Chapter 770: There Are Things a Man Will Do, and Things He Will Not

Those words amounted to tearing away all pretense in public.

There was no helping it. Niu Youdao could never do what Chu Fengping demanded. He was supposed to sleep with a woman whose identity he did not even know, produce a descendant with her, and hand that child over as leverage for others to use against him?

If his bottom line truly sank that far, then afterward he would inevitably have to bow to Xiaoyao Palace and Zijin Cave as well and kill that woman.

There were things for which he could use any means necessary.

This was not one of them.

As far as Niu Youdao was concerned, there was nothing to discuss and nothing he could agree to.

He was not one of those emperors who could do anything at all for power and position.

Yet Chu Fengping kept pushing, refusing to let the matter go. Speaking politely had accomplished nothing. So long as Niu Youdao refused, it did not matter how low he lowered himself or how courteously he spoke—the other side would still turn hostile.

Since that was the case, why should he remain polite?

There was no reason to keep swallowing humiliation.

Chu Fengping's expression twitched.

Killing intent surfaced around him.

It looked very much as though he intended to attack on the spot.

Niu Youdao immediately flashed aside.

A Heavenly Sword Talisman appeared in his hand.

Wu Zhaoxing, who had been keeping an eye on this side, flashed over at once and planted himself in front of Niu Youdao, confronting Chu Fengping.

Yun Ji was no exception.

She moved in a flash and took position beside Niu Youdao to protect him.

Yan Baoru, who had secretly been watching Niu Youdao all along, finally looked directly over.

What was happening?

Had they fallen out?

Interest appeared in her eyes.

The Lingjian Mountain cultivators saw the confrontation and hurried over. They did not know exactly what had happened, but their intention to back Chu Fengping was obvious.

Shan Hai of Xiaoyao Palace and Yan Li of Zijin Cave, who had already been watching in secret, flashed over as well.

The two stepped between the opposing sides.

Yan Li played peacemaker. "What's going on? What happened? Everything was fine. We're all on the same side. Why turn things into a drawn-sword confrontation?"

"Exactly!" Shan Hai pretended ignorance too. He clapped his hands and tried to calm both sides. "Brother Chu, Niu Youdao, talk things through properly. We're our own people. There's no need for internal conflict. Everyone cool down."

"I have no way to deal with a dog who doesn't know what's good for him!"

Chu Fengping pointed at Niu Youdao's nose and cursed, then waved at those blocking his path.

"Move aside. Today I'll peel his skin off myself and let him see exactly what sort of thing he is!"

There was obvious humiliation turning into rage in those words.

And Chu Fengping truly was humiliated and enraged.

He had thickened his face enough to offer up his own female disciple, only for the other man to reject her.

Shan Hai and Yan Li exchanged a glance.

At those words, they understood.

Niu Youdao had refused Chu Fengping's demand.

He had not followed their advice to stabilize Chu Fengping first.

Both men's hearts sank, especially Yan Li's.

He hurriedly tried to calm Chu Fengping. "Brother Chu, young men don't always know better. Whatever he said that displeased you, don't take it to heart."

Then he turned and barked at Niu Youdao, "Niu Youdao, apologize to Elder Chu!"

Of the three groups, Yan Li was the one least willing to see the situation reach this point.

He was beginning to feel genuinely anxious.

Niu Youdao held the Heavenly Sword Talisman between his fingers and said indifferently, "There's no need for that, is there?"

Yan Li snapped, "No matter who was right or wrong, you will apologize to Elder Chu first. Now!"

Niu Youdao swept him with a cold gaze. "I said there's no need."

Yan Li fell silent for a moment.

He was angry, but the anger could not come out.

He could tell Niu Youdao was serious now.

The man had hardened.

Yan Li also understood the meaning in Niu Youdao's eyes and tone.

It was almost as though he were saying: Keep forcing me, and I'll expose all those private arrangements between us!

Shan Hai of Xiaoyao Palace frowned, but said nothing more.

Situ Yao secretly groaned in misery.

Only last night Niu Youdao had spoken to him privately.

Situ Yao did not want what Niu Youdao had described to happen.

If it did, he would be placed in an extremely difficult position.

The group had been traveling together just fine moments earlier.

Situ Yao had even begun to relax.

Who could have imagined the situation would suddenly turn on its head?

What kind of trouble was this?

Yun Huan was equally miserable inside.

But unlike Situ Yao, he had no choice at all.

He could only slowly move to stand beside his mother unless he intended to turn against her.

"You little bastard are courting death! Move aside!" Chu Fengping roared in fury.

"Try it and see whether I can drag a few people from Lingjian Mountain down with me!"

Niu Youdao struck back just as forcefully.

Anyone could lose their temper.

He was certain they would not actually fight.

If they truly forced him into a dead end, then he would have no choice but to reveal the deterrent he had prepared beforehand and preserve himself through the immediate crisis first.

Now that Lingjian Mountain itself had been named directly, the sect's cultivators naturally had to react.

Swords hissed from their sheaths one after another.

"All of you, stop!"

Yan Li shouted.

He hurried over, seized Chu Fengping by the arm, and forcibly dragged him aside.

Lowering his voice, he said, "Brother Chu, don't act impulsively. There are too many eyes and ears here. If you kill Niu Youdao, there is no guarantee the news won't leak later."

"Have you considered the consequences if word gets back outside?"

"The wars are only temporarily frozen. If this man dies by our hands and Nanzhou's forces learn about it, who knows what kind of chaos will follow..."

If Yan Li insisted on intervening, Chu Fengping could not simply ignore him.

With Zijin Cave standing between them, Lingjian Mountain could hardly start fighting Zijin Cave as well.

After calming that side, Yan Li went to Niu Youdao.

He dragged Niu Youdao away as well and said in exasperation, "Niu Youdao, what the hell are you doing? Did everything I told you earlier go in one ear and out the other?"

Niu Youdao said, "Elder Yan, I cannot agree to that kind of demand!"

One more sentence remained unspoken.

Nor can I agree to your demands and do something like kill my own wife and child.

That sort of thing crossed the bottom line by which Niu Youdao had roamed the jianghu all these years.

Yan Li said, "I always thought you were an intelligent man. Why are you becoming foolish at the critical moment?"

"A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall. Such trifling matters shouldn't shake you. He who understands the times is a hero. In the end, heroes are judged by success and failure!"

"How about this: if you're worried that word will spread afterward and damage your reputation, then once you've joined Zijin Cave, Zijin Cave will clear your name."

"You can say Zijin Cave did it. How does that sound?"

Niu Youdao would have been a fool to believe such nonsense.

If he truly joined Zijin Cave afterward, would a sect Elder really smear Zijin Cave's own name like that?

If Niu Youdao actually did so himself, how could he possibly establish himself inside Zijin Cave afterward?

Wouldn't Zijin Cave's disciples drown him in spit?

Those words were merely meant to stabilize him.

If that time truly came, the filthy reputation would be his alone to bear.

Zijin Cave would never shoulder it for him.

So he refused without hesitation.

"I, Niu, have roamed the jianghu through wind and rain without fearing much. I won't claim to stand upright between Heaven and earth, but there are things a man will do, and things he will not."

"Elder Yan, I appreciate your goodwill. This isn't something a man does. I truly cannot agree."

Yan Li's face darkened. "Then think clearly. This is not the outside world. None of us has room to maneuver here."

"If you truly fall out with Lingjian Mountain in this place, you cannot possibly take first place."

"And I cannot make Zijin Cave's disciples throw away their lives for something with no prospect of success."

"I led Zijin Cave's disciples here. I have responsibilities of my own to shoulder."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

He understood.

Of course Niu Youdao understood.

If he refused and thoroughly angered Lingjian Mountain, then in the present circumstances Zijin Cave would have no choice but to abandon him as well.

"Hold the other two sects back for me and give me a chance to find my own road to survival."

Niu Youdao made one small request.

For Yan Li, it was no great matter.

Merely a lift of the hand.

Yan Li was already deeply unhappy.

Niu Youdao had refused to listen to him, and before they came here the sect had repeatedly given him instructions and made arrangements.

The present outcome was not the result Yan Li wanted.

He immediately pressed Niu Youdao. "And if I refuse to stop them?"

"You'll regret it."

Niu Youdao's reply was calm.

"If I dare fall out with him, naturally I have something to rely on."

"If I want to leave, none of you can stop me."

Yan Li gave a cold laugh. "With the Heavenly Sword Talisman in your hand? Or with Wu Zhaoxing?"

"Fine. I won't interfere. I want to see exactly how you plan to escape Lingjian Mountain's people."

"I want to see whether Lingjian Mountain can stop you."

The mockery in his voice was obvious.

It was almost as though he were saying: Anyone can boast. Just don't flash your own tongue when the words come back at you.

Anger flashed through Niu Youdao's eyes.

For an instant, he truly wanted to show Yan Li something on the spot.

But what had to be endured still had to be endured.

Even if he broke free now, acting out of momentary anger would only create endless trouble afterward.

Some things could not be used until there was truly no other road left.

He forced the anger back down and softened his tone.

"Elder Yan, killing me now brings Zijin Cave no benefit at all."

"Give me a chance. As long as I can leave alive, I'll find my own way down the road."

"When I left alone a few days ago, I already told you I was going to contact people who could help me."

"So long as I can break free now, I may not necessarily die inside the Tiandu Secret Realm."

"Nanzhou has already grown too powerful. Some things are unavoidable now."

"The three major sects' struggle over Nanzhou cannot be avoided."

"I can't keep one foot in three boats. I can only choose one!"

"Elder Yan, give me this opportunity and you're also giving Zijin Cave a possibility."

"What if I return alive?"

"If you help me now, then once we're outside, my agreement with Zijin Cave still stands."

"If you help me now, we're still our own people."

"If you help me leave now, then Zijin Cave retains one thread of possibility of controlling Nanzhou."

"Whether I live or die afterward, so long as even one thread of opportunity remains, why shouldn't Elder Yan try?"

"For you, preserving that possibility costs almost nothing."

"It's no more than lifting a hand."

Yan Li fell silent.

Niu Youdao's persuasion at the critical moment was effective.

Yan Li seemed unable to find any reason to refuse.

Afterward, Yan Li stepped forward and persuaded the other two sects to cast Niu Youdao out.

With Zijin Cave standing in the middle, the other two sects could not start an internal fight at a time like this.

Chu Fengping had no choice but to agree.

As for Shan Hai of Xiaoyao Palace, he said virtually nothing from beginning to end.

Protecting Niu Youdao had benefits, but it also had drawbacks.

The benefit was that Niu Youdao could stabilize Nanzhou's forces and keep them fighting external enemies. Xiaoyao Palace had only gone along with protecting him because the other two sects insisted.

The drawback was that so long as Niu Youdao remained alive, Nanzhou remained in his hands and became harder to seize.

Relations between Nanzhou and Xiaoyao Palace had already become extremely poor.

Xiaoyao Palace no longer expected Nanzhou to submit to it.

So from Xiaoyao Palace's perspective, it made little difference whether Niu Youdao was protected or not.

The sect had already reached that conclusion internally before coming here.

With matters having reached this point, Shan Hai simply stood aside and watched.

"Scram!"

Chu Fengping flung the single word into Niu Youdao's face.

There was no warmth in it and no face left to preserve.

As far as Chu Fengping was concerned, once Niu Youdao lost Yan's protection, he was already a dead man.

Even if he survived the calamity of the Tiandu Secret Realm, he could not survive the calamity Sha Rulai had waiting for him afterward.

Only moments before, they had still been traveling together as one group.

They had even regarded Niu Youdao as the key figure everyone needed to protect.

But the instant the struggle over interests reached a certain point, they turned on him without hesitation.

Niu Youdao did not escalate the conflict any further.

He endured it.

Then his gaze swept across the group who had come with him from Nanzhou.

He did not know how many of them would be willing to leave with him.

[End of Chapter 770]