Chapter 916: Enough Nonsense. Use the Back Door.

Guan Fangyi had no choice but to go receive the guests.

She waited outside the Maolu Annex for a while before finally seeing Yan Li approaching with the three visitors.

"Elder Yan." Guan Fangyi greeted him politely, pretending she had no idea guests were coming.

Yan Li likewise pretended he had never sent word ahead. "Hongniang, tell Elder Niu that honored guests from Tianhuo Sect have arrived to see him."

As Tianhuo Sect disciples based around the Qi capital, they had all seen Hongniang of the Qi capital before, either openly or in passing.

Elder Qian Fucheng in particular had seen Guan Fangyi when she was young. Looking at her now, he could not help feeling a faint wistfulness.

He still remembered the first time he saw her. She had truly seemed like a celestial beauty, enough to make his heart race. But sect rules stood in the way, and he could only suppress whatever thoughts arose.

The woman before him now had faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Her figure had grown somewhat fuller, her face wore heavier powder, the sharpness of youth had softened, and her waist no longer had the same willow-slender grace. Time spared no one, not even cultivators.

Even more striking was the thought that none of them back then could possibly have imagined that this woman would ultimately leave with a young man.

Hongniang of the Qi capital was, for many people, the memory of an entire generation—the memory of peerless beauty in its prime.

But there was no use dwelling on it. Meeting her again now, Qian Fucheng could only offer a mild smile. His heart no longer stirred. The past had passed.

Guan Fangyi looked surprised. "Elder Yan, then your timing really is unfortunate. Master Dao isn't here. He went out."

The visitors all froze.

Yan Li asked, "Not here? Where did he go?"

Guan Fangyi waved her round fan and smiled, showing her teeth. "Now you've really stumped me. I'm only a servant. Wherever Master Dao goes, he doesn't report his movements to me."

The moment she said that, Yan Li understood. Niu Youdao was probably inside, but because Yan Li had warned him in advance, he simply did not want to meet the Tianhuo Sect party.

Still pretending not to know, Yan Li asked, "When will he return?"

Guan Fangyi shook her head. "Master Dao truly didn't say. I have no idea when he'll be back."

"What unfortunate timing. Brother Qian, what do you think?" Yan Li turned and asked with a smile.

Qian Fucheng tilted his head slightly to observe Kunlin Shu's reaction. Seeing him unmoved, he immediately smiled back. "No problem. We'll wait."

Yan Li smiled bitterly. He could hardly leave guests standing outside the gate. Turning to Guan Fangyi, he said, "Hongniang, we can't very well make our guests wait outside, can we?"

"Please." Guan Fangyi turned and extended a hand, inviting the three into a pavilion in the front courtyard, where tea was served.

They waited in the front courtyard with Yan Li keeping them company.

Deep within the inner residence, Niu Youdao ignored the report when it reached him. Let them wait as long as they pleased. He lay beneath the eaves in a reclining chair with a copy of the Zijin Miscellany in his hands. The work was similar to the Shangqing Record of Gleanings. Whenever he had free time, he would leaf through it and read accounts concerning Zijin Cave, as well as records of matters inside and outside the sect written from Zijin Cave's perspective.

After waiting for quite a while, Yan Li grew impatient. He did not have that much time to waste sitting here.

When he saw Wen Mo'er passing not far away, he called to her, made an excuse about having something to handle, and walked over. Once close, he lowered his voice. "Is Elder Niu really not here?"

Wen Mo'er looked troubled. Yan Li understood at once and asked even more quietly, "He's inside, isn't he?"

Wen Mo'er gave the slightest nod.

Yan Li returned to the pavilion and said to Qian Fucheng, "Brother Qian, why don't we come back after Elder Niu returns? No point waiting here for nothing."

Qian Fucheng glanced at Kunlin Shu's reaction again before smiling. "It's fine, it's fine. We'll wait a little longer."

"Brother Qian, I still have a few matters to deal with..."

"Brother Yan, if you have business, please go attend to it. We can wait here ourselves."

After another round of polite back-and-forth, Yan Li excused himself and left first.

But after exiting the Maolu Annex, he did not leave. He circled around to the rear gate, knocked, slipped inside, and headed straight for the inner residence. There beneath the eaves he found Niu Youdao leisurely turning pages. Yan Li snatched the book out of his hands. "What exactly are you playing at?"

Niu Youdao sat up. "Elder Yan, perfect timing. I'll have them bring out some wine and dishes. We can have a proper drink."

Yan Li said, "The people outside—are you seeing them or not? Give me a straight answer. What's the point of making them sit there forever?"

Niu Youdao said, "They show up out of nowhere. What do they want to see me for?"

"They say they want to ask about Xiaoyue Pavilion. You've dealt with Xiaoyue Pavilion more than most."

"Now that's strange. Why should I discuss Xiaoyue Pavilion with them? What exactly does the sect mean by this?"

Yan Li pressed a hand downward, signaling him not to get worked up, and sighed. "Brother, you know as well as I do that every state depends on Qi for warhorses. He came here, and even the Sect Leader had to appear personally to receive him. Besides, they only made a small request. If you don't want to talk, you can brush them off. There is no need to tear relations apart over something so minor. You refuse them face here, then later they make things difficult over Yan's warhorses... It isn't some great affair. There's no need for that, is there?"

Niu Youdao gave a mischievous smile and caught Yan Li by the wrist. "Elder Yan, I'll have them bring good wine and good food. Let's have a proper drink."

"Ah, food and drink can wait. Let's settle the serious matter first."

"Ignore them. Let them wait. Come on."

"Hey, the Sect Leader told me to accompany the guests..."

Nothing he said mattered. Niu Youdao forcibly dragged Yan Li away.

There was one thing Yan Li had to admit: the food and wine on Niu Youdao's side were exceptional. The problem was that after eating and drinking his fill, he reeked of liquor and could hardly return to see Qian Fucheng and the others. He had claimed he had business, only to abandon the guests and run off drinking. What would that look like?

He could only use his cultivation to disperse the alcohol from his body, then wait for the remaining smell on his clothes to fade before circling back to the front courtyard.

Deep in the inner residence, Niu Youdao went about his own business without the slightest delay, while Qian Fucheng and the others kept waiting until nightfall.

In truth, Qian Fucheng's party had also guessed that Niu Youdao might simply be refusing to see them. But Kunlin Shu's attitude remained firm.

They waited from daylight until dark. Yan Li arranged lodging for them, but they refused to leave. They simply kept waiting there, then sat through another whole night until dawn.

Early the next morning, Yan Li used the back door again. Finding Niu Youdao, he tried to persuade him. "Junior Brother, brother, Elder Niu—their attitude should be obvious by now. They look determined not to leave until they see you. This isn't a proper way to treat guests. What harm would it do to show your face and send them on their way?"

Under the morning sun, Niu Youdao dipped his hand into a bucket and flicked droplets of water over a potted Black Peony. "Do you still think they're here to discuss Xiaoyue Pavilion?"

Yan Li frowned. "It is a little strange. If they only wanted to discuss something, there'd be no reason to sit here waiting for you through an entire night without getting agitated. Qian Fucheng is lowering himself rather more than I'd expect."

"They want something from me. They came here to ask me for a favor." Niu Youdao gave his conclusion, shook the water from his hand, and crooked a finger at Guan Fangyi. "Hongniang, show Elder Yan the report that just came in."

Guan Fangyi walked over smiling and handed Yan Li an intelligence report.

Yan Li opened it. It gave the broad outlines of Qian Fucheng's position within Tianhuo Sect, as well as information about Kunlin Shu and Fire Phoenix. Kunlin Shu had emerged after ten years of seclusion and had married Fire Phoenix only a few days earlier.

None of this counted as secret information Tianhuo Sect disciples had to guard. It was not difficult to ask around and learn the relevant circumstances.

After reading it, Yan Li looked up. "What does this tell you?"

Niu Youdao said, "Qian Fucheng isn't even from the same faction as those two inside Tianhuo Sect. Kunlin Shu and Nie Yunshang's master is a man named Pang Zhuo. Qian Fucheng comes out on business and brings two disciples who aren't from his own line? I'm not saying it can't happen, but it doesn't quite fit the usual pattern. And there is something else. Not long after I beat Kunlin Shu half to death all those years ago, he went into seclusion. The moment he emerges, he runs straight here to find me and then sits outside waiting. What does he want? This talk about Xiaoyue Pavilion is obviously a pretext. This trip is clearly about Kunlin Shu, and I'm the one he's coming after."

Yan Li looked thoughtful, then suddenly raised his head. "You kept refusing to see them because you were waiting for information about them?"

"What else could I do?" Niu Youdao said. "They appeared out of nowhere without the slightest warning. I had no clue what this was about. And with you Elders always trying to dig pits for me, of course I had to be careful. I needed to know what was going on before I could decide how to respond."

Yan Li stared wordlessly at the sky and muttered, "You're far too suspicious."

Niu Youdao waved a hand. "Let's go. I want to see what score that fellow came here to settle with me."

At last he was willing to appear. Yan Li breathed a sigh of relief. But after following him for a few steps, he suddenly realized something was wrong and hurriedly grabbed him. "What are you doing?"

Niu Youdao looked puzzled. "Going to see them. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Yan Li pointed in the direction he was heading. "Brother, you're just going to walk straight out from the inner residence like this? If they see you, won't that make it obvious you've been deliberately leaving them to cool their heels?"

"If it's obvious, it's obvious. So what? They came here looking for trouble. Why do I need to be courteous to them?"

Yan Li refused to let go. "Brother Niu, Master Niu, you may not care about face, but I do. If they learn I was helping you fool them, how am I supposed to show my face? At least leave me a fig leaf, will you? Don't make things too awkward for the man responsible for receiving the guests. If I ever go to Tianhuo Sect on business, they'll repay me in kind and make me look like a fool. Go out through the back door. We'll circle around. Just circle around, all right?"

"No. Too much trouble. This is my own home. I have no reason to creep around like a thief."

"Enough nonsense. Use the back door." Yan Li forcibly dragged him toward the rear gate, pulling Niu Youdao into a stagger.

They circled around outside the annex, then entered the courtyard again through the front gate.

The moment Yan Li saw the people in the pavilion, he cupped his hands from a distance and laughed. "My apologies, my apologies. You've all waited far too long. Elder Niu just returned from going out, so I hurried to drag him over for you."

The three people in the pavilion rose. Kunlin Shu stared fixedly at Niu Youdao as he approached at an easy pace, while Fire Phoenix looked from Niu Youdao to her Senior Brother's reaction, afraid he might become agitated.

"Many thanks, Elder Yan." Qian Fucheng stepped out of the pavilion and cupped his hands in thanks. Then he smiled and saluted Niu Youdao as well. "Elder Niu, since our parting at Tiandu Peak, we meet again."

Niu Youdao had only glanced over Kunlin Shu and Fire Phoenix when he first entered. After that, he did not give either of them another direct look, keeping his attention solely on Qian Fucheng. He cupped his hands in return. "I had some business outside and made a few rounds. I returned late and kept Elder Qian waiting."

[End of Chapter 916]