Chapter 937: Eight Venerable Masters’ Pawn Hidden Throughout

Ye Xiaotian was trapped by Yama Huang Quan. Xu Xiaoshou arrived, pretending to be the Eighth Sword Immortal. He dared not use force, yet effortlessly resolved his dean's predicament, and then left.

"This is so Xu Xiaoshou!"

Shou Ye speculated, believing his deduction had... a fifty percent chance!

This wasn't a low probability.

Even if his speculation was wrong and Xu Xiaoshou had no connection to the incident, it would still be enough to alarm the higher-ups.

After all, if he was mistaken, it would mean the true Eighth Sword Immortal and the true Yama Huang Quan were clashing in the Yunlun Mountains—a much more terrifying reality.

As he pondered, a swooshing sound echoed from the distant sky, and Rao Yaoyao, with the Profound Azure Divine Sword on her back, drifted down.

"Guards," she said calmly.

Following Rao Yaoyao was not Teng Shanhai, the Head of the War Department who guarded the Void Island's rift, nor were Teng Shanhai's new subordinates, the Thirteen Taixu.

Instead, it was the short, stooped, but solemn-faced Wang Dachui.

Hearing her, the surrounding Severed Dao captains immediately stepped forward to greet her.

Zhu Mier was even more apprehensive, stepping forward to report all the incidents entrusted to her by Captain Murong Ying.

"What are your thoughts?" Rao Yaoyao asked after listening, showing no hint of emotion, merely turning her gaze to the many Severed Dao subordinates before her.

What thoughts could they have? Most Severed Dao junior captains had only ever dealt with demonic beasts. Their knowledge of the Saint Slave and Yama was limited to wanted posters and information sheets; they had never encountered them directly. So, they exchanged awkward glances, utterly devoid of ideas.

"I have some speculations concerning the Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou," Shou Ye stepped forward and fully articulated his recent thoughts amidst the surprised gazes of the others.

Xu Xiaoshou...

This person, who was not in anyone's prior understanding of the current events, was suddenly brought up by Shou Ye, successfully piquing the curiosity of the Law Enforcer captains.

"Shou Ye, are you serious?" a friendly Severed Dao Law Enforcer whispered. Even without asking, he knew Shou Ye's words were completely unfounded.

Rao Yaoyao murmured the name "Xu Xiaoshou," her gaze also slightly strange as she glanced at Shou Ye: "What is your basis?"

"No basis," Shou Ye said frankly.

He had never found any basis for his suspicions regarding Xu Xiaoshou in any incident.

Yet, each time afterward, he felt he might have been right, but there was never any post-event evidence to prove his thoughts at the time, leading many matters to remain unresolved.

Shou Ye felt it was time for the Red Cloak organization to change some of its policies.

This wasn't solely because of the Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou.

Rather, there were too many extraordinary individuals in this world who, after thoroughly understanding the Red Cloaks' modus operandi, became adept at exploiting their loopholes to achieve their goals.

Xu Xiaoshou might be one example.

But Shou Ye believed this was merely one instance; Xu Xiaoshou was definitely not the only one!

"Without any basis, you can attribute all these events to the Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou?" Rao Yaoyao's eyes held a faint smile.

If she hadn't known Shou Ye's loyalty to the Red Cloaks, and that there was no irreconcilable vendetta between Shou Ye and the Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou.

At this moment, she could even suspect that Shou Ye's personal bias was at play.

He wanted to take revenge on Xu Xiaoshou...

Evidently, Shou Ye had no such thoughts. He glanced around at the people present, then requested, "Sword Immortal Rao, I have some personal insights I'd like to discuss with you privately."

"Alright," Rao Yaoyao replied, not feeling this would waste her time. Shou Ye was a mature and steady individual, and one of the first test subjects for the Saint Divine Temple's plan, possessing formidable personal ability.

She waved her hand, dismissing everyone else, leaving only Wang Dachui.

Without a word, Wang Dachui activated his domain, isolating them from the outside.

"Now, no one else can hear your thoughts. Speak freely," Rao Yaoyao indicated.

Shou Ye took a deep breath, glanced at the silent Head of the Body Department, Wang Dachui, and began to elaborate:

"In White Cave, Xu Xiaoshou once transformed into his master, the Saint Slave Wuxiu, so realistically that he perfectly mimicked his aura, cultivation level, and various other abilities, completely deceiving us.

"Leaving aside whether our Red Cloak squad's abilities were indeed insufficient, Xu Xiaoshou, at that time, was only at the Innate realm, yet he could already imitate a Taixu powerhouse!"

Shou Ye's tone became heavier, attempting to make Sword Immortal Rao take it more seriously.

Wang Dachui's lips twitched into a sneer: "Saint Slave Wuxiu is his master. He had the ability, the audacity, and the prerequisite conditions to imitate... no, to directly produce his own Burning White Flame. Is there a problem with that?"

Shou Ye glanced at him, offered no response, and continued on his own:

"In the battle where the Head of the Abnormality Department, Senior Yi, sacrificed himself, Sword Immortal Rao, you already deduced that the Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou was involved.

"Moreover, he, along with the Severed Dao, the Storyteller (who had survived the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation but was still one step away from Taixu), and the Heavenly Secret Sorcerer (who was suspected to be the Unsentient Ancestor but had smuggled out of Void Island as a demonic beast host, and thus his abilities must have been limited by the demonic beast body)—these three allied and killed Senior Yi in a very short time."

"I ask you, how could Yi, a peak Taixu, who was ever-changing and unpredictable, be jointly killed by three individuals who weren't even Taixu, even if he fell into an ambush?"

"What happened to Senior Yi that prevented him from breaking free immediately and choosing to escape?"

Rao Yaoyao's eyes remained undisturbed, showing no change despite Shou Ye's passionate words.

What Shou Ye said was also a doubt in her mind; it could only be described as... hitting the nail on the head.

Wang Dachui, however, glanced at Sword Immortal Rao, a corner of his mouth curving into a mocking smile: "Are you trying to use a deduction to validate your own deduction?"

Shou Ye cast a surprised glance at Wang Dachui, seemingly not expecting such a figure to utter such convoluted words.

He still offered no response, only looking at Rao Yaoyao as he continued:

"Xu Xiaoshou!

"If Xu Xiaoshou was involved in this matter, he must have been the one leading it.

"The Saint Slave Storyteller has abilities, but most of them manifest in escape, control, and pseudo-spatial manipulation. He lacks the flexible thinking—the big picture—needed to lead the entire battle against Yi.

"The Unsentient Ancestor—assuming that Heavenly Secret Sorcerer is indeed the Unsentient Ancestor... The Unsentient Ancestor has been confined to Void Island for so long, far removed from combat, especially battles requiring careful planning... If he truly encountered Yi in the Yunlun Mountains, even if he made thorough preparations, his desire for revenge would still cloud his judgment. Yi wouldn't have been killed silently without finding a single flaw in the Heavenly Secret Art."

"He must have been delayed... or to put it more bluntly, he was led by the nose."

Shou Ye paused, his voice growing heavy: "Only Xu Xiaoshou, what he excels at most, is winning with weakness, guiding the situation, and leading enemies step by step into his pre-laid traps!"

"Pfft!" Wang Dachui finally burst into laughter.

After holding his sides for a long time, he finally composed himself, a sneer twisting his lips as he mocked, "Shou Ye? Your name is Shou Ye, right? Shou Ye, I don't know what happened between you and that Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou, but it seems you, a mere Severed Dao cultivator, have been scared witless by that little brat?"

Shou Ye calmly glanced at Wang Dachui, thinking that perhaps Yi had died because of such contempt.

He ignored Wang Dachui, who was clearly annoyed by being disregarded. After all, Wang Dachui was from the Body Department, and even as its head, Shou Ye reported directly to Rao Yaoyao, was not under the Body Department's jurisdiction, and didn't need to show him deference.

Shou Ye watched Rao Yaoyao, the Red Cloak Law Enforcer who had fallen into contemplation because of his words, and waited quietly.

At this moment, he suddenly thought that if the leader of this operation had been Gou Wuyue, then perhaps his words wouldn't have been necessary.

Because Sword Immortal Wuyue had directly experienced Xu Xiaoshou's abilities, a slight reminder from him would likely be enough for her to take it very seriously.

But Sword Immortal Rao was different; before the events in East Heaven King City, she hadn't even heard of the Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou.

"What are you trying to say?" Rao Yaoyao finally spoke after a moment of contemplation.

Shou Ye took a deep breath, then sincerely said, "I wish to ask Sword Immortal Rao to take the Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou seriously. Not the kind of seriousness that is acknowledged and then dismissed, but rather, if this person's existence is ignored, he will always inexplicably disrupt our rhythm. He..."

Shou Ye pondered for a long time but couldn't find a particularly fitting adjective for Xu Xiaoshou. He could only try to describe him: "He is very 'cunning'!"

Rao Yaoyao smiled faintly: "You seem quite certain that your conjecture about this matter—that Eight Revered Ones is Xu Xiaoshou transformed—is absolutely firm?"

Shou Ye lowered his head, giving a barely perceptible shake, and said, "Not just regarding this incident. I want to say that if this person is left unchecked, much greater trouble will inevitably arise later!"

Rao Yaoyao nodded, her expression returning to solemnity: "Xu Xiaoshou, I have always taken him very seriously."

Shou Ye remained with his head lowered, still shaking it.

But this time, he shook his head with a wide range, even speaking presumptuously:

"No! Sword Immortal Rao, the 'seriousness' you speak of is merely the kind of regard an elder might have for a junior...

"I once held such regard, and I'm certain all high-ranking officials in the Saint Divine Temple also do.

"But it's far from enough!

"What I mean is..."

Shou Ye paused, then emphasized: "Xu Xiaoshou can no longer be regarded as a mere junior. To treat him with this 'underestimation' disguised as 'seriousness'... even you could be in danger!"

"Presumptuous!" Wang Dachui exclaimed angrily, unable to believe a mere Red Cloak subordinate would dare to speak to Sword Immortal Rao in such a manner.

Displeasure also flickered in Rao Yaoyao's eyes. She believed she harbored no "contempt" for Xu Xiaoshou, as Shou Ye had implied.

Yet, when Shou Ye's words truly placed Xu Xiaoshou and her on the same level, she still felt a sense of absurdity.

Yes.

It was absurd!

"How could a mere Master, a junior, be compared to me, Rao Yaoyao?" No matter how much she tried to hide it, this was the thought that immediately surfaced in Rao Yaoyao's mind.

Afterward, she was startled.

Yi, in some respects, was my peer, yet he had died at Xu Xiaoshou's hands... Rao Yaoyao seemed to have a sudden realization, finally understanding the profound meaning hidden within Shou Ye's words.

Xu Xiaoshou's age and cultivation were too deceptive.

This deceptiveness wasn't something one could overcome simply by realizing it and wanting to.

Rather, it meant wanting to overcome it, but merely *thinking* one had overcome it, when in fact, they hadn't.

In such a self-deceiving situation, treating Xu Xiaoshou with "underestimation" under the guise of "seriousness"—how could one not suffer a devastating defeat?

Yi might have died this way... Rao Yaoyao thought, and when she looked at Shou Ye again, her eyes showed surprise.

How deeply must one understand Xu Xiaoshou to analyze such a person so profoundly?

"You seem to have a story?" Rao Yaoyao waved away Wang Dachui, who had intended to teach Shou Ye a lesson, and asked her subordinate.

Shou Ye sighed, a look of wistfulness in his eyes: "I once wanted to recruit Xu Xiaoshou into the Red Cloaks, to inherit my mantle. Before he joined the Saint Slaves, because of his aptitude, temperament, character... and so on, at that time, he was still controllable..."

Shou Ye couldn't continue.

The thought of Xu Xiaoshou joining the Saint Slaves, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, pained him deeply.

Wang Dachui looked at the deeply emotional Shou Ye but felt he read a different meaning, becoming enraged: "Is this your son? I see you've already developed a rebellious heart!"

The hunchbacked old man Wang Dachui grew increasingly displeased the more he looked at Shou Ye. He immediately scoffed, "Shou Ye, you seem to be getting off-topic. Right now, we're discussing the two great leaders, Yama and the Saint Slave, not merely Xu Xiaoshou!"

Shou Ye finally responded directly to the brainless Head of the Body Department, scoffing in return and emphasizing:

"What I am discussing is precisely the main point.

"In Tiansang City, before the name of Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou had spread throughout the Five Domains, at the very beginning of his rise, he once, alone in the City Lord's Mansion of Tiansang City, slew a demonic beast host attempting to harm him—Zhang Taiying, a Throne Realm cultivator!

"That was also my first direct confrontation with him.

"Xu Xiaoshou, who had just entered the Innate realm, systematically refuted all accusations from the Red Cloaks that attempted to identify him as the demonic beast host. He did so flawlessly, leaving no room for rebuttal.

"And at the very end, he even showed me the ability of an Innate realm cultivator to harm a Throne-level demonic beast."

Rao Yaoyao's eyebrow twitched: "What ability?"

Shou Ye closed his eyes deeply, and in his mind, the dazzling sword aura that had nearly sliced him in half appeared.

At that time, Shou Ye, who didn't know the origin of this sword aura and only had a rough guess, didn't pay it much mind.

Now, looking at everything in retrospect, he understood the truth of that ability.

"Sword Will," Shou Ye sighed softly.

Sword Will?

Wang Dachui and Rao Yaoyao's pupils constricted simultaneously, both inwardly startled.

They were surprised not because Xu Xiaoshou possessed Sword Will.

He was a Saint Slave member with extraordinary talent in swordsmanship and the patronage of the Eighth Sword Immortal; learning Sword Will was nothing unusual.

However, Shou Ye was speaking of Xu Xiaoshou's actions in Tiansang City.

At that time, the Eighth Sword Immortal had not yet emerged, and even Rao Yaoyao still firmly believed that Eight Revered Ones was in a "fallen" state.

In other words, Eight Revered Ones was dead at that time.

Yet, at that very time, at such an early stage...

Xu Xiaoshou already possessed Sword Will?

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Wang Dachui felt deceived. How could Shou Ye have withheld such critical information until now?

Shou Ye shook his head listlessly, offering no explanation.

The fact that the Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou possessed Sword Will was already in the intelligence reports.

However, as for *when* he acquired Sword Will, Shou Ye only truly realized it after his hypothesis that "Young Master Xu was Xu Xiaoshou" was overturned by the higher-ups. He then painstakingly re-examined Xu Xiaoshou's entire life trying to find flaws, only then having a sudden epiphany.

It was at that moment that Shou Ye understood everything he had initially imagined was merely wishful thinking.

From the very beginning, Xu Xiaoshou had always been a chess piece discreetly hidden by Eight Revered Ones...

An important chess piece!

This chess piece was so important and so successfully hidden that even when he was exposed to the public, the masterminds of the Five Domains of the continent didn't take him seriously.

Shou Ye sighed suddenly at this thought.

Indeed, to grow to such an extent in less than half a year—if he hadn't witnessed it firsthand and experienced it himself, how could he possibly believe... that such a figure was named Xu Xiaoshou?

This was almost a replica of Eight Revered Ones!

Eight Revered Ones had the legend of "Innate in three breaths, Sword Immortal in three years."

In Shou Ye's view, if Xu Xiaoshou were truly given three years to grow, the entire world would go mad for him!