Chapter 798: Treating a Dead Horse as Though It Might Still Live

Situ Yao returned with an ugly expression.

The several Elders present all noticed. There were only a handful of them here; everyone else had spread out to search for Spirit Seeds.

One of them asked, "Sect Leader, what did Chu Fengping want with you?"

Situ Yao said, "They discovered Niu Youdao's whereabouts. At present, he's alone, and their people are already watching him."

The others exchanged surprised looks.

Li Wuhua tentatively asked, "Does that have anything to do with us?"

Situ Yao said, "That bastard Chu is forcing us to go with them and help kill Niu Youdao."

"Ah!" Several people were startled. One said, "Why hold such a deep grudge? They've already expelled Niu Youdao, which is practically the same as forcing him into a dead end. Why create more trouble by refusing to let him go? Wouldn't it be enough to let him fend for himself?"

Situ Yao shook his head, indicating he did not know. "We can't delay. They're waiting for us and demand twenty men. Go gather the manpower."

Li Wuhua said, "Sect Leader, Niu Youdao has a Heavenly Sword Talisman. And you and I both know that man did not survive until today by eating plain rice. The Yan court mobilized such enormous power against him and still failed to bring him down. If he happens to escape this time, we'll have offended him to the death. Have you considered what Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion will face after we return? He could bring us down whenever he pleases!"

Of all these people, Li Wuhua was the least willing to see Niu Youdao harmed. Niu Youdao had shown him a kindness he could never repay.

Situ Yao said, "Exactly because Niu Youdao has a Heavenly Sword Talisman, exactly because they're worried he won't be easy to handle and something may go wrong, they're mobilizing this many people and dragging us in too. Of course I understand the consequences if he escapes. But what can we do? If we refuse to obey, they can deal with us right now. Do you think Shan Hai and Yan Li would offend Chu Fengping for our sake?"

Li Wuhua asked, "Is this what their two sects want as well?"

"No. Those two probably still know nothing. Chu Fengping specifically told us to keep it from them."

Li Wuhua immediately said, "Sect Leader, why not quietly let those two sides find out? If they intervene, we won't have to be trapped between both sides."

Situ Yao frowned. "Junior Brother, have you gone muddleheaded? The moment the news leaks, Chu Fengping's first suspicion will fall on us! Besides, if those two sects truly wanted to protect Niu Youdao, would they have waited until now?"

Li Wuhua fell silent.

"You stay here!" Situ Yao instructed coolly. He could already tell Li Wuhua wanted to stop them from laying murderous hands on Niu Youdao.

As for why, not only Situ Yao but the other Elders knew something about it. When Li Wuhua had been stationed in Jinzhou, he and Niu Youdao had maintained a genuine friendship.

Afterward, Situ Yao personally led away the manpower he had assembled. He had no choice. Chu Fengping had made his meaning clear and was forcing Situ Yao to choose a side.

On one side stood Niu Youdao alone. On the other stood the colossus of Lingjian Mountain. There was almost no need to think about which side to choose.

For the sake of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion, and so these people could return alive, Situ Yao had no real choice. Whatever friendship he had with Niu Youdao could only be cast aside. That decision also rested on the belief that Niu Youdao could not possibly return alive.

Watching Situ Yao and the others leave, Li Wuhua's emotions churned. He truly did not want anything to happen to Niu Youdao.

He had fathered a son late in life. One could imagine what that son meant to him. Niu Youdao had saved his son's life!

And even setting that aside, Li Wuhua had dealt with Niu Youdao on Jinzhou's behalf for years. Niu Youdao was a man he trusted.

Between Li Wuhua and Niu Youdao—or rather, between Niu Youdao and Li Wuhua—time and repeated trials had built a very good relationship. The two sides had maintained friendly ties for years. So long as Niu Youdao supported him, Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion could not easily replace the man overseeing Jinzhou.

Because of his relationship with Hai Ruyue, and because the two had even produced a son, there had already been plenty of criticism within Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion. Some accused Li Wuhua of trying to turn Jinzhou into the Li family's private realm. Calls to replace him had never ceased. Yet faced with the support Niu Youdao wielded through Nanzhou's forces, Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion could not easily move him.

Jinzhou had previously been occupied by the Zhao court, but Yan's army was now counterattacking and the war was going well. Retaking Jinzhou was only a matter of time.

Niu Youdao had already promised Li Wuhua that he would not hold onto Jinzhou and would continue supporting Hai Ruyue's control over it. In other words, he would continue supporting Li Wuhua.

And yes, Li Wuhua did want to turn Jinzhou into his family's domain. He would never have thought this way in the past, but things were different now. He had to think for his son and for his descendants. He hoped that, like the Xiao clan before them, his family could remain in Jinzhou for several generations and preserve wealth and status for its descendants.

He was already old. There was no hope of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, and his remaining lifespan would not be enough to safeguard his son's generation all the way through. But Niu Youdao was still very young.

In short, if someone else took control of Nanzhou, it would not be good for Li Wuhua.

Yet now that matters had developed this far, he was helpless. As his gaze swept around, it landed on one person and paused.

Yan Baoru!

Before a strange flower, Yan Baoru hooked one finger around a stem and leaned close to inhale the blossom's scent, her figure graceful and alluring.

After joining Yan's group, she had been almost like an ornament. She never ran errands or searched for Spirit Seeds, merely staying near the central group. Yan's people did not ask her to do anything either.

It was exactly as she had said when she first joined them: Spirit Seeds were of little use to her. She had attached herself to their group merely for convenience, offering her aid whenever they needed it in exchange.

While she was savoring the intoxicating fragrance, Yan Baoru tilted her head slightly and looked at Li Wuhua approaching her. Her bright eyes blinked. This did not look like someone merely passing by by chance.

Li Wuhua glanced around and asked, "What's the story between you and Wu Zhaoxing?"

Yan Baoru understood what he meant. She and Wu Zhaoxing had joined Yan's side one after the other, using the exact same excuse.

"That's none of your concern." She ignored him and narrowed her eyes again, continuing to enjoy the strange fragrance.

Li Wuhua said, "I remember you wanted to leave with Niu Youdao, but Niu Youdao refused you."

Yan Baoru gave a disdainful laugh. "You certainly worry about a great many things."

"If you truly mean to protect Niu Youdao, I happen to know where he is." Li Wuhua watched her reaction as he spoke.

Yan Baoru froze. Her slender fingers released the flower stem. She turned and looked at him properly. "What are you trying to say?"

Li Wuhua checked the surroundings once more, then lowered his voice. "Lingjian Mountain found Niu Youdao's whereabouts. Chu Fengping intends to kill him. If you don't want anything to happen to Niu Youdao, follow Lingjian Mountain's people. You should be able to find him. Think of some way to warn him in advance."

Yan Baoru stared at him, her eyes flickering unpredictably.

Li Wuhua left it at that. Once he had said what needed to be said, he turned and walked away. If she truly wanted to protect Niu Youdao, she would go. If not, she would not meddle.

He had no better option. He could only treat a dead horse as though it might still live!

On Lingjian Mountain's side, Chu Fengping's eldest disciple Cai Jinqi personally led the force. He had not only gathered twenty men from Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion, but secretly ordered a number of disciples from smaller sects and some independent cultivators to join them as well. To ensure they could take Niu Youdao down in a single move, more than a hundred people had been mobilized. It was obvious they had no intention of giving him any chance to escape.

Mobilizing that many people was, in a sense, an acknowledgment of Niu Youdao's ability. No one dared underestimate him or risk an accident.

There was no need to worry that the movement of so many people would alert the other two major sects, because the direction they were traveling was precisely the area assigned to Lingjian Mountain's manpower.

After a short rest, Yan's central group began moving forward again.

Yan Li, traveling with the others, glanced at Chu Fengping, who acted as though nothing at all had happened. As Yan Li looked around, he suddenly remarked, "Situ Yao seems to have disappeared."

Everyone turned to look around.

Yan Li added pointedly, "Brother Chu, Situ Yao seemed to meet with you earlier. You should know where he went, shouldn't you?"

At those words, Shan Hai, Elder of Xiaoyao Palace, immediately became alert and rapidly scanned the surroundings.

Chu Fengping said, "His legs are attached to his own body. Isn't it normal for him to move around? Li Wuhua, where did your Sect Leader go?"

Li Wuhua came over after hearing the question. "The Sect Leader doesn't report his movements to me. I don't know either."

Shan Hai, still looking around, frowned. "Yan Baoru? That woman has been following us all along. How did she suddenly disappear too?"

Li Wuhua instinctively glanced around, muttering inwardly. It seemed his guess had been right. For some unknown reason, that woman truly was inclined toward Niu Youdao. He could only hope she reached him in time to give warning and help him escape danger.

For now, Li Wuhua was powerless. This was all he could do.

Yan Li said, "Brother Chu, you wouldn't happen to be hiding something from us, would you?"

Chu Fengping replied, "Isn't it perfectly normal for me to keep things from you? Do the two of you explain everything you do to me? So long as it doesn't affect our cooperation, I can do whatever I please. Do I need to report every little matter to you?"

...

With someone leading the way, Cai Jinqi brought his men to the place where Niu Youdao had first been discovered. The ashes from his cooking fire lay before them.

Looking at that pile of ash, Situ Yao felt complicated emotions. He too hoped Niu Youdao had managed to shake off the people following him. That would save Situ Yao a great deal of trouble and put his mind at ease. Truly facing Niu Youdao would be unbearably awkward.

Lingjian Mountain's disciples searched the surroundings while Junior Brother Fan murmured beside Cai Jinqi, recounting what Niu Youdao had been doing here at the time.

"This way!" Someone flashed out of the forest to the front left and called a warning, indicating that Lingjian Mountain's tracking mark had been found there.

"Move!" Cai Jinqi swept one hand forward. The entire group rose into the air and rushed toward the marker.

A full four hours later, they finally stopped and met the two disciples who had been tailing Niu Youdao.

"Where is he?"

"Up ahead."

The two trackers quietly led Cai Jinqi and the others closer to a valley. One pointed toward a cave in the cliff wall. "Senior Brother Cai, he went into that cave."

"You're certain he's still inside?"

"The two of us have been taking turns watching. We haven't seen him come out. He should still be inside."

As they spoke, movement appeared at the cave in the cliff.

A man furtively showed his face and peered around in every direction.

It was none other than Niu Youdao.

After finding nothing unusual, he withdrew into the cave again.

"Heh. The bastard's cautious enough." Cai Jinqi gave a cold laugh.

[End of Chapter 798]