After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 124 The Witch of the Sacrifice Pavilion

"The Five Alliances! This is not good news!" Shen Xu's expression turned somewhat solemn after leaving the teahouse.

Although he didn't know what Su Jing had prepared for him during the sword selection, he was certain that Su Jing wouldn't leave the five major alliances. He was naturally not afraid of a one-on-one fight, but if the opponent outnumbered him, he would have no choice but to run away.

Since all the swordsmen from the five major sects have arrived in Tianjian City, all the topics in Tianjian City are now dominated by the Four Directions Sword Selection. This means that no matter where Shen Xu goes, he can hear news about the Four Directions Sword Selection.

Furthermore, some potential swordsmen have already announced that they will hold a public selection process for their attendants in this swordsmanship competition, which has attracted many ordinary swordsmen to try their luck.

Shen Xu wandered around the Heavenly Sword Tower, partly looking for a suitable inn, and partly looking for the sign of the Min Pavilion. The Min Pavilion was the Blood Fiend Palace's spy network planted among the various forces in the Xingchuan Region. It sold some strange and unusual items produced by the Blood Fiend Palace, including human skin masks.

The existence of the Five Alliances made Shen Xu feel that he needed a human skin mask to conceal his identity. According to his understanding from his previous life, the Blood Fiend Palace usually set up the Vessel Pavilion in the corner of the most prosperous place in the city, which would not only make it convenient to gather intelligence, but also make it difficult for others to discover anything unusual.

The most bustling place in Tianjian City is undoubtedly the area around Tianjian Tower.

After circling the Heavenly Sword Tower several times, Shen Xu ventured into every alley he encountered, only to emerge disappointed each time. However, perseverance pays off. After exploring countless alleys, he finally discovered a black pavilion at the end of one alley, adorned with a blood-red wave flag.

After calming himself down, Shen Xu took a deep breath and headed towards the two-story pavilion. This would be the first time he had come into contact with people from the Blood Fiend Palace since his rebirth, and it was in a big place like Tianjian City. The people inside must be important figures from the Blood Fiend Palace.

After knocking on the dark wooden door and waiting quietly for a while without receiving a response, Shen Xu pushed the door open and went inside.

To his surprise, the interior decoration had nothing to do with the Blood Fiend Palace style. It looked like a shop selling ordinary trinkets, and the warm yellow overall style even seemed a bit cozy.

Shen Xu looked around and saw all sorts of strange and unusual things displayed in the wooden cabinet behind the counter, their purpose unclear. There were also many masks of various shapes and sizes hanging on the wall, which looked quite exquisite.

However, there seemed to be no one on the first floor at the moment. Shen Xu walked closer to the counter and found a brass bell next to it. He reached out and shook it, and a clear and melodious bell sound immediately spread throughout the entire attic.

Then Shen Xu heard hurried footsteps coming from upstairs. He looked up at the stairs curiously and saw a girl in a pale yellow dress with fluffy hair, holding up her dress and running barefoot up the stairs in a panic.

When the girl saw that it was him, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but then she seemed to remember something, her eyes widened instantly, and she frantically tried to run back.

But she seemed too flustered, and tripped on the stairs without paying attention, her delicate face making intimate contact with the stairs.

The girl seemed to blush with embarrassment, then quickly got up and disappeared from Shen Xu's sight.

Although the girl seemed to have just woken up and her movements were extremely unladylike, Shen Xu could tell from a distance that she was very beautiful. Among the girls he had seen, only the witch and Li Xiaoyi could compare to her, and she even resembled the witch somewhat. But could such a person be the person in charge of the Divine Pavilion?

Shen Xu found a seat in the shop and began to continue reading the book Elder Huang had given him, knowing that he might have to wait a while.

As he continued flipping through the pages, he finally found the Four Directions Sword Selection that the purple-clad youth had mentioned in the teahouse.

"Inner Demon!" That was the title given to that person in the book. His name was not written in the book; all his deeds were referred to by this code name.

Shen Xu then realized that the book Elder Huang had given him was not something that could be obtained easily. According to the people in the teahouse, not everyone knew the inside story of that year's Four Directions Sword Selection, but it was written very clearly in this book.

However, the book is not really valuable, because the location and rules of the sword selection are different every year. Adaptability is the key. But it is a very good book to pass the time.

After a while, Shen Xu heard footsteps again on the stairs. He couldn't help but look up. The girl was still wearing a pale yellow dress, but her long, beautiful hair had obviously been combed and tied back with a red ribbon. She was wearing a pair of warm yellow shoes that complemented her dress. She had bright eyes and a beautiful appearance.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting!" the young woman said, bowing to Shen Xu.

Looking at the incredibly familiar person in front of him, scenes etched deep in his soul kept flashing through his mind.

"You're too weak. From now on, come with me!"

"That's not how you use the meaning of blood."

"You must learn to control your urge to kill."

"What an idiot! You'll die."

Do you think I'm pretty?

"What...how do you feel about me?"

"I hope you can be with Xiao Yi."

"Why run away?"

……

Seeing that Shen Xu seemed stunned, the girl couldn't help but smile and ask, "Sir, is there anything you need?"

Taking a deep breath, Shen Xu closed his eyes and clenched the handbook in his hand. After a long while, he opened his eyes and slowly said, "Sorry, I think I've come to the wrong place!"

After saying that, he quickly got up, wanting to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible. He never thought that he would encounter Shang Xueyi in this place and see her true appearance. This was going to be a death sentence.

But then he suddenly realized that he couldn't move his body at all.

Shang Xueyi slowly walked towards Shen Xu, "I'm sorry, now that you've found the Min Pavilion, you should also know the rules of the Min Pavilion. First-time visitors to the Min Pavilion must buy one item before leaving."

Every step she took was exactly the same distance, and although the smile on her face seemed charming, Shen Xu knew it was not a genuine smile.

"I'm sorry, I just accidentally barged in. I'm so sorry to have disturbed you!" Shen Xu tightly closed his eyes, afraid to even glimpse the witch again; she was a ruthless killer.

He didn't understand why the witch would show him her true appearance—was it a perk she was giving him before she died? He died at Li Xiaoyi's hands in his past life; was he going to die at the hands of the witch in this one?

"Sir, this is just an ordinary shop. There's no need for you to be so afraid. You can leave after you've bought what you need. I won't do anything to you," the girl said, somewhat puzzled.

"Huh? She's not going to kill me? Did I mistake her for someone else?" Shen Xu squinted and looked toward the source of the voice, only to see a girl smiling at him in front of him, which made him waver.

Absolutely!

"The shopkeeper has gone on a long trip, but I can still make decisions about things in the shop. May I ask what in the shop has caught your eye?" the young woman asked politely again.

Now that things have come to this, it seems he can't leave without buying something, and he doesn't want to know what will happen if the witch asks him a third time.

Thinking of this, Shen Xu tentatively asked, "I heard from an elder that you sell human skin masks here. Is that true?"

After listening, the girl smiled and replied, "You flatter me, sir. Although our store sells some strange things, they are all legitimate items. How could we possibly have something like a human skin mask?"

“I can pay more!” Shen Xu said, knowing that there was nothing that couldn’t be done at the Min Pavilion with money.

“Since you have money, that’s a different story. Two hundred Nourishing Essence Pills from the Pavilion can help you get what you want! But it will take some time.” A smile immediately bloomed on the girl’s face.

Hearing this price, Shen Xu was shocked. According to his understanding, the price of the Min Ge human skin mask should be ten Nourishing Yuan Pills. This woman was asking for an exorbitant price!

Although life is important, money is important too! He'll go bankrupt if he loses two hundred Nourishing Yuan Pills, how will he participate in the Sword Selection then!

So Shen Xu mustered up his courage and asked, "I'd like to know what's the cheapest thing you have here?"

"Unfortunately, the cheapest item here costs three hundred Nourishing Essence Pills, which our guests probably can't afford!"

Shen Xu was filled with hatred; this woman definitely knew how many Nourishing Essence Pills he had.

However, although they looked similar, Shang Xueyi in front of him seemed to be very different from the witch he knew in his previous life.

At least the Shang Xueyi he knew didn't have such a perverse sense of humor, and if a strange man saw her true appearance, she would definitely kill him.

“Okay! I agree,” Shen Xu replied in a deep voice.

After discovering that he could move again, Shen Xu took out two hundred Nourishing Essence Pills from his backpack, placed them on the counter, and then hurriedly walked out.

Shang Xueyi chuckled as she watched Shen Xu's hurried departure. "What an idiot! He didn't even ask when he was coming to pick it up. But he's the first man to see my true face! Am I that scary?" The girl touched her smooth face.