Chapter 596: Nine-Fingered Handshake

"Wine?" Xu Xiaoshou stared in disbelief.

If he remembered correctly, the legendary Eighth Sword Immortal was the first to propose the concept of "drunken sword, chaotic person."

Before him, there were indeed sword cultivators who drank, yet their ability to wield their swords steadily earned them renown.

However, ever since the Eighth Sword Immortal emerged, all these others were overshadowed.

The Eighth Sword Immortal never drank.

Furthermore, after he proposed this concept, later sword cultivators rarely had any association with alcohol.

This applied to both ancient sword cultivators and spirit sword cultivators...

Yet, Xu Xiaoshou's conjecture was that the Head of the Holy Temple before him was, in all likelihood, the Eighth Sword Immortal.

Why then, would he pick up a wine gourd?

"Did I guess wrong?" Xu Xiaoshou's mind went blank, completely unable to grasp the situation.

"So, what have you decided?"

The masked man, tilting his head back to drink, seemed utterly unconcerned with his image. As he drained the last drop from the gourd, he tossed it back to Cen Qiaofu, wiped his mouth, and lowered his mask once more.

Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts were pulled back, but he still couldn't give an answer immediately.

The masked man's words indeed made perfect sense.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't even find a single point to refute.

After all, the concepts of relative and absolute were views he himself endorsed.

But could compromise truly be understood merely as a "choice"?

"Are you having trouble deciding?" the masked man asked with a smile.

"Yes."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

He could discern the kindness the person before him held for him.

Perhaps it was a prerequisite that he saw potential in Xu Xiaoshou.

But even so, based on results, this person was still extremely respectful of others.

Even as the Head of the Holy Temple, the respect the masked man showed Xu Xiaoshou, a junior, was immeasurable.

Even at this moment, he was still asking for Xu Xiaoshou's opinion, not forcing him.

Xu Xiaoshou remained silent.

The masked man spoke again.

"I won't force you, but this time, I won't easily let you leave either."

"You must understand, this is reality."

"If you truly intend to continue on this path, with your growth rate, you will still encounter countless similar situations in the future."

"I can let you go once, twice, thrice, but others might force you to make a choice the very first time they meet you."

"This is your destined path."

"I've given you enough goodwill and respect, but our fate has brought us here..."

"For me personally, the time is right."

The masked man looked up at the sky behind Xu Xiaoshou, where the alternate dimension was located.

"Rather than letting you be forced into a faction you dislike, it's better to choose to flow with me now... *cough*, to walk alongside me."

"At the very least, I can promise you..."

"What?" Xu Xiaoshou looked up.

The masked man said very seriously: "I promise you that if the path you see in the future doesn't align with your choice now, you can leave at any time."

"Not just leaving me, nor just leaving the Holy Temple."

"You can put everything down whenever you wish."

"Furthermore, if you have your own direction and believe you can do better than me, I can even join you, help you, and assist you in achieving your goals."

"My goal..." Xu Xiaoshou's expression became a little lost.

"You don't know your goal yet, but I do."

The masked man, seemingly amused by his own words, said with a touch of humor: "In you, I see the shadow of most people."

"Perhaps when they were your age, they still hadn't figured out what they truly wanted most."

"But once they reach a certain level, their paths will inevitably converge!"

Xu Xiaoshou was puzzled.

He himself hadn't figured out what he truly wanted.

Before this, he had only managed to form a broad concept.

Now, a person he had only met a few times claimed to know his thoughts. Was that credible?

The masked man did not answer directly.

He first glanced at the storyteller, then shifted his gaze back to Cen Qiaofu and asked, "Do you know if there are people in this world more outstanding than you?"

"I believe you do."

The masked man nodded and continued, "But perhaps you don't know that throughout the world, there are countless peers similar to you, and even those who surpass you."

"Perhaps most of these people will perish prematurely due to arrogance, conceit, overreaching, etc..."

"But you also need to understand that not every scion of a prominent family or outstanding youth suffers from such flaws."

"The world is relative."

"While there are these psychologically unhealthy individuals, there are also those who are as confident, composed, and persistent as you."

Xu Xiaoshou's expression faltered.

This sudden compliment came as a surprise.

The masked man, however, seemed unmoved, as if stating an objective fact, and continued: "Such people are also countless."

"So, with so many people on the continent possessing the potential to become peak powerhouses, how much do you know about the powerhouses of today?"

"Or, to put it another way..."

"How many of those who can stand at the highest position in this world do you truly know?"

Xu Xiaoshou was stumped.

According to the masked man's words, and considering his current experiences, if even a small White Cave could gather so many outstanding young individuals, with so many appearing like the sword-wielding Gu Qingyi, Tear-Bearer, and various ghostly beasts...

Then, in places he couldn't see, places even more dangerous than the White Cave, how many cultivators would there be?

How many excellent ancient sword cultivators among them?

Could these people grow to the level of the Seven Sword Immortals?

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know.

But judging by the temperament, strength, and aptitude of such individuals, if he had to give an answer, Xu Xiaoshou's inclination was "yes."

If a precondition were added, it would simply be a "matter of time."

But...

There had always seemed to be only seven Sword Immortals throughout history.

The number was always few; there had never been a single period where there was an extra one.

Even the Eighth Sword Immortal, who was unprecedented in history, could only be considered half a one, still unable to break this ironclad rule.

Why?

Xu Xiaoshou's mouth slightly opened, his intense thirst for knowledge practically overflowing from his eyes.

The masked man generally understood Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts and asked the question for him, but did not answer it.

Then, he turned his gaze back to the two people beside him.

"To return to the previous question, do you seem surprised, skeptical, or even strongly opposed deep down, to how I could know your future goals?"

Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself, "You really hit the nail on the head. I just didn't dare to say it."

"But I *can* know your future!" the masked man declared firmly.

Xu Xiaoshou already felt that something was amiss.

His gaze also fell on the storyteller and Cen Qiaofu, trying to find an answer in the masked man's glance back at them.

But to no avail.

The two on the side still looked completely bored. Their only interest wasn't this young man at all. Instead, they seemed more astonished that the masked man would speak so much.

Xu Xiaoshou finally asked the question; he couldn't hold it in any longer.

The masked man's eyes held a smile. Without further circumlocution, he directly replied: "Because of freedom!"

"From your eyes and your thoughts, I can see your adherence to freedom. That's why I don't force you."

The masked man paused, then said: "In this world, everyone like you, without exception, craves freedom."

"But..."

He suddenly looked up at the sky.

Above the nine heavens, the curtain of rain persisted, pattering softly. As the two fell silent, the sound became particularly jarring.

The masked man pointed at the sky and asked, "Do you think beyond the White Cave lies the Holy Divine Continent?"

"Do you think beyond the Holy Divine Continent, you can truly transcend?"

"Wrong!"

"Do you see the rain?"

Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

"That's not rain; that's a person!" the masked man declared emphatically.

Xu Xiaoshou's mind went blank with a sudden jolt.

A memory, seemingly not his own, suddenly appeared in his mind. It was his reflection on an unknown section of the information bar after escaping the encirclement by the storyteller and the Night Watcher.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't have time to think further and immediately introspected.

"Being watched, Passive Points, 1."

"Watched?"

He finally paid attention to this question again.

Watched? Who was watching?

"That's a person?" Xu Xiaoshou's eyes widened, staring incredulously at the curtain of rain above the nine heavens.

"Strictly speaking, no, it's just an ability."

The masked man smiled: "But you just need to know that whether in the White Cave or on the Holy Divine Continent, there's always a pair of eyes gazing at you, ceaselessly."

"Whether you're eating, sleeping, or making love..."

"He is always watching you."

"Without a moment's rest!"

Xu Xiaoshou's hair stood on end instantly; he felt cold sweat soak his back. "Who is he?"

"Who is he?" The masked man threw the question to the two behind him.

The storyteller's expression froze. "How would I know? I was tricked into coming here by you just like this."

Cen Qiaofu shrugged and spread his hands. "Who is he? How would an old man like me know? If it weren't for you, I'd still be in the deep mountains of the Southern Region, working from sunrise to sunset, isn't that much more pleasant?"

The masked man rolled his eyes slightly.

He turned back. "See? One at the peak of Dao Slashing, and one at the Grand Void realm, and neither of them can answer this question. Imagine how powerful 'he' is!"

At this moment, he really wanted to directly respond to the masked man's evasiveness. But deep down, he was truly shocked by the sudden mention of "Grand Void."

Turning his head with some difficulty to look at the old man, Xu Xiaoshou was somewhat incredulous. This old man, who completely lacked any dignified image, was a Grand Void expert? Shouldn't such a person be standing at the peak of the world, imbued with immortal aura, riding clouds on a crane? Why was he standing behind the masked man, cleaning up a wine gourd for this guy?

With countless words on the tip of his tongue, Xu Xiaoshou didn't know how to speak.

"I can tell you clearly, the storyteller was genuinely just a storyteller when he was in the Central Region." The masked man pointed at the man in the red dress and said, "Like you, he was also the same kind of person when he was young, and he also yearned for freedom."

"But when he broke through to Dao Slashing, he suddenly became content with mediocrity, directly opened a storytelling hall, and became a so-called 'boss' among ordinary people."

"Why?"

Pointing at Cen Qiaofu again, the masked man said, "This gentleman has probably lived for several hundred years, and as he said earlier, he's always been chopping wood for a living in the deep mountains."

"When he was on the verge of death, he suddenly had the idea to peek into the grand world, and then achieved Dao Slashing."

"But a year later, he returned to the old forests of the Southern Region and picked up his old trade again."

"Why?"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. What kind of divine beings were these people?

"Because of 'him'." The masked man looked up at the curtain of rain in the sky and said, "Because of these eyes!"

Xu Xiaoshou was still somewhat confused and was about to speak, but the masked man pressed his hand down, signaling that he wasn't finished, and said:

"Just like them, there are many astonishing talents who never made a name for themselves."

"But each of them succumbed somewhere, utterly unable to rise."

"There are gods three feet above your head; perhaps when you reach a certain level, you will understand this saying."

A chill ran down Xu Xiaoshou's spine. This wasn't a god; this was a devil!

The masked man clicked his tongue, feeling a bit parched, and just as his hand moved to reach behind him, Cen Qiaofu immediately spoke up: "It's gone."

"Uh..."

Now the masked man also realized he had talked a bit too much. He hummed, and finally spoke.

"I'm tired. Let's return to the previous question!"

"Them." The masked man gestured to the two beside him. Then he pointed his hand into the void: "And them."

Xu Xiaoshou understood that he was referring to those who were content with mediocrity.

"These people, regarding the question 'who is he'..." The masked man looked up at the rain curtain in the nine heavens and said, "The explanation they cannot give, I can give to you."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded. He was ready to accept the final bombardment of his worldview.

"'Freedom' and 'cage.' That is the answer!" the masked man declared with fervor.

A black line appeared on Xu Xiaoshou's forehead as he struggled to interpret: "'They' are 'freedom,' and 'he' is the 'cage'?"

"Precisely." The masked man nodded.

"Just like the powerlessness you've encountered on your journey, every person who longs for freedom will inevitably fight for it. Therefore, their experiences are similar to yours."

"Why?"

"Because we are born to revolve within the chess game of those in high positions."

"When we think we can break free from the cage, we merely jump into another, larger chess game, encountering obstacles at every turn, endlessly repeating. In such a situation, the only outcome is despair."

"Don't tell me you can break the cage!" The masked man instantly saw through Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts and chuckled: "If you really want to say that, please say it to him."

Following his finger, Xu Xiaoshou saw the dark-faced Cen Qiaofu and immediately swallowed his words. This was a Grand Void expert! An unparalleled powerhouse who had already reached the pinnacle of the world, yet couldn't even explain a single question, and was still trapped within the chess game.

*Me, can I...?* Xu Xiaoshou fell into deep self-doubt.

"You cannot." The masked man said: "I once thought I could too, but I failed. A trapped beast escaping its cage is not as simple as you think."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. He felt that the masked man's thoughts, to some extent, perfectly aligned with Elder Sang's. Were they indeed from the same organization? A worldview like a nesting doll...

"I have a question." Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a long time, then asked: "Elder Sang, your Holy Temple's second-in-command, is he also like this?"

The masked man chuckled; he saw the loosening in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes and said, "Otherwise, what do you think he's running around for all day? Exercise?"

"Wrong."

"Like you, he is a person with his own ideas, and he believes my path won't work, that it can't break the cage, so he's seeking his own path."

"Different paths, temporary separation, but ultimately leading to the same destination. Do you understand?"

*Do I understand?* He looked up at the sky, speechless for a moment.

The scene was quiet for a while.

"Rustle..."

The masked man suddenly started fumbling all over himself, searching frantically. After a long time, he frowned.

"Where's the token?"

Cen Qiaofu behind him looked disgusted: "You probably lost it during the spatial turbulence!"

"Uh..."

The masked man flushed, then directly extended his hand to the old man. "The token."

"That's my own!" Cen Qiaofu was angry.

"Not yours," the masked man sighed, "my own."

"What?" The storyteller was shocked on the spot. "Brother, you..."

"Hold it." The masked man immediately reached out, headache-stricken, to stop him from speaking further. "It's just a token."

"But that's..."

The storyteller was dumbfounded, then had an idea: "I'll go get Miss Luo's for you!"

"No need." The masked man waved his hand, took the purple token Cen Qiaofu pulled from his ring, and handed it to Xu Xiaoshou before him. "Joining?"

Xu Xiaoshou's liver trembled. He felt this scene before him was so familiar. Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace, Goose Lake, the straw-hatted old man, and that phrase... "Want a seed?"

*Holy crap!* How could each and every one of them be such terrifying existences?! Oh god, who can save me?

Xu Xiaoshou broke down, whimpering: "Can I refuse?"

"You can." The masked man flipped the token into his hand and said, "I never force anyone, but think about it yourself."

"Even if you refuse now, you will encounter many, many similar situations in the future."

"But they might not be as easy to deal with as I am."

Xu Xiaoshou held the token, his hands trembling.

"It's still the same promise: whenever you feel your path is wrong, you can leave at any time. For now, I am merely a 'tool,' nothing more."

The masked man's last sentence seemed to give Xu Xiaoshou a powerful reassurance.

Xu Xiaoshou's gaze dropped. It was a completely purple token, glowing faintly with a violet light. Carved upon it was a graceful, naked woman, her head bowed, knees clasped, weeping silently, a truly pitiable sight. On her hands and feet were heavy shackles extending to the four corners of the token, as if connecting heaven and earth.

It was like... the Embarrassed Saint!

Xu Xiaoshou felt he understood something, yet also understood nothing at all. With trembling fingers, he flipped the token over. The back was clean and simple, with only one character carved on it.

"Eight!"

*Clang!*

Xu Xiaoshou's hand trembled, and the token dropped directly to the ground. The faces of the three people in front changed simultaneously. Frightened, Xu Xiaoshou immediately bent down to pick it up.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to, I wasn't trying to refuse..."

"So you've agreed?" The masked man's eyes lit up with joy.

Xu Xiaoshou froze on the spot. He saw that the other person seemed a little flustered due to excitement. This alone was completely different from Elder Sang.

Respect... Xu Xiaoshou pondered for a moment, then asked, "May I shake your hand? I'm a bit... overwhelmed?"

The masked man's eyes narrowed. "Shake hands?"

"No, no, no, if it's inconvenient, then absolutely no need." Xu Xiaoshou quickly waved his hands, frightened, and stepped back a few paces.

"It's convenient!" The masked man suddenly broke into a smile, grabbing his black glove on his right hand with his left.

"If you just want to shake hands, I'll respond with the utmost sincerity."

"But if you just want to take a look..." He paused. Beneath the mask, there seemed to be the outline of a smiling mouth. "That's fine too."

With a swish, the masked man directly pulled off his right-hand glove and extended his hand toward Xu Xiaoshou.

Xu Xiaoshou tensed up completely.

One, two, three, four...

He closed his eyes tightly.

No thumb!

"What's wrong?" The masked man chuckled: "Never seen four fingers?"

"No." Xu Xiaoshou felt his voice trembling: "I just feel you're very much like a friend I once knew."

"Oh, which one?"

"A scruffy uncle..."

Xu Xiaoshou's mind had stopped working; it took him a long time to realize that speaking like that was extremely rude.

The masked man furrowed his brow. He suddenly raised his hand and sniffed it close to his nose, and his brow furrowed even more deeply. "My apologies, I haven't washed it in years, it is indeed a bit scruffy. You don't mind, do you?"

Xu Xiaoshou watched him extend his hand again, suddenly feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation. He instinctively raised his hand, then slightly recoiled, but dared not pull back too obviously.

"Slap!"

The masked man stepped forward and firmly grasped his hand. "It's a bit dirty, but the sense of ceremony is important. You can wash your hands afterward. Welcome, Wen Ming, to our ranks."

Xu Xiaoshou no longer knew what to say. He felt that under the pressure of the person before him, his mouth couldn't utter a single clever word.

But!

It was so warm... This guy's hand.

Calloused, rough, with dense, thin, linear scars...

Yet!

It was so warm... Holding it felt like holding an entire world.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart swelled with emotion. He knew he had been swayed by the masked man.

Indeed, in this world resembling a chessboard, the pawns, rooks, knights, and bishops moved "freely" according to designated rules, all manipulated by others. But ultimately, the only way out was elimination. And to break the chess game and become the player, relying on one's own strength alone was too slim... not enough!

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know if this "choice" of his was right or wrong. But unlike Hongyi, Ghost Beast, and Elder Sang, among others, at least from the masked man, he had repeatedly felt respect, and his promise...

*I can withdraw, right? Is it a trick? Or is it true?!*

"If... if..." Xu Xiaoshou, holding what felt like an entire world, spoke a little incoherently: "If... if I can't bear it anymore, can I truly choose to withdraw?"

"You can bear it." The masked man said cheerfully: "Even if you can't bear it, I'll be there behind you. And taking it a step further, withdrawing is also a choice. It's not shameful. Many people do it; they simply live in a different way."

*So warm...* Xu Xiaoshou had never felt such a degree of warmth from any senior. Even the former Night Watcher merely offered material gifts. On a spiritual level, he also wanted to impose his own ideas on Xu Xiaoshou.

This, however, was completely different!

"Thank you," Xu Xiaoshou whispered, his voice barely audible.

"What?" The masked man couldn't quite hear him for a moment.

"I said..." Xu Xiaoshou paused his words, looking up to see the curtain of rain in the nine heavens. That, surprisingly, was a pair of eyes...

He introspected again.

"Being watched, Passive Points, 1."

He felt relieved. He clenched his hand tightly, then released it.

"What I mean is..."

"Holy Temple, I, Xu Xiaoshou, choose to join!"