Chapter 824: Return Is Imminent

"Did you deliver the message?"

After one of his disciples made a trip to Niu Youdao's side and quietly returned, Yan Li questioned him in a low voice.

The message concerned their failure to kill Yan Baoru and the fact that she had escaped. Yan Li had deliberately sent word so Niu Youdao could prepare in advance.

The disciple replied softly, "I delivered it. He said it doesn't matter. He also asked me to tell Master that the goods are already in hand."

Yan Li raised his brows. Naturally, he knew what "the goods" meant.

Niu Youdao had already succeeded against Jin.

The disciple continued, "He said what he has is already enough to guarantee first place. We can keep what we have on our side and compete for a ranking ourselves. There's no need to give it to him anymore. He says having too much in his hands would be inappropriate."

Yan Li stared. "What kind of joke is that? We have to be searched before we're allowed out of Tiangu. There is no way to carry these things out secretly. I've already told everyone we barely have any Spirit Seeds. If a search suddenly turns up a pile of them, how am I supposed to explain that?"

The disciple said, "He's already thought of that. He told me to remind Master that the Four Seas people will be breaking through our sector. It would be perfectly reasonable for us to have seized a small amount while intercepting them."

Yan Li sank into thought and slowly nodded.

Then he could not resist muttering a curse. "That bastard has one scheme linked to another, each fitting the next without a seam. I admit defeat."

The disciple went on. "He also asked me to remind Master that the line leading to Jin has been cut. Xiaoyao Palace and Lingjian Mountain will probably start considering joining with others to compete for the rankings. He wants Master to agree. As long as Wei and Qi are tied to us, no one else will be able to shake his first-place position."

Yan Li considered it briefly, then gave a quiet grunt.

He understood.

Yan had three shares. Wei and Qi together held four. Once those three states joined forces, no combination among the remaining parties could threaten Niu Youdao's ranking. An alliance between Yan, Wei, and Qi would eliminate any possibility of four other states joining together against him.

After working it through, Yan Li gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

Niu Youdao was trying to cut off every last possibility that might affect the final result.

...

One day later, Chu Fengping and Shan Hai met Yan Li with dark expressions.

The disciples jointly sent by the three factions to follow the clues left by Jin had returned.

They reported that the trail markers had abruptly ended. No matter how they searched, they could not pick them up again.

In other words, they had lost the whereabouts of Jin's people.

In truth, Jin had never left any route markers at all. Every so-called marker had been planted by people acting under Niu Youdao's instructions.

How could those markers possibly lead them to Jin?

Besides, Jin's people had already been wiped out by Niu Youdao.

"Yan Li, didn't you say there'd be no problem?" Chu Fengping demanded darkly. "Where's the trail?"

"Ah!" Yan Li sighed toward the heavens. "I'm afraid something unexpected happened. Most likely the man leaving the markers was discovered by Jin while making one. Otherwise the trail couldn't simply have ended."

Chu Fengping said, "The exit opens in two days, and now you're telling me something unexpected happened?"

Yan Li spread both hands. "Then what do you want me to do? Surely you don't want this old life of mine."

"What the hell would I do with your old life?" Chu Fengping snapped.

"Enough arguing!" Shan Hai barked. Then his expression turned grave. "Jin has four shares in hand. Zijin Cave's amount isn't even worth mentioning. There's no way we have more than Jin."

The final result was no surprise.

After the three discussed matters, they agreed to Wei and Qi's proposal to join forces, compete for the rankings together, and divide the rewards.

...

The Tiandu Secret Realm was about to open.

What the final result would be had drawn intense attention throughout the entire cultivation world.

The powers of the various states affected by the matter were watching just as closely.

Once the affair of the Tiandu Secret Realm ended, the wars that had been frozen would resume. How could they not pay attention?

Ordinary commoners, of course, cared nothing for any of this. So long as they could eat their fill, drink enough, and live their lives in peace, that mattered more than anything.

Most ordinary people among the countless masses did not even know the Tiandu Secret Realm existed.

Even among those who had heard of it, anyone who wanted to follow the matter had nowhere to do so. Not a shred of relevant news reached them. How could they possibly pay attention?

On the Han-Song front, the opposing armies were urgently completing their final offensive and defensive deployments.

Inside a pavilion, Luo Zhao was once again dead drunk.

Feng Guan'er stood silently nearby, tears streaming down her face.

"Ah!" Mo Gao, Chief Steward of the Inner Palace, gave a long sigh and left with the eunuchs accompanying him.

Emperor Mu Zhuozhen had grown anxious.

With fighting about to resume, he had little confidence in the commander who had taken over the war. If the situation turned unfavorable, he still wanted to bring Luo Zhao back into service. At the very least, Luo Zhao could hold the line.

But Luo Zhao had disappointed him.

The man had collapsed and never recovered.

...

On the Yan-Zhao front, the forces facing one another were likewise making their final adjustments and deployments.

Shang Chaozong exchanged letters frequently with Meng Shanming at the front.

"Your Highness has been restless. Are you worried about the fighting resuming? If you're truly worried, then go to the front."

Feng Ruonan gently offered him a cup of tea.

Her belly was already large. She was pregnant.

Pregnancy, and the prospect of becoming a mother, had softened her features considerably, adding a gentleness that had not been there before.

Her heart had finally settled as well.

There were no longer any real problems between her and Shang Chaozong. They had become husband and wife in truth.

Seeing that moving around was inconvenient for her, Shang Chaozong rose to help her sit down before sighing.

"It isn't only the war. The Secret Realm expedition is about to produce its result as well. If Master Dao doesn't return, Nanzhou is certain to face a storm. Even if I wanted to leave, I wouldn't dare. For now, I can only entrust the front entirely to Marshal Meng. I have to remain here and devote everything to dealing with whatever changes may erupt in Nanzhou."

Feng Ruonan bit her lip.

Although she was worried, she still said firmly, "With Master Dao's ability, nothing will happen to him."

She genuinely did not want anything to happen to Niu Youdao.

The fact that she had finally emerged from hardship and could now live harmoniously with her husband was something she owed to Niu Youdao. Her heart was filled with gratitude toward him.

As for the grievances between the Feng and Shang families, even though Shang Chaozong had killed her elder brother, she could only let the past go.

Being born into a family like hers meant some things were never hers to choose.

Now she was about to have children of her own. All she could do was look forward.

In a sense, now that her own position was secure and her words carried weight with Shang Chaozong, protecting her parents and allowing them to enjoy their old age in peace was no longer a problem.

Shang Chaozong glanced at her and understood her thoughts.

Given the present situation, he did not want anything to happen to Niu Youdao either. But some things could not be decided by wishful thinking, so he said no more about it.

"Focus on your pregnancy. Don't worry about too much."

Feng Ruonan sighed. "Qing'er went to Maolu Villa to wait for news quite some time ago. I don't know how she's doing now. Your Highness, Qing'er truly has feelings for Master Dao. If Master Dao comes back, can't you think of some way to bring the two of them together?"

At the mention of this, Shang Chaozong immediately raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, his head aching.

"If Master Dao were willing, then both emotionally and practically it would be an enormous blessing for us. But how am I supposed to say it? Master Dao clearly doesn't fancy Qing'er. He's obviously avoiding the matter. Do I really need to say it aloud and invite humiliation?"

"Ah!" Feng Ruonan sighed as well.

Her sister-in-law's face truly was a problem. Of all the people she could have fallen for, she had chosen the man from Maolu Villa. Her standards were absurdly high.

Only now did Feng Ruonan fully understand what people meant when they said every family had its own difficult scripture to recite.

...

At Maolu Villa, the atmosphere was growing more oppressive by the day.

Everyone was uneasy.

Everyone knew that if Niu Youdao failed to return, Maolu Villa would immediately become a fallen tree scattering its monkeys.

Shang Shuqing often wandered through the courtyard where Niu Youdao lived. From time to time she would stop and stare blankly into space.

Guan Fangyi often stood high in the pavilion looking into the distance. The wind tugged at her clothes and skirts while worry lingered on her face.

Yuan Gang frequently patrolled the entire Maolu Villa area with reddened eyes.

Yuan Fang rarely showed himself anymore. He often hid in the Buddhist hall day and night, chanting sutras while the wooden fish sounded without pause.

The people from Liuxian Sect, Fuyun Sect, and Lingxiu Mountain also seemed to have stopped interacting much with Maolu Villa.

Even when the Sect Leaders of all three factions hurried to Tiandu Peak, they did not tell anyone here.

Little by little, the behavior of everyone around Maolu Villa was becoming abnormal.

...

At Tiandu Peak, outside Tiangu, the Sect Leaders of the three factions represented by Liuxian Sect were far from the only ones who had arrived.

Huang Lie of Dachan Mountain had come as well.

The sovereigns of the Four Seas and the Sect Leaders of the major factions from the various states had all arrived.

Everyone wanted to know the result at the first possible moment, so all of them had reached the area before the exit opened.

They had also brought people with them, preparing against any accidents.

Everyone knew that the killing inside the Tiandu Secret Realm could easily create blood feuds. Having manpower present served as a deterrent and guarded against revenge or other trouble.

Naturally, they also had to protect their wealth.

If someone took first place, the reward would be an enormous fortune.

Not many people from the smaller sects had come.

Long-distance travel was inconvenient, though those nearby had naturally made the journey.

The smaller factions had only participated out of helplessness to make up the numbers anyway. There were few benefits for them and little chance to form major grudges with anyone else, so whether they sent people to receive their returning disciples made little difference.

Small sects like Liuxian Sect that happened to possess flying mounts and could travel conveniently were rare.

Besides, those three sects were tied to the possibility of upheaval in Nanzhou. They truly did not feel at ease unless they learned the result immediately. If they discovered anything wrong, they could hurry back at once and prepare a response.

But sects without status were still sects without status.

Their people could only remain outside, exposed to wind and sun.

Only the major factions recognized within Misty Pavilion's hierarchy were given places to stay by Misty Pavilion, and even then only the Sect Leaders themselves were accommodated. Everyone else had to remain outside.

"Yucang, what are you doing here too?"

At the pavilion where the senior figures had gathered, the Demon King of the Western Sea carried a wine cup over to Mr. Yucang, who sat alone by the railing, and greeted him with a cheerful laugh.

Mr. Yucang was inwardly anxious.

Niu Youdao was tied to matters far too important for him to stay away.

Naturally, what came out of his mouth was another explanation entirely.

"Ah, I came because of Niu Youdao. After all, Niu Youdao is my nephew's teacher. My nephew begged me to come. Emotionally and morally, I had to take a look."

He and Sha Rulai were supposedly friends, so naturally he had a place to rest here.

"Niu Youdao, huh? Seems quite a lot of people want him dead. I doubt he's coming back." The Demon King of the Western Sea chuckled as he teased him.

Daqiu Sect Leader San Qianli, who had some friendship with Mr. Yucang, said heavily, "You can come, but others aren't allowed?"

The Demon King of the Western Sea shrugged, unconcerned. "My Four Seas people aren't counting on any ranking. I came to watch the excitement. If the people below me were ignorant and happened to offend someone over some trifling matter inside the Secret Realm, I can also put in a word and smooth things over. For something small, surely everyone will give me that much face."

No one commented.

Mr. Yucang watched everyone's reactions, especially studying the Sect Leaders of Zhao's three major factions.

He muttered inwardly that it seemed Misty Pavilion still had not leaked word of what Niu Youdao had done inside Tiangu.

Holding his wine cup, the Demon King of the Western Sea leisurely wandered over to Qiyun Sect Leader Taishu Feihua.

"Every time the Tiandu Secret Realm opens, Qiyun Sect takes first place as routinely as eating a meal. Old Taishu, how confident are you this time?"

[End of Chapter 824]