Chapter 895: At the Slightest Trouble, I'll Lodge a Complaint

Niu Youdao understood what Zhong Guzi meant.

If he offended everyone around him, there would be difficult days waiting for him once Zhong Guzi was gone.

The bell rang.

Ju An quickly entered from outside.

Zhong Guzi set the bell down. "Invite the other four Supreme Elders here."

"Yes."

Ju An glanced at Niu Youdao once more, then turned and quickly left.

...

Outside, Gong Lince and the others were pacing as they waited.

The moment they saw Ju An emerge, Gong Lince immediately stepped forward.

"How is it?"

Ju An shook his head and said nothing more.

He flashed away through the air.

After waiting a while longer, the group soon saw Zijin Cave's other four Supreme Elders arrive one after another.

They had not come for Gong Lince and the others.

Every one of them went straight into Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion.

The people outside exchanged looks.

A faint tension rose in their hearts.

Why did it feel as though the matter had suddenly become rather serious?

True, they were the people who actually held power in Zijin Cave's present generation.

But those Supreme Elders were either their masters, martial uncles, or senior martial uncles.

The group waited uneasily for a while.

Then the four Supreme Elders emerged again.

Chun Xinliang, Tu Kuai, Zhen Juehuan, and Pei Ping stood atop the steps and stared down at the people gathered below for a time.

None of the four looked pleased.

Their dissatisfaction with Zijin Cave's senior leadership was obvious.

The four then descended the steps.

Tu Kuai left them with one sentence.

"Don't crowd around here and disturb him. I'll trouble all of you to come with us."

The four elders walked away first.

Gong Lince and the others exchanged glances.

There was nothing they could do except obediently follow.

A little later, Niu Youdao emerged from Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion.

He looked over the now-empty surroundings, then smiled and nodded to Ju An, who inclined himself slightly.

After that, Niu Youdao planted one hand on his sword and departed at an unhurried pace.

Ju An went inside briefly.

When he came out again, he closed the door, entered a small side chamber, and sat cross-legged in meditation while keeping watch.

...

As Guan Fangyi left the rear mountain with Niu Youdao, she kept looking back every few steps toward Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion.

Lowering her voice, she said, "Gong Lince and the others looked pretty uneasy just now. What exactly did you complain about?"

"Nothing much. Those fellows were being far too unsubtle..."

Niu Youdao told her about the group pressuring him for the secret liquor formulas.

After hearing it, Guan Fangyi found the whole thing strange.

"You already blocked them. Why did you still come here to complain? Aren't you just offending people? You think they won't hold a grudge afterward?"

Niu Youdao said, "They failed to get a bite with their first snap. You think they'll simply give up? When you're inside a sect like this, they have endless chances to make trouble for you over little rules and details. Since I have someone behind me, why wouldn't I use him?"

Guan Fangyi did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"What kind of backing is this? You're only his disciple because it was convenient. Do you think he doesn't know what's really going on? How could he possibly serve as your backer?"

"I needed an excuse to make contact with him and sound out the old man's situation."

"Oh."

Guan Fangyi understood.

"So that was the real reason. But you've still offended them. Master Dao, you're planning to establish yourself here for the long term. Is it really appropriate to make relations this tense?"

Her face was full of worry.

Niu Youdao said, "Anywhere people gather, perfect harmony is impossible. They have numbers on their side and know the sect rules better than I do. I can't beat them by arguing rules. The more I retreat, the more ground I lose. Fighting for room to survive is the only reasonable course."

Guan Fangyi said, "So your solution is to complain?"

"If there's someone I can complain to, why wouldn't I?" Niu Youdao said. "They had better not provoke me. If I am owed even one copper coin less than I should receive, I'll immediately come here and complain. At the slightest thing wrong, I'll lodge a complaint."

"So long as they don't mind the trouble, neither do I. I don't have the energy to play along with all their petty games and attempts to make life difficult for me. Before repelling threats without, one must first pacify within!"

Wasn't this simply acting shamelessly?

Guan Fangyi was left rather speechless.

Still, she understood his intention.

After he did this a few times, the others would certainly stop trying to hassle him over trivial matters.

It did indeed carry a certain deterrent effect.

...

The senior figures of Zijin Cave followed the four Supreme Elders to Tu Kuai's residence.

The moment everyone entered the courtyard, before they had even settled into place, Tu Kuai turned around and asked, "Tell us. What exactly happened with the secret formulas?"

Gong Lince and the others secretly glanced at one another from the corners of their eyes.

Inside, they were cursing.

Niu Youdao was far too lacking in decency.

They had merely exchanged a few words with him, and the moment he turned around he ran off to complain.

No one had expected this.

Niu Youdao had only just taken a master and only just become an Elder of Zijin Cave. He barely knew Zhong Guzi at all.

Yet he had immediately gone to lodge a complaint.

The man truly was not afraid of offending people.

More importantly, they had not actually obtained his formulas.

They had not torn away all pretense either.

They had merely spoken to him about the matter in a perfectly civil manner.

And he still ran off to complain?

Was there something wrong with him?

Yan Li sighed bitterly to himself.

He had warned everyone.

They had refused to listen and insisted on stirring up trouble for no reason.

He had known all along that Niu Youdao was not an easy man to provoke.

Seeing that no one spoke, Tu Kuai could hardly interrogate everyone at once.

Instead, he pointed directly at his own disciple, Mo Lingxue.

"Master, there really wasn't much to it..."

Mo Lingxue recounted what had happened.

Once she finished, her account matched Niu Youdao's.

That proved Niu Youdao had not lied.

The four Supreme Elders' expressions grew even worse.

Supreme Elder Pei Ping slowly said, "Strictly speaking, the four of us have already withdrawn from active affairs. You are the ones who now govern Zijin Cave. We receive the sect's support and should not interfere casually. But weren't you all a little excessive this time?"

Elder Fu Junrang said, "Senior Martial Uncle Pei, Niu Youdao holds enormous influence over secular power, enough to affect the overall situation outside, and he also controls his own source of wealth. Shouldn't there be some checks on him?"

"Besides, according to sect rules, all property held by disciples of the sect belongs to the sect. He can be granted the right to manage it, and he can even be allowed a greater share of the profits, but the property itself must remain subject to the sect's unified allocation. Otherwise, where are the rules?"

"The sect supports so many disciples. Everyone needs a road to survival. We cannot have some people drowning in riches while others starve to death. If things truly became that way, where would people's loyalty lie? On what foundation could a sect continue to exist?"

Pei Ping said, "I didn't say you were wrong to place checks on him. As the people administering Zijin Cave, so long as you act according to sect rules, how you handle such matters is naturally your decision. We also believe that everything you do is for the good of the sect and for the good of all its disciples."

"But weren't you a little too impatient?"

"The man had only just joined, and you were already this eager to take things from him. Wasn't that a little too ugly?"

"How was he supposed to swallow that resentment?"

Fu Junrang said, "Senior Martial Uncle Pei, we only raised the matter. He already declined tactfully, and we did not force him. He's the one making trouble out of nothing."

Tu Kuai, true to his name, could no longer hold himself back when he heard that.

He snapped, "Who exactly is making trouble out of nothing?"

"All of you know Senior Brother Zhong's condition. He only has a few years left to live. Whatever the circumstances behind his taking this disciple, weren't you all in far too much of a damned hurry?"

"Senior Brother Zhong had only just accepted a disciple with his front foot, and with his back foot you immediately started making trouble for that disciple. You couldn't even endure for a little while. You couldn't even let one night pass."

"Is that how things are done?"

"Do you think Senior Brother Zhong is about to die?"

"You've shown your Senior Martial Uncle no face at all!"

"Whatever the circumstances, those two now bear the formal name of master and disciple. When you behave this way, what is Senior Brother Zhong supposed to think?"

"Think about it yourselves. He refused to see you and summoned the four of us instead. What do you think that means?"

Once he put it this way, everyone exchanged glances.

No one had much to say.

Looked at from that angle, their conduct truly did seem somewhat unreasonable.

Gong Lince, who had been standing to one side without speaking, cupped his hands in embarrassment.

"Senior Martial Uncles, this matter was indeed poorly considered on our part. We recognize our mistake."

The Sect Leader had personally spoken and admitted fault.

The four venerable elders still had to give him some face.

They could hardly press the matter until the Sect Leader himself was unable to step down.

Supreme Elder Chun Xinliang spoke to smooth things over.

"Take it as a warning. In the future, be more cautious when making decisions of this kind. For now, placate Niu Youdao's side somewhat. Consider it giving your Senior Martial Uncle Zhong a little face."

"Your Senior Martial Uncle Zhong has only a few years left. It is not appropriate to burden his mind further."

"All of you will grow old one day as well."

"Yes."

Gong Lince and the others cupped their hands together and accepted the admonition.

Afterward, Gong Lince changed the subject.

He discussed with the venerable elders the matter of sending two Supreme Elders to Shang Chaozong's side to take over responsibility for his safety.

This was no small matter.

It concerned enormous interests belonging to Zijin Cave.

The veteran elders immediately agreed and said they would follow the Sect Leader's arrangements.

With that, the earlier matter was considered settled.

Facing Gong Lince and the others, the older generation could not pursue things too harshly.

A reminder was enough.

Everyone then departed.

They also needed to give Zhong Guzi some face by going to placate Niu Youdao.

Gong Lince tried to bring the entire group with him.

The result was that one after another, everyone found an excuse about urgent business and told someone else to go in their place.

Gong Lince knew perfectly well what was happening.

None of them wanted to lower their heads before Niu Youdao.

They could not get past the loss of face.

There was nothing he could do.

He could not force them.

In the end, he dragged Yan Li along with him to see Niu Youdao.

...

When they arrived at Maolu Annex, host and guests sat down.

After Guan Fangyi served tea, Gong Lince again reminded Niu Youdao, "Elder Niu, Senior Martial Uncle Zhong is at the stage of tightly preserving his lifespan. Unless there is something truly important, don't disturb him in the future. Shortening your master's remaining lifespan is not something a disciple should do."

Niu Youdao nodded. "If only everyone thought the way Sect Leader does. I had almost begun to think certain people wanted to anger the old man to death."

Yan Li smiled bitterly.

"Enough, brother. The matter is over. Let's not bring it up again. You're not such a petty man, are you?"

Niu Youdao's eyes widened.

"Don't. I really am not some magnanimous man."

"I might as well make myself perfectly clear. I don't want to cause trouble, but I don't intend to let people bully me either. If anyone deliberately comes looking for trouble, then even if the matter is no bigger than a sesame seed, I will immediately run to Master and ask him to uphold justice for me."

"Some people are apparently eager for the old man to die early. I have to make sure he knows what's happening. I can't let him die without ever understanding why."

"If you people have the ability, bind me up as an Elder and gag my mouth too."

"In some people's eyes, sect rules don't mean shit anyway. You might as well directly assassinate the disciple of a Supreme Elder!"

Good heavens.

Gong Lince and Yan Li were both rendered speechless.

The man was truly playing the shameless rogue now.

Where was the bearing of a dignified Elder of Zijin Cave?

Did he really have to throw away this much face?

Guan Fangyi, standing nearby, raised her head and looked at the sky.

After offering him some placating words, Gong Lince and Yan Li left.

Gong Lince was somewhat depressed.

He suspected he had made a serious mistake.

Walking with his hands clasped behind his back, he sighed to Yan Li beside him.

"We really brought this on ourselves. Of all the people we could have chosen as that bastard's master, why did we insist on Senior Martial Uncle Zhong?"

Yan Li blinked.

"Sect Leader, with that fellow, do you really think choosing someone other than Senior Martial Uncle Zhong would have meant no trouble?"

"Believe me. If we'd chosen some other senior martial uncle, he would still have found some other way to stir something up."

"..."

Gong Lince frowned in silence.

He was starting to regret the decision.

He no longer knew whether allowing Niu Youdao to join Zijin Cave had been right or wrong.

The man had barely arrived and had already started making trouble.

But it was too late to regret that now.

Niu Youdao was already an Elder of Zijin Cave.

...

Outside Maolu Annex, after watching the guests leave, Niu Youdao turned and instructed, "Red Lady, send word to Peng Youzai of Tianyu Sect and Huang Lie of Dachan Mountain. Tell them to come see me!"

[End of Chapter 895]