Chapter 933: The One Who Tied the Bell Must Untie It

Hearing those words, everyone from Tianhuo Sect erupted in fury.

Such flagrantly rebellious words, spoken openly before everyone, shocked even the people from Zijin Cave.

"You vile beast!" Qian Fucheng flew into a rage. With a furious shout, he flashed forward to strike.

Wu Zhaoxing, who had been standing beside Fire Phoenix to protect her, immediately pulled her up and behind him, retreating a short distance with her. At the same time, he drew his sword and pointed it at Qian Fucheng, the warning unmistakable.

Bang! Gong Lince slapped the table and rose. In a deep voice he said, "What are you trying to do? Do you intend to seize people by force inside my Zijin Cave?"

Several figures flashed into view. A group of Zijin Cave experts appeared in front of Wu Zhaoxing, standing guard.

"Get back!" Yuwen Yan strode forward, seized Qian Fucheng by the shoulder, and dragged him behind him. With matters already reduced to this state, he practically wanted to kill Qian Fucheng himself. What courtesy was there left to show? In his anger, he had forgotten all about it.

Besides, someone from All-Under-Heaven Money House had witnessed the wager. What would it mean to tear the agreement up by force? If Qian Fucheng were allowed to act recklessly here, he might provoke an even greater disaster.

Niu Youdao spoke as well, asking Gong Lince, "Sect Leader, what is the meaning of this? Weren't they only here to see them? Why are they trying to use force now?"

Yuwen Yan ignored the remarks around him. He stepped forward, pointed at Fire Phoenix where the others were shielding her, and said angrily, "Wretched disciple, do you even know what you're saying?"

Fire Phoenix said nothing.

Yuwen Yan pressed sharply, "Where is Kunlin Shu? Tell him to get out here!"

At those words, Fire Phoenix looked up at him with firm eyes and answered loudly, "There is no need for Senior Brother to come out. Senior Brother and I are husband and wife. Husband and wife are one. What I mean is what he means."

After all the warnings and reminders she had received here, the reason she could say such words was precisely because she did not want Tianhuo Sect to take her Senior Brother back.

She wanted to preserve her Senior Brother's life. She would rather leave Tianhuo Sect than let him go back to die.

Her Senior Brother had spent ten years in seclusion within the forbidden grounds, and she had waited ten years outside. Their wedding had been postponed for a full ten years. They had only just married, and now she was supposed to let her husband go to his death? She could not do it.

Yuwen Yan swept out a sleeve and pointed at her. "Nonsense! Have your Senior Brother come out!"

"What are you trying to do?" Niu Youdao stepped forward, planting his sword before him as he blocked the space between the two groups. He was plainly afraid someone might act recklessly, and he would not leave Fire Phoenix alone to bear so much pressure. He waved a hand. "Take her away for now."

Wu Zhaoxing immediately pulled Fire Phoenix away.

Yuwen Yan took a step forward. A group of Zijin Cave experts likewise advanced at once to block him, and the two sides fell into confrontation.

Gong Lince said heavily, "Brother Yuwen, you'd best not act impulsively. I hope you remember what you said earlier. You said you were only here to see the people. Zijin Cave is not a place where outsiders may run wild!"

Yuwen Yan's face twisted slightly. Through clenched teeth he said, "Kunlin Shu. I want to see Kunlin Shu."

Gong Lince replied, "Brother Yuwen, I suggest you all calm down first. Your emotions are rather heated. This doesn't seem like an appropriate time to see anyone."

Yuwen Yan said, "She spoke such flagrantly rebellious words. I suspect someone is threatening her with Kunlin Shu's life. I must confirm that Kunlin Shu is safe before I can continue negotiating with you."

At that, Gong Lince grew suspicious and turned to look at Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao was no easy target either. He immediately defended himself. "Sect Leader Yuwen, what do you mean by that? Threaten her? What is there to threaten? Once you and Zijin Cave reach an agreement, I release them. It's that simple. I don't care whether they're disciples of Tianhuo Sect or not. As long as you and my sect settle the matter, I release them. What reason would I have to threaten anyone?"

Once he put it that way, Gong Lince thought about it and agreed. Niu Youdao truly had no need to do such a thing.

Yuwen Yan said, "Then bring Kunlin Shu out to see me!"

Niu Youdao turned and asked Gong Lince, "Sect Leader, what do you think?"

Gong Lince said, "Since Sect Leader Yuwen is worried, let him see the man. Nothing will happen."

"I obey the Sect Leader's decree." Niu Youdao accepted the order, then turned to Guan Fangyi. "Hongniang, why didn't you bring Kunlin Shu over with her just now?"

Guan Fangyi looked helpless. "Kunlin Shu didn't want to come out and face the people from Tianhuo Sect. Fire Phoenix said the same thing. They feel too ashamed to face them."

Niu Youdao said angrily, "How can that be left to him? The Maolu Annex is a place of peace and quiet, not somewhere for this endless carrying-on. I'll go invite him personally. If he refuses to come, I'll drag him here myself!" With that, he strode away.

From behind him, Yuwen Yan suddenly said, "Don't play some trick with me where you bring one out, pin that one down, then detain one to threaten the other. Bring both of them out together. I want to see them standing here at the same time before I can confirm whether they're being coerced or threatened!"

Guan Fangyi's heart gave a violent thump when she heard that. No wonder this man had become Sect Leader of Tianhuo Sect. He was no simple figure!

Niu Youdao stopped. Turning back, he gave a cold laugh. "Sect Leader Yuwen, you're thinking too much. Fine. As you wish!" Then he raised two fingers toward Gong Lince and waggled them.

The people from Tianhuo Sect had no idea what the gesture meant and could not help looking toward Gong Lince.

A reminder at a time like this? Gong Lince was left somewhat speechless. He lifted his head and looked toward the roof of the covered walkway.

The relevant people from Zijin Cave understood perfectly well what Niu Youdao's gesture meant. Twenty percent of the benefits. Don't forget it!

With a sweep of his sleeve, Niu Youdao left and went straight to where Kunlin Shu was being kept under soft confinement.

Bang! Niu Youdao kicked the door open. Kunlin Shu sprang to his feet in alarm, pulling at the sword wound on his leg in the process. Pain flashed across his face.

His injuries had not yet healed. It had not been long since he was wounded, and with his cultivation restricted, he could not circulate his power to speed his recovery.

"Elder Niu!" Kunlin Shu looked at him uncertainly, not understanding what his reaction meant. Then he immediately asked, "How is my Junior Sister?"

Sensing that Niu Youdao's mood seemed unusual, his first reaction was still to worry about whether something had happened to her.

The tension in Niu Youdao's face eased. He walked over and sighed. "Not good."

Kunlin Shu's eyes widened instantly. "Elder Niu, how can you go back on your word? You said that as long as I obeyed, you wouldn't hurt my Junior Sister. What have you done to her?" He looked ready to fight for his life at the slightest wrong answer.

Niu Youdao said, "It isn't that we did anything to her. It's Tianhuo Sect that probably won't spare her this time. Even if she doesn't die, I'm afraid that once she returns to Tianhuo Sect, she'll live a life worse than death."

Kunlin Shu did not understand. Alarm and uncertainty filled his face. "What do you mean?"

Niu Youdao sighed. "It's because of you!"

"Me?" Kunlin Shu said in confusion. "I know I dragged her into this, but it shouldn't be as serious as you say. She was only implicated. She herself did nothing wrong. Why would the sect refuse to spare her?"

Niu Youdao said, "It's still because of you. The people from Tianhuo Sect have already arrived. They're here at the Maolu Annex. Sect Leader Yuwen Yan personally led them here. Your Junior Sister already met them just now. She knows that if Tianhuo Sect takes you back, nothing good awaits you. To protect you, she said some very unpleasant things in front of everyone..." He then told Kunlin Shu what had happened and repeated the flagrantly rebellious words Fire Phoenix had spoken.

Kunlin Shu's pupils contracted as he listened, and his chest began rising and falling rapidly. He understood far too well what the consequences were for saying something like that in public.

In public, and in front of a whole group of outsiders at that. Words like those were no different from openly leaving one's sect!

A traitor! No sect would show mercy to a traitor. Once his Junior Sister fell back into Tianhuo Sect's hands, one could imagine her fate. He hardly dared think about it. Her end might well be even more miserable than his own.

Niu Youdao said, "Don't panic. It isn't as though there's no chance to salvage the situation."

Kunlin Shu hurriedly asked, "How?"

Niu Youdao said, "Fortunately, the two of you are protected by the wager. All-Under-Heaven Money House acted as intermediary, and Qian Fucheng, in his capacity as a Tianhuo Sect Elder, guaranteed the agreement on behalf of Tianhuo Sect. Tianhuo Sect cannot simply deny it. If the wager is honored and you remain here, there is nothing they can do about it. So long as your Junior Sister remains here, they cannot touch her."

Pain covered Kunlin Shu's face. "It's all my fault. All because I insisted on having my own way."

Niu Youdao said, "I told you before: this road was one you chose yourself. Don't regret it! Before the match I reminded you again and again. I gave you chance after chance, and you refused them yourself. What use is regret now? Face reality. Since the two of you are already my people, I'll do everything within my power to protect you."

Kunlin Shu gave a bitter smile. "The Sect Leader has personally come. He came himself to demand us back. Can Zijin Cave really refuse to hand us over? Can you defy a decree from Zijin Cave?"

Niu Youdao said, "Do you think Zijin Cave will release you so easily? I just participated in the negotiations between Tianhuo Sect and Zijin Cave. Zijin Cave is willing to hand you over, but it demanded three hundred thousand warhorses and three hundred million gold coins from Tianhuo Sect!"

"What?" Kunlin Shu was stunned. Never in his dreams had he imagined he could be worth so much. "Impossible. Tianhuo Sect could never hand over that much!"

"Of course. That's only the opening price. There is obviously room to bargain. But think about it. You delivered this opportunity to their door yourself, and this time Zijin Cave has reason entirely on its side. Naturally, they'll seize the opportunity to rake in a fortune. Tianhuo Sect certainly won't agree easily either. They won't willingly submit to extortion like this. The one who tied the bell must untie it. The key to resolving this affair still lies with you."

Kunlin Shu stared. "Me?"

Niu Youdao said, "People often make things more complicated than they are. Face the root of the problem directly and it can be solved cleanly. Let me ask you: why doesn't Tianhuo Sect want to honor the wager? Why has this even disturbed Yuwen Yan enough to come here personally and demand your return? I don't think you're stupid enough not to know the answer."

Kunlin Shu said bleakly, "Because I carry Tianhuo Sect's secret art. Tianhuo Sect will never allow its supreme secret art to leak."

Niu Youdao said, "Exactly. That's the root of the problem. Once you know where the problem lies, it becomes easy to solve. As long as you can convince Tianhuo Sect that you will not leak the secret art, once Tianhuo Sect truly believes that, they will not accept Zijin Cave's enormous extortion. Once they can set their minds at ease, they'll abandon their effort to recover the two of you."

Kunlin Shu shook his head painfully. "Will they believe my assurance? And even if we remain here, what about my master? You heard Elder Qian's threat. We can't abandon our own master just to save ourselves."

Niu Youdao raised a hand and patted his shoulder. "You fool. Why can't you see it? Only if the two of you stay can you protect your master!"

Kunlin Shu froze, unable to understand. He hurriedly asked, "Why?"

Niu Youdao said slowly, "They hold your master as leverage. Do you think you have no leverage of your own? The Heavenly Fire Limitless Art in your hands is your leverage. So long as they do not harm your master, you guarantee that you will not reveal the secret art. And because they hold your master, that is precisely why they can believe you will not leak it. It's a closed loop of cause and effect. Understand? It's also the only way to protect your master. Otherwise, do you really think that if the two of you return, they can pretend none of this ever happened and simply stop making life difficult for your master?"

[End of Chapter 933]