Chapter 553: Eavesdropping

"Second Brother?"

Xu Xiaoshou's heart skipped a beat.

Who was talking to him? Who was Second Brother? And why was this person looking for him? A string of questions immediately popped into his mind.

He looked down and immediately realized he was currently in his 'transformation' state. In other words, he was currently Old Sang! With his 'Transformation' passive skill maxed out, not even Old Sang's two closest disciples, Xu Xiaoshou himself and Mu Zixi, could detect any imperfections. So, this sudden voice must belong to a friend of Old Sang's?

"An infiltrator?" Xu Xiaoshou immediately grew alert. To be a friend of Old Sang's, they must be at least at the Throne or Path-Severing level, right? Such a person appearing in the White Cave must be an infiltrator. And what they were after was undoubtedly the 'Four Swords'!

"What do I do? What do I do?" Xu Xiaoshou's heart began to race with panic. He had thought that by transforming into Old Sang, he could make the Red Cloaks overlook him among the wanted targets. But before he even made a move, he had been spotted by another unknown entity. What's more, he was so well hidden, and he had the 'Concealment' passive skill. Yet, that person still managed to find him...

"This must be an exceptionally powerful figure!"

"Being Watched, Passive Point +1."

"Being Waited For, Passive Point +1."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart pounded wildly, but a surge of 'Frozen Tribulation Power' from his Qi Sea instantly calmed him down as if he'd been iced. He didn't speak. Instead, he slowly extended a hand and patted Mu Zixi's head in front of him.

"Hmm?" Mu Zixi turned around, a little confused. "Master?" Xu Xiaoshou's eyelids immediately twitched. He genuinely feared his junior sister would turn back and say, "Xu Xiaoshou, what's wrong with you again?" The consequences...

"It's nothing. You don't need to watch so closely," Xu Xiaoshou said indifferently. At this point, even his pupils were acting. His narrowed eyes deeply concealed his emotions, showing no hint of disturbance. His tone was exactly like Old Sang's at that time, even carrying a deliberate note of caution: "Remember, the Red Cloaks are very perceptive. Don't easily reveal your abilities."

"And don't move around recklessly. We are hidden within this grand formation, but the Red Cloaks must already know everyone's locations. Even this spot is likely exposed." He tapped his junior sister's head lightly with his index finger, paused, and then said, "Don't make any mistakes!"

"Huh?" Mu Zixi tilted her head. She keenly sensed... Xu Xiaoshou was different! Why had he suddenly gotten so deeply into character? Shouldn't the Red Cloaks not have noticed them yet?

Tap. Her head was lightly tapped again. A slight stinging sensation came. Mu Zixi instinctively frowned, about to say something, when suddenly her heart trembled. That's it! Xu Xiaoshou was being watched! Her mind instantly churned. Her senior brother's unusual behavior, using such double-edged words to warn her, surely meant something? "Don't make any mistakes..." Mu Zixi repeated the phrase in her mind, nodded her head, and obediently said, "Okay."

Her trembling little hands tightly clutched her dress. Turning her head, the unease and fear within her urged Mu Zixi to try and see more clearly in the dark pit. She instinctively wanted to activate her 'God-Demon Eyes' again. But she suddenly stopped.

"It's nothing. You don't need to watch so closely..." Her senior brother's first seemingly innocuous words popped into her mind again. From that moment on, he had been warning her not to expose her 'God-Demon Eyes' ability?

"Oh!" Mu Zixi suddenly clasped her small hands together and idly crouched down. "But Master, it's so boring watching from here. When can we go out?"

"Phew." Hearing her wheedling tone, Xu Xiaoshou finally let out a sigh of relief. Junior sister... understood. Long live understanding!

"No rush, take your time. There will always be a moment when we see the light." As he spoke, he stroked Mu Zixi's head with his withered old hand. His thoughts were so chaotic that for a moment, he didn't even notice he had messed up the hair of the person in front of him.

"I know that already!" The unfamiliar voice rang out in his ear again. This time, the voice was surprisingly a little playful. Xu Xiaoshou's heart trembled as he listened. Although the transmitted voice was unfamiliar, he could clearly sense that it belonged to a male! But a male voice... and that flirty pronoun... Xu Xiaoshou had a vague sense of foreboding.

Before he could ponder further, he heard the voice continue: "The Red Cloaks must have already sensed our presence; that's why they activated the 'Heaven-Sealing Grand Formation.' But they probably don't know the exact locations of most people yet... So relax, we're well hidden here, we won't be exposed."

Xu Xiaoshou's expression immediately stiffened. The other party had clearly taken his words into account. And from this response, the current situation in Liyuan Sword Prairie was largely identical to his own deductions! But... where was this voice coming from? How was he supposed to reply? Besides, even though he had diligently studied 'Voice Transmission Art' recently and intended to test it out... if he couldn't even locate the target, how could he test it?

Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare remain silent for too long. He could only nod slightly in place, between the pits, and emit a nasal sound. "Mm."

The voice-transmitting man didn't suspect anything and continued, "Hey, Second Brother, you still haven't answered me. Why did you come here yourself? Didn't Big Brother say you wouldn't be participating in this operation? Hmm, why aren't you speaking? What's wrong... Is there a situation?" The voice immediately fell silent.

For a long time.

"Being Suspected, Passive Point +1."

Seeing 'Being Suspected,' Xu Xiaoshou's heart nearly leaped out of his throat. After forcing himself to calm down, he heard the other party speak again: "There's nothing going on..."

Xu Xiaoshou extended his 'perception' and gaze outwards. The 'Four Swords' were still flying, and people were still catching them, but the outcome remained the same: instant death by explosion. Indeed. Currently, there were no special circumstances outside... But his situation was driving him crazy!!!

Xu Xiaoshou was on the verge of breaking down. He really couldn't stand listening to an unknown powerful figure whispering to him in the dark like this. If he had known this, he shouldn't have transformed into Old Sang. Even becoming a masked person would have been better! At least then, the situation wouldn't be so awkward...

"Hey!" The voice suddenly turned playful. "I heard you were injured, weren't you? Did you perhaps escape here..." Injured? Xu Xiaoshou's heart fluttered in confusion. Old Sang was injured? Damn it, I didn't know that! If you keep asking like this, I won't even get the 'Four Swords'; you'll question me to death right here underground!

"Slap!" A thought struck Xu Xiaoshou, and he suddenly slammed his palm irritably against the side of the pit wall.

"Master?" Mu Zixi was startled. She turned around in alarm and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Xu Xiaoshou shook his hand, caught the falling dirt from above, crushed it into powder with his palm, and said, "Just a bothersome mosquito buzzing around."

A mosquito? Underground, and you're telling me there's a mosquito? Mu Zixi shrank her head back, not daring to continue the conversation, figuring the more she spoke, the more mistakes she'd make.

"Being Cursed, Passive Point +1."

"Being Feared, Passive Point +1."

"Hehe, hehe." The voice transmission reappeared, carrying a slightly sheepish tone. "Just kidding, just kidding, don't get angry, hehe..."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart settled. Indeed, Old Sang, no matter where he was, was someone whose temper made others cower. That slap was perfectly timed!

"Disciple, if you had to face this situation alone, how would you resolve it?" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly asked.

Mu Zixi turned her head, blinked her large eyes, and immediately understood that Xu Xiaoshou had an ulterior motive. She immediately lowered her voice and began to speak slowly and clearly.

"Is it inconvenient for you to speak?" The voice transmission seemed to understand something and said, "Alright, then let's communicate this way. If you have any questions, just ask your little female disciple."

Mu Zixi was still talking, but Xu Xiaoshou wasn't listening at all; his full attention was on the voice transmission. If he missed any crucial information at this moment, he would absolutely be exposed. And exposure meant death!

"Hmm..." The voice transmission hadn't even begun to offer solutions, pausing only for a moment before exclaiming, "Say, Second Brother, that damned Gou Wuyue didn't leave any mark on you, did he? Is it problematic for me to communicate with you like this?"

"You haven't been talking, and I'm a little scared..."

Gou Wuyue? Xu Xiaoshou's heart clenched abruptly, almost dying of a heart attack on the spot. What the hell! Gou Wuyue... the Sword Immortal Wuyue, how did he get involved? Does this voice-transmitter know him? Judging by the 'damned ghost' appellation, they must be very familiar! Is he also a figure of Sword Immortal Wuyue's caliber? No, wait! The voice-transmitter just mentioned being injured, meaning Old Sang was injured. Now, mentioning Gou Wuyue again... Old Sang and Sword Immortal Wuyue fought, right outside the White Cave? Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted. He lowered his head, pulling back all his emotions.

Why? —There was no answer. Xu Xiaoshou dared not ask further. Even if he wanted to ask, he wouldn't know how to start or whom to ask.

"Master, what's wrong?" Mu Zixi noticed Xu Xiaoshou's unusual behavior and immediately asked with concern.

"Nothing's wrong," Xu Xiaoshou replied, "Continue speaking."

"Oh." Mu Zixi nodded her small head. No way nothing's wrong! I asked 'what's wrong,' and you replied 'nothing's wrong'... That definitely sounds problematic! Someone was communicating with Xu Xiaoshou... Mu Zixi suddenly understood something. This meant someone had recognized Master. After all, Xu Xiaoshou was currently in Master's form. His disguise was so perfect that even she, his own disciple, couldn't tell, so outsiders certainly wouldn't spot anything amiss. Therefore, the person communicating with Xu Xiaoshou must be an entity on Master's level. Consequently, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't answer directly! After all, he was merely at the Innate Realm... Hence, he could only rely on a triple entendre. Answering her questions, while also answering the questions of the unknown person communicating with him. And at the same time... continually asking questions back!

Thinking of this, Mu Zixi looked up at the person wearing the straw hat in front of her, and a mix of sympathy and admiration rose in her eyes. Even in such a situation, Xu Xiaoshou remained composed and handled it with ease. And so far, even if she couldn't discern anything, he hadn't made any mistakes. So strong... If it were me in this situation, I'd probably just collapse, wouldn't I? A glint sparkled in Mu Zixi's eyes.

"Being Admired, Passive Point +1."

"Being Adored, Passive Point +1."

"No problem then, I'm relieved." The voice transmission also let out a sigh of relief.

"Say something useful. Don't keep talking about insignificant matters; it's no help to the situation at all," Xu Xiaoshou suddenly spoke, his expression very serious. He pressed his hand on his junior sister's head and said sternly, "From your trivial analysis, you are seriously underestimating the Red Cloaks!"

"Uh..." Mu Zixi's eyelids twitched. Xu Xiaoshou, Xu Xiaoshou, at a time like this, you still dare to mock me?

"Being Cursed, Passive Point +1."

She wanted to give her senior brother a piece of her mind, but then she reconsidered. At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou was likely also interrogating the unknown person. An existence as terrifying as her master... Yet, he dared to question them back!

"Being Admired, Passive Point +1."

"Okay," Mu Zixi lowered her head charmingly. "It seems your disciple was too limited. Shall I talk about something else then?"

"Speak!" Xu Xiaoshou said sternly. The voice transmission fell silent for a moment too.

For a long time.

"Being Cursed, Passive Point +1."

"Second Brother, I was just trying to show some concern..."

"Cough!" Xu Xiaoshou coughed, and Mu Zixi's words abruptly stopped. She looked up. Seeing no further reaction from her senior brother, she continued analyzing the situation, "Blah blah blah..."

"Alright, alright, no more small talk, no more small talk." The voice-transmitter was also startled, and his tone became serious. "Second Brother, you just finished fighting with that damned Gou Wuyue. Even if you could come here, I don't suppose you communicated with Big Brother and the others beforehand?"

Big Brother... Who was that now? What other identities did Old Sang have, and why did his friends sound so... disreputable? Xu Xiaoshou imperceptibly shook his head.

"Alright, I'll update you on the situation first. Firstly, Big Brother's side has lost contact. They should have found the 'Void Island' rift. With the influence of Saint Emperor power there, losing contact is normal."

Void Island rift, Saint Emperor power... Xu Xiaoshou's heart raced. It's that disheveled Saint! Are these people looking for him too? And they've already successfully reached the rift? Xu Xiaoshou couldn't have been more grateful that he hadn't plunged into the interdimensional spatial rift deep within the White Cave map. If he had gone there, it would have definitely been a dead end!

"Continue," he said indifferently to the paused Mu Zixi.

"Okay." The voice transmission continued, "And then, the Ghost Beast that Big Brother mentioned before is now in my hands, but don't tell him yet. Hehe, I plan to give him a surprise."

Ghost Beast? Xu Xiaoshou frowned. Which Ghost Beast? There are so many Ghost Beasts in the White Cave, which one is it referring to? Or is it a Ghost Beast from outside the White Cave? Before he could ponder further, the next words from the voice transmission came through.

"Outside the White Cave, that damned Gou Wuyue is keeping watch, so I don't need to say much about that. Here in Liyuan Sword Prairie, there isn't much we need to pay attention to. When the time comes, I'll make my move first, capture the Red Cloak Throne who controls the spirit array, and once the grand formation loses its maintenance, it will quickly break open. It's worth noting that there might be people from the 'Xuyue Gray Palace' here." The voice transmission paused.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart had completely turned cold. 'Not much to pay attention to...' Listen to that, what kind of nonsense is that? These people simply don't take the Red Cloaks seriously at all! Instead, the 'Xuyue Gray Palace'—Jiaotangtang's faction—is considered dangerous? Oh my goodness... If he could escape at this moment, Xu Xiaoshou would, without a second thought, immediately drag his junior sister away and completely disappear from Liyuan Sword Prairie. But trapped in the situation, he had no way out!

"What exactly is the origin of these people? They wouldn't happen to be..." Xu Xiaoshou was actually well aware of the ultra-powerful factions within the White Cave. He also had a vague idea about the identity of this voice-transmitting individual. But if his guess turned out to be true... Wouldn't Old Sang also be...? Suppressing the shock in his heart, Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare to speak much, merely nodding silently.

The voice transmission continued, "That's pretty much the situation. Oh, right, there's also a young monk you should know, likely Wuyuan's disciple. Whether you look after him or not is up to you. I'm not familiar with Wuyuan Buddha, but Big Brother is, so you decide!"

Wuyuan Buddha... Xu Xiaoshou weakly closed his eyes. Mama, I want to leave here...

"There isn't much left to explain. Let the little ones tell you; they're probably bursting to speak," the voice-transmitter said with a chuckle. Xu Xiaoshou then felt some unusual activity in his communication channel with the other party. It seemed others were connecting. Private chat turning into group chat? This Voice Transmission Art was certainly being used vividly! Xu Xiaoshou scoffed inwardly, not even having time to complain.

The next second, the voice-transmitter spoke. The voice was no longer playfully teasing, but carried a hint of nobility. "Little Tear, and you, Luo girl, haven't you always wanted to know who saved you two back at the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace? Now's your chance. Greet Senior Wuxiu!"