717 A Great Surprise
Liu Changqing was taken in.
There was no doubt about that.
Especially so as an individual Spiritual Cultivator who cultivated to the cutting path stage by himself.
To be honest, Liu Changqing had once received an olive branch from various major factions, but he never intended to lower himself to others.
But now, he had no choice.
The Ghost Beast Incident had beaten him to a pulp.
Young Master Xu's invitation...
The First Pavilion in the Sky, the organization that dared to harbor the Ghost Beast...
This was the only organization that Liu Changqing had tried his best to find out about. After coming into contact with it, he realised that this was the only organization that might be suitable for him to continue living!
It wasn't that the conditions given by the other party were too tempting...
Liu Changqing wasn't stupid. He knew that Young Master Xu had never given anything in this matter.
The other party's role was just to act as a middleman and communicate between him and the Ghost Beast, the two existences that could not co-exist.
But in the end, this matter was not something that could be measured with benefits.
It itself was a matter of life and death!
Liu Changqing had no choice but to accept it.
And to Xu Xiaoshou, the First Pavilion in the Sky had no choice but to accept Liu Changqing. Even though he did not know the personality and character of this person at all.
However, things were just so dramatic...
From the moment Liu Changqing stepped into this private room, and from the moment the other party discovered that the First Pavilion in the Sky was hiding a ghost beast.
The outcome of both parties seemed to have already been decided.
Xu Xiaoshou had never even thought of releasing Liu Changqing.
He knew that the risk he would have to take would be even greater.
The only way to release the person who knew the secret of the Ghost Beast in the First Pavilion in the Sky seemed to be when that person becomes a corpse...
Liu Changqing was also well aware of this!
He did not doubt that the First Pavilion in the Sky had the ability to kill him.
Because this is the faction of a demi-saint's descendant.
Both of them are smart, so there are some things that did not need to be said explicitly.
After the various benefits on the surface and the relationships that relied on each other in the dark were pushed aside.
Working together was the only result that was destined.
"Young Master Xu!"
Taking the scroll, Liu Changqing seemed as if he had caught the olive branch of a major faction that he had once spurned. Although it was more like he had caught the last straw after drowning. His expression was solemn and serious, he said in a low voice, "I've communicated with 'it'."
As he spoke, a faint divine path pattern appeared on his body.
It was obvious that he was accepting the Legacy of the Great Enlightenment.
A smile appeared on Xu Xiaoshou's face. "Good, very good. Mr. Liu..."
"Young Master Xu need not refer to me as Mr. Liu. Just call me Changqing." Since Liu Changqing had decided to accept his new identity, he clearly understood the current situation. At this moment, his tone was filled with respect.
After all, this is a demi-saint faction. To be honest, it wouldn't be a loss for him to join the faction.
Xu Xiaoshou didn't stand on ceremony either. "Alright, Xiaoqing. Since that's the case, your Legendary Beast Control Artifact?"
Liu Changqing's face twitched.
This Young Master Xu was really impolite!
Xiaoqing...
How could he even call him that?
"I have it."
Liu Changqing took a long breath and tried hard to adapt to the young man's pace of speech. He said, "As soon as 'it' attached itself to me, I was brought to this tower. It can perfectly conceal my aura."
As he spoke, Liu Changqing touched the small tower pendant on his waist.
The tower has nine levels. The charm of the path energy was not obvious, but its power was completely restrained.
It looked like an ordinary pendant. Xu Xiaoshou had not even noticed it before.
"With the Legendary Beast Control Artifact, things will be easier."
Seeing this item, Xu Xiaoshou heaved a sigh of relief.
If Liu Changqing did not have this item, he really did not know where to find one.
Of course, thinking back...
If Liu Changqing really did not have the Legendary Beast Control Artifact, it was likely that he would not have been able to survive as a ghost beast host body in a place like the imperial city for more than a month.
"You should talk to him first. Xin Xiaoku should know a lot more about matters regarding the ghost beast host body than you do." Xu Xiaoshou pointed at Xin Gugu.
Xin Gugu would take care of Liu Changqing.
With their personalities, they wouldn't dare to ask about the Ghost Beast openly at the trade fair.
Telepathic communication ended.
Mu Zixi, Xiao Wanfeng, and Liu Lu all looked over eagerly.
Including the Night Cat's higher-ups who were secretly watching the surveillance footage.
Everyone knew that the private time just now was the last additional condition Liu Changqing and Young Master Xu had before they reached the deal.
"How was it?" Mu Zixi asked.
"Mr. Liu was very satisfied. Moreover, he has taken a liking to our First Pavilion in the Sky and is planning to join." Xu Xiaoshou naturally nodded.
His words were in response to junior sister, but in secret, it was said for the people of the Night Cat to hear.
Liu Lu was astonished.
Another cutting path is going to join the First Pavilion in the Sky?
It had only been a few days...
The expansion speed of the First Pavilion in the Sky was so fast that it made one's hair stand on end!
Liu Luzhi's reaction was also similar to that of the night cat's higher-ups.
However, Mu Zixi did not think so.
The young lady only frowned and looked up and down at Liu Changqing, then her gaze stopped on his beast face. She muttered, "You don't even know what they look like. How dare you let this kind of unknown old guy sneak in?"
Liu Changqing, who was still trying to interact with Xin Gugu to gain experience, was immediately stunned. His body stiffened.
Liu Lu was also dumbfounded when he heard this. His jaw almost fell down.
Good heavens...
This is a cutting path!
This young lady, how dare she speak like this? Wasn't she being rather offensive?
Even if you are the second master of the First Pavilion in the Sky, as a junior at her innate stage, you shouldn't treat a cutting path guest like this, right?
The other party had joined the First Pavilion in the Sky, not married into the First Pavilion in the Sky!
He has dignity!
However, before Liu Lu could finish his words, something even more shocking happened.
Liu Changqing took off his beast mask and asked Xin Gugu about something. Then, he squeezed out a smile on old Zhang's face.
It could be seen that this smile was too stiff and awkward!
However, Liu Changqing still maintained his smile and explained very seriously, "Miss Mu, don't worry, this old man... is very kind."
Liu Lu: ? ? ? ?
Mu Zixi: ? ? ? ?
Xiao Wanfeng: ? ? ? ?
At this moment, even Yuan Haisheng and Nangong Yin, who were backstage and closely watching the no. 209 private room, were shocked.
Liu Changqing, who was he?
A Cutting Path!
A Cutting Path master, placed inside Dongtianwangwang city...
No, even in the headquarters of the Holy Divine Palace, he would have a place.
Why did he have to force such an ugly smile towards a young lady?
Mu Zixi was muttering to herself, but who would have thought that the elder in front of her would treat her so seriously?
She was also shocked. She jumped behind Xu Xiaoshou and grabbed her senior brother's placket. "Xu..."
Thud!
Xu Xiaoshou hit the girl's head with a thud. The girl grimaced in pain and kept cursing.
"Mr. Liu, you're too kind. This little girl doesn't filter her words. We don't need to care about her."
Turning his head, Xu Xiaoshou looked at Liu Changqing solemnly. "I invited you to join the First Pavilion in the Sky because I value your strength..."
Then, he pointed at his junior sister. "Should such a reckless little fellow offend you in the future, you should not tolerate it but instead, teach them a lesson."
At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou felt that he had turned into imperial uncle Liu. He had almost wanted to carry his junior sister and smash her to the ground.
"Cursed, passive points + 1, + 1, + 1, + 1..."
Liu Changqing thought to himself, how would I dare to?
He had asked Xin Gugu just now and learned from her that this girl was like the great-aunt of the First Pavilion in the Sky.
Otherwise, there was no need for her to act like that.
But now that Young Master Xu had given him such regard, Liu Changqing received the respect he deserved and let out a sigh of relief.
With the Ghost Beast Host body in the First Pavilion in the Sky, he had thought that his dignity as a cutting path was gone, but Young Master Xu was still able to treat him equally like this. This meant that he had some redeeming qualities.
This was not a "profligate" demi-saint faction as the rumors said.
It was an organization that would give respect to the corresponding level and treat all subordinates equally. It had the bearing of a powerful faction!
They gave him respect.
Liu Changqing, who was determined to join them, finally stopped hesitating. "Young Master Xu, there's no need to call me Mr. Liu anymore. Joining the First Pavilion in the Sky was originally my wish. If you have any orders, just say the word."
Xu Xiaoshou's brows twitched.
His original intention was to give some respect to Liu Changqing in front of outsiders.
He did not expect that he would give him a way out.
Liu Changqing, on the other hand, looked like he was determined to follow him to the end.
Since that was the case, Xu Xiaoshou felt that he did not need to be unreasonable anymore.
"Alright!" He waved his hand. "Then that's it. Xiaoqing, you shall stay here for now. Study the scroll and follow me to leave this place!"
Liu Changqing nodded his head indifferently. He was no longer bothered by the name "Xiaoqing".
Mu, Xiao, and Liu were once again dumbfounded.
They had thought that someone at the cutting path stage was already scary enough.
Who would have thought...
Xiaoqing?
They had only chatted for a short while, but Young Master Xu and Liu Changqing's relationship was already so close?
In the backstage, Nangong Yin and Yuan Haisheng looked at each other. Their expressions were a little lost and confused.
If they hadn't known Liu Changqing before, they would have thought that Liu Changqing was actually a demi-saint who was trained by the Xu family, the cutting path!
This, this, this...
This was too ridiculous!
What were the two of them talking about in secret just now?
Without paying attention to other reactions, Xu Xiaoshou took care of Liu Changqing's matter and thought seriously about the future of the First Pavilion in the Sky.
This time, Liu Changqing joining the group was something that couldn't be helped.
What he, Xu Xiaoshou, could do was to try his best to divide this sudden bad thing into two good things, the ghost beast and the cutting path.
However, Liu Changqing's actions at the trade fair caused unnecessary trouble.
Firstly, there were people from the holy divine palace watching over the trade fair.
Although he didn't know who was in the No.1 private room, for that person to be sent to watch over the trade fair, they must be a smart person.
And as long as they are a smart person, the matter of Liu Changqing asking about the ghost beast at the trade fair was destined to not be easily forgotten.
Even if it was something small and impossible in the eyes of outsiders, this incident reflected one of the small possibilities -- Liu Changqing, a Ghost Beast host body!
As long as one wasn't stupid, the Holy Divine Palace would definitely choose to verify this point.
Because according to the Red Coat's tradition, they would rather kill the wrong person than let them go.
After having a conversation in No. 209 private room, Liu Changqing unexpectedly chose to join the First Pavilion in the Sky on the spot.
The content of their conversation was still about the Ghost Beast's intelligence...
These things were too guiding!
No matter how much outsiders did not dare to believe it, they could not help but think in that direction: did the First Pavilion in the Sky really have dealings with the Ghost Beast?
Did they?
No!
Xu Xiaoshou fell into a state of self-deception.
He had to be able to deceive even himself in order to be able to deceive Red Coat.
And a few days later, Red Coat would come knocking on Xu Xiaoshou's door. This was the worst outcome that Xu Xiaoshou had expected.
"Can the Legendary Beast Control Artifact withstand Red Coat's investigation?"
Xu Xiaoshou looked at Xin Gugu and Liu Changqing, who were chatting happily, and fell into deep thought.
He vaguely remembered that day, at the City Lord Mansion in Tiansang City, when the Night Guardian appeared, he straightforwardly interrogated Xin Gugu, both openly and secretly.
It seemed that he is capable of sensing something even through the Legendary Beast Control Artifact.
If Red Coat really came knocking on his door and caught him sniffing, he believed that even if he has a Legendary Beast Control Artifact, not a single ghost beast host body would be able to withstand him, right?
"I have to think of a way..."
Xu Xiaoshou felt a sense of crisis.
He had obtained too many items related to Abyss Island from this trade fair. The Holy Divine Palace would definitely investigate it.
Perhaps after one or two scouting trips by minor characters, Red Coat might appear.
Thus, there had to be a way to completely divert their attention.
At the very least, before the start of the imperial city trial, he could not let the other party find out about him.
As for delaying methods...
Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes.
He thought about it, but it seemed like there were not many methods he could choose from. Most of the strategies that popped up in his mind were also strategies that he had read about in the military books.
"Create a diversion?"
"Surround the Wei and save the Zhao?"
"Build a path in the open, but hide in the dark?"
Another way to put it.
Was it to create something bigger so that the holy divine palace would have no time to care about other things?
Then the problem came...
Where should he blow up?
...
In No. 1 private room.
The trade fair was still going on.
But at this moment, the two Holy Divine Palace officials were no longer focused on the trade of treasures.
The command token on Chu Lisheng's waist barely flashed, and Cheng Ji became alert. He pinched his brows and asked through telepathic communication, "Have the white-clothed and Red Coat's reinforcements arrived at the Imperial City?"
Chu Lisheng picked up the command token and sensed it. He then nodded. "Master Cheng's prediction was spot on. They've arrived."
"How about those at the Yunlun Mountain range who set up the defenses and the Great Array?" Cheng Ji asked again.
"They have also completed their mission!"
Chu Lisheng continued to communicate with the command token as he replied, "Apart from a portion of the people who are still guarding the spiritual array at Pixiu Mountain and other places, most of the members of the other branches in the Eastern Sky Realm have been deployed. They can act at any time."
After pausing for a moment, Chu Lisheng asked hesitantly, "Master Cheng, when do you plan to close the net?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight?" Chu Lisheng was shocked.
"Yes."
Cheng Ji nodded and rubbed his temples:
"Indeed, the manpower was transferred to prepare for the Imperial City Trial, but..."
"It's indeed not easy for the Night Cat to gather so many people to come to the trade fair. We can't let down their hard work."
"Tonight, every member of the trade fair will have to go through a white-clothed and red-clothed cross-examination."
"I'm a little tired, but... maybe the Night Cat will give us a big surprise before the Imperial City Trial?"
