Chapter 951: Death and Resurrection of the Stranger

The Night of Yi’s Demise?

As this question rang out, all the Enforcers behind them were stunned.

The "Yi" mentioned discreetly by Sword Immortal Rao, and now by a Saint Servant... it could only be "Yi," the Chief of the Anomaly Division, right?

After only a moment of silence, quiet murmurs began to spread through the Enforcer ranks.

“No way, right? A while ago, I heard a high-ranking Enforcer fell in the Yunlun Mountains, but all related information was sealed off.”

“The ‘Yi’ they're talking about, it can't really be the one I'm thinking of... Chief of the Anomaly Division?”

“Come to think of it, Chief Yi hasn't appeared for the past few days. I've only seen the Chiefs of the Combat and Physique Divisions. I originally thought Chief Yi was on a secret mission, but now that I think back... it's terrifying!”

“That’s right, even Chief Night Owl of the Shadow Division has been missing for a long time. I heard Night Owl and Yi were very close, well, just rumors…”

The Enforcer corps was usually highly disciplined.

However, just like when the flood of extraordinary treasures from the Yunlun Mountains stirred everyone into excitement, the information now revealed by the silver-haired woman was like a second bombshell, instantly igniting everyone’s conjectures and imaginings.

The truth could not be contained. Even though the higher-ups had been suppressing it, every lower-level Enforcer had been lost in speculation for days. Who could have died that warranted such a forceful suppression of information from the high-ranking officials, simply to prevent panic? Now, receiving an answer from an enemy that they couldn't fully believe, yet felt was almost certainly correct, the Enforcers could no longer contain their curiosity. Even with the two sides at a standoff, the situation on the verge of eruption, human emotions were difficult to control.

“Silence! No talking during wartime; those who disobey will be executed!”

At this, Wang Dachui glanced at Sword Immortal Rao's displeased expression, immediately roared, and silenced the Enforcers behind him, making them shiver in fear.

Rao Yaoyao hadn't expected the silver-haired woman to speak so directly about it; this was nothing less than an open admission that they were responsible for Yi’s death. She naturally understood the opponent's intention… The enemy was trying to provoke her anger, preventing her from remaining calm. And a leader who needed to oversee the overall situation, if truly swayed by such words and acting impulsively at a critical juncture, could very likely cause one part to collapse, leading to a domino effect that disrupted the entire plan.

Yet, she had to admit… “You have successfully enraged me!”

Rao Yaoyao’s face was etched with a frosty expression. Yi’s death was the biggest thorn in her heart. No matter how well the subsequent missions in the Yunlun Mountains were completed, this incident remained a constant source of discomfort. For Rao Yaoyao, this was an unforgivable mistake, the greatest flaw in what should have been a perfect outcome!

“Since we’ve come to this point…” Rao Yaoyao’s gaze swept over the three figures before her, and she sneered, “Xu Xiaoshou, Ye Xiaotian, and you… all of you have fallen into the trap; we can capture you all in one swoop!” She suddenly felt there was no need to wait any longer. Even if they couldn't catch the true ‘big fish,’ capturing just one surviving orphan of the Lei family would be enough to justify the manpower and time expended by this all-out deployment.

Rao Yaoyao raised her right hand. Behind her, the Enforcers stood solemnly, their expressions now serious once more.

Xu Xiaoshou’s heart skipped a beat at the sight. He remembered that gesture! During the treasure eruption from the Void Island rift, whenever Rao Yaoyao raised her hand and gave a command, a grand formation would activate, strong enough to withstand even artifacts imbued with Holy power.

*Oh, girl, when it's time to back down, you really can't be stubborn...* Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts were a mix of emotions. He understood Lei Xi'er's hatred for the Holy Divine Palace, but he also lamented that sometimes, when circumstances were overwhelming, one truly had to act like a cowardly turtle and bide their time.

“*Sigh*”

Before Rao Yaoyao’s hand could fall, Xu Xiaoshou let out a long sigh, drawing everyone’s attention. This sigh was no longer his voice; it seemed to come from another, unfamiliar person. However, Rao Yaoyao, Wang Dachui, and others found this sigh unsettlingly familiar.

Amidst the sigh, everyone watched as the tall Xu Xiaoshou suddenly squirmed, transforming into a small girl, about the same height as Ye Xiaotian and Wang Dachui. This sweet and adorable little girl, holding a string of candied hawthorns, took a bite. Then, under everyone's bewildered gaze, with light, quick steps, she bounded over to Rao Yaoyao’s side, mumbling indistinctly: “I say, Sword Immortal Rao, you're still too hasty. Since I haven't even returned to report on my mission, why must you assume I’ve failed? What a great opportunity it was, to be able to infiltrate among them. And yet, you ruined it…” The little girl clasped her forehead, a helpless expression on her face.

By this point, the onlookers were utterly dumbfounded. Had they not witnessed it with their own eyes and known that this new little girl was a transformation of the Saint Servant Xu Xiaoshou, they simply wouldn't have believed that these two were actually the same person! From her clothing, habits, and demeanor… to her expressions, mannerisms, and tone of voice… This girl was absolutely a completely new person, none other than Yi, the Chief of the Anomaly Division, whom many Enforcers had seen from afar, and some had even been personally teased by!

“Yi?” Wang Dachui stood frozen, staring blankly at the familiar face transformed from Xu Xiaoshou. A part of him was wary, yet another was overjoyed: “You’re not dead? You… on an infiltration mission?” Even with his limited intellect, he could now grasp: During the battle of Yi’s death, the Saint Servant Xu Xiaoshou didn't succeed. Instead, due to various coincidences and irresistible special powers, Yi became Xu Xiaoshou, and Xu Xiaoshou became Yi. The one who supposedly died was actually fake; perhaps… it was the Saint Servant Xu Xiaoshou! And the true Yi, the ‘Ever-Changing Yi,’ became the Saint Servant Xu Xiaoshou, embarking on a new mission that was short but arduous, yet bound to yield more intelligence on the enemy organization’s inner workings—infiltration!

This… This was very much like Yi! It perfectly matched the methods of the ‘Ever-Changing Yi’!

“Received Doubt, Passive Points, 98.”“Received Speculation, Passive Points, 75.”“Received Wariness, Passive Points, 105.”

The sudden appearance of the little girl startled not only the Enforcers but also Lei Xi’er and Ye Xiaotian. The former merely harbored a fleeting suspicion, but quickly recalled Xu Xiaoshou’s recent interactions with her. Based on his habits, she knew it was unlikely he had been swapped; it should still be Xu Xiaoshou… *should be*! Ye Xiaotian, however, felt no such certainty. He was left only with terror. He even suspected that Xu Xiaoshou, who had just engaged him in a lengthy conversation and extracted world-shaking intelligence about the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace, was truly Yi in disguise. After all, Ye Xiaotian was well aware of whose reputation was more formidable, Xu Xiaoshou’s or Yi’s.

“Xu… Xiao… Shou!”

Just as everyone was startled by Yi’s resurrection, Rao Yaoyao, the only one who remained calm, merely paused in astonishment for a moment before reacting, gritting her teeth and saying: “Do you really think you can deceive me?”

Related intelligence indicated that Xu Xiaoshou possessed transformation abilities similar to Yi’s. But Rao Yaoyao had never imagined that Xu Xiaoshou’s abilities were so close to Yi’s, to the extent that he could even imitate a person’s habits and demeanor. Even Yi, to perform such a good imitation, would need a long period of prior study. *Perhaps he had acquired a Mimicry artifact, and within this period, had gathered extensive information about Yi…* Rao Yaoyao mused.

Rao Yaoyao’s basis for being the only clear-headed person among a hundred uncertain ones was not herself, but Night Owl! After Yi’s death, Night Owl had gone completely incommunicado. Rao Yaoyao could disbelieve any intelligence, but she could not disbelieve the reaction of the person closest to Yi. Therefore, even though the ‘Yi’ before her offered an extremely wild yet perfectly suitable ‘excuse’ for Yi himself, Rao Yaoyao still instantly concluded… this Yi was fake!

Wang Dachui was clearly jolted awake by this. He immediately became furious and embarrassed, clenching his fists, ready to charge over and hammer the Saint Servant Xu Xiaoshou, who dared to fool him, to death.

However, the little girl, Yi, remained unfazed. Her eyes darkened, and an overwhelming aura pressed down: “Are you crazy, Wang Dachui? Are you trying to cause internal strife?”

Wang Dachui stopped in his tracks, startled. This aura was not something a mere Zongshi junior could possess; it even felt threatening to him!

“Are you really Yi?” Wang Dachui was confused again.

Just then, Shouye, standing in the rear, spoke with a somber tone: “Xu Xiaoshou possesses an ability to mimic auras, Elder Rao, please don't be fooled by him again…” Before he could utter the word "fooled," the little girl, Yi, abruptly turned her gaze back, her eyes cold and her voice chilling: “Do you have a say here?” Without any apparent movement, only a slight lowering of her eyelids. Everyone keenly noticed that Shouye’s gaze, when it met Yi’s, immediately lost focus. His entire body trembled violently, his expression became vacant, clearly having suffered a powerful mental attack.

Wang Dachui: !!!

Mental attack! A mental attack capable of affecting Shouye, who was a Dao Severer yet possessed Grand Void power—this was completely absent from the intelligence reports on Xu Xiaoshou!

“He really is Yi.” Wang Dachui turned to look at Rao Yaoyao.

Rao Yaoyao didn't even bother to reply to Wang Dachui; she merely maintained a grim expression and sneered, “The true Yi would not attack his own people!”

“Did I hurt him?” The little girl, Yi, retorted, pulling her gaze back with an annoyed expression. As expected, Shouye only swayed and stumbled for a moment before recovering, his face filled with horror.

Rao Yaoyao: “…” Even then, she still couldn't believe that the person before her was truly Yi transformed. *That's right! If Xu Xiaoshou had truly killed Yi, he must have acquired a Mimicry artifact…*

“To be able to mimic even Yi’s abilities, your progress with the Mimicry artifact isn't slow!” Rao Yaoyao narrowed her eyes.

Wang Dachui suddenly realized: “Ah, right, right, the Mimicry artifact can mimic others’ abilities… Damn it, you fooled me again!” He pulled out a thorny great hammer from his spatial ring, poised to strike.

“Wang Dachui, have you forgotten who went to great lengths to secretly supply you with your ‘Pill of Locked Essence for Spear-Wielding’?!” The little girl, Yi, suddenly exclaimed loudly.

At this, Wang Dachui's face instantly turned ashen, and the great hammer in his hand nearly slipped.

“Received Glare, Passive Points, 1.”

Behind him, all the male Enforcers also gaped, their expressions shifting from disbelief to amusement and then to peculiar. The female Enforcers, however, frowned subtly, expertly masking their emotional shifts and feigning ignorance. But everyone knew, the Pill of Locked Essence for Spear-Wielding… This was a forbidden drug that solidified essence and locked vitality, allowing one to go 'seven times a night'… a forbidden drug indeed!

Why would Wang Dachui buy such a forbidden drug through the Chief of the Anomaly Division? Wasn't he the Chief of the Physique Division? Could it be… He was impotent? The Chief of the Physique Division couldn't possibly be impotent… So, if he needed a large quantity, was it for someone else? Or perhaps, he needed a large quantity of *partners* at once, which made him unable to keep up?

“Received Suspicion, Passive Points, 62.”

Even without turning around, Wang Dachui could already feel the glances from behind him that were enough to make an old man blush. He furiously swung a fist at Yi. “You promised not to say…” At this point, he remembered something, a flicker of annoyance crossed his eyes, and he changed to a telepathic message: “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t reveal it?”

The little girl, Yi, chuckled coldly, not bothering with telepathy, and said aloud for all to hear: “I did promise you I wouldn’t reveal it, but you’re so deranged that you want to attack me. If I don't reveal some truly secret information, how can you possibly believe me? Do you want me to engage in internal strife with you here in the Yunlun Mountains?”

After speaking, Yi looked at Rao Yaoyao and said with deep disappointment: “I thought Wang Dachui was foolish and couldn’t see through it, but you could. You are intelligent enough to consider my feigned death, my infiltration, and all the needs of my intelligence work, but…” Yi seemed utterly exasperated, clenching her hand and snapping the candied hawthorn stick in half. “But you failed to see anything, and you personally led so many people here, directly exposing my identity?”

This profound sense of helplessness deeply affected everyone present.

Rao Yaoyao was almost swayed, but her expression quickly turned cold: “Xu Xiaoshou…” Her faint words had barely left her lips, yet the continued use of "Xu Xiaoshou" seemed to truly ignite the emotions of the little girl, Yi, opposite her. Yi’s eyes suddenly widened in fury, and she burst out angrily:

“Rao Yaoyao, are you a pig-head?! At a time like this, you’re still calling me Xu Xiaoshou? Even Little Night Owl knows to go incommunicado to cooperate with me, and you bring this bunch here to expose one of your own's infiltration work? Do you really think everyone has no temper, and that everyone will unconditionally cooperate with you just because your name is Rao?!”

“Do you have any idea how much I’ve lost because of your sudden arrival? You have your mission, but don’t I have my work?” The little girl, Yi, pointed at Sword Immortal Rao, aggressively closing in and shouting, “Remember, I am your equal, not your direct subordinate!”

“…” As these few lines of uncontrolled emotional outburst escaped, the entire scene suddenly fell silent. All the Enforcers turned pale, as if they had witnessed something unbelievable. It truly was unbelievable! Sword Immortal Rao and Yi were openly scolding each other! And the latter had clearly unleashed all the emotions she had suppressed for a long time, not just related to the current matter!

“Received Fear, Passive Points, 99.”

Rao Yaoyao was also stunned by the scolding. She was so engrossed in Yi's emotional outburst that she didn't even realize she had subconsciously raised her hand to ungracefully wipe away spittle from her face. *Yi knew all their operations… Yi knew the nickname ‘Little Night Owl,’ which only a select few high-ranking officials of the Holy Divine Palace were privy to… He… he dared to scold me?!!!*