Chapter 973: Submit Without Resistance

Hand Yuan Gang over for Zijin Cave to take away? Impossible!

There was no way Guan Fangyi could agree to such a thing. Why had she risked having Wu Zhaoxing and Yun Ji rescue Yuan Gang earlier? Precisely because she feared he might be in danger. How could she now hand him back over with both hands and send him straight into peril again?

Nor did she dare make that decision on her own. Everyone from Maolu Villa knew the relationship between Yuan Gang and Niu Youdao. The reason Yuan Gang could stand on equal footing with Guan Fangyi here was that the old hands of Maolu Villa all sided with him. If she truly agreed to hand him over, never mind whether she would still be able to command respect here afterward, violent conflict would erupt within Maolu Villa itself. Outsiders would not even need to act. Maolu Villa could collapse from within all on its own.

Seeing Guan Fangyi refuse no matter what, Mo Lingxue, standing opposite her at the entrance to the Maolu Annex, found herself in a difficult position as well. She could not easily resort to force. If the matter grew too large, it would become difficult to contain. Niu Youdao's forces were considerable. If something happened here and the consequences spread outside, there was no telling what might follow. Mo Lingxue herself had no desire to shoulder that responsibility.

After thinking it over repeatedly, Mo Lingxue stepped out from among Zijin Cave's people and walked directly toward the entrance of the Maolu Annex.

Wu Zhaoxing and the others immediately went on guard at the gate. Wu Zhaoxing had already taken the sword from his back into his hand, and the group stared fiercely at the approaching woman.

Seeing the movement, a crowd of Zijin Cave disciples surged forward at once.

Mo Lingxue turned and thrust one hand back toward them. "All of you, stand down!"

The Zijin Cave disciples looked at one another and could only watch as Mo Lingxue walked up to the Annex entrance.

"There's no need to worry. I mean no harm, so you don't need to guard against me like this." Having come alone, Mo Lingxue pointed at the people blocking the entrance and addressed Guan Fangyi behind their human wall. "Hongniang, I'm going in alone. What is there for you to fear? There are some things I think are better discussed privately. Guan Qingya struck you, yet you still endured it. I assume you don't want this matter to grow any larger either."

Guan Fangyi hesitated, then finally waved a hand. "Let Elder Mo in."

Wu Zhaoxing and the others opened a path.

Mo Lingxue turned and tossed her sword back toward the Zijin Cave disciples. Then she entered empty-handed, showing that she bore the people of the Maolu Annex no ill intent.

Her disciples were startled. One of them called out, "Master, you can't!" They were worried something might happen if their master went in alone without even bringing a weapon.

After all, the Maolu Annex had already begun openly opposing Zijin Cave, and the two sides had even come to blows earlier. Who could guarantee the people inside would not suddenly attack Mo Lingxue? Going in alone was far too dangerous.

Mo Lingxue abruptly turned and barked, "Without my order, no one is to approach the Maolu Annex by even one more step. Anyone who disobeys will be severely punished!"

Her disciples could only watch helplessly as she went inside, then watch Wu Zhaoxing and the others seal the entrance again.

Guan Fangyi and Mo Lingxue met just inside the entry court, with Yun Ji staying close beside Guan Fangyi on guard.

"What does Elder Mo wish to say?" Guan Fangyi asked, not forgetting the necessary courtesy.

Mo Lingxue said, "Some things would be better said with Yuan Gang present."

"No!" Guan Fangyi refused immediately.

Mo Lingxue spread both arms to show that she carried no weapon. "I'm standing here like this. What are you still worried about? If I truly intended to use force, there would be no need for me to come alone to seize or kill Yuan Gang. I could simply order people to storm in. This is Zijin Cave's sect grounds, with experts everywhere. Could you stop them? Hongniang, I came sincerely hoping to resolve the problem. If you insist on digging in your heels, weigh the consequences yourself. You don't want this matter to grow, and neither does Zijin Cave. Everything can be discussed. Are you truly unwilling to leave even the slightest room for negotiation?"

Guan Fangyi fell silent.

Yuan Gang was in a nearby room, not far from where the Maolu Annex's manpower had gathered in force.

The entire Maolu Annex had already been surrounded by Zijin Cave's people. The Annex had limited manpower and could not afford to disperse at a time like this. Everyone could only remain concentrated together and stay on guard.

When Mo Lingxue followed them into the room, people inside were bandaging Yuan Gang's injured body. Sword qi had wounded him everywhere, and he had been wrapped up like a white zongzi, with blood still faintly seeping through the cloth.

The people inside paused. Yuan Gang stared coldly at Mo Lingxue as she entered, his fists slowly tightening.

Guan Fangyi forced out an explanation. "Elder Mo said she had something to discuss with us."

Mo Lingxue said, "No hurry. His injuries come first. Finish bandaging him, then we can talk."

Duan Hu and the others exchanged looks, then resumed their work, though the pace of their bandaging unconsciously became considerably faster.

The cloth tightened over his wounds, inevitably causing pain, but Yuan Gang remained expressionless. Not even his brows moved.

Once the bandaging was finished, Mo Lingxue smiled and praised him. "Sure enough, you're a true man."

Yuan Gang asked, "What do you want to say?"

Mo Lingxue came straight to the point. "You injured disciples of Zijin Cave. I was ordered to come and take you away for confinement. Put plainly, this counts as your punishment."

Yuan Gang said, "Confine me? Your people struck first. Your people injured ours first. What do you have to say about that?"

Mo Lingxue replied, "Guan Qingya and your side each tell a different story. For now, it's difficult to determine who is telling the truth. At this point, slowly pursuing who was right and who was wrong is no longer the important thing. What matters is that this is Zijin Cave's territory. Before everyone's eyes, you injured Zijin Cave disciples while your side are outsiders. Outsiders injured Zijin Cave disciples inside Zijin Cave itself. If the sect does not impose at least some punishment on you, it cannot answer to its disciples from top to bottom."

"Of course, you may feel you suffered the loss and endured an injustice. But some principles are not decided that way, and some principles cannot be argued clear. On this ground, who has the final say? You should understand that perfectly well yourselves."

"Yuan Gang, regardless of who was right or wrong, there is one thing I must say to you. You were too impulsive. You are not Niu Youdao, and you do not possess Niu Youdao's ability. You cannot hold this situation down. Forcing yourself to stand out accomplishes nothing. You cannot frighten anyone. Some problems cannot be solved through brute force. Since you chose to step forward and caused this trouble, you must now step forward and bear the consequences."

"You can refuse to come with me. But there is one thing you must understand. Zijin Cave disciples were injured by outsiders inside their own home, and not merely one or two of them. Now a group of outsiders has collectively set itself against Zijin Cave inside Zijin Cave itself. What sort of matter does that become? Can Zijin Cave cover its eyes and ears and pretend nothing happened? Do you think that is possible?"

"No matter who was right or wrong, what you have done has already cost Zijin Cave enormous face. Now I, an Elder, have personally come to ask for you, and I am discussing the matter properly rather than pursuing anyone else. I intend to take only you away, simply so the disciples throughout the sect can be given an explanation. That stance is already a compromise with the Maolu Annex. Put plainly, it is face given to Niu Youdao, not to you. If you still refuse, Zijin Cave will have nowhere left to put its face. We will have no choice but to use force against you."

"Of course, you can resist. But what will the result be? Here, can you, Yuan Gang, escape? In the end, you will still fall into our hands. And what about the other people of the Maolu Annex who resist because of you? How many do you think will die or be injured? Do you think sacrificing so many companions for one Yuan Gang is worth it?"

"Yuan Gang, stop being impulsive. Niu Youdao is capable, but reaching his present position could not have been easy. He must have spent an enormous amount of blood and effort. I do not believe any of his gains simply fell into his lap without hardship. Do you think it is worth letting all of Niu Youdao's painstaking efforts go up in smoke because of one moment of impulsiveness from you? Do you think it is right to make the lives of everyone else in the Maolu Annex pay the price for your impulse? Hot-blooded courage may be admirable, but if it cannot solve the problem, it becomes nothing more than a reckless man's valor and will only turn into a laughingstock. I hope you will think carefully about what I've said."

When she finished, Yuan Gang fell silent.

Seeing that he seemed to have been persuaded, Guan Fangyi hurriedly objected. "No. You can't go. If something happens to you, we won't be able to answer to Master Dao!"

Mo Lingxue immediately corrected her. "You're wrong. We do not want to reach a point where we cannot answer to Niu Youdao either. Taking him away does not mean we intend to harm him. He will only be confined temporarily. We merely need to take him into custody so the sect's disciples can be given an explanation. Once this affair dies down, he will naturally be released."

Guan Fangyi said, "Those are only words from your mouth. What guarantee is there of his safety?"

Mo Lingxue spread her hands. "The fact that I came here like this to discuss matters with you, does that not prove Zijin Cave's sincerity in not wanting the situation to grow? Must you truly force Zijin Cave to launch a major assault on the Maolu Annex to seize him? Will you only be satisfied after a great deal of blood has been shed and lives sacrificed?"

"Fine!" Yuan Gang suddenly agreed. "I'll go with you."

"Monkey!"

"Master Yuan!"

Guan Fangyi, Duan Hu, and the others cried out together.

Yuan Gang merely raised one bandage-wrapped hand, stopping them from saying anything more.

Whether the other side would keep its promise and refrain from harming him was no longer important to him. So long as everyone here could be kept safe, he would accept whatever consequences followed and was willing to make the sacrifice. He had always been a hot-blooded man with precisely that spirit of self-sacrifice.

To some extent, Mo Lingxue's words had persuaded him.

And once Yuan Gang made a decision, Guan Fangyi could not stop him. No matter what fears she raised or how she tried to persuade him, it was useless. In the end, Yuan Gang, wrapped from head to toe in bandages, followed Mo Lingxue out of the Annex.

At Mo Lingxue's signal, Zijin Cave disciples stepped forward, seized Yuan Gang by both arms, and escorted him away under guard.

Before leaving, Mo Lingxue issued an order to the Zijin Cave disciples surrounding the Maolu Annex. "Disciples of Zijin Cave, heed my command. The sect has taken the chief culprit into custody. This matter is settled. Everyone withdraw. No one is to harass the Maolu Annex again. Anyone who disobeys will be severely punished!"

The Zijin Cave disciples receded from every direction like a tide.

At the Annex entrance, the people inside watched helplessly as Yuan Gang was taken away. Many felt an unbearable sense of humiliation. When Master Dao had been here, who had dared make trouble for the Maolu Annex? The moment Master Dao left, people had come straight to their door and bullied them like this, while they had not even dared resist.

Guan Fangyi did not know what to say about Yuan Gang either. If he had been willing to submit obediently like this in the end, why had he needed to be so impulsive earlier?

Yet she could not blame him. Yuan Gang had ended up like this because he had stood up for her.

His voluntary submission did, however, avert an internal split within Maolu Villa.

In the restricted area behind the mountain, a place used by the sect to confine offenders, Yuan Gang was locked inside a pitch-black stone cave. Even Yun Ji's earth-escape art was useless there...

[End of Chapter 973]