Chapter 1031: Living in Fear

Dead?

Quite a few people sighed inwardly. They could understand Taishu Shancheng's choice. If death awaited him either way, then naturally he would rather die unyielding. So long as he had even one breath left, he would fight.

His end was miserable, but the cultivators of the various sects who had witnessed it had to admit that Taishu Shancheng had shown real nerve. Faced with the same situation, people from other sects might have been cowed by Misty Pavilion's overwhelming authority and begged for a sliver of hope instead of resisting.

Taishu Shancheng's corpse was left before everyone's eyes, carrying the unmistakable flavor of killing one man to warn a hundred. It seemed to say: this is what happens when you resist Misty Pavilion.

Ding Wei had no interest in the corpse. He instead took the contest results from his sleeve and stared at the sheet in silence.

He did not know how he was supposed to explain this to the Sacred Venerables. Misty Pavilion personnel had violated the rules and committed robbery. Even if Misty Pavilion had won the contest, could that result still count?

The people charged with enforcing the rules had broken them themselves. How was Misty Pavilion supposed to explain that?

His gaze lifted slightly from the paper and flicked toward Niu Youdao. Irritation rose in him. He had guarded against one thing after another, yet in the end this Niu Youdao had still managed to stir up trouble.

He was beginning to regret investigating Niu Youdao at all. If he had never sent Xuan Yao to investigate him, perhaps this entire mess would never have surfaced.

Right now, Ding Wei wanted to kill Niu Youdao simply to vent his anger. Yet under the present circumstances, he was even less willing to move rashly against the man. If certain people learned of it, there was no telling what they might think.

Fortunately, Niu Youdao could not run. The man was still in his hands. Ding Wei would have plenty of opportunities to settle this account later.

As for whether Niu Youdao had caused all this merely to protect himself, that was not something Ding Wei intended to forgive.

Ding Wei waved for the people around him to withdraw, then quietly instructed Xuan Yao, "Bring Ao Feng over."

"Yes!" Xuan Yao accepted the order.

The people standing at the summit moved away. Xuan Yao went to Ao Feng and murmured something to him. Ao Feng flashed upward and landed beneath the solitary tree at the peak, then cupped his hands toward Ding Wei.

Ding Wei took out the result sheet and waved it once before Ao Feng's eyes. "These are the contest results between Misty Pavilion personnel and the cultivators from the various sects. If I submit them now, do you think the Sacred Venerables will believe them?" He slowly folded the sheet again and returned it to his sleeve.

Whether or not the results could still be used, whether or not they would satisfy those above, he still had to take them back and report them.

Ding Wei lowered his voice until only the two of them could hear. "You are from Wuxu Sacred Land, and you are Ye Nian's disciple. By involving yourself in this affair so abruptly, you should understand what kind of consequences it may bring upon Misty Pavilion. Have you thought about how you'll explain yourself to everyone in the Pavilion? Have you thought about how you'll explain yourself to your master?"

Ao Feng understood what he meant. This was a quiet, private exchange with no outsiders close enough to hear. Nothing said here could become evidence.

He replied in an equally low voice, "I didn't want this either. But you saw what happened. Circumstances forced me. If I hadn't stepped forward and the matter was later uncovered, I would have been guilty of deliberately concealing it. Once something exposed in public reached the Sacred Venerables' ears, if it looked as though everyone in Misty Pavilion had banded together to deceive them, I would have been the first to suffer. My end would have been miserable. I had no choice. I also fell into Niu Youdao's trap."

Ding Wei sighed. "Your master will come looking for you. Save that explanation for him. Weren't you hoping to leave Wuliang Garden? Do you think these contest results can still count?"

Ao Feng understood the sarcasm. Still hoping to leave Wuliang Garden now?

"After something like this, even if the results are recognized, I no longer hold out any hope." Ao Feng shook his head.

"Hmph!" Ding Wei gave a cold snort, turned away, and said nothing further. The remaining procedures were left to the appropriate personnel.

Huang Ban was responsible for taking the sect cultivators back.

Ao Feng, Niu Youdao, Taishu Xun, and Taishu Li, however, were taken elsewhere by Xuan Yao for further investigation. The matter had more or less been clarified, but the formal process still had to be completed.

The four had no choice but to cooperate.

Soon the mountaintop emptied, leaving only a corpse behind. No one came to collect it. Taishu Shancheng's body was simply left exposed beneath the open sky.

...

A wooden platform jutted out from a cliff amid mountains blanketed in flowers.

Sha Rulai stood at the railing while his trusted subordinate, Wang Zun, reported the results of the contest in the Desolate Marsh Deadlands.

When he finished listening, Sha Rulai turned his head with obvious surprise. "Ding Wei had his eye on him, yet he still came through unharmed?"

Wang Zun said, "He's still being questioned, but judging from the situation, Niu Youdao should be fine. They probably only took him back for another round of questioning to complete the formal process. With Misty Pavilion itself having violated the rules, Ding Wei's main concern now will probably be how to explain the matter to the Sacred Venerables. Besides, after something like this, Ding Wei likely won't dare touch Niu Youdao for the time being. Otherwise, people might start wondering why. At a moment like this, Ding Wei won't want his own actions becoming tangled in suspicion."

Sha Rulai nodded faintly and muttered, "Chao Shenghuai is dead. Chao Jing is dead too. How did everything happen so conveniently? Could Niu Youdao have been behind those deaths as well?"

Wang Zun hesitated. "That seems unlikely, doesn't it? It's already been proven that Taishu Shancheng killed Chao Jing."

Sha Rulai continued musing to himself. "And Ye Nian's disciple actually stepped forward to testify for Niu Youdao..."

Wang Zun smiled. "Niu Youdao bluffed Ao Feng into coming forward. I imagine Ao Feng must be furious."

Hands behind his back, Sha Rulai said thoughtfully, "Even Ding Wei failed to do anything to him. Niu Youdao came out fine, while Ding Wei himself is the one left scrambling."

Wang Zun ventured, "Sir seems to pay unusual attention to this Niu Youdao."

Sha Rulai gave him a cold sidelong glance.

Wang Zun bowed slightly and immediately fell silent.

Sha Rulai lifted his gaze toward the sky. "Have all the people in the Tiandu Secret Realm who knew about the matter of the clothes been dealt with?"

Wang Zun bowed. "Rest assured, sir. Everyone who knew a set of clothes had gone missing has been dealt with. No one else will know. Sir, there is something I don't understand. So much time has passed since the events in the Tiandu Secret Realm. Why did you suddenly think to clean this up now? Was losing one set of clothes really that important?"

Sha Rulai said, "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. When the time comes for you to know, I will tell you. Otherwise, knowing would benefit neither you nor me."

"Yes!" Wang Zun answered.

Just then, a clear feminine voice called from behind them. "Senior Brother!"

Wang Zun glanced back. A beautiful, alluring woman was walking toward them through the sea of flowers. It was Luo Fangfei.

Sha Rulai did not need to turn around to know who had come. He tilted his head slightly and murmured, "Withdraw."

"Yes!" Wang Zun took his leave. As he passed Luo Fangfei, he cupped his hands to her, then quickly departed.

Luo Fangfei merely inclined her chin slightly. She continued toward her husband, her gaze still brimming with affection as she looked at Sha Rulai.

Seeing that her senior brother remained unmoved, she tried to find a topic that might interest him enough to speak with her. "Senior Brother, I heard some news. Ding Wei had that Niu Youdao detained for questioning."

Sha Rulai turned to look at her. "Have you forgotten the lesson Master taught you when he confined you for a month? I have no interest in Niu Youdao. Learn from one setback and gain some wisdom. From now on, don't involve yourself in his affairs again."

A trace of girlish displeasure appeared on Luo Fangfei's face. "Why does everyone say that to me? I only asked about it. I didn't do anything else."

...

At Zijin Cave, Sect Leader Gong Lince personally escorted a guest outside and cupped his hands as Tiannü Sect Leader Chi Qingli boarded a large flying mount.

Only after watching his guest depart did Gong Lince turn back. He had barely stepped through the entrance when a disciple hurried after him to report, "Sect Leader, Pavilion Master Yucang of Xiaoyue Pavilion has arrived."

Gong Lince stopped and frowned. "It seems they're all here because of the Sacred Realm tempering. I wonder what exactly happened inside. Invite him in." With that, he returned to an inner courtyard and waited inside an elegant pavilion.

Before long, a Zijin Cave disciple escorted Yucang inside. Host and guest exchanged courteous greetings outside the pavilion, then Gong Lince invited him in and they took their seats.

Once tea had been served, Gong Lince smiled. "Pavilion Master Yucang has come a long way. I assume there is some matter on which you wish to advise me."

Yucang waved a hand and sighed. "I won't speak in circles with Brother Gong. The reason I came is that Qiyun Sect Leader Taishu Feihua came to see me."

Gong Lince probed, "Why did he come to you?"

"People from Misty Pavilion went to Qiyun Sect and told them to send another Elder into Sacred Realm as a replacement for the tempering. They said Taishu Shancheng, who entered earlier, caused trouble and was punished by Misty Pavilion. Misty Pavilion revealed nothing about what actually happened. They simply took another Elder away. Naturally, Taishu Feihua is living in fear. Before coming to me, he went to people from Qi and Wei to ask whether they knew anything, but he learned nothing. Then he asked me, and I had no idea what had happened either."

So that was why he had come.

Gong Lince said, "And therefore you came to ask me? How would I know what happened inside Sacred Realm? You know Elder Niu was taken back into Sacred Realm."

Yucang said, "Before Elder Niu left, did he really say nothing more to you?"

In truth, as early as a month ago, Misty Pavilion personnel had already come to question Yucang about whether he had given Niu Youdao twenty million gold coins.

Why were they suddenly asking about that?

Yucang could not understand it. Misty Pavilion refused to explain what had happened, leaving him anxious ever since. Now Taishu Feihua had come looking for him, and Yucang had learned someone had died. Worried, and despite knowing Zijin Cave might not reveal any secret even if it knew one, he still could not resist coming here to ask.

Gong Lince smiled bitterly. "I would like to know what happened inside Sacred Realm too. To tell you the truth, Brother Yucang, Chi Qingli only just left. She also knows Niu Youdao came back once, so she came to ask me about the same matter. Qiyun Sect only had to send in one replacement Elder. Tiannü Sect had to send three people at once. Misty Pavilion told them everyone Tiannü Sect originally sent had died."

"Ah!" Yucang looked startled and uncertain. "What exactly is going on with this tempering? They can simply send replacement personnel in whenever people die?"

Gong Lince sighed repeatedly. "The will of the Sacred Venerables is difficult to fathom. Who knows?"

...

"Your Majesty, why postpone it again?"

Inside the imperial palace of Jin, Shao Pingbo had once again requested an audience of his own accord and now stood inside the imperial study questioning Taishu Xiong. He was genuinely close to losing his patience.

The third time.

This was already the third time their move against Wei had been postponed.

The turmoil surrounding the Sacred Realm tempering had finally seemed to pass. They had waited another two months and confirmed that everything had returned to normal before restarting the plan. Preparations were nearly complete. They were almost at the point of overturning the table and beginning in earnest when an urgent imperial order once again commanded everything to stop.

Even with Shao Pingbo's ability to keep his composure, this repeated back-and-forth was becoming unbearable. Did they think the people of Wei were fools? If this continued, sooner or later they would expose some flaw.

Behind the desk, Taishu Xiong leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Something happened to Qiyun Sect's people inside Sacred Realm. Elder Taishu Shancheng was killed by Misty Pavilion, and Misty Pavilion has gone to Qiyun Sect..."

Once Shao Pingbo heard the situation, he was momentarily dumbfounded. Then he understood.

Qiyun Sect was living in fear right now. No one knew what Taishu Shancheng had done, how serious it was, or what consequences might follow. Under circumstances like these, how could Qiyun Sect possibly have the mind to wage war?

And if Qiyun Sect fell, Jin would lose the power it relied upon. No matter how many cities and territories the Jin armies seized, they would never be able to hold them. The emperor was helpless as well.

Once Shao Pingbo recovered, however, he still could not understand it. "Why would they kill Elder Taishu for no reason? That was Sacred Realm. Elder Taishu would never seek death without cause. If anything, he should have been even more cautious there. Could there be some hidden problem behind this? Could someone have been manipulating events?"

Taishu Xiong gave him a sidelong look. "Manipulating events inside Sacred Realm? Don't tell me you're talking about Niu Youdao."

Shao Pingbo said heavily, "It isn't impossible. I simply know nothing about what happened, so I cannot make a judgment."

Taishu Xiong raised an eyebrow. He had known it would be Niu Youdao.

By now, he had noticed that no matter what happened, Shao Pingbo's first suspicion was always Niu Youdao. It had been like this for a long time. The man was practically obsessed.

[End of Chapter 1031]