Chapter 466: Outmatched

He Youjian's head had been twisted around until his face looked toward his own back.

His eyes bulged wide.

His gaze fell on Niu Youdao, grief and fury in it, as though he wanted to accuse the man of breaking his word. Niu Youdao stood with his sword planted at his side, half-turned away. He did not even look at He Youjian. His indifferent gaze remained fixed on the dazzling scenery outside the tree fortress. His face was expressionless and utterly calm, giving him an air of cold, merciless detachment. From the moment he learned Chao Shenghuai was Chao Jing's grandson, he had never intended to kill Chao Shenghuai.

There was no point in killing him. The very reason Niu Youdao had knowingly entered the illusory realm despite realizing the three men intended to harm him was because of Chao Shenghuai. Who told Chao Shenghuai to have a backer inside Myriad Beasts Sect? The lives of people like that were always worth a little more. How could Niu Youdao casually throw such a valuable life away? He Youjian sagged bonelessly at Yuan Gang's feet. Blood flowed from his nose and mouth as his body twitched.

Yuan Gang kicked the two fallen sabers toward Yuan Fang. Yuan Fang caught the pair of monk's sabers and stood there staring blankly at the scene before him. Guan Fangyi likewise watched Niu Youdao approach in a daze.

Niu Youdao walked past her without stopping and said mildly, "Nothing worth looking at. Let's go."

Then he walked out first. Guan Fangyi turned and followed him with her eyes. Yuan Gang picked up the unconscious Chao Shenghuai in one hand and signaled Yuan Fang to destroy the two corpses and erase all traces... The vast starry sky looked down upon the fantastical ancient forest. Groups of Myriad Beasts Sect disciples arrived one after another atop the cliff. The last to arrive was an old man. He leaped down from a flying mount with a row of imposing figures at either side.

The disciples who had arrived earlier saluted one after another and opened a path for him. The old man listened to the reports from the four surviving disciples while standing with his hands clasped behind his back at the edge of the cliff, looking out over the ancient forest. His hair and beard were black as lacquer. His expression was tight, carrying authority without anger, and his broad-backed silhouette looked imposing. This man was none other than Chao Jing, an elder of Myriad Beasts Sect.

The moment he heard that disciples from his own line had suffered a disaster, he hurried over.

"What about the others who were planting Light-Repelling Grass?" Chao Jing asked heavily.

The four survivors exchanged looks.

One answered cautiously, "No one returned from the Rakshasa Tide. They should... they may all have met with disaster."

Chao Jing slowly turned his head. His gaze happened to fall on a group standing not far away who were plainly not Myriad Beasts Sect disciples. At their head stood a beautiful young woman. Chao Jing could not help looking at her twice. The group was none other than the people of the Shangqing Sect.

Once large numbers of Myriad Beasts Sect disciples arrived, Tang Yi and the others could no longer avoid exposing themselves from where they had been hiding among the rugged rocks. They had been forced into the open. Chao Jing turned back to the disciple who had spoken.

"Why would Ma Jin and the others provoke a Rakshasa Tide?"

The disciple remained cautious. "This disciple doesn't know. Chao Shenghuai found Master and seemed... seemed to say he'd run into an enemy."

"Master then gathered some men and went over. Somehow, a Rakshasa Tide broke out afterward."

"The four of us were responsible for keeping watch from the flying mounts. When we saw the Rakshasa Tide rise, we withdrew in time and barely escaped."

An enemy?

Chao Jing immediately asked, "What kind of enemy?"

The disciple shook his head. "This disciple doesn't know. Chao Shenghuai whispered to Master at the side. We didn't hear what they said, and Master never told us afterward."

"We were only following orders. We didn't see any enemy either."

"Most likely, whoever that enemy was also failed to survive the Rakshasa Tide."

Chao Jing turned and asked one of his own disciples who had arrived earlier, "Did you search?"

The disciple cupped his hands. "Master, we searched a little, but there wasn't much point. We didn't dare go too deep, much less conduct a large-scale search. We were afraid of provoking another Rakshasa Tide."

"More than a hundred people, gone just like that!"

Chao Jing rebuked them angrily.

"It wasn't their first time entering the illusory realm. Did they not know how to be careful? What was Ma Jin doing?"

More than a hundred people had been lost in one stroke, and every one belonged to his own faction. The one blessing in the disaster was that they had died to a Rakshasa Tide. At least it could be explained as an accident. Otherwise, Chao Jing would have no way to answer to the sect. The surrounding Myriad Beasts Sect disciples remained silent.

No one dared speak.

Chao Jing turned his gaze back toward the bizarre, glowing forest.

His disciples were right.

They did not dare go too deep, and they did not dare spread out in a broad search. If they triggered another Rakshasa Tide, there would only be further losses.

Although he estimated that the people who had gone in earlier had little chance of still being alive, he could not pretend nothing had happened. His somewhat heavy breathing gradually steadied.

Then he said slowly, "Leave more people behind. Go in and search carefully again."

"If anything looks wrong, withdraw immediately."

"Do not advance recklessly!"

"Yes!" his disciples answered.

Chao Jing turned back again and looked toward the Shangqing Sect group.

"Who are those people?"

One disciple replied, "They say they're from the Shangqing Sect. We saw them hiding suspiciously nearby, so we kept them here for questioning."

"Shangqing Sect? The Shangqing Sect from the State of Yan?"

"Yes."

Chao Jing was somewhat surprised. There were countless small sects beneath Heaven, most of which he might never have heard of. The Shangqing Sect was different.

Though it had declined badly and amounted to little today, its reputation was not comparable to that of an ordinary small sect. After all, it had once been the foremost sect in Yan and had once possessed a seat in Misty Pavilion. Chao Jing lifted his chin. One of his disciples immediately called the Shangqing Sect group over. Once they approached, Tang Yi represented the Shangqing Sect and cupped her hands.

"Tang Yi, Sect Leader of the Shangqing Sect, greets Elder Chao."

Chao Jing was surprised again. He had not expected the present Sect Leader of the Shangqing Sect to be such a rare beauty.

His gaze traveled over her as he asked, "You're the current Sect Leader of the Shangqing Sect?"

Tang Yi did not quite know how to describe this elder. She kept feeling that his gaze was not entirely proper. The way he looked at her made her uncomfortable all over.

Still, she replied courteously, "I am."

Chao Jing swept a glance over the group with her and said coolly, "The dignified Sect Leader of the Shangqing Sect brought a whole group into the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm merely to admire the scenery?"

Tang Yi replied, "I had never seen it before and came specifically to broaden my horizons. The disciples of my sect were concerned for my safety and accompanied me as guards."

Chao Jing asked, "If you came to admire the scenery, why were you hiding suspiciously?"

Tang Yi said, "Elder Chao misunderstands. The sudden Rakshasa Tide truly startled us as well. We feared danger and found somewhere to shelter from it. That is only human nature. How does that count as suspicious hiding?"

Earlier, she had believed Niu Youdao had a relationship with Myriad Beasts Sect. But after overhearing talk of enemies and the like, she no longer dared mention that she had come here after Niu Youdao. Chao Jing's gaze lingered on her delicate face. Then it drifted across her full bosom and slender waist. A strange, calculating glimmer passed through his eyes.

He said slowly, "Disciples of my sect encountered an enemy and suffered an accident. I'll have to trouble Sect Leader Tang to bear a small inconvenience and return with us to Myriad Beasts Sect for the moment."

Tang Yi's expression changed.

"What does Elder Chao mean by that? What connection could your sect's disciples encountering an enemy possibly have with the Shangqing Sect?"

Chao Jing said, "You were hiding suspiciously. It's difficult for me not to have doubts."

"If you have a clear conscience, Sect Leader Tang, there's no need to panic."

"You'll merely come back with us and answer a few questions. Once the matter is clarified, we'll naturally send you respectfully down the mountain."

He waved a hand toward his disciples, signaling them to take the group away. How could the Shangqing Sect submit so easily?

Luo Yuangong shouted, "Is this how Myriad Beasts Sect treats its guests?"

Chao Jing's face darkened.

"Guests can be good or bad. Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit."

The moment the words left his mouth, several hundred Myriad Beasts Sect disciples surrounded the Shangqing Sect party. The Shangqing Sect immediately went on guard. Tang Yi quickly raised one hand to stop her people from acting rashly.

"We have clear consciences. We'll go explain the matter."

"No matter what happens, reason must still prevail!"

Su Po and the others looked stifled with anger. They knew those words merely sounded good.

In the end, they were outmatched. That was the only reason the other side dared behave so arrogantly. They also knew Tang Yi had no other choice. If fighting truly broke out, the Shangqing Sect side would have no good outcome. They were simply no match for Myriad Beasts Sect. Chao Jing tilted his head in signal. A group of Myriad Beasts Sect disciples immediately surged forward and restrained Tang Yi and the others. Tang Yi was both shocked and furious.

"Elder Chao, what is the meaning of this?"

Chao Jing replied blandly, "Take them back first."

"Is this how Myriad Beasts Sect treats its guests?"

Luo Yuangong had barely shouted the words when his voice vanished. Then the entire Shangqing Sect fell silent. Restrictions had been placed on all of them again.

Watching the Shangqing Sect group being escorted away, one of Chao Jing's disciples stepped forward and quietly reminded him, "Master, this disciple has heard a rumor."

"Several years ago, some sect intended to move against the Shangqing Sect and ended up drawing out Zhao Xiongge of Demon Ridge."

"The Shangqing Sect itself is easy enough to deal with, but Zhao Xiongge doesn't seem like a man who cares much for reason."

Chao Jing snorted. "Others may fear Zhao Xiongge. Does Myriad Beasts Sect need to take him seriously?"

"Number nine on the Golden Core Ranking? A joke!"

The disciple said, "The main problem is Zhao Xiongge's unclear relationship with those remnants of the Demonic Sect."

"Master, it would still be better to exercise caution."

The corner of Chao Jing's mouth twitched.

His tone finally softened.

"Better one less problem than one more. Be careful. Don't let anyone know we took the Shangqing Sect people away."

"Yes."

"And another thing."

"Enemy or no enemy, no one actually saw one. Don't spread stories about something with no evidence behind it."

"This disciple understands!"

The disciple nodded.

He understood perfectly well what Chao Jing meant. If word got out that Chao Shenghuai had provoked such an enormous disaster because of a private grudge, it would be difficult to explain to the sect.

Once the disciple confirmed there were no further orders, he quickly turned and hurried after the departing group to pass down the necessary arrangements... Far away in the darkness, the glow of the ancient forest illuminated the scene atop the cliff clearly enough to see. Wei Duo had watched the entire Shangqing Sect group being taken away. He almost lost control and rushed out to demand an explanation, but one hand pressed down on his shoulder.

Uncle Chen warned quietly, "Don't be impulsive!"

Earlier, after seeing that Niu Youdao might have fallen into danger, Wei Duo had stubbornly run off to seek reinforcements. But he had almost no acquaintances here. Where was he supposed to find someone willing to help on such short notice?

Left with no other choice, he exited the illusory realm and found Uncle Chen and Old Six Xu outside, hoping those two might have some solution. Uncle Chen and Old Six Xu were startled when they heard what had happened. Naturally, they could not simply accept everything Wei Duo said without seeing the situation themselves. Old Six Xu remained outside to wait for news, while Uncle Chen accompanied Wei Duo back in to investigate. Instead, the moment they arrived, they witnessed the Shangqing Sect being seized.

Wei Duo, the one who had run out seeking help, had ironically escaped the disaster.

"I need to ask them clearly why they arrested the people of my Shangqing Sect!" Wei Duo struggled.

Whenever he became truly anxious, his speech suddenly became smooth.

Uncle Chen said, "Fool! If the matter could be explained clearly, Myriad Beasts Sect wouldn't have arrested them in the first place."

"Doesn't your Sect Leader have a mouth? If she couldn't explain it, can a stutterer like you run out there without even understanding what's happening and somehow make it clear?"

"Will they even listen to you?"

Wei Duo asked anxiously, "Th-then... what do we do?"

"Myriad Beasts Sect isn't something we can afford to provoke, much less on their own territory."

"Charging out recklessly would only be throwing ourselves into the net."

"Come on. We'll go back and find someone who can think of a way."

Uncle Chen practically dragged Wei Duo away by force...

[End of Chapter 466]