Chapter 140: Plunder

With his whip entangled and Niu Youdao already so close, Yao Youliang had few choices left.

He could flee, but abandoning a fellow disciple in battle would carry severe consequences.

In desperation, he released the whip to give his senior brother a chance to pull his own weapon free.

Then he poured his entire cultivation into one palm and struck.

Niu Youdao came flying through the air and met him head-on with a palm of his own.

Boom!

Yao Youliang’s eyes widened as he stumbled backward several steps.

He seemed to understand something.

Niu Youdao had already flipped back around. One kick knocked his sword free of the tangled whips. His hand caught the hilt as it came loose.

Dragging the sword behind him, he skimmed over the grass, his feet tapping rapidly along the tips.

A wave rippled through the grass in his wake as he raced toward the battle involving Black Peony and the others.

Even working together, Black Peony’s group was no match for Fang Shaoqun. But they refused to meet him head-on.

Instead, they used a harrying strategy, entangling him and buying time until Niu Youdao could arrive. They kept their distance rather than engaging in close combat.

Grass clippings flew everywhere across the plain as sword qi crisscrossed the air.

Lei Zongkang, badly injured from one wound after another, no longer had the strength to fight Fang Shaoqun.

He could only watch from a distance rather than become a burden.

Black Peony, Duan Hu, and Wu Sanliang formed a triangle around Fang Shaoqun and repeatedly slashed out streams of sword qi.

Fang Shaoqun’s sword danced wildly, shattering the incoming attacks while sending out sword qi of his own and forcing all three to defend. Yet he too found them difficult to deal with. None of the three would approach him.

Whichever one he charged immediately fled and retreated, while the other two attacked from behind. They had been together for years, and it showed.

Their coordination was exceptionally smooth. Advance and retreat followed an orderly rhythm, with none of them falling into disorder.

The stalemate ended quickly.

Fang Shaoqun suddenly lost his composure. Panic even began to show in his movements. Black Peony and the others naturally realized why. Niu Youdao had not disappointed them.

In barely any time at all, he had already dealt with the others and was charging toward them with sword in hand.

Usually Niu Youdao was mild and easygoing. Every so often he even said things about disliking fighting and killing.

This was the first time they had ever seen such savage killing intent on his face.

He looked like a ruthless bandit, dragging his sword toward them with murderous fury blazing around him. So many people had failed to stop Niu Youdao. Fang Shaoqun panicked completely and turned to flee.

“Hold him!” Black Peony screamed.

The three immediately threw caution aside. No more advancing when he retreated and retreating when he advanced.

They launched a furious combined assault, forcing Fang Shaoqun to defend and leaving him no chance to escape. Niu Youdao arrived like a streak of smoke.

He plunged straight into the battle, his sword flashing wildly as he shattered the sword qi Fang Shaoqun hurled at him. In an instant, he was already at close range.

Fang Shaoqun snapped his sword up and counterattacked with everything he had.

Clang!

The two swords crashed together.

Fang Shaoqun was horrified.

The force he had poured into his weapon vanished like an ox sinking into the sea. A strange force from the opposing sword had dissolved it. Niu Youdao’s blade followed through in a thrust.

A flick upward.

Then another straight stab.

A bloodied hand, still clutching its sword, spun away through the air.

The swordlight stopped.

Blood gushed from the severed stump of Fang Shaoqun’s right wrist.

In panic, his left hand clamped desperately around the blade that had driven toward his chest.

He lowered his head.

The long sword had already pierced through his heart. Its bloodstained point protruded from his back.

Fang Shaoqun slowly raised his head, trying to look at Niu Youdao. Niu Youdao’s face was fierce and hard.

A kick slammed squarely into Fang Shaoqun’s chest and sent him flying away.

Niu Youdao pulled his sword free and stood there, cold eyes sweeping the surroundings. Blood dripped from the sword tip into the grass. Black Peony and the others stared blankly.

They still had not recovered from what they had just witnessed.

One sword exchange.

And Fang Shaoqun was dead?

Niu Youdao suddenly raised his sword and pointed toward the hill.

The others turned to look.

Cui Yuan had staggered back to his feet and was stumbling away.

Yuan Fang emerged from somewhere with an expression full of ferocious enthusiasm.

He was not afraid of beating up someone who could barely stand.

Monk’s saber in hand, he charged toward Cui Yuan, clearly intending to cut him down. Then Niu Youdao pointed in that direction.

Yuan Fang awkwardly stopped.

He gave a sheepish grin and ran back toward the hill instead. Lie Zhanbing and Yao Youliang were stumbling away as well. At that speed, there was no possibility of escape. They were merely making a final desperate struggle. Niu Youdao walked slowly with his sword dragging behind him.

“Clean up. Find out exactly why people from all three factions joined forces. Interrogate those who are still alive and get the facts straight.”

“Yes!” Black Peony answered.

She waved a hand, and the others immediately went to work.

Yuan Fang came trotting back and presented the sword scabbard with both hands. “Master Dao.”

Niu Youdao flicked the blood from his blade.

The sword tip struck upward.

The scabbard flipped from Yuan Fang’s hands into the air. Niu Youdao raised the sword and slid it neatly into the falling scabbard.

With a turn of his wrist, he planted the sheathed sword before him and rested both hands atop it. He stood straight in the grass. The murderous ferocity on his face gradually receded. His expression slowly returned to calm.

The sky stretched blue above.

The open grassland rolled away beneath it. Wind swept the grass down in waves of green.

Perhaps drawn by the scent of blood, more than a dozen vultures circled overhead.

Niu Youdao stood amid the grass, hands resting on his sword, looking into the distance.

Black Peony stood beside him and reported everything the prisoners had confessed in detail.

Niu Youdao asked, “The Golden Core Realm experts stationed by all three factions left last night around the hour of the boar?”

Black Peony nodded. “That’s what Cui Yuan said. Yao Youliang’s confession matches it.”

Niu Youdao asked, “Lie Zhanbing still refuses to talk? He refuses to open his mouth no matter what. We can find a way to pry it open, but it may take some time.”

“Don’t waste time on him. Keep the ones who confessed. Anyone who refuses...” Niu Youdao paused.

“Kill him.”

“Yes!” Black Peony answered.

Then she offered him a bundle. “Master Dao, these are the valuables we searched from them.”

“You deal with them yourselves.” Niu Youdao’s tone was indifferent.

He had no interest in the contents.

Black Peony said nothing more.

Carrying the bundle, she turned back and walked to Lie Zhanbing’s side.

Her sword came free.

One thrust pierced his heart.

Black Peony had spent years conducting black-on-black robberies and showed no hesitation at all over something like this.

She simply did not understand why Niu Youdao wanted to keep the other two alive.

Niu Youdao walked over.

He had Cui Yuan and Yao Youliang hauled upright. Still holding the sheathed sword in one hand, he pressed both palms against their backs.

“Pfft!”

After each man spat out bloodied chunks of ice, Niu Youdao sealed their acupoints again and took his sword back into hand.

“Bind them.”

Duan Hu and Wu Sanliang used the flexible steel whips they had picked up to tie both prisoners securely.

Following Niu Youdao’s instructions, Yuan Fang went and brought over the six horses from the distance.

Niu Youdao took one, swung into the saddle, and pointed toward Lei Zongkang, who sat nearby looking lost and desolate.

“Take these two prisoners behind the hill and keep watch over them. Wait for us to return.”

At those words, Black Peony and the other two froze. Then delight appeared on their faces. They had heard the second meaning hidden inside his order.

Black Peony immediately barked at Lei Zongkang, “Why are you still sitting there? Go do what Master Dao ordered!”

Lei Zongkang rose with a complicated expression.

He cupped his hands toward Niu Youdao. “Yes.”

“Move!”

Niu Youdao kicked his horse forward and galloped away. Black Peony and the others leapt into the saddles one after another, wheeled their mounts around, and raced after him.

Once they caught up, Black Peony realized they seemed to be retracing their original route.

She asked uncertainly, “Master Dao, where are we going?”

Niu Youdao’s reply was cold.

“Star-Plucking City.”

“Ah!”

All of them were startled.

Duan Hu hurriedly said, “Master Dao, if we go back to Star-Plucking City now, aren’t we walking straight into the tiger’s den? They left around the hour of the boar last night. By the timing, we should have enough time.”

Niu Youdao did not answer the question directly. He stared ahead, eyes faintly cold.

“Now Fuyun Sect and Lingxiu Mountain have jumped in too. Do they really think I’m made of clay? Courtesy demands reciprocity. Let’s play with them properly.”

The others looked at one another in silence. The party galloped back across the grasslands, returned to the Gobi, and finally reached the horse yard below the mountains near dusk.

They left their horses there.

The five of them immediately sprang away again and vanished into the vast mountain ranges.

Night deepened.

Stars filled the sky.

By the time they returned to the dim lights of Star-Plucking City, Moon Butterflies fluttered above Black Peony, Duan Hu, and Wu Sanliang, illuminating their path.

“Where is the Liuxian Sect shop?” Niu Youdao asked.

The others seemed to guess what he intended. Their hearts pounded slightly, but they still led him straight there. When they arrived, a closed sign hung on the door. Niu Youdao ignored the people passing outside.

He walked up, pressed a hand against the door, circulated spiritual power, and lifted the bar from inside. Then he simply pushed the door open and walked in.

The others followed.

Black Peony and the two men directed their Moon Butterflies in a circuit around the interior, filling the room with light. Niu Youdao shut the door behind them.

“Clear it out. Take everything valuable.”

Black Peony and the others broke into faint sweat. So he really had come back to loot the shop.

The Liuxian Sect was going to go insane when it discovered this.

After doing something like this, they truly would be aboard the same pirate ship with him. Yuan Fang’s mouth split into a delighted grin.

His eyes lit up.

He hurried over, tore down a cloth hanging, and spread it out as a makeshift bundle.

Then he began sweeping spirit herbs from the shelves into it at high speed.

Black Peony and the others could only comply, rapidly gathering anything valuable.

Niu Youdao set the birdcage he carried down on the counter. Two Scent-Seekers inside hopped around, looking this way and that. Niu Youdao himself searched through the front and back rooms.

After a while, all four others returned to the front hall, each carrying a bundle. Niu Youdao came back holding another birdcage. Several Goldenwings used for communications had been stuffed inside.

He waved a hand.

The group withdrew.

One after another, they carried their bundles out the door.

People came and went outside.

They had just openly looted a sect’s shop. Every one of them felt his heart pounding. Then they looked at Niu Youdao.

He behaved as though he did this sort of thing all the time.

Perfectly accustomed to it.

As though nothing had happened, he closed the door behind them.

He even straightened the closed sign hanging outside before leading everyone away in broad view.

Next, they visited the Fuyun Sect and Lingxiu Mountain shops in succession.

At the Lingxiu Mountain shop, they sorted everything they had plundered into several large bundles by type.

Niu Youdao waved a hand. “Let’s go. Sell everything to the major shops.”

Wu Sanliang hurriedly said, “Master Dao, if we sell to the major shops, we’ll get at most half price! Look farther ahead. Stop staring at a little money.”

Duan Hu did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Master Dao, this is not a little money. Some of those rare spirit herbs are worth a fortune!”

“Doesn’t carrying such a huge bundle tire you?”

Niu Youdao tossed the words over his shoulder and left. He opened the door and walked straight outside.

The group went first to the Ling Sect shop to sell the spirit herbs. It truly was a fire sale. The buyer was willing to pay only half price.

Niu Youdao did not care.

Half price was half price.

He unloaded the entire lot at once, collected the gold drafts, and left.

The shopkeeper and attendants watched them go, then turned back and began muttering among themselves, wondering where these people had obtained so many spirit herbs. Niu Youdao’s group did not stop.

They tossed several birdcages onto the counter at the Myriad Beasts Sect shop and sold the pile of Goldenwings for half price. The weapons went to the Qiyun Sect. There, they did not even receive half value. Whatever price the shop estimated, Niu Youdao accepted. He only had Yuan Fang keep several good daggers.

After making the rounds of several shops and selling everything they had taken, they counted the proceeds. More than one million two hundred thousand gold coins.

[End of Chapter 140]