Chapter 882: Go. Leave Immediately.

Xin Jikui had carried himself with considerable style before being seized, and even then he remained calm enough.

One could also say he had real courage.

He did not believe anyone would attack an envoy the instant the envoy arrived.

He assumed the other side was only trying to frighten him and gain a more favorable position in the negotiation.

So he shouted, "When two states are at war, envoys are not executed!"

Jiang Wanlou sneered.

"What kind of envoy are you? Fine. I won't execute an envoy. I'll only chop off your hands."

The two cultivators seized Xin Jikui's arms, one on each side, and forcibly stretched them outward while drawing their swords.

Only then did Xin Jikui realize they were not bluffing.

They truly meant to do it.

All his poise vanished.

His face changed drastically as he struggled with everything he had.

But his spiritual power had already been suppressed.

He was little different from an ordinary mortal.

How could he resist two cultivators pulling him apart?

Terrified, he screamed, "Niu Youdao! Don't you want to kill Niu Youdao?"

The two disciples holding him immediately looked toward their Sect Leader for instructions.

Jiang Wanlou raised one brow and lifted his chin slightly.

"Chop them off first. We can talk after."

"Stop! Stop! I have something to say! I have something to say..."

Xin Jikui shouted frantically.

It was useless.

The other side no longer listened to explanations.

Niu Youdao had given them too many perfectly reasonable explanations already.

Every one of them had sounded convincing.

Every one of them had turned out to be bullshit.

The two cultivators hauled Xin Jikui's arms apart.

Their swords rose and fell.

Pfft!

Pfft!

Both arms were cut off on the spot.

Two streams of blood sprayed through the air.

"Ah!"

Xin Jikui screamed.

The moment his arms were severed, he collapsed to the ground.

Blood poured from both shoulders as his body trembled uncontrollably.

They had not merely chopped off his hands.

They had cut off both arms.

Zuo Chengfeng and Mi Man exchanged a glance.

Both understood that Jiang Wanlou had just swallowed a bellyful of losses and rage.

Now someone had delivered himself straight to the door.

Of course Jiang Wanlou would not let the opportunity pass.

At least this way he could recover a little face when dealing with the disciples below.

Jiang Wanlou raised his chin slightly.

The two disciples tossed aside the severed arms in their hands, then stepped forward together to stop Xin Jikui's bleeding.

There was no need to kill him this instant.

Only after the pale-faced Xin Jikui endured the worst of the agony and gradually recovered did Jiang Wanlou finally speak.

"Kill Niu Youdao, you said? Someone from Yan runs over here and tells us he wants to kill another man from Yan. That's rather interesting."

"If you truly came to negotiate, then I assume you won't care about losing these two arms."

"Speak. What do you want to say?"

"You had better tell the truth. Otherwise, the next thing we chop off will be your head."

Xin Jikui's heart was filled with limitless grief and fury.

Earlier, Meng Xuan had summoned several disciples and asked who was willing to act as a persuader.

Several had rushed to volunteer for the merit.

In the end, Meng Xuan had been most satisfied with Xin Jikui's eloquence, and Xin Jikui had actively fought for the assignment.

Who could have imagined he would arrive here and have both arms cut off before he even had the chance to display that eloquence and persuade anyone?

Regret!

He deeply regretted coming.

No amount of merit was worth two arms.

As a sword practitioner of Lingjian Mountain, losing both arms would drastically reduce his strength.

His future was ruined.

No amount of merit could compensate for that.

But things had already reached this point.

Regret was useless.

Since he had accepted the assignment, he had to complete it.

Otherwise, all this suffering would have been endured for nothing.

He could only hope that after he completed the mission, his master would avenge him once Yan's army broke through Zhao.

Even so, he still asked, "Why are you treating me this way?"

In truth, he roughly knew the reason.

Precisely because he knew the reason, he had believed he could persuade them.

Who could have imagined they would refuse to let him speak and simply find an excuse to attack him first?

That was exactly why he felt so wronged.

Jiang Wanlou replied, "There is no reason."

"Even if I'm going to die, can't I at least die knowing why?"

Naturally, Jiang Wanlou would not tell him that he was using Xin Jikui to vent his anger over the loss he had suffered at Niu Youdao's hands.

"What kind of thing are you? This isn't a place where you get to waste words. If you want to die, we can grant your wish!"

Xin Jikui said, "Is it because Niu Youdao crippled one hand of your disciple, so you're taking your anger out on me?"

Jiang Wanlou immediately flew into a rage from embarrassment.

"Looks like you truly are tired of living."

Before the two cultivators who had cut off Xin Jikui's arms could move again, Xin Jikui hurriedly shouted over him.

"Don't you want to kill Niu Youdao and avenge that humiliation?"

"Niu Youdao is gravely wounded right now."

"So long as someone inside the Yan army cooperates with you, killing him will be easy."

"Such a rare opportunity has appeared right before you. Are the three Sect Leaders truly willing to let it pass?"

Jiang Wanlou gave a low sound and raised a hand, stopping the two disciples.

"You mean Lingjian Mountain will work with us from inside and outside to kill Niu Youdao?"

Xin Jikui replied, "Not only Lingjian Mountain."

"With Sect Leader Jiang's judgment, you should know perfectly well that all three great sects of Yan want Niu Youdao eliminated."

"They simply cannot conveniently act against him themselves because of the current situation."

Jiang Wanlou said, "You think I'll believe your nonsense?"

Zuo Chengfeng, seated nearby, slowly stood.

"You want to lure us into sending men to assassinate him, then surround and wipe them out?"

Xin Jikui replied, "Your people only need to make a show of the assassination."

"So long as the cultivators you send are strong enough, even if they fail, escaping should not be difficult."

Zuo Chengfeng said, "Make a show of it? And even if they fail?"

"Then why would we need to send people to take such a risk at all?"

Xin Jikui said, "You only need to prove that your people were the ones who tried to assassinate Niu Youdao and create chaos."

"When the time comes, a group of your 'accomplices' will naturally appear inside Yan's army."

At those words, Zuo Chengfeng, Jiang Wanlou, and Mi Man exchanged looks.

They more or less understood.

Yan's three great sects intended to kill Niu Youdao themselves, but did not want to bear the responsibility.

They wanted Zhao to carry the blame.

Mi Man slowly rose as well.

"You're in our hands right now. That makes you a witness."

"Aren't you afraid we'll tell Shang Chaozong the truth?"

With both arms gone, Xin Jikui bent his body and struggled up onto his knees before slowly forcing himself to stand.

"Me being in your hands proves nothing."

"You can simply claim I accidentally fell into your hands."

"Who doesn't know Zhao is trying every possible method to escape its current predicament?"

"You can say anything afterward, but Shang Chaozong will only think you're trying to sow discord."

"Would he believe you that easily?"

"Even if he becomes suspicious, once the deed is done, in the present situation he will have no choice but to decide not to believe."

"If my two arms were still intact, perhaps Shang Chaozong might have some reason to believe your story."

"But now that both arms are gone..."

Xin Jikui laughed bitterly.

"If you captured such an important witness, shouldn't you be protecting him rather than deliberately mutilating him?"

"Do you really think anyone would believe otherwise?"

Zuo Chengfeng and Mi Man both glanced toward Jiang Wanlou.

The muscles in Jiang Wanlou's face twitched.

He almost seemed to be wondering whether rashly chopping off both arms had been a mistake.

But it had already been done.

Regret changed nothing.

Zuo Chengfeng said, "Your courage isn't small either. You come here with a glib tongue and talk this much. Aren't you afraid you'll never leave?"

Xin Jikui replied, "So long as you want to kill Niu Youdao, you must let me return."

"Must?" Zuo Chengfeng chuckled. "Where does this 'must' come from?"

"If Yan's three great sects truly want Niu Youdao dead, do you think they'll refuse to sacrifice one disciple like you?"

Xin Jikui said, "I know Niu Youdao's current location inside the Yan army."

"I know which direction of airspace you can use to reach the sky above the target without trouble."

"I am the guide."

"If I don't appear, the aerial guards will not allow you through, and you'll never get close."

"Only after I safely return and jump from the flying bird myself will I point out the precise target below."

"If I don't make it back, my side will never send another man over to die."

"And if I don't return, even if you later send someone to make contact, do you think my side will still believe in your sincerity?"

...

The tent where Niu Youdao lay was now surrounded by heavy troops and heavy weapons.

Archers, siege crossbows, and other weapons rotated through combat-ready watches.

A group of cultivators remained vigilant around the clock.

Without permission, no one was allowed to approach.

The target of those precautions was rather obvious.

Not a single person from Yan's three great sects was allowed near!

Shang Shuqing remained beside the couch.

Most of the time, her eyes rested on Niu Youdao's sleeping, unresponsive face.

Whenever something happened, this man had never disappointed her.

Scenes from the time they first met until now kept passing through her mind.

While her thoughts wandered, she suddenly wondered whether it was an illusion.

Niu Youdao seemed to have opened his eyes.

He appeared to be looking at her and smiling.

She smiled too.

"Commandery Princess."

Niu Youdao called softly.

Shang Shuqing abruptly came back to herself.

It was not an illusion.

He had truly awakened.

She shot to her feet.

"Master Dao!"

Guan Fangyi, Yun Ji, and Wu Zhaoxing, who had all been sitting cross-legged in meditation inside the tent, snapped their eyes open.

Seeing Niu Youdao awake, they rose one after another and hurried over.

Yun Ji and Wu Zhaoxing had remained because Guan Fangyi had asked them to.

At present, she needed their strength to guard against unpredictable dangers aimed at Niu Youdao.

"Master Dao, you're awake. How do you feel?" Guan Fangyi asked joyfully.

Niu Youdao braced one arm and tried to sit up.

The movement tugged at his wounds and made his face twist violently.

Guan Fangyi and Shang Shuqing tried to make him lie back down.

Niu Youdao shook his head.

They had no choice but to help him sit upright.

Niu Youdao crossed his legs and adjusted his breathing.

After slowly exhaling, he looked around.

Only then did he realize he was still inside the army camp.

His voice sank.

"Why are we still here?"

The others exchanged looks.

Had he become confused from the illness?

Guan Fangyi asked, "Where else would we be?"

Niu Youdao fell silent for a moment and cleared his mind.

He thought back to what had happened before.

He had always possessed an unusually keen sense for approaching danger.

When he briefly woke earlier and saw Long Xiu, he had immediately become wary and feared something might happen.

He seemed to remember warning Guan Fangyi about it.

Yet they still had not withdrawn.

He sighed.

"I can't blame you. My head wasn't clear before."

"This place is not suitable for a long stay."

"Let's go."

Go?

Shang Shuqing hurriedly said, "Elder Brother has already stationed heavy troops and heavy weapons all around this place to protect us. There shouldn't be any danger."

"If someone truly wants to harm you, we're right under their eyes, and I can barely move. They'll always find a way..."

Niu Youdao suddenly paused.

"Heavy troops and heavy weapons are protecting this place?"

He looked around at the others.

"What happened?"

"Ah, His Highness and Marshal Meng are emotional men too. They directly confronted the people from the three great sects..."

Guan Fangyi roughly recounted how the soldiers had roared like mountains and seas in response.

Niu Youdao's eyes instantly narrowed.

Then they opened sharply.

He did not say another word.

"Go. Leave immediately."

As he spoke, he casually reached for the treasured sword placed nearby.

The moment his hand touched it, he froze.

He turned it over, drew part of the blade, and saw the words "Loyal Heart, Martyr's Blood" still engraved upon it.

He glanced toward Yun Ji.

Yun Ji gave a slight nod.

"I found it for you."

Niu Youdao swung his legs down and stood.

"Don't alert anyone."

"I'll have to trouble Yun Ji to take us away through the earth."

"After we leave, Commandery Princess, inform His Highness."

"Also help me notify Gongsun Bu and the others to withdraw as quickly as possible."

"Have Situ Yao and his people return to the Jinzhou forces immediately..."

[End of Chapter 882]