Chapter 909: Where Is Niu Youdao Now?

"What?" Kunlin Shu was deeply surprised. He had cut himself off from worldly distractions and spent ten years in seclusion, knowing nothing of affairs beyond the Lightless Cave. Yet an entire State of Zhao had simply ceased to exist. He still found it difficult to believe. "It was perfectly fine. How did it fall?"

"Xiaoyue Pavilion rebelled," Pang Zhuo cut in, shooting Fire Phoenix a meaningful look at the same time.

Fire Phoenix glanced at him after being interrupted. The moment she caught her master's look, her heart skipped a beat and she suddenly understood what he meant.

There was one person who could not be avoided when speaking of Zhao's destruction: Niu Youdao.

And why had her Senior Brother entered seclusion in the first place? Also because of Niu Youdao. He had shut himself away and cultivated bitterly, very likely with the intention of washing away his old disgrace once he emerged.

It was true that her Senior Brother had mastered the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art, but Niu Youdao was no longer the Niu Youdao of ten years ago either. Never mind the power now in his hands; he had already become an Elder of Zijin Cave in the State of Yan. His rise had been astonishingly fast. If Kunlin Shu went to settle accounts with him now, it would inevitably cause serious trouble. Did he think Zijin Cave was made of mud, that he could simply storm its gates as he pleased?

It truly was not a good time to stir up her Senior Brother's thoughts of Niu Youdao. It would be best if what happened back then could simply be left in the past.

Kunlin Shu asked in astonishment, "Xiaoyue Pavilion was an assassin organization that couldn't show its face in daylight. It could destroy the State of Zhao?"

"Xiaoyue Pavilion was formed from remnants of the State of Qin, which was destroyed three hundred years ago," Pang Zhuo said. "They had been plotting for a long time. They incited rebellion within Zhao, then joined forces with Yan and divided Zhao between them. The territory that fell to Xiaoyue Pavilion has now become the State of Qin! That's the whole story. It has nothing to do with us, and there is no use dwelling on it. You should think more about your own situation."

With that, he temporarily steered the conversation away from Niu Youdao. Fire Phoenix understood perfectly and kept quiet.

Kunlin Shu nodded silently. He had never expected such an enormous upheaval to occur during his years of seclusion. The State of Zhao was simply gone. It was difficult not to sigh at the impermanence of it all.

After mulling it over, he asked, "Master said Misty Pavilion had issued an instruction to the various sects. What was it?"

"Misty Pavilion ordered every major sect represented there to send three elite disciples to Sacred Realm!"

"To Sacred Realm?" Kunlin Shu was startled again.

What sort of place was Sacred Realm? A place worthy of that name was naturally no ordinary land. It was not only one of the secret realms left behind by Shang Song of the Wu Dynasty, but also where the nine supreme experts beneath Heaven now resided. More importantly, it contained a forbidden object, something capable of helping cultivators break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Outsiders were ordinarily forbidden from entering. One could even say that the reason the nine supreme experts beneath Heaven lived inside Sacred Realm was to personally guard that forbidden object.

Sacred Realm had long been controlled by the Nine Saints. Why would they allow outsiders inside?

Kunlin Shu could not help asking, "Why are the sects being told to send elite disciples there?"

Pang Zhuo shook his head. "Misty Pavilion reportedly gave no clear explanation, so no one knows exactly what they're meant to do. Misty Pavilion only said it was an opportunity for disciples of the various sects to temper themselves. The time is set for half a year from now. The sect is currently considering whom to send."

"Temper themselves?" Kunlin Shu frowned. "Master means this matter may involve me?"

"The sect itself is hesitating and worried about it," Pang Zhuo said. "There are only the three of us here, master and disciples, with no outsiders present, so I may as well speak plainly. Every cultivator beneath Heaven knows how Misty Pavilion treats the cultivation world. They are forever finding new ways to weaken everyone so they can control and rule them more easily. An opportunity to temper themselves? What sort of good end can the people sent to undergo that tempering expect? Anyone would have misgivings."

He sighed again. "Linshu, you emerged from seclusion at a bad time. It would have been better if you had stayed inside another year or so."

Given everything his master had already said, Kunlin Shu understood. Precisely because those sent might meet no good end, the sect might very well choose him as one of the people going to Sacred Realm.

Fire Phoenix grew anxious. "Master, if that's really the case, won't Senior Brother be in danger?"

Pang Zhuo waved a hand. "It's too late to say anything now. This is beyond our control. We can only wait and see what the sect ultimately decides. Since no decision has been made, even if I went to the higher-ups now, I would have no grounds to say anything. Don't panic yet. This is only my suspicion. Perhaps I'm overthinking it... Yunshang, go outside for a while. I have something to discuss with your Senior Brother alone."

Fire Phoenix hesitated, wanting to speak, but when she saw Kunlin Shu nod to her as well, she could only acknowledge the instruction and leave.

Once only master and disciple remained, Kunlin Shu asked, "Master, what is it that cannot be said in front of Junior Sister?"

"Your marriage! Yunshang has waited for you for ten full years. What do you intend to do?"

Kunlin Shu lowered his head. "I have wronged Junior Sister. If she does not despise me and is still willing to marry me, I am willing to take her as my wife."

Pang Zhuo grew slightly angry. "She has spent all these years waiting for you. If you don't marry her, who will? If you refuse to marry her, if you dare wrong her, I will be the first to object! But circumstances have changed now. I don't want you to ruin her life. To put it plainly, I don't want her to become a widow!"

Kunlin Shu understood his meaning. "Master wants us to wait until this unresolved matter has passed?"

Pang Zhuo nodded. "That's what I think. But she herself has probably been looking forward to this marriage all along. She waited ten years for you. Now that she has finally waited until you came out, if you never mention the matter at all, I'm afraid you'll hurt her. What I mean is that you should speak to her yourself. Find some reason and postpone the marriage for another year. If everything passes smoothly, it will not be too late to marry her then. If this calamity cannot be avoided and you disappear, then let her seek another good match. Don't ruin her life. I'm not being heartless as your master. If you ask why things came to this point, you brought it on yourself. You delayed her and harmed yourself; you have no one else to blame. If you're bent on courting death, don't drag her down with you!"

Kunlin Shu nodded silently. "This disciple understands Master's painstaking concern."

"Ah!" Pang Zhuo sighed. "You've only just emerged. Rest properly first. As for everything else, I'll keep my ears open and see what I can learn."

Master and disciple left the quiet chamber, and Kunlin Shu cupped his hands before taking his leave.

Not long after he departed, Fire Phoenix returned and asked Pang Zhuo, "Master, the war between Yan and Zhao caused such an enormous commotion that everyone knows about it. Senior Brother only has to ask anyone and he'll find out. I'm afraid we can't keep Niu Youdao's part in it from him."

That gave Pang Zhuo a headache as well. She was right; there was no hiding it. In the end, he could only sigh. "Hide it for as long as we can. Hopefully, after all these years, he has learned to let it go. In any case, don't be the one to steer his thoughts toward Niu Youdao."

"Mm." Fire Phoenix nodded and left, impatient to find her Senior Brother again.

What she did not expect was that the moment she hurried into his room, Kunlin Shu, who had been standing with his hands behind his back before the portrait of the Founding Patriarch, turned and asked, "Junior Sister, where is Niu Youdao now? Is he still in Qingshan Commandery of Yan?"

Fire Phoenix was left speechless. Her Senior Brother had only just emerged, and after everything their master had said, none of it had stopped him from thinking of Niu Youdao. His obsession was obvious.

She forced an awkward smile. "Senior Brother, so many years have passed. Let it go."

Kunlin Shu smiled. "What, are you afraid I'll lose to him again?"

Fire Phoenix stepped forward and caught his arm. "Senior Brother, you've already mastered the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art. How could you possibly be no match for him? He certainly isn't your opponent now. Since the outcome is already obvious, why keep pressing him and refuse to let the matter go? Just consider yourself magnanimous and spare him."

"During these ten years, I reflected on myself many times," Kunlin Shu said. "What happened back then truly was my fault. I should not have acted on impulse and gone looking for trouble with him. Even if I can defeat him this time, I will not injure him. I won't use my strength to hound him without mercy. But I must fight him once more!"

He turned back toward the portrait of the Founding Patriarch and stared at it. "Not for myself. To atone! What happened back then brought shame upon Tianhuo Sect, and I must personally wash away that humiliation. Of course, it is also for myself. The past needs an ending. I don't want people pointing at my back and bringing up that old matter wherever I go. Junior Sister, you don't want me to spend the rest of my life unable to hold my head high because of it either, do you?"

Fire Phoenix finally understood. Ten years of tempering had stripped away much of her Senior Brother's old arrogance and made him considerably more modest, but some things in his bones, traits of his innate character, still could not be changed.

Her voice was almost pleading. "Senior Brother, let it go. With what you've achieved today, even the supreme secret art that Sect Leader and the others could not master failed to stop you. Who would still dare point fingers behind your back? Senior Brother, there truly is no need to keep dwelling on this."

Kunlin Shu slowly turned to look at her again. Because he knew her so well, he sensed that something was wrong.

He keenly caught the implication in her behavior. It was almost as though even mastering the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art would not be enough to wash away that humiliation. Suspicion entered his eyes. "I merely asked where Niu Youdao is. You can't even tell me that? Junior Sister, are you afraid I'll be harmed?"

"Since it's already in the past, why keep chasing after it?"

Kunlin Shu brushed aside the hand gripping him, stepped around her, and headed straight outside. "Other people should know where Niu Youdao is!"

Fire Phoenix panicked. She hurried after him and caught his sleeve. "Senior Brother, don't ask. Even if you find him, it won't do any good. You'll only make things difficult for yourself."

Kunlin Shu's jaw tightened slightly. He stood rigidly in place. "In other words, Niu Youdao is also no longer what he once was. You know that clearly, and you're certain that even after mastering the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art, I still could not possibly defeat him. Is that it?"

Fire Phoenix shook her head. "Senior Brother, don't misunderstand. That's not it. He definitely isn't your opponent. It's only that his present identity and standing are extraordinary. Senior Brother, you..." She did not know how to put it, but seeing how stubborn he was being, she could no longer avoid saying it. At last she forced out the words. "Even if you find him, you no longer have the standing to challenge him."

Kunlin Shu turned his head, astonished. "What do you mean? No matter how extraordinary his status is now, can it possibly exceed that of the three major sects of the various states? Or has he become one of Misty Pavilion's people?"

Fire Phoenix laid it out plainly. "He became the disciple of Zhong Guzi, Zijin Cave's senior-most Supreme Elder in Yan. He now holds a seat as an Elder of Zijin Cave. His present identity is that of a Zijin Cave Elder. With his status now, how could he possibly accept your challenge?"

She could hardly have made it clearer. Their status and standing were no longer equal.

Kunlin Shu was dumbstruck on the spot. That fellow had become an Elder of Zijin Cave, an institution that stood on equal footing with Tianhuo Sect?

After staring blankly for a long moment, he finally stammered, "H-how is that possible? How old is he? He should only be a little over thirty now. Even if he became the disciple of Zijin Cave's Supreme Elder, how could he possibly become a Zijin Cave Elder? Surely a position as an Elder of the mighty Zijin Cave isn't something handed out so casually?"

[End of Chapter 909]