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Chapter 38: You Talk Too Much:
Xu Ze opened his eyes and walked to the window. He saw the street vendors below packing up their stalls and leaving. The street was bustling with pedestrians, and nothing seemed unusual at first glance.
However, due to his enhanced perception, Xu Ze quickly focused on a specific individual in the crowd.
This person was dressed in a black robe and had a head full of white hair. Despite his old and worn appearance, his eyes sparkled with sharpness, marking him as a hidden expert. Xu Ze observed the old man from behind the window shutters.
Although the old man tried to act normal, his eyes stealthily glanced inside the inn as he passed by. After a quick look, he hurried away without lingering.
"It seems someone has finally taken notice of me, the Holy Son." Xu Ze thought, frowning.
This person was unlikely to be alone. Given his severe injuries, he couldn't pose a threat to Xu Ze or even the four disciples in the room.
The fact that he was injured and still scouting for information in the city suggested his group wasn't at full strength and likely also injured.
"They must have encountered my master unexpectedly and suffered the consequences. There are probably no more than five of them left," Xu Ze deduced.
The old man's cautious behavior indicated that they weren't entirely sure Xu Ze was the Holy Son. Perhaps, due to their previous encounter with his master, they were now extremely careful. The old man, having walked past the inn, suddenly turned around and retraced his steps.
"Is he trying to confirm if I'm the Holy Son?" Xu Ze found this amusing but realized it also showed their desperation. They had no room for mistakes.
[Random Mission Activated!]
[Eliminate four enemy cultivators within two hours!]
[Mission Information]
[Enemy Cultivator: Xuan Dao Heavenly Alliance, Sun Hongyuan, 3rd stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm]
[Enemy Cultivator: Xuanhuang Sect Master, Li Xiu, 1st stage of the Spirit Division Realm]
[Enemy Cultivator: Danyuan Sect Elder, Huang Hong, 3rd stage of the Spirit Division Realm]
[Enemy Cultivator: Heavenly Jade Sect Disciple, Wu Qiang, 6th stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm]
Hearing the system's voice, Xu Ze's eyes lit up. The information matched his earlier deductions, and he had already planned to eliminate them. The system's mission aligned perfectly with his intentions.
"Let's start with this old man. If I'm not mistaken, he's Li Xiu, the leader of the Xuanhuang Sect, a sect specializing in sword techniques. His mystical energy distribution fits."
As Li Xiu walked past the inn again, Xu Ze smiled and headed downstairs.
...
Not long after Xu Ze left, Gu Ling'er carefully carried a tray upstairs. She had spent half the day in the kitchen preparing a meal.
"Holy Son... I am confident in my cooking skills... Once you taste my dishes, you will surely fall in love with me..." Gu Ling'er whispered with a blush.
Outside Xu Ze's room, she gathered her courage and knocked on the door.
"Holy Son, it's time to eat. I made some food for you. Please come and try it..."
There was no response. Gu Ling'er hesitated, then pushed the door open to find the room empty. The shyness on her face vanished instantly.
"Holy Son... is not here?" She murmured. Her face turned pale and her eyes lost all light. "That's strange... He was just here a moment ago..."
Placing the food on the table, Gu Ling'er stood in silence, her gaze drifting to the bed. Her face turned pink again as she seemed to be lost in thought.
...
(On the street)
Li Xiu walked quickly after observing and was sure now that the Holy Son Xu Ze was here.
"This inn should be bustling with customers at this hour, but it’s completely empty. It’s clearly been reserved. I can sense many experts inside, at least ten at the Spirit Transformation Realm. If this were a fake Holy Son, there wouldn’t be such a formidable guard. He must be the real Holy Son!"
Li Xiu was thrilled. Finding the Holy Son was a significant achievement. Although the ten Spirit Transformation Realm experts were formidable, he wasn't worried. If a direct approach didn't work, he would use stealth. He didn't believe they could guard Xu Ze all the time.
"Impressive, just from a few steps outside the inn, you could gather all this information. Being the leader of a third-rate sect is a waste of your talent." A crisp clap echoed from a nearby alley.
Li Xiu was startled. He turned to see a handsome, tall young man in white, smiling as he walked out of the alley.
"Xu... Xu Ze?" Li Xiu stammered.
"Hmph, how dare you call me by my name, Li Xiu. You’ve got some nerve." Xu Ze sneered.
Cold sweat dripped down Li Xiu's forehead. But soon, he calmed himself. Xu Ze only had the strength of the 5th stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm. Despite his injuries, Li Xiu, at the 1st stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm, could easily kill him.
Smirking, Li Xiu shook his right hand, and a long sword appeared from his sleeve.
"Heaven has a path you refuse to take; Hell has no gate, yet you enter willingly. Knowing my identity, you should have fled. Instead, you came here to die!"
Before he could finish speaking, a white beam crossed Li Xiu’s vision. In the next instant, his body was sliced in half, collapsing to the ground. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"You talk too much," Xu Ze said, walking past Li Xiu's corpse. "And... the Heavenly Dark Sect, a demonic sect? When did our reputation in the Profound Realm get so bad? You so-called righteous sects really want to push us into the dark path."
-To be continued!