Chapter 142: Where Are the Goods?

Black Peony rode ahead beside Niu Youdao, murmuring with him in low voices. At the rear of the group, Lei Zongkang remained silent.

Niu Youdao had not said he accepted him back, but neither had he driven him away again. His old companions had simply pulled him along with the group.

“Old Lei, don’t think too much about it.”

Wu Sanliang slowed his horse until he was riding beside him and offered a quiet word of comfort...

Under the moonlight, Cui Yuan and Yao Youliang finally made their way out of the grasslands.

Breathing heavily, they stopped at the edge of the Gobi and looked back. Once they were reasonably sure no one was pursuing them, they began walking slowly across the wasteland.

Both were badly injured, and every pill and medicine they had carried had been confiscated. They genuinely no longer had the strength to keep traveling by leaps and bounds. All they could do was walk slowly and recover as they went.

Once the sense of immediate danger faded, they finally had the attention to spare for the problem waiting ahead.

“You don’t think they really looted all three of our shops, do you?” Yao Youliang asked.

“Judging by the timing, it’s entirely possible. And he had no real reason to make something like that up.” Cui Yuan sighed.

Never in his dreams had he imagined Niu Youdao would have the nerve to return to Star-Plucking City and loot all three shops.

If they had known that in advance, neither man would ever have revealed that the shops had been left unattended.

Now yellow mud had fallen into their crotches—whether it was shit or not, everyone would assume it was.

Yao Youliang said, “What do we do? Will Niu Youdao really keep the secret? If this gets exposed, you and I become traitors to our sects. We can’t bear the consequences!”

Cui Yuan replied, “What are you suggesting? Run away? If Niu Youdao really plans to expose us, do you think fleeing will make our sects let us off? They’ll hunt us for the rest of our lives. Are we supposed to hide forever? A man who betrays his sect is despised wherever he goes.”

“Then what do you think we should do?”

“I think that if Niu Youdao truly wanted to kill us, he had no need to go through such an elaborate performance. Why bother?”

Yao Youliang frowned. “But he just let us go. Since when is Niu Youdao that kind-hearted? Something about it feels wrong. Are we really going to hide the truth exactly as he suggested?”

“If you’re tired of living, feel free not to.”

Yao Youliang’s voice immediately rose. “Then we settle this clearly now. Either both of us keep quiet or neither of us does. If one talks, the other can’t possibly cover it up alone!”

The two kept muttering and negotiating as they trudged across the Gobi...

Back in Star-Plucking City, Gao Sucong of the Liuxian Sect, Liao Sen of Fuyun Sect, and Wu Qianhao of Lingxiu Mountain finally returned with their disciples after a long, dusty rush beneath the stars and moon. Their groups were somewhat smaller than before.

They had guarded against the possibility that Niu Youdao was using a diversion, so each faction had left two disciples continuing toward Shanhu County. What if Niu Youdao truly went there after all?

For over twenty hours, they had been rushing back and forth without pause.

Being led around by the nose like this was deeply unpleasant. But they had no choice.

If they failed to make every effort, they would have no way to explain themselves afterward. The group headed straight for the Liuxian Sect shop.

Gao Sucong tore down the closed sign hanging outside and pushed open the door. A Moon Butterfly flew in first and circled the interior.

The Scent-Seekers inside the birdcage on the counter immediately began hopping and chirping wildly.

Liao Sen and Wu Qianhao walked over to the counter and stared at them.

Gao Sucong, however, had fixed his attention on the merchandise shelves the instant he entered. His gaze swept over row after row of emptiness. He checked around the shop. It was bare. Everyone else gradually noticed the same problem.

Liao Sen asked, “Did they store the goods somewhere before leaving? They were going out, after all.”

Gao Sucong immediately began opening chests, drawers, and cabinets throughout the shop, searching everywhere a cache might have been hidden. He found nothing. At last he walked to the weapon rack.

A long spear and a long saber were still standing exactly where they had always been. He touched them, his expression slowly turning grave. Liao Sen and Wu Qianhao exchanged a look. They had guessed the same thing he had.

If the disciples had really hidden the valuable merchandise before leaving, why would they have left the long saber and spear behind?

What none of them knew was that Niu Youdao had simply thought those oversized weapons would look far too conspicuous being carried through the streets. They were inconvenient, so he had left them.

Wu Qianhao lifted the birdcage slightly. “And what’s going on with these Scent-Seekers?”

Gao Sucong turned back, walked over, and frowned. He could not understand that either.

Huang Engui and the others had already pursued the target. The Scent-Seekers they carried should have picked up every scent-bait pellet along the route. Why were the birds in this cage still reacting?

This particular cage of Scent-Seekers had been purchased temporarily from the Myriad Beasts Sect as an extra precaution.

According to the Myriad Beasts Sect, the bait used while training Scent-Seekers from a young age was specially formulated in matching batches. When the birds were sold, their corresponding scent bait was sold with them.

Only after several years, once one batch of birds had reached the end of its lifespan, would another batch be trained to respond to the same bait formulation.

That prevented someone else’s scent bait from misleading a customer’s birds.

On something like this, the Myriad Beasts Sect should never risk destroying its own reputation. Gao Sucong truly could not make sense of it.

He turned and barked, “Send a message immediately. Ask them what’s going on.”

“Yes!”

A nearby disciple moved at once.

Gao Sucong faced Liao Sen and Wu Qianhao again. “Whatever the explanation, we still have to make the trip.”

The other two nodded. There was no question of abandoning the pursuit now.

The three factions had joined forces. If Niu Youdao still escaped, they would become a laughingstock.

They might not even retain the qualification to oversee shops in Star-Plucking City. Their sects might send them home to guard the mountain gates instead.

Besides, both Fuyun Sect and Lingxiu Mountain had disciples out there in pursuit. It would hardly be appropriate to ignore them. Privately, both men were blaming Gao Sucong.

This had been the Liuxian Sect’s problem. Why drag them into it?

Now that they were involved, however, the Song family’s face was part of the matter, and they had no convenient way to refuse.

The decision made, they took the Scent-Seeker cage and left the Liuxian Sect shop together.

Liao Sen and Wu Qianhao wanted to check their own shops as well.

As for leaving someone behind to guard the Liuxian Sect’s premises—there was barely any merchandise left now.

Guard what?

When the group reached Lingxiu Mountain’s shop, the situation was almost laughably identical. Empty. They went next to Fuyun Sect’s shop. No one had anything to mock anyone else over. That one was empty too. For some reason, Gao Sucong actually felt slightly better.

After pacing around his own shop several times, Liao Sen came back and tried to reassure himself. “Maybe they really did hide the goods somewhere?”

Gao Sucong and Wu Qianhao nodded together.

“Possible.”

In principle, who would have the nerve to steal from sect shops inside Star-Plucking City? The city protected the businesses within its walls. But neither man had much confidence in that argument.

If you displayed merchandise in a shop and then left no one to watch the premises, what kind of business practice was that?

Was Star-Plucking City supposed to assign staff to guard every shop on behalf of its owners?

And if you later claimed something had been stolen, was Star-Plucking City required to investigate it for you?

That logic would make no sense either to Star-Plucking City or to their own sects. There was no time to delay. Now all three factions were getting anxious.

They desperately hoped their own disciples had hidden the goods somewhere after all.

Otherwise, if the merchandise was truly gone and Niu Youdao escaped too, they would have real trouble.

If they caught Niu Youdao, then losing some goods while pursuing him could at least be explained. If they lost both Niu Youdao and the merchandise... They would be finished.

Since the goods were gone anyway, Fuyun Sect and Lingxiu Mountain likewise had no reason to leave disciples behind.

The whole group set out together, hurrying out of Star-Plucking City in pursuit...

By then, Niu Youdao’s group was already thundering along a broad official road at full speed.

A Goldenwing cut through the night sky and came after them.

Duan Hu raised one arm and caught the descending bird. He removed the secret message from the tube on its leg, then placed the Goldenwing inside one of the cages they carried. He opened the message and glanced over it.

Then he accelerated to the front and handed it to Niu Youdao. “Master Dao, a message from the Liuxian Sect.”

A Moon Butterfly flew closer to Niu Youdao. By its light, he looked over the message and discovered that the entire thing was written in coded language. He could not understand a word of it.

He looked from side to side. “Can anyone read this?”

Duan Hu replied, “It should be the Liuxian Sect’s private cipher. Probably only their own disciples can read it fluently. We can always reply in plain language.”

“Reply my ass.”

Niu Youdao tore the secret message to shreds on the spot and flung the pieces into the wind. They scattered behind him.

He had no interest in exchanging letters with people trying to kill him.

He had only kept the Goldenwing’s homing lure so he could confirm what was happening.

He looked around at the others. “The men from the three factions who went to Shanhu County should have returned to Star-Plucking City by now. I imagine they’re already following the trail after us.”

Black Peony was alarmed. “Master Dao, then why are you still dropping scent bait along the road to guide them?”

“Relax. They can’t catch us.”

Niu Youdao was utterly unconcerned. “I can drop scent bait when I want and stop when I want. Let’s see what they do when they reach a fork with no trail to follow. We have the time advantage. Catching us won’t be so easy.”

Outside Star-Plucking City, the pursuers released a Scent-Seeker. A group of more than ten people raced after it.

They left the mountains behind and reached the horse yard, where each man prepared two mounts so they could alternate horses and maintain their pace.

Under the stars and moon, the group thundered across the vast Gobi.

A Moon Butterfly flew ahead to light the way as they followed the Scent-Seeker.

The direction matched the route Huang Engui’s group had reported earlier.

“Martial Uncle!”

A shout suddenly came from behind. Gao Sucong raised a hand sharply.

The riders hauled on their reins and stopped in a rush, all turning back.

Two figures sprang out of a depression off to one side. Cui Yuan and Yao Youliang.

The two had been walking along the road when they heard the thunder of hooves approaching from ahead.

In their current condition, they had been afraid of encountering trouble. They immediately ran to a low hollow nearby and hid inside.

Only after the riders passed close enough did they realize the group belonged to their own factions. The two hurried over and saluted before the mounted party. A Moon Butterfly circled them once. Both looked miserable. Their weapons were gone. Blood stained their clothes. Anyone could see they had suffered serious injuries.

Gao Sucong barked, “What happened? Where are Huang Engui and the others?”

Grief immediately filled Cui Yuan’s face. “Niu Youdao’s skills were far stronger than expected. Even with all of us working together, we weren’t his match!”

“The two of us were badly wounded. It was only because our fellow disciples fought desperately to cover our retreat that we managed to escape and return with the news.”

He faltered.

“Senior Brother and the others... I’m afraid... I’m afraid they’ve already met with disaster.”

Yao Youliang nodded and even began choking back sobs, wiping at his eyes. The two had discussed their story on the road.

Niu Youdao’s suggestion that they return carrying a message had seemed too risky after they thought it through.

Better to make the dead look heroic and their own escape look honorable.

If all their comrades had died while they survived as prisoners only to come back delivering Niu Youdao’s words, it would look far too humiliating and might damage their futures.

Wu Qianhao dismounted, seized Yao Youliang’s wrist, and checked his pulse.

After confirming that the injuries were indeed serious, he asked in a heavy voice, “What happened to the goods in the shop?”

The instant he asked, both Yao Youliang and Cui Yuan felt their hearts lurch. That lunatic Niu Youdao had really looted all three shops!

Yao Youliang wiped his eyes and looked surprised. “Martial Uncle, naturally the goods are still in the shop.”

Wu Qianhao exploded.

He seized Yao Youliang by the front of his robe. “The shop is empty! Where are the goods?”

Yao Youliang put on an alarmed expression. “Martial Uncle, we were trying to intercept Niu Youdao in time. There was no chance to pack anything before leaving. We left all the merchandise exactly where it was. Senior Brother said no one would dare steal inside Star-Plucking City—”

“Bastard!”

Wu Qianhao kicked him to the ground. Then he stepped forward and drove another vicious kick into him, sending Yao Youliang flying nearly a zhang away. He was almost beside himself with rage. Disciples dead and wounded. The target uncaptured. The shop emptied.

At this rate, he could start preparing to go back to the sect and spend the rest of his days guarding the mountain gate.

[End of Chapter 142]