Chapter 182: Master Dao Requests Your Presence

“The meaning?”

Still holding out the brush with both hands, Niu Youdao looked mildly surprised.

“Did Shopkeeper Gao not just say you hope the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit can be obtained so Provincial Inspector Xiao may recover? Is that not the position of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion?”

Gao Mulan nodded. “Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion naturally hopes the Provincial Inspector will recover soon. But Brother Niu, what are you...?”

“Since you hope the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit can be obtained, why not put that sincerity into writing and leave clear proof?”

Gao Mulan’s cheek twitched slightly. She stared at the brush in his hands without reaching for it and slowly rose.

“If the sincerity is in one’s heart, that is enough. Why must it be written down?”

Niu Youdao shook his head.

“Shopkeeper Gao may not know this, but what I heard is somewhat different from what you just said. I heard that Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion fears that seeking the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit will bring trouble upon the sect, and therefore sent Shopkeeper Gao here to kill me.”

Gao Mulan’s heart jolted.

Who had leaked the secret?

Before today, she would not have cared what Niu Youdao said. But now his relationship with the Ice and Snow Pavilion was unclear, and that truly made people wary. She repeatedly waved her hands.

“Absolutely not! Who is spreading such slander?”

“If it is slander, then why begrudge me a few lines of your calligraphy to serve as proof?”

Gao Mulan could not tell what he was trying to do. There was no way she would casually put something like this in writing and hand him leverage against her. She slowly stood straighter.

“The innocent are naturally self-evident; the guilty likewise. There is no need for such a superfluous gesture.”

Niu Youdao nodded and set the brush down.

“That is true. Practical action would be better.”

“Since Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion also hopes the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit can be obtained, I will trouble Shopkeeper Gao to ask the Ice and Snow Pavilion for it.”

Gao Mulan choked on her words.

Then she said, “It is not that I am unwilling. Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion has asked the Ice and Snow Pavilion for one before, but they simply refused. It would be useless for me to ask again.”

“This time may be different. I will introduce you and speak on your behalf.”

“I cannot decide such a matter myself. I must report to the sect and await a decision. Farewell!”

Gao Mulan cupped her hands, turned, and started to leave. Niu Youdao tapped the tabletop twice with one finger.

“Let you walk out so you can turn around and kill me?”

Gao Mulan’s heartstrings tightened. Her steps stopped. She turned back.

“I have already said there is absolutely no such thing. Someone must be spreading slander!”

Niu Youdao looked at Wu Kong.

“Shopkeeper Wu, someone wants to kill me. Do you agree to that?”

Wu Kong, who had been quietly watching, froze. Tianyu Sect and Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion were allies now. He could hardly speak carelessly. He forced a laugh.

“Brother Niu, there may be some misunderstanding here. If Shopkeeper Gao truly wanted to kill you, she would hardly have come to Rainbow Inn to find you. Would she?”

“So you mean she will wait until I leave the inn before making her move?”

“No, no, no.”

Wu Kong hurriedly waved both hands.

“That is not what I mean. I mean that if Shopkeeper Gao truly had such intentions, there would be no need for her to come find you at all.”

Niu Youdao asked, “Then explain why she refuses to prove herself one way and refuses to prove herself the other.”

Wu Kong opened his mouth. Then he thought better of becoming more deeply entangled. He sighed.

“Brother Niu, if you ask me that, I truly know nothing about it. How am I supposed to answer?”

Gao Mulan said, “Brother Niu, I already told you. Once I report to the sect, I will certainly give you an answer.”

Niu Youdao gave her a cold sidelong look.

“If you are not afraid of dying, go ahead and try leaving. Let us see whether Rainbow Inn will allow someone who intends to kill me to walk away.”

Gao Mulan finally grew angry.

“If you are determined to condemn someone, you can always invent a charge! Niu Youdao, I came here out of goodwill to warn you to be careful, yet you treat me with such discourtesy. Do not push people too far!”

Niu Youdao remained indifferent.

“Whether I invented the charge or not, you know better than anyone.”

“Leave written proof, or come with me to ask the Ice and Snow Pavilion for the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit. Choose for yourself.”

“Of course, you may also try fighting your way out of Rainbow Inn.”

He picked up the brush from the table and held it toward her again, waiting. At the side, Black Peony secretly clicked her tongue. Was he truly not afraid of offending Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion? Wu Kong sat there with the detached composure of an old monk. The situation was unclear. For the moment, he would pretend he had seen nothing.

As Tianyu Sect’s representative here, he had to put Tianyu Sect’s interests first. There was no need to drag the sect into unnecessary trouble. Gao Mulan’s chest rose and fell rapidly. She genuinely wanted to rush forward and seize Niu Youdao on the spot. But she did not dare.

If she actually did that, whether or not she could leave the Ice and Snow Pavilion alive would be the least of the problems. She might bring annihilation down upon Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion itself.

Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion might be a dominant power in the State of Zhao, but if the Ice and Snow Pavilion wanted it destroyed, one sentence would be enough. Yet Niu Youdao had left her no room to maneuver. There were only three choices. She had to pick one. She did not dare simply walk out. She certainly would not do something as foolish as leave written evidence.

After weighing the matter again and again, she decided accompanying him to make the request was no great problem. At worst, she would ask. If the Ice and Snow Pavilion refused, she could hardly force them.

“Fine! Seeking medicine for Provincial Inspector Xiao is only proper. I will accompany you on the trip. Come find me at the shop whenever you are ready. Farewell!”

“There is no need to leave before the matter is finished.”

Niu Youdao’s voice drifted over lightly. He walked to the rack holding his sword and picked it up. Gao Mulan, who had already cupped her hands and was about to turn away, stiffened.

“At the very least, I have to go back and make arrangements!”

Shhk!

Niu Youdao drew the sword halfway. Sunlight from the window flashed across his face.

“You can make arrangements just as well from here. I will have someone from your shop come to see you. Whatever needs doing, instruct them to handle it.”

“You...”

Gao Mulan clenched her teeth in fury. Wu Kong cupped his hands.

“Brother Niu, the message has been delivered. I still have some matters to handle at my shop, so I will take my leave first.”

“No hurry. Stay as well. That way Shopkeeper Gao will have company and need not feel lonely by herself.”

Wu Kong’s face darkened.

“Brother Niu, what is the meaning of this? Are you placing me under house arrest?”

Shhk!

Niu Youdao sheathed the sword and casually tossed it aside. Yuan Gang, standing with his arms folded, caught it with one hand. Niu Youdao clasped his hands behind his back.

“Shopkeeper Wu is overthinking things. Tianyu Sect and I are old acquaintances. Are you unwilling even to remain as a witness between Shopkeeper Gao and me?”

“Or do you have something to hide as well? Do you also want to harm me?”

Wu Kong said heavily, “Brother Niu, words cannot be thrown around carelessly. Snapping at everyone you see does no good.”

“You want me as a witness? Fine. I agree.”

“My shop is not going anywhere. If you need me, you can come find me at any time.”

“I will have someone from Tianyu Sect’s shop come see you. Whatever business you have, let the people below handle it.”

Niu Youdao called, “Black Peony, your room is empty. Please take these two there to rest.”

Forceful. Decisive. Not the slightest room left for face. Black Peony’s heart thumped. She could see perfectly well that he was playing the fox who borrows the tiger’s might. But was he taking it too far? He had offended Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion and now Tianyu Sect as well. What exactly was he trying to do? She walked over to Wu Kong and Gao Mulan and extended a hand.

“Please, both of you. Follow me.”

The two shopkeepers were furious and had plenty they wanted to say, but they did not dare act recklessly. The situation forced them to submit. Wu Kong snorted, swept his sleeve, and turned away. Gao Mulan followed with a taut face.

Niu Youdao watched them sidelong and added, “Shopkeeper Wu, if Shopkeeper Gao escapes, do not blame me for turning hostile.”

The two paused briefly. Neither responded. They left. Yuan Gang walked to the sword rack, returned the sword to its place, then went to stand beside Niu Youdao at the window. Niu Youdao gazed into the distance with his hands behind his back, speaking almost to himself.

“Now that the matter has been exposed, if the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit comes from an improper source, having it is no different from not having it. Even if we bring it back, Hai Ruyue will not dare use it.”

Yuan Gang asked, “How did things end up like this?”

In his memory, once Master Dao reached his later years, he almost never failed after deciding to make a move.

“I ran into an expert.”

Niu Youdao’s voice was quiet.

“Shao Pingbo made his move. He locked onto me this quickly.”

“He is even harder to deal with than I imagined.”

“I still cannot understand how he knew I was coming to the Ice and Snow Pavilion for the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit.”

“That man is dangerous.”

“I’ll go to Beizhou and find a chance to take him out.”

Niu Youdao shook his head.

“Too risky. He has many experts around him. If you try to force it, you will have little chance to strike.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Go find out which faction stands behind the Shao family.”

Niu Youdao continued, “Use my name and invite the shopkeeper in charge of that faction’s shop to come here.”

“And invite the people in charge of the Liuxian Sect, Lingxiu Mountain, and Fuyun Sect shops as well. Bring them all.”

He then gave Yuan Gang a series of further instructions. The two discussed matters for a while. Afterward Yuan Gang quickly left. The moment he stepped outside, he ran into Black Peony.

She stopped him and asked quietly, “Could Master Dao cause trouble by handling things this way?”

To her, powers such as Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion and Tianyu Sect were simply too great.

“Master Dao knows where the limits are.”

Yuan Gang did not waste words explaining. He left her with that sentence, then went to knock on Wei Duo’s door and took him along. Black Peony watched him disappear down the stairs. Her lips moved soundlessly for quite a while as she cursed him under her breath... In Rainbow Inn’s main hall, Yuan Gang went straight to an attendant and questioned him at length. Then he quickly summoned Duan Hu, Wu Sanliang, and Lei Zongkang. The group left the inn and headed directly for Dachan Mountain’s shop.

“Honored guest, are you buying something or selling?”

The moment they entered, a shop assistant came forward to greet them. His tone gradually changed as he spoke. His eyes kept darting toward Duan Hu and the others behind Yuan Gang. He had seen them before. Yuan Gang reached out and shoved the assistant aside. His gaze fixed on the man behind the counter.

As he strode forward, he asked, “Is the shopkeeper here?”

Duan Hu and the others broke into a faint sweat at Yuan Gang’s manner. Dachan Mountain was a sect capable of supporting an entire province. That was no joke. Yet this man treated its shop with no courtesy whatsoever. Strangely, the assistant opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing and made no move. The man behind the counter stood. He was the shopkeeper, Mei Shikai. His gaze swept over the visitors and likewise paused on Duan Hu and the others.

“Those matters have not been hidden from us. I am the shopkeeper. What business do you have?”

“Master Dao requests your presence.”

Mei Shikai had already roughly guessed which “Master Dao” Yuan Gang meant.

Shao Pingbo might not have asked Dachan Mountain to take action, but once the sect learned of the situation, it was impossible for them not to pay attention.

Still, Mei Shikai knowingly asked, “Which Master Dao would that be?”

“Niu Youdao.”

When Yuan Gang’s group left Dachan Mountain’s shop, one person was missing. Lei Zongkang remained behind to guide Mei Shikai to Rainbow Inn. The rest headed directly for the Liuxian Sect shop. The moment they entered, a Liuxian Sect disciple came forward with a smile.

“Honored guest—”

Thud!

Yuan Gang suddenly drove a heavy fist into the man’s abdomen. The force was savage. Caught completely off guard, the Liuxian Sect disciple was blasted backward by the punch.

“Pfft!”

A mouthful of blood sprayed into the air. There came the faint crack of ribs snapping. Then the man crashed into a whole row of display cabinets and sent them toppling with a tremendous clatter. Wei Duo, Duan Hu, and the others jumped in shock. For a moment, they wondered whether Yuan Gang had gone mad. The commotion brought a group of Liuxian Sect cultivators rushing out. They surrounded Yuan Gang’s party.

Xiao Tie appeared and shouted, “Who are you?”

Yuan Gang stood where he was, utterly unmoved. His voice was flat.

“Who is the shopkeeper in charge?”

“Come with us.”

“Master Dao requests your presence.”

[End of Chapter 182]