Chapter 796: No One but Misty Pavilion Can Kill Me!

From this alone, it was clear that Niu Youdao's sincerity about joining Zijin Cave had not changed.

He did not want to become enemies with Zijin Cave.

Yan Li could understand why Niu Youdao had no choice but to act this way.

Niu Youdao needed the support of at least one of Yan's three major sects in order to preserve the situation around him.

If he fell out with all three, then even if he returned alive, everything he had built in Nanzhou would be finished.

Even so, Yan Li still found the whole matter difficult to understand.

"Those overseas people have never once taken first place. This time they actually dare oppose the Seven States. Their courage certainly isn't small."

Niu Youdao said, "Isn't it because I've offended so many people that it's convenient for me to lure out small groups?"

"Men die for wealth, birds die for food. The reward for first place is enormous. If an opportunity appears, it's understandable that greed might overcome restraint."

Yan Li seemed to understand.

He gave a quiet chuckle.

"We encountered some other powers before and exchanged information with them. You may not know this, but those fellows started attacking all Seven States a long time ago."

"At the beginning, we even chased them ourselves."

"I was wondering before what sort of wrong medicine those overseas people had swallowed to make them dare provoke the Seven States on their own."

"Now I finally understand."

"So they really were blinded by profit and stopped caring whether they lived or died."

The corner of Niu Youdao's mouth twitched slightly.

He asked in surprise, "They started attacking the Seven States that early?"

Yan Li gave an affirmative sound.

"But for you, that isn't a bad thing. At least it gave you an opportunity."

Niu Youdao immediately asked, "Elder Yan means you'll agree to help me?"

Yan Li fell somewhat silent.

Ordinarily, no matter how fiercely Yan's three major sects competed with one another, once they entered a place like this they still had to stand together.

A single tree could not support itself.

Now Niu Youdao was asking him to betray the other two in secret.

That was not an easy decision to make.

After considering it over and over, Yan Li asked, "Is it enough for Zijin Cave's disciples simply to avoid the fighting?"

"They'll naturally have to avoid it," Niu Youdao said.

"But you'll also need to cooperate in other ways."

"I need to know how the manpower of the other two sects is deployed and where they are."

"Otherwise, if we mistake the direction, it would be very easy to injure Zijin Cave disciples by accident."

Yan Li said, "You're asking me to sell out the other two sects and secretly pass you information!"

"Not only that," Niu Youdao replied.

"If possible, then in the event... I mean only in the event that the Spirit Seeds I hold at the end are still not enough, I hope Elder Yan can hand over Yan's Spirit Seeds to me."

Yan Li's brows furrowed.

"If we give them to you, how is Zijin Cave supposed to explain matters to the other two sects?"

Niu Youdao said, "As long as those other two sects suffer enough losses in strength, would it really be difficult for Zijin Cave to cooperate with me and arrange a small accident?"

"This..."

Yan Li shook his head.

He was clearly in considerable difficulty.

"Niu Youdao, it isn't that I refuse to help you. It's that doing this truly isn't appropriate."

"If Yan returns in dead last place, our face will look terrible."

"And you need to understand another point."

"Even without taking first, so long as our ranking is reasonably good, Misty Pavilion's reward will still be generous."

"You're asking me to abandon a very substantial benefit."

"How am I supposed to explain that inside the sect afterward?"

"You're no three-year-old child. At your level, you should understand that wherever there are people, there are disputes."

"In a sect as large as Zijin Cave, there will always be people who aren't easy to deal with."

Niu Youdao said, "I'm talking about a contingency."

"Only if what I have isn't enough will I need to take some from your side."

"If I already have enough to secure first place, then I won't touch yours. Whatever rank you earn, you can keep."

Yan Li said, "If I cooperate with you and Yan's strength suffers heavily, then naturally Yan's ranking will fall..."

"Elder Yan, hear me out."

Niu Youdao raised a hand and interrupted him.

"Yes. You're right."

"If Yan's strength suffers, it will affect Yan's ranking, which in turn affects Zijin Cave's share of the reward."

"But as long as I return alive, I will be a member of Zijin Cave."

"Can't the benefits from Nanzhou compensate for that loss?"

"And I can promise Elder Yan one more thing."

"If circumstances truly force me to take Yan's Spirit Seeds in order to make up the amount needed for first place, I won't leave Elder Yan unable to explain himself after returning."

"I'm willing to present the secret wine recipe to Zijin Cave."

"With that as an explanation, will Elder Yan be able to account for the loss?"

"That..."

Yan Li pondered.

His eyes flickered as he weighed the matter.

After some time, he finally nodded.

"Since Brother is showing this much sincerity, if I still refuse, I'd be far too harsh."

"Fine. We'll settle it this way."

Niu Youdao smiled.

The two immediately leaned close and began quietly plotting the details of their cooperation.

Once everything had been settled, Niu Youdao made another request.

"Elder Yan, if an opportunity appears, try to gather as many Spirit Seeds as possible, in case something unexpected happens on my side."

"If necessary, you can fan the flames and provoke Yan into fighting the other powers."

"The more strength the various states consume, the less pressure there will be when my side acts."

This was also why, after drawing the overseas powers to his side, Niu Youdao had not wanted to attack Yan.

Yan was his reserve.

He was confident he could persuade Zijin Cave to serve as his inside support.

Since Yan's Spirit Seeds would sooner or later be within reach, there was no reason to seize them by force.

It was only that the overseas cultivators had disrupted the rhythm of his original plan.

Niu Youdao had put the matter far too plainly.

Yan Li smiled bitterly.

"You really aren't being polite at all."

"I'd like to be polite," Niu Youdao said.

"Unfortunately, I have no capital left for politeness."

"I've already thrown everything into this gamble. There is no road back."

"I can only ask Elder Yan to help me."

"So long as I return alive and join Zijin Cave, then within Zijin Cave I will stand on Elder Yan's side."

"If it concerns Elder Yan, I will support you with all my strength."

Yan Li's brows rose slightly.

With a smile that was not quite a smile, he lifted a hand and patted Niu Youdao's arm.

...

Niu Youdao returned.

By the time he found the overseas cultivators again, night had already fallen.

When the two sides met, Fuhua smiled sweetly.

"Little Brother finally came back. You were gone a long time. What were you doing?"

Niu Youdao's gaze first searched out Wu Zhaoxing, Yun Ji, and Yun Huan.

Seeing the three unharmed, he released a quiet breath.

He went over first and released the restrictions on their cultivation.

Only after confirming they were all right did he turn back and answer.

"Elder Sister, I told you I was going to make some arrangements."

There seemed to be some indescribable meaning hidden in Fuhua's smile.

"You're a cultivator of Yan. You ran over to Yan's people to make arrangements and now you're going to attack Yan's people afterward. Is that appropriate?"

Niu Youdao said, "I know what you're worried about. It isn't what you're imagining."

"After all, I come from Yan. There are still a few of my people on that side."

"I went to make contact with an inside man so it would be easier for us to understand the situation and avoid accidents."

"Oh?"

Fuhua's response was laden with meaning.

Whether she believed him was impossible to say.

Most likely, suspicion still outweighed trust.

Niu Youdao did not care about her strange tone.

He called the four leaders of the Four Seas aside and told them to arrange people to receive information.

Yan Li would have someone leave intelligence for them.

Naturally, Niu Youdao did not tell them that he and Yan Li had conspired together.

Night had already fallen.

The baiting plan would be difficult to carry out in the dark, so they could only wait until dawn.

The next day, the people Fuhua had sent out brought back information Yan Li had left.

It was a secret message.

The moment Niu Youdao saw it, he led everyone in the direction Yan Li had indicated.

As expected, after this side established an ambush at a chosen location, the scouts they sent out discovered Yan cultivators.

They were disciples of Lingjian Mountain.

Zijin Cave was supposed to avoid this operation from the beginning, so Yan Li naturally would not reveal the movements of Zijin Cave's disciples.

And Niu Youdao had a particular interest in Lingjian Mountain's people.

After all, Chu Fengping had tried to force him to death.

Once the situation was confirmed, Fuhua smiled.

"Little Brother, now we'll see what you can do."

Using himself as bait required care.

The enemy had to discover Niu Youdao easily enough to call for reinforcements in time.

At the same time, the fighting could not make so much noise that the entire enemy force rushed over for a head-on clash.

If that happened, this side would lose the advantage of concentrated strength and could no longer annihilate the enemy piecemeal.

After only a few direct collisions like that, they themselves would be ruined and the whole plan would collapse.

So Niu Youdao had to expose himself personally and lure the enemy away far enough.

The process carried considerable danger.

Niu Youdao said, "Gather the Spirit Seeds you're carrying and let me use them."

Duan Wuchang's voice sank.

"Give our Spirit Seeds to you?"

Niu Youdao said, "Targeting Yan's forces first was already the wrong idea."

"I'm a cultivator of Yan and have too many entanglements there."

"They expelled me, but that doesn't mean they'll chase me to the death."

"If they wanted to kill me, they would have acted when they expelled me. They wouldn't have waited until now."

"Having Spirit Seeds on me will make the bait more convincing."

That reasoning seemed to make some sense.

Even so, handing their Spirit Seeds to him still felt inappropriate.

Fuhua was the one who helped him.

"Do as he says. Give them to him."

She had the people beside her take out the Spirit Seeds they had collected.

With her taking the lead, Lang Jingkong, Hong Gaitian, and Duan Wuchang exchanged looks and then followed suit.

Naturally, they did not hand over every last one.

They still needed to keep enough Spirit Seeds on themselves for survival.

Without Spirit Seeds, no one could live in this damned place.

The gathered Spirit Seeds were bundled into a large package.

Niu Youdao strapped it onto his back.

Wu Zhaoxing, Yun Ji, and Yun Huan were just about to leave with him when Fuhua stopped them again.

She pointed at the three.

"You stay."

Wu Zhaoxing's voice turned heavy.

"You're not going to make him lure the enemy alone, are you?"

"If one of their experts chases him, he'll be in real danger."

"If he needs protection, we can arrange people from our side," Fuhua replied coldly.

Then she turned a smile toward Niu Youdao.

"Little Brother, we've handed our Spirit Seeds to you."

"If the four of you take the goods and run, who are we supposed to find?"

"Whether you like it or not, these three must remain here as hostages."

This time she did not bother being subtle.

She stated it openly.

"You three stay."

Niu Youdao first persuaded Wu Zhaoxing and the Yun mother and son.

Then he said to Fuhua, "I'll go alone. I don't need protection."

Yun Ji objected immediately.

"No. It's too dangerous!"

Niu Youdao's voice turned grave.

"Even if I run into trouble, I must escape by myself."

"No matter what happens, I have to lure them here."

"If anyone from this side jumps out to interfere, our ambush will be exposed."

"The result is the same whether I take people or not."

"Bringing someone with me only makes it easier for the enemy to notice something wrong."

The three understood what he meant.

At this stage, they had to be cautious to the extreme.

There was no room for the slightest mistake.

If the plan was exposed, then even if Niu Youdao escaped the immediate danger, he would never escape Sha Rulai's judgment afterward.

This could only succeed.

Failure was not an option.

Yun Ji was about to say more when Niu Youdao raised a hand and stopped her.

"Don't worry. I still have a Heavenly Sword Talisman."

"Unless they're absolutely certain, they won't dare act rashly against me."

Wu Zhaoxing said, "Before coming here, the various states must have purchased talismans in enormous quantities."

"The other side certainly has Heavenly Sword Talismans too!"

Niu Youdao suddenly answered with a sentence full of overbearing confidence.

"Here, aside from Misty Pavilion, no one can kill me!"

"Since I dare go, I know I can make it back."

"Nothing will happen."

[End of Chapter 796]