Chapter 820: How is there still Uncle Mu?

"Is that even possible?"

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly dumbfounded, taking a long time to recover his wits. So, this was what a truly rich woman looked like. If that was the case, his path to escaping poverty and becoming wealthy was still incredibly long!

"Alright, no need to say anything more."

Xu Xiaoshou abandoned the idea of asking further. He feared being disheartened again and, inexplicably, being lured by Hua Ying back to the Holy Palace.

"I am now your Martial Uncle, but you must remember, under no circumstances reveal my identity when we're outside. Just call me Young Master Xu."

Xu Xiaoshou instructed the rather dim-witted girl, "As for why you came to my Heaven's First Tower, it's solely because you admire my alchemy skills and were sent by the Holy Palace to recruit me."

"I'm not stupid..." Hua Ying pouted.

She quickly realized that Martial Uncle Xu's words implied he had no intention of returning to the Holy Palace with her.

"You're not going back?"

"Not for now."

"Even Grandmaster Mu came out personally, and you're not going to give him face?" Hua Ying was shocked.

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head. "I still have things to do. At this stage, it's completely unsuitable for me to return to the Holy Palace. But your mission is complete now, so you can..."

"I'm not going back!" Hua Ying interrupted, having caught on to Martial Uncle Xu's intention to send her away. But she had only recently left the Holy Palace and had been focused on her mission, never getting to truly enjoy herself. How could she go back now?

"My master said that after finding you, Martial Uncle Xu, there are only two possibilities: either bring you back to the Holy Palace, or if you don't return, I must stay by your side and protect you," Hua Ying stated with a serious expression.

Xu Xiaoshou, however, grew suspicious. Protect him? How audacious! Was her master tired of her living so long, not letting her return even after her mission was complete? "Protecting him" could only mean assisting the Holy Slaves. What kind of master would give such an order?

Xu Xiaoshou immediately guessed that Hua Ying was lying. But seeing the girl's defiant expression, it was clear that forcing her away wouldn't work. On the contrary, if she secretly followed him, it could be quite dangerous.

"Alright then, you can stay here for now... No, stay at the Royal City Alchemist Association headquarters. On normal days, don't come to Heaven's First Tower unless there's something important."

Xu Xiaoshou actually wanted Hua Ying to stay far away. After all, who knew what secrets this girl might blurt out? But then he reconsidered. Hua Ying's identity wasn't difficult to ascertain. A Holy Palace envoy, with nothing to do, just staying all day at Heaven's First Tower simply to recruit someone? There definitely had to be something fishy about that!

To his surprise, Hua Ying paid no attention to his words, shaking her head vigorously like a rattle drum. "I don't care, I want to stay by Martial Uncle Xu's side."

Xu Xiaoshou immediately got a headache. This girl was like a child who refused to grow up. Her body was mature, but her personality was largely playful. Clearly, the Holy Palace, a pampered environment, had protected her too well. She had no idea what risks she might face by staying at Heaven's First Tower.

"Absolutely not!" Thinking of this, Xu Xiaoshou sternly refused.

Hua Ying stubbornly plopped herself down into the large bathtub, ignoring his words. "I can't not! I must obey my master's orders!" She looked like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water—utterly defiant.

Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes in exasperation. This vexing little martial niece...

"Here's what we'll do!"

He suddenly beckoned, sending a telepathic message to his junior sister. Immediately, Mu Zixi scampered down from upstairs. The little loli was extremely curious about the commotion in the ground-floor hall. However, Xu Xiaoshou had activated the Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Diagram, so even if Xin Gugu and the others were lying on the floor upstairs, they couldn't hear anything. Now that she saw her senior brother allowing her to join the conversation, she was naturally overjoyed.

But as soon as she descended the stairs, Mu Zixi saw Hua Ying. As she walked closer, she noticed with each step that the person opposite was visibly much older than herself, and not just in age... Her smile gradually faded.

"Young Master Xu, why did you call me?" Mu Zixi asked sullenly, approaching the two.

Xu Xiaoshou reactivated the Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Diagram, this time isolating only Xiao Wanfeng, while allowing the conversation to be heard by Xin Gugu, who was lying on the second floor, and Mo Mo, who was pretending to be uninterested while eavesdropping. He pointed at Hua Ying and introduced, "This is a descendant of the Holy Palace's Jinyang lineage, the grand-disciple of Old Man Sang's junior brother. She's here for a family recognition."

Mu Zixi's mouth immediately dropped open in surprise. The two upstairs were equally surprised. Family recognition? Recognizing Xu Xiaoshou as family? And after that?

Hua Ying puffed out her chest slightly, a proud look on her face. "I am Martial Uncle Xu's martial niece. I came here to take him back to the Holy Palace, but he doesn't want to return for now, so I have to stay here."

The two upstairs immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Mu Zixi also let out a small breath, her momentarily suspended heart now at ease.

"Martial Uncle Xu, who is she?" Hua Ying asked in return, her tone a little proud. In her eyes, after the family recognition, she would be the closest person to Martial Uncle Xu. No matter how long these people at Heaven's First Tower had followed Martial Uncle Xu, or how familiar their relationship was, none of that could compare to the closeness implied by the "Jinyang lineage." And the person before her, whom Martial Uncle Xu had called down for her to meet, was clearly the most important in their relationship. Were they a couple? She seemed too small, though. Was she even an adult? Hua Ying's mind wandered.

"Received speculation, Passive Point, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou unhappily smacked the girl's forehead. "I told you to call me Young Master Xu outside! Don't develop bad habits; you'll blurt out my identity carelessly later."

"Oh, oh!" Hua Ying shrank her head, daring not to speak her anger. Before, no one but her master dared to smack her like that. But now there was Martial Uncle Xu, whose seniority suppressed her, so she couldn't say anything.

"Who is she?" Hua Ying looked at Mu Zixi again, a competitive glint in her eyes. She was a competitive person. Martial Uncle Xu's attitude towards this little loli was clearly not as rough as his attitude towards her, and she felt a little indignant.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but look at Mu Zixi, opening his mouth to introduce her, but then his mouth twitched, and he stopped mid-sentence.

"You're Young Master Xu's martial niece?" Mu Zixi had also caught on by now, amusement in her eyes.

"Hmph, what about it?" Hua Ying puffed out her chest.

Mu Zixi narrowed her eyes and indignantly smacked Xu Xiaoshou. "Tell her who I am! Tell her not to puff out her chest in front of me again, it's too dazzling!"

Xu Xiaoshou winced, pointing at his junior sister and introducing with a headache, "Strictly speaking, this person is also your Martial Uncle. She's the second disciple of your Grandmaster Sang."

The proud look in Hua Ying's eyes froze, gradually turning into astonishment, until a clear question mark appeared on her face. "What?"

"This is your Martial Uncle Mu!" Xu Xiaoshou emphasized.

"Martial Uncle Xu, are you joking?" Hua Ying stared in shock at the twin-tailed little loli before her. This little girl truly looked underage. How could she be her Martial Uncle?

That Martial Uncle Xu was young, Hua Ying accepted. At the Spirit Palace auction that night, she had witnessed Martial Uncle Xu fighting against a Void Realm expert and a Sword Immortal. She was impressed, so calling him Martial Uncle didn't seem like a big deal. But this little girl... Hua Ying felt like she was going to crack. In the Holy Palace, she was a top talent among the younger generation, someone who could dominate. How could she call such a young girl her Martial Uncle?

Mu Zixi was overjoyed at this moment, her small canine teeth gleaming. "You don't have to call me Martial Uncle. Just call me Martial Aunt Mu, since I joined later and probably didn't apprentice earlier than your master."

Her explanation was clear and bright, but Hua Ying felt cold sweat breaking out. It was incredibly difficult for her to say. But the Jinyang lineage placed great importance on seniority. When Hua Ying was in the Holy Palace, calling her master, grandmaster, and great-grandmaster—all middle-aged and elderly people—"senior" felt perfectly normal. But now that she was outside, how had the situation suddenly veered off course? Calling a little girl "Martial Uncle"?

Xu Xiaoshou also noticed something was off at this point. He, however, thought that perhaps Hua Ying's master, Mu Lin, wasn't very clear on when Xu Xiaoshou had become an apprentice, and might even have assumed him to be a middle-aged or elderly person. That's why Hua Ying had subjectively called him "Martial Uncle" from the start.

But he was too lazy to correct all that now. "Hua Ying, for now, just stick with your Martial Aunt Mu. The two of you, remember not to cause any trouble. It's best if you disguise yourselves. If anything goes wrong, Hua Ying, you'll return to the Holy Palace immediately!" Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand, not wanting to bother with it anymore.

Hua Ying wasn't entirely foolish. She immediately understood that Martial Uncle Xu was displeased with her for not addressing Martial Aunt Mu correctly. She quickly swallowed her pride and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Martial Aunt Mu. Hua Ying pays her respects to Martial Aunt Mu."

After saying it, she felt a slight ache in her teeth. This was just too... Ugh!

Mu Zixi was greatly pleased. That cheap "Martial Aunt" title filled her with immense joy. Her gaze towards Hua Ying instantly became incredibly kind and amiable. "This is great! It would be even better if more martial nieces and nephews came. Then I could learn how Xu Xiaoshou manages juniors."

"Little Hua Ying?"

"Martial Aunt Mu..." Hua Ying looked up, thinking Mu Zixi had some instructions.

"Little Hua Ying?" Mu Zixi repeated, a smile on her face.

"Hmm?"

"Little Hua Ying?"

Hua Ying finally realized that this twin-tailed little loli was simply reveling in the joy of having a new martial niece. Hua Ying immediately became sad.

"Little Hua Ying, come on, let's chat. I'll tell you, this place is actually quite boring. I don't even know why you came, but since you're here, make yourself at home. And whatever you do, don't leave during this time..." Mu Zixi called out to Hua Ying and led her towards the second floor.

She truly was bored staying here. Besides Mo Mo, who was also female, Xu Xiaoshou was the only one she could talk to on a daily basis. But Xu Xiaoshou often went into secluded cultivation or went out alone to cause trouble, acting independently. Leaving Mu Zixi all alone... And Mo Mo was very quiet, so Mu Zixi had nothing to say and was utterly bored.

Now, things were looking up. A martial niece from the Jinyang lineage had arrived, and she even planned to stay long-term at Heaven's First Tower! This was excellent!

Hua Ying, with her head twisted away, dared not resist and could only cast a pleading glance. Xu Xiaoshou pretended not to see it. You reap what you sow! Your Martial Aunt Mu has the genes of a demon in her bones. She used to drain people's life force. You had the chance to leave earlier, but you didn't. Now, just pray for your good fortune!

As the little loli stood on tiptoes and pulled Hua Ying away, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized something. This wasn't right! What if these two got into trouble together? One a demon seed, the other a demolition successor...

"Hey, don't you two cause any trouble! I'm telling you, this is a critical time..." Xu Xiaoshou called out.

"We know!" Mu Zixi waved dismissively, pulling Hua Ying along for a few steps before suddenly remembering something. "Come on, come on! Heaven's First Tower is really boring. I'll take you shopping! Sister Mo and I have been to so many places recently, but she's no fun. You probably haven't had enough fun in East Heaven Royal City yet, right?"

"I..." Hua Ying hesitated for a moment. She did want to have fun, but not with a strange Martial Aunt Mu; she wanted to be with Martial Uncle Xu.

How could Mu Zixi not know Hua Ying's apprehension? She was quite clever. She immediately lowered her voice. "I'm telling you, even though you caused a big unpleasantness for us at the Spirit Palace auction last time, your Martial Aunt here won't hold it against you..."

Little Hua Ying grew even more nervous. Mu Zixi continued, "Come with me, and I'll tell you some funny stories about your Martial Uncle Xu. He's really silly..."

Stories about *that*? Hua Ying immediately perked up, her burning female gossip heart ignited. Suddenly, following Martial Aunt Mu didn't seem like a bad idea. At least, she seemed to know many stories about Martial Uncle Xu?

"You two!" Xu Xiaoshou, from behind, was already too exhausted to complain. This martial aunt and niece pair, with their messed-up seniority, ages, and heights, how could they suddenly find common ground?

"Don't cause any trouble..." He watched the two young girls gradually disappear through the entrance of Heaven's First Tower, a sudden pang of bitterness in his heart. He hoped no foolish person would provoke these two demons. Please, royal city citizens, don't let anything happen.

Little Hua Ying had found her Martial Uncle, and as a bonus, got a Martial Aunt. The two went off to have fun on their own, and Xu Xiaoshou didn't concern himself too much. He merely told Xin Gugu to keep an eye on them and then dropped the matter.

The alchemy competition had ended, and he had secured the trial jade pendant. Next, the only major event he needed to prepare for was the Royal City Trial. Void Island still hung overhead. The brief period of calm wouldn't make Xu Xiaoshou lose himself; instead, he felt an even greater sense of impending storm.

Xu Xiaoshou also didn't plan to cause any trouble during this time. He intended to observe from within Heaven's First Tower's pagoda pearl, keeping an eye on the various forces lurking in the Royal City, and then plan his defenses against any potential incidents during the Royal City Trial.

"Holy Slaves, Yama, Red Coats, White Coats, possibly existing ghost beasts, and other unstable factors..." Xu Xiaoshou pondered, feeling his mind wasn't quite enough to handle it all. There was no way to predict how the major players' plans would unfold; he could only take things one step at a time.

"Fortunately, I've now become a Grandmaster!" His Grandmaster cultivation gave Xu Xiaoshou significantly more confidence. The two bottles of Saint Blood and the abilities of his illusory and sacred forms gave him even more trump cards to deal with powerful individuals who might personally intervene. But this was clearly not enough.

"The Royal City Trial is approaching. Any increase in ability, no matter how small, is good. Anyway, I have stealth now, so I don't need to suppress my cultivation."

"The next step is to start with this item."

Back in his cultivation room, Xu Xiaoshou took out the champion's reward from the alchemy competition: The Small Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake. The enchanting azure flames flickered brightly within the bamboo lantern. As Xu Xiaoshou stared at this small Heavenly Flame for a while, a faint tremor resonated in his heart. He had a premonition. If he consumed this, it might clash with the "Three-Day Frozen Tribulation" and unleash the true power of Heavenly Flame!