Chapter 928: Money in One Hand, Goods in the Other

Mo Lingxue looked skeptical. "A little desire of the palate is enough to keep you thinking about it like this?"

Yan Li said, "Senior Sister, how am I supposed to explain it? Just go taste it when you get the chance and you'll understand. The food those monks make really is extraordinary. And the atmosphere too—the way that group of monks serves the dishes. In short, the food is good and the atmosphere is good."

Mo Lingxue said, "If it's really as good as you say, wouldn't that make it another road to wealth?"

Yan Li replied, "I thought the same thing at first, and I asked Niu Youdao exactly that. But what he said made sense. Liquor can be brewed in one place, stored, and sold elsewhere. Cooked food can't be preserved for long. If you open restaurants everywhere, too many people become involved and there's no way to keep the recipes secret, so you can't maintain exclusive control. It isn't realistic to turn it into a major source of wealth. He also went on about how hard ordinary people's lives already are and how spreading this kind of thing around would only encourage extravagance. A whole pile of reasons."

Mo Lingxue said, "If it can't be spread widely, fine. But since it's something good, surely it could at least be introduced inside Zijin Cave?"

She could not bring herself to lower her pride and go freeload at the Maolu Annex. She was not Yan Li, and unlike him she could hardly wander over there on every pretext and no pretext at all.

Yan Li said, "You don't need to tell me. I had that idea long ago, but he wouldn't agree. It can't become a major source of wealth and there isn't any real interest involved. If we pressured him merely for the sake of food, we wouldn't have much justification. And then if he ran over to Elder Zhong and complained, it wouldn't be worth it. That shameless fellow is absolutely capable of doing such a thing. Disturb Elder Zhong over something as petty as satisfying our appetites, and afterward those Martial Uncles and Martial Seniors over there would curse us until dogs' blood ran down our heads. Whoever wants to ask him can go ask. I certainly won't open my mouth."

Hearing Yan Li praise it so highly, the others had indeed developed much the same thought as Mo Lingxue. But after hearing his explanation, they had to admit that he was right. It was not worth making trouble over mere indulgence of the palate.

Seeing the two of them endlessly discussing food inside the dignified sect council hall without even considering where they were—right in front of the Founding Patriarch's statue—Gong Lince said coldly, "Are you two finished chatting?"

Mo Lingxue and Yan Li stiffened. Coming back to themselves, both inclined their bodies and shut their mouths.

Only then did Gong Lince speak slowly. "Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion has never taken the initiative to associate with the Maolu Annex. Ju An suddenly delivers a basket of fruit there. Just one basket of fruit—nothing significant in itself. Precisely because it was so insignificant, don't you find it strange that Ju An personally made the trip to deliver it? And Niu Youdao immediately returned the courtesy."

With that reminder, everyone's expressions gradually turned solemn. They all realized the deeper significance hidden behind the matter.

Niu Youdao's circumstances had been explained to Elder Zhong in detail back when the sect decided to have Elder Zhong accept him as a disciple. Elder Zhong knew exactly what sort of situation he was dealing with. For that reason, Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion should have maintained an appropriate distance from Niu Youdao.

Yet Ju An's basket of fruit carried an altogether different meaning. It was plainly a gesture of goodwill toward Niu Youdao. Without Elder Zhong's approval, Ju An should never have taken it upon himself to do such a thing.

Everyone dimly realized that Elder Zhong might be preparing to stand behind Niu Youdao.

If that were true, matters became troublesome.

Just now they had said they did not dare disturb Elder Zhong over a little appetite for fear of being cursed. Why were they afraid of being cursed?

Elder Zhong might already be past his prime within Zijin Cave and no longer hold real authority, but if the old man personally stepped forward, who would dare force matters? Especially when he was a veteran elder who had rendered distinguished service to the sect, devoted his entire life to it, possessed the greatest seniority, and was now close to death. Unless the matter was truly enormous, who would refuse him face?

Even the other veteran Elders had to show respect to a man on the verge of death, because one day they too would reach that point, and that day was not so distant.

This had nothing to do with cultivation strength. Their own generation might now hold power, but once the old man emerged and involved himself in affairs, he could make matters very difficult for many people, even for the Sect Leader.

Zhong Guzi could point at Gong Lince and lecture him. Would Gong Lince dare talk back? Zhong Guzi could curse Gong Lince, and at most Gong Lince could offer a few mild explanations. Would he dare answer in an excessive tone? If Elder Zhong became upset, whether he had reason on his side or not would cease to matter; Gong Lince would be the one at fault. If the old man were shameless enough to simply lie down on the floor, the affair would become enormous.

Once a man like this truly lost his temper and decided to drag some Elder down from his position, finding a fault to use would not be difficult.

Of course, under ordinary circumstances something like that would never happen, so long as no one forced him too far.

Yan Li suddenly asked softly, "Could Martial Uncle Zhong think well of Niu Youdao and be planning some sort of... final entrustment?"

This touched on old affairs and hidden circumstances involving struggles within the sect from years ago. Those matters had long passed, and there was little meaning in reopening them now.

Anyone who ultimately reached the position of veteran elder had naturally once been an Elder of the sect and had possessed a faction of his own to some degree. Something unexpected had happened along the way, and it had coincided with the transition between generations. Under sect rules, Zhong Guzi had to relinquish authority when he became a Supreme Elder. Afterward, he no longer had the opportunity or time to rebuild his own faction, which was how this break in succession had arisen. Everyone understood that much.

Mo Lingxue muttered with some dissatisfaction, "Niu Youdao may have some power outside, but inside the sect, we're still the ones who decide things. Even if Elder Zhong wants to entrust them to him, Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion only has that handful of people. There aren't any true elites among them who could be placed on the stage. Niu Youdao can't simply raise the people of Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion into positions of power."

How had things come to this? Gong Lince frowned, feeling a trace of regret. Why had they ever arranged for Niu Youdao to take Zhong Guzi as his master?

"Don't jump to conclusions about this. Observe for now." Gong Lince cautioned everyone.

...

At Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion, Ju An ordinarily did not come and go casually. His visits followed set times.

When the appointed time arrived, Ju An entered once more. Kneeling before Zhong Guzi, who sat cross-legged in meditation, he said softly, "Grandmaster, this disciple gave Martial Uncle Niu a basket of fruit. Afterward, Martial Uncle Niu personally sent a banquet over for us disciples to taste. He also told us that from now on, anyone from Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion who wants a meal may go to the Maolu Annex and freeload at any time. He further said that if anyone from Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion encounters trouble in the future, we may tell him. Also, the food and wine Martial Uncle Niu sent really did taste excellent."

Zhong Guzi slowly opened his eyes. His gaze suddenly deepened as he stared closely at Ju An's expression. "When you delivered the things, you didn't say anything you shouldn't have, did you?"

Ju An answered, "I only delivered the fruit. Beyond the fruit itself, I said not one word."

In his weathered voice, Zhong Guzi said, "No wonder he reached where he is at such a young age. He's an intelligent man. He shouldn't fall easily." With that, he closed his eyes again.

Ju An asked respectfully, "Does Grandmaster have any further instructions?"

Zhong Guzi sat motionless like a statue and gave no further sound.

Ju An understood. He kowtowed once, rose, and quietly withdrew.

...

Although they estimated that Niu Youdao would not easily surrender the right to decide Kunlin Shu and his wife's fate, the matter still had to be discussed with him. At the very least, they needed to see Niu Youdao's attitude before deciding what to do next.

The whole group could hardly rush over together again and surround Niu Youdao to "reason" with him. They had tried that once before. He felt bullied and immediately ran to Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion to complain.

Yan Li did not want to be the one to approach Niu Youdao about this either. How easy could it be to snatch food from a little fox's mouth? It was also an excellent way to offend him. Yan Li had never believed Niu Youdao was easy to provoke. More to the point, the man was plainly not easy to provoke, and Yan Li could not understand why everyone kept wanting to needle him.

He remembered reminding the Sect Leader that a man like Niu Youdao still had a bottom line in how he did things. He would not create chaos without reason, and it was possible to get along with him. But now things had reversed. Instead, it was the sect that kept getting restless around Niu Youdao. Whatever grievances everyone had held before, they now seemed remarkably united against an outsider—and Niu Youdao was that "outsider." Everyone looked at him as though he were a piece of fat meat.

Of course, Yan Li understood it too. In the face of profit, everyone was tempted. Everyone wanted to reach in and take a share.

But there was nothing he could do. He did not want to come, yet everyone had recommended him for the task. Other than Yan Li himself, not one person had objected. They all thought he was the most suitable person to speak with Niu Youdao.

Inside a pavilion, Niu Youdao and Yan Li sat opposite one another drinking tea. After hearing him out, Niu Youdao held his teacup and asked, "That's it?"

Yan Li grinned and sounded him out. "Junior Brother, do you have any objections?"

Smack!

Niu Youdao slapped the teacup down onto the table, startling Yan Li into leaning back slightly. Niu Youdao's face, however, remained completely calm. "What sort of objection do you think I should have?"

Yan Li sighed. "It's really for your own good too. Think about it. It isn't good for you to stand alone against Tianhuo Sect. Hand the people over to the sect to handle. Then the sect bears the matter, you have no pressure, and you don't have to offend Tianhuo Sect yourself. Isn't that better?"

Niu Youdao asked, "What benefit is the sect planning to exchange that married couple for?"

Yan Li said, "We haven't received Tianhuo Sect's reaction yet, so nothing can be said for certain. It depends on the situation."

Niu Youdao said, "But I trust the sect will use the opportunity to rake in a substantial haul."

Yan Li chuckled. "If it were you, would you let an opportunity this good pass?"

Niu Youdao raised two fingers. "There are no outsiders here, so I'll say it plainly. No matter how much benefit you obtain, I only want twenty percent. That's not excessive, is it?"

Delight appeared on Yan Li's face. If Niu Youdao was willing to yield, that was enough. "So Junior Brother agrees to hand them over to the sect for disposal?"

Niu Youdao said, "If I swallowed everything myself, would all of you let it go? So long as my twenty percent isn't short by a single bit, the people can be handed over to you to dispose of."

The fact that he agreed so readily made vigilance rise in Yan Li's heart. "Then it's settled?"

Niu Youdao replied, "Settled is settled, but I have another condition."

If Niu Youdao had agreed too easily, Yan Li would actually have felt uneasy. He had experienced Niu's methods far too many times not to guard against them. Hearing there was another condition instead made him relax slightly. Otherwise, it would have felt abnormal.

"Let's hear it first." Yan Li leaned forward, looking like he was listening with complete attention.

Niu Youdao said, "I must be present during the negotiations."

Yan Li instinctively grew wary. "If the sect is the one handling matters, does it make any difference whether you're present? After all, you're the one who detained that husband and wife. Wouldn't it be less awkward if you avoided meeting Tianhuo Sect's people?"

Niu Youdao slapped the table. "What kind of joke is that? If I'm not there, how am I supposed to know how much benefit you obtained? Otherwise, when the time comes, isn't my twenty percent whatever amount you feel like telling me it is? Tianhuo Sect will have suffered the loss. They certainly won't go around publicizing it."

Yan Li did not know whether to laugh or cry. "You're far too suspicious. Fine, fine. I'll report this back to the sect."

Niu Youdao said, "One more thing. Until negotiations are complete, the people must remain with me."

Yan Li stared. "Didn't you just say you'd hand them over to the sect to dispose of?"

Niu Youdao said, "If they stay with me, aren't they still inside the sect? Besides, if I hand them over to you now and you later refuse to acknowledge our deal, what am I supposed to do? You can't possibly hand them rashly to Tianhuo Sect before a deal is reached either. I'll hold the people for now. You and Tianhuo Sect exchange money in one hand and goods in the other; I do the same with you. Everyone can rest easy."

Yan Li grew wary again. "You're not planning to play some trick, are you?"

Niu Youdao said, "Am I that sort of person? Senior Brother Yan, just what kind of man have I become in your eyes?"

[End of Chapter 928]