Chapter 918: Poison?

The moment that condition left Niu Youdao's mouth, the outsiders had not even had time to react before the people from Zijin Cave were shocked first.

Yan Li stared at Niu Youdao, his expression twitching violently. He desperately wanted to ask whether Niu Youdao had any idea what he was saying. You aren't some independent cultivator wandering outside anymore. You're a dignified Elder of Zijin Cave. Could you watch what comes out of your mouth? What do you mean, another man's wife is rather pretty, so you want her to serve you as a slave?

Guan Fangyi's expression was wonderfully complicated. She did not know whether she herself had misunderstood Master Dao's words or what, but no matter how she heard them, there was something wicked in the implication, something all too easy to let the imagination run wild with.

Fire Phoenix had been caught completely off guard. Of course, what Niu Youdao said was not what mattered most. What mattered was her Senior Brother's reaction. She stared fixedly at Kunlin Shu.

Kunlin Shu's face had darkened, anger visible in his eyes. The words had plainly enraged him.

Qian Fucheng said in a deep voice, "Elder Niu, that nonsense goes too far. An outsider has no right to demand that a Tianhuo Sect disciple leave Tianhuo Sect."

If their own side had not been in the wrong first, he would have pointed at Niu Youdao's nose and cursed him bloody.

"Too far?" Niu Youdao gave an "Oh," then casually tipped his chin toward Kunlin Shu. "Perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly. If you lose, you leave your wife here. If you win, you can take her away with you. If you don't dare make that wager, it proves you have no confidence you can defeat me. In that case, what's the point of challenging me? Young man, go home."

At those words, Guan Fangyi struggled not to laugh and nearly lost control.

Even Yan Li had to suppress a grin. He had no idea how Niu Youdao had the nerve to adopt such an old man's tone. Weren't you apparently even younger than Kunlin Shu?

If he won, his Junior Sister would not have to remain? The expression on Kunlin Shu's face turned uncertain. This time, he had great confidence that he could defeat Niu Youdao. In other words, if that truly was the wager, he should not be exposing his Junior Sister to any danger. It was merely that staking his Junior Sister in a bet seemed difficult to justify.

Fire Phoenix knew her Senior Brother rather well. From his expression, she vaguely caught the direction of his thoughts and immediately grew nervous. "Senior Brother, let's not fight. Let's go home."

She knew he did care about her. What she feared was that he would lose his head and agree. Regardless of how the contest ended, the moment he agreed, how was she supposed to bear it? If word spread that she had been made the stake in a contest between her own husband and another man, how could she hold up her head?

Niu Youdao was watching Kunlin Shu's reactions closely as well. He tightened the rope one moment and loosened it the next. The instant he sensed his words were about to enrage Kunlin Shu, he relaxed the condition and left him some room to maneuver. He was testing how deeply Kunlin Shu was obsessed with this matter. He was testing his bottom line.

Kunlin Shu looked at his Junior Sister, his expression torn. Suddenly he asked, "Junior Sister, do you believe in me?"

The corner of Niu Youdao's mouth lifted. His smile became faintly strange.

Qian Fucheng immediately cut in. "Absurd! Niu Youdao, if you're going to fight, then fight. If not, forget it."

"Now you make it sound like I'm the one looking for trouble!" Niu Youdao shot him a sidelong glance and gave a cold laugh. Then he continued to Kunlin Shu, "Breaking apart a pair of mandarin ducks really is a bit much. Better to keep good things in pairs. If I'm to consider accepting your challenge, then both husband and wife leave Tianhuo Sect and come serve at my side as slaves. If you win, the two of you go home. If you lose, the two of you stay and honor the promise."

The stakes had just risen again. Before, he had only wanted Fire Phoenix. Now he wanted husband and wife both.

Qian Fucheng said angrily, "Niu Youdao, don't go too far."

Niu Youdao replied, "I'm going too far? You come all the way here looking for trouble and demand to challenge me. A mere Tianhuo Sect disciple comes to challenge me, an Elder of Zijin Cave, and somehow I don't even have the right to set conditions? Which of us is going too far, you or me?"

He turned and shouted to either side, "See the guests out!"

Kunlin Shu opened his mouth as though he still wanted to say something, but he did not know what he could say. More importantly, this was not something he had the authority to decide by himself.

Guan Fangyi stepped forward and extended a hand. "Everyone, please."

"We're leaving!" Qian Fucheng flung out his sleeve and departed with a cold snort. Fire Phoenix seized Kunlin Shu by the arm and dragged him away.

Then Niu Youdao suddenly called after them, "Kunlin Shu, the condition stands. Go back into seclusion for another ten years. When you truly have the confidence to challenge me, it won't be too late to come find me. Let real ability do the talking. Don't come here putting on a show, then go back and tell people I was too afraid to accept your challenge so you can recover your face that way. I've seen plenty of men like you. I don't have time to play these games with you."

His tone was full of disdain.

It sounded as though he were mocking Kunlin Shu for knowingly exploiting the difference in their status: he knew Niu Youdao could not casually accept a challenge from him, yet had deliberately come here to put on a performance anyway, all so he could later say Niu Youdao had been afraid to fight him.

Niu Youdao had all but called him shameless outright. Kunlin Shu, still being pulled along by his Junior Sister, clenched both fists. His steps stopped, and his breathing grew heavy.

"Go!" Qian Fucheng turned back and barked again.

"Senior Brother!" Fire Phoenix's voice was almost pleading. She knew exactly how deeply Niu Youdao's last words would strike him and was terrified he would lose control.

Kunlin Shu's cheeks were taut, his footsteps heavy. In the end, he still allowed his Junior Sister to pull him away.

Yan Li wore a suspicious look. He studied Niu Youdao for a moment, then hurried after Qian Fucheng and the others.

At last things quieted down. The people of the Maolu Annex who had gathered on alert dispersed as well.

In a corner of the courtyard, Shang Shuqing watched uncertainly, not knowing what had just happened to create such a drawn-sword, bent-bow atmosphere.

Only then did Guan Fangyi walk over to Niu Youdao beneath the eaves by the doorway. She asked, "Master Dao, you want to recruit that husband and wife?"

"I don't mind having more people."

"You think they'll agree to your condition?"

"We'll see."

It was not long after they left before Yan Li, having settled Qian Fucheng's party into their lodging, came rushing back. He headed straight into the inner residence and found Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao said he needed to cultivate and told the others to receive Yan Li, but Yan Li refused to let him escape. He stepped forward, caught him by the arm, and demanded, "What game are you playing? If you don't want to accept, then don't. Why all the sinister insinuations? You don't actually want those two as slaves, do you? Are they worth this much trouble?"

"You think I want to fight every random person who comes along and challenges me? I hate all this fighting and killing more than anything... And stop tugging at me. Two grown men clutching each other while they talk—doesn't that disgust you?" Niu Youdao patted Yan Li's hand off his arm, then asked in return, "Elder Yan, don't you find this whole affair a little strange?"

Yan Li said, "It is a little strange... Which part do you mean?"

Niu Youdao said, "Qian Fucheng actually accompanied Kunlin Shu here for this nonsense. And another thing: do you really think Qian Fucheng would dare do this without Tianhuo Sect tacitly allowing it to some degree?"

Yan Li nodded slightly. "Have you figured something out?"

Niu Youdao said, "For Tianhuo Sect, and for Qian Fucheng, to go this far on Kunlin Shu's behalf means there is something about Kunlin Shu that gives them a reason to do it. Put another way, Kunlin Shu has enough weight to influence them."

"Oh..." Yan Li stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Now that you put it that way, there does seem to be something to it."

Niu Youdao asked, "They haven't left, have they?"

"No. The two sects still have some other matters to discuss. For now, they're staying in the guest quarters."

"Are you not curious why Kunlin Shu carries that much weight? Doesn't it interest you?" Niu Youdao made a grasping motion with one hand, as though pulling something in.

Yan Li knew he had plenty of schemes. He glanced around, then lowered his voice. "What do you want to do?"

"Tell the Sect Leader what happened and see whether he is interested. If he is, have the sect cooperate and lend a hand. Help provoke things a little..." Niu Youdao leaned close and whispered in his ear for a while.

Yan Li listened, nodding repeatedly and clicking his tongue now and then. When Niu Youdao finished, he still had some concerns. "There shouldn't be any problem doing that, but have you considered this? If Tianhuo Sect dared let him come challenge you, I suspect that boy did not come with empty hands. If the two of you really fight, can you handle him?"

Niu Youdao said, "He's come onto our territory. Isn't he ours to squeeze however we please? We can tamper with things however we like. Slip him something, drug him, whatever. If we want him to lose, how can he possibly win?"

"Drug him?" Yan Li was shocked, his expression twitching. "Don't you dare do anything reckless. Zijin Cave is, at least, a prestigious orthodox sect, and you are, at least, an Elder of Zijin Cave. If you resort to something that low and it gets exposed, Zijin Cave cannot afford the humiliation."

Niu Youdao said, "Don't worry. It will be done so cleanly that neither gods nor ghosts will know. Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I know. As long as you don't tell anyone, no one will ever know. Senior Brother Yan, I trust you this much. You wouldn't betray me, would you?"

Guan Fangyi watched the two men put their heads together and whisper conspiratorially for a long while, then watched Yan Li hurry away. She almost did not know what to say about him.

She had gradually noticed something. Without realizing it, Yan Li seemed to be drawing closer and closer to Master Dao. He was beginning to show the makings of becoming one of Master Dao's lackeys.

"Master Dao, are you really going to drug Kunlin Shu?" Guan Fangyi asked tentatively.

Niu Youdao replied calmly, "I could deal with him ten years ago. Ten years later, I refuse to believe he's somehow leaped all the way to Heaven. Why would I need to drug him?"

Guan Fangyi did not understand. "Then why say something like that and blacken your own name?"

Niu Youdao said, "A Zijin Cave Elder being defeated by an ordinary Tianhuo Sect disciple would hardly be glorious. If I don't let them believe I am certain to win, they won't put real effort into helping."

Guan Fangyi understood, though she was still somewhat worried. "But Yan Li wasn't wrong either. If Tianhuo Sect dared let him come, they must have some confidence in him. What if he really does defeat you?"

Niu Youdao did not care. "Then I lose. So what? A little face, that's all. Our status and standing are unequal. Some things are decided from the start. I dare kill him here. He does not dare kill me here. At worst, he injures me. Are all our people standing around as decorations? What do I have to worry about?"

Yan Li turned around and sold Niu Youdao out immediately.

He found Gong Lince and revealed Niu Youdao's plan to use the shameless, underhanded tactic of drugging Kunlin Shu to ensure victory. Gong Lince was left thoroughly speechless. But once the matter was explained this way, Kunlin Shu also caught his attention and interest...

Qian Fucheng was in a very poor mood. He was beginning to feel that bringing Kunlin Shu here might have been a mistake. Word that Kunlin Shu had come to Zijin Cave to challenge Niu Youdao seemed to be spreading, and there was no shortage of mockery.

[End of Chapter 918]