Chapter 563: Chapter 490: There is a Golden House in the Book
Carrying the man was inconvenient, so Yang Xiao found some rope to tie him up, gagged him, and casually tossed him into the Mirror World. Before fully understanding the man’s value, Yang Xiao didn’t plan to kill him. He might serve as a bargaining chip in negotiating with the Head of the Wounded Door.
Before leaving, Yang Xiao planned to search Hao Laojiu’s office again, perhaps to find some information about the Resentment Sect.
Stepping over one dismembered corpse after another, Yang Xiao walked to the back door of the pawnshop that opened into the yard. The back door was slightly ajar, and with a gentle push, Yang Xiao opened it.
"Creak—"
The door was half-open, the inside was dim, illuminated only by a few night lamps. The dim yellow light covered only a small area, and areas farther away in the main hall were still engulfed in darkness; many dark, blurry silhouettes loomed in the hazy dark.
These should be pieces of furniture or some larger decorative objects, but now, these objects gave Yang Xiao an entirely unfamiliar sensation, as though these shadows could move at any moment.
Standing outside the door, Yang Xiao hesitated to enter, the unexplainable strange feeling making him cautious; it seemed... something was amiss.
Suddenly, Yang Xiao’s gaze fixed on the half-open door; it swung inward, but he clearly remembered that this door needed to be pushed outward before.
This discovery immediately made him alert. He briskly took three steps back and, without hesitation, took out the Ghost Lantern and shone it inside. The next second, the scene before him took him by surprise. The original white building had changed its appearance, turning into a dilapidated wooden house with a thatched roof that was leaky all around. The original door had also turned into a worn wooden door.
"Surely a blinding technique, and there must be a Master hidden nearby!" Yang Xiao thought in shock, and at the same time, he saw a figure appear inside the wooden house.
The figure was dressed in simple clothes, with a large braid hanging down the back, sitting at a wooden table with his back to him, shaking his head as if reading.
On the dilapidated wooden door hung a slightly uneven wooden sign that read "Humble Room" in ink.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
The sound of clapping came from behind. Yang Xiao swiftly turned around, only to see that at some point, 7 or 8 figures had appeared in the courtyard, now coldly staring at him, with the leader actively applauding.
"Not bad, to have discerned my magic artifact, you are the first from the Li Generation." The applauding individual, dressed in white and tall, held a blue-bound, thread-sewn book, clearly embodying the attire of a scholar, but what truly made Yang Xiao wary was the mask on his face.
On the right side of the mask, near the eyebrow tip, a conspicuous "You" character was written; the person turned out to be an Apostle of the You Generation!
Apart from the white-clothed scholar, an Apostle of the Li Generation stood on either side of him, with five Apostles of the Yuan Generation behind him.
The scholar glanced at the corpses on the ground, and upon seeing the City God Master with her head smashed, he couldn’t help but "tsk" in admiration, saying, "Impressive, the City God Master might belong to the Li Generation, but her many techniques would trouble even me, and yet you killed her just like that. I’m getting more interested in you. Who are you? Name yourself."
"A nameless junior, not worth mentioning." Yang Xiao saluted the white-clothed scholar with cupped hands, intentionally making his voice hoarse as he spoke politely, "In this vast world of martial arts, all who come are guests, and all who see shall share. Since the elder has encountered this today, the junior shall naturally treat you with respect. May I offer one of the City God Master’s magic artifacts as a gift? Would that satisfy you, elder?"
The white-clothed scholar slowly shook his head.
"I have obtained three treasures today, and I offer all three to you, elder. May I ask for a bit of convenience in return?" Yang Xiao continued to ask.
Unexpectedly, the white-clothed scholar still shook his head.
Yang Xiao took a deep breath, his attitude no longer as subservient as at the beginning, and he got straight to the point, "Elder, please state your terms clearly."
"I want the objects, and I also want you." The white-clothed scholar spoke naturally with a laugh, "Since you could single-handedly take down the City God Master, surely the treasures on you are no fewer than hers. How could I give up a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed?"
"Though the treasures are tempting, they come with risks. Besides, I bear no grudges against the elder, nor any enmity in recent days. Why must the elder trouble a junior like me?" Yang Xiao saluted again, "If the elder would show mercy today, on some future day I will surely repay your kindness."
The white-clothed scholar sighed softly, gently massaging his temples, "If I were in a better mood in the past, I might have let it go and spared you, treating you like nothing, but this time I cannot. I’ve taken peace money from others, and I must do the job. You’ve killed my employer’s entire family on my turf; if I let you go scot-free, how could I lead in the future? Who would then pay respect money to me?"
At these words, Yang Xiao realized that resolving the matter peacefully today would be difficult. No wonder such an important transaction was entrusted only to one Venerable One. It turned out that the biggest backer of this stronghold in Xiang Ma Town was this Apostle of the You Generation in white before him.
"Considering you are so sensible, I’ll reward you by allowing you to kill yourself. Tomorrow morning, I will hang your corpse at this house’s door as an explanation to those behind my employer." The white-clothed scholar waved his hand impatiently, "I am very busy, so make it quick."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao suddenly looked behind the white-clothed scholar and shouted, "Stop watching the show, take action now!"
The white-clothed scholar and his people were momentarily stunned, and taking advantage of their distraction, Yang Xiao pulled out the Human Bone Staff and swung it with all his might at the white-clothed scholar.
The white-clothed scholar reacted very quickly and dodged to the side, but to his surprise, the Human Bone Staff’s attack locked onto the target. After making a turn, it struck at him again, three times in succession. The white-clothed scholar exclaimed "Eh," casually grabbed an Apostle of the Yuan Generation, and used him as a shield. After the strange oscillation hit the Apostle, his mind was instantly wiped clean, and he collapsed to the ground, becoming a complete fool.
