Chapter 495: Xu Xiaoshou, It Turns Out You Are Such a Xu Xiaoshou

Mu Zixi was riding A Jie.

The massive array of red and pink mist ahead couldn't block them at all. It only caused a brief delay before the two of them broke straight through this grand heavenly formation that had halted most others in their tracks. The void's heavenly dao condemnation hadn't even descended yet. With a wave of A Jie's hand, the surrounding heavenly mechanisms were instantly absorbed. Consequences for forcibly breaking the array? Not a chance!

“Wait, Xu Xiaoshou?”

After crossing the array, they pressed on. In no time, Mu Zixi caught the familiar, intoxicating surge of vibrant life force. She glanced down, a joyful expression spreading across her face.

“Is that really Xu Xiaoshou?”

“A Jie, stop quickly—your mama… huh?”

A Jie came to an abrupt halt. Clearly, even without Mu Zixi's prompt, it had spotted the one who had rescued it from the dark prison—“mama.” Mu Zixi's words cut off abruptly. It wasn't because of the sudden stop nearly sending her flying. It was the scene before her…

“What is Xu Xiaoshou doing?”

He's holding a woman? Getting so close? And they… why are their lips puckered like that?!

Mu Zixi's eyes widened in shock, her twin ponytails drifting upward as if lifted by a surge of rage from nowhere.

“Xu Xiaoshou!!!”

“Passive value gained from being called: 1.”

The explosive shout from the sky not only jolted the surrounding couples from their romantic haze but also made Xu Xiaoshou's scalp tingle and his body shudder.

“Huh?”

He instinctively looked up, noticing the two tiny figures he had completely overlooked because of the leaping White Bone Giant.

“A Jie…”

“Little… little junior sister?”

It was like getting caught red-handed in some illicit act. Even though nothing had happened, Xu Xiaoshou felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him, jolting him awake.

“What are you doing here?”

Mu Zixi was so angry she almost laughed.

What am I doing here? Oh, you sly Xu Xiaoshou! The moment I'm not around, you go sneaking off to do something like this, holding another woman? So you're not the block of wood I thought! So this is what you like?

“What does she have that's so great?”

Mu Zixi's grief-stricken eyes locked onto Yu Zhiwen. She looked vaguely familiar—this was the woman who had greeted Xu Xiaoshou at the entrance of the Eight Palaces, right?

“What does she have that's so great!”

Mu Zixi was so furious she nearly cried. She's just taller than me, with prettier eyes… and, well, bigger in certain areas! That's it! Is that enough to make you lose control, Xu Xiaoshou? In broad daylight, how could you betray me, your junior sister, and sneak around like this in front of so many people?

“Wait…”

Before her grief could turn into a scolding outburst, Mu Zixi saw Xu Xiaoshou react, but he didn't say anything. The woman in his arms, however, seemed as if she had been drugged and was completely out of it. Without Xu Xiaoshou's hand supporting her face, her lips puckered forward toward the young man in front of her.

“Stop!”

Mu Zixi lost control in an instant. She leaped down from dozens of feet in the air. In that moment, her mind went blank. All she could see was Xu Xiaoshou's face about to be tainted.

“Mmph.”

A warm sensation hit. Xu Xiaoshou froze. His upturned head prevented Yu Zhiwen from kissing him directly on the lips, but even as it landed on his neck, Mu Zixi, mid-leap, felt like she had been struck by a bolt of lightning, freezing on the spot. Her outstretched hand hung in the air, her spiritual energy suddenly drained by some unknown force. She pursed her lips, her twin ponytails drooping limply. Mu Zixi felt the world go dark.

Thud!

Her small body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that rose amid the red and pink mist. Mu Zixi was so wronged that tears welled up in her eyes.

“Xu Xiaoshou, you didn't catch me…”

“You'd rather have that demon woman than catch your own junior sister.”

“You weren't like this before; you wouldn't treat me this way.”

“How could you…”

She lay on the ground, burying her head in the dirt, not wanting to get up at all.

“Wah…”

“Passive value gained from being scolded: 1.”

“Passive value gained from being cursed: 1.”

“Passive value gained from being rejected: 1.”

“Gah!” Xu Xiaoshou was at a complete loss. What on earth was happening? Scolded, rejected? Little junior sister, what are you thinking? … How am I supposed to explain this? Wait, why do I even need to explain? I haven't done anything yet, so why are you crying like this? And…

“Get up quickly.”

“I was just trying to heal her—you've got it all wrong!”

Xu Xiaoshou hurriedly called out to his junior sister, but she wouldn't listen. Mu Zixi, who had already given up entirely, thought back to how, the moment she entered the White Cavern, all she had was Xu Xiaoshou's command. She hadn't even cared about the pain in her mind from resisting orders; she just wanted to see him. But now, this sudden encounter was utterly devastating!

“I crossed mountains and rivers for you, and here you are, kissing and cuddling with someone else in front of everyone.”

“Oh, Xu Xiaoshou, so this is the real you.”

“So everything before was just an act!”

“And healing… what kind of healing involves that method?”

Mu Zixi choked back sobs, trying to convince herself that this person wasn't worth her heartbreak. She stood up in anguish, only to see Xu Xiaoshou still foolishly holding that woman, standing there like a statue, not even bothering to help her up.

“Mmph!” She nearly burst into tears but forced herself to hold back. He's not worth it. Xu Xiaoshou isn't worth it! She resolved to turn and leave, never setting foot in this heartbreaking place again. But as she glanced back one last time, there he was, still standing like an idiot!

Mu Zixi's eyes clenched shut in despair, tears flying as her face twisted into a pitiful mess. Turns out, the fool was me all along…

She bolted and ran!

“Passive value gained from being grumbled about: 1.”

“Passive value gained from being suspected: 1.”

“Passive value gained from being waited on: 1.”

Xu Xiaoshou sensed something was off. Normally, the little girl wouldn't have so many random emotions. What was going on today? These negative condemnations, which usually only came as curses, were just her way of venting when she was upset—he knew that much, and they were harmless. But this time, his intuition told him that if he let Mu Zixi run off, it could lead to a big mistake. The girl was getting stuck in her own head! I was just saving someone—does she really need to overthink it this much?

Whoosh! Xu Xiaoshou used “One Step to Heaven,” teleporting directly in front of Mu Zixi.

“What are you thinking, you little rascal? You've come all this way—where do you think you're going?”

Xu Xiaoshou pressed down on his junior sister's head.

“Let go of me!”

Mu Zixi struggled, flailing her fists and kicking, and actually made contact. She was surprised—normally, she couldn't hit Xu Xiaoshou at all. Looking up, all she saw was that woman still in his arms.

“Wah…” Mu Zixi teared up instantly. “Xu Xiaoshou, are you just here to upset me?”

“Passive value gained from being cursed: 1.”

“I really was healing her.”

Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare say more. He directly lifted Yu Zhiwen's head and began to suck out the medicinal energy from her body through the air. That's all it was supposed to be. Why do you have to jump to conclusions like this?!

Before he could act, a sudden boom echoed from the nine heavens.

Boom!

The deafening sound snapped everyone back to reality. The drama unfolding wasn't just between Xu and Mu—the massive White Bone Giant had arrived right on time!

Bang, bang, bang!

Everyone looked up to see the White Bone Giant in the void exchanging blows with a tiny figure, their fight evenly matched. The exploding air currents bent the underground High Flame Maple nearly in half, and many rare spiritual herbs were ripped up and shattered in the turmoil.

“Damn, they're evenly matched?”

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. This was the first time he'd seen A Jie face an opponent of the same level. But it made sense—if A Jie didn't use its Taixu power, this was just a contest between two physical Wang Zuo realm fighters, one huge and one small!

“Quick, find a place to hide. That thing still has White Flame, but A Jie should have other tricks up its sleeve.”

“With it around, the big guy isn't so scary anymore.”

“But staying underground is just waiting to die—let's go!”

Xu Xiaoshou glanced aside and spotted the White Bone Gate. For most people, the best move now was to flee while A Jie held off the giant White Bone Skeleton. But Xu Xiaoshou was different. Fortune favors the bold. With A Jie keeping it busy, he could seize this chance to sneak into the White Bone Gate and investigate!

“Head into the White Bone Gate!”

In his excitement, Xu Xiaoshou forgot about “inhaling” and just charged toward the gate with Yu Zhiwen in his arms.

After snapping back to reality, Mu Zixi looked up to see Yu Zhiwen, unsupported by Xu Xiaoshou's hand, slump backward and pucker her lips toward his face again.

“No!”

Mu Zixi vowed that the same thing couldn't happen twice, especially not in front of her. She jumped up.

“What now…”

Xu Xiaoshou sighed and turned back, his well-meaning words not yet fully out, when he felt two warm, moist lips press against his cheek.

“Mmph.”

“Uh.” Xu Xiaoshou's mind short-circuited.

“Xu Xiaoshou…”

Yu Zhiwen seemed to regain a bit of consciousness, her eyes flickering with clarity, but with a murmur, her flushed face slid weakly onto Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder.

In Mu Zixi's eyes, not only had the woman kissed his face, but she had also left a blatant red mark with her lips! Was this… claiming territory?

Thud!

Mu Zixi, who had just leaped, plummeted back to the ground. She felt the world collapsing, fragments shattering in her mind and scattering everywhere. It hurt so much! What kind of feeling was this… Why did it ache so badly?

“Ugh, ugh.”

Her feet twitched, and she struggled to breathe, feeling like she was suffocating.

Mu Zixi didn't know when Xu Xiaoshou had become so important to her. But if he wasn't, why did she feel like she was having a heart attack right now?

“See, I told you, follow my direction.”

The seductive female voice in her mind now carried a hint of mockery.

“Get out!”

“Go on, follow where I point. A person like that isn't worth it.”

“Get out.”

“Do you really want me to leave? Do you want to stay here?”

“Get out…”

Mu Zixi's weak sobs escaped her.

“Choose.”

The two words echoed relentlessly in her mind. Mu Zixi couldn't respond. She felt so superfluous… Maybe she was right—I shouldn't have come here. Fine, I'll leave! As for Xu Xiaoshou…

Mu Zixi swallowed her bitterness with tears.

“Passive value gained from being blessed: 1.”

Seeing that “blessing,” Xu Xiaoshou was baffled. What nonsense was this? He quickly pulled his junior sister out of the dirt.

“Wake up!”

Smack! A pat on the face, and Mu Zixi finally spat out the mud from her mouth and nose. She gasped for air.

“What about you?”

Xu Xiaoshou wiped the red mark off his face, a touch of embarrassment showing. Without another word, he sucked the pink mist out of Yu Zhiwen's head from a distance. It streamed directly into his mouth.

He exhaled.

Finally, that awkward medicinal energy was expelled.

“Mmm…”

Yu Zhiwen let out a soft groan, seeming to stir, but her body was still weak. Her face buried into Xu Xiaoshou's chest and stayed there.

“Not awake yet…”

Xu Xiaoshou's lips curved slightly before he quickly composed himself.

By then, Mu Zixi had recovered from her panic. She realized the near-suffocation wasn't because Xu Xiaoshou had been kissed in front of her, but because of that mouthful of mud… Still, watching him hold someone else without holding her, help someone else without helping her, and prioritize healing others over caring for her…

“In the end, it was all misplaced.”

She turned away, determined to leave.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Her steps quickened, even stirring wind in the air, but Mu Zixi noticed the scenery around her wasn't moving backward at all. A twinge of pain and suffocation hit her neck. Looking down, she saw she had been lifted up again.

“Xu Xiaoshou!”

That wretched Xu Xiaoshou. Just because you're taller, you think you can bully people like this?!

“I'm not done with you!”

She twisted around and bit down hard on the hand gripping her dress.

Splat! Blood sprayed out.

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. His Zongshi body, and this little girl could break through his defenses? With her teeth, no less? Not only did it tear through several layers of his passive defenses, but he also felt his life force draining at an terrifying speed.

“She's gotten stronger again.”

Xu Xiaoshou tensed. This was the second time he'd felt his junior sister's dreadful life-draining ability since the outer court competition last time. And now, it was dozens of times faster than before. If it were anyone else, once the defenses were breached, they'd be sucked dry in under ten breaths.

“What are you doing?”

Xu Xiaoshou asked weakly. The life force loss was draining, but for him, it was no big deal.

“I'm… sucking your life force!”

Mu Zixi glared fiercely at him.

“You won't bite me to death. You know how much life force I have.”

“I'm sucking it!”

“You can't suck it all dry.”

“Munch, munch, munch!”

In an instant, Xu Xiaoshou's hand was covered in several new wounds as she reopened the scabs in the blink of an eye.

“Have you lost it?”

He quickly pulled his hand back, dragging sticky residue with it, and cursed in frustration, “Are you a dog?”

“Yes, I'm a tiger roar!”

“You've gone too far.”

Xu Xiaoshou gave a light shake. Mu Zixi couldn't handle it—her teeth went numb, and she released her bite. The next second, she felt her neck being gripped.

“Let go of me!”

The wind whistled past her ears as Mu Zixi realized she was being dragged toward the White Bone Gate.

“Let go of me—where do you think you're taking me?”

“Of course I get to decide…”

Xu Xiaoshou snorted, tightening his grip on the two tendons at her neck.

“Ouch!”

Mu Zixi yelped, but in this situation, she felt an urge to laugh—which she couldn't allow!

“Let go of me!”

Xu Xiaoshou squeezed harder.

“Ouch, hee hee… Uh, you awful Xu Xiaoshou, let go!”

Another squeeze.

“Hee hee…”

“Ah!”

“Hee hee hee…”

“Wah…”