Chapter 170 Su Changqing began asking, "Who else is behind the door?" and the luxurious im

The moment Bai Heng's knees touched the ground, an eerie silence fell over the area in front of the Taiji Hall.

It's not that nobody is talking.

Instead, everyone's voices seemed to be suppressed by something.

The wind blew across the square, past the cracked white jade bricks, past the collapsed corner of the altar, past the platinum runes still swirling around the edge of the Immortal Cage, and finally through Bai Heng's disheveled hair, carrying a very faint smell of blood.

The flavor wasn't strong.

Yet it is exceptionally clear.

Because only at this moment did everyone in the audience truly gain an extremely clear and intense understanding—

The guide actually knelt down.

It wasn't like Zhao Xuance, who was forced to kneel before someone of a higher rank by the rules of the divine soul.

Unlike Gu Changxuan, who was a vanguard True Immortal who was captured alive and forced to behave, this time it was different.

It's not like Yue Zhenchuan, who was smashed into a pit and couldn't even climb out.

Bai Heng is different.

He was the one who came out from behind the Heavenly Gate, a guide who carried the meaning of "judging the world," "connecting the world," and "determining destiny." When he stood in front of the rift earlier, even just a glance from him could make many people feel cold and disgusted, as if they were being treated as "entries on the list."

But now.

He fell to the ground on both knees.

White clothes stained with blood.

Three bones were removed.

The shell of the guide was already cracked beyond repair.

Sikong Changfeng, holding the account book, stared at this scene, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

Even though he had already clearly figured out the details of the follow-up ticketing, additional seats, copywriting, pre-sales, commemorative edition copying, and VIP levels for the "Bai Heng Special Performance" in his mind, he still felt a heat rising in his back when he actually saw Bai Heng slam his knees to the ground.

It's not fear.

It's hot.

It's like a businessperson suddenly seeing an unprecedented, unparalleled signboard fall straight from the sky and land squarely in front of their door with a bang.

Having lived for so many years, Sikong Changfeng felt for the first time that his fate might truly reflect the joke he had just made.

When he was the third city lord of Snowmoon City, he thought his path lay in the spear, in the city, in defense, and in looking after the region.

But now he's increasingly suspicious—

His true path probably wasn't actually at Changqing Tower.

It's truly the world's number one black-market hotel, where even the tour guides can be pinned to the ground to discuss ticket prices, pre-sales, and VIP seating experiences.

He slowly exhaled, then suddenly said very seriously to the clerk next to him who was taking notes:

"This scene deserves its own separate page."

The waiter's wrists were almost numb from copying so much, but upon hearing this, he immediately picked up his pen again.

"How do you write 'Third City Lord'?"

Sikong Changfeng stared at Bai Heng in the arena, his eyes shining, and said, word by word:

"Write--"

"The guide brought his knees to the ground."

"From this moment on, no matter how high Tianmen is, it will have to bow down to Changqing Tower first."

The waiter paused, his pen tip trembling slightly.

That's a heavy sentence.

It's so weighty it doesn't feel like a mere tagline; rather, it feels like a new rule that will slowly take root and spread throughout the world after today.

Xiao Se stood aside and listened to Sikong Changfeng's words without offering any rebuttal.

Because he knew this was not an exaggeration.

At least for everyone standing here today who has witnessed all of this, this statement is true.

In the past, when people mentioned "high places", they always thought of awe, immortals, gates, and things that were untouchable.

But after today, these words will inevitably be imbued with a new impression—

He fell from a great height.

I even knelt down.

Lei Wujie stared at Bai Heng, stunned for a long time, and then took a deep breath.

"I'm really kneeling..."

He's not inexperienced in big battles or in facing life and death before.

But this feeling is completely different from defeating a powerful enemy.

It's more like seeing something that's been taken for granted as superior since childhood finally fall back to earth.

He scratched his head and suddenly turned to look at Wushuang.

"Peerless".

"Um?"

"Do you think we should change how we brag to others in the future?"

Wushuang glanced at him.

"What do you mean?"

Lei Wujie's eyes lit up.

"In the past, I could only say—I've fought with so-and-so, I've drunk with so-and-so."

"But things are different now!"

"Now I can say—I personally witnessed the boss break three of the guide's bones and make him kneel in front of the Taiji Hall to report the number of bones!"

Wushuang remained silent for a moment, then nodded seriously.

"That's really impressive."

Lei Wujie became even more excited.

"Right!"

"From now on, if anyone in the martial arts world tries to brag to me about some extraordinary master from beyond the heavens, I'll just say one thing—have you ever seen a guide kneel down?"

Wushuang thought for a moment, then delivered the final blow.

"You didn't make him kneel."

Lei Wujie: "..."

"Why are you always undermining me?!"

Wushuang calmly replied, "Just telling the truth."

"..."

Xiao Se listened to the conversation between the two of them, and his temples twitched slightly.

Strangely enough, the heavy feeling that had been weighing on his heart because of the "Guide", the "Heavenly Gate", and the "person behind the gate" actually eased up quite a bit.

Because sometimes, people's hearts are just that strange.

Many unspeakable fears do not necessarily stem from power.

More often than not, it comes from "you've never seen that thing fall down."

Once you've seen it, no matter how strong or dangerous it may be, the heaviest shadow in your heart will crack open.

Today, Su Changqing is doing exactly that.

It wasn't simply a matter of defeating Bai Heng.

Rather, it was to let everyone in the city, the court officials, and everyone in the world who would hear this news in the future know—

It turns out that people behind the door also kneel.

……

Li Hanyi stood not far away, holding Su Xiaonuo in her arms.

She was quieter than the others.

It is also more stable.

From Bai Heng's appearance to the tremors at Tianmen, to Su Changqing dragging people away, dismembering bones, and forcing reports, and now to her knees being on the ground, she hasn't actually experienced much of a fluctuation.

Because she knew from the beginning that Su Changqing would not lose.

She never cared about winning or losing.

The question is, where exactly will he push the situation?

Now that things have progressed this far, she has come to understand.

Su Changqing wasn't simply trying to dismantle Bai Heng.

He was using Bai Heng, the guide, and this supposedly lofty descent to gradually drag what was "behind the door" into the realm of human understanding, evaluation, ridicule, and pricing.

This matter is more important than breaking a few bones.

Because once divinity is restored, the road ahead will be much easier.

Su Xiaonuo leaned on Li Hanyi's shoulder, her big, round eyes wide as she looked at Bai Heng kneeling on the ground, and whispered:

"Mother."

"Um?"

"Is he more well-behaved now?"

Li Hanyi glanced at Bai Heng and said calmly:

"Not enough."

"Should we demolish it again?"

"Look at your father."

"Oh……"

Xiao Nuonuo thought for a moment and then added another sentence.

"I think we can dismantle it a little bit more."

A faint smile finally flickered across Li Hanyi's eyes.

Why?

"Because he was glaring at his father just now."

"It's rude for a bad person to glare at you."

"..."

Li Hanyi gently rubbed her head.

Correct.

impolite.

This reason is more than enough for Changqinglou.

……

In the field.

Bai Heng knelt down.

But he didn't bow his head completely until his forehead touched the ground.

He was still holding on.

The spine is still straight, even though that "straightness" is no longer as cold, stable, and like a line hanging down from behind the heavens as before, but more like a white bone pillar that has been cracked.

But he kept going.

Because he is Bai Heng.

It is the guide.

Even after being dismantled to this extent, even with three bones detached from his body, even with his knees slamming into the white jade bricks, there was still one last layer of his heart that hadn't completely collapsed.

That was the shadow "behind the door".

That was the deeper sense of mastery behind his physical body, skeleton, order, and qualification to connect with the world.

Su Changqing obviously saw it too.

Therefore, he did not immediately extract the fourth bone.

Instead, he looked at Bai Heng kneeling on the ground, stared at him for a few moments, and then suddenly spoke:

"Still not completely given up?"

Bai Heng slowly raised his head.

The bloodstains at the corner of his mouth were still wet, and his face was so white it was almost transparent, but something was still moving deep within his silvery-white eyes.

It wasn't the same kind of cold, extreme sense of order as before.

It was more of an almost obsessive stubbornness.

"You can break my Dharma body, dismantle my bones."

His voice was low and hoarse, even somewhat broken.

"But you don't understand what's behind the door."

"You're just using a fragment of a picture to touch the real sky."

"You are oppressing me today only because this world is in your hands."

"But the real person behind the door—"

As he said this, his chest heaved noticeably, as if he wanted to use this breath to rebuild his last bit of "unapproachable" spirit.

However, Su Changqing simply looked at him indifferently.

"What happened to the real person behind the door?"

Bai Heng stared at him, speaking slowly and deliberately, a hint of almost pathological coldness resurfacing in his eyes.

"The real person behind the door doesn't care about me at all."

"I don't care about Zhao Xuance, I don't care about Gu Changxuan, I don't care about anyone in this world."

"You have won against me today, but all you have won is a slightly better sword from the Patrol Hall."

"The one who can wield a knife—"

"You haven't even truly seen it yet."

These words caused a sinking feeling in the hearts of many people in front of the Taiji Hall.

Because Bai Heng wasn't just being stubborn.

This sounds exactly like telling the truth.

But the truth is often the most painful.

Yes.

Even if we tear Bai Heng apart today, or even lock him in a cage, so what?

He was ultimately just a guide.

But behind the door, a huge, almost cruel net stretched out a longer, harder finger bone.

But at that moment, Su Changqing suddenly laughed.

It wasn't a loud laugh.

It wasn't a sneer.

He just looked at Bai Heng with a bit of amusement, like he was looking at a fool who had finally said something "important".

"You've been talking for so long."

"Actually, only one sentence is useful."

Bai Heng's gaze sharpened.

"What?"

Su Changqing slowly stood up.

He stopped sitting and talking.

Instead, she walked step by step to Bai Heng and looked down at him.

"you say--"

"The one wielding the knife doesn't care about you."

Bai Heng's body stiffened slightly.

Su Changqing continued:

I believe that statement.

"Because I never considered you a 'real big shot' from the beginning."

"To me, you are indeed a knife."

"It's still a knife with a rather ornate handle and a rather brittle blade; it can barely be disassembled to make some parts."

Bai Heng's face visibly paled even more.

If these words had come from someone else, he would have thought they were ignorant, ridiculous, and arrogant.

But coming from Su Changqing's mouth, especially in the context of the current scene—

It then becomes anything but funny.

Because he really had three bones removed.

He really is kneeling here.

His "knife" is truly being held down and dismantled piece by piece.

This reality instantly suppressed much of the pride Bai Heng had just begun to rebuild in his heart, the pride that "I ultimately come from behind the door."

But Su Changqing did not stop.

He looked at Bai Heng, his tone still calm.

"You said I haven't really seen the person behind the door yet."

"It's okay."

"I never intended to rely on you to see through everything behind the door."

"but--"

He paused, his gaze finally deepening slightly.

"At least tell me who else is behind the door."

This statement is suddenly different from the style of all the previous discussions about bone dismantling, bone reporting, pricing, and pre-sales.

It's no longer just about the rhythm of Changqinglou.

Instead, they actually followed Bai Heng, the guide, and asked about "behind the door".

Upon hearing this question, not only Bai Heng, but also Sikong Changfeng, Xiao Se, Li Hanyi and others had a slight change in expression.

Because they all know—

This is the real main storyline.

Dissecting bones is a means to an end.

Being proven wrong is part of the process.

The reason for dragging the guide from behind the Heavenly Gate into the human world was to truly reveal the outline of the gate behind it.

Now, Su Changqing finally started asking questions.

The question wasn't about how much Bai Heng was worth.

It's not about how to disassemble the remaining bones.

But who else is behind the door?

At this moment, Bai Heng also truly fell silent.

He said those things earlier to reinforce the idea that "you haven't met the real deal yet."

But to his surprise, Su Changqing followed up with the question.

And in this posture.

It is not reverence, not probing, not looking up to.

It's very direct—

Since you are a knife, then tell me, who is wielding it?

The way the question was phrased gave Bai Heng a strange feeling.

It was as if Su Changqing wasn't asking "whether I can fight against the doorman" at all.

Instead, it asks—

"Who should I go to next?"

That's insane.

That's really chilling.

Bai Heng slowly raised his head, looked at Su Changqing, and remained silent for a long time before whispering:

"You really want to know?"

"nonsense."

Su Changqing said.

"If I didn't want to know, you'd be in the cage by now."

Bai Heng's lips twitched.

Even at a time like this, you still haven't forgotten the "entering the cage" procedure.

But precisely because of this, he was even more certain that Su Changqing was serious.

This person was never intimidated by the words "behind the door" from beginning to end.

So, Bai Heng closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he finally uttered a sentence slowly:

"There's more than one person behind the door."

"The Border Patrol Hall is just a hall."

"The one who holds the last post is the one who truly carries the register."

"And above the one holding the register, there were... several figures seated behind the door."

"We call them—"

As he said this, his throat suddenly tightened, and for the first time, a deep sense of apprehension surfaced in his eyes.

Just hearing that name sends chills down my spine.

Su Changqing looked at him.

What should we call them?

Bai Heng remained silent for a few moments before finally uttering three words in a low voice.

"The crowd behind the door."

Many people were taken aback when they heard this name in front of the Taiji Hall.

The crowd behind the door.

This name is more direct and more uncomfortable than "Shepherd".

Because it's not like a lofty, unapproachable title.

It's more like a "crowd" sitting behind a door, looking through the crack at all realms, all living beings, and the growth of the orchard.

Bai Heng continued:

"The guide is not directly under the command of any particular group behind the gate."

"Most of the time, we just take turns receiving orders."

"Sometimes we receive orders from the Border Patrol Hall."

"Sometimes, the order is relayed from the registrant."

"But the most troublesome ones are those—"

"Someone who can revise the book himself."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Se's eyes suddenly darkened.

Revise the book.

These two words were spoken very softly.

Yet it carries a chilling undertone.

If someone can really alter the ledger, wouldn't that mean they can not only look at, record, and put away the accounts, but also change the "contents of the ledger" at will?

in other words--

Some destinies, some fates, some so-called divine will, may not even be written naturally, but rather are temporarily erased, added to, and altered by others.

This is even more disgusting than simply "picking fruit".

Because that's no longer a harvest.

Rather, the process of growth itself can be constantly rewritten.

Upon hearing this, Li Hanyi's gaze turned cold.

She finally understood why Su Changqing kept saying that those so-called high places were more uncomfortable than any of the enemies she had ever met in the martial arts world.

Because the evil in the martial arts world is at least accompanied by bloodlust, greed, grudges, and desires.

But the things behind the door made it seem as if human lives had been completely reduced to accounts and strokes of a pen.

If something doesn't go well, erase it.

If something is not worthwhile, change it.

Add a stroke to indicate what should grow in a certain place.

This is no longer just "looking down on the masses".

This completely disregards the living beings as living things.

Su Changqing didn't react much after hearing this.

He simply nodded.

"The person who altered the records."

"I've got it."

Bai Heng looked up at him and suddenly said:

"Aren't you afraid?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid your name will soon be added to that book."

Upon hearing this, Su Changqing chuckled softly, as if he had heard something quite interesting.

"Add some."

"If he dares to lick it, I dare to tear it."

These words struck everyone present as if they had been struck by a blow.

It's not because I'm particularly passionate.

It's not because it's too simple.

Too direct.

Bai Heng stared at him blankly, unable to utter a word for a long time.

But at that moment, Sikong Changfeng suddenly clapped his hands.

"yes!"

Everyone was taken aback by his shout.

Xiao Se frowned: "What's wrong with you now?"

Sikong Changfeng held the account books, his expression unusually serious.

"Since there are people holding the registers and people altering them behind the door, shouldn't we make preparations beforehand?"

Xiao Se's eyes were strange.

"The preparations you're talking about, hopefully don't involve adding more votes."

"How could that be?"

Sikong Changfeng rarely had a serious expression.

"I mean, the cage."

"The original cage was made according to the specifications of an immortal."

"Now that Bai Heng has been demolished to this extent, if he is actually put in a cage later, it will not be ordinary detention, but a high-end display and key protection object."

"Since he said that someone behind the door would change the records, who knows if someone might try to rescue him from a distance, catch him, or pull him away."

"Therefore, the new cages must be erected on-site and made immediately!"

This time, even Xiao Se had to admit it.

Sikong Changfeng's words make some sense.

In particular, the idea of ​​"retrieving someone remotely" may not be impossible.

Bai Heng was, after all, a guide, not a scout like Gu Changxuan. If he were to fall completely into Su Changqing's hands, the people behind the door might do something else.

Su Changqing clearly took it to heart.

He nodded.

"Can."

"Do it now."

Sikong Changfeng was overjoyed and almost reflexively shouted:

"Someone come here!"

"Luxury fairy cage, ready to be set up on site!"

"Bring over the remaining fragments of the Border Patrol Seal!"

"The Xuan Iron Main Pillar enters the arena!"

"Peerless, cut the beam!"

"Lei Wujie, move the materials!"

"Snowmoon City disciples, seal off the four corners to clear construction space!"

"The waiter at Changqinglou, put up the pre-sale sign for the evening show first—"

Just write:

He took a breath, his gaze swept across the entire room, and his voice rose high, exuding a crazy yet bright energy.

"Pre-sales for the Guide's Special Event Now Open: Bai Heng's Luxurious Celestial Cage May Be Officially Sealed Tonight!"

The next moment, the entire audience erupted in uproar again!

Amidst the uproar, Su Changqing looked at Bai Heng kneeling on the ground, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"See that?"

"You've already started building the cage."

"so--"

He slowly raised his hand, his gaze falling on a spot on Bai Heng's lower chest, where the back of his ribs met the spine.

"Next, let's talk about the fourth one."

The wind suddenly stopped.

Bai Heng's expression suddenly changed.

And everyone's hearts were once again in suspense at this moment.

The luxurious fairy cage is being set up.

The fourth bone is coming soon.