Chapter 956: A Single Stone Strikes Multiple Birds With a Scheme Within a Scheme, The Hundred Ghosts of the Underworld Ascend the Lonely Cliff

"Indeed, the Divine Demon Eyes!"

At the same time, Xu Xiaoshou, seated atop the void, gave his answer, completely affirming Rao Yaoyao's thoughts.

"It seems you're not entirely stupid." Seeing the expression opposite him gradually morph into disbelief, distortion, and reluctant acceptance, Xu Xiaoshou smiled and added.

From the moment he began impersonating Huang Quan, he had established another persona for himself. Yama's principles, objectives… Huang Quan's words, actions, and goals… All these were meticulously considered.

Now that the Imitator was in hand and Lei Xier had been exposed to the Holy Divine Palace, as a Holy Empyrean member, as his junior sister's senior brother, and trapped in a situation where he couldn't win a fight and couldn't escape, Xu Xiaoshou felt it was his responsibility and duty to carve a path to survival through alternative means.

Moreover, his plan involved using this method to shift the blame for many of his previous disrespectful actions against the Holy Divine Palace—in short, to pin all the blame—onto the dark and evil Yama organization, who were unrelated to him.

Of course, shifting blame wasn't something to be done blindly. Xu Xiaoshou always held a trump card for causing trouble, but it had to be done logically. He strictly adhered to the rules of a mastermind, using just one word, "anomaly," to lead Rao Yaoyao to voice the answer herself. Answers derived through one's own thought process are always more reliable than those simply told to them.

This tactic wouldn't work on the foolish. But Rao Yaoyao was intelligent, and intelligent people always considered an extra layer. Xu Xiaoshou was certain that the moment Rao Yaoyao uttered "Divine Demon Eyes," the information he wanted to convey had already aligned with her understanding, coinciding perfectly.

For him, solidifying Huang Quan's identity now only left one final gap to fill: the "motive"!

—Since Huang Quan had hidden for so long to manipulate the Holy Empyrean and obtain the Divine Demon Eyes, and had even avoided exposing himself by transforming into an anomaly, why would he suddenly choose to reveal himself? Was it merely because of a sneak attack from Night Watchman? That was absolutely impossible! Therefore, there needed to be an answer that surpassed Night Watchman's attack, surpassed the acquisition of the Divine Demon Eyes, and even surpassed obtaining Lei Xier, the holder of the Divine Demon Eyes, to make Huang Quan's sudden appearance logical.

If the opponent were foolish, Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't need to speak; they certainly wouldn't grasp this deeper layer. But since his opponent was intelligent… Xu Xiaoshou still wouldn't voice it directly. Because he knew that Rao Yaoyao, being "intelligent," would figure it out and ask!

"What… what do you want?" As expected, Rao Yaoyao indeed asked. Her expression now carried extreme vigilance.

Clearly, the leader of the Yama organization, whose trail had always been untraceable, suddenly exposing himself before her, a Red-robed Arbiter Lord, exceeded Rao Yaoyao's expectations. The situation had suddenly spun a little out of control…

However, this was a much bigger fish! For years, the White-clad had only managed to gather basic intelligence on a few members of the Yama organization, never even a hint of their base. This was the first time they had voluntarily exposed their whereabouts. Rao Yaoyao was simultaneously vigilant and excited. Maintaining her composure and rationality, she asked with a sneer, as if stalling for time:

"Lord Huang Quan of Yama, disguised as Xu Xiaoshou of the Holy Empyrean, then transforming into an anomaly, performing absurd dramas before my eyes like a mere clown… what do you seek from all this? You're not going to tell me these antics were simply 'interesting,' are you?"

Rao Yaoyao subtly glanced at the silver-haired woman. She could guess that Huang Quan had impersonated Xu Xiaoshou of the Holy Empyrean for the "Divine Demon Eyes." Yet, to acquire the Divine Demon Eyes, or even to abduct the silver-haired woman entirely, Huang Quan could have used a different, more discreet method to take her away silently. This had nothing to do with his deliberate exposure right under her nose. Therefore, Rao Yaoyao deduced that Huang Quan had a greater scheme.

"Huang Quan…""He truly is Huang Quan…"Among the Law Enforcers, some intelligent individuals had anticipated Rao Yaoyao's thoughts and were momentarily astounded to have their suspicions confirmed by the golden-masked figure. If the person opposite was truly Huang Quan, then he had played his hand remarkably well! Disguising himself as Xu Xiaoshou, killing the Chief of the Anomaly Division, successfully obtaining the Imitator, and then dumping all the blame onto the Holy Empyrean… At least, before his voluntary revelation, ninety-nine percent of the Law Enforcers had never suspected that Huang Quan was the killer of the Anomaly Chief. But the moment he revealed himself, everything suddenly made perfect sense. This fully matched a chessmaster's manipulation of the board, filled with both drama and strategic intrigue.

However… with such a good hand, Huang Quan should have continued playing it covertly. Why did he suddenly choose to reveal his cards? Unless a better reason emerged—one surpassing the seemingly perfect scenario where he could continue hiding and reaping all prior benefits—everyone present felt that Huang Quan's sudden reveal was an unwise move. What was his true intention? What did he want to do?

"Received Admiration, Passive Points, 124.""Received Fear, Passive Points, 133.""Received Speculation, Passive Points, 141."So many intelligent people, still… Facing Rao Yaoyao and the equally bewildered and curious gazes of some Law Enforcers, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

Motive was the key to a matter's success or failure. Huang Quan's appearance, bolstered by the "Power of Time," instantly dismissed everyone's doubts. This was both unexpected and reasonable. Xu Xiaoshou could see that. At this point, without Night Watchman's repeated reminders, Rao Yaoyao and the others were completely unaware that their thoughts had been led astray by him. In short, the opponent's rhythm was disrupted!

This was certainly based on the powerful aura of "Spirit Devouring Mountains and Rivers," which allowed his firm belief of "I am Huang Quan" to influence everyone's emotions. But more importantly… Logic! If his underlying logic were flawed, anyone could pierce his disguise, let alone a peerless strategist like Rao Yaoyao?

Facing hundreds of gazes, Xu Xiaoshou remained unperturbed. Squinting, he regarded the people opposite as hundreds of large watermelons, meeting each gaze without fear. After deliberately wasting several breaths to cultivate an atmosphere of psychological pressure—where a master's speech demanded absolute silence—he finally began to speak:

"I, this Lord, wish to make a deal with Sword Immortal Rao."

He slightly turned his head back, his fingertips lightly tracing, showing a degree of attentiveness to the matter, yet his words carried a hint of flippancy as he casually revealed his "motive."

A deal… Among the Law Enforcers, everyone uniformly turned to look at their leader: making a deal with the Yama Lord was hardly good news. Rao Yaoyao also narrowed her eyes, concealing her surprise and suspicion. She didn't believe there was any fruitful conversation to be had with the person opposite, yet Huang Quan continued to speak in this manner, indicating he had a strong basis for it. Therefore, she decided to listen to what he had to say first.

"What kind of deal?" Rao Yaoyao spoke blandly, neither agreeing nor refusing, displaying seasoned experience.

*I just love your dignified and steady demeanor…* Xu Xiaoshou's lips curled slightly beneath his mask, thinking, *Let's see if you can maintain that composure later!*

"Let's put the deal aside for now… Before that, I have a grand gift I'd like to present for everyone's inspection."

The golden-masked Huang Quan, seated upon his spatial throne, extended a hand to the side, pointing towards the void above the mountain forest within the cliffs, far across the sea of clouds in Lone Sound Cliff, and beyond the boundary region, distant from the Law Enforcers present! His posture was akin to an exceedingly high-ranking master condescending to reveal the climax treasure at an auction.

Rao Yaoyao narrowed her eyes, hesitated for a moment, then waved her hand and commanded, "Close the boundary."

The Law Enforcers held their breath. After executing the command, they turned back, slightly curious, following Huang Quan's pointed finger. Lei Xier and Ye Xiaotian were no exceptions. Following their gaze, everyone could see three figures had appeared in the previously empty void beyond the boundary!

On the left was a masked figure in red robes, with a graceful figure, likely female. Beneath her mask, her eye sockets held a pair of exquisitely beautiful eyes, slightly cherry-pink, as if layers of flower pistils bloomed and rotated endlessly within them. On the right was a masked figure in a light green robe, male. His body was obscured by the long robe, making his features indistinct, but his eyes were equally captivating. These were eerie eyes, formed by overlapping oval pupils, one blue and one orange, intersecting to form a "cross" shape, seemingly imbued with terrifying power. Between the two, propped up, was a disheveled man in tattered, blood-stained black clothes, his head bowed, his face obscured. His aura was extremely weak; his current condition, as anyone could plainly see, was far from good.

Among everyone present, the first to react to those two extremely eerie pairs of eyes was neither Rao Yaoyao nor some individuals from the Law Enforcer team. It was Lei Xier! She recognized the origins of those two pairs of eyes at a glance, and her expression immediately shifted to one of astonishment. Turning her head again to look at "Huang Quan," who sat steadily above the void, seemingly in complete control of the situation, Lei Xier's eyes registered a mix of shock, doubt, and disbelief—a medley of emotions! Without further thought, Lei Xier quickly lowered her head to prevent the Law Enforcers from noticing her reaction and thus exposing Xu Xiaoshou's disguise.

"Received Admiration, Passive Points, 1, 1, 1, 1…"

On the other side.*What does he want to show me?* Rao Yaoyao hadn't recognized what gift Huang Quan intended to present first. Just then, a Law Enforcer, originally from the White-clad and temporarily assigned here due to urgent manpower needs, appeared behind Rao Yaoyao with a look of shock.

"Sword Immortal Rao!" Rao Yaoyao turned her head, looking at the speaker.

The Law Enforcer leaned in and whispered, "According to internal White-clad intelligence… the red-robed masked figure on the left is suspected to be 'Underworld Visitor,' a member of the Yama organization. He has a Way-Cutting cultivation, but possesses a Lei Family Eye — the Flower Immortal Pupils." Instantly, Rao Yaoyao sharply lifted her gaze, fixing on the red-robed figure's pair of cherry-pink eyes. The image of the silver-haired woman's "Divine Demon Eyes" flashed through her mind.

Lei Family Eye, Flower Immortal Pupils? Those eyes possessing supreme illusions? Yama truly was collecting Lei Family Eyes! And had already made significant progress! At this moment, Rao Yaoyao's earlier conjecture about Huang Quan's appearance was further validated.

The former White-clad, now Law Enforcer, didn't stop. After a pause, he solemnly continued, "The blue-robed masked figure on the right should be 'Hundred Ghosts Night Parade.' There's even less information on him, but those eyes, if I'm not mistaken, are the 'Cross Anomaly Pupils.'"

Lei Family Eye, Cross Anomaly Pupils? Rao Yaoyao, slightly stunned, shifted her gaze at the sound of his words, staring at the unremarkable blue-robed masked figure. As a Red-robed Arbiter Lord, she was responsible for spirit beasts and was usually too busy to keep up. Her limited knowledge of Yama's internal intelligence was perfectly normal. Now, discovering that any Yama member could possess a pair of Lei Family Eyes, how could she not be surprised?

"You…" Rao Yaoyao instinctively wanted to blurt out, "Are you sure you saw correctly?", but stopped herself just in time. If the Law Enforcer hadn't seen clearly, he probably wouldn't have spoken so directly. "You may step down." She sighed silently, dismissed her subordinate, then raised her gaze again to Huang Quan, seated high in the sky, and asked with a solemn voice, "What is the meaning of this?"

*Didn't she see it? Did I paint too sloppily?* Xu Xiaoshou was startled at first. Then, recalling Lei Xier's reaction, he knew that Rao Yaoyao must have understood his meticulously drawn "Lei Family Eyes," intended to clearly demonstrate his identity as the Yama Lord. So, Rao Yaoyao hadn't recognized the main attraction; instead, she'd been startled by the two minor figures beside him…

That's right! Those two Yama members were indeed the painted avatars Underworld Visitor and Hundred Ghosts Night Parade. After his battle with those two in Heavenly Prayer Forest, Xu Xiaoshou, operating under the principle of "draw them if you can, they'll be useful someday," had materialized them within his Yuan Mansion.

Just moments ago. After kicking Night Watchman away, he knew that attacking the Law Enforcers would inevitably expose his identity, so he decided to execute his "Third Plan"—transforming into Huang Quan. Xu Xiaoshou had incidentally thrown these two out.

When the painted avatars weren't activated, they were just chaotic masses of spiritual energy. Moreover, the extremely cautious Xu Xiaoshou had also used "Weaving Art" to casually weave a spiritual energy-shielding formation, as a backup, covering the pile of painted avatars to prevent Rao Yaoyao and others from noticing. When he completed this, everyone present still had their six senses sealed by Night Watchman's dark boundary, so no one noticed. At that time, the Hundredfold Boundary hadn't been activated either.

Xu Xiaoshou had thrown the painted avatars far away, beyond the boundary, precisely because he anticipated Rao Yaoyao would make a move after Night Watchman's disappearance. And once she moved, the Law Enforcers would either form a formation or activate a boundary. The former could be broken one by one with "Weaving Mastery," and as for the latter… Xu Xiaoshou could even break Ye Xiaotian's perfect-grade spatial boundary, let alone this one? But all this required time! A significant amount of time! Therefore, although the Hundredfold Boundary had indeed frightened Xu Xiaoshou, while he was conversing and stalling for time, he had already used "Perception" to penetrate the boundary, establish contact with the painted avatars outside, and successfully activate them.

By presenting a gift outside the formation or boundary, if Rao Yaoyao truly wanted to see it, she would inevitably have to order the formation or boundary to be deactivated. This way, "Huang Quan" wouldn't have to suddenly humble himself and beg the Law Enforcers to lift the formation or boundary lock; nor would he have to summon Ye Xiaotian and use abilities like "Lord of Ten Thousand Worlds" to break the boundary—that would be demeaning! A simple strategy could dismantle a blockade that was insignificant in the true Huang Quan's eyes, yet one that would hinder the fake Huang Quan (real Xu Xiaoshou) at every turn if engaged directly. Why not use it?

One stone… well, many birds. Xu Xiaoshou chuckled inwardly, unable to count how many "birds" were involved, feeling quite pleased with himself.

When he planned all this, he could already envision how Rao Yaoyao, deprived of Night Watchman's warnings, would step by step fall into his trap.

Of course, casually breaking the Hundredfold Boundary was just a side benefit. The highlight of his plan was not the two painted avatars, Underworld Visitor and Hundred Ghosts Night Parade, but the third person among them!

"Look up." In response to Rao Yaoyao's question, Xu Xiaoshou casually waved his sleeve. With that, he immediately contacted his two painted avatars. His movements were deliberately slow to avoid appearing flustered, yet to outsiders, he seemed composed as he grasped the chin of the figure propped between the two major Yama organization members and lifted its head.

A disheveled man, in tattered, blood-stained black clothes. However indistinct his appearance, when his head was raised and his face revealed to everyone… his identity was undeniable.

The entire scene suddenly fell silent. Everyone was stunned into immobility after that face was lifted. After a long silence, someone stammered.

"N-Night Watchman, senior?""Received Shock and Doubt, Passive Points, 123.""Received Fear, Passive Points, 144."