Chapter 893: I Have Two Plans to Break This Situation

From the Yuan Mansion, Xu Xiaoshou emerged. He had transformed into his junior sister, Mu Zixi, and had changed into new clothes. Of course, he still hadn't managed to get Tei Xier's personal clothing. Instead, after calming down amidst a flurry of curses, he tore up some of his own trivial cloth scraps to put on.

Tei Xier had also changed into a new robe. Xu Xiaoshou's clothes were large enough to completely envelop her, though some areas still had a taut texture, inviting imagination. Naturally, she had opened her own domain and changed inside it, so a certain person didn't witness the process. The Throne Domain was indeed annoying...

"You're out? So fast?" When Ancestor Wuji saw Xu Xiaoshou, transformed into Mu Zixi, emerge, but Tei Xier was nowhere to be seen, he couldn't help but ask, "Where's your junior sister? Why isn't she coming out?""Emerging from the Ancient Book World and exposing ourselves to the Red Guard's gaze, then suddenly having an extra person — does that make sense?" Xu Xiaoshou rolled his eyes. "Besides, not everyone is like you, not resting after a big battle." Tei Xier had just recovered from severe injuries and had just broken through to the Throne Dao realm. Her realm was unstable and needed time to settle. Taking advantage of this period of recuperation in the Yuan Mansion would allow her to consolidate her Dao foundation.

"Oh, resting after a big battle..." Ancestor Wuji heard this, recoiled slightly, and fell into thought.

Xu Xiaoshou ignored the old man and went straight to Tei Shuangxing: "What about you? What do you say? We're about to leave. Xuan Wuji and I... well, Liu Changqing and I, can leave under normal circumstances. What will you do?" Tei Shuangxing had charged into the battle. He had ended Yi, but getting away completely afterwards would be difficult. Of course, Xu Xiaoshou also had a plan. As long as Tei Shuangxing agreed, he wouldn't mind opening the Yuan Mansion and letting the fellow go in to catch up with his sister.

Tei Shuangxing clearly understood Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts, but he merely shook his head slightly: "I have my own way to get out. Once you two are all set, I'll send you out of the Ancient Book World first." Xu Xiaoshou didn't say much more. Tei Shuangxing had been with Ba Zun'an for many years and must have faced countless dangers. He surely had many life-saving items. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given up the Escape God Coin so easily. Since the fellow had his own backup plan, then so be it.

"After you leave, what do you plan to do?" Tei Shuangxing, leaning on his Soul-Extracting Staff, asked again as if nothing were amiss. Yi was dead. It wasn't as simple as Xu Xiaoshou impersonating Mu Zixi and hiding Tei Xier for everything to be fine. The Holy Divine Palace wasn't foolish. A Transcendent had genuinely died. Who did it, where it happened, when it occurred... Rao Yaoyao would definitely investigate these matters thoroughly. If they didn't think of a countermeasure beforehand, even if Xu Xiaoshou became Mu Zixi, it would probably be useless in the end. Tei Shuangxing's question obviously contained the intention of testing Xu Xiaoshou's understanding of the future situation.

Xu Xiaoshou, however, was not offended. He simply held up two fingers and said, "I have two strategies that can break this deadlock. The second strategy relies on the first, but the first is not something I can say directly..." His voice trailed off. Xu Xiaoshou gazed straight at Tei Shuangxing's grizzled face, leaving the sentence unfinished. Ancestor Wuji, standing by, had his appetite whetted. He thought to himself, 'You might as well say you have no plan at all. What's with this one and two, relying on each other, and not being able to say it directly? What's with the suspense!'

Tei Shuangxing remained silent for a long time, then suddenly smiled: "Then your first strategy is probably identical to what I'm thinking." Xu Xiaoshou also smiled, looking as if he was all ears. Some things, he could think in his mind, but it was truly difficult to say them out loud. But Tei Shuangxing was a smart person. What this fellow could think of should be consistent with his own thoughts.

"Yi was killed by me!" Tei Shuangxing's tone grew solemn. He firmly tapped his Soul-Extracting Staff and said to Xu Xiaoshou and Ancestor Wuji, "After you leave, no matter what happens, no matter how the Red Guard questions you, you know nothing.""Nothing?" Ancestor Wuji raised an eyebrow. He vaguely understood the thoughts of the two people in front of him.

Tei Shuangxing nodded, continuing, "How could a Master and a Path Cutter possibly kill a Transcendent? Your apparent strength is indeed too weak.""Exactly." Xu Xiaoshou tugged at his twin ponytails, nodding obediently and cutely. "I'm just a small Master of the wood-attribute Devouring Wood Body. Yi found me, got what he wanted, and then left." The two paused, then simultaneously turned their heads to face Ancestor Wuji.

Ancestor Wuji froze, then, after a moment, reacted and chuckled, "This old ancestor is also just an ordinary Path Cutter. My real name is Liu Changqing, and with my cultivation sealed, my realm is only that of a Master. After Yi got his answers, he naturally wouldn't harm anyone but would leave. As a Master bodyguard, I wouldn't be foolish enough to attack a trial officer in such a situation."

"Very good." Tei Shuangxing nodded, his tone appreciative. "After Yi left, I appeared while he was isolated. The Holy Slaves have already declared war on the Holy Divine Palace. Such opportunities to catch someone alone are rare, so how could we let it pass? So, I, along with the Holy Slaves' high-ranking members disguised as stowaways, directly attacked and slew Yi.""Stowaways..." Ancestor Wuji gasped. "How many people did you bring?"Tei Shuangxing: "These are all things that happened after Yi left. You originally knew nothing, so why ask more?"

Xu Xiaoshou listened from the side with a sigh of admiration. Was this how smart people coordinated their testimonies? Without needing to explicitly state it, one sentence after another, they directly rewrote Yi's ending. And precisely, in the middle, it was full of logical things: insufficient realm, inadequate ability, complete ignorance... Sometimes, what seems like the most dangerous situation is actually the safest.

Of course, for all of this to be established, one person had to be sacrificed. Clearly, in the current situation, the one voluntarily sacrificed was Tei Shuangxing. Without his intervention, Yi's fate would not be rewritten; another person would have to bear the karma. This was Xu Xiaoshou's first well-thought-out plan. Because he wanted Tei Shuangxing, the person involved, to bear everything, he couldn't personally say these things. Even if everyone understood, some words were better spoken by the person themselves.

As for... exploitation? Xu Xiaoshou knew there was a suspicion of exploiting others. But he was no longer the little lamb he was when he first rose to prominence in the Tiansang Spirit Palace. This minor exploitation was truly nothing. Xu Xiaoshou's greatest exploitation was even trading the lives of all the Spirit Refiners in the East Heaven King City for the safety of everyone in the First Pavilion in the Sky during the Spirit Lair Exchange—the King City Holy Blast! Or rather, this couldn't be called exploitation at all; it could only be called an exchange of interests. Because Xu Xiaoshou knew that the Holy Divine Palace would certainly choose to deploy all its forces to fully defend, in order to protect everyone. This way, the military deployment on the other side would be loosened.

Xu Xiaoshou had also asked himself: despite the Holy Divine Palace's protection, did he feel guilty about thinking and acting that way at the time? —No guilt! That night was the night of his true psychological transformation. This world has clear distinctions between black and white, but there is no absolute white and no absolute black. Light and darkness appear alternately. Unwavering kindness, in return, would only bring its own negative consequences. In a word, good people are often bullied, and docile horses are often ridden. Living, one cannot always live only for oneself, nor always only for others. Too much is as bad as too little. The gray area between these two, those who understand it will try to venture into it and then grasp the meaning of life. Those who don't understand will never understand!

Xu Xiaoshou also knew that Tei Shuangxing would have the same thoughts as him, choosing to sacrifice himself, not simply because of his sister. On the contrary, the First Pavilion in the Sky held a heavier weight in this matter! This was a dark organization that had established itself under the very nose of the Holy Divine Palace and had even entered into trade relations with the Alchemist Association. It could not do much at present, but in the future, it would definitely provide everyone with an unexpected surprise. For the Holy Slaves, the First Pavilion in the Sky was too important. What Tei Shuangxing did, was it not also an exchange of interests? Choosing to bear the karma of killing Yi in the name of the Holy Slaves, while preserving another, more important chess piece. That was all. Before becoming an extremely kind person, one should first become a person who is relatively kind to oneself and to one's close friends and family!

"Is there anything else you want to add?" In the Ancient Book World, before leaving, Tei Shuangxing was extremely cautious, asking repeatedly. Even in his heart, the current plan was already the most perfect, flawless, and impeccable.

"There's still a flaw!" Ancestor Wuji suddenly spoke: "The control of the Cloud Realm World was seized, and Yi was killed during this time. The Holy Divine Palace might deduce that it was I who acted. After all, when I came out of the Void Island earlier, I used my Heavenly Secret Art ability." Tei Shuangxing remained silent upon hearing this, even turning his head away, clearly indicating he didn't want to answer this question. Xu Xiaoshou could only speak with resignation: "You're too close to the situation! The one who seized control of the Cloud Realm World was Xuan Wuji, who conspired with the Holy Slaves—a ghost beast that escaped from the Void Island. What does that have to do with you, Liu Changqing? What's more, you, who are currently with Young Master Xu, aren't even Liu Changqing; you're just a small Master!"

"Uh..." Ancestor Wuji was choked, his old face reddening. "What you said makes some sense. But why does it sound so strange?" He asked with some worry again: "At the Spirit Lair Exchange, Liu Changqing traded the Blood Tree Shadow Branch, which I, this old ancestor, plucked from the Void Island. Perhaps the Holy Divine Palace could use this to connect Liu Changqing, me, and you from the First Pavilion in the Sky?"

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head, no longer wanting to answer. Ancestor Wuji was indeed a bit excessively self-centered. The matters of the exchange meeting were understood once the meeting concluded. Liu Changqing wasn't present that time; his conversation with Shou Ye, and finally Mr. Si Ren's corroboration, had seemingly completely cleared the First Pavilion in the Sky of suspicion. Unless, something happened to Mr. Si Ren... But the old sword immortal had run off to enjoy himself somewhere unknown, perhaps not even in the East Heaven King City anymore, so it likely wouldn't affect the situation here. Perhaps Ancestor Wuji's concerns were reasonable. Some clever people in the Holy Divine Palace might leisurely recall all the previous clues and subtly deduce these details. But Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't give them time.

"Just be quiet for now. If you have questions, wait until I've finished explaining the second strategy, then ask!" Xu Xiaoshou said with a frown. Ancestor Wuji was rebuffed, his face grim. But he was now very accustomed to his status and Xu Xiaoshou's attitude towards him, so he didn't say anything else.

"Speak." Tei Shuangxing turned his head. Xu Xiaoshou said to him, "I know you want to bear the burden yourself after leaving. But the pressure is too great, and currently, the Holy Slaves' high-ranking members probably aren't with you, are they?"

Tei Shuangxing remained silent. In his heart, however, he thought how truly clever this fellow was, able to anticipate everything. Indeed, his previous idea was to directly expose his identity after leaving the Ancient Book World and attract the hatred. But Ba Zun'an, the Storyteller, and others also had their own missions. Tei Shuangxing had no one with him except Luo Leilei. Seeking support from others would be difficult in a short amount of time!

Xu Xiaoshou patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "I know what you want to do, but sometimes, self-exposure isn't as convincing as others finding the 'true answer' through their own efforts.""You mean..." Tei Shuangxing grasped it instantly, and the situation in his mind became clearer.

Xu Xiaoshou smiled confidently and said: "You don't need to expose yourself; just follow your previous path. This battle was initiated by Yi. Now that he's dead, the Holy Divine Palace will definitely send people to investigate. And here, there's the power of Heavenly Secrets, the power of domains, the power of the Transcendent world, and finally... the power of the Ancient Book space. It's a mess!" Xu Xiaoshou summarized emphatically, then spread his hands: "But please trust your enemies; they are strong and will figure out that the Storyteller was the one who acted."

Tei Shuangxing was startled. For a moment, he couldn't believe how Xu Xiaoshou could maintain such calm and clear analytical judgment in such an uncertain future and situation. But what Xu Xiaoshou said... Was undoubtedly correct! Tei Shuangxing lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then frowned: "But the Storyteller has already gone to the Void Island; he couldn't possibly appear in the Cloud Ridge Mountains."

"Gone to the Void Island, huh..." Xu Xiaoshou was only momentarily surprised before recovering, then he wore an amused expression: "Yes, he went to the Void Island, so how could he still appear in the Cloud Ridge Mountains?""Hmm." Tei Shuangxing also nodded solemnly. "That indeed doesn't make sense. Perhaps the Holy Divine Palace might immediately refute your previous deduction.""What?" Xu Xiaoshou was baffled, looking completely bewildered: "You're thinking twistedly, aren't you? The Storyteller is gone, but the power of the Yin-Yang Scroll of Life and Death truly appeared in the Cloud Ridge Mountains. What the Holy Divine Palace will have to consider then is only whether the Storyteller used an external incarnation or other abilities. They can only fantasize about the Storyteller's power; they won't question that the Storyteller never appeared here!"

Xu Xiaoshou watched as Tei Shuangxing opposite him was dumbfounded by what he said, then suddenly realized that this fellow's mind hadn't caught up yet. Right, after all, not everyone's thought process was so convoluted, able to calculate things to the stratosphere. Xu Xiaoshou laughed and asked, "Did you only ever use swords or treasures given by Holy Slave high-ranking members in your past battles, and never engage in psychological warfare?" Tei Shuangxing's face slightly reddened. Only after Xu Xiaoshou's blunt statement could he realize that all the assumptions he had just made were assumptions the Holy Divine Palace would make, not ones he needed to make. And for the Holy Divine Palace to make assumptions, even suspicions, they would have to send people to verify them. If the initial direction was wrong from the start, how much time would be wasted until the end?

"How could he think so far ahead..." Tei Shuangxing was truly impressed by Xu Xiaoshou's mind. The fact that the First Pavilion in the Sky could be established proved Xu Xiaoshou's extraordinary capability. Today's conversation truly benefited Tei Shuangxing greatly. But being greatly benefited was a feeling he had inside. On the surface, Tei Shuangxing still had to maintain a different expression. He calmly said, "Is this your second strategy? I don't have to do anything, just wait for people to come to me?"

"How could I let you wait for death?" Xu Xiaoshou rolled his eyes, directly addressing the unpleasantness in the other's words, then pointed to the sky. The sky of the Ancient Book World didn't show much abnormality. But in the Cloud Ridge Mountains, at this moment, cracks from the Void Island had appeared in the sky.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled and said: "You should be able to contact the Storyteller who entered the Void Island, right? Otherwise, it would be too unlikely for him to lose contact the moment he entered. Let the Storyteller create some commotion inside the Void Island. The Holy Divine Palace probably won't have time to look for you then. In this situation, if they can still find you, that would truly be them finding the 'root answer' through their own efforts. If they themselves are thoroughly convinced by this answer, then the First Pavilion in the Sky's suspicion will be completely cleared. And by the time things reach this point, a long period will have passed, during which you can completely find helpers and extricate yourself. The general trend should develop like this. There might be some odd small details and ripples in between, but you're quite clever; just adapt as needed."

Xu Xiaoshou spread his hands, lecturing eloquently. Tei Shuangxing's expression went from calm at the beginning to slightly parted lips, finally astonished beyond measure. Ancestor Wuji was even more utterly shocked. How long had it been since they left combat? The strange feeling from the enemy's death hadn't fully dissipated. And Xu Xiaoshou had already thought all the way to the Holy Divine Palace's conclusion? Who's the pawn here, exactly? With this mind, why would you be in the Cloud Ridge Mountains? Shouldn't you be enshrined by the Holy Slaves in the main command tent, strategizing from afar and winning battles a thousand miles away?! At this moment, Ancestor Wuji's perception of this future master was refreshed again...

"Received awe, passive value, 2."

Xu Xiaoshou explained his ideas to the two as if rattling off beans, feeling a sudden dryness in his throat. He instinctively reached back, but didn't receive Xiao Wanfeng's teacup, then realized his tea-serving person wasn't nearby... He came back to his senses. The two in front of him looked utterly dumbfounded."Are you still listening?" Xu Xiaoshou frowned, wondering if he had to repeat everything he just said."Listening.""Listening."Tei Shuangxing and Xuan Wuji nodded vigorously like pecking chickens, still savoring Xu Xiaoshou's second strategy.

"It's not that hard to understand, is it?" Xu Xiaoshou thought for a moment and summarized: "In short, it's just four words... Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao."