Chapter 930: Participating in the Negotiation

Ignoring Qian Fucheng kneeling before him, Yuwen Yan swept a cold gaze across the others and pointed around the hall. "All of you! Was he the only one at fault? Back then I refused to allow it. Who was it that stood here talking over one another and pushing the matter forward? Do none of you understand the selfish motives in your own hearts?"

For a Sect Leader to rebuke every Elder like this, especially by directly accusing them all of selfish motives, was extremely rare. It showed just how angry he was.

The hall fell silent at once. No one spoke. In truth, none of them had any reasonable defense.

Yuwen Yan held out a hand for the letter, then flung it straight into the face of the kneeling Qian Fucheng. "Explain this. What does it mean?"

Qian Fucheng picked the letter up from the floor, read its contents, and looked up. "Sect Leader, who sent this? Was it Niu Youdao?"

Yuwen Yan said, "If I knew, would I still need to ask you?"

Qian Fucheng said, "This should have something to do with the Zijin Cave side. I know nothing about the letter, and I can't explain exactly what happened."

He might as well have said nothing.

"Nonsense!" Yuwen Yan rebuked him. His gaze dropped onto the man kneeling below. "Tell me yourself. How should the sect deal with you?"

Qian Fucheng's attitude was proper enough. "I submit to whatever punishment the sect imposes, willingly and without the slightest complaint!" He knew he could not escape this. After something of this magnitude, no one could save him by speaking on his behalf.

Yuwen Yan did not stand on ceremony. "From this moment on, you are stripped of your position as Elder and demoted to a mountain-patrol disciple!"

He had been knocked all the way to the bottom.

Qian Fucheng accepted it. No one spoke for him either. The matter was too serious, and even Qian Fucheng himself had admitted guilt. There was no way to defend him.

At this point, however, dealing with Qian Fucheng was secondary. Far more important was deciding how to resolve what had happened. Tianhuo Sect could not simply let Kunlin Shu fall into Zijin Cave's hands and pretend nothing had occurred.

The group formally discussed the situation. Soon afterward, they rapidly assembled personnel and decided to leave for Zijin Cave immediately to settle the matter.

They were genuinely afraid that if things dragged on too long, Kunlin Shu might fail to guard his tongue and leak the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art.

An ordinary representative would not suffice for something like this. Sect Leader Yuwen Yan personally took charge and led a group straight to Zijin Cave at once.

Qian Fucheng, after traveling back and forth without rest, had to make yet another trip to Zijin Cave. There was no choice. He understood the exact course of events and the situation at the scene better than anyone. Tianhuo Sect needed someone who knew what had happened to accompany them; they could not simply let Zijin Cave say whatever it pleased.

Although Qian Fucheng had been stripped of everything inside the sect, nothing was shown publicly during this journey. Until the matter was resolved, Tianhuo Sect did not want Zijin Cave laughing at them. For the time being, Qian Fucheng's Elder insignia and outward attire remained unchanged.

Several large flying mounts carried the group into the sky...

Tianhuo Sect arrived quickly, exactly as Zijin Cave had expected. Zijin Cave had prepared long ago. They were not afraid Tianhuo Sect would come; they were afraid Tianhuo Sect might not value Kunlin Shu enough to come at all. They had been waiting for precisely this.

As soon as the visitors arrived, Zijin Cave immediately sent someone to the Maolu Annex to summon Niu Youdao.

Zijin Cave had agreed to Niu Youdao's conditions. So long as the hostages were handed over for the sect to deal with, he would receive twenty percent of whatever benefits were obtained, and he would also be allowed to participate in and witness the negotiations, so that fellow could not keep judging gentlemen by his own petty-minded standards.

The moment Niu Youdao received the message, he immediately summoned Guan Fangyi and gave her a series of secret instructions, telling her how to cooperate with what came next.

Once he had explained everything clearly, Niu Youdao hurried away. Guan Fangyi watched him go and stood there blankly for quite some time before murmuring, "He's still so young. Where did he learn to be this crafty and old..."

Only now did she understand what Niu Youdao's earlier arrangements had actually been for...

The Tianhuo Sect delegation had been lodged in the quarters reserved for honored guests. After all, the Sect Leader of Tianhuo Sect had personally come.

Outside the courtyard, Yan Li paced back and forth. He had been waiting for Niu Youdao for some time. The moment Niu appeared, Yan Li hurried over. "What took you so long? Why are you only getting here now?"

Niu Youdao said, "What's the rush?"

"Yuwen Yan went straight to the point as soon as he arrived. Sect Leader Senior Brother has been stalling over there this whole time just to wait for you."

"I'm here now, aren't I? Let's go."

Niu Youdao had only taken one step when Yan Li caught him by the arm and pointed behind him. "Where are the people?"

Niu Youdao looked puzzled. "People? What people?"

Yan Li nearly jumped. "Elder Niu, don't joke with me. Why are you pretending to be confused? Kunlin Shu and his wife! Where are they? The negotiations have already started. Why didn't you bring them? We agreed that the sect would handle the two of them. You're not planning to play some trick again, are you? I'm warning you, you don't get to renege on something you've already agreed to. Even if you complain all the way to Senior Uncle Zhong, it won't help."

"What damned trick?" Niu Youdao said. "What is wrong with you? Why do you always assume the worst of people? The negotiations aren't even settled. Why would I bring them over? What if Tianhuo Sect sees them and suddenly tries to kill them?"

So that was what he was worried about. Yan Li groaned. "You're thinking far too much. What place is this? This isn't Tianhuo Sect. This is Zijin Cave. They aren't going to run wild here casually."

"There's never anything wrong with being careful. Don't worry. I keep my word. We agreed on money in one hand and goods in the other. Even if I wanted to renege, I couldn't, and I won't. I'm more worried that you people will refuse to honor the deal."

The two bickered as they entered the courtyard.

Inside, a covered corridor ran through the courtyard. Long benches with railings lined both sides, with a passageway between them. The people from Tianhuo Sect sat along one side, facing the people from Zijin Cave on the other.

Zijin Cave's attitude was fairly cordial. Sect Leader Gong Lince in particular wore a smile as he recounted the sequence of events.

The Tianhuo Sect party, however, sat expressionless. They had no interest in Gong Lince's delaying nonsense and were merely listening because they had to. Niu Youdao's appearance drew their attention instead, and one after another they turned their heads toward him.

Quite a few among Tianhuo Sect's senior leadership knew Niu Youdao by sight. Yuwen Yan had seen him as well. Back when Niu Youdao emerged from the Tiandu Secret Realm and caused such a conspicuous stir at Tiangu, it would have been difficult not to notice him.

Although they already understood what had happened, seeing Niu Youdao himself still made it hard to believe. This man had actually defeated Kunlin Shu after Kunlin Shu mastered the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art?

Even more eye-catching was the Zijin Cave Elder's attire Niu Youdao now wore. They knew he had become a Zijin Cave Elder, yet they still could not help looking him over.

Niu Youdao walked over and sat directly on Zijin Cave's bench. He now possessed the standing to sit as an equal with Zijin Cave's Elders. But seated in a row with that group of old men, his youth became all the more obvious, making him stand out even more.

Niu Youdao noticed the Tianhuo Sect people examining him. Almost unconsciously, he glanced down at himself, then reached back and adjusted the insignia hanging from his belt that represented his status as a Zijin Cave Elder, deliberately straightening it where the people opposite could see it clearly.

Was that smugness or pure showing off? Several people on Zijin Cave's side who noticed the gesture tightened their cheeks. Someone silently cursed him for having no shame.

Yan Li went around to the outside of the corridor and came up behind Gong Lince. Leaning across the railing, he whispered into Gong Lince's ear and explained why Niu Youdao had not brought the captives.

Gong Lince nodded slightly to show he understood, then continued talking to the visitors.

Yan Li returned to the corridor and sat beside Niu Youdao. Seeing him behaving himself, he finally relaxed.

After Gong Lince's stream of talk paused and then started up again, Yuwen Yan seemed to lose patience with listening. He spoke. "Brother Gong, I've already heard the broad course of events. There is no need to trouble Brother Gong to keep wasting words. Since I have come personally and have already offered an apology, I hope Brother Gong will give me this face and allow me to take the people back."

"Ah!" Gong Lince sighed. "Brother Yuwen, of course I'm willing to give you that face. But you can't expect me to have no face at all, can you? Your Tianhuo Sect disciple went rather too far. A mere junior disciple dared come all the way to Zijin Cave and challenge one of our Elders. If he won, Zijin Cave would lose all face. If he lost, nothing would happen to him. Is there such a good bargain anywhere beneath Heaven? If I let him off that easily, how am I supposed to answer to all the disciples of my sect?"

The issue infuriated Yuwen Yan. Back then he had opposed allowing Kunlin Shu to make this challenge. The Elders had repeatedly guaranteed that if Niu Youdao accepted, then they would fight; if he refused, Kunlin Shu would not cause trouble. In the end, those guarantees had proved no better than farts. Trouble had still been made.

Tianhuo Sect had been unreasonable first. They could not win an argument on principle, and Tianhuo Sect was not powerful enough to ignore reason when dealing with Zijin Cave. Especially not with a shopkeeper from All-Under-Heaven Money House serving as witness.

Yuwen Yan said, "I've said every pleasant word I can say, but from Brother Gong's meaning, it seems you have no intention of letting this matter end peacefully. If so, there's no point circling around it. Whatever you want, say it plainly."

Gong Lince waved a hand. "Brother Yuwen, that's too serious. It isn't that we refuse to settle things peacefully. Your Tianhuo Sect disciple was the one who came with hostile intent. Turn the situation around. If a disciple of Zijin Cave ran to Tianhuo Sect and caused this kind of trouble, would you people simply let him go?"

Yuwen Yan said, "We were in the wrong in this matter, but even killing a man only ends with his head on the ground. Among all the great sects, this is the first time I've ever heard of holding another sect's disciples as slaves. Isn't this going somewhat too far?"

Gong Lince said, "Brother Yuwen, that isn't quite right either. If Kunlin Shu and his wife were still Tianhuo Sect disciples, Zijin Cave would absolutely never do something that humiliated Tianhuo Sect disciples this way. Whoever dared do such a thing, I would be the first to refuse to let him off! The problem is that before Kunlin Shu challenged Elder Niu, he willingly signed a wager. Once he lost the challenge, it meant husband and wife voluntarily severed themselves from Tianhuo Sect. They were no longer Tianhuo Sect disciples. They became Elder Niu's servants.

"If Kunlin Shu alone had done something like that, I could have dismissed it as a junior behaving foolishly, and the wager might not count. But your Tianhuo Sect's Elder Qian personally guaranteed the wager on behalf of Tianhuo Sect. Surely when a Tianhuo Sect Elder goes out to act on behalf of the sect, that representation isn't false? And a person from All-Under-Heaven Money House personally witnessed the entire matter as the neutral intermediary. Kunlin Shu and his wife are no longer disciples of Tianhuo Sect. To say that Zijin Cave is detaining Tianhuo Sect disciples is therefore something of an exaggeration.

"Of course, if Brother Yuwen believes there was some problem with the All-Under-Heaven Money House intermediary, you are entirely free to bring a complaint to Misty Pavilion and ask Misty Pavilion to investigate the matter thoroughly and uphold justice. With Misty Pavilion's capabilities, finding out exactly what happened will not be difficult. They will certainly be able to clear up Brother Yuwen's doubts."

Yuwen Yan said, "There's little meaning in piling up arguments. You know perfectly well what you're after. I've already said it: whatever you want, put it on the table. There's no need to keep circling around. Let's speak plainly. Brother Gong, what exactly will it take for you to let me take the people away?"

[End of Chapter 930]