Chapter 1052: Sincerity in Cooperation

Tianhuo Sect Elder Lu Yao in particular found the situation difficult to ignore.

Misty Pavilion had reassigned Kunlin Shu to Niu Youdao. Although Tianhuo Sect would be allowed to send another disciple in as a replacement, Niu Youdao's side had effectively gained one extra pair of hands.

Not only had he gained another man, he had gained another Goldenwing as well.

His treatment was plainly better than everyone else's.

Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie were feeling somewhat strange too. Why did it seem as though their Elder had deliberately reminded everyone that he possessed two Goldenwings?

Earlier, they had not entirely understood what he meant when he said the timing was right.

After listening to the conversation just now, however, they had begun to grasp it.

The so-called timing being right seemed to mean pushing the other factions into actually carrying out their duties as inspectors, urging them to start looking for trouble with Misty Pavilion.

The two of them were not fools. Having witnessed the entire process, they gradually understood Niu Youdao's intent.

Had he tried to stir everyone up earlier, the others would probably have suspected his motives. Now, though, everything had fallen naturally into place.

If the purpose really was to push the other factions into making trouble for Misty Pavilion, then the two had to admit that the timing truly was right.

But what exactly was Elder Niu trying to accomplish?

Niu Youdao did not escort his guests far. He stopped at the gate.

Once the visitors had gone, Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie returned from seeing them off outside and closed the gates from both sides.

There was now one additional person inside.

Kunlin Shu.

Niu Youdao turned and looked back at the solitary figure standing not far away. He smiled faintly. "You must have endured plenty of cold looks from Tianhuo Sect during this period."

Kunlin Shu's feelings were complicated.

He understood very clearly that after Misty Pavilion personally intervened this time, his ties to Tianhuo Sect, at least in terms of whom he answered to during the tempering, had basically been severed.

He no longer needed to remain with Tianhuo Sect for the duration of the tempering.

Once the tempering ended, he would also have fulfilled the promise he had made to Tianhuo Sect. Naturally, he would return to Zijin Cave afterward.

He slowly walked forward, cupped his hands, and bowed. "Thank you, Master Dao."

By now, how could he fail to understand what Qin Guan had meant earlier by asking him to endure things for a while?

Clearly, Master Dao had once again hauled him out of the deep water and blazing fire he had been suffering through on Tianhuo Sect's side.

The fact that Niu Youdao had actually managed to make Misty Pavilion intervene in something like this left Kunlin Shu thoroughly convinced of his ability.

Niu Youdao smiled. "We're our own people. Saying thanks only makes us sound distant. Kunlin Shu, I know you still remember your old ties to Tianhuo Sect, but staying with them was too dangerous for you. You and your wife haven't been married long. Fire Phoenix is still waiting for you to return alive. I promised her I would help you return safely, so naturally I have to do everything I can."

"You spent ten years in seclusion at Tianhuo Sect, and Fire Phoenix waited ten years for you. Now she waits day and night for you again. Tianhuo Sect harbors ill intentions toward you. I hope you can set aside your old feelings for them for the time being. Nothing matters more than returning alive. First go back alive and give Fire Phoenix an answer. Tianhuo Sect can be dealt with later. Don't fail another person, and don't fail yourself."

"If you can understand that, then all the effort I've spent won't have been wasted. If you still can't let go and insist on entangling yourself with Tianhuo Sect now, if you'd rather fail Fire Phoenix and leave her a widow, then what can I do? I can hardly tie you up."

Kunlin Shu gave no answer.

He fell silent.

The master who had raised him from childhood was still in Tianhuo Sect's hands.

Although Lu Yao had been forced to hand Kunlin Shu over to Niu Youdao, he had still given Kunlin Shu instructions before parting: if he noticed anything unusual on Niu Youdao's side, he was to inform Tianhuo Sect promptly.

Niu Youdao tilted his chin toward the birdcage hanging beneath the eaves. "Starting today, those two Goldenwings are yours to look after."

It amounted to giving Kunlin Shu a light duty.

"Yes!" Kunlin Shu accepted the order. Unsure what else he could say to Niu Youdao, he used the opportunity to turn and walk toward the birdcage.

Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie came to stand on either side of Niu Youdao. Watching Kunlin Shu's silent retreat, both felt that the man was somewhat ungrateful.

They also could not quite understand what their Elder was thinking.

A melon forced from the vine was never sweet. Why spend so much thought and effort on him?

After a while, Qin Guan lowered his voice. "Elder, you've pushed the other factions into looking for trouble with Misty Pavilion. What do we do next?"

Niu Youdao said, "What we should do."

Ke Dingjie smiled. "Elder, don't worry. Senior Brother Qin and I will follow your instructions. We'll keep watching Misty Pavilion and make trouble where there's no trouble. Sooner or later we'll dig something up."

Niu Youdao looked from one man to the other. "Too much is as bad as too little. We've already done what needed doing. We can stop now. Both of you behave yourselves."

"Uh..." The two exchanged puzzled looks.

Qin Guan asked suspiciously, "If we're supposed to behave ourselves, then why did Elder just push the other factions into making trouble for Misty Pavilion?"

Niu Youdao said, "Is it enjoyable having Misty Pavilion's eyes fixed on us all the time? Isn't it better to have other people keeping Misty Pavilion's bureaus and departments too busy to breathe? We can pull back and get out of the center of their attention. Let the others go forward now."

With that, he turned and headed toward the gate.

Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie started after him, only for Niu Youdao, walking with one hand resting on his sword, to raise the other and stop them.

The two had no choice but to halt and watch him open the gate and leave alone.

Niu Youdao descended the steps and went straight to Qu Lingkun, who was standing guard on the current shift.

He lowered his voice. "I want to establish contact with my people outside Sacred Realm."

Qu Lingkun nearly jumped.

He swiftly glanced left and right. His heart was pounding, though he worked hard to keep his expression calm. In a low voice, he said, "Are you insane? I told you the Demon Fox Bureau is secretly watching you. If you need something, call for me and I'll go inside. How can you walk out openly and come looking for me?"

Niu Youdao said, "Don't worry. Meeting openly once in a while won't cause trouble. If anyone asks afterward, say I have one more person here now and asked you to add another serving to the meals."

Kunlin Shu had not yet formally committed himself, so Niu Youdao did not want to call Qu Lingkun inside for a secret discussion today. He was deliberately keeping some distance.

Qu Lingkun tried to steady his racing heart. "Given your circumstances, contacting the outside world may not be convenient. The people above may not agree."

"I need timely information about what's happening outside. Just report my request upward."

"Understood. Once my shift ends, I'll pass your meaning upward as quickly as I can."

Niu Youdao cupped his hands, turned, and went back inside.

...

Late that night, Sha Rulai walked into a waterside pavilion.

In the shadows beneath one of the pillars, Wang Zun spoke quietly. "Niu Youdao wants to establish contact with his people outside Sacred Realm. He says he needs timely information about the situation outside."

Hands behind his back, Sha Rulai looked at the starlight reflected across the water beyond the railing. "What kind of joke is that? The moment he establishes contact with the outside world, won't his people outside immediately know he has an inside source within Sacred Realm? If Misty Pavilion ever gets wind of it, they'll follow the trail all the way back to us. Tell him no. If he wants information about the outside world, we can provide it just as promptly, and our information will be more detailed than anything his own people possess."

"Yes!" Wang Zun answered.

Yet late the following night, Wang Zun once again sent the signal requesting a meeting.

This time, the two met in a secluded hollow among the mountains.

Wang Zun reported, "He said he doesn't even know who you are or what you're trying to accomplish. He has no way to trust information you provide. He said if you want him to trust your information, that's fine too, but he wants to meet you. Only after confirming your identity will he believe you."

"He gave you two choices. Pick one. If you refuse both, he believes there's no reason to continue cooperating. To keep you from dragging him in too deeply, while he still hasn't done anything, he'll make a clean decision and report to Lan Daolin that someone inside Sacred Realm is secretly colluding with him."

"He also said: if you want cooperation, show some sincerity. And he emphasized one more thing. The moment he establishes secret contact with the outside world, he leaves leverage in your hands as well. At the same time, he wants you to know that the people contacting him are absolutely reliable. There will be no leak. If word got out, they would be gambling with their own lives."

Sha Rulai remained silent for a long time.

At last, he slowly said, "When messages are passed, every precaution must be taken. Under no circumstances can anyone with ulterior motives be given a trail they can follow back to the source."

"Understood," Wang Zun answered.

...

Tiandu Peak, Misty Pavilion.

Tiannü Sect Leader Chi Qingli paced outside Misty Pavilion.

News that one group of tempering participants had left Sacred Realm had already spread without wings.

So many people had come out of Sacred Realm to carry out assignments. No effort had been made to hide them, and they were appearing openly in public. There was no practical way to keep the matter secret, so it was perfectly normal for the various factions to learn of it.

The headquarters of the All-Under-Heaven Money House was located inside Misty Pavilion at Tiandu Peak.

Chi Qingli had come precisely because she hoped to see Tiannü Sect Elder Qi Bisang.

She had already asked the guards to pass word inside. Whether she would actually be allowed to meet Qi Bisang, she had no idea.

Misty Pavilion, however, did not seem intent on preventing the inspectors from contacting the factions behind them.

In the end, Qi Bisang appeared.

Chi Qingli was delighted to see her.

Qi Bisang, on the other hand, felt somewhat guilty. After all, she had written down things that were unfavorable to her sect.

After exchanging greetings, the two stepped aside to speak.

Naturally, Chi Qingli asked what exactly was happening.

Qi Bisang concealed nothing that did not need concealing.

By now, certain intentions within Sacred Realm had become fairly obvious. Relying on the inspectors alone would have limited effect. It appeared they were being allowed to draw upon the strength of their sects as backing and support. Otherwise, Misty Pavilion would hardly have permitted the two of them to meet.

After hearing part of the situation, Chi Qingli was shocked. "Niu Youdao got a Misty Pavilion steward thrown into prison inside Sacred Realm, and he even got a Misty Pavilion deacon killed?"

Qi Bisang said, "I don't know the exact details, but that's more or less what Misty Pavilion's internal announcement said. They've already issued the notice publicly, so it shouldn't be false."

Once she understood what Sacred Realm intended, Chi Qingli's expression grew grave, and so did her heart.

They were forcing the major factions to fight Misty Pavilion.

...

Inside Zijin Cave's council hall, Elder Yan Li's roar carried outside.

"Has that bastard gone mad? He actually dares stir up trouble inside Sacred Realm? What is he trying to do?"

The senior figures of Zijin Cave all wore grave expressions.

The rumors they had heard had frightened them badly.

Normally, no one dared provoke even a single member of Misty Pavilion.

Niu Youdao, however, had managed to get a Misty Pavilion steward thrown into Sacred Realm's prison and had even gotten a Misty Pavilion deacon killed.

What was this supposed to mean?

Did he think Misty Pavilion would not dare move against Zijin Cave?

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy.

Gong Lince considered the matter carefully before slowly saying, "Since when has Misty Pavilion ever allowed information from inside Sacred Realm to spread freely outside? The rumors may not be true. Investigate more carefully and confirm them before we say anything further."

...

At the Maolu Annex, Wen Mo'er, now dressed as a married woman, received a letter at the entrance and turned gracefully toward the deeper part of the inner courtyard.

Whatever storms raged outside, Gong Lince had still honored his promise.

Wen Mo'er had no choice but to accept the fate arranged for her.

She had already married Ju An.

She brought the letter to Yuan Gang in the inner residence.

As he accepted it, Yuan Gang asked, "Whose letter?"

Wen Mo'er smiled. "I don't know. Someone delivered it outside the mountain gate and asked that it be passed to you."

Yuan Gang thanked her, and Wen Mo'er took her leave.

He opened the letter.

The instant he recognized the handwriting, his expression changed sharply.

[End of Chapter 1052]