Chapter 763: "Ice Sugar Hawthorn"

"Are you crazy?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt dizzy hearing that it was yet another one of the Six Departments' chief seats. His previous observations outside the trade fair hadn't revealed so many powerful individuals. These people were hidden far too well. Similarly, by comparing this situation to Gou Wuyue's deployment in White Cave, he could clearly understand the true scale of the Holy Divine Palace's forces this time.

"Why are so many people here?" Xu Xiaoshou whispered, sending a voice transmission.

"Because of Rao Yaoyao!" The Storyteller understood Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts well and explained, "Back in White Cave, Gou Wuyue was only considered half a member of the Holy Divine Palace. When he fought, the Holy Divine Palace had a testing mindset, so the combat power allocated to him wouldn't be excessive. But Rao Yaoyao is different... Your companion, Xuan Wuji, said that if Rao Yaoyao is leading this time, the combat power allocation will definitely be top-tier."

"Why?" Xu Xiaoshou was puzzled. He knew Rao Yaoyao was one of the Seven Sword Immortals, but there was no reason for such a huge difference in treatment!

The Storyteller said in a grave voice, "Rao Yaoyao is a Sword Immortal cultivated by the Holy Divine Palace itself. Of course, more importantly, her surname is Rao..."

"Rao?" Xu Xiaoshou's eyebrows twitched. What could a surname have to do with this? A figure, Rao Yinyin, inexplicably flashed through his mind. He, Xu Xiaoshou, had met people with the surname Rao before; the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace had that inner court senior sister. Besides, across the entire continent, there must be thousands of geniuses with the surname Rao, right? Are all of them from the same family? A semi-saint clan? Is that why the Holy Divine Palace is so cautious? Unlikely... Xu Xiaoshou dismissed the thought. Because if he were to think that way, his own surname, Xu, could probably be linked to some genuine Xu clan among the Five Regions of the continent. But that was clearly impossible.

He had expected a response, but the Storyteller merely shook his head slightly, offering no further explanation. Changing the subject, he said, "Xu Xiaoshou, on Gu Xun Road, Phoenix Street, in the Central District, there's an abandoned Cao Family Blacksmith Shop. Go inside, move the bellows to the right of the central table, and you'll find a teleportation array. Use a Saint Slave token to enter a secret underground room. Inside that room, there's another teleportation array that can send you to my side..."

"What do you mean?" Xu Xiaoshou's eyes narrowed as he interrupted.

The Storyteller grew anxious: "Go there! Don't go to the trade fair anymore! If Rao Yaoyao is leading, it's highly likely there are more than two chief seats of the Six Departments here. The immediate priority is to hide!"

At these words, Xu Xiaoshou even detected a hint of resolution. The tall figure of the War Department's chief seat at the end of the long street now exuded an overwhelming pressure. When he previously encountered Wang Dachui, the chief seat of the Body Department, and the scruffy uncle voluntarily stayed behind, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't felt such a distinct sense of urgency, because he knew the uncle's strength was considerable. But... The Storyteller was at the peak of Cutting Dao, even having endured all Nine Deaths Thunder Calamities. The War Department's chief seat not far away was a Grand Void! Moreover, this was a figure from the previous era. It's not as if he only recently broke through to Grand Void, right? He must be an old-guard Grand Void. How could the Storyteller possibly defeat him?

"Well?" At that moment, a soft chuckle echoed from the end of the long street: "Have you two decided whether to fight one-on-one or together? I've been waiting for a long time."

"Boom—" Just then, a thunderous roar burst through the rainy night sky, silver lightning bolts splintering and instantly crawling across the entire void, illuminating the darkness for a fleeting moment. Everything plunged back into darkness.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart contracted sharply, then began to pound faster. Never before had he felt such intense nervousness, even with the Saint Slaves at his disposal. Perhaps this was why the entire Saint Slave organization, even with Eight Venerable An as their chief and numerous Grand Voids and Cutting Dao experts among their Nine Seats, still needed to hide in the shadows, avoiding the Holy Divine Palace's gaze.

"Can you survive?" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly asked. He saw the Storyteller suddenly smile with a look of relief, then sternly added, "Tell me the truth."

The smile on the Storyteller's delicate face froze, then vanished. He replied with equal gravity, "Perhaps."

Perhaps... Xu Xiaoshou's heart sank. He asked again, "What about Cen Qiaofu? And the others from the Saint Slave Nine Seats? Does Eight Venerable An care so little about you, sending you out like this?"

The Storyteller gave a wry smile: "You're underestimating him too much, aren't you? Back in the Central Region, Gou Wuyue couldn't even defeat him. Do you think this Teng Shanhai is stronger than Gou Wuyue?"

Xu Xiaoshou, however, had already understood something: "Gou Wuyue was an outsider, with no helpers."

The Storyteller said, "Cen Qiaofu is still recuperating and should avoid taking action if possible. But Haitang'er and the others are still in the Royal City, and they've probably already reached the trade fair. So you don't need to worry about that side; just go back first."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..." The topic shift was far too abrupt! But he said nothing more. Because by now, Teng Shanhai had already begun to move, each step leaving a deep crater as he walked from the other end of the long street. Thudding sounds. Teng Shanhai, clad in his Divine Azure Armor, resembled a rampaging beast beginning its hunt.

"Go!" The Storyteller pushed Xu Xiaoshou away. "Disappear. Whatever you do, don't show yourself."

Xu Xiaoshou retreated a few steps, gritting his teeth. He knew that if he stayed, he would only be a burden. "Survive!" After saying one last thing, Xu Xiaoshou vanished.

Too weak... No time... No time to grow... Xu Xiaoshou once again felt that time was so insufficient. Even though his cultivation speed was incredibly fast, like flying. He even felt that, apart from abnormal growth rates like Eight Venerable An's three-breath Innate and three-year Sword Immortal, there weren't many on the continent who could rival him. Yet, it was still too slow. But there was nothing to be done about it. How easy could it be for a youth to stand shoulder to shoulder with Grand Void figures from the previous era?

On the long street, as Teng Shanhai opened his domain, the Storyteller countered with his Ancient Book World. With a tacit understanding, the two vanished beyond the limits of Xu Xiaoshou's "perception." Battles between Cutting Dao and Grand Void could only take place within a domain. If such a battle erupted within the Royal City, it would bring about widespread devastation and be a complete catastrophe for the common people.

"Storyteller?" Teng Shanhai, with his single eye, gazed at the renowned red-robed man before him. He glanced past him, probing behind him: "That person just now was Xu Xiaoshou, wasn't he?"

"No," the Storyteller shook his head, "His name is Wen Ming."

"Hmph!" Teng Shanhai scoffed, "I've long heard of the Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou's monstrous talent, how with Innate cultivation, he could toy with King Seats and Cutting Dao experts. But seeing him now, he's just a coward who flees at the last minute. Not very impressive, is he?"

The Storyteller scoffed back, "You're a Grand Void, yet you want to bully a junior?"

"That's true..." Teng Shanhai shrugged, his Divine Azure Armor clanking. He changed the subject, "However, do you really think that someone who can catch the eye of a Six Departments' chief seat would be able to leave safely, even if I let him go?"

The Storyteller's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Hahaha!" Teng Shanhai laughed loudly, "Ning Honghong? Is that right? I've investigated you; that should be your name. Why choose to wade into the murky waters of the Saint Slaves instead of being a proper storyteller and performer in the mundane world?"

The Storyteller's mind, however, was no longer on this topic. Teng Shanhai's words made him realize there was a greater terror. He asked, "How many people from the Six Departments have actually come this time?"

"Not many, just four." Teng Shanhai actually answered, as if stating reality to a corpse: "Besides Wang Dachui and myself, whom you've seen, there's also the pair of Night Owl and Yi."

The Storyteller's pupils constricted. At this, he immediately shattered the Ancient Book Space, returned to the outside world, and roared loudly, "Xu Xiaoshou, come back!!!"

"Too late." Teng Shanhai, seizing the opportunity, spread his domain, smoothly enveloping the entire space and completely gaining the advantage of the terrain. He tilted his head, and his bones crackled. Then he clenched his fists, striking them together. A burst of air exploded from between his knuckles, propelling the entire void space. "Come on!" "Let me see how you, the Storyteller, managed to escape from Gou Wuyue's grasp." "Or perhaps, Gou Wuyue has truly been holding back during his missions all these years!"

On the other side, running too fast to hear the Storyteller's shouts, Xu Xiaoshou felt his mind turning to mush as he sprinted. "Phoenix Street, what was the road called? And the Cao Family Blacksmith Shop?" His memory was usually excellent, but now he couldn't remember anything. Too much! Too many things in his head! The trade fair, the uncle, the Storyteller, Eight Venerable An... Tonight was simply the unveiling of a major scheme in the Royal City, full of thrilling events that left people in a state of panic. A single misstep could lead to a fatal error. And if he miscalculated by even one step, with chariots, horses, cannons, and soldiers charging him head-on, death would be inevitable.

"Phoenix Street, Xun Gu Road... Yes, Xun Gu Road!" "No, it seems it was Gu Xun Road..." Xu Xiaoshou suddenly recalled it. But whether it was "Gu Xun" or "Xun Gu," he remembered the place and immediately wanted to go there. But then, the image of Xuan Wuji's spatial distress signal appeared in his mind. For Mo Mo to use such a spatial distress signal, it was clear just how chaotic the trade fair must be.

"Junior Sister..." Xu Xiaoshou's heart tightened. Elder Sang was gone; his junior sister couldn't die! He immediately turned his head, wanting to fly towards the trade fair. But the Storyteller's words reappeared in his mind. Haitang'er had already gone; what was the point of him going now? It would be safer to find the teleportation array directly and go to Eight Venerable An. But was that truly good? Everyone else was fighting, and he was hiding...

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly remembered someone else. Yes! He still had someone he could use! "Mr. Siyin..." If the Holy Divine Palace's scheme tonight was led by Rao Yaoyao, one of the Seven Sword Immortals, then the only one who could resist her would surely be Mei Siyin, who also held the title of Seven Sword Immortal! Unfortunately, Mei Siyin should still be stationed at the First Tower in Heaven. "Invite him to come out!" Xu Xiaoshou made a decisive move, intending to return to the First Tower in Heaven.

But then... "Plop!" A crisp sound disturbed Xu Xiaoshou's myriad jumbled thoughts. Freed from the nightmare of his inner demons, the patter of raindrops falling from the sky returned to his ears, and the whistling of the cold wind on the rainy night reappeared. Not far away, the sound of a little girl sobbing uncontrollably could also be heard.

Xu Xiaoshou knew he was getting anxious. He finally realized that he was still just a young man, with too little experience. Even if he prided himself on his intelligence, he couldn't match the tactics of those old foxes. Once he got bogged down in a narrow mindset, it would be no different from seeking his own demise. The enemy's multiple predicaments probably aimed for an effect similar to him going berserk at this moment!

"Waaahhhh—" The crying beside his ear grew louder, and Xu Xiaoshou turned his gaze. It was a little girl, drenched in the downpour of the alley, kneeling in a puddle, sobbing uncontrollably at a candied hawthorn skewer in the dirty water, more than half of which was still untasted.

"Whose child is this, so reckless?" Xu Xiaoshou stared in bewilderment. Not sleeping in the middle of the night, letting such a little girl run out onto an empty street... Wasn't she afraid of being kidnapped?

"Under influence, Passive Value, 1." Xu Xiaoshou had learned his lesson from the previous encounter with the Yu Ling Drop, and always kept an eye on the information bar. When the information bar refreshed again, his attention was immediately drawn.

However, at this moment, the little girl with the high ponytail in the puddle suddenly stopped sobbing, picked up the candied hawthorn skewer from the dirty water, and put it straight into her mouth.

"Are you crazy?" Xu Xiaoshou immediately lunged forward. "You can't eat that!"

Swish. He swung his hand forward but hit nothing. At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou was still in his invisible state, so even if he wanted to knock away the candied hawthorn, he was powerless. He stumbled, his body even passing through the little girl. Then he looked back, watching the little girl who had taken a bite of the dirty candied hawthorn. She was now clutching her throat and dry-heaving. Clearly, it didn't taste good.

"Under influence, Passive Value, 1." The information bar jumped again. Xu Xiaoshou's attention shifted, and he realized something was wrong.

But at this moment, the little girl suddenly choked on the candied hawthorn, coughing and rolling her eyes, struggling frantically but unable to dislodge the foreign object.

"Idiot!" Xu Xiaoshou reached out. He felt his thoughts were somewhat detached from his control. At this moment, two thoughts coexisted in his mind: one was to pull back and stay out of it, but the other scorned the baseness and evil of that thought, believing that a truly kind person would never even entertain such an idea. Finally, justice triumphed over evil. With a stroke of luck, Xu Xiaoshou instantly deactivated the invisibility on two of his fingers and helped the struggling little girl remove the candied hawthorn.

"Wooowaaaahhh—" The little girl was freed, her eyes welling up with tears of gratitude, but she was still crying. Her two small hands quickly wrapped around the finger that had appeared out of nowhere in front of her. At this moment, her speed was actually slower. Because as soon as Xu Xiaoshou pulled out the candied hawthorn, he immediately reactivated his invisibility technique. Yet, in a flash of lightning, the little girl temporarily stopped crying, and her small hand grasped Xu Xiaoshou's index finger, which had been slow to disappear.

"Waaah, big brother, my candied hawthorn is gone..." In the pouring rain, the little girl raised her head, her big eyes full of rainwater and tears, her eyelashes wet and stuck to her eyeballs and eyelids, causing her eyelids to flutter and blink continuously. Her tear-streaked, reddened cheeks, her sniffling, upturned nose, and her pouted, inverted mouth, combined with those large, fluttering eyes streaming with tears, made her an utterly pitiable sight.

The instant his index finger was grabbed, Xu Xiaoshou felt a chill permeate his entire body. The next second, he forgot all about it, forgot the information bar, and involuntarily deactivated his invisibility technique. "Alright, big brother will go buy you a new candied hawthorn, don't cry, okay..." Xu Xiaoshou's eyes became vacant. He knelt down and gently stroked the little girl's head.

The little girl was still crying: "Waaah, where can I buy it? There's nowhere to buy it!"

"There's a place that sells them..." With one finger holding the little girl's tightly clasped hand, Xu Xiaoshou stood up in the downpour and gazed towards the direction of the trade fair, saying with a vacant expression: "Look there! There's a big sister named Rao there, she sells candied hawthorns. We'll just go find her, don't cry, okay?"