this time. My bad."

Fu Yinhong: "..."

[Cursed, Passive Points, +1]

Xu Xiaoshou's ability to clown around was too strong. She almost got dragged into a verbal brawl. But the fact that the banquet hall was temporarily unsupervised hung over Fu Yinhong's heart like a knife. She didn't lose her composure and directly asked, "Xu Xiaoshou, tell me honestly, what exactly are you going to do?" She continued, "Always going to 'pass water'... or whatever you call it, can't you hold it in? You're a mature Spirit Master; going so many times in one night, is your health not good?" Fu Yinhong felt like she was turning into a hooligan. What she said, in normal circumstances, would be incredibly embarrassing. But facing Xu Xiaoshou, she felt she had to provoke him.

"Health not good?" Xu Xiaoshou was completely unmoved, surveying Fu Yinhong's figure from top to bottom. It had to be said, with her armor off and in a dress, her figure was shapely, and coupled with her red hair, she had an unusually alluring charm. "Do we really need to discuss such intimate topics?" Xu Xiaoshou turned sideways, gesturing for her to walk with him. "It's not impossible... how about we talk as we walk?"

Fu Yinhong: ???

This... this guy... Is that what I meant? It was clearly an attempt to provoke him, but after he put it that way, Fu Yinhong herself felt her words had taken on a different meaning. She realized once again that when talking to Xu Xiaoshou, even with provocation, she and he were not on the same level. She abruptly halted. Fu Yinhong didn't take the bait, stating coldly, "I don't have much time to mess around with you. You went out once before, and Elder Feng even lost track of you. There's definitely something suspicious." She pressed on, "Honestly tell me what you're trying to do."

Xu Xiaoshou's face instantly twisted into a bitter expression. "I tell you I'm going to pee, and you don't believe me. I tell you I'm going for a walk, and you believe me even less. You clearly distrust me completely. What answer do you want? You tell me!"

"I..." Fu Yinhong choked.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't give her a chance to speak. "Do I have to say something like, 'I'm going to do something outrageous' for you to be satisfied? But if I were going to do something outrageous, why would I tell you? You, woman, are you sick?!"

Fu Yinhong's beautiful eyes widened, utterly dumbfounded. She hadn't expected that after all that, she would still be scolded by Xu Xiaoshou. And yet, the scolding made perfect sense! *Is it my fault? I truly didn't believe this guy was up to any good when he went out, and he certainly wouldn't tell her, so what was the point of asking? Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! I was being led astray again. Even her big brother had stressed the importance of this person, and she herself sensed something was wrong—Xu Xiaoshou definitely wasn't up to anything good!*

At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou's emotions had been pushed to their limit. He completely ignored Fu Yinhong's furrowed brow and pained thoughts, directly grasping her fair wrist and pulling her along. "Let's go, let's go." He continued, "To tell you the truth, I'm going to kill someone. Inside your City Lord's Mansion, I'm going to kill a Throne-level expert. Not only am I going to kill, but I've also called in reinforcements—a total of three Throne-level enforcers! Are you scared?" He added, "Not only have I called people, but I've also set up an ambush beforehand! You don't need to ponder any longer; I'll tell you everything. Your intuition is correct; it's all your father's fault. His seemingly bright eyes are actually blind; he didn't see that I was the one who blew up the flower sea, and my purpose was to set up an ambush there for better killing. Everything was done by me. Your woman's sixth sense was not wrong; I was. Come on, I'll take you to see something!"

Xu Xiaoshou unleashed a volley of words like an upgraded machine gun shooter, firing four peas at once, scorching and hitting! The old man behind him was utterly bewildered. He stared blankly as Xu Xiaoshou directly led away the City Lord's young princess, momentarily forgetting to chase after them. *Are young people nowadays... all this formidable? To boast so extremely, and to lead a girl away so smoothly, without even giving her time to react?*

"Ah!" Fu Yinhong was dragged several steps before finally regaining her senses. Looking at her gripped wrist, the girl's pretty face immediately flushed red. She hadn't expected Xu Xiaoshou to be so direct and grab her. She tried to yank her hand away.

"Ugh!" The red flush deepened to purple, and Fu Yinhong almost cried out in pain.

"Let go of me!" Xu Xiaoshou immediately released her, tears welling up as he said, "This explanation isn't good enough either? What more do you want from me?"

*What more do you want from me?* Fu Yinhong almost stomped her foot in anger; shouldn't that be *her* line? She clenched her fists, grinding her teeth tightly, but in the end, she still didn't dare to take Xu Xiaoshou's bait.

"Fine, you're going to kill someone, right? Take Elder Sun with you. He'll watch you kill." Fu Yinhong's resentful words squeezed out through her teeth like toothpaste.

Xu Xiaoshou laughed loudly. "Are you kidding me? I'm going to kill a Throne. What can a mere Grandmaster do by tagging along? Stand by and watch?"

Elder Sun: "..." *A mere Grandmaster... I'll endure!*

[Cursed, Passive Points, +1]

Fu Yinhong also let out two "haha" laughs, then her face turned cold as frost. "Xu Xiaoshou, weren't you the one messing with me first? Killing a Throne and bringing three Throne-level thugs? Do you really think I'm a three-year-old child who can be easily fooled?" She was clearly furious, and her tone became overbearing. "Let me tell you the truth, big sister, no matter where you go tonight, Elder Sun must follow you. Even if you go to pee, he'll stand beside you and watch!"

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the girl in surprise. *Excellent, it seemed she was completely riled up! This was exactly the reaction he needed.* He remained calm internally, his expression equally fierce. "Young lady, isn't that a bit much? Are you really afraid I'll blow up your City Lord's Mansion?"

Fu Yinhong's face flushed. And indeed, that was her deepest, most genuine thought. "What if I am?"

Xu Xiaoshou reached out and directly pressed his hand onto Fu Yinhong's smooth forehead. The touch was soft, warm, and tender. Fu Yinhong recoiled in surprise, her pretty face still flushed with red, now blooming into a vibrant glow. "You what are you doing!"

"No fever, huh..." Xu Xiaoshou mumbled. "Young lady, you need to get your head checked. Whether killing a Throne is exaggerated or blowing up your City Lord's Mansion is unrealistic, I think you really need to ponder that question." After saying that, Xu Xiaoshou sniffed the back of his hand. "Smells good." He turned and walked away.

Fu Yinhong's eyelids twitched wildly, her earlobes burning red. She swore this was the first person who dared to be so physically forward and boast so brazenly in front of her. And finally, after a string of utterly nonsensical but somehow plausible arguments, he had even solemnly pointed out that there was something wrong with her mind. "Grrr..." "So detestable!" "Xu Xiaoshou...!!!"

[Cursed, Passive Points, +1, +1, +1, +1...][Missed, Passive Points, +1]

Watching Xu Xiaoshou walk away, Fu Yinhong did not follow again. Xu Xiaoshou might indeed have been spouting nonsense, but that last remark was true. No matter how terrifying he was, he couldn't possibly be capable of blowing up the entire City Lord's Mansion. The City Lord's Mansion was not like the undefended Alchemy Tower. Throne-level experts were abundant here! But why... did she still feel a strange flutter in her heart? Out of nowhere, the image of Xu Xiaoshou defiantly grabbing her wrist suddenly flashed through her mind... "What nonsense!" Fu Yinhong quickly stopped thinking.

It had to be said, Xu Xiaoshou had completely disrupted her rhythm. At least now, when she recalled her original purpose for coming... Xu Xiaoshou's hand had been on her forehead. "Hmm?" Fu Yinhong's cheek flushed again, and she quickly shook her head, dispersing the image. Standing still, after tidying her somewhat messy hair, she forced herself to regain her composure.

"Elder Sun, follow him!" she commanded. "Make sure you don't lose him! Don't be careless. I told you, Elder Feng lost him before."

The old man behind her finally snapped out of his musings about "how good it is to be young." "Yes." After responding, his thoughts wandered again. *To be able to hold the young princess's hand like that, and even touch her cheek, and for the princess to not resist in the end. And even in her words, there was a touch of playfulness not usually seen. Tsk, tsk... Such a hero was nowhere to be found, even if one searched all of Heavenly Mulberry City! This young man was extraordinary!*

"Elder Sun!" Fu Yinhong stomped her foot, seeing Elder Sun's "spring has arrived" expression.

"Oh, oh." Elder Sun finally fully snapped back to attention and said seriously, "I know Brother Feng's strength. Don't worry, I'll be diligent."

"It's best to walk shoulder to shoulder. The distance between you shouldn't exceed ten feet... one inch!" Fu Yinhong instructed.

*One inch?* Elder Sun wondered if it was necessary. But her serious tone made him immediately realize the gravity of the situation. "Don't worry, I'll be inseparable." After saying this gravely, the old man directly followed Xu Xiaoshou.

Fu Yinhong finally let out a sigh of relief. She calmed her pounding heart and looked up at the sky. The gentle breeze ruffled her red hair, blowing the recently tidied strands to one side. Fu Yinhong held a strand of hair between her lips and whispered softly. "The night is indeed quite beautiful..." She sighed, "I just hope nothing major happens tonight. Brother has already fallen; things are already unfriendly enough. And Dad... why hasn't he come over to take charge of the situation yet?" She paused. "But..." Suddenly, Xu Xiaoshou's unreasonable figure once again unreasonably intruded upon her mind, and the girl's pretty face flushed again. "But then again, they've been separated from Mother for many years, so they must have a lot of private things to say..." "Hmph!"