Chapter 870: The Birth of the Performing Emperor

What was going on?

Xu Xiaoshou had never experienced anything like this. His vision was blurred by his twitching eyelids. He’d had sudden urges before, but why this inexplicable eyelid twitching?

"Young Master Xu?" Liu Changqing approached the entrance, and seeing Young Master Xu lost in thought, called out softly.

Xu Xiaoshou looked up, his mood inexplicably worsening. Was it because of the two people Liu Changqing brought? The blind man? The girl in purple?

Others might not recognize this pair, but as soon as Xu Xiaoshou heard "blind man," only one person came to mind—Tears of Two Rows. The girl beside Tears of Two Rows was undoubtedly Luo Leilei. These two coming to see him must mean the Saint Servant organization had something to convey. But they should know that the Cloud Realm world was being watched, and direct exposure was impossible. The fact that they had reached him undetected meant there was surely no issue with their presence. So, the problem must lie in his upcoming interaction with them?

"Will something bad happen?" Xu Xiaoshou's brows furrowed. He couldn't see the future, but at that moment, his thoughts suddenly turned to his junior sister. The eye twitching might not necessarily be a sign of trouble with the two people Liu Changqing brought. At that same moment, his junior sister had also run out of the tent...

"Xiao Qing!" Regardless, Xu Xiaoshou immediately looked at Liu Changqing.

"What are your orders, Young Master Xu?" Liu Changqing replied dutifully.

"Follow her. No matter what happens, don't let her get even a scratch. If anything goes wrong, inform me immediately." Xu Xiaoshou nodded his head, signaling Liu Changqing to secretly protect Mu Zixi.

Liu Changqing paused, slightly bewildered, but still nodded. "Understood." In this area, the Xu Gang's reputation had already been established, so it was highly unlikely Mu Zixi would encounter danger. Even if she ran off to play far away, with her own strength, she should be able to escape even if she couldn't win a fight. What Xu Xiaoshou feared most was his junior sister encountering stowaways. But with Liu Changqing's protection, mere stowaways wouldn't be able to cause any significant trouble.

"And while you're at it, have those two come in!" Xu Xiaoshou added as Liu Changqing approached the entrance.

"Yes!"

Outside the tent.

The Xu Gang members were still celebrating, with unknown but edible spirit beasts roasting over bonfires everywhere, their savory aroma wafting across the entire mountain. From the moment Tears of Two Rows and Luo Leilei stepped into this territory, they sensed numerous ill-intentioned gazes. These people looked at them as if they were plump sheep. But it was understandable; given the Xu Gang's reputation established recently, trial participants who encountered them usually faced only two possibilities: either they were directly eliminated, or they were completely stripped of their points before being struck out. As for people like them, who directly entered their formation's territory and specifically asked to see Young Master Xu, there were some, but very few. The Xu Gang members also knew their place. Such people couldn't be here to extort; they were likely connected to the Xu Family of Taixiang in the Northern Region and were seeking protection. Therefore, everyone merely eyed them greedily, whispering amongst themselves, but their meat-eating ceased not even for a moment.

"It's been a long time since I've seen such a peaceful scene..." Under the moonlight, Luo Leilei surveyed her surroundings, a hint of envy in her eyes. Not just in the Cloud Realm Mountains, but even in the outside world, it had been a long time since she had experienced such carefree times of hearty eating and drinking. Ever since leaving the Tiansang Spirit Palace, she had always been on a mission. Every day, besides rushing around and delivering intelligence, she was cultivating, cultivating, and cultivating again. In Saint Servant, there were few young people, but every single one was an elite. Even a brief pause could mean being left far behind in the blink of an eye. Just like Tears of Two Rows... In just this short period, he had already become a Sword Dao King.

After her sigh of emotion, the person beside her remained silent. Luo Leilei turned her gaze and saw Tears of Two Rows exhibiting a dazed expression she had never seen before. This was extremely rare! Luo Leilei knew how the blood feud weighing on this person beside her made him cultivate day and night. The last time she saw such a dazed expression... Uh, actually, she'd never seen it?

"What are you listening to?" Luo Leilei gently nudged Tears of Two Rows' arm. The latter's eyes remained closed, but his ear twitched, and he tilted his head, whispering, "Nothing, just listening to footsteps."

"Footsteps?" Luo Leilei was astonished. There weren't many people walking around here; everyone was gnawing on meat, celebrating, and singing loudly. Even those scrambling for meat usually just flew. If he said he was listening to the unlistenable singing or the laughing and cursing, that would make sense. Footsteps?

"What footsteps?" As soon as Luo Leilei finished asking, she saw a young girl's figure rush out from the nearby tent, stomping her feet and muttering curses as she ran out. As she left, she kept muttering curses: "Stupid Young Master Xu, evil Young Master Xu, you can't even satisfy this small request and you want to imprison me? Hmph, I curse you to never find a girl, not for your whole life! Despicable, shameless, vile, hateful..." Luo Leilei was dumbfounded by what she heard. She didn't recognize this unfamiliar young girl, but the Xiao Qing who had greeted them had gone into this very tent to see Young Master Xu. So, in the time since she last saw him, Xu Xiaoshou had become like this? Despicable and shameless? Vile and hateful?

Just then, Luo Leilei noticed that although Tears of Two Rows couldn't see, the direction his head was tilted was clearly following the young girl as she scurried away. Footsteps... Luo Leilei recalled Tears of Two Rows' earlier answer, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Do you know her?" Tears of Two Rows shook his head slightly, and only after the voice he hadn't heard for so long faded into the distance did his lips curl into a slight smile. He tilted his head and said, "Very cheerful footsteps, aren't they?"

Luo Leilei was stunned. She stared at the curve of Tears of Two Rows' lips, completely bewildered. Brother Shuangxing... He smiled? This was huge! If it weren't for outsiders present, she would have immediately pulled out a memory pearl to capture this smile of Brother Shuangxing. One must know, Storyteller Senior had tried countless methods for over a decade, but had never once amused Brother Shuangxing. And now, returning to Young Master Xu's camp, he saw... no, he heard this young girl's footsteps, and Brother Shuangxing smiled?!

"You..." Luo Leilei hesitated, her emotions complex. She wanted to say, "If you actually have a crush on her, I can help you catch up and keep her here." After all, she had never seen Brother Shuangxing like this before. But, listening to his tone, it didn't sound like a crush... True. She herself had never seen the girl, so how could Brother Shuangxing know her? The familiarity in his words, upon closer thought, really didn't sound like someone with a crush. Instead, it was like... indulgence? —The kind of doting care a senior has for a junior, or a brother for a sister!

"I'll help you stop her, so you two can meet?" Although her feelings were somewhat complicated, Luo Leilei didn't ask why. She only knew that her suggestion at this moment might be very important to Brother Shuangxing.

Tears of Two Rows clearly froze at her words. He seemed to be very seriously considering the feasibility of this suggestion. But in an instant, he regained his indifferent expression and gently shook his head: "No need. If fate allows for a meeting, the time is not yet right. Simply hearing her from afar is enough."

Luo Leilei was even more certain that the young girl who had run off was someone extraordinary. She began to wonder who else Xu Xiaoshou had recently gained by his side, someone even Brother Shuangxing recognized?

The sound of footsteps—"da da"—interrupted their individual thoughts. Liu Changqing strode forward, extending a hand with a smile. "Sirs, Young Master Xu requests your presence."

Inside the tent.

Xin Gugu looked curiously at the man and woman before him. Just as he didn't recognize himself, who once, as the Blood-Soaked Minotaur, nearly crushed Tears of Two Rows to death on the Departed Sword Plains of the White Cave, the latter also didn't recognize who the disguised Xin Gugu truly was. Xiao Wanfeng was also called in, serving as a diligent tea-pourer, offering tea to the guests. Xu Xiaoshou, knowing the visitors' identities, nevertheless found it amusing to scan their unfamiliar faces, his gaze finally settling on Tears of Two Rows. "You're quite handsome." If your face wasn't scarred... This latter part, of course, was left unsaid. Xu Xiaoshou had seen Tears of Two Rows before, only remembering his monstrous, mottled face where no features were discernible. He hadn't expected the man's demeanor to be so refined after disguise.

"Tell me, what brings you two to me? I don't seem to recognize you," Xu Xiaoshou asked first.

Luo Leilei followed up, speaking with a hint of flattery: "Young Master Xu certainly has a short memory. My brother and I actually met you once at the Xu family clan meeting three years ago. Oh, right..." As if remembering something, she suddenly stood up and formally introduced herself: "From the Northern Region, the Tianluo Zhang family, I am Zhang Xingxing, and my brother is Zhang Xingchen."

"Zhang Xingxing, Zhang Xingchen?" Xu Xiaoshou tilted his head, thinking for a long time, but still couldn't recall who these two were. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and chuckled, "After the Xu Gang's reputation grew, I've indeed received many people like your Zhang family..." As he spoke, Xu Xiaoshou leaned back, crossed his legs, and scanned his eyes up and down, finally looking at the empty table. "Wanfeng, tell me, how did the Xu Gang set up this main tent? There aren't even any decorations; it looks a bit too bleak!"

Xiao Wanfeng paused, startled. Didn't you say simplicity was fine, no need for extravagance? Now, how could he blame the Xu Gang members who set up the tent? Before he could speak, Luo Leilei, on the other side, had already begun to secretly praise Xu Xiaoshou, acknowledging him as truly Xu Xiaoshou. The two of them, Saint Servants, risking so much to find him, naturally couldn't join the Xu Gang; that would hinder their mission. So, Xu Xiaoshou immediately guessed their purpose—to deliver something! Luo Leilei had been struggling with how to guide the conversation to deliver the item normally, under the watchful eye of Sword Immortal Rao. She hadn't expected that the pace of the conversation wouldn't require her guidance at all. Xu Xiaoshou seemed to have mastered mind-reading, directly bringing the key point onto the table, and doing so with such grand pretense.

Luo Leilei hesitated only slightly before rising with a full smile, formally presenting a ring, and saying, "Young Master Xu, this is a welcoming gift from the Tianluo Zhang family to you. It's not particularly valuable, but it's to congratulate you on your excellent performance in the Cloud Realm Mountain trials, and to wish you continued success in winning the championship."

Xiao Wanfeng turned his gaze, wanting to ask Young Master Xu for instructions. Ever since Young Master Xu became a Fourth-Grade Alchemist King, the First Heavenly Tower had encountered too many people offering gifts in this manner. However, Young Master Xu rarely accepted gifts, usually just sending people away directly. But this time, Xiao Wanfeng received a retreating glance. Holding the tea tray, he didn't think much of it and simply withdrew, neither accepting the ring nor driving the people away.

"A gift, huh?" Xu Xiaoshou drew out his words, not immediately taking the ring. He stared at Luo Leilei, smiling: "One doesn't visit the temple without a reason. Tell me, what do you hope to gain from me by offering such a gift?"

Seeing Xu Xiaoshou didn't take it, Luo Leilei didn't stand on ceremony. She formally placed the ring on the table, pushed it across, and said with an apologetic smile, "It's quite embarrassing to admit, but my brother and I participated in this Royal City trial, and haven't managed to earn many points. This time, I estimate that without Young Master Xu's help, it will be difficult to make it into the top thirty-six of the leaderboard, so..."

"So, you want to join the Xu Gang to earn points?" Xu Xiaoshou interrupted.

Luo Leilei paused. What in the world?! I only wanted you to help us during the final trial later, not to join the Xu Gang! That would completely hinder our operations! But since Xu Xiaoshou had said so, she had no choice but to play along, cheerfully saying, "If that's possible, it would be a great honor for my brother and me."

Xu Xiaoshou's expression suddenly changed, and he sneered. "The Tianluo Zhang family? I do recall now. At the clan meeting, my cousin Xu Xinxiong was the one your brother beat, wasn't he?" He coldly met Tears of Two Rows' gaze, his eyes narrowed, saying each word distinctly: "Zhang... Xing... Chen!"

Tears of Two Rows: ???Luo Leilei: ???Neither of them had anticipated this sudden turn of events.

Xu Xiaoshou sneered, "You can join the Xu Gang, but I don't need you to kneel. All I require is for your brother, Zhang Xingchen, to apologize to my cousin, Xu Xinxiong, right now, in front of all the Xu Gang members."

Apologize? Tears of Two Rows was bewildered. This conversation had nothing to do with him; he was merely here to accompany her and provide protection. Xu Xiaoshou, how did he shift the topic to him? But then he thought. The other party was trying to drive them away... So, Tears of Two Rows remained unmoved.

Xu Xiaoshou became angry, slammed the table, pointed at the arrogant fellow, and furiously said, "Tianluo Zhang family, you haven't even apologized for your previous actions, and now you still want to seek help from my Xu Gang? Zhang Xingchen, you're absolutely deluded!" Xiao Wanfeng was startled. How did things suddenly turn out this way? At this point, should I still be pouring tea for everyone? Xin Gugu was also dumbfounded watching the drama unfold. At this moment, if he hadn't known that there was no Taixiang Xu family in the Northern Region at all, he would have almost believed Xu Xiaoshou's performance in front of him. This, this, this... Absolutely brilliant!

Luo Leilei pulled Tears of Two Rows' arm, lowered her voice, and pleaded, "Brother, just say something, one word won't hurt. Father personally asked you to come to the Eastern Region; this is such a good opportunity..."

"You have three breaths to think!" Xu Xiaoshou, his face filled with rage, interrupted their communication. "Three!"

Tears of Two Rows remained unmoving. "Two!"

Luo Leilei continued to persuade him. "One!"

Xu Xiaoshou counted out the final number.

Tears of Two Rows' face was calm. He pushed his chair back, stood up, and calmly said, "The item has been received. Follow me home." With that, he flicked his sleeve and departed.

"Hey!" Luo Leilei was torn, wanting to hold Tears of Two Rows back, but also wanting to retrieve the ring. For a moment, she was hesitant.

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand, and the ring flew directly into his grasp, disappearing into his sleeve. He smiled at Luo Leilei, spread his hands, and said, "The Tianluo Zhang family? Come back to me when your brother comes to his senses!" As for the ring... How could something sent by an enemy as an apology possibly be taken back with a mere word?

Luo Leilei, for a moment, couldn't bother with the ring. She scurried to pull Tears of Two Rows' robe, but couldn't hold him back at all. She kept trying to persuade him: "Brother, this is the Xu Gang's camp. Just say something! What if Young Master Xu loses face and just kills us? What then?"

Xu Xiaoshou was amused from behind. "A provocation? Do you really think I can't tell? That I wouldn't dare touch you?"

The commotion inside the tent was clearly heard by the Xu Gang members outside. When Tears of Two Rows and Luo Leilei walked out, the outside was already densely surrounded by people. Xu Xiaoshou's figure flashed, appearing in the sky. Tears of Two Rows and Luo Leilei were surrounded, halted in their tracks. The Xu Gang members looked up, awaiting their leader's command.

Xu Xiaoshou moved his hand, about to give the order to seize them. But suddenly, he paused, his brows furrowed, as if remembering something. This pause. The Xu Gang members who had been close enough to hear clearly immediately connected it to why Zhang Xingchen could act at a semi-saint aristocratic family meeting and still escape unharmed. So, after leaving everyone in suspense in mid-air, Xu Xiaoshou sighed, put two fingers together, and lightly waved, "Let them pass!"

"Young Master Xu is truly magnanimous!" Luo Leilei praised him in her heart, quickly pulling "her brother's" robe, softly scolding him, and swiftly moving away from the Xu Gang encampment.

"Received admiration, Passive Points +2."