Chapter 835: Master Dao Is Back

By now, nearly everyone had left.

Dong Jinhuan clung to Zhao Dengxuan and wept bitterly. She had never imagined he would kneel in public for her sake. For a time, she was so moved she could barely contain herself.

Zhao Dengxuan kept soothing her. "It's all right. It's all right. Nothing will happen."

An Miao'er and Lin Feiyan were miserable, but they also envied Dong Jinhuan.

The two men they had given themselves to simply did not possess Zhao Dengxuan's courage. More precisely, neither woman could be certain what attitude those men would take in the end. They had actually thrown the two of them aside and run off.

Since Xiaoyao Palace had left Zhao Dengxuan behind to clean up his own mess, matters became simpler.

Dong Jinhuan did not dare return to Liuxian Sect alone, so Zhao Dengxuan personally accompanied her.

With a Xiaoyao Palace disciple traveling beside her, Dong Jinhuan felt considerably more secure.

What could An Miao'er and Lin Feiyan do?

Unless they could hide somewhere no one would ever find them, they could not simply refuse to return. They had left the Secret Realm. If they did not go back to report to their sects, there would be no way to explain themselves.

The sects beneath Heaven might differ in countless ways, but on one point they were the same.

None showed mercy to traitors.

This was part of the foundation by which every sect maintained itself. Once someone carried the name of a disciple who had betrayed her sect, she would find it difficult to move anywhere beneath Heaven—unless she possessed enough strength to stand entirely on her own.

If they truly did as those two Lingjian Mountain disciples had suggested and found somewhere to hide instead of returning to report, then once they were branded traitors, they could forget relying on those two men afterward. Would a sect like Lingjian Mountain tolerate its disciples consorting with women who had betrayed their own sects?

If Zhao Dengxuan accompanied them back toward Maolu Villa, and they could also invoke Lingjian Mountain's name, perhaps there was still a chance they might survive this calamity.

Otherwise, they would very likely face pursuit from their own sects.

And not only from their sects.

With Niu Youdao's influence, once he truly hardened his heart and decided to hunt them down, they would be in serious trouble.

If only their own sects were after them, that would still be manageable. Given the reach of those sects, it would be difficult to search the entire world for them.

But Niu Youdao was different.

He was a figure of enormous influence throughout all seven states. So long as he was willing to offer enough benefits, sects everywhere and local governments across the realm would probably keep an eye out for him.

And they were not men.

In this world, two unattached women lingering for long in any ordinary place would easily draw attention.

They lacked the strength to protect themselves, had lost the backing of any power capable of deterring others, and held no value anyone needed to preserve. Faced with a heavy reward from Niu Youdao, even all manner of independent cultivators would dare make a move against them.

Perhaps fleeing overseas was an option.

People who committed serious offenses and could no longer establish themselves on the mainland often hid beyond the seas.

But the two women had seen Niu Youdao's relationship with the leaders of the Four Seas. They feared there might not be room for them overseas either.

Of course, they could always disappear deep into the mountains and forests under false names.

But so long as every other hope had not yet been extinguished, two young women found it difficult to make such a decision.

Living in seclusion among wild mountains was mostly something men did. How many women could truly abandon the splendor and pleasures of the world?

Seeing Zhao Dengxuan appear so confident, the two women also felt that with the immense strength of Yan's three great sects behind those men, Niu Youdao could not possibly be completely without scruples.

So they went along as well.

Together, they headed back toward Maolu Villa to face whatever awaited them there.

...

Three large flying birds traveled abreast through the sky.

Along the way, Fei Changliu and the others found themselves making fools of themselves.

The three Sect Leaders repeatedly tried to ask about what had happened inside the Secret Realm, but Yun Huan had no interest in telling them.

Some of what Niu Youdao had done was not suitable for public discussion either.

"Ah. The disciples our three sects sent to attend Master Dao... they must have met with disaster already, right?" Fei Changliu asked.

He and Yun Huan were riding the same bird.

Niu Youdao had not been there.

Fearing he would never return, the three sects had done a few things that were less than loyal while preparing a road of retreat for themselves.

By bringing up the disciples they had sent, Fei Changliu hoped to establish a point in their favor: the three sects had sacrificed people for Master Dao too. Perhaps Yun Huan could put in a good word for them.

It would have been better if he had not mentioned the matter.

The instant he did, Yun Huan's expression became peculiar.

He looked left and right at the other two flying birds traveling alongside them, then gave a low chuckle.

"You three sects truly trained some excellent disciples. Eating from one bowl while helping outsiders empty the pot—they knew every trick."

The expressions of all three Sect Leaders stiffened.

Xia Hua immediately asked, "Brother Yun, why do you say that?"

Yun Huan shot back, "Didn't you see who those three excellent disciples of yours were mixed in with?"

The three men looked at one another.

They truly had not seen Dong Jinhuan and the others.

The three women had felt guilty and deliberately avoided them, which had led the Sect Leaders to assume all three had already died.

Zheng Jiuxiao said, "Brother Yun, if there's something to say, please speak plainly."

Yun Huan estimated that those three women were in for trouble.

He sneered. "Not long after entering the Secret Realm, those three disciples of yours abandoned Niu Youdao..."

He gave them a shortened account of what had happened when Niu Youdao fell out with Chu Fengping and was driven from the group, omitting some details and emphasizing the part where the three women abandoned Niu Youdao.

"When those three sluts came out, they were still mixed in with people from the three great sects. Are you telling me you really didn't see them?"

"Vile disciple!" Xia Hua shouted angrily.

The three Sect Leaders had never dreamed something like this could have happened.

They could understand why the women had made such a choice. It had been for self-preservation.

But now Niu Youdao had returned alive.

How were they supposed to explain this to him?

In an instant, all three Sect Leaders wore dark, troubled expressions.

...

The Four Seas sovereigns, who were returning overseas, wore expressions just as dark.

By now, they had learned what had happened inside the Secret Realm.

Only then did the Demon King of the Western Sea understand just how hot the three hundred million gold coins in his hand truly were.

So hot that his cheek twitched without pause.

Their people had not merely robbed one faction.

They had robbed several.

That alone would have been manageable. At worst, the seven states would come looking for trouble afterward.

But now they were also holding an enormous fortune.

Not only was it enough to make others' eyes turn red, it had handed their enemies an excellent excuse.

The Demon King of the Western Sea could already imagine a huge crowd chasing them from behind.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he roared at Fuhua, furious and flustered.

Fuhua did not know whether to laugh or cry. "My King, how was I supposed to explain it? Could I make the whole matter clear in a few sentences? And with everyone watching, was I supposed to refuse the money? If we refused it, it would have nothing to do with us anymore. That's three hundred million gold coins!"

The Demon King of the Western Sea ground his teeth. "Before you went in, I warned you that Misty Pavilion had no good intentions. I told you to preserve yourselves as much as possible. And look at what you did."

Fuhua replied, "I had no choice either. If we didn't strike first, the forces of the seven states would have destroyed us to give Misty Pavilion an account. We couldn't simply sit there and wait to die."

"That grandson Niu Youdao never had good intentions! Fuck! And you actually became sworn siblings with someone like that? Now everyone beneath Heaven knows you're his sworn brothers and sister!"

The Demon King of the Western Sea cursed at the top of his lungs.

"..."

Fuhua had nothing to say.

Looking back now, that sworn-brotherhood ceremony really did seem to have happened for no very good reason.

"Someone's coming from behind!" the Great Sage of the Eastern Sea suddenly shouted.

Everyone turned.

Far in the distance, a hazy group of figures had indeed appeared.

They hardly needed to guess who those people might be.

At once, they drove their flying birds to their maximum speed.

Getting them to spit out money already in their hands would not be easy.

More importantly, if the pursuers caught up, simply returning the money probably would not be enough.

...

At Maolu Villa, three large flying birds swept in and circled low overhead.

Yun Huan descended from the sky and landed inside the villa.

Fei Changliu and the others felt awkward because of what their three disciples had done, so they did not descend.

Instead, they guided their flying birds toward another place to meet and discuss what they should do.

The instant Guan Fangyi and the others saw Yun Huan, they flashed over.

Shang Shuqing came running from the inner courtyard with her skirts lifted in both hands.

They saw Yun Huan.

They did not see Niu Youdao.

Guan Fangyi's eyes reddened immediately.

Forget propriety between men and women—she seized Yun Huan and demanded anxiously, "Where's Master Dao?"

Yuan Gang's jaw was clenched tight, both fists balled.

Shang Shuqing bit her lip hard.

Tears had already appeared in her eyes.

Yun Huan said, "Don't worry. He has business to handle. It's inconvenient for him to return for the moment, so he's gone somewhere else to lie low."

At once, Shang Shuqing broke into a tearful smile.

Yuan Gang raised his face toward the sky and released a long breath.

Guan Fangyi's face lit up with delight. "Master Dao came back alive?"

At the mention of his return, Yun Huan could not help recalling what had happened and sighing with emotion.

"It was truly dangerous. Only he could have pulled it off. If it had been anyone else, they probably never would have returned. But don't worry. It's over now. He made it out safely."

After wiping away her tears, Shang Shuqing asked, "If he's already out safely, why doesn't Master Dao come straight back? Why does he still need to hide somewhere else?"

No one understood her feelings at that moment.

She truly wanted to see Niu Youdao.

The longing was almost unbearable.

Yun Huan sighed. "Commandery Princess, the matter is complicated. Even thinking about it now makes me afraid. Before he even entered the Secret Realm, while everyone was still gathering in Tiangu, he caused trouble. Right there, he used a Heavenly Sword Talisman to kill the presiding Elders of Zhao's three great sects..."

He gave them a rough account of what had happened when Sha Rulai forced Niu Youdao to take first place.

Everyone listened with pounding hearts.

What kind of place was Misty Pavilion?

And Niu Youdao had actually dared attack people there?

He had practically gone mad!

Guan Fangyi and Yuan Gang exchanged a look.

At last, they understood why Niu Youdao had arranged his affairs as though preparing for death.

At last, they understood why Mr. Yucang had been so evasive.

If news like that had spread earlier, Nanzhou would immediately have undergone a massive upheaval.

That was not what Xiaoyue Pavilion wanted to see.

After a moment, Guan Fangyi cautiously asked, "Master Dao is fine now. Does that mean... he took first place?"

Yun Huan smiled bitterly and nodded. "That's right. In this Tiandu Secret Realm expedition, Master Dao alone suppressed all the heroes and seized first place!"

After what they had already heard, everyone had been mentally prepared for such a possibility.

Even so, having the result confirmed still shook them deeply.

First place?

Shang Shuqing bit her lip and said nothing.

Yet somewhere inside her, a faint sense of pride rose.

She had known it.

There was nothing Master Dao could not overcome.

Yuan Gang released the last of the tension in his chest and said, "Master Dao is still the Master Dao I knew, a man who once moved freely through both the black and white paths."

No one thought much about the deeper meaning in his words.

Guan Fangyi's eyes flickered. "What exactly happened inside the Secret Realm?"

"This..." Yun Huan looked around at everyone, visibly troubled. "The whole thing can't be explained in a few sentences, and some of what it involved really isn't suitable for me to talk about. I don't even know whether I should tell you. Don't ask me. Ask him yourself later. He said he'll contact all of you as soon as possible."

He had barely finished when Gongsun Bu came flying over with a sealed letter in his hand.

His face was full of joy.

"A letter! A letter from Master Dao—for Brother Yuan!"

Forget Brother Yuan.

Guan Fangyi snatched it first and opened it.

One look and her face immediately darkened.

It was written in those strange characters she could not understand.

Annoyed, she slapped the letter into Yuan Gang's hands.

Yuan Gang gave her a sidelong glance and began reading.

Guan Fangyi turned to Gongsun Bu. "Master Dao only just came out of the Secret Realm. How did you receive his letter this quickly?"

Gongsun Bu shook his head. "I'm not sure either. Master Dao personally found one of Wuliang Mountain's secret outposts in Zhao and ordered the people there to transmit the letter urgently."

Guan Fangyi became thoughtful.

It seemed that after leaving the Secret Realm, Niu Youdao had gone directly to the nearest Wuliang Mountain outpost.

Then she looked back at Yuan Gang. "Red-faced monkey, what does the letter say?"

Yuan Gang slowly raised his head after finishing it.

His gaze fell on Shang Shuqing.

"Commandery Princess, this place isn't suitable for you to remain in much longer. We need to send you back to the prefectural city."

"Please also trouble yourself to pass a message to the Prince. Through Wuliang Mountain's disciples, Master Dao has already heard that Zhao sent people to negotiate with the imperial court and with the Prince."

"Master Dao said this: ignore the imperial court, and there is no need to fear the three great sects. The army is to launch an attack on Zhao immediately."

"However the Prince chooses to fight the battle is his affair. The important thing is to start the war first!"

"Use the war to announce to Nanzhou—to announce to all beneath Heaven—that Master Dao is back!"

[End of Chapter 835]