Chapter Thirty-Nine: Where Did This Extraordinary Person Come From

Xu Zhe remained silent, gazing calmly at the old man.

The old man glanced at Xu Zhe again, as if finding it hard to fabricate a story. With a raised eyebrow, he promptly stood up and declared loudly, “Xu Tianjiao, I won’t pretend anymore. Let’s lay our cards on the table.”

“When you ambushed me just now, I already knew something was off. Now you want to stop pretending? Fine. Do you prefer a contest of words or of arms?” Xu Zhe nodded, his expression as though he had anticipated this all along.

“I did not ambush you, young man. That was a pure misunderstanding.” The old man hurriedly waved his hands in explanation. “I was merely climbing the mountain and accidentally swung my climbing pick at your head!”

“Climbing? You came to a place like this to climb? And you just happened to swing your pick at my head?” Xu Zhe’s eyes widened in disbelief.

How could anyone lie so brazenly and without shame?

“Yes, indeed, young man! Don’t you know that mountain climbing is good for your health?” As he spoke, the old man smoothed the few wisps of white hair on his head to cover the bald patches. In that moment, his bearing mysteriously shifted, taking on an air of otherworldly grace.

Xu Zhe found himself momentarily dazed.

The old man continued unperturbed, speaking with an engaging tone, “Climbing mountains is especially beneficial for someone of my age. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘The elderly must climb’?”

“Go on, let me hear it,” Xu Zhe replied expressionlessly.

With the air of a sage, the old man smiled faintly. “The ancients say, ‘The elderly must climb.’”

Xu Zhe: “???”

The old man’s eyes narrowed with mischief. “Do you wear schoolgirl outfits? I do.”

“……”

Xu Zhe was left utterly baffled.

Good heavens, where did this eccentric old man come from?

Wait, hadn’t he just mentioned he was Chu Xiaotong’s housekeeper…?

Ah, Chu Xiaotong, so you’ve changed too—such unique tastes, to hire an old man like this for a housekeeper?

“Xu Tianjiao, are you listening to me? The ancients say, ‘The elderly must climb; not wearing a schoolgirl outfit, ooh ooh…’” The old man was still rambling, his smile now appearing, in Xu Zhe’s eyes, less like the air of an immortal and more utterly perverse.

Unable to bear it any longer, Xu Zhe cut him off by kicking a piece of gravel at his feet with force.

With a bang, the stone turned into a streak of light, shooting toward the old man.

But the old man reacted instantly. His eyes widened, and an invisible force emerged, forming a barrier that blocked the stone.

“Spiritual consciousness?”

Xu Zhe frowned slightly, somewhat surprised.

Clearly, this bizarre old man was suppressing his cultivation, lowering himself to the Foundation Establishment stage to enter Tianjiao Valley, yet he could still wield spiritual consciousness here. His true level was clearly much higher.

Realizing this, Xu Zhe’s expression grew more serious.

A sweep of his spiritual sense, though not entirely clear, revealed that this old man was at least several thousand years old.

“Xu Tianjiao, why resort to violence again? Still, I like your temperament. You’re perfect to take as my disc—cough, cough, to have my young lady choose you as her husband demonstrates remarkable taste.” The old man coughed as he spoke.

Xu Zhe hadn’t heard the first part clearly, but the latter words almost made him shout “liar.”

Chu Xiaotong chose me as her husband?

How could that be?

Old man, you’re trying the wrong person this time. No one knows Chu Xiaotong better than I do—she’s a warrior, she has no need for a man.

“Xu Tianjiao, you don’t believe me?” The old man’s eyes suddenly fixed on Xu Zhe, then he laughed. “I have proof!”

He produced a Universal Jade Slip and fiddled with it in front of Xu Zhe, conjuring something like a recording and pressed play.

“Unless you can find…”

Chu Xiaotong’s voice immediately sounded from the jade slip.

But halfway through, the old man stopped it and switched to another recording.

“Xu Zhe…”

Chu Xiaotong had only uttered two words before the old man pressed pause again, operated the device, and continued: “I’ll marry you at once.”

“……”

Xu Zhe’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Why… did he feel so unwell inside?

Was this old man insane?

Editing audio clips right in front of me?

Are today’s con men so unprofessional that they lack even basic standards?

At least finish the editing before playing it for me—even though I wouldn’t believe it anyway.

So perhaps this old man isn’t a con artist, but a madman.

“Well? Do you believe me now?” The old man looked triumphant, giving Xu Zhe a suggestive look.

“I believe you,” Xu Zhe sighed, looking at the old man with a complicated gaze. “Chu Xiaotong must usually treat you harshly, right? She’s tormented you so much your hair has all fallen out, and your spirit is clearly battered as well…”

“???”

Now it was the old man’s turn to be utterly confounded. He stared blankly at Xu Zhe. “What do you mean?”

“I think… I’ve made myself very clear. You should go.” Xu Zhe waved him off and turned to leave.

This old man was too pitiful.

Next time, he’d have to remind Chu Xiaotong to respect her elders and care for the young. After all, she was a ten-thousand-year-old woman bullying a mere several-thousand-year-old man.

“Xu Tianjiao, don’t go! I’m not lying, my lady said so herself—find you, and she’ll marry you at once!” the old man shouted, unwilling to give up.

“Go home and take care of yourself,” Xu Zhe replied without looking back, his figure vanishing into the distance within moments.

Only then did the exaggerated expressions on the old man’s face slowly fade.

He lowered his head and swiftly operated the Universal Jade Slip in his hand.

Xu Zhe’s words from earlier replayed within the slip, but under the old man’s manipulation, the audio became choppy, then seamlessly connected.

Moments later, the old man looked up, a glint of cunning in his eyes, and chuckled.

He pressed play on the jade slip, and Xu Zhe’s voice rang out:

“Chu Xiaotong, I want to go climbing with you. No, I won’t pretend anymore. Let’s lay it all out—I miss you so much, my hair’s all fallen out and my spirit is battered. Chu Xiaotong, I think… I’ve made myself very clear, haven’t I?”

The entire message was smooth and coherent, with no trace of editing to the untrained ear.

“Heh heh, so naïve and innocent. I only came to record you, after all. Still… I didn’t expect the price would be so high. This incarnation of mine is probably finished. Damn, that kid really is a freak.”

The old man chuckled wickedly as he slowly walked away, his muttered curses fading into the distance.

…

An hour later, Xu Zhe finally returned to Tianhe City.

Night had fallen once more.

Yet the rewards from this journey were considerable, especially his earth spirit root, which had undergone a complete transformation after absorbing the Primal Earth Meridian.

In the Cangtian Domain, this would be considered a supreme celestial spirit root—one of the very best.

“If I get the chance to elevate the other four spirit roots as well…” Xu Zhe mused, then was startled by his own thought.

If he truly refined all five roots to the level of supreme celestial spirit roots, his future cultivation speed would reach a terrifying degree, and his strength would multiply many times over.

“Could it be that, in this lifetime, I might touch the realm beyond Immortal Emperor?”

A surge of anticipation welled in Xu Zhe’s heart.

He halted his steps.

Unknowingly, he had arrived outside the Hero Pavilion.

All around was silent; the street was deserted, and the pavilion itself was shrouded in darkness.

Yet his spiritual sense swept through and detected the presence of more than a hundred people inside.

“Zhang and the others are back? No—these presences are unfamiliar…”

Xu Zhe’s expression remained calm as he gazed at the door of the Hero Pavilion, his eyes narrowing slightly.