Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Though Xu Xiaoshou said this to Lei Shuangxing, Ye Xiaotian, who was in front of Xu Xiaoshou, also felt insulted, which was a kind of collateral damage.

“I was the first to turn my head earlier…” he thought. “And I'm being chastised too!”

However, he couldn't complain. This was indeed a good way to provoke Lei Shuangxing, yet, even though the insult was directed at the other person, he was insulted at the same time.

“Was this a planned scheme? Well, he probably didn't do it on purpose…”

Thinking all this, Ye Xiaotian somehow didn't utter the compliment he'd intended to offer.

On the other side, Lei Shuangxing was on the verge of exploding.

He felt like he'd experience enough emotions to last a few years in just this day alone, and all of them had been highly charged.

“Xu Xiaoshou, you're pus.h.i.+ng it!” Lei Shuangxing opened his eyes so wide that his eyeb.a.l.l.s almost popped out.

“Oh?” Xu Xiaoshou ventured. “You're going to crush the jade stone?”

“You think I wouldn't dare?”

“Yes, I know you'd dare, so it's better not to do it!”

“…”

Lei Shuangxing's words caught in his throat. Someone like him, who seldom spoke, was no match for Xu Xiaoshou when it came to talking.

After taking two deep breaths, he felt that he could no longer suppress the flood of power in his body.

Judging by the time, the chief's task was almost complete. Perhaps… he did not need to stay here.

Xu Xiaoshou saw he was silent and stole a glance at the remaining three hostages in the empty s.p.a.ce, thinking it would be a little difficult moving them. But he decided to speak anyhow.

“Look… I heard that your sword energy can lock on to the target?”

Lei Shuangxing grunted and said no more, finding that it was best not to talk to this lad.

Fondling the jade stone in his hand, Lei Shuangxing imperceptibly gave a signal to Luo Leilei in the empty s.p.a.ce. He was ready to strike.

His target was naturally that d*mned lad!

Xu Xiaoshou Sensed his intentions and asked while tilting his, “Why are you bending your fingers? Is it a signal?”

Lei Shuangxing: “…”

Luo Leilei: “…”

How could he detect such a subtle signal?

Did he have eyes on the back of his head?

Cursed, Pa.s.sive Points +2.

Lei Shuangxing was annoyed. He didn't say anything more and raised the jade stone in his hand high, ready to crush it!

Whoos.h.!.+

It was just then that Xu Xiaoshou shook his body once and disappeared from behind Ye Xiaotian. By the time he reappeared, he was behind Luo Leilei.

Secret Technique, Human s.h.i.+eld!

“Sorry.”

He picked up the shocked Luo Leilei by her waist as his human s.h.i.+eld.

Unexpectedly, it was the empty s.p.a.ce that Ye Xiaotian detained. Unless he could pick up the person and the s.p.a.ce, he'd have no way of moving the woman.

Xu Xiaoshou: “…”

Awkward!

A major embarra.s.sment!

He gently grabbed the woman's shoulders and, sticking his head out from behind her, said casually, “Come on, strike me. Can your sword energy go around, or cut me from behind?”

Lei Shuangxing grew furious again, but he loosened the hand that was about to crush the jade stone.

“This…”

This was too shameless!

For the first time, he wanted to curse someone, but, because he was a civilized person, he found that his vocabulary was seriously limited.

“Xu Xiaoshou, what the h*ll do you want to do?” Lei Shuangxing poked his cane into the ground.

“Nothing. You want to stall for time, and I want to save people. That's all.” Xu Xiaoshou smiled gently. “Therefore, let's make a deal…”

“No way!”

Lei Shuangxing refused him without a second thought. He already knew what the result would be even before making a deal with him.

Xu Xiaoshou kept on smiling. “You think about it again.”

He squeezed his five fingers together and turned them into a palm blade, the “Sharp Light,” and cut Luo Leilei's neck. Blood poured out.

Luo Leilei: ???

“Why am I the one to get hurt when you two are the ones fighting?” she thought.

Lei Shuangxing's face was completely emotionless as he said calmly, “You think you can threaten me by doing this?”

“Can't I?” Xu Xiaoshou said, an insightful expression on his face that seemed to say he'd seen through his motivations. “On the surface, it seems that you're stalling to give the others more chances, but isn't saving people one of the purposes of your trip?

“If you ask me, this should also be one of the primary tasks. Luo Leilei… can't die yet.”

He tightened his fingers slightly, and Luo Leilei's aorta was cut open. More blood poured out. Seeing this, Ye Xiaotian's eyelids twitched wildly.

“Is this guy messing around?” he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou had thought that Luo Leilei was merely a dispensable p.a.w.n of the “Holy Va.s.sal.” As such, they would save her if they could, and would abandon her if they had difficulty doing so.

This was the very reason why he didn't dare to match Lei Shuangxing in harming hostages.

In his opinion, any one of the five hostages held by Lei Shuangxing was much more important than Luo Leilei.

But…

Watching the slight change in Lei Shuangxing's expression after he cut Luo Leilei, Ye Xiaotian realized that he'd been tricked.

How did Xu Xiaoshou… know so much?

Suspected, Pa.s.sive Points +2.

Suspected, Pa.s.sive Points +1.

“…”

The information bar was flooded with notifications. It was obvious that several people present had a lot going on inside their heads. Xu Xiaoshou calmly waited.

He didn't exert more force, because Luo Leilei probably wouldn't be able to survive if he did.

She didn't have a Master Level body.

As for how he knew Luo Leilei was important, it was because he'd figured it out based on how she'd boldly invited him to join the Holy Va.s.sal in the Tianxuan Gate and was being saved by someone.

In the eyes of the “Holy Va.s.sal,” Luo Leilei definitely wasn't a simple p.a.w.n!

“You want to exchange hostages?” Lei Shuangxing finally couldn't help but say.

The corners of Xu Xiaoshou's mouth curled up. He'd guessed right!

“No. You have three hostages, and I only have one. That's not fair. You let two people go first!”

“You…”

Lei Shuangxing was so angry that his lungs nearly burst. This lad was getting ahead of himself!

“Who's more important—Luo Leilei or the three hostages in your hands? Think about it yourself. To be honest, if I weren't a good guy, I'd have no intentions of saving any of the three.

“After all, I barely know them…”

Ye Xiaotian glared at him, and Xu Xiaoshou's voice faltered.

Lei Shuangxing hesitated. If he gave up two hostages, Luo Leilei's important ident.i.ty would also be known.

Yet, even if he couldn't see, judging by the smell of blood in the air, he could tell what Xu Xiaoshou was doing.

Pah, pah!

The sword energy exploded, and two b.l.o.o.d.y figures fell to the ground.

“Sure, I'll give them back to you.”

Though they were returned, their breaths were barely detectable.

Xu Xiaoshou grew cold. “You've messed them up!”

“An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

The air was quiet for a second.

With a swoos.h.i.+ng sound, Xu Xiaohu's palm broke through Luo Leilei from her back to her chest, and blood poured out.

“Sorry, I didn't want to, but your friend forced me to.”

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a moment, then explained in a low voice, “Don't worry. I have experience. I've avoided the vital areas this time.”

Luo Leilei's pretty face turned pale. When she heard what he said, she was so stunned blood almost spurted out from the corners of her mouth.

Those present were all dumbfounded. They all wondered how the two of them had started hurting people without speaking first.

Saving hostages wasn't supposed to end up like this!

Ye Xiaotian realized that the situation had gotten a bit out of control, but he didn't stop Xu Xiaoshou. Now that he'd chosen to believe in him, he had to support him to the end.

A great many sword energies came out from Lei Shuangxing's body, and the sword energies condensed and turned into thousands of small white swords hovering in the empty s.p.a.ce.

The a.s.sembly Hall, the old acacia tree, and a large woodland in the rear had all turned into large swords inserted into the ground, ready to fly up.

Master Level Sword Will was ready to strike at full strength!

The heavens and earth were in awe.