Chapter 151 A True Immortal Spits Out His Words! The Patrol Palace "Plucks the Fruit"—Ever

The morning light gradually brightened in front of the Taiji Hall.

But as soon as Su Changqing finished speaking, the atmosphere, which had been somewhat lively and excited, seemed to be slightly suppressed by something, and even the air seemed to become a little heavier.

"How do you usually pick the fruit for those 'pastors'?"

Upon hearing this, not only the people at the table, but even Gu Changxuan and Yue Zhenchuan in the cage had their expressions change slightly.

Because they know it very well.

That question gets to the heart of the matter.

Last night, Zhao Xuance revealed a lot of things, mentioning the Patrol Hall, the Thirty-Three Heavens Palace, and the Shepherd.

But that was ultimately just a framework.

Yes, that's true.

But Su Changqing's question today wasn't about finding a framework.

What's needed is technique.

What we need is a process.

What we want is that lofty system, exactly how it breaks down, classifies, evaluates, selects, and finally picks each living being as a fruit.

This is no longer just a simple secret.

This is a real table-flipping.

Those dignitaries, senior officials, and江湖客 (jianghu people) who had come to watch the spectacle with a bit of curiosity yesterday now subconsciously sat up straighter, their eyes gradually narrowing.

I listened to the commotion last night.

Today, we are likely to hear the bloody truth.

And inside the fairy cage.

Zhao Xuance's face had visibly turned pale.

It wasn't the paleness of someone severely injured.

Rather, it is a kind of gloom and fear that instinctively arises when the most untouchable place is stepped on.

He stared intently at Su Changqing, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his voice hoarse.

"Do you... know what you're asking?"

Su Changqing leaned back in his chair, looking very lazy.

"Know."

"So you answer."

Zhao Xuance's chest heaved slightly, and after a long while, he gritted his teeth and said:

"There are some things that people like you from the lower realms shouldn't know."

As soon as these words were spoken, many people at the table turned pale.

They still have the same old face.

Even at this point, they still put on that arrogant and condescending attitude.

Lei Wujie, who was listening from the back, was the most annoyed and couldn't help but purse his lips and say:

"here we go again."

"Why didn't you say it wasn't something we should have known when you were locked in the cage yesterday?"

"Now they're starting to put on an act."

Sikong Changfeng nodded repeatedly beside him, lowering his voice to echo:

"A classic case of not recognizing one's place."

"If he doesn't speak up later, the ticket prices for the third show will be dragged down by him."

Xiao Se glanced at him.

"Is there anything else on your mind besides ticket prices?"

Sikong Changfeng looked completely self-righteous.

"What else?"

"At times like these, it's even more important to stabilize market sentiment."

"Besides, audiences buy tickets to sit here because they want to hear real stuff. If he keeps doing this kind of thing, the experience will suffer."

Xiao Se: "..."

You're even starting to talk about "experience" now.

Ahead, Su Changqing clearly had no intention of taking a detour with Zhao Xuance.

He simply reached out, picked up a green date from the fruit plate on the table, and slowly took a bite.

Click.

The sound was crisp.

It reached everyone's ears clearly.

Then, he looked at Zhao Xuance in the cage, his tone calm.

"I'm asking you to answer, not asking for your opinion."

"If you think you're being stubborn, then I'll first peel off that shell in your head, and then I'll make you talk to yourself."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuance's pupils suddenly contracted.

The one whose soul was searched last night was not him.

It was Gu Changxuan.

So all he knew was that Gu Changxuan's memories had been rummaged through, and that Su Changqing had probably seen many things from them.

But it wasn't until this moment that he truly realized that this person wasn't incapable of using the same methods on him.

I just didn't need it last night.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xuance finally felt a chill creep over him.

Gu Changxuan, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but change his expression.

He knows that feeling best.

It's not simply that the sea of ​​consciousness has been opened.

Instead, everything one has seen, heard, feared, hidden, and guarded in one's life will be laid bare under the other's fingertips without any concealment.

In front of that kind of person, a secret is not a secret at all.

It all depends on whether he's willing to lend a hand.

Inside the fairy cage, the atmosphere suddenly became extremely oppressive.

Yue Zhenchuan snorted coldly and suddenly spoke.

"Silver Robe, speak."

Zhao Xuance suddenly turned his head to look at him, his eyes filled with coldness.

Yue Zhenchuan's face remained cold and hard, and his voice was even deeper.

"If you don't tell him, he'll see for himself."

"You'll lose more than just face in the end."

Zhao Xuance's expression shifted constantly.

After a moment, the struggle and anger in his eyes were finally suppressed by a deeper sense of despair.

He knew that Yue Zhenchuan was right.

If it's just "talking," at least there's some sense of propriety.

But what if Su Changqing really opened his sea of ​​consciousness directly—

Then you'll have absolutely nothing left.

Seeing the change in his expression, Su Changqing didn't urge him. He just continued to slowly eat the green dates in his hand, just like a patient restaurant owner waiting for the customer to figure out what to order.

Everyone in the room held their breath.

at last.

Zhao Xuance slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he looked several years older.

"Picking fruit at the Border Patrol Hall...there are seven steps in total."

These words sent a jolt through everyone present.

coming.

It's really coming.

Su Changqing, on the other hand, merely raised his chin slightly.

"continue."

Zhao Xuance spoke slowly, his voice hoarse.

"The first step is to define the boundaries."

"By observing boundary marks, fluctuations in fortune, abyssal anomalies, and unusual fluctuations in origin, we can determine whether a particular boundary possesses the conditions for fruition."

"The so-called conditions for conceiving a child are whether there are enough living beings in this world to bear the fortune, whether a destiny line can be born, and whether a strong destiny will appear that can attract the attention of the upper realm."

As he said this, many people at the table frowned.

Sikong Changfeng couldn't help but mutter under his breath:

"You talk a good game, but all you're really doing is asking if this place is worth keeping as a pet?"

Xiao Se's eyes darkened slightly upon hearing this, but he did not refute it.

Because although what he said was harsh, it was absolutely true.

Zhao Xuance continued:

"The second step is to implant the threads."

"That is, to plant an anchor point in a realm in advance. It could be a weapon, a scroll of cultivation technique, a remnant thought from beyond the heavens, or a seemingly accidental encounter, or even a wisp of destiny that someone was born with."

"These threads won't converge immediately; instead, they will follow the flow of time, reaching out to those most likely to become the 'fruit'."

Upon hearing this, many people's faces began to stiffen.

Especially some seasoned veterans, almost instantly recalled many things that they once thought were mysterious and unbelievable.

Why do some people, despite having ordinary talents, seem to have a constant stream of extraordinary encounters?

Why is it that some people, who are unremarkable in their youth, suddenly have their fates drastically changed one day?

Why do some divine weapons and secret scrolls always end up in the hands of the most appropriate people at the most appropriate time?

They used to think it was fate.

But now it seems that what we call fate may not really be a blessing from heaven.

More likely, someone is fishing with a line on it.

Lei Wujie got goosebumps from listening and couldn't help rubbing his arms.

"These guys... are really cunning."

Wushuang stood to the side, her gaze even colder than usual.

He is a genius.

It has been since childhood.

Therefore, he was more likely than many others to identify with the "fruit" that Zhao Xuance spoke of.

If behind many of the so-called serendipitous encounters, opportunities, and turning points in life, there might be a hidden hand—

That means that the life that many people are proud of is actually nothing more than a branch that has been carefully pruned.

This feeling is enough to send chills down the spine of any genius.

Zhao Xuance continued speaking.

"The third step is to observe the length."

"That is, to observe the growth of the fruit."

"The Palace of the Worlds will regularly record those who have been touched by the thread, and assess their changes in destiny, the strength of their fortune, their temperament, their potential limit, and whether they will deviate from the predetermined path of convergence."

"If it meets expectations, we will continue to let them graze freely."

"If it does not meet expectations, or if its growth direction is uncontrollable, it will be marked with different labels."

"Some will receive support."

"Some will be suppressed."

"Some... will be cut out in advance."

He paused noticeably when he said the last sentence.

But this meal only made the area in front of the Taiji Hall even quieter.

Many people's hands have already clenched tightly without them even realizing it.

Support.

pressing.

Cut it off.

These three words sound understated.

But everyone understands what that means.

It means the premature death of a genius, the fall of an imperial star, and that the hurdle that some people cannot overcome even with their whole lives may have been deliberately suppressed from the beginning.

Xiao Se's eyes grew increasingly deep and unfathomable.

He had already experienced falling to rock bottom and having his fate reversed.

Listening to these things again now, many details that once seemed strange and bizarre suddenly seem to come together.

He was unsure whether he had also been "seen" at some point in his life.

But at that moment, he suddenly understood one thing with absolute clarity—

The so-called destiny is never something lofty or noble.

At least in the eyes of those high and mighty people, destiny is just a selection tool.

These are labels used to grade fruit.

Su Changqing, sitting in the main seat, remained calm.

He simply tapped the edge of the table lightly with his fingertips.

"Step four."

Zhao Xuance paused for a moment, then slowly said:

"The fourth step is to force it to become familiar."

Upon hearing this word, even Li Hanyi's eyes turned cold.

She instinctively felt that this step was probably dirtier than the previous ones.

really.

Zhao Xuance's voice grew softer and softer.

"The so-called forced maturity is to accelerate a person's development by using external forces before they are mature."

"It could be the calamity of wiping out an entire family, it could be a blood feud, it could be a national or family feud, or it could be separation from loved ones, encountering those you hate, or not being able to get what you want."

"In short, the fruit must undergo the most extreme emotions, obsessions, pain, struggles, and awakenings in the shortest possible time. Only in this way will the fluctuations in fortune, spirit, and origins experience explosive growth in a short period of time."

"If a fruit grows up peacefully and smoothly, it will be sweet, but not pungent."

"But if you let it roll through the fire and blood of war, and then raise its head in the face of adversity, then it will be most valuable when it matures."

boom.

After these words were spoken, the room erupted in chaos.

"madman!"

"Those beasts!"

"To make people grow faster, deliberately creating disasters?"

"The extermination of entire families, blood feuds, the destruction of nations and the loss of homes... in their eyes, are these merely methods to accelerate growth?"

"This isn't some kind of immortal being! This is clearly more poisonous than a demon!"

"..."

Some people slammed their fists on the table, some turned pale, and some even trembled.

Even many seasoned veterans who had experienced countless bloody battles felt a chill run down their spines at this moment.

Because many things, once viewed from a different perspective, can be quite chilling.

The hardships behind those who achieve fame at a young age, the desperate situations before the rise of heroes, and the lives of those who lose everything overnight but are forced to move forward—

In the eyes of some beings, it was nothing more than a process of "forced maturation".

Li Hanyi's eyes were filled with a chilling light, and his fingertips were already on the hilt of the Iron Horse Ice River sword.

She did not speak.

But it was obvious to everyone that she was truly intent on killing.

Su Xiaonuo was holding a small pastry and only half understood what was being said, but when she saw that her mother and the people around her had changed their expressions, she slowly frowned.

She turned to look at Su Changqing and asked in a low voice:

"Daddy, have they made a lot of children cry?"

This childish, innocent remark only made the surroundings quieter.

Su Changqing reached out and rubbed her head, his tone still gentle.

"Yeah, they're bad."

Su Xiaonuo immediately puffed up her cheeks in anger.

"Then we can't give them good food!"

These words actually broke the almost frozen atmosphere.

Many people felt a pang of sadness and tenderness in their hearts when they looked at this little girl.

Yes.

In the end, isn't it just about making many people cry, breaking up many families, and leaving many children without parents?

No matter how lofty the words or how grand the scheme, in the end, it's nothing more than these bloody human affairs.

Inside the cage, Zhao Xuance, his face ashen, continued speaking.

"Step 5: Pick the fruit."

"When a target grows to a sufficient level, the Patrol Hall will decide, depending on the circumstances, whether to reclaim it or harvest it."

"Recycling is mostly used for those who are obedient, controllable, and have subsequent value. They may be guided, recruited, or turned into tools such as agents, lamplighters, or gatekeepers."

"Harvesting is even more direct."

"Extract its destiny, strip away its spirit, take its origin, and refine its fortune."

"Some fruits, only the most essential part is taken."

"Some were uprooted along with the soil."

As soon as he finished speaking, many people at the table even felt dizzy.

The fact that he spoke of the words "recycling" and "harvesting" so calmly was especially chilling.

It turns out that not everyone who is chosen will eventually die.

Some people will live.

But living isn't necessarily better than dying.

It may just be a different way of continuing to be used as a tool.

Xiao Se sat there, his knuckles turning slightly white from gripping the weight so tightly.

He suddenly remembered all the extraordinary talents he had met along the way.

Some people die too young, some go mad, some are so strong they're unreasonable yet seem to be led by something, and some seem to have their fate suddenly cut short, unable to see the road ahead anymore.

He used to think that the world was dangerous and that fate was unpredictable.

I only found out now.

Fate is unpredictable, and sometimes it is precisely because there are "people" behind fate.

Zhao Xuance had already reached the sixth step.

"Step six, return to the account."

"The Patrol Hall will record the maturity, recovery rate, harvest rate, residual potential, and subsequent grazing value of the fruits in a realm into a unified map."

"Keep raising the valuable ones."

"Reduce investment in items whose value is declining."

"If there is a serious loss of control or excessively low output, it will be classified as inferior."

Upon hearing this, Sikong Changfeng's expression became extremely strange.

He subconsciously murmured to himself:

"Accounting...maps...recovery rate...output..."

"Why does this sound like I'm settling accounts at a restaurant?"

Xiao Se's eyes widened suddenly upon hearing this.

Because this sentence sounds absurd, but upon closer examination, it is so cruel that it sends chills down your spine.

Yes.

Ultimately, what's the difference between what those so-called border patrollers, seal-bearing immortal officials, and shepherds do and what merchants do when they settle accounts?

However, what they remembered was not the food and drink, not the gold and silver, and not the flow of customers.

Rather, it is all life.

Moreover, they recorded the fates of each realm in batches.

Upon hearing this, Su Changqing chuckled softly.

"Your analogy is quite apt."

Sikong Changfeng couldn't laugh at all.

Because he suddenly felt an extremely strong sense of discomfort.

I run a business.

Even if they are unscrupulous, raise prices, and fleece consumers, they are still just exchanging money for food and treasures for medicine.

But those guys up there are using the masses to exchange for numbers on the ledger.

This is no longer just being unscrupulous.

That's heartless.

Zhao Xuance finally revealed his seventh step.

"Seventh step, sealing the end."

"That is, after a complete harvest in one realm, the traces are cleaned up, the legend is rewritten, the anomalies are smoothed out, a small number of embers are left to continue to reproduce, and then wait for the next ripening."

"Sometimes it's due to natural disasters."

"Sometimes it's due to a major war."

"Sometimes... we simply let the abyss devour a portion of it."

"As long as the accounts balance out in the end, that's enough."

The moment those last words were uttered, the area in front of the Taiji Hall fell completely silent.

It was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.

Everyone looked as if they had been hit by those seven steps, their expressions varied, but none of them were unmoved.

Seeking boundaries.

Thread implantation.

Guan Chang.

Force them to become familiar.

Picking fruits.

Return to the account.

Ending.

It's a concise seven-step explanation.

But behind every step lies the blood and tears of countless worlds.

It is the root cause of countless lives that should not be this way, yet are.

Countless heroes, geniuses, emperors, masters, and common people believe they live according to the will of Heaven, but in reality, they are merely living within the calculations of certain beings.

Lei Wujie's eyes turned red as he listened.

"Those bastards...they deserve to die!"

Wushuang didn't speak, but a faint, sharp sword sound quietly emanated from the edge of the sword box.

Li Hanyi looked at Zhao Xuance in the cage, her eyes as cold as the deepest snow in a winter night.

At that moment, she didn't even think that locking the other person in a cage was too much.

Because compared to what they've done, this is far too little.

Su Changqing finally finished eating the green jujube.

He flicked the date pit away casually.

Snapped.

The date pit hit Zhao Xuance with perfect accuracy on the forehead.

not heavy.

But it made everyone's heart skip a beat.

Zhao Xuance's face froze, and his forehead twitched slightly, clearly the humiliation had been instantly pulled back.

Su Changqing then spoke calmly.

"Well said."

"It's worth more than yesterday."

Sikong Changfeng's spirits lifted, and he immediately whispered something down beside him:

[Today's Content: High Value]

[Price can be increased in the third round]

Xiao Se's lips twitched slightly as he watched, but surprisingly, he didn't complain.

Even he knew that today's event was indeed valuable.

And it's not just worth silver.

Even more valuable.

Su Changqing looked at Zhao Xuance and continued to ask:

Of these seven steps, which one do you value the most?

Zhao Xuance was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice:

"Forced to become familiar."

"Because if a fruit cannot unleash the strongest luck and spiritual fluctuations in a short period of time, its final value will be much lower."

"So, in many cases, the Border Patrol Hall's greatest strength is not finding people."

"It's the manufacturing bureau."

The more ruthless the scheme, the riper the fruit.

No sooner had he finished speaking than an elderly minister with gray hair suddenly stood up.

His face was pale, and his voice was trembling.

"When I was young, I had a son who was exceptionally talented. He entered the realm of carefree wandering at the age of sixteen and reached the realm of half-step divine travel at the age of twenty."

"But at the height of his power, his family was suddenly wiped out, leaving him the only survivor. After that, his personality changed drastically. He fought his way through the martial world, and finally, on the eve of his ascension to the Divine Realm, he suffered a qi deviation, his meridians were severed, and he died in seclusion."

"I've always believed that it was fate."

"Tell me... was that part of your scheme?!"

By the end, his voice had almost completely changed.

Many people at the table looked at him, their expressions filled with shock.

Many of them had heard this story before.

It was a regrettable event that shocked many people back then.

But now, after Zhao Xuance finished recounting those seven steps, the old minister brought up the old story again, and the tone was completely different.

Zhao Xuance looked at him with a complicated expression, and after a long while, he whispered:

"I don't know who you're talking about."

"but--"

"If it truly matches the fate and experiences you described, then it's highly likely."

The phrase "most likely" struck the old minister like a heavy hammer, hitting him squarely in the heart.

He swayed, and his face instantly looked ten years older.

Someone quickly helped him up.

But the old minister just stared intently at Zhao Xuance, his eyes red, and couldn't utter a word for a long time.

This scene completely transformed the atmosphere in front of the Taiji Hall from "listening to secret stories" to "seeing oneself in the mirror."

Because everyone suddenly realized it.

These things are not far off.

It's not another world.

It is not an abstract being of a single realm.

And it could be the people they know, the things they've experienced, or the tragedies that once shocked the world but were attributed to "the capriciousness of fate."

Sikong Changfeng was unusually silent for a moment.

He then let out a long breath.

"Now I understand a little why Mr. Su insisted on pressing these people down and getting to the bottom of things."

Xiao Se said in a low voice:

"Because only when we ask clearly can many things stop being called fate."

In short, it was said very lightly.

This silenced everyone around them.

Yes.

If we don't ask clearly, there will always be people who mistake the hand behind the knife for divine intervention.

In the oppressive silence, Su Changqing spoke again.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was remarkably steady.

"Zhao Xuance".

"Since you say the Patrol Palace is best at manufacturing bureaus—"

"Then tell me now."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling on the other person's face, like an invisible blade slowly pressing down.

"In this world, which schemes have you already laid out?"

"Who are the people you've already set your sights on?"

"besides--"

"When did you originally plan to officially harvest the fruit here?"

The wind suddenly picked up a bit.

The platinum runes on the fairy cage trembled slightly.

At that moment, Zhao Xuance's fingers clenched tightly.

Because he knew.

This time, Su Changqing wasn't just asking about old grievances.

But now.

It is this moment.

How many drawn swords are still hanging overhead in this world?