A Gift for Me? How Thrilling (8000)

"Not good!" Xu Bai narrowed his eyes and quickly retreated.

His intuition told him that it was dangerous here.

Shen He has transformed into an enormous sphere, which looks extremely exaggerated.

As for that fast horse, there's nothing we can do about it.

Using the Movement-Armor Break Second Revolution, Xu Bai quickly retreated, and in the blink of an eye, he had already run over a hundred meters.

The next moment, Shen He exploded with a loud bang.

The surrounding area was barren, completely destroyed.

Xu Bai raised the dark light of the Vajra Heart Demon Body, and cracks appeared on the dark light as he watched this scene.

A moment later, the explosion subsided, and Xu Bai stepped forward, looking at the devastation on the ground.

Everywhere was charred black; the swift horse had been reduced to ashes.

If I had run a little later, I probably would have been injured at the very least.

Seeing this scene before him, Xu Bai's expression darkened slightly.

This guy really went to great lengths to get rid of him.

The plan was already in place from the moment they began to destroy the Twelve Sword Formation.

First, they tried to infiltrate his ranks. When that failed, they resorted to self-destruction, hoping to eliminate him in one fell swoop and also wipe out Shen He.

Moreover, judging from Shen He's reaction, he seems unaware that his self-disclosure was controlled by someone behind the scenes.

"This is getting more and more difficult," Xu Bai thought to himself as he looked into the darkness ahead.

The reason the other party did not choose to make a move at Purple Wood Prefecture was because at that time, Xu Bai had already gained an excellent position and turned the entire Purple Wood Prefecture to his own use.

They've endured it all this time, which shows their patience is considerable.

With that thought in mind, Xu Bai didn't linger any longer and headed straight for the Pottery Earth Prefecture.

Without a horse, they would walk. Movement-Armor Break Second Revolution, their speed was not slow. They would find another horse at the next Shadow Courier Station.

We have no leads now, and the only clue has been erased. We can only go to the Pottery Earth Prefecture first.

Now that the other side has shown its fangs, there will inevitably be further actions to follow.

As the night deepened, Xu Bai, stepping on the Movement-Armor Break Second Revolution, quickly disappeared into the distance.

Not long after Xu Bai left, the surrounding air rippled, and an ordinary-looking person appeared in the spot.

This person made no attempt to conceal their identity; they had an ordinary appearance, a blank expression, and revealed no emotion.

"Another ability, a special weapon..." The man held a pen and paper and began to record it in detail.

"Infiltration failed. Shen He is dead. We must inform the master immediately, as well as Xu Bai's latest ability."

After finishing his notes, the ordinary-looking person put away his paper and pen and then left.

The woods returned to quiet, and everything was as usual, except for the mess on the ground.

Since the incident with Shen He, Xu Bai hadn't stopped. He traveled as fast as he could, and at the nearest Shadow Courier Station, he changed to a fast horse and finally arrived at Pottery Earth Prefecture.

Pottery Earth Prefecture is a rather special prefecture.

Just like its name suggests, this place is famous for its pottery.

Compared to other prefectures, the environment of the Pottery Earth Prefecture, while not the best, was at least not bad, since pottery was quite popular in the Great Chu Kingdom.

When Xu Bai arrived, it was already late at night.

At this moment, all was quiet except for the sound of the night watchman's drum.

It was getting late, and there were many things that were inconvenient to do, so Xu Bai had no choice but to find an inn to stay in first.

"Sir, are you satisfied with this room?" The innkeeper asked as he led Xu Bai into a room.

Xu Bai glanced around and saw that although the interior wasn't luxurious, it was very clean.

"Yes, that's fine."

Xu Bai didn't care much about finding a place to stay or sleep.

"Alright, then I won't disturb your rest any longer, sir." Seeing that it was getting late, the waiter bowed and left.

After the waiter left, Xu Bai put his things away.

Inside the room, only an oil lamp flickered.

Xu Bai estimated for a moment, took out the Nameless Saber Scripture, and prepared to work on it for a while longer before taking a break.

But before he could even begin, he heard a series of soft, rustling sounds.

Xu Bai put down the book in his hand, looked around, and finally stopped in front of a wall.

The strange sound I just heard came from here.

Xu Bai thought for a moment, then leaned closer to the wall.

When it comes to guesthouses, the soundproofing is naturally not very good.

Although the sound from the other side of the wall was very faint, Xu Bai could hear it clearly.

"Sigh, let's hurry up and go find another inn to stay at."

"What's wrong? Why are you so flustered?"

"When I went out to collect porcelain today, I heard that strange things have been happening at this inn lately..."

"What strange thing is this?"

"People sing at night, right next to your pillow. Many people hear it, even when they are asleep."

With Xu Bai's abilities, he naturally heard it clearly.

Pottery Earth Prefecture is famous for its ceramics, which naturally attracts many merchants to stay here. The conversation across the street clearly shows that the merchants are here to buy ceramics.

Hearing their conversation, Xu Bai frowned.

The idea of someone singing in your ear while you're asleep at night sounds incredibly eerie.

"I just wanted to get a good night's sleep, why did I have to get into all this trouble again?" Xu Bai muttered to himself as he returned to bed, then picked up the Nameless Saber Scripture again.

He was just making a comment; everything would become clear by evening.

When a person encounters something particularly strange, they will always feel afraid, but in Xu Bai's view, all this fear stems from insufficient firepower.

If the firepower is sufficient, then everything is made of paper.

Is his firepower sufficient?

Very sufficient.

So he wasn't worried at all and just did what he was supposed to do. Time kept passing by, and in the blink of an eye, the night grew deeper and deeper.

Xu Bai put away the Nameless Saber Scripture manual in his hand and prepared to rest. Before going to sleep, he took out the paper figure from his waist and threw it on the ground.

The paper figure suddenly grew larger, becoming over three meters tall in the blink of an eye, slightly bent over to avoid touching the roof.

"Stay and watch over them."

With the paper figure standing guard beside him, Xu Bai lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Gradually, sleepiness came over him, he turned over, and fell into a deep sleep...

The oil lamp had been blown out, and the place was quiet as usual. Apart from the paper figure standing guard nearby, which added a slightly eerie atmosphere, nothing unexpected happened.

In the room next to Xu Bai's, the two merchants who started the conversation were resting.

This is a double room. Inns in the Great Chu Kingdom also offer this type of room, since sometimes, these kinds of rooms are more profitable than single rooms.

The room remained dark as usual, with the two merchants sleeping on their own beds, emitting soft snores.

The surrounding darkness was like ink, enveloping the room completely, without a single ray of light.

Apart from the faint snoring, there was no other sound.

In the blink of an eye, about half an incense stick's time had passed, and a strange noise was mixed in with the snoring.

"Squeak squeak".

A mouse the size of a palm was running around the room, occasionally letting out a sharp squeak.

Just then, the running mouse suddenly stopped, turned its head, and its tiny eyes shone with fear as it stared at a spot.

It is said that animals' eyes are more magical than human eyes, and can see things that many people cannot, such as ghosts.

If your pet cat or dog suddenly starts barking wildly at a spot in the middle of the night, and there's nothing there, be careful when you go to sleep.

That's animals giving warnings, and also animals scaring away things that shouldn't exist in the human world.

The palm-sized mouse warily watched the distance and kept backing away. But when it retreated to a certain spot, it suddenly pricked up its ears, its body stiffened, and it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

His chest was still rising and falling slightly; he was still alive, but unconscious.

A faint singing voice began to drift through the dark room.

"Eek..."

There are no lyrics; it's a woman's voice that sounds beautiful, but with a hint of allure.

The two businessmen lying on the bed became increasingly calm, and their breathing became more even, but their peaceful expressions were gradually changing.

Their initial serenity turned somber, then pale. They were not in mortal danger, but their complexions clearly indicated that something was wrong with their bodies.

The darkness remained as thick as the tide, completely obscuring the surroundings and making it impossible to see what was happening inside the room.

The singing gradually faded away and finally disappeared.

Outside the room, a figure was moving about, seemingly preparing to leave.

But before the figure could take two steps, suddenly, a hand reached out from the side and struck directly at the person's chest.

This hand is so white it has no color; it's a hand made of paper.

The figure was clearly startled and quickly retreated, but the next moment, a long, black knife swept in from the side and was held against the man's neck.

"The night is long and I can't sleep. It seems you're quite lonely, young lady. Why don't you come with me to my room for a chat?" Xu Bai's hand holding the knife was very steady. Although he had a smile on his face, it was unusually cold.

Behind him stood a three-meter-tall paper figure with a strange smile on its face.

The stark contrast between the smiles of the two figures, one human and one paper figure, makes the scene all the more chilling.

Standing in front of me was a woman, dressed in a pale yellow dress, completely covered up, but her face was not covered.

Her face was soft and alluring, captivating at first glance. Compared to her fully clothed body, it stirred an impulse to tear her clothes open and see what lay beneath.

Even with Xu Bai's composure, he was slightly affected.

With a long knife held to her neck, the woman dared not move. When she heard Xu Bai say those words, she curled her lips slightly, revealing a disdainful smile.

"Young master, in the middle of the night, you put a knife to my neck. Do you want to kill me?" The woman's voice was as clear and melodious as a bird in the sky.

"Let's go to my room first," Xu Bai said, looking around.

"Young master, if you intend to do something improper so late at night, all I have to do is shout and everyone around will wake up. Then things will not go smoothly." The woman's eyes flickered, and she gave Xu Bai a slight sidelong glance, which made Xu Bai's heart flutter.

Her eyes held a hint of coquettish charm; if it were anyone else here, they would probably have already fallen for her spell.

This woman is extraordinary; she definitely possesses the power of seduction. Otherwise, given Xu Bai's mental fortitude, he wouldn't have been affected.

But... no matter how alluring you are, you're still wearing clothes.

Who is Xu Bai? He is one of the transmigrators. In his previous life, who hadn't seen those kinds of things? Besides, Xu Bai is a man who has mastered the art of the bedroom. He knows quite a lot of positions.

That's it?

To think you could seduce someone of that level is simply wishful thinking.

"When you scream, I will cut off your head without hesitation and then calmly leave. You can try it," Xu Bai said calmly, steadying himself.

The charming woman narrowed her eyes slightly, as if she was thinking. After a moment, she lifted her foot and walked forward.

As she walked, the curve of her body bounced up and down, a sight that stirred the heart.

Xu Bai followed behind, and soon returned to his room.

The paper figure lit the oil lamp on the table, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

At this moment, the woman began to take off her clothes, removing the outermost pale yellow garment to reveal the clothes underneath.

She was wearing a white cloth dress underneath, which did nothing to conceal her figure.

"What are you doing?" Xu Bai asked, frowning.

The woman turned her head, her brows furrowed tightly, and said sarcastically, "You called me in here just for this, didn't you?"

Xu Bai: "..."

He is such an upright person, how could he be thought of like that?

"If you like talking naked, you can take your clothes off," Xu Bai said.

The woman was taken aback. "You're not one of them?"

Her face flushed, and she quickly put her clothes on.

"I don't know who you're talking about, but I need to ask you some questions," Xu Bai said. "Names, backgrounds."

"Can I not tell you?" the woman asked, her hands cupped to her chest, her face full of hope.

When this movement is performed, the arc is compressed, making it appear even more magnificent.

"Then let's cut off his hand first." Xu Bai took out the medicine Qing Xue had given him from his pocket and prepared to take action.

He wasn't joking; he really meant to go and chop.

With this strike, the beautiful woman before me will surely weep, won't she?

Xu Bai was thinking to himself, preparing to draw his Black Saber Hundred Rends, and cut off the woman's left hand.

The woman's face turned pale. She seemed to sense Xu Bai's murderous aura and knew that Xu Bai was not joking, but serious.

"I'll talk!" She quickly raised her hand and said hastily, "My name is Ye Zi, I come from Wind Chime Prefecture, which is far from here. I am a descendant of the Musician branch, Strange Sound Master."

This time, Ye Zi didn't ramble on at all and answered very quickly, afraid that if she answered too slowly, Xu Bai would chop off her hand.

"Strange Sound Master? What's that?" Xu Bai frowned and continued to ask.

Ye Zi began to explain, "Our branch can use singing to influence others. The more others are influenced, the more energy we can draw from them to improve ourselves."

"Oh?" Xu Bai stroked his chin and said, "So that means you've harmed quite a few people?"

"No." Ye Zi quickly shook his head and said, "The energy I absorbed will not cause any fundamental harm to these people. They will only be weak for a few days and then return to normal."

They influence others through their singing, and the more others are captivated by the songs, the more energy they can draw upon.

Energy is the foundation of this industry.

According to Ye Zi, she was very afraid of causing a big commotion and attracting the Bureau of Surveillance, so she was very careful.

"Okay." Xu Bai drew his Black Saber Hundred Rends, and simply uttered a single word.

Seeing Xu Bai's actions, Ye Zi hurriedly backed away, saying, "I've already made myself perfectly clear, are you still going to attack me?"

"I'm sorry for this extraordinary time," Xu Bai said. "I will make sure you feel no pain."

What time is he now? He must be careful with every step he takes, after all, there are too many people who want to kill him along the way, and the slightest carelessness could trigger a risk.

When Ye Zi saw that Xu Bai had murderous intent, she could feel the palpable killing intent. Her beautiful eyes widened suddenly, and she hurriedly said, "Don't kill me! I want to buy my life!"

Xu Bai paused briefly, then asked with interest, "Buy your life? What do you want to use to buy your life?"

This was the first time he had heard of such a condition. Compared to the people he had dealt with before, who had never mentioned these things when they begged for mercy.

We're all in business, right? If money could really buy life, maybe this deal would actually go through.

Ye Zi looked around, and after confirming that no one else was around, she cautiously approached Xu Bai, her big eyes sparkling with a gentle light.

This woman exudes a unique allure; even if she doesn't have such thoughts, her every move is captivating.

You know Xu Bai, right?

Xu Bai: "..."

Seeing that Xu Bai did not move, Ye Zi continued, "Let me tell you, he is someone that His Majesty the Emperor values highly. As long as you get in touch with him, you will definitely rise to the top. I can make that connection for you."

Xu Bai's lips twitched slightly.

What is all this about? How did he get dragged into this out of nowhere? And judging from this woman's tone, it seems like they're quite familiar with each other.

"Do you know Xu Bai?" Xu Bai asked with a smile.

Upon hearing the man's words, Ye Zi's eyes lit up slightly, feeling as if there was a turning point. She quickly nodded, "Of course I know him, he's my man."

Xu Bai's expression: "_"

He has the absolute right to speak on the matter of how he inexplicably acquired a woman.

"I am Xu Bai," Xu Bai slowly uttered the four words.

Ye Zi seemed not to have heard clearly and continued to ramble on, "I know, I know. Do you want to get in touch with Xu Bai? Don't worry, he's the one who loves me the most. I can say anything to him without any problem."

Xu Bai repeated very seriously, "I said, I am Xu Bai."

This time, Ye Zi finally heard it clearly.

The field fell into a deathly silence, which was made even more profound by the darkness of the night.

Ye Zi's eyes were wide open, and her mouth was agape, big enough to fit quite a lot of things inside.

"What are you spacing out for? Is it strange?" Xu Bai stretched out his hand and waved it in front of Ye Zi's eyes.

Ye Zi finally came to her senses, lowered her head, and said with a look of utter dejection, "Just kill me."

Xu Bai raised his right hand, hooked Ye Zi's flawless chin, and said with a smile, "How could I possibly bear to kill my woman?"

These words were full of teasing, making Ye Zi shiver and close her soft, alluring eyes.

"Didn't you give yourself a title at the beginning? Why are you silent now?" Xu Bai looked at this flawless face and said, "Tell me, why did you impersonate me? And what you said at the beginning, it seems someone is pursuing you."

When they first started talking, the woman said that Xu Bai wasn't one of those people. Xu Bai felt that someone was chasing her or looking for her.

"What does it matter? In the end, I'll give myself to you anyway." Ye Zi closed her eyes and didn't say a word.

Xu Bai was slightly taken aback. "What do you mean?"

What's going on? This question came so abruptly that he had no idea why.

What does it mean to dedicate... to him?

Ye Zi finally opened his eyes and said bitterly, "The world's top-notch cauldron, with a physique of unparalleled pure Yin, can not only bring you endless joy, but also increase your strength, and it's a recurring effect."

When the word "repetition" was mentioned, Ye Zi's face turned rosy.

"Stop giving me all that nonsense and just state your identity clearly." Xu Bai's expression gradually turned cold.

To be honest, when Xu Bai heard Ye Zi say those words, and seeing Ye Zi rosy complexion and watery eyes, he felt a surge of desire.

It wasn't that he couldn't control himself, but rather it was a problem with Ye Zi's physical condition.

Fortunately, he wasn't driven by lust; what he needed to consider now was Ye Zi's background.

"I am from Wind Chime Prefecture, from the Ye Family of Wind Chime Prefecture." Ye Zi could feel Xu Bai's coldness and couldn't help but shiver. She said, "The Ye Family is a musician family, but in the Ye Family, this profession is not used for other things, but for pleasing high-ranking officials and powerful people."

In the dark room, Ye Zi recounted everything she knew, word by word.

As she recounted what had happened, Xu Bai gradually figured out the reason behind it.

The Ye Family, from Wind Chime Prefecture, is a family of musicians with unparalleled musical skills.

Anyone who plays music must have an exceptional temperament.

The Ye Family did not follow any traditional channels, but instead used their charm and beauty to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy.

According to Ye Zi, the Ye Family has considerable influence in the Capital City, which they acquired through such means.

Upon learning that Xu Bai was highly regarded by the emperor, the Ye Family planned to send Ye Zi to Xu Bai in order to win him over.

Ye Zi already knew what was going to happen to her, but when she learned that it was Xu Bai, she immediately had the idea of running away.

Rumors circulated in the martial arts world that Xu Bai was ruthless and merciless, killing people without hesitation, and that his personality was unpredictable. If one fell into his hands, one would surely meet a terrible end.

So Ye Zi fled all the way and finally arrived at the Pottery Earth Prefecture.

While escaping, she also enhanced her strength in a way that did not harm others, at most making others feel powerless.

What she didn't expect was that things would turn out completely wrong today.

"Kill me if you want, or you can kill me after you've had your fun, just give me a quick death, don't torture me like in the legends." Ye Zi closed her eyes again.

Xu Bai's lips twitched.

Outrageous words!

What does it mean to have your fun first and then kill?

Damn it! When did I, Xu Bai, become so infamous in the martial arts world?

Am I a pervert?

"Ruthless, a mass murderer, and with a fickle personality?" Xu Bai took a deep breath and said, "Today I finally understand what it means when the news gets more and more outrageous."

"You're not..." Ye Zi opened her eyes wide in disbelief upon hearing Xu Bai's statement.

"Yes, that's me!" Xu Bai grinned and said, "Shall we take off our clothes?"

Ye Zi was slightly taken aback, then lowered her head and deftly began to unbutton her clothes.

"Smack!"

There was a red mark on her face.

Ye Zi raised her head, ignoring the pain on her face, and said, "Don't worry, we were both virgins before being given to high-ranking officials and nobles. I know you experts have unique fetishes when you hit me just now..."

Xu Bai looked coldly at Ye Zi, reached out and pulled Ye Zi's clothes up to cover her white skin.

He wasn't incompetent, but there was no need for him to do something like this to improve his strength. Improving his strength would be a piece of cake for him; he could just read a couple more progress bars.

Another important reason was that he couldn't tell if the woman was telling the truth or not. After all, there was no way to verify it. What if she was the kind of vixen who drained people's life force? Wouldn't he be doomed? "If it's just this, it might not be enough to save your life," Xu Bai brought the topic back.

But this won't buy your life; Xu Bai will kill you without hesitation.

"I have one." Ye Zi seemed to have thought of something and said, "Maybe that could save my life."

She finally realized that the man in front of her was not interested in her beauty at all, and now she had to work hard to save her life.

"Speak," Xu Bai said with a smile. "As long as I think it's valuable, I will definitely not let you die."

Ye Zi thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "Lord Xu has encountered many difficulties on his Upper Capital. I once heard our patriarch say that I can help Lord Xu remove the obstacles from the Pottery Earth Prefecture."

"Hmm?" Xu Bai said, "Tell me about it."

If that's the case, then it's still somewhat useful.

The enemy of the Pottery Earth Prefecture is in the shadows, while he is in the open, which makes things very difficult.

"I often use Eerie Sound here to increase my strength, and people unconsciously fall into dreams when they are immersed in beautiful music." Ye Zi organized her words and explained slowly, "Some people talk in their sleep, and I just happened to hear it."

At this point, Ye Zi shut her mouth, her soft, watery eyes fixed on Xu Bai, as if to say, "Will I be able to live if I tell you?"

"You don't seem to have the right to bargain with me," Xu Bai said slowly. "You've already been given to me by your family, so you're my personal property. You can say whatever I want."

Ye Zi bit her rosy lips. "The Ou Family, the Ou Family of Pottery Earth Prefecture, they were involved in this."

Xu Bai raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

The Ou Family?

He had heard of this family.

He had spoken with the head of the Ingenious Craft Pavilion when he was at the Purple Wood Prefecture. The Ou Family was another branch of the Ingenuity branch, the Human-Soldier branch.

Unlike other branches, the Ou Family puts the ingenuity into their own bodies, taking an unusual path, much like the cyborgs in the movies Xu Bai watched in his previous life.

"I need evidence," Xu Bai said.

"Yes." Ye Zi thought for a moment and said, "In the Ou Family's cellar, there is a biography of Lord Xu, as well as various documents, all of which are related to you, in order to analyze your situation."

Xu Bai paced back and forth for a moment, then sat back down in his chair and tapped the table with his hand.

Ye Zi didn't dare to utter a sound, looking down at her small toes, her expression extremely uneasy.

She was like a prisoner awaiting execution, her life or death entirely dependent on Xu Bai's word.

"Whether what you're saying is true or false, I need to verify it further," Xu Bai said slowly. "I also want to verify something with you."

Ye Zi suddenly raised her head. "This humble woman will certainly speak frankly and without reservation."

"Do you have the ability to make people talk in their sleep, and do you think it's easy for them to succeed?" Xu Bai asked.

Although Ye Zi did not understand what Xu Bai meant, she still nodded in agreement. "Yes, with a little guidance, it can be successful."

"Alright," Xu Bai said, "I'll accept this gift from the Ye Family for now."

Ye Zi's beautiful big eyes were wide open as she looked down at her curvaceous figure, biting her lower lip and putting on a pitiful look.

"Go to sleep." Xu Bai rolled onto the bed, asking no more questions, leaving Ye Zi behind.

In his view, Ye Zi was very useful.

He needs more than just the Ou Family, since it's not just the Ou Family that's targeting him; there are definitely many other forces in Pottery Earth Town.

His methods of torture and forced confessions didn't always work, but Ye Zi was different.

People are most likely to let their guard down when they are asleep, and that's when they are most likely to reveal the truth.

If we catch a spy whenever we have the chance, and then use Ye Zi's abilities, then the intelligence will be endless, right?

After seeing Xu Bai turn over to sleep, Ye Zi turned to look at the paper figure that was more than three meters tall to the side.

After hesitating for a moment, she sat down in the same spot where Xu Bai had just been sitting, rested her head on her arm, and closed her eyes.

"You're very smart," Xu Bai said, his back to Ye Zi. "It was the right thing to not run away."

Ye Zi gave a soft "hmm," her nasal tone lazy and full of a charmingly languid quality.

The situation is better than she imagined. She can stay here legitimately, and even if people from her family come, they won't be able to take her away, since she has indeed fulfilled her family's mission.

As for what to do next? We'll talk about that later.

At least for now, Xu Bai doesn't seem to be the person the rumors in the martial arts world suggest.

"I hope so," Ye Zi murmured to herself, closing her eyes.

After living in fear and hiding from her family to avoid being caught and taken back, she was exhausted. Now that she relaxed, she quickly fell asleep.

The next day.

Ye Zi suddenly heard a noise, and opened her eyes groggily to see Xu Bai already dressed and carrying the large bundle on his back.

"Young master, what's wrong with you...?"

She no longer Lord Xu, since Xu Bai was too young and calling him "Lord" made him sound old.

Unlike other shy girls, Ye Zi is usually very outgoing and confident.

"Cover your face. I don't want to cause too much trouble. You should have a way to cover it up," Xu Bai said.

Ye Zi hummed in agreement, reached into her robes, and pulled out a veil, putting it on her face.

After wearing it, her delicate and flawless face was covered, but of course, her curvaceous figure was still extremely eye-catching.

"Young master, where are we going?" Ye Zi asked.

Xu Bai gave a mysterious smile, "Then of course we'll visit the Ou Family."