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n

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n“Xu—Xiao—Shou!”

nA gritty voice came from behind him before he could release all the fire seeds conjured in both his hands.

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n

nXu Xiaoshou turned around.

nIt was Zhao Xidong!

n“Oh, why are you here?” Xu Xiaoshou asked, looking surprised.

n“Why should I not be here, huh? Is it because you intend to stuff a few more law enforcers into the ground before I show up?”

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n

nZhao Xidong was fuming as he angrily pointed to the two “carrots” planted into the ground. The ones who got stuffed into the soil felt so embarrassed that they felt like digging a deeper hole to hide their heads inside as well.

nIt was simply too embarrassing for the two law enforcers.

nXu Xiaoshou quashed the raging energies on his hand. If Zhao Xidong was already there, then there was no way he could carry out his plan any further.

n“Oh, them? They wanted to be stuck inside, so I just helped to speed up the process.” He looked at the two men planted in the ground and asked, “Right?”

n

n

nWhat?

nThe two men looked truly baffled, wondering who would have asked anyone to do that.

nNow that Zhao Xidong had arrived, they were thinking of telling on Xu Xiaoshou. But after some consideration, they realized that Zhao Xidong could not be there every day.

nHowever, Xu Xiaoshou was actually around them every day.

nThe two of them hesitated for quite a while.

nZhao Xidong became even more furious after noticing that the two men had chosen not to say anything at all. He then pointed at Lan Xinzi, who was behind Xu Xiaoshou. He asked, “What the hell is with her then?”

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n

nDespite what Zhao Xidong just said, he was rather shocked to see her there.

nLan Xinzhi was not someone who had been in her position for no reason. Throughout his years in the Spirit Palace, it was the first time he had seen the woman in such a haggard and disheveled state appearing before him.

n“Her?”

nXu Xiaoshou turned around and saw Lan Xinzhi. She was already popping meds by then. He sighed and said, “She wanted to kill me. So, I was doing what I did out of self-defense.”

nLan Xinzhi immediately froze on the spot.

n: Cursed, Passive Points 1.

nZhao Xidong burst out in a rage.

n“So you retaliated in self-defense, eh? Do you mean to say that even the law enforcers had caused you to have to defend yourself then? What the hell is with the cauldron, huh?” Zhao Xidong pointed to the bathtub at Xu Xiaoshou’s side.

n

n

n“Cauldron?”

nXu Xiaoshou looked stunned, not believing that Zhao Xidong could tell that the tub was indeed a cauldron.

nWell, he had probably met Elder Sang before.

nXu Xiaoshou puffed out his chest and replied, “Well, you have said it yourself. It is a cauldron. So, I am undoubtedly doing alchemy with it. What? You think I could bash someone with this thing?”

nThe two stuck in the ground continued to look confused.

n: Cursed, Passive Points 1.

nThe crowd almost burst out laughing because his explanation and his deeds did not go hand in hand at all.

nZhao Xidong cooled down and decided that he had done enough talking with Xu Xiaoshou for the day. If he were to keep talking, someone would get into trouble.

nHe then decided not to banter with the lad, and said, “Say no more. Come with me to the Spiritual Law Division.”

nXu Xiaoshou was not about to comply with the instruction.

nHe had not yet killed the one he was out to eliminate. It would be a joke to get arrested for something he had not done.

n“The Inner Yard does not forbid violence for personal reasons!” Xu Xiaoshou shouted.

n“Huh, it seems like you know the rules well. But do you know that beating up law enforcers is an offense as well?” Zhao Xidong retorted with a smirk.

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n

n“It had nothing to do with me. That thing was the one doing it.”

nXu Xiaoshou pointed to the bathtub by his side. Zhao Xidong was so angry that he was shaking all over.

nWas Xu Xiaoshou blaming the tub then?

n“Are you saying that it could hit someone without you using it to do so?”

n“I am just standing around in the Inner Yard, and someone was trying to kill me!” Xu Xiaoshou retorted.

nThe grins on the faces of the crowd froze right away.

nAlthough Xu Xiaoshou spoke and behaved funnily, there was little doubt that he was a troublesome character as well.

nHe somehow got on the wrong side of the most prominent person of the Inner Yard and had to live in fear every day.

nThey wondered if they could have lasted as long as he did if they were to be in his shoes.

nZhao Xidong instantly ran out of things to say, recalling the case with Wen Chong.

nHe knew that ultimately he would be the one responsible for any tragedies that occurred.

nHe felt perhaps he did not do a proper job as a referee on that day.

nHuh?

nWait, no!

nWe were talking about Xu Xiaoshou beating up law enforcers here! Why were we deviating from the subject?

nZhao Xidong took a deep breath and saw the wronged look on Xu Xiaoshou’s face. He felt the young man had toyed with him.

nThe kid knew how to play his tricks well.

n“Well then, if you want to leave, fine. Hand over the thing you have been beating people up with. If you dare to do such a thing again, I will confiscate another thing from you!” Zhao Xidong said in a stern tone.

nHe did not believe that he could not somehow put the kid in his place.

n“You want the tub?”

nXu Xiaoshou had a peculiar expression and said, “Honestly, this thing does not belong to me. It belongs to Elder Sang. So, you want to take it?”

nElder Sang?

nZhao Xidong felt a headache coming right away, wondering why it had involved Elder Sang again. Why was Elder Sang involved every single time?

nHowever, when he inspected the tub before him, it looked very much like the one the Elder had used.

nOther than being one size smaller, this thing was definitely of similar origin!

nZhao Xidong started recalling everything which had happened before. Every time he wanted to take action against Xu Xiaoshou, there was always a higher force getting in his way.

nThe intervention had come by coincidence or even a twist of fate, and at times, they were outright intervention from those holding higher authorities.

nSometimes, those with authority were people like Ye Xiaotian or Elder Qiao. And even the masked man.

nZhao Xidong felt like he had caught on to some leads, and he could probe further.

nDid Xu Xiaoshou have something to do with Elder Sang?

nWere they master and disciple?

nZhao Xidong looked surprised as those theories flashed through his mind. It was not the first time he had such thoughts. But Elder Sang already had a disciple.

nMu Zixi.

nHold on!

nZhao Xidong’s pupils contracted.

nMu Zixi?

nThat’s right!

nWhenever he got to the point with his deductions, that innocent, insipid-looking presence would always interrupt his thoughts. Yet Xu Xiaoshou was the greatest mental block that disrupted his thoughts.

nIf Xu Xiaoshou had something to do with Elder Sang, then Mu Zixi would just be around as a cover of sorts!

nHis heart raced when he came to such a conclusion.

n“But why?”

nIf Xu Xiaoshou was Elder Sang’s disciple, why could he not say so?

nWhile the kid was indeed ridiculous, one cannot deny that he had exceptional combat prowess. His talents were almost at the very top of all the disciples in the Inner Yard. He was so good that one could say he was number one in the Spirit Palace.

nWhy was he hiding this, though?

nIt was indeed like how he had analyzed it. Zhao Xidong believed he had exceptional intuition because he had dated many girlfriends before. He was confident that he could sense something that felt fishy.

nIt was something that seemed bigger than the Spirit Palace itself and felt more like a big game that had yet to be played out. Xu Xiaoshou had yet to show what he was truly capable of.

nIf the young man standing before him was already so competent before he had reached his pinnacle to show his true mettle, then…

nWhat happens when that game gets underway?

nHuff!

nZhao Xidong suppressed his shock and turned to look at the young man who had a look claiming innocence to any wrongdoings.

nZhao Xidong knew what those old men were like from firsthand experience.

nIf it had not been for them, he might have been someone more prominent than a mere law enforcer in the Spirit Palace.

n“Am I this pathetic?”

nSometimes, Zhao Xidong wished he was not as brilliant as he was. He could have been ignorant about things and enjoyed the bliss, but his mind had to get to work.

nHe decided not to get caught up with whatever was coming.

nFor now, he wanted to be as far away from the action as possible.

n“Off you go, Xu Xiaoshou,” Zhao Xidong said, his voice sounding rather tired.

nXu Xiaoshou was almost ready to show Elder Sang’s token. But suddenly, the prominent figure from the Spiritual Law Division let him walk instead.

nFlashes of the word “Doubted” appeared all over his Information Bar, making Xu Xiaoshou wonder what was going on in the mind of the law enforcer.

nBut then again, none of it mattered.

nXu Xiaoshou packed his things and pointed to the woman behind him. “She has injuries. I better help her out a bit.”

nLan Xinzi looked baffled.

nThe veins on Zhao Xidong’s forehead popped. He was furious at how the kid just kept going further.

n“Xu Xiaoshou, do not get so cocky.”

n“Xu Xiaoshou?”

nA gentle voice interrupted Zhao Xidong. Everyone turned around to find a man who looked so huge that he could support the sky.

nGulp!

nEveryone in the crowd froze and seemed petrified.

n“He is here?”

nXu Xiaoshou turned around when he heard the voice. He saw a sturdy man, well over two meters in height, standing right behind him.

nThe man had a black, thick beard. His clothes fitted tightly because of the rippling muscles underneath his clothes. The long cape which draped on his shoulders billowed in the wind.

nXu Xiaoshou seemed to know who the man was at a single glance.

nHe went up and extended his hand in a friendly manner.

n“Pleased to meet you.”

nZhang Xinxiong took out a piece of paper from his bulging pecs and looked down at Xu Xiaoshou, who was over one head shorter than he was. Then he slapped the paper onto Xu Xiaoshou’s chest.

nThe paper dropped to the ground with a thump.

nXu Xiaoshou’s portrait was on that piece of paper.

n“The pleasure is mine.”

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