Chapter 795: I've Gathered Some Manpower

Wu Zhaoxing and Yun Ji exchanged a glance.

What kind of sworn siblings were these? There was not the slightest trace of sworn-sibling affection between them.

If sworn brotherhood were truly useful, the cultivation world would probably be full of people swearing brotherhood with one another. They believed Niu Youdao understood that perfectly well, yet he had still gone out of his way to do something that seemed meaningless. His way of thinking was certainly unusual.

Niu Youdao said, "I understand your concerns. But I have arrangements of my own on Yan's side. They won't delay everyone else's business."

Fuhua pressed him sharply. "What arrangements? Can you tell us a little?"

Some things were not convenient to explain in front of too many people.

After considering it for a moment, Niu Youdao said decisively, "Wait here for me. I'll make a trip."

Fuhua asked, "Where?"

Niu Youdao tipped his chin toward the Zijin Cave cultivators searching in the distance.

"I'm going to find them. Don't worry. I'll give all of you a proper explanation for this."

With that, he turned to leave.

Fuhua called out again. "Wait. Those three stay behind. We'll wait for you together."

She pointed toward Wu Zhaoxing, Yun Ji, and Yun Huan, who had been about to follow him.

The three immediately grew angry.

Was she trying to keep them as hostages?

Niu Youdao said, "Elder Sister, isn't this going a little too far? Do you really distrust me that much?"

Fuhua said, "Brother, this isn't about whether I trust you. Talking about trust only hurts feelings. Our friendship is one thing; the matter before us is another. One thing at a time. Keep them separate and everyone can feel at ease."

"You were the one who said we should move against the Seven States. Now that we've encountered Yan's people, you're also the one who doesn't want to act. You say you have arrangements. Put yourself in our position and think about it. What are we supposed to believe?"

"We came here because of you, and now you suddenly say you're going to meet Yan's people. Naturally we're uneasy. What if you bring Yan's people back and launch a surprise attack on us?"

"Don't blame your elder sister for being suspicious. Let's all be practical about this. Don't you agree?"

Niu Youdao nodded. "Elder Sister has a point."

Fuhua immediately waved to the people below.

"Take control of those three."

Several people at once moved toward Wu Zhaoxing and the others.

Yun Ji shouted on the spot, "Who dares!"

What kind of joke was this?

If they allowed themselves to be restrained and the other side suddenly turned hostile, wouldn't they become lambs waiting for slaughter, without even room to resist?

Fuhua chuckled. "Brother, this is awkward. Do we really need to debate why I'm doing this too?"

Lang Jingkong, Hong Gaitian, and Duan Wuchang watched coldly from the side.

None objected to Fuhua's approach.

On the contrary, they clearly approved.

"No need. I trust you."

Niu Youdao shook his head and refused to argue.

Then he turned to Wu Zhaoxing and the Yun mother and son.

"I'll have to trouble the three of you for a while. I'll return as quickly as I can."

"This..." Yun Ji frowned.

Niu Youdao said, "I guarantee that if anyone dares touch you, that person will die horribly."

A cold smile tugged at Lang Jingkong's lips.

Hong Gaitian looked amused.

Duan Wuchang wore an eerie smile.

Fuhua merely smiled without speaking.

Clearly, all four treated Niu Youdao's words as a joke.

Seeing that the three were reluctant but had nevertheless restrained themselves, Fuhua waved a hand.

Several men immediately went over and sealed the cultivation of Wu Zhaoxing, Yun Ji, and Yun Huan once they stopped resisting.

With the hostages now secured, Fuhua finally smiled and extended a hand inviting Niu Youdao to go.

"Little Brother, go quickly and return quickly. Your elder sister will be waiting for you here."

Niu Youdao's gaze lingered for a moment on the tense faces of Wu Zhaoxing and the Yun mother and son.

Then he decisively flashed away.

...

"Who's there?"

A startled shout rang out.

One man raised the alarm.

Three Zijin Cave disciples who had been searching nearby immediately flashed together and formed a tight group, ready to deal with whatever danger might appear.

The newcomer was Niu Youdao.

He flew directly down before them, landing on a branch in the treetop. His body rose and fell gently as the branch bounced beneath his weight.

"Niu Youdao?"

The three were surprised and exchanged uncertain looks, not knowing how they should treat him.

Certain matters were known only to Zijin Cave's upper ranks.

There was no reason to make them public knowledge.

These three had no idea about Niu Youdao's private relationship with Zijin Cave.

All they knew was that Yan had already expelled him, yet now he had clearly approached them on his own.

Niu Youdao came straight to the point.

"Go back and contact Elder Yan. Tell him I want to see him."

One man said, "Niu Youdao, let me give you a piece of advice. You'd be better off running farther away."

"You and Chu Fengping of Lingjian Mountain fell out that badly, and Lingjian Mountain's people are nearby. If they discover you, they won't let you go."

Niu Youdao said, "Thank you for the concern. Elder Yan and I have a secret agreement. There are things you don't know about, and there is no need for you to know too much."

"All you need to do is go back and notify Elder Yan. Have him find a way to meet me and tell him I have important business."

"Remember, don't let anyone else know. Notify Elder Yan quietly. He'll know what to do."

The three looked at one another in bewilderment.

What was going on?

Seeing them hesitate, Niu Youdao reminded them, "You're only going back to deliver a message. It won't affect you in any way."

"Go quickly. If this matter is delayed, you cannot bear the responsibility."

"Remember, tell Elder Yan and no one else. If word leaks, Elder Yan will be the first person who refuses to let you off!"

Between deception and intimidation, he settled the three of them.

After both sides confirmed the method and place for making contact, the three quickly left.

...

A little less than half a day later, Elder Yan Li of Zijin Cave arrived.

He brought several men with him and appeared beneath a tree on a mountain summit, looking around.

This was the agreed meeting place.

But Niu Youdao was nowhere to be seen.

Hidden in the shadows, Niu Youdao observed the surroundings first.

Only after confirming there was no problem did he flash out and drift down directly in front of them.

They had been separated for several months inside the Tiandu Secret Realm.

Seeing Niu Youdao still alive and unharmed, Yan Li could not help sighing with emotion.

"Brother, you've suffered. Seeing that you're all right puts my mind at ease."

After so much time had passed, he had naturally worried that Niu Youdao might already have been killed.

If so, the sect's arrangements concerning him would have come to nothing.

Of course, worry was one thing.

There were also matters Yan Li could do nothing about.

The sect itself had instructed him that if the situation became impossible, he could only abandon Niu Youdao.

There was no helping it.

The circumstances had changed.

After Niu Youdao caused such a disturbance in Tiangu, the issue was no longer simply keeping him alive. He had to take first place in this Tiandu Secret Realm expedition.

How could first place be so easy to obtain?

Even if all of Yan's cultivators united completely, they still might not take first.

Then Niu Youdao had fallen out with Chu Fengping and the others.

At that point, taking first place had become utterly hopeless.

Yan Li had been helpless as well.

He could only let go and leave Niu Youdao to live or die on his own.

Niu Youdao tilted his head slightly.

Yan Li understood.

He immediately waved a hand.

The men who had accompanied him scattered and withdrew, while also taking responsibility for guarding the surroundings.

Once no one else remained, Yan Li said, "You know I've been acting together with Shan Hai and Chu Fengping all along. If I suddenly disappear for too long, it may arouse their suspicions."

The implication was obvious.

Keep it brief.

Niu Youdao nodded to show he understood, then asked, "Those three disciples I sent back with the message won't leak anything, will they?"

Yan Li said, "After the instructions you gave them, naturally they were cautious. Once I learned what happened, I warned them again immediately. Don't worry."

"What did you need to see me about?"

Niu Youdao asked, "On Yan's side, are all of you still planning to compete for first place?"

Yan Li said, "Listen to yourself. If there's an opportunity to take first, naturally we'll fight for it. The reward is no small amount."

"You ask me this..."

He sighed.

"Brother, even if we could take first, after the way you fell out with them, they still couldn't possibly give it to you."

"I'm not trying to lecture you, but Shan Hai and I repeatedly advised you to stabilize the situation first, stabilize it first. You refused to listen and insisted on falling out with him. Why make things so difficult for yourself?"

Niu Youdao said, "Elder Yan, you've misunderstood me. What I'm asking is whether you have confidence you can actually take first."

"This..."

Yan Li smiled bitterly.

"I won't feed you empty words. Whether we have confidence is difficult to say. Everything depends on circumstances."

"But in all the previous Tiandu Secret Realm expeditions, Yan has never once taken first place."

"Truthfully, I don't hold much hope."

"If we can preserve as many disciples as possible and bring them back alive, that will already be good enough."

Niu Youdao nodded. "Good! Since you aren't confident, then forget that thought altogether."

"Help me instead."

"I'd like Elder Yan to help me take first place."

Yan Li stared at him. "I help you? Brother, are you joking?"

"If I could help you take first place, would I have just said I had no confidence?"

Niu Youdao suddenly dropped the answer on him.

"I've gathered some manpower."

"I won't trouble Elder Yan with the fighting, killing, and robbing. I only need Elder Yan to cooperate with me."

"You have manpower?"

Yan Li was stunned.

He looked Niu Youdao up and down for a moment, then tentatively asked, "How many people do you have?"

Niu Youdao said, "Somewhere between one and two thousand. Fewer than two thousand."

"..."

Yan Li stared blankly.

Only around ten thousand people had entered the Secret Realm in total.

Yan itself had only one thousand.

Yet this man was telling him he had gathered one to two thousand people?

Suspicion filled Yan Li's face.

"Brother, that isn't a very funny joke. Where did you get that many people?"

"Those demons, devils, ghosts, and monsters from overseas," Niu Youdao said. "They're going to help me seize first place."

"..."

Yan Li was dumbfounded.

He seemed unable to believe it.

"They're helping you take first place? Brother, you can't be serious."

"Elder Yan, you've used the word 'joke' enough times already."

Niu Youdao's expression turned serious.

"This isn't a joke, and I don't have time for jokes."

"You know I had no choice. I've already been forced into a dead end."

"Yan refused to help me, so I had to find someone else."

"I've spent the last several months running around because of this."

"Now I'm only one step away from completing it, and I need Elder Yan's help."

Yan Li still found it difficult to believe.

It was simply too bizarre.

How could Niu Youdao possibly have won over that enormous group of overseas cultivators?

He asked doubtfully, "Why would they help you? Brother, what exactly happened?"

"Don't lose your head. Don't get sold by someone and then help them count the money."

"How should I put it?"

Niu Youdao gave him the rough outline.

"Simply speaking, I take first place to save my life, and they take the reward..."

He explained the basic arrangement.

For the most part, he did not hide anything.

Naturally, he omitted the underhanded methods he had used to draw the overseas cultivators into his scheme.

The point he emphasized was the present obstacle.

The overseas cultivators still had doubts about him and wanted to start by attacking Yan's cultivators in order to prove his sincerity.

Once Yan Li understood, he did not know whether he ought to feel touched.

Niu Youdao had not actually needed to come find him.

He had done so only because he did not want to move against Zijin Cave's disciples.

As for the other two sects, Niu Youdao no longer intended to care whether their people lived or died.

[End of Chapter 795]