Chapter 775: I Can No Longer Tell Whether I'm Black or White

Day broke, and they continued onward.

Heaven was vast and the earth broad. Trying to run into other people while wandering around this aimlessly depended far too much on luck.

Of course, it was not entirely a matter of chance.

Those who had left the ancient forest probably would not have gone too far in such a short time. This was not a race to see who could travel fastest. Everyone had come to search for Spirit Seeds.

The four of them, who had been neglecting that proper task, were probably moving faster than most. By rights, they should already have overtaken some groups. If they searched now, there ought to be a chance of running into someone.

Yun Huan drew the unlucky assignment.

The dignified Master of Duyun Mountain had become their advance scout, ranging ahead along the direction of travel.

Around midmorning, Yun Huan came flying back from ahead and made a hand signal.

The others immediately flashed into hiding among the trees.

Yun Ji asked, "What is it?"

"People," Yun Huan said. "Looks like Tianxing Sect."

The group hidden in the canopy exchanged looks.

Inside the Tiandu Secret Realm, Tianxing Sect was one of the factions no one wanted to provoke. Its disciples carried too many talismans, and every disciple the sect had sent inside was equipped with them.

There was no helping it. The entire sect specialized in refining talismans. It possessed resources in that field no one else could compare with.

Under normal circumstances, no one went looking for trouble with Tianxing Sect, and Tianxing Sect itself had no intention of competing for first place.

Talismans were basically single-use items, and they were expensive. Using one was like burning money, so ordinarily not many people bought them in large quantities. But every time the Tiandu Secret Realm opened, all the major powers stocked up heavily, and Tianxing Sect made a fortune.

Three years without opening for business, then one opening feeds you for three years.

That saying was practically made for a sect like Tianxing Sect.

This time alone, the surge of purchases had already made Tianxing Sect enormously wealthy. If it then came inside and fought desperately for the Secret Realm's rewards as well, while relying on its abundance of talismans to threaten everyone else, it would easily provoke public outrage.

At worst, the various factions might unite to wipe them out.

And the consequences might not stop inside the Tiandu Secret Realm. The hostility could spread outside.

So once Tianxing Sect disciples entered the Secret Realm, they generally avoided fighting over Spirit Seeds.

On the other hand, the talismans they carried also made them tempting targets.

A large group of Tianxing Sect disciples was something few dared provoke. But any disciple caught alone often became prey for ambush and robbery.

Myriad Beasts Sect and Ling Sect were similar.

One sold all kinds of spirit beasts, the other pills. Both were wealthy sects. Like Tianxing Sect, they entered largely to go through the motions. If they found Spirit Seeds, they collected them. So long as they had something to show Misty Pavilion, they were satisfied and tried to avoid killing and robbery.

Among the commercially successful sects, Qiyun Sect was the unusual one. It controlled considerable power in the secular world.

But then again, weapons were not consumables in the same sense. A single weapon might be used for a lifetime. If the weapons refined by Qiyun Sect broke easily, people would have no reason to insist on buying from Qiyun Sect in the first place.

Of the major merchant sects, Qiyun Sect was actually the poorest.

Instead, it had found another road by expanding its influence in the secular world.

Without that weakness in its business, it might never have become the Qiyun Sect of today. Many people in the cultivation world understood the reasons perfectly well.

"Tianxing Sect?" Niu Youdao murmured.

Using the trees for cover, they soon spotted three figures skimming across the canopy, searching the surrounding area.

Judging from their sect robes, they were indeed Tianxing Sect disciples.

Yun Ji turned her head slightly toward Niu Youdao and asked softly, "Anyone will do?"

The implied question was obvious: Will these three work?

Niu Youdao asked, "Does anyone here recognize them?"

All three shook their heads.

Good.

If none of them recognized the men, then they were unlikely to be major experts of any renown.

Niu Youdao had a rough idea of what he was dealing with.

He flashed out first and landed atop the trees, blocking the three approaching disciples.

Yun Ji, Yun Huan, and Wu Zhaoxing rose behind him and settled on the canopy as well.

Seeing people suddenly bar their path, the three Tianxing Sect disciples immediately closed ranks.

Each held a sword in one hand, while the other hand produced a talisman in readiness.

"Niu Youdao?" one of them exclaimed.

The three exchanged looks.

Originally, none of them had known Niu Youdao personally.

But after the disturbance he caused in Tiangu, almost everyone entering the Tiandu Secret Realm knew his face.

Niu Youdao, however, remained modest.

Smiling, he lifted one hand and casually rubbed one eye three times.

"I didn't expect the three of you to recognize me. May I ask where you're headed?"

As he spoke, his gaze flickered.

He noticed that the man in the middle, while pinching a talisman between his fingers, crooked those fingers into a particular shape.

Niu Youdao's brows moved almost imperceptibly.

One of the other men answered, "Naturally we're searching for Spirit Seeds. What do you mean by blocking our road?"

"Nothing much," Niu Youdao said. "I only thought it might be better to settle things quickly."

As he spoke, he raised a hand and brushed it across his neck in what looked like a throat-cutting gesture.

The change came in an instant.

The jaw of the Tianxing Sect disciple in the middle tightened.

His body suddenly spun.

The sword in his hand turned with him in a flashing circle.

Blood sprayed.

"Ah!"

Two screams rang out almost at the same time.

The other two Tianxing Sect disciples toppled backward and fell from the trees.

Even in their dreams, they would never have imagined that the fellow disciple beside them would suddenly turn his sword on them.

Their attention had been fixed on the outsiders in front.

They had never guarded against their own companion.

They could not understand it.

Not only they were stunned.

Wu Zhaoxing, Yun Ji, and Yun Huan were shocked as well.

What was happening?

The Tianxing Sect disciple who had attacked dropped through the canopy, chasing after the two falling bodies.

Niu Youdao flashed down after him.

Wu Zhaoxing and the Yun mother and son exchanged looks.

Still unable to understand what was going on, they followed.

Beneath the trees, the attacker found the two fallen disciples and struck again, adding finishing blows as though he would not feel at ease until he had confirmed both were completely dead.

Only after he was certain did he seem to release a breath.

Then, as though some enormous burden had suddenly crushed down on him, his body swayed.

He reached out to brace himself against a nearby trunk.

His sword planted against the ground.

Slowly, he raised his head and looked at Niu Youdao.

His eyes were filled with misery.

His face was deathly pale.

Niu Youdao watched him in silence for a while.

Then he slowly walked forward.

He suddenly extended one hand backward in a stopping gesture.

Wu Zhaoxing and the others, who had been about to follow, halted.

They exchanged looks again.

Their minds were still full of questions.

What exactly was happening?

Niu Youdao stopped before the man, planted his sword against the ground with both hands resting on it, and asked, "Xu Fuhua?"

The man nodded bleakly. "Yes. If you gave me a signal, I would naturally find a way to meet you. Why did you insist on killing them?"

Pain surfaced in his eyes.

Niu Youdao said, "Don't you think this was an excellent way to confirm your identity?"

He himself had been surprised.

He did not know how many spies Xiaoyue Pavilion had planted inside the major sects.

What he did know was that among the cultivators sent here by the major sects, Xiaoyue Pavilion's people could be counted on one's fingers. There were only a few.

That alone showed how difficult infiltrating those sects truly was.

There were somewhat more among the independent cultivators who had been named for this expedition.

To help Niu Youdao survive this calamity, Yucang had made arrangements with those independent cultivators beforehand.

Before entering the Tiandu Secret Realm, the powers of the various states had recruited independent cultivators to strengthen their own groups.

Under Yucang's arrangements, some of those independent cultivators rejected certain offers while accepting others. That scattered them among the different powers and made it easier for them to serve as Niu Youdao's eyes and ears.

That had been Niu Youdao's own request.

At first, Yucang had wanted to concentrate everyone around him and provide direct protection.

Niu Youdao had preferred to keep his information channels open.

When facing complicated circumstances, he wanted enough intelligence to make accurate judgments.

So Yucang arranged things according to his wishes.

Niu Youdao did not personally know any of the people Yucang had named.

Misty Pavilion's lists had changed too late for portraits to be prepared and passed around.

But that did not matter.

Yucang had told him arrangements would be made.

Whenever one of those people saw Niu Youdao, if he gave the signal requesting assistance, the other party would answer with a countersignal.

Just now, Niu Youdao had received precisely such an answer.

Xu Fuhua had crooked his fingers into the shape of a crescent moon.

When Niu Youdao heard Tianxing Sect disciples were nearby, he had stepped out specifically because he wanted to make contact with Xu Fuhua.

Giving the signal had merely been a test.

More precisely, Niu Youdao urgently needed help.

He would have tried the signal on any Tianxing Sect disciple he encountered.

He had never expected the very first group to include Xu Fuhua.

That truly had been a surprise.

Xu Fuhua said with restrained grief and anger, "I already answered your signal. Was there really any need for further confirmation?"

Niu Youdao's expression turned cold and merciless. "At least now I have no doubt whatsoever."

He paused, studying the man's face.

"But I don't quite understand you. How am I supposed to interpret this reaction? Are you blaming me for doing something wrong, or are you telling me you're no longer worthy of my trust?"

Whenever this cold, ruthless side of Niu Youdao appeared, it was precisely the side Yuan Gang disliked most.

Xu Fuhua shook his head painfully. "That isn't what I mean. There was simply no need to kill them."

"I understand," Niu Youdao said. "Perhaps they were fellow disciples you had lived beside for many years. I can understand how you feel."

"But once certain roads are chosen, there is no turning back. Sooner or later, this was something you would have to face."

"Riding through the jianghu, caught in all its rights and wrongs, I lost track long ago of whether I was black or white. Can you still tell?"

"Since you've already acted, right and wrong no longer matter. What matters now is the result."

"I have no road back either."

"I'm activating you now. Give me a definite answer. Can you do this or not?"

Xu Fuhua looked utterly miserable. "I've already drawn the sword. Do I still have a choice? Tell me what you need."

"Find out where the various factions are," Niu Youdao said. "Especially the overseas cultivators. I need to locate them."

Xu Fuhua frowned. "You're asking too much. I can't do that alone."

Niu Youdao answered coldly, "So long as a man is alive, there is always a way."

"Do you know why I made you kill those two?"

Xu Fuhua looked up, surprised. "Wasn't it to confirm my identity?"

"That was only one reason."

Niu Youdao's voice remained calm.

"What you do now is go back and report to the person leading Tianxing Sect that the three of you were attacked and robbed by overseas cultivators, and that your two fellow disciples were brutally killed."

"What you cannot accomplish alone, you can accomplish by borrowing the strength of all Tianxing Sect."

"Do you understand?"

Xu Fuhua nodded helplessly. "I understand."

The two spoke quietly for a while longer.

Then, Clang!

Niu Youdao's sword suddenly left its sheath.

The blade flashed too quickly to react to.

Blood burst from Xu Fuhua's chest.

Xu Fuhua recoiled in shock.

Clang!

The sword returned to its sheath almost as soon as it had appeared.

Niu Youdao had already turned away.

Without looking back, he tossed out one emotionless sentence.

"Don't be nervous. A little blood will make your story easier to explain."

[End of Chapter 775]