Ye Zi Was Quite Useful

A visit to the Ou Family?

Ye Zi was stunned when she heard what Xu Bai said.

After a while, he hesitated and said, "But... are we just going to go like this, openly and honestly?"

To do this kind of thing, you should at least find a dark and windy night, put on a set of black clothes, and sneak off, right?

Ye Zi was a little confused. Could they find anything useful by going there so openly? "Of course we should go openly. Sometimes an open investigation is better than a covert one." Xu Bai opened the door and said, "Let's go, let's hurry."

Ye Zi was dazed; although her face was covered by a veil, her large eyes were full of doubt.

Since Xu Bai Xu Bai had already said that, she didn't ask any more questions and followed him out the door.

After leaving the house, Xu Bai took Ye Zi to a small food stall for a meal.

Although Ye Zi was wearing a veil, her gentle and charming temperament remained unchanged, making Xu Bai the center of attention.

After finishing their meal, the two of them leisurely made their way to the Ou Family.

Throughout the entire process, Xu Bai did not appear rushed; instead, he seemed to be strolling around.

Ye Zi was even more puzzled. She felt that Xu Bai didn't seem to be there to interrogate her, but rather like he was there for a vacation.

But she knew perfectly well that she only needed to play the role of a nobody, and that meddling too much would only cause trouble.

Before long, the two arrived at the Ou Family.

As a prominent family in the Pottery Earth Prefecture, the Ou Family was naturally quite wealthy. Even the stone lions at their gate were much more exquisite than those of other households.

At the entrance, two servants stood guard, each holding a wooden stick.

Upon seeing Xu Bai and Ye Zi approach, one of the servants stepped forward and asked, "What brings you two here?"

Having taken on this job, the servants were dutiful and dutiful. Now, given the situation, the servants naturally wanted to find out the details first.

Especially upon seeing the Black Saber Hundred Rends at Xu Bai's waist, the servants could tell the difference about this blade and knew that Xu Bai was not someone to be trifled with.

"Just announce that Xu Bai has come to see Ou Family," Xu Bai said slowly, his hand resting on the Black Saber Hundred Rends.

Ye Zi huddled behind Xu Bai, remaining silent, her eyes darting around as if she were deep in thought.

The servant was slightly taken aback, but still told Xu Bai to wait there while he went inside to announce the news.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a servant came out from inside and bowed respectfully, saying, "The master said that he has recently caught a cold and is worried that Lord Xu may be infected, so he cannot see Lord Xu."

Xu Bai narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this.

What if I insist on going in?

"Lord Xu, please don't make things difficult for us. If Lord Xu insist on going in, we'll have no choice but to accuse you of trespassing." The servant's tone was quite helpless, but he persisted in guarding the place because he was doing his job.

"Go ahead and sue me." Xu Bai lifted his foot and walked inside.

The servant hesitated for a moment, wanting to stop Xu Bai.

But before he could even step forward, he heard Xu Bai say the next thing.

"How much do you make a month? Is it really worth risking your life?"

With a casual remark, the two servants glanced at the Black Saber Hundred Rends at Xu Bai's waist, hesitated for a moment, but still didn't dare to stop him.

Yeah, that's all the money I make in a month, why would I risk my life for it?

Thinking this through, the servant could only pretend to be unable to stop them.

Xu Bai arrived at the door and pushed it open.

The gate made a slight noise, and inside the gate was a very large courtyard.

Wealthy families appreciate this style; the larger the area, the more it showcases their wealth.

Xu Bai led Ye Zi inside, followed by two servants with helpless expressions.

This commotion naturally attracted the attention of many servants and maids.

A moment later, Xu Bai was stopped.

An elderly man dressed as a butler stood in front of Xu Bai Xu Bai, blocking his way. He said with a serious expression, "Lord Xu, my master is not feeling well. Please come another day. If you go back now, I can pretend I never saw you."

Although the butler was bent over, his tone was extremely firm, clearly indicating that he wanted to completely stop Xu Bai.

"Something important has gone missing from my Shadow Courier Station. Now that I've investigated this place, you're stopping me, which is going against the imperial court," Xu Bai said calmly.

He began to address people by his official title, which was naturally a way of using his official rank to intimidate others.

The Old Butler laughed and said, "Lord Xu is joking. The Shadow Courier Station where Lord Xu is located is in Yunlai Prefecture, which is far away from here. How could it be possible to find this place?"

"If I say so, then so be it." Xu Bai said, "Your status is too low, and you are not cooperating with me. If you continue to obstruct me, I will not show any mercy."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Old Butler's smile widened even more.

"Lord Xu, this is trespassing..."

"Smack!"

Xu Bai withdrew his hand, looked at the Old Butler's swollen face, and said, "Grinning like that, he deserves a beating."

"You!" The Old Butler touched his face, his eyebrows raised, and was about to explode.

Xu Bai interrupted, saying, "By obstructing my investigation, you are going against the imperial court. I'm already being extremely lenient by giving you a slap."

Upon hearing this, the Old Butler wanted to lash out, but he forcibly suppressed his anger.

At that moment, a slightly weak voice came out.

"Lord Xu is of noble status, how could he possibly stoop to the level of a mere servant? A Fu, bring Lord Xu in."

I couldn't see anyone, I could only hear their voices.

He's a master.

Xu Bai narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, "Pretending to be so weak, yet able to make his voice carry so far, he's openly coming with me."

The Old Butler named A Fu was slightly taken aback when he heard the voice, but quickly recovered and suppressed his humiliation, saying, "Lord Xu, please."

"I still prefer your rebellious self. Try to get back to your old self," Xu Bai joked.

A Fu's body trembled slightly, but he tried his best to suppress it and did not refute Xu Bai's words. He simply turned his head and began to lead the way.

Since even the head of the family had spoken, A Fu naturally had nothing else to say and walked on quietly.

I just got slapped, so I guess I have no choice but to accept it.

A Fu led Xu Bai and the other man through winding roads until they finally arrived at an extremely luxurious house.

He stepped forward and knocked on the door. "Master, the person has been brought here."

"You may leave now. Just let Lord Xu and the others in."

A weak voice came from inside the room.

A Fu bowed in agreement, didn't speak to Xu Bai or the other person, turned around and left directly, as if staying there for even a moment would make him feel particularly uncomfortable.

"Let's go in and take a look." Xu Bai walked to the door and pushed it open.

Ye Zi followed Xu Bai, and the two went directly into the house.

Compared to the luxury outside, the interior was equally luxurious.

Whether it's the size of the decorative items or the surrounding layout, everything looks very sophisticated, making people feel very comfortable at first glance.

In the very center of the room, there was a recliner, and on it lay a middle-aged man. The man was wearing a long robe, which, although of a simple style, was extremely exquisite in both material and workmanship.

At this moment, the middle-aged man's face was extremely pale, as if he had been seriously ill and had not yet fully recovered.

"I have fallen ill and am unable to rise to greet you. I hope Lord Xu will not take offense." The head of the Ou Family held onto the armrests of the recliner, trying his best to get up, but he fell back down halfway up.

This action is characterized by two words: weakness.

Both in appearance and demeanor, he exuded the feeling of someone recovering from a serious illness.

"Ou Family, please don't get up. Since you're already ill, you should rest. I just wanted to see Ou Family and discuss a few more matters." Xu Bai politely waved his head, indicating that there was no need for him to get up to greet him. He then led Ye Zi to a seat and sat down, acting as if they were old friends.

"What brings you here, Lord Xu?" The Ou Family head was still pale and weak, but after hearing Xu Bai's words, he did not get up. He just lay on the recliner and asked weakly.

In terms of both details and other aspects, it was flawless and did not give anyone any indication of anything unusual.

Just as Xu Bai was about to speak, his nose twitched, and he smelled an unusual odor.

The smell was very pungent, like something was burning. Although it was faint, it was very noticeable.

"In broad daylight, the Ou Family mansion is still burning things?" Xu Bai rested his elbows on the table and asked with interest, "Is it almost done burning by now?"

Last night, Ye Zi said that the Ou Family was collecting information on him in order to deal with him. Now that they've caught wind of this again, it's clear that they've almost finished dealing with it.

"I was just tidying up some things today, some leftover waste that needed to be burned, when Lord Xu happened to come by. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience," the Ou Family head explained with a wan smile.

Upon hearing this, Ye Zi slightly parted her red lips, as if to speak, but was stopped by a look from Xu Bai.

Since the other party is so calm, they must have already taken care of everything, so there's no point in going out to look for them anymore.

But that doesn't matter; he didn't come here to find these things, but for something else.

"Let's get down to business. I've come here to borrow someone from Patriarch Ou Family," Xu Bai said.

Although the head of the Ou Family remained lying on his back, his brows furrowed tightly after hearing Xu Bai's words, as he did not understand what Xu Bai meant.

"Whom does Lord Xu wish to borrow?"

"Let's talk about that Old Butler A Fu. I noticed he holds some power in the household, so he'll probably be of great use to me," Xu Bai said after thinking for a moment.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but I wonder what purpose Lord Xu intends to serve by borrowing A Fu?" the Ou Family head pondered.

Xu Bai pretended to suddenly understand and explained, "It's like this, I'm new here and not familiar with anything, so I need someone knowledgeable to show me the way, which is why I came to you. As for why I only came to you, it's because the Pavilion Master of the Ingenious Craft Pavilion introduced me."

At this point, he even brought up the Ingenious Craft Pavilion.

Upon hearing this, the head of the Ou Family fell silent.

The request was too abrupt, and he couldn't understand what trick Xu Bai was playing, so he didn't readily agree.

Xu Bai didn't say anything, just sat there waiting for a reply.

He didn't say a word, but he believed that the head of the Ou Family would definitely give him a reply.

A hint of doubt lingered in Ye Zi's beautiful, star-like eyes.

She couldn't quite understand what Xu Bai's intentions were, but she knew that Xu Bai had already begun his plan.

As people trained by the Ye Family, they were very particular about this matter. They just obediently stayed aside without saying a word, letting Xu Bai make the decisions.

After a moment, the head of the Ou Family sighed and finally broke the silence, slowly speaking the next words.

"The Old Butler and I have known each other for many years and he has always been dedicated to the family. If Lord Xu wants to find someone familiar with the place, I can make other arrangements," said the head of the Ou Family.

These words effectively shut down Xu Bai's argument, leaving him with no reason to lend the money, whether from a social or other perspective.

But who is Xu Bai? Even if there's no reason, there can be one.

"I don't need anyone else, I just need him to lead the way," Xu Bai said, shaking his head.

The head of the Ou Family smiled wryly and said, "Lord Xu, you are making things difficult for me. If that's the case, I can refuse to lend it."

Xu Bai said, "You can give it a try."

There was a hint of threat in those words.

Ye Zi's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Xu Bai to insist on bringing people along. She had thought there were other reasons, but she hadn't expected him to be so forceful.

The head of the Ou Family stared straight at Xu Bai, and Xu Bai, not to be outdone, also looked directly at the head of the Ou Family.

The two stared at each other for a while, and then the head of the Ou Family became serious.

"Lord Xu, you are provoking our family. Do you think that if I don't agree, you will wipe out our family in broad daylight?" the Ou Family head said in a deep voice.

"I'm an upright person and wouldn't do such things, but I can't guarantee that there won't be some unscrupulous people secretly trying to trip you up. I don't know about that," Xu Bai said meaningfully.

The head of the Ou Family almost gritted his teeth as he said, "Borrow! But before that, he needs to hand over many things. How about I deliver them to Lord Xu's residence this afternoon?"

"Okay." Xu Bai stood up from his seat, stretched, looked at Ye Zi, and said, "Let's go back."

"Huh?" Ye Zi exclaimed, completely bewildered, but still followed Xu Bai out the door.

The two didn't even have much interaction with the head of the Ou Family, nor did they say goodbye; they simply left.

After Xu Bai and his companion left the Ou residence, the Ou Family head's face suddenly turned gloomy, and his original paleness disappeared, replaced by a normal color.

He stood up from his seat, looked towards the door, and let out a cold laugh.

At this moment, he showed no signs of being sickly; he was even more vigorous than a normal person.

"Fine, very well indeed." The head of the Ou Family clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fury, like a dog driven to desperation.

"A Fu!"

He shouted, his clenched fists loosened, the anger in his eyes subsided as he tried to calm himself down.

Outside the room, A Fu walked in, his body hunched over.

"Master, I know everything. Please let me go."

A Fu still had a red handprint on his right cheek. His face, swollen from Xu Bai's beating, looked asymmetrical and ridiculous.

"Do you think he discovered something when he came here this time?" The head of the Ou Family returned to his recliner, gently rocking it, and said with his eyes closed.

After a moment's thought, A Fu said, "Master, I believe we haven't revealed anything, so he couldn't possibly know our purpose. Could it be that he really just wanted me to be his guide?"

The head of the Ou Family opened his eyes, his expression grave. "We cannot underestimate this person. Xu Bai may seem harmless on the surface, but what he just did is actually showing us a phenomenon."

"He slapped you and then used his so-called official authority to oppress me, just to tell us that he is a good-for-nothing who only knows how to abuse his power."

"But this good-for-nothing was able to wipe out the entire Purple Wood Prefecture. This person should not be underestimated."

A Fu nodded repeatedly in agreement and said nothing more.

He was waiting for the Ou Family head's order. Now that the other party had made a move, the Ou Family head would definitely have to retaliate, otherwise he would be passively beaten.

After pondering for a long time, the head of the Ou Family finally made a decision. "You follow him and don't say anything against him. Just observe what he wants to do, and don't give anything away. Before we deal with him, we need to know what he wants to do."

"Yes, I will go to where he is right away." A Fu nodded and prepared to leave immediately.

"Wait a minute," said the head of the Ou Family. "I just told him that you need to hand over your things. It's not too late to go later."

"Yes!" A Fu answered again, and then left the room.

After A Fu left, the room fell silent. The head of the Ou Family sat on a recliner, swaying back and forth with the movement of the chair, his eyes slightly focused, seemingly lost in thought.

On the other side.

Xu Bai, with Ye Zi, has returned to the inn.

As soon as she opened the inn door, Ye Zi stared at Xu Bai with a face full of doubt, but she didn't say a word. She bit her lower lip tightly, her curiosity evident.

"Alright, stop looking at me like that. Just ask what you want to ask." Xu Bai sat down in the chair and put the bundle on his back aside.

Ye Zi stared at Xu Bai with her Ling Ling, watery eyes, organized her thoughts, and asked, "Young Master, I don't understand why you sent your Old Butler to be our guide."

She had thought that this trip would definitely lead to a big fight, but she didn't expect that both sides were just putting on an act. There was only one thing she couldn't understand: why Xu Bai wanted the Old Butler to be the guide.

Isn't this like bringing an enemy with you? "I don't think everyone in the Ou Family knows the secrets. This Old Butler holds a high position; he knows a lot," Xu Bai said.

Ye Zi's eyes darted around, and she gracefully moved to Xu Bai's side, asking, "Is Young Master confident that he can get the truth out of the Old Butler?"

"That depends on whether you can pull it off." Xu Bai raised his head and said, "Your chance to prove you're useful has arrived. Can you extract information from me?"

Ye Zi was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized what he meant and said with her head down, "I only have the ability of a sixth-grade person. If that Old Butler is stronger than me, I have to knock him unconscious before I can even try, and there's no guarantee of success."

Xu Bai frowned and asked, "Why must I knock him unconscious?"

"Only when he falls into a coma, in a state of unconsciousness, can I use the ghostly music to guide him," Ye Zi explained.

As Strange Sound Master, she naturally understood the characteristics of this profession, the methods of its application, and knew when the success rate was highest.

What Xu Bai just said made her realize that this was a good opportunity to showcase herself. If she did well, she would have a reason to stay; if she did poorly, she didn't know what the outcome would be.

Just thinking about Xu Bai's murderous aura last night made Ye Zi shudder.

"If that's the case, then it's easy to handle." Xu Bai stroked his chin and nodded. "It's just unconsciousness. There are many ways to make someone unconscious."

Actually, this was his real purpose for coming here today.

Xu Bai knew very well that the Ou Family was not the only ones who wanted to deal with him.

After all, the Purple Wood Prefecture was fraught with difficulties, let alone the Pottery Earth Prefecture? The closer to the Capital City, the greater the difficulties will become.

He had a hunch: what if the Ou Family was colluding with other forces? Could he follow the trail from the Ou Family and investigate further? If he really uncovered something big, it would be excellent news for him, much better than having no clues at all.

"Don't worry, young master, I will do my best and will never let you down." Ye Zi nodded vigorously, his face full of determination.

Although they haven't known each other for long, Ye Zi can tell that if Xu Bai truly approves of her, she won't have any worries.

She's very good at judging people, especially men.

"If I stay by Young Master Xu's side, wouldn't I have fulfilled the family's mission without being sold off like a commodity?" Ye Zi thought to herself.

Of course, she was also very clear in her heart that if she wanted to truly stay, she had to demonstrate her abilities, not her so-called beauty.

"Young Master, why don't you rest for a bit? I reckon they'll be here this afternoon." Ye Zi slowly walked behind Xu Bai, extended her slender fingers, placed them on Xu Bai's shoulder, and gently massaged it.

Xu Bai squinted his eyes, feeling a great sense of comfort in his shoulders.

Of course, his mind was perfectly clear; he was simply enjoying the massage.

Everything was just waiting for the Old Butler to arrive.

Taking out the Nameless Saber Scripture, Xu Bai worked on the progress bar while enjoying Ye Zi's shoulder and leg massage. He felt like he was living an extremely decadent life.

Looking at Ye Zi, who walked up from behind and knelt down next to him to massage his legs, especially the curves of her waist and back, Xu Bai sighed inwardly.

"No wonder those cadres couldn't withstand the test..."

Time passed slowly, and before we knew it, it was afternoon. There was a knock on the door.

"Lord Xu, A Fu is here to report."

At this moment, A Fu's voice sounded much more humble, lacking the arrogance of the morning. Clearly, after receiving guidance from the Ou Family head, he understood what he needed to do.

"Open the door," Xu Bai said.

"Yes." Ye Zi went to the door, opened it, and let A Fu come in from the outside.

A Fu walked in from outside the door with his body bowed, keeping his head down the whole time, appearing exceptionally respectful.

"I apologize for my rudeness this morning, and I hope Lord Xu will forgive me." A Fu apologized as soon as he entered the room.

Xu Bai waved his sleeve and said generously, "Let's not waste any more time on idle talk. Come on, follow me to a place."

A Fu was slightly taken aback and wanted to ask which place it was, but seeing that Xu Bai ignored him and clearly did not want him to know, he could only remain silent.

Xu Bai put the bundle back on his back and went straight out the door.

Ye Zi followed closely behind Xu Bai, A Fu, seeing this, could only grit his teeth and follow as well.

At this time, the sun had not yet set, and many people were still walking around on the streets, while the vendors on both sides had not completely dispersed.

Xu Bai led them out of the Pottery Earth Prefecture's territory and into a desolate wilderness.

Throughout the journey, A Fu remained silent, but he secretly became vigilant, feeling that something ominous was about to happen.

Why would Xu Bai come to this desolate place at this time? Does he intend to make a move? But upon closer thought, A Fu felt it was unlikely. After all, he had come out to help him legitimately. If he were to make a move, he would definitely not be able to explain it to the Ou Family.

Only after thinking about this did he calm down a little.

But sometimes, things tend to go in the opposite direction.

"That's about enough, let's stop here." Xu Bai stopped and drew the Black Saber Hundred Rends from his waist.

The next moment, the Black Saber Hundred Rends burst into hundreds of fragments, completely surrounding A Fu.

A Fu froze on the spot. Then, he reacted, his face showing vigilance, and a faint white light appeared on his palms.

His hands had turned a metallic color, and they didn't look like human hands, but rather like machines.

"The human-soldier branch is indeed different. You must have transformed your hands into machines," Xu Bai said with a faint smile.

A Fu said warily, "Lord Xu, I have not offended you. I only misspoke this morning. There is no need to kill me, is there?"

Xu Bai's smile didn't disappear; instead, it grew even brighter. "Do you think you can resist? If you want to live, you'd better obey."

A Fu could sense the power of those hundreds of fragments. Each fragment contained dark light and strong winds, and it was slowly moving in the sky, following a breathtaking trajectory.

He is no match for them and will die a horrible death.

But he understood Xu Bai's meaning: did he mean not to kill him? "Isn't Lord Xu planning to attack me?" A Fu pondered for a moment and said.

"Then let's see if you fight back. If you don't move, your life is not in danger." Xu Bai walked over, raised his hand, and chopped A Fu on the neck.

A Fu looked at the attacking hand, then at the hundreds of pieces of debris beside him, and finally gritted his teeth and did not fight back.

"Bang!"

A dull sound rang out, and A Fu looked puzzled. He felt a slight pain in his neck, but there was no injury.

"I didn't control my strength well," Xu Bai thought to himself.

You can't blame him for that.

Who knows how much force it takes to knock someone unconscious? What if you use too much force and accidentally cut A Fu's neck off? Wouldn't that be a huge loss? But it doesn't matter, it's not a big problem at all. If it doesn't work the first time, there are two more times. He has plenty of time to try.

"Bang bang bang bang bang..."

A series of muffled sounds rang out as Xu Bai gradually increased his strength, while A Fu's expression grew increasingly grim.

What is this person doing? Is this a provocation or an insult?

The crucial point is that he didn't dare to fight back at all, because Xu Bai had said that if he did, those hundreds of fragments could very well kill him instantly.

"That's too much, too much!" A Fu clenched his fists, feeling the pain in his neck.

This was tantamount to pinning him to the ground and rubbing his face with his feet—it was like slapping him in the face! The humiliation intensified, and A Fu clenched his fists tighter and tighter, the grinding sound coming from his clenched teeth.

As the sense of humiliation gradually increased to a certain level, A Fu felt that he had reached his limit and could no longer endure it.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over me, and then, without knowing what happened, I lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

Ye Zi: "..."

Today has truly been an eye-opener. It's unbelievable that someone could be knocked unconscious in such an outrageous way.

"No wonder people in the martial arts world say that Young Master Xu is a very strange person. Only Young Master Xu would dare to use this method," Ye Zi thought to himself.

The other party dared not fight back and could only be subjected to Xu Bai's repeated attempts. Only those who witnessed such a scene firsthand could truly appreciate its power.

Ye Zi felt that her horizons had been completely broadened today.

Xu Bai clapped his hands and said with some regret, "We should try more in the future, otherwise we'll have to try again and again, which is too troublesome."

Ye Zi stared wide-eyed, her face filled with astonishment.

Is that too much trouble? It's just waving a few times.

Of course, she dared not comment and could only keep her surprise to herself.

"I don't know how long he'll be unconscious. Let's begin. By the way, can you tell if he's really unconscious or just pretending?" Xu Bai asked.

Ye Zi snapped out of her daze and nodded vigorously, indicating that she could figure it out.

Seeing that Xu Bai had begun to urge her, she did not hesitate and slowly raised her fair index finger, interlacing it in front of her.

A hazy light appeared above her ten fingers, and as Ye Zi intertwined them, strands of silk, almost tangible, appeared.

"Zheng..."

Like the clear sound of a zither, these silk threads conveyed one note after another as Ye Zi's slender fingers plucked the strings.

As the musical notes danced, they A Fu's body.

A moment later, a smile appeared on A Fu's face, as if he were having a wonderful dream.

Ye Zi did not stop plucking the silk threads, making the notes even clearer and more melodious.

About a minute or two later.

A Fu had already fallen asleep, but as the music played, he opened his mouth and began to mumble in his sleep.

Xu Bai's eyes lit up slightly.

Judging from this, it seems to have been successful.

As expected, Ye Zi looked at Xu Bai with a charming smile and said, "Young Master, we can begin now. Ask him questions now, and he should answer truthfully in his sleep."

As Strange Sound Master, Ye Zi naturally knew the best time to respond, so she quickly offered her reminder.

Xu Bai nodded, walked over to A Fu, and said, "Tell me, who are the people who are targeting me?"

Upon hearing Xu Bai's voice, A Fu's face showed a struggle.

Clearly, his question made A Fu waver.

However, the next moment, Ye Zi quickened her movements as she plucked the silk threads, and the notes became rapid in the blink of an eye.

The struggle on A Fu's face gradually disappeared, and he slowly opened his mouth...

Some readers have said that the protagonist needs to develop counter-surveillance abilities. Don't worry, I'm preparing for that, and it will be available soon.