Chapter 643: Evil Young Master Enters the City

“Ah-choo!”

“Choo... Ah-choo!”

“Ah-choo, choo—”

“Oh my goodness, ah-choo!”

Xu Xiaoshou sneezed so hard that even snot and boogers came out. He touched his aching nasal bone, rubbing it vigorously. “Damn it, why are so many people thinking about me?”

“Concerned, Passive Points, 2.”

“Chuckled at, Passive Points, 1.”

“Again... Xu Xiaoshou, are you really okay?” Mu Zixi wrinkled her delicate nose and offered him a handkerchief.

Over the past half-month, she had used up a lifetime’s supply of handkerchiefs. This was because Xu Xiaoshou would periodically start sneezing. Initially, everyone thought it was fine; perhaps even a Grandmaster could catch a cold. However, after the occurrences became too frequent, everyone realized something was amiss.

“A whim?”

Xin Gugu laughed heartily, placing a hand on Xu Xiaoshou’s shoulder. He chuckled: “Your explanation is a bit too far-fetched. Who has whims that look like this? And you can even use the number of sneezes to count how many people are thinking of you... Haha, from all corners of the world, how big is this place? Are there really that many people thinking of you?”

“You never know,” Xu Xiaoshou said, too weary to explain. He waved his hand and looked at Mo Mo. “How many?”

“Seven hundred and sixty-two.”

“Sigh.”

Xu Xiaoshou sighed.

Over seven hundred times... Others might not believe it. But this was a side effect of “Perception,” which he had personally verified numerous times. How could a Grandmaster truly catch a cold? With the Cinderflame White Flame, he was more likely to get overheated. Over seven hundred sneezes truly meant that even though no one recognized him on their journey, those who wanted to capture the Holy Slave, and had an impression of him, were already starting to take action.

“Over seven hundred White-Clad?”

Xu Xiaoshou gave a self-deprecating smile. That was a number that only Eight-Tailed could defeat with a single sword stroke. What virtue or ability did Xu Xiaoshou possess to receive such treatment? The only thing worth celebrating was that these manifestations of “whims” were merely sneezes. Based on past situations, as long as a little strategy was employed, these entities could be trapped and killed. If it were like last time... Xu Xiaoshou shuddered just thinking about Ai Cangsheng’s arrow. Mere targeting had caused his body, even from two regions away, to crack and bleed. If such a situation were to arise again, he wouldn’t have Elder Sang by his side. At most, he could only have someone else take his place...

“Why are you looking at me?”

Xin Gugu was startled by Xu Xiaoshou’s contemplative gaze. He felt that this guy staring at him for no reason definitely meant trouble!

“Feared, Passive Points, 1.”

“Cursed, Passive Points, 1.”

“Let’s go, it shouldn’t be far now.”

Xu Xiaoshou’s lips curved into a smile. Without another word, he led the three behind him, continuing towards East Heaven King City. Over the past half-month, their journey had been truly long, so long that Xu Xiaoshou himself could barely remember the mileage. Because he was accompanied by two demonic beast hosts and was himself a Holy Slave, Xu Xiaoshou dared not use teleportation arrays. Traveling on foot was slow. But all four had considerable cultivation, and no accidents occurred during their journey, though many unfortunate events happened to others, which didn’t concern them. After many detours, they were finally nearing their destination.

Along the way, Xu Xiaoshou finally experienced the customs and local conditions of this continent, beyond the Spirit Palace. Indeed, Spiritual Cultivators were scarce. So scarce that Xu Xiaoshou had to admit he had verified a truth: only Spiritual Cultivators could provide passive points; ordinary people truly could not! After accepting this, he specifically visited two places.

First, Tian Sang City, the Su family, a lineage of sword-wielders who once possessed the famous sword “Tomb of Renowned Snow.” There, Xu Xiaoshou met Su Qianqian and also the high-ranking members of the Su family. It must be said, this was the only family he had ever encountered that truly embodied the spirit of swordsmanship. In that place, he felt the pure aura of a sword cultivator, an aura remarkably similar to that of Eight-Tailed after he stood tall and proud. The doubts buried deep in his heart, Xu Xiaoshou never voiced them. But that visit alone was enough for him to know that Eight-Tailed had not deceived him. Indeed, in this world, there were truly people who took pride in dying by the sword of the Eighth Sword Immortal. Those people... Xu Xiaoshou initially found it hard to understand. But after the White Cave incident, he suddenly felt he could comprehend it. Regarding the answers he found, Xu Xiaoshou’s view was noncommittal. In any case, if it were him, he wouldn’t make a choice like the Su family’s. At the very least, he would fight to the death to carve a piece of flesh from the sword-taker. That was Xu Xiaoshou!

His second stop was Azure Dragon County. Elder Sang’s second legend was born there, and he also visited the site of the Grand Void Battle. There was rampant sword intent, and the aura of Cinderflame... But the place was deserted; besides those who, like him, came to pay homage, Azure Dragon County was merely an empty shell. Without lingering long, Xu Xiaoshou continued his journey.

He never returned to Tian Sang Spirit Palace. Perhaps the Dean and Elder Qiao held secrets about A-Jie. But Elder Sang was gone, and he had lost the one who could answer his questions. Xu Xiaoshou didn’t believe that his return would yield the answers he sought. More likely, it would bring disaster to the Spirit Palace. Leaving without a word sometimes brought about a better outcome. Regrets certainly existed, but life became more complete precisely because of its imperfections. To set sail again was the best respect for oneself and others.

“We’re here!”

Several days passed in a flash. As more and more people joined them, the end of the official road was finally no longer a sea of misty mountains, but a majestic, towering city. Massive, ten-foot-tall walls, constructed from large blue stone bricks, blocked the horizon as far as the eye could see, vast and imposing. The formidable Heavy Profound Heavenly Gang city gate, adorned with a tiger-head and lion-head knocker, bore the marks of time, yet still exuded a fierce, intimidating aura that deterred onlookers from staring too long. Outside the gate, a group of White-Clad guards, all of them at least Xiantian cultivation or higher. The captain, who was squatting by the side, chewing on a blade of grass, had a pair of hawk-like eyes constantly scanning those entering the city. He was a King Realm expert, and his white robe was fundamentally different from those of the ordinary White-Clad guards. His chest badge was engraved with a Holy Temple and a suspended white sword.

“White-Clad!”

Xu Xiaoshou understood. These were true White-Clad, belonging to one of the two enforcement organizations of the Holy Divine Temple. He had tricked and deceived them before, yet seeing them again still brought an inexplicable tremor to his heart.

“No problem?”

Xu Xiaoshou glanced back at Xin Gugu and Mo Mo. He wasn’t worried about himself or Mu Zixi. His greatest fear was that the two demonic beast hosts behind him would be discovered within East Heaven King City. In such a situation, Xu Xiaoshou felt he would have no choice but to “sacrifice the rook to save the king,” watch from the sidelines, and protect himself... and, well, his junior sister.

“No big deal. I’ve been to East Heaven King City before. Ordinary people might be scared, but I’m different.” Xin Gugu nonchalantly fiddled with the golden staff necklace on his chest. Xu Xiaoshou knew that by “ordinary people,” he meant “ordinary demonic beast hosts.” Indeed, if this guy, hailing from the Waning Moon Grey Palace, could be spotted by a mere guard captain, then he really shouldn’t be in this business. How could someone who traveled thousands of miles from the Southern Region to the Eastern Region to deliver the Greed God be easily discovered?

“I’m fine too.”

Mo Mo nodded. She hadn’t even changed her small copper stove. This inconspicuous emblem was hard to find even in Tian Sang City, let alone in East Heaven King City, where it would be like a stone sinking into the ocean, leaving no trace.

“That’s good.”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded, brushed his chin with the back of his hand, confirming his disguise was intact, and then stepped forward.

“Remember, from now on, straighten your backs. We’re here to stir up trouble, so don’t let anyone look down on us, understand?”

“Yes, Young Master Xu!”

Xin Gugu puffed out his chest, his voice thundering, causing passersby to turn and stare.

“Surprised and Suspect, Passive Points, 45.”

“Cursed, Passive Points, 1.”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded, satisfied. From now on, Xin Gugu’s identity was Young Master Xu’s henchman. He turned his head to look at Mo Mo. Mo Mo’s lips mumbled a few times, timid and reluctant to speak. Only after seeing Xu Xiaoshou’s gaze turn cold did she heavily close her eyes, her face ashen.

“Yes, Young Master Xu,” she whispered.

As soon as she spoke in a barely audible voice, Mo Mo’s ears began to redden.

“Head up, chest out, stick... *cough cough*, stand straight and speak louder!”

“Yes, Young Master Xu,” Mo Mo’s voice became even quieter.

“Cursed, Passive Points, 1.”

“Rotten wood cannot be carved!”

Xu Xiaoshou angrily flicked his sleeve and looked at Mu Zixi.

“Cursed, Passive Points, 1, 1, 1, 1...”

“Why are you looking at me? Say it! This is to cultivate a habitual mindset so you don’t reveal yourselves later!” Xu Xiaoshou selectively filtered the information bar. Mu Zixi’s large eyes were watery and filled with confusion, but her inner thoughts never stopped.

“Cursed, Passive Points, 1, 1, 1, 1...”

“This little girl, would she die from just calling out ‘Young Master Xu’? Seriously!”

Xu Xiaoshou gave up and turned to his henchman, Xin Gugu.

“Young Master Xu! What are your orders!”

Xin Gugu’s eyes were full of excitement; he loved role-playing, finding it very amusing. The surrounding people were once again startled by his loud shout, shying away as if from a plague, choosing to take detours.

“Scorned, Passive Points, 53.”

“Muttering against, Passive Points, 22.”

“Disliked, Passive Points, 68.”

“Clear the way!”

Xu Xiaoshou also puffed out his chest, yelling even louder. As soon as he saw the passersby’s reactions, his ears tingled, urging his lips to widen into a grin. This was exactly the kind of chuunibyo and idiotic effect he wanted! The more dissolute, the more brainless, the more absurd... Yet, on top of all these “more-s,” there was a realistic nuance, a type of identity that people subconsciously recognized and that easily provoked emotions. The further he walked, the more passive points he would gain!

He peeked at the information bar: “Passive Points, 84221.” Only eighty thousand! He was almost a Grandmaster, yet his reserves were only eighty thousand. Once he truly became a Grandmaster, how would he upgrade his passive skills? Xu Xiaoshou didn’t dare to use this reserve now. Judging by the increasing cost of skill points, first-tier skill points cost one thousand passive points, and second-tier skill points cost five thousand. It was highly probable that after becoming a Grandmaster, the third-tier skill points required would be ten thousand, thirty thousand, or even fifty thousand! Regardless, Xu Xiaoshou needed to ensure that the moment he broke through to Grandmaster, he would upgrade “Strong” to the King Realm level. Only then would he have the power to protect himself in the larger scheme of things. At that time, he would possess a King Realm physique, a true powerhouse capable of pummeling ordinary King Realm experts with a single punch. That would be a genuine “powerhouse”! Not the sarcastically dubbed “powerhouse” among “Xiantian Realm experts”! For this reason, Xu Xiaoshou needed to accumulate at least one hundred thousand, striving for five hundred thousand, and ideally over a million passive points. East Heaven King City would be the place where Xu Xiaoshou made his fortune!

“Young Master Xu... Is the title too chuunibyo?”

There was a hidden madness in Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes. What was “chuunibyo” or “brainless”? With powerful backing, he would stop at nothing to make the infamous name “Young Master Xu” resound throughout East Heaven King City! As for why it had to be an “infamous name”... Good people don’t live long, but troublemakers last a thousand years. A thousand years! That was a situation where, even lying rotten in a coffin, one could still receive high passive points. Who wouldn’t want to spread such an infamous name?

“Four people?”

“Names, origins, cultivation levels—report them all.”

The guard at the city gate glanced at them, then, as usual, lowered his head to inquire, holding a jade slip ready to record.

“Presumptuous!”

Xin Gugu’s furious roar startled all the guards. Even those waiting in line behind them, trying to enter the city, couldn’t help but retreat, distancing themselves from this group of four.

“Surprised and Suspect, Passive Points, 73.”

“Feared, Passive Points, 32.”

Xu Xiaoshou’s expression remained calm, but inwardly, he was practically bursting with laughter. Excellent! Good for you, Xin Gugu! It wasn’t in vain that I saved you and brought you out. Indeed, you are my cash cow, Xu Xiaoshou’s money tree.

“What’s all the shouting about?”

The guard frowned. He had seen difficult situations before, but this was the first time he had encountered such an extremely egregious case: someone clearly from a major power deliberately making trouble for the city gate guards. Many guards gripped their swords, showing a tendency to act if a word was amiss. Xin Gugu glanced at Xu Xiaoshou and, seeing his impassive expression, understood that his assigned task of “acting arrogantly” was not yet perfectly executed. He sniffed disdainfully and sneered, “Our Young Master Xu has given you enough face already; patiently waiting in line is a favor. Names? Origins? Cultivation levels? Is that something you should be asking? Do you have the right to...”

He paused.

“Meddle.” Xu Xiaoshou understood and subtly transmitted the word.

“Do you have the right to meddle?!” Xin Gugu’s head almost touched the sky in arrogance.

Xu Xiaoshou nearly burst out laughing. He suddenly wondered if this was a bad idea. After all, their current behavior was exactly like that of a brainless villain; wouldn’t a righteous person emerge soon to set things straight? But perhaps, this was exactly what he was hoping for?

The guard captain subtly pressed his palm behind his back, signaling his men to remain calm. He glanced at the long queue of people, who had retreated several yards away, and not wanting to cause further trouble, advised, “This is a critical time. Everyone entering the city must register. Please cooperate with our work.”

“Cooperate?!”

Xin Gugu retorted with thoughtless scorn, his already menacing face contorting into an even more fiendish expression, like a Yama King. “Aren’t we cooperating enough? We’re already lining up and cooperating like this. Are you still trying to cause trouble? Who’s in charge here? Bring him out...”

“Calling me?”

The White-Clad King Realm expert, who had been squatting nearby, chewing on grass, stood up and walked over. Xin Gugu instinctively recoiled. Red-Clad, White-Clad—these were his greatest fears. But then he remembered the mission...

“What’s your name?”

“Oh, so you’re just a little White-Clad? You must have a codename or number!”

“What are they? Report them!”

The White-Clad narrowed his eyes. This situation was quite out of line, wasn’t it? Frankly, this was the first time he had seen such blatant arrogance! Just as he was about to speak, he saw the young man, who was surrounded by the other three and seemed to be from an influential family, step forward. He immediately turned his gaze towards him. Little devils were troublesome, but the Yama King was often easier to deal with. Someone from a noble family should understand the rules. Without another word, the White-Clad King Realm expert simply stared. The other party should know his identity and give him due respect without needing him to speak.

Xu Xiaoshou put his hands behind his back, puffed out his chest slightly, and seeing everyone’s attention drawn to him, he pondered for over ten seconds. Only when the information bar calmed down from its frantic flashing, showing signs of settling, did he jut out his chin and speak indifferently: “You may ask questions, but you are not yet qualified. Where is Jiang Bianyan? Call him out. I, Young Master Xu, want to hear his ‘interrogation’ personally!”