I Am Loaded with Passive Skills

The sun rose from the east, and a cold wind blew.

Two individuals sat at a table in the middle of a long street, a pot of tea steeping.

The strange looks trained their way gradually faded from existence as a group of men in red clothes approached.

Swish, Swish, Swish

The Night Guardian led a squad of Red Coats to the table. Xiao Wanfeng felt a change in the air with the disappearance of all ambient sound. It was as if he had been transported to another world.

“A domain…” Xiao Wanfeng murmured.

The Red Coats had surrounded them in a domain. Young Master Xu was their target, it seemed.

It could only mean one thing: they viewed Young Master Xu as a suspect.

“Xiao Wanfeng, don’t just stand there! Hurry up and prepare the tea for our esteemed seniors.” Xu Xiaoshou inclined his head with a smile.

Xu Xiaoshou’s devilish smile brought him back to his senses. Quickly, he counted the number of cups he needed for Young Master Xu’s guests.

As the saying goes, the person in charge is the one to be held accountable when things go wrong: Mea culpa.

“Ha!” The Night Guardian refused to acknowledge Young Master Xu’s rebuttal.

Sneering, he said, “Young Master Xu, do you think that just because your background is that of a Demi-saint’s, you can suppress the Red Coats and White-clothed? Two of the most powerful organisations?”

It was yet another mess.

Xiao Wanfeng staggered when he heard the Night Guardian’s words.

It took a great force of will to keep himself upright.

He was just an aide to the Young Master, serving him and pouring tea as expected. Why did he have to face these awful situations over and over again?

This month’s 10,000 spirit crystals was not easy to earn!

Xu Xiaoshou ignored the Night Guardian’s brazen words in favour of his cup of hot tea. Taking slow sips, he said, ”

“Elder Night Guardian, your words are truly impressive. I have barely said anything, but you’ve already decided on my guilt. Are you trying to put me to death?”

Xu Xiaoshou paused, his expression morphing into a picture of solemnity. He brought his teacup down forcefully, eliciting a bang.

“Let me make things clear, once and for all!”

“This Young Master hasn’t stuck a toe out of line since he entered the imperial city. If Senior has proof that the First Pavilion in the Sky has committed a crime, I shall accept punishment willingly!” He continued after a short pause. “But if you insist on pinning a crime on me, convicting me as you would a commoner without proof, I will not go quietly!”

Xu Xiaoshou’s words were firm and unbending.

Xiao Wanfeng stared at Young Master Xu with his mouth agape.

He knew Young Master Xu was steadfast, but he never expected him to remain so unyielding before the Red Coats.

Sometimes, being too inflexible is not a good thing.

If the Night Guardian grew agitated and pulled out a sword to behead the Young Master, would they do the same to him?

Xiao Wanfeng’s mind buzzed with a thousand different thoughts, his imagination running wild.

Xu Xiaoshou’s ability to conduct himself under pressure was outside Night Guardian’s expectations. Yet, he did not reach the point of being unreasonable.

A descendant of Demi-saint’s could not be a coward.

He could not force the young man into submission without proof of his misdeeds.

After a moment of silence, the Night Guardian decided to change his approach and asked, “Is your surname Xu?”

The question sounded like a joke.

Everyone was shocked.

Xu Xiaoshou was about to retort when he felt a sudden chill run down his spine. Realising that something was amiss, he squinted, a smile framing his cheeks, “Senior, surely you jest? If my surname isn’t Xu, what else could it be?”

Night Guardian fell silent.

That was not what he wanted to hear. The Night Guardian expected the opposite party to retort by asking if Night Guardian’s surname was ‘Guardian’.

It was one of Xu Xiaoshou’s tells.

If the young man had responded like the Night Guardian thought he would, the Night Guardian would have struck down this ‘Young Master Xu’ where he stood.

Even if he had cut down the wrong person by some stroke of fate, he would have admitted his mistake and taken on the blame.

The only other trait this ‘Young Master Xu’ shared with Xu Xiaoshou was his unyielding attitude.

That was all.

It could hardly weigh in as evidence.

Night Guardian’s eyes widened when a thought struck him, “Young Master Xu must have always been at the trade fair. I presume that you have seen him – the Saint Servant?”

“Naturally.”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded. With a slight frown, he asked, “Senior, could it be that just because Xu Xiaoshou and I share the same surname, you thought we came from the same family?”

“Yes.” The Night Guardian nodded.

Such absurd speculation made Xu Xiaoshou angry, and he almost cursed out loud.

However, he quickly got a hold of himself, realising how the other party was toying with his emotions. A mocking smile bloomed. “I don’t believe Senior would be so irrational to arrive at such a conclusion. Could you tell me what it is, Senior suspects?”

Xu Xiaoshou’s response was well-organised and carried no faults, leaving the Night Guardian no room to continue his assault. Ticking things off on his fingers, he said, “Xu Xiaoshou is a master swordsman and elixir maker, and so are you, Young Master Xu.”

“Xu Xiaoshou is aggressive and perverse, and his words are cruel; Young Master Xu has acted in a high-profile, grandstanding manner ever since you entered the imperial city, and you even share similar manners of speech.”

“I do not mean to cast doubt upon you, but you and Xu Xiaoshou are all but carved from the same mould!”

The Night Guardian’s gaze burned with a servant light. He wanted to see how Young Master Xu would respond to his conjecture.

Even Xu Xiaoshou, the man in question, felt it hard to believe how well the Night Guardian knew him.

Without knowing it, he tapped on the table, pondering his next move.

Once he arrived at an appropriate response, he adopted a dumbfounded look as if speechlessness had struck him mute.

Hesitating, he said, “I don’t know Xu Xiaoshou’s way of doing things, but I’m curious to know if this person truly bears such striking similarities as this Young Master.”

The Night Guardian observed Young Master Xu’s every reaction and movement with the eyes of a hawk.

Still, he came up empty-handed. Nothing suggested Xu Xiaoshou and Young Master Xu was the same person.

Xu Xiaoshou reacted just like any other person who found out that someone very similar to him existed out there. He, too, found it quite the curious coincidence.

A moment later, Xu Xiaoshou looked like he had thought of an answer. “Senior, there are many who share similarities in this world, but it doesn’t mean they are the same person. Don’t you think so?”

“Moreover, this Young Master’s alchemical skill is not as amazing as Senior imagines.”

“I only handle the transaction of the business between the First Pavilion in the Sky and the gold market; I do not refine the elixir myself.”

Night Guardian stared knowingly. This Young Master Xu had just dug his own grave while trying to clarify himself. Indifferently, he said, “Xu Xiaoshou’s alchemical skills are also subpar!”

“Eh?”

Young Master Xu nearly choked on his tea. The corner of his lips trembled as he spoke with an air of embarrassment, “At the moment, I can hardly be called an Elixir Master; I can only make Grade Seven elixirs. What grade is this Xu Xiaoshou?”

“Top Grade!”

“What grade is that?”

“Grade Ten…” Night Guardian sighed.

Even if the man was a fake, he was a very good one!

Why would he dig his own grave?

If Young Master Xu was who he thought it was, shouldn’t he have tried to distance himself from the real Xu Xiaoshou by saying he was an extremely accomplished Elixir Master? It seemed like common sense to him.

Yet, this fellow had not done as he had thought.

“Elder Night Guardian.”

At this moment, a Red Coat at the back could see that the Night Guardian was getting nowhere with Young Master Xu and stepped forward to advise him.

After all, in the eyes of the Red Coats around, Xu Xiaoshou was already at the Master (Stage) while Young Master Xu was only at the Innate (Stage) of cultivation.

The fundamental difference in cultivation could not be ignored.

“Sir, he’s only at the Innate (Stage)…”

However, before Red Coat could complete his sentence, the Night Guardian glared at him and said, “Shut up!”

Innate (Stage)?

If it was Xu Xiaoshou on the other side, how could he have dared to set up a table and wait for him without any preparation?

Outsiders did not know how powerful Xu Xiaoshou was, but as the Night Guardian, he was very clear of that rascal’s true capabilities.

One’s cultivation alone was not enough to determine truth from falsehood. The Night Guardian remembered the innumerable treasures Xu Xiaoshou kept on his person; any one of those strange artefacts could easily fool most people.

“Young Master Xu.”

The Night Guardian turned to Xu Xiaoshou and asked with a smile, “Young Master Xu, do you have a method to hide your cultivation level?”

Xu Xiaoshou frowned and had a bad premonition.

How should he answer the Night Guardian?

The Night Guardian was practically an esper!

This sly fox was an adept manipulator and easily hid his true intentions.

Xu Xiaoshou considered his options seriously. Gesturing Xiao Wanfeng to refill his teacup, he decided to go with the truth. The contrary to a contrary wouldn’t easily be found out, now, would it? “Of course, I do.”

“Oh~”

The Night Guardian smiled and nodded in understanding.

“If there is, then the issue can be resolved quite easily! Although Xu Xiaoshou has broken through to become a Master (Stage) cultivator, he hasn’t had time to consolidate his realm. it isn’t unthinkable for him to fall back to the Innate (Stage).”

“If Young Master Xu has learned a method to conceal his cultivation level, it’s possible he would be a match…” A Red coat muttered in the background.

“How about this, if Young Master Xu is not averse to me probing his spiritual sea, we can clear you of all suspicion immediately.”

“The result of this test will be sufficient. On my word, I shall guarantee that the Red Coats will not pursue the First Pavilion in the Sky hereafter should the results be as we both believe it will be.”

The Night Guardian smiled.

Xu Xiaoshou strung curses in his heart.

That sly old fox!

How could he allow the Night Guardian to touch his body?

The Infernal Fire Seed, Three Days Frozen Calamity, and Sword Cognition were still in his spiritual sea!

The Night Guardian did not wait for an answer. His hands moved in a flash, reaching for Young Master Xu’s hands.

Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes widened as he quickly jumped out of reach.

A fight was brewing.

The Night Guardian’s expression instantly became tense. The Red Coats also realised something was wrong.

Young Master Xu was attempting to resist!

Xu Xiaoshou’s expression sank, but he did not retreat a second time. Instead, he advanced on the squad of Red Coats. “Did I agree to let you touch me?” He hissed angrily.

Xu Xiaoshou’s words defused the building tension and knocked the Red Coats back to their senses.

That’s right!

Young Master Xu was a Demi-saint’s descendant. There was no telling what kind of secrets his body held.

How could he let others touch him so easily?

Moreover, the Night Guardian wanted to probe his spiritual sea. The spiritual sea concealed many secrets, and not just anyone could touch it.

The Night Guardian did not care about the thoughts of his subordinates. He demanded, “Young Master Xu, are you not going to cooperate?”

Xu Xiaoshou laughed coldly, replying in a venomous hiss, “Normally, I would cooperate.. However, Senior wants to explore my spiritual sea and discern the secrets of the sacred physique bestowed upon my Demi-saint Xu clan. How dare you covet and attempt to defile this Young Master’s most saintly body!”