Chapter 627: Old Man, Can You Handle It?

As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, he saw Elder Sang's expression fluctuate unpredictably, and his hand was already raised high. He immediately retreated several steps. By then, he and the old man were already a few dozen feet apart. They stood facing each other from afar. It was clearly a conversation between master and disciple, yet they were as wary as if they were sworn enemies.

"You brat!" Elder Sang was so angry he almost laughed. Realizing he had scared Xu Xiaoshou, he promptly lowered his hand. He had to admit, Xu Xiaoshou's latest deductions had genuinely astonished him once more. Just like his previous deductions in the Ling Palace, they were essentially... spot on!

"How did this kid's brain even work?" Elder Sang felt a pang of frustration. He had clearly been trying his utmost to suppress this kid's development. After all, even if the kid possessed an ancestral ability to fight above his cultivation level, he was currently only at the Innate stage. If he were to truly face a Throne, a Dao Slashing expert, or even the dangerous situation unfolding now – where even Grand Voids and the Seven Sword Immortals had been dispatched – fighting above his level would be mere fantasy! Only gradual development was the path Xu Xiaoshou should follow. However, it was clear that given Xu Xiaoshou's knack for getting into trouble, a cautious, low-key approach didn't seem to align with his future path at all.

"Perhaps I should try a different approach..." Elder Sang mused inwardly, though his expression remained unperturbed. "Why the sarcasm? What are you trying to imply?" he asked. "I'm right here. Is there anything you can't say openly?" There was a clear desire to thrash him evident in Elder Sang's voice.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the hand Elder Sang had lowered and secretly rolled his eyes. "It's precisely because you're standing here like a stiff pole that I can't say anything directly, isn't it? I'm afraid of getting beaten! This Grandmaster body might be fine for others, but against you, it simply can't take a beating!"

However, Elder Sang's reaction made everything very clear to Xu Xiaoshou. Although the old man had hidden everything else well, beyond his initial attempts at concealment, he hadn't outright denied anything. Instead, he had changed the subject. This alone indicated the truth of the matter. What Xu Xiaoshou had just said had likely hit upon a crucial point. Elder Sang's reaction was precisely because he couldn't speak openly.

"So, even now, you still plan to hide everything from me?" Xu Xiaoshou asked cautiously.

Elder Sang closed his eyes heavily, clearly wanting to speak but hesitating. After a long silence, he finally said, "What else do you know?"

Seeing an opening, a sharp glint flashed in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes. He retreated a few more steps, deciding to drop the bombshell. In a grave tone, he asked, "You know A-Jie, right?"

"Mmm," Elder Sang nodded.

Xu Xiaoshou let out a heavy sigh of relief. "A-Jie. I don't know where you acquired him, but he was sealed with two layers of seals within the Tianxuan Gate, and you refused to release him even in the face of a formidable enemy. This first-generation Heavenly Mechanism Puppet, a creation of the Dao Palace Master, clearly shows that you weren't trying to hide anything."

Elder Sang's eyebrow twitched, and a vein pulsed on his forehead.

Xu Xiaoshou steeled himself and threw caution to the wind. "And Bazun An! The world said he had fallen decades ago, but now he has suddenly reappeared, which is truly astonishing. These so-called deceptions might fool ordinary Spirit Cultivators, but for decades, even Dao Slashing and Grand Void experts never doubted the rumors in the slightest. So, I'm very confused. How was this achieved? Can the Holy Divine Palace deceive even Dao Slashing and Grand Void experts? I don't think so! Perhaps Bazun An truly did fall once, and the world truly abandoned this legend. But his fall must have been different from a real 'fall'... or perhaps, it was exactly the same!"

Xu Xiaoshou paused, carefully choosing his words to avoid provoking the old man before him. The image of the disheveled saint flashed in his mind. He continued, "Some places can contain ordinary people... no, ordinary geniuses. But Bazun An was unparalleled in his generation; who can guarantee he didn't pull off an extraordinary feat? For instance..."

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at Elder Sang's somber expression, swallowed hard, and rephrased: "For example, perhaps he didn't fall on Void Island, but was imprisoned in a small space that could only restrain Innate cultivators. He had a key, and he simply walked out."

Elder Sang's mouth twitched. While astonished by Xu Xiaoshou's deductions, he couldn't help but snap angrily, "Can't you speak properly?!"

"Oh." Xu Xiaoshou immediately moved on from the topic. He knew it was unrealistic to expect a direct answer from Elder Sang.

"Oh, right, one more thing. That disheveled saint hiding in the dimensional rift in the White Cave – I imagine he was just wandering around idly, randomly extending invitations. That couldn't possibly align with the utterly aimless tasks you assigned me. And as for Bazun An and that saint in the White Cave, their encounter must have been a pure coincidence. They shouldn't know each other, because they probably haven't even met, right? After all, those who 'fell' didn't fall in the same place... Oh, and there's more!"

Xu Xiaoshou resigned himself, simply closing his eyes to avoid seeing Elder Sang's expression, and poured out all his doubts in one go. "And the Holy Slaves' ultimate goal: 'Until one becomes a Saint, one remains a slave.' This absolutely cannot mean becoming a slave of the Holy Divine Palace, becoming... the so-called 'ghost beasts' of Void Island, can it?"

After saying this, he fell silent. A dead silence fell over the scene.

"Gulp." Xu Xiaoshou's Adam's apple bobbed, and he fell completely silent. With no sound beside him, he couldn't resist cracking open his eyelids for a quick, surreptitious peek.

A terrifying old face!

"Holy crap—" Xu Xiaoshou clutched his head and scurried away, terrified. He had completely shielded his "perception," extending it only behind him, not daring to look ahead. When he squinted and saw that old face right there, who could possibly endure it?

"Bang!" Sure enough, even though he ran incredibly fast, he still took a kick from behind. Xu Xiaoshou's body lurched forward, and he fell flat on his face.

"I'm done, truly done!" he cried. "Everything planned is simply for justice. Everyone cherishes beauty; this world is very friendly. There are no centuries-long chess games or elaborate schemes, and certainly no darkness or unspeakable things beyond what I've just said. That's all. Who doesn't yearn for light?"

Xu Xiaoshou raised his hands in surrender, yet continued to argue. He had gathered all his strength in his back, preparing to withstand another terrifying whip kick from the old man, but after waiting for a long time, nothing came.

"Huh?" Xu Xiaoshou looked up in confusion, not daring to glance back. He released his "perception" and saw Elder Sang had already sat cross-legged behind him, holding a straw hat in one hand, while continuously rubbing his sparsely haired scalp with the other, sighing repeatedly.

Xu Xiaoshou rolled over awkwardly and timidly asked, "What's wrong?"

Elder Sang's expression was complex; he was utterly speechless.

"Your hair's falling out, stop rubbing it!" Xu Xiaoshou quipped, and the old man finally turned his head, his expression stiff.

"Do you want to die?"

"Threatened, Passive Point, 1."

"No, no..." Xu Xiaoshou waved his hands frantically as he backed away.

Elder Sang sighed, "How did you know?"

"Deduction."

"How did you deduce it?"

"With my brain."

Elder Sang's facial muscles began to twitch.

"Cursed, Passive Point, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou panicked: "I genuinely used my brain; you can't deduce something like this with your hands..."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Elder Sang roared. "What I'm asking is, when did you get exposed to so much information and understand it so deeply?"

"Oh, oh." Xu Xiaoshou shrank his neck in fright as countless memories surfaced in his mind: Shouye, Lu Ke... Jiao Tangtang, Bazun An, the disheveled saint... and a string of other disparate pieces of information.

These pieces of information seemed trivial and unrelated. Yet, upon closer reflection, there was indeed a hidden thread connecting them. Perhaps even more than one. Xu Xiaoshou's heart felt heavy. Every time he contemplated it all, he felt the world was too heavy, as if burdened by a weight unbearable for ordinary people. It was a weight as heavy as Mount Tai, hanging over the heads of everyone. When that height was not yet reached, there were giants supporting it. But when the height surpassed those giants acting as pillars, upon seeing a new world, not only would someone else have to take over, but the new world itself might completely shatter the old worldviews established in the past.

A single continent, a single plane. Gods and mortals, clearly distinct. One looks up not to dream of godhood, but looks down only because the mundane is insignificant. Yet, truly straddling this clear boundary, stumbling across it, were the Holy Divine Palace and the Holy Slaves. Xu Xiaoshou felt himself peering into it, horrified, fearful, yet drawn to it.

"My brain, I guess!" he sighed. "These things are a long story, and to make it short is worse than not saying anything at all. Ultimately, it truly comes down to having a quick mind. Sometimes, having a quick mind is also a mistake."

To Xu Xiaoshou's surprise, Elder Sang nodded. There was no impatience, no rebuttal; he simply tacitly agreed. His disciple's mind was indeed sharp. His unique style of conduct was also out of the ordinary. Some teaching methods that worked for ordinary people might truly be limiting for him. This had become abundantly clear after their trip to the White Cave.

"Xiaoshou," Elder Sang said, exhaling deeply. "I will no longer interfere with your decisions. Since you've already joined the Holy Slaves, it's destined by fate. The path you'll take in the future may be very difficult, but it is your own choice. As long as you don't regret it..."

"I regret it very much!" Xu Xiaoshou interrupted. "To tell you the truth, I was forced to join the Holy Slaves; I simply couldn't refuse at the time."

Elder Sang was speechless. His teeth gnashed, and he was so infuriated he almost stood up to kick Xu Xiaoshou again.

"Uh, is regret useless then?" Xu Xiaoshou muttered, startled. "I thought you could just act arbitrarily and kick me out."

"Shut up!"

"Oh."

"Listen to me!"

"I'm listening closely!"

Crackle— Elder Sang clenched his fists. Xu Xiaoshou's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "I'm really listening, I swear! I'm all ears; it's just there's no water here. If there were, I'd immediately..." Mid-sentence, Xu Xiaoshou zipped his lips.

Elder Sang suppressed his anger and resumed the topic. "The matter of the Holy Slaves is a foregone conclusion. If Yu Lingdi can target you, if Gou Wuyue can see you, it means you've truly entered their radar. Retreating unscathed is impossible, and with my connection to you, it's even more so. What I'm going to tell you now..."

Elder Sang paused, and Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up. Were secrets about to be revealed? "What?" he eagerly asked.

Elder Sang said, "The Holy Slaves have their own mission, and you'll be assigned tasks, but it still comes down to that one piece of advice I once gave you: In this world, you can't trust anyone. Bazun An has his own path, and I have mine. But anyone's direction can be wrong, and you can't trust anyone. The only person you can truly trust is yourself. Understand?"

Xu Xiaoshou was startled. He had thought Elder Sang was finally going to answer his questions, but instead, he received only such a vague remark and was immediately disappointed. "What about you?" Xu Xiaoshou looked up, asking earnestly, "Can't you be trusted either?"

Elder Sang's lips twitched into a chilling smile. "You can try," he said.

"Yikes!" Xu Xiaoshou shivered, not daring to respond.

Elder Sang chuckled. "Didn't you say you have a quick mind? Then figure it out yourself! Since you can see things so deeply, I won't bother beating around the bush with you. The general direction you've laid out is largely correct. However, there's one thing, limited by your current cultivation realm, perspective, and experience..." As Elder Sang spoke, he tilted his head back, pointing a finger at the sky. "It's still that same saying: there's always something beyond what you know. You, Xu Xiaoshou, still missed a layer."

Still missing a layer? Xu Xiaoshou immediately raised an eyebrow. On the night of his apprenticeship, Elder Sang had pointed at Swan Lake and recounted his "cage theory," yet Xu Xiaoshou had never imagined reality could be so brutally cruel. It truly was! But even now, he was still missing a layer?

"What's missing?" Xu Xiaoshou asked. "A layer beyond the Holy Divine Palace and the Holy Slaves... the Ghost Beast layer, the Xuanyue Grey Palace?"

Elder Sang merely smiled without speaking. Xu Xiaoshou immediately dismissed his own thought. "No, at best, that's still on the same level. You mean, there's something *above* the Holy Divine Palace?" A tremor ran through his heart. For some inexplicable reason, a joke Jiao Tangtang had once told flashed through his mind. "Saint Emperor's sanction, Heavenly Dao's suppression?"

Elder Sang didn't reply. Instead, he abruptly stood up, put on his straw hat, and looked solemnly into the distance. "They're here!"

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. *That damn old man, keeping me in suspense at the most crucial moment! The cat's almost out of the bag; the conversation is so far along it's about to unravel. You're not going to tell me? Are you just messing around?!*

Wait, no! Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized. Even the Half-Saint Dao Qiongcang couldn't be referred to by his true name, only by the alias of Dao Palace Master. So, if there truly was such a layer in this world—a layer belonging to the Saint Emperor! Was that something he, a mere Innate cultivator, could presumptuously discuss? Gazing at Elder Sang's silhouetted form against the light, Xu Xiaoshou fell silent. The old man hadn't denied it... wasn't that enough to confirm his suspicions?

"Who?!" Suddenly, Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted as he glanced in the same direction Elder Sang was staring. Within his "perception," a pale blue light abruptly entered his view, stopping in the void in the blink of an eye, standing with his sword held at an angle. Gou Wuyue!

Xu Xiaoshou's heart churned. Shouldn't this Immortal Sword Wuyue be in pursuit of Bazun An right now? How could he be here? Had he changed targets? He glanced at Elder Sang, then at Gou Wuyue, and finally took in the colossal Dragon-Melted Realm erupting from the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Xu Xiaoshou suddenly understood something. So, that old geezer wasn't here to reminisce with him after all. The casual conversation was just a way to pass the time. Even Yu Lingdi had probably just helped him escape as a convenient side task. His true purpose was to divert the attention of the White-Clothed and draw Gou Wuyue to this very battlefield?

At that moment, complex, indescribable emotions churned in Xu Xiaoshou's heart. The image of Bazun An with blood scabs clinging to his mask resurfaced in his mind. Xu Xiaoshou understood that there had to be a reason why the Holy Slaves had always forbidden Bazun An from acting. And in a situation like this, with Cen Qiaofu tied up and Storyteller and Haitang'er lacking sufficient strength... then, who else was left?

"Ultimately, he is still the second-in-command of the Holy Slaves. Even if their aspirations differ, their paths align. Sometimes, when others aren't able to step forward and bear the full burden, the giant who could have hunched over and relaxed must choose to straighten his back."

Thinking this, Xu Xiaoshou clenched his fists and followed. He gazed at the backlit figure with the straw hat before him, a figure that looked somewhat gaunt and underfed. His expression was solemn.

"Old man," he asked, "can you handle this?"