Chapter 541: A Game

Chapter 542: Thrilling Truth Ghost Beasts and Humans?

"Passive Point, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou jumped in surprise and quickly turned around.

Behind him, with a loud *boom*, A-Jie deflected Jiaotangtang's powerful whip-kick with a single arm. Jiaotangtang's body was sent flying high into the sky.

"Woof woof..."

After taking the hit, A-Jie's eyes glowed red, ready to jump out and continue the fight.

"Stop right there."

Xu Xiaoshou hastily restrained it, looking up at the hesitant Jiaotangtang in the sky. "What's there to fight about? You didn't fight before, and now you show up?"

Jiaotangtang's eyes showed irritation. "Xu Xiaoshou, I agreed to play that boring game with you, and what happened? You haven't even finished what you said you'd do, and now you want to leave?"

"What did I say?"

Xu Xiaoshou stared blankly. "I just said we'd play the game first and discuss other things later. Think carefully, did I promise that after the game, I would definitely sign a Ghost Beast contract?"

"No!" he answered his own question.

"You!"

Jiaotangtang recalled carefully. Indeed, this guy had been vague from the very beginning.

But, after playing such a idiotic game... was that all?

"So you're trying to renege and waste my time?" Her eyes turned dangerous.

No matter how powerful the people around Xu Xiaoshou were, if she truly wanted to fight, she would make sure this brat suffered the consequences.

"Renege?"

Xu Xiaoshou scoffed. "There's no debt to renege on in the first place, so how can you say I'm reneging?"

"Then you're looking for death!"

Jiaotangtang roared, and black mist surged around her again.

"Threatened, Passive Point, 1."

"Woof woof..."

"Roar!"

"Hmph."

Before Xu Xiaoshou could move, his three bodyguards in front and behind him spoke in unison. Jiaotangtang's airborne figure abruptly froze.

"Think clearly before you act," Xu Xiaoshou advised kindly. "Leaving aside the fact that Throne Realm battles and above will attract Red Cloaks in moments, can you alone, as a Ghost Beast host, withstand the consequences of being exposed?"

"I'll drag you down with me!" Jiaotangtang's eyes were bloodshot.

"I'm not a Ghost Beast, and besides, you wouldn't do that."

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head. "No matter how big the matter, it's not as important as your mission. If you really came here with a death wish, why bother with all that idle chatter just now?"

*Oh, you, Xu Xiaoshou, you even know it was idle chatter, do you?*

"Xu Xiaoshou, you're very clever."

"Praised, Passive Point, 1."

Jiaotangtang instantly reined in all her anger and let out a laugh. "Indeed, Xin Gugu was right. Your ability to analyze a situation is far beyond your combat power."

"You're right, I didn't come here to fight you to the death."

As she spoke, she threw a beast-skin scroll directly.

Xu Xiaoshou quickly caught it.

"I'll give you the contract first. Whether you sign it or not is your business, but let's make a bet: I bet even if you don't sign it now, you will sign it yourself later," Jiaotangtang said.

"I don't want it."

Xu Xiaoshou threw the contract, along with Greedy God, away as if it were a hot potato, without even thinking.

"Meow!"

In mid-air, Greedy God directly snatched the contract in its mouth and zipped to Xu Xiaoshou's head.

Then, it spat the beast-skin scroll into Xu Xiaoshou's stunned hand and licked his cheek with its tongue.

"Meow woof, meow woof!"

"Licked, Passive Point, 1."

"Xu Xiaoshou, you can't escape," a hint of a smile appeared on Jiaotangtang's face.

She could clearly see that Lord Greedy God had already grown fond of Xu Xiaoshou.

In this situation, no matter what Xu Xiaoshou did, Greedy God would not abandon him.

This bond existed.

Whether the contract was signed or not was only a matter of time.

Moreover, her reason for seeking Xu Xiaoshou was originally because his current strength was insufficient, and he needed Lord Greedy God's help to make a breakthrough.

Now, looking at him...

One A-Jie.

Plus two oversized white skeletons.

This level of strength completely surpassed that of an ordinary Throne Realm cultivator.

Perhaps even...

Three Throne Realms!

Or above!

"You keep the contract for now; it's true you don't need it at this moment."

As Jiaotangtang spoke, seeing Xu Xiaoshou about to throw it away again, she quickly added, "If you don't sign this thing, keeping it on you is no different from a regular treasure map."

"The Red Cloaks won't be able to find you through the contract, so rest assured on that point."

"I still can't take it."

Xu Xiaoshou understood perfectly.

Once he kept such a thing on him, one day, unconsciously or in a desperate situation, he might sign it as a last resort.

Then, wouldn't he truly become a Ghost Beast host in the future?

Jiaotangtang seemed to know what he was thinking. "When you truly fall into a difficult situation that you cannot resolve yourself, will you choose to die on the spot, or live as a Ghost Beast host?"

"Die." Xu Xiaoshou answered without hesitation.

*What kind of person was she?*

After this short period of contact, she had already learned to automatically filter Xu Xiaoshou's nonsense and immediately said to herself:

"Don't imagine you have so many trump cards that you'll never need the contract."

"Once you connect with a Ghost Beast, it's destined that you'll spend your life fighting the Red Cloaks. That's no ordinary force!"

"All that you currently possess..."

She pointed at A-Jie and the two large white skeletons. "In the eyes of the Red Cloaks, it's nothing."

"If you truly fall into a predicament, they might even die earlier than you. The only thing you can rely on is your... *ahem*, Innate Cultivation."

"Heh."

Jiaotangtang scoffed and continued, "Innate Cultivation... Before you've grown, if you're truly caught, even if you're merely suspected of being a Ghost Beast, death is certain."

"Therefore, without Lord Greedy God's help at that time, you would absolutely not be able to escape."

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent. After a long pause, he said, "Are you trying to talk me into it?"

She was speechless for a moment.

*So annoying!*

*This Xu Xiaoshou is poisonous, isn't he!*

The scene fell silent.

Surrounded by his three bodyguards, Xu Xiaoshou had actually taken her words to heart.

Undeniably, Jiaotangtang spoke very reasonably.

But he still didn't want to hold onto this hot potato.

If he truly became a Ghost Beast host, he feared he would be forcibly dragged into something he couldn't control, completely at the mercy of others.

"Xu Xiaoshou, don't hesitate."

"Ghost Beasts aren't as simple as you think."

Seeing that Xu Xiaoshou showed a slight inclination to yield, Jiaotangtang intensified her tone again. "These Ghost Beasts born from other dimensions, you can even regard them as spirit beasts or spirit pets."

"Signing a contract with them has no downsides, only upsides, as long as you're not influenced by those..."

"Those what?" Xu Xiaoshou asked casually.

Jiaotangtang stopped herself and shook her head. "As I said, if you don't sign the contract, I can't reveal more information to you."

"If you don't reveal, I won't sign." Xu Xiaoshou's stubbornness flared up.

"Suit yourself."

Jiaotangtang, surprisingly, seemed indifferent. "These rules aren't something I can just tell you; rules are rules. I can't..."

"Then I'll just strangle it." Xu Xiaoshou grabbed Greedy God by the neck.

"Meow!"

Greedy God instantly bristled.

"Feared, Passive Point, 1."

Jiaotangtang was instantly infuriated again. "Xu Xiaoshou, do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you?"

"Yep."

"Xu... Xiao... Shou!"

"Called, Passive Point, 1."

"Here."

Xu Xiaoshou tightened his grip, and Greedy God cooperatively changed from a meow to a pitiful wail.

"Meow-hiss—"

"Fine!"

Jiaotangtang took a deep breath. "I'll give you a small piece of information."

"Please do tell."

Xu Xiaoshou listened attentively.

Jiaotangtang said, "True Ghost Beasts, like Lord Greedy God in your hand, are a power coveted by every major force."

"This power isn't inherently evil; it depends on how one uses it."

"It's like a weapon; it's innocent in itself, but the user..."

"I understand the principle, continue, don't digress," Xu Xiaoshou interrupted.

*Damn, damn, damn!*

*Xu Xiaoshou, you better not fall into my hands!*

Jiaotangtang calmly said, "Okay, this power isn't just used by our 'Xuyue Grey Palace'; others are using it too."

"Who?" Xu Xiaoshou already had an answer in mind.

"The Sacred Palace!"

"You're not lying to me? Is that the truth?"

"Yes!"

The information panel showed no fluctuation.

Xu Xiaoshou heavily closed his eyes.

No deception.

This meant that everything was true.

He believed Jiaotangtang wouldn't mistakenly say "Sacred Palace" instead of "Red Cloaks" at this moment.

Even if it were a slip of the tongue, the information panel would detect it.

This, then, meant that...

Lu Ke being a Red Cloak and also a Ghost Beast host was not an isolated case.

Such situations might be prevalent within the Sacred Palace.

That's why Yu Zhiwen only showed worry, not shock, when she sensed the Ghost Beast aura on Lu Ke.

"So, the Sacred Palace, while holding the banner of justice and declaring the extermination of Ghost Beasts..."

"Is secretly using the power of Ghost Beasts, keeping it under wraps."

"What exactly do they want to do?"

"Is this truly the work of some 'bad apples' within the continent's top power?"

Xu Xiaoshou pondered, starting to doubt his previous judgment.

He felt the truth might not be as simple as "bad apples."

But if he didn't become a Ghost Beast host, it seemed there would forever be an insurmountable chasm, and no one would genuinely reveal information about this to him.

"Alright."

Thinking this, Xu Xiaoshou nodded and put Greedy God and the beast-skin scroll into his Origin Mansion.

He chose to accept.

Although he wanted to uncover the truth of this world in his own way, if it truly didn't work, at necessary times, he might indeed have to resort to necessary means!

"That's a wise choice."

Jiaotangtang smiled as she floated down from mid-air, keeping a considerable distance from A-Jie. "Whenever you figure it out and sign the Ghost Beast contract, come find me in the Southern Region."

"At that time, whatever you ask, I'll answer."

"Whatever your needs, the Xuyue Grey Palace can surely satisfy!"

"Mhm."

Xu Xiaoshou responded absentmindedly, then suddenly realized something was wrong.

"What do you mean?"

"Any demand can be satisfied?"

He couldn't believe it.

He immediately scanned the woman in front of him with a playful look, his eyes plainly asking the question.

"Indeed."

Jiaotangtang nodded with a smile, showing no hint of shyness, and said firmly, "That means any condition, including turning you into a man."

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

*That exaggerated?*

He chose not to verbally confront Jiaotangtang, but was instead startled by her tone.

*How could a mere Xu Xiaoshou be worthy...*

His thoughts immediately shifted, and Xu Xiaoshou quickly remembered Jiaotangtang and Xin Gugu's稱呼 for the little fat cat... Lord Greedy God!

*Lord!*

"Is it because of it, Greedy God?" he turned his head to ask.

"Mhm, if not for it, could it be for you?" Jiaotangtang rolled her eyes.

"Greedy God has a high status?" Xu Xiaoshou didn't believe it at all.

*A mere fat cat, how could you have more face than me, Xu Xiaoshou?*

Jiaotangtang lightly covered her red lips and chuckled. "Xu Xiaoshou, you just need to know that if Lord Greedy God dies in your hands, even the entire Sacred Palace coming for you wouldn't be able to save you. That's enough."

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

Without another word, he directly pulled the little fat cat out of his Origin Mansion and threw it over.

"Sorry, I can't provoke it, but can't I at least avoid it?"

"Meow!"

Greedy God instantly looked wronged.

It didn't understand why this human always disliked it, when it hadn't done anything wrong, and wasn't even gluttonous anymore...

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

Watching the little white cat fly back by itself, Jiaotangtang's eye twitched uncontrollably. She angrily said, "You better show some respect. This is a bond you can't abandon."

"I'll kill..."

Xu Xiaoshou wanted to say, "If I kill it, won't the bond be broken?", but when he grabbed the fur around the fat cat's neck again, he suddenly felt unable to proceed.

*Damn it!*

*So your background is that big?*

*The entire Sacred Palace can't save me?*

*I, Xu Xiaoshou, don't believe it!*

"Go ahead and kill it."

Jiaotangtang no longer cared; she completely understood now.

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't someone who responded to gentle approaches and not to tough ones; rather, unless the tough approach was pushed to an extreme, this guy would simply ignore it.

But now...

"Can I just not have it? I really can't afford to provoke it, how could a mere Xu Xiaoshou be worthy?!" Xu Xiaoshou said with a mournful face. "I'm just an Innate Cultivator..."

*Yes!*

Jiaotangtang also fell silent.

*You're just a mere Innate Cultivator, but in my life, I've never met an Innate Cultivator as odd as you!*

*This little boy, these two large white skeletons, and your own combat power that completely surpasses Innate Cultivation...*

*It might even surpass the Master Realm!*

Lord Greedy God traveled all the way from the Southern Region, expending time and effort, and ultimately only took a liking to you. There really is a reason for it.

"Xu Xiaoshou, let's not talk about this anymore. It is what it is."

Jiaotangtang sighed, not wanting to say more.

She looked at the sky, knowing she had delayed too long, and opened her mouth to ask, "I have one last thing to ask you."

"You can't *not* say it, you have to say..."

"Xu Xiaoshou, be serious. Your current situation is very dangerous. This matter concerns your life and safety!" Jiaotangtang had mastered the method of conversing with Xu Xiaoshou.

"Startled, Passive Point, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou immediately sobered up. "You're threatening me again?"

Jiaotangtang completely ignored him and said, "I should have told you that Xin Gugu and I came here with a mission even more important than obtaining the 'Four Swords'."

"Mhm." Xu Xiaoshou dared not act recklessly anymore, his expression turning serious and grave. "Can you tell me about your mission?"

*If it hadn't involved you in the end, do you think I'd be so eager to find you?*

She roared inwardly, but dared not voice it.

Otherwise, who knew where Xu Xiaoshou would drag the conversation next!

Jiaotangtang got straight to the point: "Feng Yujin, Senior Feng, do you know him?"

"Don't know him."

Xu Xiaoshou let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I'll rephrase. Have you ever seen a Ghost Beast with sealing attributes?" Jiaotangtang continued to ask.

*Thump!*

Xu Xiaoshou's heart skipped a beat.

*The Grey Mist Man?*

*How on earth are you connected to this now?*

"Don't know him," he shook his head like a rattle-drum.

"You do know him."

Jiaotangtang shot him a cold glance. "Once I entered the White Cave, I traced Senior Feng's leaked sealing aura all the way to the 'Spirit Melting Swamp'."

"That explosion there was clearly caused by you!"

"And the last place the sealing aura disappeared was not far from the 'Spirit Melting Swamp'."

"There, I also found your aura..."

She pointed at the ice-blue white skeleton behind Xu Xiaoshou. "Or rather, your auras."

*Freezing power?*

Xu Xiaoshou understood immediately.

*So, Jiaotangtang had been trailing him the entire time he was in the White Cave, finally intercepting him at this location?*

"Alright, I admit, I did have a tiny bit of contact with that sealing Ghost Beast, but what does that have to do with you?" Xu Xiaoshou decided not to hide it anymore.

"Senior Feng really contacted you?" Jiaotangtang's eyes suddenly lit up with joy.

"Don't get too happy too soon."

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head, about to recount the scene, but suddenly stopped himself.

"First, tell me, what's with that 'Senior Feng', and the sealing Ghost Beast, and your mission?"

Jiaotangtang's joy froze.

Xu Xiaoshou: "If you don't tell me, I won't tell you."

Jiaotangtang suddenly felt as if she had been force-fed a fly, intensely uncomfortable.

*This, wasn't this precisely what she had just said to Xu Xiaoshou?*

"I'll tell you."

She said helplessly, "I rushed here from the Southern Region because I received a mission from above. The goal is to find Senior Feng, who is the sealing Ghost Beast you mentioned."

"Wait a minute."

Xu Xiaoshou asked doubtfully, "How are you so sure that the sealing Ghost Beast I mentioned is the same as your mission target?"

"The sealing attribute is rare in the world. Even if I'm mistaken, this sealing Ghost Beast born in the White Cave is something I must bring back," Jiaotangtang replied.

"Okay, continue." Xu Xiaoshou nodded, noncommittal.

"That's all."

Jiaotangtang spread her hands. "That's my entire mission. What else is there to say? The rest is for you to tell."

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

*That's it?*

*You're that brief?*

*I didn't get any information, and you're telling me it's over?*

*Fine!*

"Then I have a question..."

Xu Xiaoshou pondered for a moment, not dwelling on the matter, and asked, "Senior Feng, is he a person?"

Jiaotangtang's eyes narrowed.

"Sorry, that involves internal information. I can only tell you once you've signed the 'Ghost Beast Contract'."

"Okay." Xu Xiaoshou raised one finger. "Then, how about this, let's play a game..."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Jiaotangtang instantly grew impatient and snapped, "He's a person, alright! I don't have that much time to play idiotic games with a little brat who hasn't even fully matured! Hurry up and tell me!"

*He's a person...*

Normally, Xu Xiaoshou would have argued to the death about whether he had fully matured.

But now, he just looked at the information panel in silence.

"Urged, Passive Point, 1."

No "Deceived" message...

Xu Xiaoshou was losing his mind!

This meant that everything Jiaotangtang said, even in her seemingly exasperated reply, was true.

That so-called Feng Yujin was truly a person!

But he was also a Ghost Beast!

Then, didn't that immediately reveal the two types of Ghost Beasts?

Humans could also be Ghost Beasts?

Linking these points, Xu Xiaoshou felt a chill run down his spine, his scalp tingling in that instant.

*What the hell...*

*Impossible!*

*How could this be possible?*

*Right, there's another possible explanation.*

The Grey Mist Man and the "Feng Yujin" Jiaotangtang mentioned are not the same person at all.

And this would perfectly resolve his misunderstanding, which was the secret Jiaotangtang absolutely refused to reveal.

But...

*Is it plausible?*

Xu Xiaoshou felt helpless.

Sealing attributes are rare in the world; this kind of self-deceiving thought was probably just an answer he forced out because he couldn't accept the truth.

Its probability of existence was less than one in ten thousand.

"Ghost Beasts are also people..."

Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes in despair.

He suddenly felt how absurd and ridiculous this world was.

On one side, the Red Cloaks frantically besieged humanoid Ghost Beasts.

On the other side, they were using this very power.

And finally, keeping it all a secret...

No, not "keeping it a secret"!

It was that the information revealed by the Sacred Palace to the outside world was simply not the truth!

In the eyes of the common people, Ghost Beasts had long become synonymous with evil, cruelty, and demons.

And not just the common people.

Even within the Red Cloaks, even the Night Watchmen held this view.

One could imagine the sheer scale of this brainwashing.

Under such prejudice, how could the real conflict ever be resolved? And how could he, caught in such a vortex, escape unscathed?

"No, this is still just a conjecture."

Xu Xiaoshou calmed down. No matter how terrifying the conjecture, it was still just a conjecture; unless proven, it could never be established.

Moreover, the information he had deduced based on a tiny piece of the iceberg might very well have another side he had never encountered.

What was the truth, exactly?

"You might be disappointed..."

Sighing, Xu Xiaoshou was in no mood to play games now and spoke frankly, "The last time I encountered that sealing Ghost Beast, I wasn't the only one present."

"Hm?" Jiaotangtang was anxious and didn't notice Xu Xiaoshou's previous emotional changes at all.

"Who else was there?" she asked.

"A Red Cloak Night Watchman, and..."

Xu Xiaoshou himself felt the situation was getting serious now. He said with difficulty, "The Sacred Slaves' Seven Hand, the Storyteller!"

*Boom!* Jiaotangtang's brain felt as if it had been struck by lightning, instantly going blank.

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a moment, then took a step back and offered comfort, "Co..."

"Shut up!"

Jiaotangtang clutched her forehead and snapped, her thoughts a complete mess.

"The Storyteller?"

"How could he be there? That's impossible!"

"That's reality." Xu Xiaoshou took another step back, moving A-Jie in front of him as a shield. "There's an old saying, I don't know if I should say it..."

"Shut up!"

"It goes like this: Ideals are abundant, but reality..."

"Xu Xiaoshou, shut your damn mouth! Do you believe I won't..."

"Scolded, Passive Point, 1."

"Oh."

The atmosphere suddenly turned deadly silent.

After a long period of silence, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't hold it in. "You said earlier that almost all major powers want to possess the power of Ghost Beasts."

"So, given how rare the sealing attribute is, the Sacred Slaves..."

Jiaotangtang's body buzzed as purple chains disintegrated, black mist enveloped her, and her furious roar shattered the void.

"Xu Xiaoshou, can you please just shut your damn mouth?! Do you believe me or not..."

"I have some good news; I don't know if I should tell it." After saying this, Xu Xiaoshou immediately sealed his own mouth.

"Tell me!"

Jiaotangtang regained her composure, her cold gaze sweeping over him, and the air temperature abruptly dropped, feeling even more terrifying than the "Three-Day Freezing Tribulation."

"Tell me!" Jiaotangtang's mouth twitched.

"Xu... Xiao... Shou!" Jiaotangtang was truly insane!

"Called, Passive Point, 1."

"Didn't you tell me to shut up?" Xu Xiaoshou smiled, finally getting revenge for being choked earlier.

*You stinking woman, telling me not to tell secrets.*

*I'll infuriate you!*

"Ambushed, Passive Point, 1."

The information panel flashed.

Xu Xiaoshou was startled and instantly executed "Step into the Sky," soaring high into the air.

Below, there was a *boom* as A-Jie and Jiaotangtang clashed again.

"Ambushed, Passive Point, 1."

This time, Xu Xiaoshou almost didn't react.