Chapter 701: Tian Zhi Zhu's Unusual Movement

Jiang Qi thought deeply.

Every detail, every step—she could find reasons behind Di Ba Jian Xian's actions. For instance, the last puzzle: because Tian Shang First Floor had someone suspected to be "Lei Jia Yu Gu," Di Ba Jian Xian had paid extra attention.

—But that was exactly the problem!

The legendary Di Ba Jian Xian acted without any logic, doing whatever came to mind with lightning speed. How could there be so many reasons?

Jiang Qi hesitated, completely baffled by her own thoughts. Was she overthinking or underthinking?

At that moment, Jiang Xian noticed the silence and turned to see Jiang Qi with her head lowered, lost in thought, her eyes narrowed.

"So, your so-called seventy percent probability deduction..."

"It's not seventy percent!"

Jiang Qi's eyes suddenly lit up, and she said excitedly, "Ninety percent! I strongly suspect that even if the mastermind behind Tian Shang First Floor isn't Di Ba Jian Xian, it's definitely connected to Sheng Nu."

"Oh?"

Jiang Xian smirked coldly. Now that things had come to this, the probability had even increased?

"Why?" he asked.

Jiang Qi smiled.

She suddenly felt confident and countered, "Jiang Shao, do you think I'm smart?"

Jiang Xian didn't understand where this was going, but he had to admit, "Smart."

"How smart?"

"In the Jiang clan, if we ignore cultivation and only consider strategy, aside from the family's Taixu and Ban Sheng elders, you could rank in the top three." Jiang Xian gave her the highest praise.

That was precisely why he had brought Jiang Qi along for the mission.

Jiang Qi pressed on, "Then, Jiang Shao, do you think Di Ba Jian Xian is smarter than me?"

This stumped Jiang Xian.

His first instinct was: of course, Di Ba Jian Xian is smarter.

But before this, he had never met Di Ba Jian Xian; everything was based on hearsay.

Their earlier face-to-face exchange had been one of complete suppression. Whether smart or not was another matter—it was mostly due to the overwhelming pressure from the other side.

That didn't really reflect anything about intelligence.

Faced with this question, Jiang Xian couldn't answer right away.

Jiang Qi watched Jiang Xian fall silent and suddenly let out a light laugh.

"Jiang Shao, you're overestimating me. Someone with the legend of 'three breaths innate, three years Jian Xian' must be smarter than I am."

"But stepping back and looking at it objectively, if someone far smarter than me is dealing with someone like me who prides herself on her wits, they would undoubtedly manipulate me without me even realizing it."

"I admit defeat on that point—after all, he's Di Ba Jian Xian."

"Though I don't know exactly where I lost, if I just look at the result and ignore the process..."

Jiang Qi said firmly, "Di Ba Jian Xian made me doubt myself and made you doubt me. The root of it all is that he overheard my earlier deduction about Tian Shang First Floor, which was unfavorable to them."

Jiang Xian straightened up suddenly, realizing something.

Jiang Qi continued confidently, "Since a smart person used a tactic to make me doubt something, that thing is probably true nine times out of ten."

"So, I'm certain this time—ninety percent probability that Tian Shang First Floor is connected to Sheng Nu!"

Jiang Xian was shocked.

He almost got dizzy from the reasoning and took a while to understand what Jiang Qi meant.

"I'm a bit lost with you smart people's thinking, but from my perspective..." Jiang Xian had figured it out but frowned, "Your deduction this time isn't based on facts."

"Yes."

Jiang Qi laughed happily.

This time, she was indeed building on the assumption that the other side could predict her moves. It was baseless, and in principle, it couldn't be used as evidence.

But a woman's intuition told Jiang Qi that she probably hadn't guessed wrong this time!

"It doesn't matter much."

Jiang Qi waved her hand and said, "Even if we conclude that Tian Shang First Floor is controlled by Sheng Nu, it doesn't really matter now. Because he's Di Ba Jian Xian—if he wants to protect Tian Shang First Floor, there's nothing we can do."

"That's true..." Jiang Xian stepped back and looked at it objectively.

No matter how much they discussed or how accurately they guessed, as long as that person was Di Ba Jian Xian, any scheme would be useless. Without a Ban Sheng stepping in, who would dare provoke that man?

Outsiders might not know, but Jiang Xian did.

That day, even Qi Jian Xian's Gou Wu Yue had been defeated by Di Ba Jian Xian's withered branch.

The fall was just a ruse.

The eight Zun An were still the eight Zun An.

Di Ba Jian Xian was always there, beyond mortal reach—an absolute legend that no one could resist.

"So what?" Jiang Xian shrugged helplessly. "So we lost a 'Tian Zhi Zhu,' lost Jiang Tai and Jiang Yu, and now we can't touch Tian Shang First Floor?"

"Not exactly."

Jiang Qi looked like she had everything under control, her heart racing with excitement at the thought of clashing with such a legend—despite her usual quiet and aloof demeanor.

"How so?" Jiang Xian pressed.

Jiang Qi explained, "We can't make a move, but Sheng Nu isn't something we should deal with anyway!"

"Your meaning..." Jiang Xian suddenly caught on, seeing a glimmer of hope. "Hand it over to Sheng Shen Dian Tang to handle?"

"Exactly," Jiang Qi nodded. "We just need to spread the intelligence that Di Ba Jian Xian has arrived in Dong Tian Wang Cheng. Whatever happens next will unfold on its own—we don't need to worry about it."

"Will there be any trouble?" Jiang Xian worried.

"No."

At that moment, Jiang Qi straightened her back and said to the young man before her, "Jiang Shao, don't forget, you're a Ban Sheng's disciple. In terms of status, you're not inferior to that Sheng Nu leader."

"For something this minor, Di Ba Jian Xian won't come after us."

"Besides, would Di Ba Jian Xian only come to us?"

"Once the intelligence is out, it's just a matter of time. All we're doing is giving it a little push behind the scenes—that's it."

Jiang Xian felt much more at ease after hearing this.

Only then did he remember his own status.

Indeed, the main reason Di Ba Jian Xian hadn't acted aggressively today was that he didn't want to offend a Ban Sheng.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Just then, a knock came from outside.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Jiang Si and Jiang Lan entered together.

Although Jiang Shao had given his guards the day off, how could they truly stay away when their master was in trouble?

They had only left the estate and found a high vantage point to keep an eye on everything inside.

As soon as they got Jiang Qi's message, they hurried back at full speed.

"Jiang Shao."

Upon entering, Jiang Si took the lead in admitting fault: "Earlier, I failed to provide protection—that was my negligence. Please..."

"Stop."

Jiang Xian raised his hand.

He didn't like hearing excuses after the fact.

Everyone knew the reasons—whether Jiang Si was there or not made no difference.

"I'll give you a task," he instructed.

"What task?" Jiang Si looked up.

Jiang Xian narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, then went to the tea table, picked up the teacup that Di Ba Jian Xian had handled, put it into his space ring, and said:

"Go find Ye Mao and spread the news that Di Ba Jian Xian has entered the city."

On the other side.

"Invisibility spell!"

"One step to heaven, two steps to heaven, three steps to immortality..."

Xu Xiao Shou slipped away at top speed.

This impersonation of Di Ba Jian Xian had been a huge success.

Not only had he uncovered the Jiang clan's internal intelligence and fully scouted the situation, but he had also casually taken a "Tian Zhi Zhu."

After becoming invisible and changing his disguise, Xu Xiao Shou settled into a private room at Xiao Jiu Ge. While devouring a hearty hot pot meal, he played with the stolen "Tian Zhi Zhu," full of curiosity.

"The Eye of Tian Zhi..."

He hadn't had time to examine it closely earlier.

Now, upon careful inspection, Xu Xiao Shou could see the round eyeball inside, brimming with a mysterious and unknown power.

This power was extraordinarily profound.

Xu Xiao Shou had experienced the essence of Dao Severing, but he felt that the power of the "Eye of Tian Zhi" was even more wondrous.

"Did Jiang Xian use this to sense Xiao Shi Mei's 'Shen Mo Tong'?"

Xu Xiao Shou pondered.

The "Tian Zhi Zhu" clearly harnessed the ability of the "Eye of Tian Zhi," enhanced with a crystal ball and some formations to perceive external things.

The key was the power within the "Eye of Tian Zhi," which Xu Xiao Shou didn't know how to utilize.

A mantra? Blood binding?

Xu Xiao Shou tried every method he could think of, but the "Eye of Tian Zhi" remained dormant, showing no sign of activity.

"I'll show it to Xiao Shi Mei when I get back!"

Xu Xiao Shou gave up.

He had no idea how to use this thing; he had only snatched it from Jiang Xian to prevent him from tracking Mu Zi Xi's location.

After eating his fill, Xu Xiao Shou waved his hand.

"Waiter, check please."

The server from Xiao Jiu Ge hurried over.

Xu Xiao Shou paid the bill and casually slipped three ling jing crystals across, asking, "I'm new here—what major events have happened in Wang Cheng lately?"

"Thank you, sir."

The waiter was thrilled with the tip—three ling jing crystals were quite generous.

Though the man in front of him dressed plainly, he was incredibly generous.

After thinking for a moment, the waiter replied seriously, "If we're talking about recent big events, it has to be the Wang Cheng trial."

"You're in luck, sir. I overheard customers in the tavern this morning saying the trial date is set—probably in ten days, at Yun Lun Mountains."

Ten days at Yun Lun Mountains... Xu Xiao Shou nodded; that matched the information Xiao Lian had given him.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"I don't know the trial details, but Sheng Shen Dian Tang has announced it, so it's reliable. They'll only reveal the exact rules when it starts in ten days." The waiter responded.

Xu Xiao Shou fiddled with the "Tian Zhi Zhu" and asked, "What about other major events?"

"Yes."

The waiter answered, "Recently, a guy named Xu Shao arrived in Wang Cheng. He's apparently a Ban Sheng's disciple and quite showy. He rented Chao Sheng Lou and renamed it Tian Shang First Floor."

"Then he joined the Tian Luo War, crushed everyone, but gave the championship to a mortal. He violated Sheng Shen Dian Tang's rules, so he got banned this morning."

"This happened yesterday and it's all anyone can talk about. Everyone thinks this Ban Sheng's disciple might lose his trial qualification."

Xu Xiao Shou was stunned.

I got banned?

The waiter didn't notice his reaction and continued smiling, "You know, this Xu Shao is really something. He must have known Tian Luo War was backed by Sheng Shen Dian Tang, yet he pulled such a stunt, manipulating things and handing over the win."

"If he got away with that, couldn't he just decide who gets into the Wang Cheng trial? Give spots to whoever he wants?"

"He deserved the ban!"

The waiter looked disdainful. "I hate these big shots who rely on their background for backroom deals. Don't you agree?"

"Spurned, passive value +1."

Xu Xiao Shou: ...

His head throbbed. He never expected to learn about his own ban from a tavern waiter, complete with some snide remarks.

"Maybe he didn't manipulate anything—it was a fair win, and he gave it up out of generosity?" After a pause, Xu Xiao Shou couldn't help defending himself.

The waiter snorted, "Ban Sheng families have endless resources. If they force-fed pills to a pig, they could turn it into an unbeatable innate-level beast. You're new here, sir; you don't get how deep the waters run in Wang Cheng!"

"Scorned, passive value +1."

Xu Xiao Shou: ...

He decided to drop the topic and not stoop to the level of this guy.

It seemed no matter the world, there were always people who resented the wealthy.

"Any other news?" Xu Xiao Shou asked.

The waiter glanced back at the other customers he hadn't served yet, feeling a bit anxious, but the ling jing in his pocket eased his mind. "Let me share something big with you, sir!"

"Go on." Xu Xiao Shou waited expectantly.

The waiter leaned in and whispered, "Do you know about Tian Kong Zhi Cheng?"

"I've heard a bit." Xu Xiao Shou played along.

The waiter glanced around sneakily, making sure no one was watching, then lowered his voice even more: "Last night, rumors started flying that the descent of Tian Kong Zhi Cheng to Dong Tian Wang Cheng is real—it was just suppressed by Sheng Shen Dian Tang before."

"Now it's spreading like wildfire—probably some big shot leaked it to stir up more trouble."

"I think it's unlikely, but Tian Kong Zhi Cheng is a sacred secret place, supposedly with 'Feng Sheng Dao Ji.' Better to believe it than not. If you're interested, sir, maybe you could chase that dream."

"Not for me, though..."

The waiter sighed as he spoke. He was only at the Houtian level, tied down by life, and being a waiter here was already pretty good.

"Oh, right!"

Before Xu Xiao Shou could respond, the waiter remembered something else. "Before this news broke, I heard Ye Mao is hosting a Ling Que trade fair, and there's supposedly a clue about 'Xu Kong Ling' there."

"Tian Kong Zhi Cheng is also called the sacred secret place, and it has another name: 'Xu Kong Dao.' Putting it all together..."

The waiter shivered. "It's terrifying to think about!"

Xu Xiao Shou thought to himself that Ye Mao worked efficiently—overnight, even people in places like this knew about "Xu Kong Dao."

That put his mind at ease. Ye Mao wasn't an organization that took money and did nothing.

Seeing the waiter had work to do, Xu Xiao Shou didn't linger. He finished asking his questions and handed over a small bottle of pills as a gift before sending him away.

Just as he was about to leave, the "Tian Zhi Zhu" in his hand suddenly vibrated slightly.

Xu Xiao Shou was surprised.

He looked down and saw the "Eye of Tian Zhi" inside the crystal ball stir in the swirling white mist, turning toward a certain direction in Xiao Jiu Ge.