Chapter 988: Who Gets to Be Leader? I Decide!

Fuhua teased, "Little Brother, Sacred Island is hardly close to Zijin Cave. With so little time, you shouldn't even have had enough time to reach the lands of the Seven States, yet somehow you also found time to drink at Zijin Cave?"

That drew another round of laughter.

Niu Youdao turned serious. "What's so funny? You really shouldn't dismiss it. It was just that coincidental. Not long after I left Sacred Island, I happened to run into the Great Sage of the Eastern Sea on his way to Zijin Cave. That's when I learned the Sect Leaders of the various factions were gathering at Zijin Cave to discuss matters. The Great Sage happened to be going the same way, so he gave me a ride. Look at what I'm wearing. What are all of you wearing, and what am I wearing?"

He lifted the hanging sash at his waist. "I'm wearing the robes of a Zijin Cave Elder. Zijin Cave couldn't exactly wait around for me forever on Sacred Island. If I hadn't returned to Zijin Cave, how could I have changed into these clothes?"

Everyone froze and looked over his clothing.

He was right. Those really were the robes of a Zijin Cave Elder.

Then they looked at the red clothing on themselves and everyone else. No matter how they looked at him, Niu Youdao stood out like a crane among chickens.

More importantly, all their original clothes had been confiscated and destroyed by Misty Pavilion.

Which meant Niu Youdao's clothing really could only have come from Zijin Cave.

In other words, there was a real possibility that he had actually returned to Zijin Cave.

Quan Taifeng asked suspiciously, "The Sect Leaders gathered at Zijin Cave? What were they discussing?"

Niu Youdao said, "I don't know. They refused to tell me. But the moment they saw I had returned, the Sect Leaders all surrounded me and started asking what happened."

That made quite a few hearts lurch uneasily.

After all, Ding Wei had forced them to write those things. None knew what Niu Youdao might have said.

Taishu Shancheng could not resist asking, "What did you tell them?"

Niu Youdao asked in return, "What do you think I told them?"

Taishu Shancheng said, "How would I know what you said?"

"If you haven't done anything guilty, there's no need for a guilty conscience." Niu Youdao threw the line back at him, then turned to the crowd. "While all that was going on, Steward Huang personally arrived at Zijin Cave to bring me back. But before I left, the Sect Leaders specifically entrusted me with a message for everyone."

Quan Taifeng asked, "What message?"

Niu Youdao sighed as though carrying a great burden. "Better not to say. Personally, I think that even if I tell you, none of you will believe me. Saying it would only waste breath."

Quan Taifeng said, "Little Brother, if you don't say it, how do you know whether we'll believe you?"

Niu Youdao sighed again. "The Sect Leaders asked me to tell everyone that from now on, while we're here, all of you are to follow my orders."

"..."

The crowd fell silent.

Then most of them turned away and dispersed with looks of disdain.

Who would believe that nonsense?

Only an idiot would keep standing there listening to him make things up.

Taishu Shancheng least of all. He would sooner believe the sun rose in the west than believe Qiyun Sect had given such an order. Qiyun Sect would gladly see Niu Youdao dead. How could it possibly order Taishu Shancheng to obey him?

Niu Youdao spread his hands toward Quan Taifeng with an expression that clearly said, See? I told you they wouldn't believe me.

Quan Taifeng did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Little Brother, if you're going to lie, couldn't you at least make it less obvious? You're plainly fooling everyone."

Niu Youdao did not care whether he believed it. All he needed was an excuse.

He beckoned to Kunlin Shu.

Kunlin Shu was about to come over when Tianhuo Sect Elder Lu Yao stretched out an arm and stopped him, refusing to let him go to Niu Youdao's side.

Niu Youdao had no choice but to walk over himself.

Lu Yao watched him warily. "What do you want?"

Niu Youdao said, "Let him come with me."

Lu Yao sneered. "Both sides already agreed on this. He came here as a disciple of Tianhuo Sect."

Kunlin Shu lowered his head in silence, a trace of gloom in his expression.

Niu Youdao said, "I already told you, I saw the Sect Leaders at Zijin Cave, including the Sect Leader of Tianhuo Sect. Sect Leader Yuwen gave me a message for Kunlin Shu. Kunlin Shu, are you going to hear it or not?"

Kunlin Shu looked up in surprise.

Lu Yao said, "No one believes your ghost stories."

Niu Youdao ignored him and continued. "Kunlin Shu, listen carefully. Sect Leader Yuwen said that you still represent Tianhuo Sect in this tempering, but he wants you to separate from Elder Lu temporarily and follow me."

Suspicion filled Kunlin Shu's face.

Lu Yao burst out laughing. "Niu Youdao, is there a single truthful sentence in your mouth? How could our Sect Leader possibly say such a thing?"

Niu Youdao continued speaking to Kunlin Shu as though Lu Yao were not there. "Sect Leader Yuwen asked me what happened inside Sacred Realm, and I told him the truth. He fears Elder Lu may kill someone to silence a witness afterward. Considering your relationship with me, he wants you to stay by my side. There are matters he intends to verify with you once you return."

Kunlin Shu looked uncertain.

Lu Yao's expression darkened. "You're spewing dog shit!"

Niu Youdao ignored him and kept persuading Kunlin Shu. "If I'm lying, you'll naturally be able to verify it afterward. If I have lied, then once we leave Sacred Realm, I'll return freedom to you and your wife. Whether the two of you want to return to Tianhuo Sect or go somewhere else will be entirely up to you. With that guarantee, will you believe me?"

Whether his words were true or false did not matter. One thing was obvious.

The fact that Tianhuo Sect had needed to use Pang Zhuo to threaten Kunlin Shu into participating in this tempering already said enough. Kunlin Shu was in great danger traveling with Tianhuo Sect's people this time. If Lu Yao found the opportunity, there was a very high chance he would make sure Kunlin Shu never left Sacred Realm alive, using the opportunity to eliminate a traitor.

The present situation made that danger even greater. The factions were about to split apart into separate groups to hunt Demon Foxes. Under those conditions, the possibility of Kunlin Shu being assassinated was simply too high.

Niu Youdao had formally promised Fire Phoenix that he would protect Kunlin Shu's life. Now he had to do everything in his power to keep that promise. He could not simply watch Kunlin Shu walk into danger if there was something he could do.

Whether Kunlin Shu later discovered that Niu Youdao had lied was unimportant.

First, Niu Youdao had to do his utmost to keep the man alive.

When Niu Youdao returned to Zijin Cave this time, Fire Phoenix had seen him come back and had asked little. She had merely wept until her face was soaked in tears. Clearly, she understood that without Niu Youdao's protection, her husband's situation would become even more dangerous.

But neither Niu Youdao nor Fire Phoenix had possessed any control over that. Luo Fangfei had forcibly driven him out, and there had been nothing he could do.

At the time, Niu Youdao had said little. Words would have accomplished nothing.

Now, unexpectedly, he had been sent back inside. Since another opportunity had appeared, he would not stand by and watch.

The husband and wife had chosen to follow him. He would fulfill his responsibility toward them and would not ignore their troubles.

The guarantee made even Lu Yao uncertain.

Could the Sect Leader truly have said something like that? Did he genuinely suspect Lu Yao of killing someone to silence a witness?

Kunlin Shu hesitated. "The Sect Leader truly said that?"

Niu Youdao nodded. "You can see for yourself. The leaders of the Four Seas are all my sworn siblings. I'm not short of people. Having one more of you changes nothing, and having one fewer changes nothing. What benefit would I gain from wasting this effort to deceive you?"

He emphasized the point again. "Sect Leader Yuwen said you are to follow me during this tempering! If even one word of that is false, then once we leave Sacred Realm, I'll return your freedom. Everyone here can bear witness. With so many witnesses from so many factions, I can't deny what I said afterward!"

Making things up like this did not matter.

Misty Pavilion did not interfere in private grudges between the various factions. Afterward, if Tianhuo Sect wanted to settle accounts with him, that would depend on whether Tianhuo Sect had the ability.

Today's Niu Youdao was no longer someone Tianhuo Sect could deal with whenever it pleased.

Kunlin Shu hesitated for a moment, then finally took a step toward Niu Youdao.

Lu Yao's voice sank. "Stop! Are you trying to betray your sect?"

The moment the words left his mouth, even he felt they were pointless.

Kunlin Shu kept walking in silence and ignored him.

Lu Yao moved in fury.

Niu Youdao flashed forward and blocked the space between Lu Yao and Kunlin Shu.

"Get the hell out of my way!" Lu Yao pointed at Niu Youdao's nose and shouted.

Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie immediately stepped forward to protect Niu Youdao from either side, confronting the two Tianhuo Sect cultivators.

With Misty Pavilion watching right beside them, Lu Yao did not dare act rashly. He turned and shouted, "Taishu Shancheng! Everyone jointly chose you to lead this Demon Fox hunt. We agreed to operate by sect groups. Now someone is openly breaking the rules. As leader, are you going to say nothing?"

Taishu Shancheng frowned slightly.

He glanced at Huang Ban, who stood not far away watching coldly, then waved a hand and led several people over. He barked, "Niu Youdao, what are you trying to do?"

Not many followed him.

With Niu Youdao personally involved, some people had reservations and preferred to remain neutral.

Niu Youdao gave a low snort, then turned toward the Four Seas contingent. "Someone is relying on superior numbers to threaten me. What do all of you think?"

Fuhua exchanged looks with the others.

Then she, Lang Jingkong, Duan Wuchang, and Hong Gaitian led the Four Seas contingent over to stand on Niu Youdao's side.

The move was a direct slap in the face.

Taishu Shancheng's expression darkened. He warned, "Do you people of the Four Seas intend to oppose the Seven States?"

"What Seven States?" Niu Youdao scoffed. "Did the State of Yan agree to that?"

He looked around coldly. "Trying to frighten people? Fine. Then I'll put the ugly words first. If you have the ability, kill me here this time. If you fail to kill me, then after I get out, whichever state neighboring Yan dares make trouble for the people of the Four Seas, I'll immediately send troops to attack it. I mean what I say!"

His cold gaze shifted. "Shen Yidu, are you planning to stand off to the side and watch the show too?"

Oh, hell.

Shen Yidu was put in an awkward position.

There was no reason to offend an entire crowd the moment they entered, but Niu Youdao had called him out by name. Yucang had indeed instructed him in advance to cooperate with Niu Youdao, and there were other considerations as well.

With no choice, Shen Yidu waved a hand and brought the people of Qin's three major sects over to Niu Youdao's side.

Taishu Shancheng looked around.

Apart from Jin's own three sects, only the factions of Qi and Wei were still answering his call. That gave his side nine sects in total.

Niu Youdao's side had roughly eight.

The two camps now stood almost evenly opposed.

Taishu Shancheng's face turned ugly.

Everything had been going perfectly well before. When he spoke, even those who disagreed still had to show some outward obedience. The moment Niu Youdao arrived, his authority as leader had practically collapsed.

Lingjian Mountain and Xiaoyao Palace remained neutral.

It was not that they were giving Niu Youdao face. Under these circumstances, everyone involved was from Yan, and openly displaying internal conflict in front of outsiders would look bad. They hesitated over which side to choose.

The factions from Han and Song also remained neutral.

They genuinely feared Niu Youdao.

The man commanded powerful armies. Not long ago, he had nearly sent troops against Song and forced Song to compromise and yield. Before that, he had emerged from the Tiandu Secret Realm and set off the war that destroyed Zhao. There was precedent enough.

As Niu Youdao had said, unless they were certain they could kill him here, acting rashly would be unwise. Once he got out, he could bring enormous trouble down on their home states.

Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie looked left and right at the many powers now standing behind Elder Niu.

Their spirits soared.

This brought tremendous face to Zijin Cave.

Fortunately, it was Elder Niu who had come. If another Elder had been here, they doubted anyone else could command this kind of presence.

Taishu Shancheng pointed at the people who had gone to Niu Youdao's side, his face black with anger. "A pack of petty men who go back on their word! You chose me as leader before. Does your word mean nothing now?"

Niu Youdao said, "Leader my ass! Did anyone ask for my agreement? I never agreed, so what kind of leader are you supposed to be?"

He swept his gaze across the crowd and said flatly, "Who gets to be leader? I decide!"

[End of Chapter 988]