Chapter 497: The Slaps Rang Loud

Niu Youdao immediately confirmed what he had heard. “Chen Tingxiu?”

Chao Shenghuai replied, “Yes. I think that was the name.”

Chen Tingxiu had come to Myriad Beasts Sect as well? Niu Youdao considered it for a moment. “Keep an eye on him for me. See what he does while he’s here.”

Chao Shenghuai said, “Do you think I can split myself in two? That other matter is already enough to keep me busy. Where am I supposed to find the energy to watch someone for you?”

You have the energy to watch me, but none to watch anyone else? Niu Youdao grumbled inwardly, then shut him down with one sentence. “Tianyu Sect and I don’t get along very well. Keep an eye on him so he doesn’t ruin our important business.”

He did not care whether Chao Shenghuai had the energy, nor whether the man might botch the job. He simply handed the task over.

His own abilities were limited. He could not personally handle every matter. When it was time to delegate, he never stood on ceremony.

Besides, he had confidence in Chao Shenghuai. Anyone capable of using that trick in the Illusory Realm to scheme against him was no fool. This was a matter that could cost Chao Shenghuai his life, so Niu Youdao trusted him to handle it cautiously.

More importantly, Chao Shenghuai still had the resources of the Chao faction within Myriad Beasts Sect. From what Niu Youdao understood, the Chao faction also belonged to the same line as Sect Leader Xi Haitang’s people.

“...” Chao Shenghuai was speechless. He had heard something about Niu Youdao and Tianyu Sect fighting for influence in Nanzhou. They truly were opponents.

After a quiet exchange in which neither man showed anything outwardly, Niu Youdao finished giving his instructions. The two also designated this place as their contact point and agreed on a secret signal so they could reach each other whenever necessary.

Not long after Niu Youdao returned to the guest courtyard, the Myriad Beasts Sect disciple assigned to guide them arrived to take them to meet the people Niu Youdao wished to visit.

Niu Youdao asked him to wait, then turned back to find Guan Fangyi.

Guan Fangyi had known since early on what they were supposed to do today. She had hidden herself inside her room and refused to come out.

Niu Youdao knocked. From inside, Guan Fangyi shouted, “I’m bathing. I don’t have time. Go by yourself.”

Niu Youdao used spiritual power to flick the door bolt aside and pushed the door open directly.

“Ah!” A startled cry came from inside.

Niu Youdao was left speechless. Guan Fangyi truly was sitting naked in a bathing tub. She folded both arms across her chest and stared wide-eyed at him.

Outside, Uncle Chen and Old Six Xu had both appeared after hearing Guan Fangyi’s scream. Together, they stared at Niu Youdao standing in the doorway.

Niu Youdao looked back at them and smiled. “She’s bathing. I’m going in for a look.” With that, he stepped inside and even closed the door behind him.

Uncle Chen and Old Six Xu exchanged a glance, thought nothing of it, and each went back to his own business.

In their eyes, there was nothing unusual about this. Back at Fufang Garden, the two had long since been living together under the same roof.

“Bastard! Get out!”

“Bathing first thing in the morning? Here, your clothes.”

“Don’t come any closer, or don’t blame this old lady for being rude!”

“Rude how? If you’ve got the nerve, demolish the room and let everyone enjoy the view together.”

“Get out!”

“If you don’t hurry up and finish, I’m coming over to enjoy the view myself.”

A noisy argument continued inside the room. In the end, a furious Guan Fangyi still emerged together with Niu Youdao.

The two went from one great sect to another, visiting their Sect Leaders one after the next.

According to Chao Shenghuai, none of these people would be leaving lightly before they had confirmed a few things about the Illusory Realm. Even so, no one could guarantee that some sect might not suddenly depart, so Niu Youdao wanted to finish these visits as quickly as possible.

After making the rounds, Niu Youdao was thoroughly impressed by Guan Fangyi. This woman did far more than merely know the Sect Leaders of the various sects. She also knew a considerable number of their Elders and other senior figures. Some of them Guan Fangyi herself could no longer remember clearly, and it was the other party who laughingly brought up their old acquaintance first.

In Guan Fangyi’s own words, calling her the “most beautiful woman beneath Heaven” back then had been exaggerated praise. There had certainly been women beneath Heaven more beautiful than she was, but most had already become the private possessions of the powerful. Who would dare bring such women out for open public appraisal?

Back when she lived in the Qi capital, she had neither background nor powerful backing. When people of status wanted to see her, she could hardly offend them by refusing. She had to come out and deal with them.

And those who had the confidence and nerve to seek her out generally possessed some standing within their respective sects. Those without such confidence had long since been dealt with by rivals fighting over her favor. Ordinary men did not dare join that sort of contest.

In return, she had also relied on those people to protect herself. At the time, there truly had been very few who dared provoke her casually.

The people who already occupied the highest positions within the various sects cared about their image and generally did not come looking for her. Most of the men who sought her out in those days belonged to the younger and middle generations on the rise.

Over the years, those people had aged. Their strength and seniority had matured along with them. In Guan Fangyi’s view, what had happened was perfectly normal: some were eliminated along the way, while others gradually rose until they became the people who now held real authority in their respective sects. There was nothing strange about her knowing them.

Conversely, she also knew plenty who had failed to rise. Some of those men had actually left a deeper impression on her than the people who now wielded power.

To Niu Youdao, however, it was still astonishing. This woman seemed to know more than half the cultivation world’s people of real authority. In a certain sense, she truly could be called a legendary figure of the cultivation world.

Unfortunately, knowing them was one thing. Time was merciless. Guan Fangyi was no longer the peerless beauty of those days, and most of the people she knew no longer took her seriously. Nor were they willing to become entangled with her again and invite misunderstandings.

Niu Youdao could not help feeling that it was a pity such useful connections had never been put to use. Yet after thinking about it, he found that unsurprising as well.

Her reputation was hardly a good one. A famous beauty could make men flock toward her, but the same reputation could also make them fear being associated with her. Reputation truly mattered.

“The Sect Leader is receiving guests at present and cannot see the two of you right now. Please wait a little while.”

At the entrance to the guest courtyard where Tiannü Sect was staying, the guards stopped them briefly.

“Of course.” Niu Youdao smiled and cupped his hands, then went aside with Guan Fangyi to wait.

The sun hanging in the sky had already begun slanting westward. Guan Fangyi drew her gaze back from the mountains. After seeing so many old acquaintances, she seemed somewhat emotional as well. She turned and looked at the lintel over the courtyard gate. “Women generally don’t have a good face for me. I won’t go in with you for this one. There’s no need to invite humiliation. I’ll wait outside.”

Niu Youdao nodded slightly. He could understand. Their purpose was more or less accomplished, and this was the final visit. Whether Guan Fangyi accompanied him no longer mattered much. Better than having someone say something unpleasant and embarrass her.

Besides, the Sect Leader of Tiannü Sect had already agreed to see him. That had nothing to do with Guan Fangyi. As he had said before, taking Nanzhou had given him some standing. In the past, he would not even have possessed the qualifications to meet people like this.

After they waited for a while, a group emerged from the courtyard. There were men and women among them, every one carrying an uncommon air.

Tiannü Sect disciples were seeing the guests out. Niu Youdao guessed these were the people their Sect Leader had just been receiving.

At the head of the group descending the steps was a powerfully built man of striking appearance. He had an imposing bearing and a heroic air. As his gaze swept over the area, he suddenly stopped and stared fixedly at Guan Fangyi.

Guan Fangyi had not paid him much attention at first. His abnormal reaction drew her gaze toward him, and the instant their eyes met, her bright eyes froze.

When their gazes intertwined, both seemed shaken to the core.

Guan Fangyi’s gaze shifted to the beautiful woman beside the man. She discovered that the woman was staring coldly at her. Guan Fangyi immediately looked away and turned her body aside.

“Senior Brother!” The beautiful woman smiled and tugged lightly at the man’s sleeve.

The man slowly turned his head and resumed striding forward. His expression showed nothing, but his steps somehow seemed unusually heavy.

Seeing this, Niu Youdao laughed inwardly. It looked like Guan Fangyi had run into another old acquaintance.

An Elder of Tiannü Sect who had come out to see the guests off called, “Which of you is Niu Youdao? The Sect Leader invites you in.”

Niu Youdao immediately stepped forward, exchanged greetings, and followed her inside.

After entering the gate, he could not resist asking, “May I ask who those honored guests just now were?”

The female Elder smiled. “Sect Leader Du of Tianxing Sect, his wife, and the others traveling with them.”

Niu Youdao gave an acknowledging sound. He had never met Tianxing Sect’s Sect Leader Du Yunsang or his wife Wen Xinzhao, but he had heard of them.

Tianxing Sect specialized in refining talismans for sale, and its wealth was comparable to that of Myriad Beasts Sect. From the look of things, Du Yunsang seemed to be another old acquaintance of Guan Fangyi’s. Niu Youdao even began wondering whether some of the high-grade talismans Guan Fangyi carried had been gifts from this Sect Leader Du.

He decided he would have to ask her properly afterward.

Standing at the edge of the mountain, Guan Fangyi stared blankly into the distance, lost in thought. Whatever she was thinking, she had become so absorbed that she did not even notice someone approaching.

“Guan Fangyi, Madam wishes to see you.”

A dull voice sounded behind her.

Guan Fangyi suddenly came back to herself and turned around. An elderly man with white hair stood there empty-handed. He looked wooden and expressionless.

He was one of the people who had just left the courtyard.

The old man raised a hand and pointed toward a pavilion not far away. Guan Fangyi followed the gesture and saw someone sitting inside. The beautiful woman who had departed earlier had somehow returned and was now smiling toward her.

Guan Fangyi gritted her teeth inwardly and followed the old man over.

After they entered the pavilion, the old man stood behind the woman with his hands at his sides. His expression remained wooden, but his presence was steady as a mountain.

Guan Fangyi gave a slight salute. “Madam Du.”

The beautiful woman sitting there with a smile was Wen Xinzhao, wife of Tianxing Sect’s Sect Leader Du Yunsang.

“Hongniang, it’s been a long time.” Wen Xinzhao slowly rose until she stood face to face with Guan Fangyi.

The instant their eyes met, the smile abruptly vanished from Wen Xinzhao’s face. She suddenly struck.

Smack!

The slap rang crisp and loud across Guan Fangyi’s face.

Blood immediately trickled from Guan Fangyi’s nose and mouth. She did not dodge. One hand rose to cover her cheek as she staggered back a step.

The Myriad Beasts Sect disciples guarding the entrance heard the sound and looked over in surprise.

“Bitch! Didn’t I warn you that you were never to meet him again?” Wen Xinzhao advanced step by step, questioning her coldly.

Forced backward again and again, Guan Fangyi struck the pavilion railing and could retreat no farther. Calmly, she said, “I didn’t know he was here. We met by accident.”

“An accident?” Wen Xinzhao gave a soft exclamation. Her gaze settled on Guan Fangyi’s face. This woman was clearly several years older than she was, yet somehow still looked younger and more beautiful. Anger suddenly flared inside her.

Smack!

She swung her hand and delivered another crisp slap, this time across Guan Fangyi’s uncovered cheek.

A Myriad Beasts Sect disciple flashed over and entered the pavilion. He warned them, “If the two of you have a private grudge, settle it after leaving Myriad Beasts Sect. This is not a place for you to make trouble.”

“Madam,” the wooden-faced old man also reminded her.

“Bitch, I’ll warn you one last time. There had better not be another time. Do you understand?” Wen Xinzhao shouted sternly.

Both of Guan Fangyi’s cheeks were red and swollen. She silently nodded.

Wen Xinzhao turned away with a cold expression. The wooden-faced old man followed her as she left.

[End of Chapter 497]