Chapter 894: Lodging a Complaint

What was going on?

Everyone collectively choked on their words.

"Sha Rulai?" Gong Lince seemed doubtful. "You gave the secret formulas to Sha Rulai?"

Niu Youdao looked utterly serious. "That's right."

The subtle changes in Gong Lince's expression were rather remarkable. The Elders exchanged speechless looks. None of them had expected this complication to appear out of nowhere.

Before this, they had been certain Niu Youdao would find it difficult to refuse because of sect rules. No one here was a fool. They all knew why Niu Youdao had chosen this moment to join Zijin Cave: he had come seeking protection. They were certain he would not casually fall out with the sect. Even if unwilling, he would still have to hand the formulas over. They could not think of any grounds he might use to refuse.

Then the name "Sha Rulai" suddenly came crashing down, catching everyone completely off guard.

That unexpected cudgel blow shattered every porcelain jar of self-assured calculation they had so neatly arranged in their minds.

The truth was, even before Niu Youdao joined Zijin Cave, this group of Elders had already wanted him to surrender the formulas. In one hand, Niu Youdao held a road to wealth; in the other, he held secular power great enough to influence the overall situation of Yan. Call it unease or call it jealousy—the arrangement simply made them uncomfortable.

Their stated reason for demanding the formulas was that Niu Youdao needed to prove whether he sincerely intended to cast his lot in with Zijin Cave.

Giving him rank and status while denying him authority to participate in decisions, and also denying him access to the secrets of Zijin Cave's cultivation arts, had likewise been the group's collective decision. A newcomer had barely walked through the door and already wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with men who had spent years here—and even wield more power than they did. No one would feel comfortable with that.

As for the secret formulas, they had delayed raising the matter until now only because Gong Lince had felt it would look too nakedly grasping. He had held everyone back and insisted that they wait until Niu Youdao formally joined Zijin Cave before bringing it up.

Even Gong Lince could delay it only this long. The others' reasoning was not entirely without merit. Otherwise Niu Youdao would retain more than enough paths of retreat: he could enter when he pleased and leave when he pleased. What kind of arrangement would that be? They had to keep some measure of restraint over him.

Yan Li looked at Niu Youdao standing before the group with both hands resting on his sword and felt a strange illusion—as though this one man were facing an entire crowd in battle.

Then he looked back at everyone's reactions and smiled bitterly to himself.

From the beginning, he had opposed handling matters this way. The man had only just entered the sect. Was it not a little excessive for everyone to start pressing him so aggressively?

Yan Li's own view had been that they should let the matter sit for a while. There was no hurry. Once both sides had spent enough time together to understand one another thoroughly, they could find an appropriate opportunity to raise it. That would give everyone a graceful way down and avoid an ugly loss of face.

It was not that Yan Li insisted on standing on Niu Youdao's side. He had simply spent too much time dealing with Niu Youdao inside the Tiandu Secret Realm and knew perfectly well that this bastard was difficult to provoke. Niu Youdao might look young, but his methods were sophisticated, ruthless, and seasoned, far beyond those of an ordinary man. How many people had he schemed to death inside the Tiandu Secret Realm?

Yan Li had personally been involved in how Niu Youdao took first place in that Tiandu Secret Realm gathering. He knew all too clearly how it had happened. How many important and minor figures had been driven howling with rage or had simply lost their lives?

That was why Yan Li had been worried that if everyone handled Niu Youdao this way, the man might start making trouble inside Zijin Cave itself. If he truly turned the sect upside down, then they would have a fine joke on their hands.

Unfortunately, Yan Li alone could not overturn everyone else's opinion.

And now look at this. The man had casually thrown out the name "Sha Rulai" and silenced the room. Go on, keep pressing him. Couldn't do it anymore, could they? What good were numbers now? What good were sect rules? One sentence from Niu Youdao had turned all their earlier chatter into waste paper. Now they knew what sort of man they were dealing with.

Niu Youdao stood with both hands on his sword, appearing casual as he quietly observed everyone's reactions.

He had not wanted things to become this way. At the outset, he had been prepared to hand over the secret formulas. He knew it was inappropriate for a newcomer to enter a sect while holding too many things in his own hands. Faced with certain circumstances, sacrifices had to be made.

But these bastards had gone a little too far.

What was this supposed to mean? Did they think he was easy to bully? Or were they simply trying to rob him?

Since they had chosen to display an overwhelming posture and bully him, he could only harden his bones in response. Otherwise, if they crushed him into dregs the very first time they met like this, there was no telling whether they would keep pushing farther and farther in the future.

So, apologies.

He no longer wanted to give them the secret formulas. At least not for now.

Female Elder Mo Lingxue spoke. "What kind of status does Sha Rulai have? What could he possibly lack? Would he really take a fancy to your secret formulas?"

Niu Youdao knew nothing, asked nothing, and admitted nothing. "I'm not too clear about that. The intermediary was Mr. Yucang. For something like this, I doubt Mr. Yucang would casually drag Sha Rulai's name into a lie. What, Senior Sister Mo, do you think I'm lying? The Sect Leader visits Misty Pavilion often enough. He can simply ask Sha Rulai and find out whether it's true."

The corner of Gong Lince's mouth twitched.

Me, go ask Sha Rulai?

How exactly was he supposed to ask? Ask Sha Rulai whether he had accepted a gift from Niu Youdao? Even if Sha Rulai truly had accepted it, what kind of lunatic ran over to question the man about taking gifts?

Was Gong Lince looking for abuse?

Mo Lingxue said, "Junior Brother misunderstands. That isn't what I meant. But come to think of it, even if you gave someone the secret formulas, surely he didn't forbid you from continuing to brew and sell the liquor yourself?"

Niu Youdao understood what she meant. After circling around, they still wanted to seize control of this stream of wealth.

He shook his head. "He didn't forbid it. But ever since the formulas were given away, Maolu Villa stopped brewing. The man asked for the secret formulas. Whether it would be appropriate for me to keep brewing and selling the liquor on a large scale afterward, I honestly don't know. Why doesn't the Sect Leader sound him out for me?"

Niu Youdao was not making that up.

After leaving the Tiandu Secret Realm, everyone from Maolu Villa had immediately scattered and hidden themselves. It had no longer been convenient to brew and sell the liquor, so production truly had stopped.

As for when brewing might resume later, that was not important. Once Mr. Yucang's situation stabilized, he would probably begin arranging it himself.

That was a matter for the future.

For now, Niu Youdao could not casually be forced into yielding.

Sound him out, my ass!

Gong Lince cursed inwardly while keeping his face expressionless.

By now everyone could see that Niu Youdao was blatantly using Sha Rulai as a shield.

Unfortunately, it was a very effective shield.

Who among them dared say anything that contradicted it? Niu Youdao had already raised the matter to this height. Who dared openly say Sha Rulai's side could simply be ignored?

None of them were three-year-old children, much less ordinary men.

Food could be eaten carelessly. Words could not be spoken carelessly.

Once spoken, there were consequences to bear.

Disgusting.

The whole group felt as though they had swallowed a fly.

In the end, the matter simply fizzled out.

Gong Lince gave Niu Youdao a few instructions, telling him that since he had only just joined the sect, he should spend some time familiarizing himself with the rules and so forth.

After that, everyone dispersed.

None of them had prepared anything else. Niu Youdao had already become an Elder of Zijin Cave. If they wanted to keep looking for trouble with him one matter after another, they at least needed a pretext. They could not simply act without reason.

Gong Lince asked Yan Li to remain behind.

Once everyone else had left, he asked, "Do you think Niu Youdao really gave the secret formulas to Sha Rulai?"

Yan Li lowered his voice. "He named Sha Rulai directly, without the slightest hesitation or ambiguity. No matter how much nonsense that man is capable of talking, surely he wouldn't casually fabricate something like this using Sha Rulai's name?"

Gong Lince fell silent for a while, then frowned. "That bastard refuses to lower his head easily. Looks like we'll have to keep the balance properly, or sooner or later the two sides are going to fight."

Yan Li understood exactly what he meant: Niu Youdao on one side, the other Elders on the other.

Today, the group of Elders had been left with nothing to say once the name "Sha Rulai" came out, but they certainly would not swallow the humiliation. Sooner or later, they would look for another opportunity to make trouble.

And Niu Youdao clearly had no intention of bowing his head either.

It would be strange if nothing happened.

Yan Li immediately nodded several times. "Niu Youdao is not an easy man to deal with. Add the enormous secular power he holds, and if the two sides really start fighting, there's no telling how large the disturbance could become."

"Keep a closer eye on things afterward," Gong Lince said.

"All right." Yan Li cupped his hands and took his leave.

He had only reached the entrance to the hall when a disciple flashed down outside and quickly entered.

"Master, Sect Leader, Niu Youdao just stormed off toward the rear mountain in a rage."

Yan Li, one foot nearly over the threshold, froze. Hearing this, he turned back.

Gong Lince frowned. "In a rage? What is he doing at the rear mountain?"

The disciple replied, "He went looking for Grandmaster Zhong. The disciples guarding the mountain stopped him and refused to let him disturb Grandmaster Zhong casually. Niu Youdao said he'd been wronged and wanted to complain to his master. He insisted they report his arrival. He's already entered Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion. The mountain guards rushed over to report it."

Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion was precisely where Zhong Guzi cultivated in seclusion.

"Nonsense! Elder Zhong is preserving his true essence to prolong his lifespan. How can he be disturbed casually?" Gong Lince was furious. He turned to Yan Li, who had come back wearing an astonished expression. "Complain? What grievance does he have to complain about? He's plainly gone there to lodge a complaint against us! Over a piddling matter like this, he actually doesn't hesitate to disturb his own master's effort to preserve his lifespan. The matter is already over. What kind of shameless game is he playing?"

He walked out while he spoke.

Yan Li hurried after him, mouth hanging open, almost unable to close his jaws. He did not know whether to laugh or cry.

He had known Niu Youdao was not easy to provoke.

And hadn't he guessed right?

They had only just tried to give the man a show of strength, and Niu Youdao had immediately struck back. He was already returning the favor without even letting a single night pass...

At the stairway leading up to Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion, Guan Fangyi paced back and forth.

The moment Niu Youdao had left the council hall, he had marched here looking full of righteous indignation. When she asked what had happened, all he said was that he was going to complain.

Complain?

Complain about what?

She had not even had time to get the story straight. Niu Youdao had come here, raised a fuss, and gone straight inside.

She had no standing to enter and could only wait outside.

A little later, she saw Gong Lince and a group of Zijin Cave's senior figures flying over one after another, every one of them wearing an ugly expression.

She had no idea what had happened...

Inside Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion, the chamber was spacious and empty.

The ancient Zhong Guzi sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.

Niu Youdao knelt opposite him, sitting back on his heels as he recounted everything that had just happened.

A lean-faced, plainly dressed man hurried in from outside. After glancing at Niu Youdao, he knelt beside Zhong Guzi and interrupted the account.

"Grandmaster, the Sect Leader and the others have arrived. They request an audience."

The man's name was Ju An, a disciple of one of Zhong Guzi's disciples.

A battle in earlier years had left Zhong Guzi's lineage withered. The few grand-disciples who remained had stayed by his side, guarding his door and protecting his seclusion.

Zhong Guzi said, "Let them wait."

"Yes."

Ju An rose and left again.

Niu Youdao continued his account.

When he had finished, Zhong Guzi said, "Letting go is also a kind of blessing. It seems you did not take my words to heart. You are already an Elder of Zijin Cave. From now on you will lack neither food nor clothing, and you will not lack cultivation resources either. Would it not be better to let go of the things you should let go?"

Niu Youdao replied, "Master speaks reasonably. I very much want to let go, but will they allow me to? This disciple is already inside the whirlpool. I no longer have the right to let go. Zijin Cave will not allow this disciple to let go either."

Zhong Guzi said, "Before they asked you to take me as your master, the Sect Leader came to me and gave me information about you. One matter in it concerned Lingjian Mountain wanting to marry a female disciple to you. You refused."

Niu Youdao said, "Xiaoyao Palace and Zijin Cave both approached this disciple in the same way. Does Master believe I should have agreed?"

Zhong Guzi slowly closed his eyes.

"Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth. My allotted lifespan has already reached its end. If I tightly preserve my true essence and keep it from dispersing, I may still live another five years. If you keep coming here and tormenting me like this, I fear I won't even endure another three. I won't be able to protect you for long."

As he spoke, he reached for a small bell resting on the ground beside him and gave it a shake.

Jingle, jangle.

[End of Chapter 894]