Chapter 983: Between Right and Wrong

When the three jars of wine prepared in advance were brought out from the Maolu Annex, Gong Lince still called out to stop them. "Wait!"

He raised a hand, signaling for Yan Li to inspect the wine personally and make sure there was nothing wrong with it.

Yan Li conducted the examination himself and found no problem. Only then were the three jars handed to Guan Qingya and the other two men.

But how could something tampered with in advance truly be clean? The three Spirit-Torment Pills had already been crushed and concealed against the inner walls of the jars. There was nothing to detect during the inspection. Afterward, a slight application of spiritual power was enough to break the concealed powder loose into the wine.

The fact that no one poured the wine into bowls and let the three drink slowly, but instead had each man lift an entire jar to his mouth, was itself part of the problem.

With Gong Lince cooperating, the fate of certain people below had already been decided.

"Elder Niu, we were rash and disrespectful. We ask that a great man like you not hold the faults of petty men against us. We will drain these jars to apologize!"

After offering their apologies, Guan Qingya and the other two lifted the jars to their mouths. Standing in a row beneath the last glow of sunset, they gulped the wine down in great swallows.

By the time they finished, all three men's bellies had swollen from the wine. They cupped their hands and withdrew to one side, their spirits low.

Facing the three again, Niu Youdao said nothing from beginning to end. As for the flash of venom in Guan Qingya's eyes, he did not deign to care.

Naturally, not many people from Zijin Cave were allowed to witness the apology. It was hardly a glorious sight. Gong Lince had already dispersed the large number of disciples surrounding the area.

With that, the matter could be considered over.

Ju An, who had quietly observed the proceedings, slipped away.

Niu Youdao noticed. He walked over to the gathered Elders and said, "No day is better than today. We may as well settle Ju An and Wen Mo'er's marriage now!"

Gong Lince said, "Wouldn't that be rather hasty?"

Niu Youdao replied, "I hear Wen Mo'er has no shortage of suitors. Was one Guan Qingya coming out to cause trouble not enough? I don't want any more complications. Better to make the decision early!"

Gong Lince said, "This is too rushed. Ju An is, after all, someone who serves beside Elder Zhong. At the very least, we need Elder Zhong's consent."

Niu Youdao said, "I'll persuade Master."

Gong Lince counted the dates on his fingers and said, "Three days from now. The date is auspicious. If Elder Zhong agrees, then we'll hold it three days from now. We can't wrong the girl too badly. There should at least be some preparation."

Niu Youdao said, "Good. We'll do as Sect Leader says!"

Hearing all this from the side, Guan Qingya felt desolate. Not only had he ended up in his current state, he had even accelerated Wen Mo'er's marriage. The woman he had longed for over so many years was about to become another man's wife. The feeling in his heart was difficult to describe.

But what could he do?

He could only hate that his own status was too low and that he lacked sufficient authority. Quietly, he resolved to strive harder. If an opportunity came in the future, he would certainly make Niu Youdao repay this extraordinary humiliation!

The other Elders had no objection to the marriage. To them, one Wen Mo'er did not amount to much. No matter how beautiful she was, it would never be their turn to enjoy her.

Thus the disturbance came to an end. With the various matters settled, Gong Lince and the others departed.

The sunset gradually faded. Weary birds returned to the forest. Niu Youdao stood outside the Annex leaning on his sword.

Guan Fangyi personally inspected the three empty wine jars. After confirming that the medicine hidden inside had been broken loose and dissolved into the wine, and that all three men had indeed drunk it, she walked to Niu Youdao's side and said softly, "Looks like Gong Lince really did make the ruthless move."

The drug had been arranged by their side, but after the jars were handed over, they had no opportunity to break loose what had been concealed against the inner walls. The jars had, however, passed through the hands of Gong Lince's people.

Niu Youdao said, "The interests involved are enormous. It wasn't difficult for him to make the choice he had to make."

Guan Fangyi said, "They drank whole bellies full of wine. They probably won't digest it all quickly. What if the three of them go back and vomit it out?"

Niu Youdao said, "Gong Lince has already made his move. Do you think the three of them will still get a chance to vomit out what's in their stomachs?"

Guan Fangyi sighed inwardly. The three jars of wine had been prepared before the confrontation even began. Clearly, this man had calculated from the start that Gong Lince would compromise.

Yuan Gang, standing nearby, frowned.

As much as he wanted to slaughter Guan Qingya and the other two, he disdained despicable methods like poisoning. More importantly, what had happened between him and Feng Guan'er had involved a similar method, and Shang Chaozong and Feng Ruonan had fallen victim to much the same kind of scheme.

Master Dao's way of doing things was both righteous and wicked. He frequently used methods that could hardly be called honorable. Yuan Gang had criticized him for it before, but it was useless.

By the same token, Yuan Gang's own nature, preferring to break rather than bend, was something Niu Youdao could never talk him out of either.

Niu Youdao turned around and faced Yuan Gang, whose whole body was wrapped in bandages. He sighed. "It isn't convenient to implicate everyone who surrounded and injured you. Too many people were involved, and Gong Lince could never agree to that. Our strength is limited. When we have to lower our heads, we still have to lower them. There's no helping it. This is as far as the matter can go. Consider it killing the chicken to frighten the monkeys. From now on, the people below in Zijin Cave should no longer dare act rashly against the Maolu Annex."

Yuan Gang said, "They were only carrying out their duties. This matter had little to do with them."

"Go back and recover. I'm going to Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion." Niu Youdao left after giving the instruction.

He had only just returned from Sacred Realm. Whether by sentiment or propriety, he had to go pay his respects to Zhong Guzi.

Guan Fangyi beckoned Old Six Xu over and told him to destroy the three empty wine jars and erase the evidence. Then she followed Niu Youdao toward Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion.

The moment Niu Youdao arrived, there was no need for much explanation. After saluting him, Ju An entered the pavilion to announce him. A short while later, he invited Niu Youdao inside.

After entering and kneeling to pay his respects, Niu Youdao saw Zhong Guzi, usually still as a carved statue, actually open his eyes on his own initiative. "The conflict has been resolved?"

Ju An had already told him the course of events and the general situation, but Zhong Guzi worried that Ju An might have seen only the surface, which was why he asked.

And indeed, that was exactly the case. Ju An had seen only the surface and knew nothing about the dirty compromises and exchanges of lives behind the scenes.

Niu Youdao did not mention those either. He said lightly, "It should be resolved. This time, certain people truly went too far in bullying others. Disciple had no choice but to take such a hard stance. I had no intention of setting myself against Zijin Cave. I hope Master will understand."

Zhong Guzi had only asked. He had no desire to interfere in the affair and had maintained a position outside the dispute from the beginning.

He was both a Supreme Elder of Zijin Cave and Niu Youdao's nominal master. It would have been inappropriate to favor either the Maolu Annex or Zijin Cave. By the time a man reached his position, there was no need to make an obvious display of where private feeling ended and public duty began. Silence itself was a stance, and no one could blame him for it.

He only wanted to know whether the matter had passed. Since it had, he did not say more and instead changed the subject. "What was Sacred Realm like? Why did you return after only a few days?"

That was what he truly cared about, and the reason he had opened his eyes of his own accord.

"I'm baffled by that myself..." Niu Youdao concealed nothing and explained in detail what had happened.

Zhong Guzi's gaze flickered as he considered it for some time. He too could not make sense of it. In the end, he slowly closed his eyes. "Be careful yourself."

"Yes!" Niu Youdao acknowledged the advice, then reported, "There is another matter that requires Master's consent. Earlier, Sect Leader and I discussed Ju An and Wen Mo'er's marriage. We both believe the sooner the better and have decided to have them marry three days from now. I wonder what Master thinks?"

With his eyes closed, Zhong Guzi said slowly, "You are Ju An's Martial Uncle. Handle the matter yourselves. There is no need to ask me."

"Very well. I understand. I won't disturb Master's secluded cultivation any longer. Disciple takes his leave." Niu Youdao bowed, rose, and withdrew.

He knew the old man should not be disturbed unnecessarily. There was no need to invent things to say simply for the sake of talking. The old man treasured words like gold and disliked wasting breath. Chatting with a lump of wood was not much fun either. It was enough that Niu Youdao had come and fulfilled the proper rites...

After learning that Yucang had met with Niu Youdao, the Sect Leaders of Song's three major sects went to Yucang to ask what had happened.

Yucang refused to tell them and merely said it was nothing.

Now that Niu Youdao had returned, some of the matters they had been negotiating with Zijin Cave no longer needed to be discussed. On top of that, Yucang had no idea what exactly had happened inside Zijin Cave. More importantly, he had given Niu Youdao Spirit-Torment Pills and still had no idea what trouble those pills might cause.

To avoid suspicion, Yucang took his leave and hurriedly slipped away.

The Sect Leaders of Song's three major sects then asked to see Niu Youdao, but Gong Lince refused on his behalf. Calling it obstruction would not have been inaccurate.

Yucang was not the only one. Gong Lince likewise did not want news about Sacred Realm spreading widely. Disaster comes from the mouth, and he feared unnecessary trouble.

With no other choice, and with Niu Youdao back, certain matters no longer needed to be negotiated with Zijin Cave anyway. The Sect Leaders of Song's three major sects could only bid farewell and leave.

Inside Maolu Villa, a grand banquet was laid out. Everyone was happy and celebrating Master Dao's return.

Yuan Fang stood behind Niu Youdao with a smiling face and a wine jar in his arms, attentively pouring wine for Niu Youdao alone.

Guan Fangyi sat beside him, smiling like a blooming flower. The matter of being slapped seemed to have melted away inside that radiant smile. Whether she truly could put it out of her heart, no one knew. Perhaps she was simply accustomed to such things.

Yuan Gang did not appear.

Alone in his room, he had removed his bandages and was nearly naked. Standing in a horse stance with fists drawn back to his waist, he breathed red mist in and out through his mouth and nose while the hemispherical bulge in his abdomen rolled slowly up and down.

The wounds covering his body were visibly healing before the naked eye.

Once all arrangements had been completed, Guan Qingya and the other two received the sect's new appointment decree and prepared to leave.

Yan Li personally came to see the three off and used his own authority to obtain a large flying mount for them.

He worried that once the three left Zijin Cave, they might fall victim to Niu Youdao.

The reason was simple. Niu Youdao's power was enormous. He had close ties to a certain assassin organization, called demons and monsters overseas his sworn brothers, and controlled tremendous wealth and interests besides. It would not be difficult for him to gather assassins and have these three men killed.

Back when Niu Youdao went to the Tiandu Secret Realm, he had still managed to send assassins to eliminate Guo Qingkong, the Xiaoyao Palace Elder who had been contacting Shang Chaozong. The killing had even been carried out by interception in midair.

Everyone knew Niu Youdao had been behind that affair, yet to this day it remained an unsolved case. Xiaoyao Palace had never found evidence and had never found an opportunity to do anything to him.

With that precedent before him, Yan Li had no choice but to guard against the possibility.

In private, he described Niu Youdao to the three as a man capable of being shameless openly and shameless secretly alike, a man who cared more about results than process and would use whatever means necessary to achieve his ends. This was exactly the sort of thing he could do, and he had the ability to do it.

Because of that, Yan Li arranged for the three to leave in secret so Niu Youdao would not discover their departure.

He repeatedly instructed them that once they reached Boundless Pavilion, they should avoid leaving it whenever possible. Otherwise, assassins sent by Niu Youdao might find an opening. If they died somewhere outside and there was no evidence tying the matter to Niu Youdao, the sect would not lightly accuse one of its own Elders. They would have died for nothing. The three had to be careful.

From Elder Yan's tone, Niu Youdao might very well refuse to let the matter rest so easily. By the time he finished giving his instructions, all three men had been left nervous and afraid.

Guo Miaosheng and An Taihua regretted the matter so deeply their intestines practically turned green. They bitterly regretted involving themselves in Guan Qingya's affair and giving false testimony for him.

Yet they also knew they had never truly had a choice. Even if the whole affair happened again, they would probably make the same decision.

Too many things in life were beyond one's control. If they refused to help Guan Qingya, their end would still be miserable. The people of Guan Qingya's faction would not let them off either.

Not long after the three secretly departed, Niu Youdao finished the banquet and left the Maolu Annex. He went to Gong Lince again and passed on Zhong Guzi's position so Gong Lince could arrange the marriage as quickly as possible.

Yet barely had Niu Youdao left Gong Lince's side when several large flying mounts came hurtling through the night toward Zijin Cave.

[End of Chapter 983]