Chapter 1657: Demerit of the Holy Slave Blood Seal, Sin in a Letter from Xuanji

"Are you there?"

Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts probed into the ancient book world. The figure of the white-clad swordsman was extremely blurry, much less distinct than before. He looked as if his intelligence had completely dispersed, leaving only a shadow.

"Yes."

He's still here? I thought you meant "not much time" was very short, and that you'd have left without a word! Xu Xiaoshou was relieved he hadn't started badmouthing the old man, and quickly said, "Good that you're here. We're discussing you openly, not gossiping behind your back. You won't get angry, will you?"

Bazun An couldn't be bothered with Xu Xiaoshou's nonsense. What happened back then was actually nothing significant to him. He was merely disgusted by an unsophisticated trick, not something difficult to speak about. At the time, Xu Xiaoshou was still young and not privy to that level of information, so there was no need to tell him. Now, with the Saint Emperor Rao family almost gone, it was indeed time to tell him some things about the Five Great Saint Emperor Families.

"Before the decisive battle, I received a letter."

As this faint voice emerged from within, not only Xu Xiaoshou but also Dao Qiongcang sat up straight. Dao Qiongcang's information came from post-event gathering. What the person involved recounted would certainly differ in details from what was pieced together from various sources. The two sat cross-legged, each listening intently, their four eyes fixed on Xu Xiaoshou's belly. The scene was rather strange.

"The letter was unsigned, and I only later learned it was from Dao Xuanji. I don't remember the exact contents, only that it was a threatening letter, demanding I make a choice."

"What choice?" Xu Xiaoshou was amazed that a mere sister dared to threaten the revered Eighth Sword Immortal, while simultaneously curious about Bazun An's answer. Regardless of personal impressions, it was common knowledge that the Eighth Sword Immortal at that time was synonymous with "young and arrogant" and would never compromise.

"She wanted me to choose between Yue Gongnu and Hua Changdeng."

What?! Xu Xiaoshou was so startled that his eyes nearly popped out. Can this even be said? Isn't Hua Changdeng a man? Did I have some preconceived subjective stereotype, and "Sister Changdeng" has always been an unparalleled beauty? No, that's not right. He was a scruffy middle-aged man, wasn't he? Then... Bazun An... Homosexual? That's right, he always had that strange storyteller following him... Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned peculiar, feeling that everything could be explained from the very beginning of the story, looking at it from an unbelievable angle.

"Tsk!" Dao Qiongcang saw Xu Xiaoshou's reaction and knew the boy's thoughts had gone wildly astray. He waved his hand helplessly: "You truly have no talent for storytelling, Bazun An, shut up. Let me! If anything's wrong, you can correct me; I'd also like to hear your original version." He stopped being polite with Bazun An and pointed a finger at Xu Xiaoshou, saying: "To clarify this matter, you first need to understand a few prerequisites."

"Firstly, the bloodlines of the Five Great Saint Emperor Families are noble. Everyone beneath the Heavenly Ladder is considered baseborn, whether it's Shen Yi, or Bazun An, or even..."

"Insulted, passive value, 1." Xu Xiaoshou stared at the finger pointing at him and rolled his eyes helplessly. Those words were too sharp. "Dao Palace Master, do you dare say that to the people of the Five Domains and see their reaction?"

"Mmm-hmm." Nodding, Xu Xiaoshou didn't refute the old traditionalists' views on bloodline. Dao Qiongcang continued: "Those who practice the Dao from the Moon, North, Hua, Rao, and Dao families can wander the mortal world. However, if they have relations with the baseborn, even if no offspring are born, both the individual and their entire lineage are demoted and forbidden from entering the Saint Emperor Secret Realm again in this life."

"Such individuals, within the Five Great Saint Emperor Families, are referred to as 'Saint Slaves' even by their servants." Xu Xiaoshou's expression changed slightly, but he wasn't surprised, as he had heard inklings of this before.

"You've actually met a true Saint Slave, not like Bazun An or Wu Xiu." Dao Qiongcang hinted, "Also in the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace."

"Who?" Xu Xiaoshou reacted quickly. "Rao Yinyin?"

"Correct!"

Only after Dao Qiongcang nodded in confirmation did Xu Xiaoshou's mouth slightly open. It was somewhat unexpected, yet felt entirely reasonable. Rao Yinyin, Su Qianqian's good friend, the head of the thirty-three inner disciples of the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace—come to think of it, he still owed her a King's Throne Pill... That wasn't important. What was important was that her surname was Rao. While other surnames could be encountered anywhere on the Saint God Continent, ordinary people truly dared not bear the surnames Moon, North, Hua, Rao, or Dao; they simply didn't exist at the source. Not only was Rao Yinyin born with the surname Rao, but her name format was also very similar to Rao Yaoyao's, and critically, thinking about it now, the two women indeed bore a slight resemblance. Oh no, could they be mother and daughter?

Dao Qiongcang knew what Xu Xiaoshou was thinking: "Strictly speaking, Rao Yaoyao is Rao Yinyin's paternal aunt. Yaoyao actually gave Yinyin her name; she's very fond of the child. But Rao Yinyin's father violated a taboo—when this girl began cultivating, her talent was poor, and it was discovered she wasn't of pure Five Great Saint Emperor Family lineage; she had half mortal blood, definitely from having relations with a base..."

"That word is too unpleasant. In short, while her father was wandering the mortal world, he fell in love with a mortal and had a child. After bringing the person back to the Saint Emperor Secret Realm through various connections, he disguised them as a collateral branch of the Wu Rao Imperial Territory, marrying for the daughter's sake, and deceiving everyone. A paper wrapper can't contain fire; by following the clues, he was found out."

"His entire lineage was affected, including his father, his grandfather, him, his daughter, his siblings... Rao Yaoyao was also impacted, but her swordsmanship talent was exceptional, so I protected her. For Rao Yaoyao's sake, I couldn't protect anyone else, only Rao Yinyin, whom she loved most from that lineage. I sent her beneath the Heavenly Ladder; you can also understand this as a 'restraint'. This has remained a secret to this day, unknown to those above. Later, when I became the Palace Master, even if they found out, they could only turn a blind eye and dared not target Rao Yinyin."

Like a thorn in his back. Like sitting on pins and needles. Having heard all this, Xu Xiaoshou, feeling the flashy old Daoist's resentful gaze, finally understood the reasons behind it. Why was Rao Yaoyao willing to be Dao Qiongcang's sword? Why did Dao Qiongcang dare to use an outsider so boldly, even training her without reservation? A true insider! Yet, after years of cultivation, just as her glory was about to bloom after being canonized on Void Island, she fell. The culprit, now awkwardly sitting opposite the storyteller, was still scratching his head.

"Sorry about that, I messed up your 'fish farming' plan." Xu Xiaoshou awkwardly twitched his lips, cradled his head, and pouted, "How about I kowtow to you as an apology?"

Dao Qiongcang hummed. So much time had passed that he no longer cared. He wasn't one to hold grudges. Xu Xiaoshou pondered for a moment, thinking if the Saint Emperor Families always acted this way, how many chosen ones, experiencing "thirty years of prosperity east of the river, thirty years of decline west of the river," would they cultivate? He asked curiously: "Over all these years, hasn't there been a single prodigy who, after being humiliated, cultivated with a desire for revenge, breaking through all limitations to become a Saint Emperor, then returning to the Saint Emperor Secret Realm to exact revenge for the massacre of their lineage?"

A hint of amusement appeared on Dao Qiongcang's face: "Do you think that's possible? Any individual designated as a Saint Slave has a 'Saint Slave' mark branded into their bloodline when expelled from the Saint Emperor Secret Realm, preventing them from ever breaking through the Great Void and becoming a Half-Saint. This is the highest rule; not even I can change it, let alone the patriarchs of the Five Great Saint Emperor Families. It has become a fundamental law, specifically to prevent the situation you described."

Xu Xiaoshou looked crestfallen. It was indeed a rigorous world. How could families that had inherited for tens of thousands of years not guard against something even he could consider? "Saint Slave mark..." He stroked his chin, pulled out the Eight-Character Token, and when he flipped it over, he saw an emblem on the back: a naked woman, shackled at the hands and feet, weeping with her knees drawn up.

"Yes, that's it." Dao Qiongcang stared at the emblem and said: "At moments of enlightenment, profound tranquility, intense rage, or deep hatred... all spiritual refiners have the potential to break through. Geniuses can always find a way out of desperate situations. At such times, the Saint Slave mark will activate, interrupting their breakthroughs and preventing them from becoming true geniuses. Just like this."

Dao Qiongcang's face flashed with anger, as if he had been utterly humiliated, and then his aura burst forth, as if he were about to break through in battle. Suddenly, a bitter expression appeared on his face. He helplessly held out his hands, and in his palms, crimson blood gathered, forming the emblem of a "Saint Slave." As soon as this mark appeared, his entire aura of breakthrough was interrupted, forcing him to continue enduring the humiliation from his enemies.

"How truly detestable..." Xu Xiaoshou touched his face; his cheeks were perfectly smooth. For some reason, though, he felt as if a slave number had been branded onto him, one he'd had since birth. So, Rao Yinyin couldn't become a true genius. Even if he gave her a King's Throne Pill, a Great Void Pill, or even a Half-Saint Pill. Being the head of the thirty-three inner disciples might be the highest position she could ever reach in her life. This was a born sorrow, and also the sorrow of the era.

"Freedom..." Xu Xiaoshou remembered what Bazun An had said when he invited him to join the Saint Slaves in the White Cave back then, and he felt it even more deeply now. So, he was already a Saint Slave from way back. It turned out that regardless of whether one accepted or not, those destined to be Saint Slaves were born as such, with no choice.

"We've strayed too far." Dao Qiongcang waved his sleeve, ending the ethereal illusion on his body, and returned to the main topic: "The content of the letter Dao Xuanji sent to Bazun An was likely about 'the cat being out of the bag'. On the day of the decisive battle, due to certain connections... which was actually her manipulation. The Saint Emperor Yue family, and even the Five Great Saint Emperor Families, would re-examine Yue Gongnu's bloodline purity that day, to see if she had been..." He paused, then Dao Qiongcang's face showed determination and courage as he vaguely said, "defiled."

Bazun An remained silent. His silence, at this moment, implied assent; Dao Qiongcang was not wrong. Xu Xiaoshou understood: "So on that day, Little Ba..."

"Cough!"

"Oh, oops, sorry... So on that day, the Eighth Sword Immortal had to make a choice: either go to the Saint Emperor family to take Yue Gongnu and flee; or continue the decisive battle, 'throw' the fight to let Hua Changdeng win; or bow to Dao Xuanji, and since she was behind the trick, she would have a way for Yue Gongnu to pass the examination?"

Dao Qiongcang smiled and nodded, "Yes, at least that's the story I heard." He looked at Xu Xiaoshou's belly.

Bazun An: "Correct."

"Doesn't she know you?" Xu Xiaoshou was astonished, pondering how many foolish acts Dao Xuanji had committed. With this letter, what could she gain besides offending a heap of people? "If you didn't agree, it would be a complete rupture. Would she really offend the then-renowned Eighth Sword Immortal, Yue Gongnu, the Saint Emperor Yue family's successor, and the promising Hua Changdeng? Throwing the fight... that's a humiliation for an ancient sword cultivator, isn't it? Why would she do that? What was her purpose? What benefit could she gain?"

Dao Qiongcang shrugged: "To this day, I can't understand my sister."

"Really?" Xu Xiaoshou tilted his head towards the flashy old Daoist. "I don't believe you."

Dao Qiongcang chuckled: "I've tried to decipher her, and the conclusion I reached is that she simply wants to 'compare'. From childhood, anything I learned, she had to learn; anything I mastered, she had to master. Perhaps because I had a Rao Yaoyao, she also wanted to cultivate a Hua Changdeng. If the victory in the decisive battle came about through her machinations, she might have thought Hua Changdeng would be eternally grateful to her afterwards. It's true that Hua's potential was superior to Rao's; once cultivated, he could surpass me. But Hua..." Dao Qiongcang shook his head. He couldn't even control Hua Changdeng. Facts also proved his judgment was correct; Rao Yaoyao could be attempted to be controlled, but Hua Changdeng, having now achieved Saint Emperor status, was even higher than himself. Dao Xuanji wanted to control him? A fool's fantasy! It's likely Hua Changdeng never even gave her a proper glance from beginning to end. This was precisely why Dao Qiongcang only spoke of trying to "decipher" Dao Xuanji, rather than fully "understanding" his sister. After all, this whole scheme looked foolish from the start—if it were him, he would never have done things this way!

Xu Xiaoshou fell into thought. Sister Xuanji was too exaggerated, even more arrogant than the Eighth Sword Immortal, but sometimes people's actions were truly irrational. "Is there a possibility that your sister liked Bazun An?"

"Hiss!" Dao Qiongcang's pupils constricted, and he gasped. Indeed, those in the thick of it often miss what observers see clearly. The Eighth Sword Immortal's charm captivated the world at that time, and countless beauties wished to throw themselves at him... This was truly possible!

"Or, thinking in another direction, what if your sister liked Hua Changdeng and wanted to attract his attention this way?"

"Hiss!" Dao Qiongcang sprang up in shock, his hair standing on end. From an emotional perspective, it seemed everything made sense, as human emotions could never truly be explained.

"Of course, it's also possible that people resist when suppressed for too long. Perhaps your brilliance as an elder brother was too dazzling, and no one noticed her, making her quite displeased?" Xu Xiaoshou considered it from a weaker angle, feeling he could now understand Dao Xuanji. Not everyone could be like Wen Ting, who, despite being overshadowed by Bazun An his entire life, could still be friends with him. —Even if they remained friends on the surface, he was probably mentally twisted by then, right? Dao Xuanji was the same. But she was different; she expressed this emotion. Those with the surname Wen and those with the surname Dao had fundamentally different underlying confidence. Dao Xuanji also seemed to be a stubborn sort, the rebellious type. Wen Ting... Xu Xiaoshou thought of the opera artist who came to collect the sword after Guyu's death... Uh, too artistic to comment on.

"Perhaps, all are possible?" Dao Qiongcang tried to combine these three possibilities, feeling a bit closer to his sister's complex mind.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at him hesitantly. "Having a brother like you must truly be a blessing for a sister."

"So you ultimately chose Hua Changdeng?" He didn't continue the topic, instead looking down at his belly, then quickly spat, "You chose to fight him, and ignored that threatening letter?"

Before Bazun An could speak, Dao Qiongcang laughed aloud: "Back then, he received challenges every single day. For every one he killed, two more appeared. Everyone wanted to achieve fame by defeating the 'Eighth Sword Immortal.' He couldn't even finish killing them all, even if his Qingju sword broke. What's a threatening letter? It didn't even mention a name. He probably glanced at it and tore it up immediately."

Bazun An: "Correct."

So confident and fearless? Xu Xiaoshou patted his belly: "Were you really not afraid something would happen to Yue Gongnu, or were you just starting your relationship back then, nothing had happened, and you weren't afraid of any investigation?"

Dao Qiongcang scoffed with a smile: "It's true that they had just started a relationship, but 'nothing happened'? I find that impossible..." After saying that, his eyes gleamed, fixed intensely on Xu Xiaoshou's belly, with a fierce fire burning in their depths. Xu Xiaoshou also looked down. Their eyes met, and both slightly opened their mouths: "So you..." Their astonished gazes met again, each revealing surprise, and they asked uncertainly: "Could it be that you..."

"Tell us! It's just the three of us here, what's there to be afraid of? I won't blab." Xu Xiaoshou declared himself a complete sealed-lip keeper.

"And I won't say a word either. I'm just curious about some uncertain details from back then. Curiosity is human nature," Dao Qiongcang spouted a bunch of convoluted reasoning, the fire in his eyes nearly consuming his entire being.

Bazun An remained silent. The two stopped speaking, just staring at the belly, wasting time. The Divine Relic fell silent for a long time. Finally, Bazun An couldn't endure the staring any longer. A faint voice emerged from within the belly: "Yes, we had a child."