Chapter 1056: Meeting Hei Yun Again

After returning to his room, Niu Youdao once again took out the map of Sacred Realm and spread it open. He picked up the ruler he had made during his spare time and began measuring distances across the map.

First, he measured from Sacred Realm's entrance to Daluo Sacred Land and estimated the travel time.

Then he measured from the entrance to Ice and Snow Sacred Land and estimated that travel time as well.

Finally, he measured the distance from Daluo Sacred Land to Ice and Snow Sacred Land. Once he had estimated the timing, he carefully studied the terrain along all three routes.

He would stare at the map for a while, then pace before the desk. Whenever something occurred to him, he would quickly bend over the map again and reconsider.

After repeating the process for quite some time, Niu Youdao suddenly called, "Qin Guan!"

Rapid footsteps sounded outside. Qin Guan pushed open the door and entered. "Elder, what is it?"

Niu Youdao said, "Notify the Demon Fox Bureau. Tell them I'll participate in the routine sweep of the Desolate Marsh Deadlands."

"This..." Qin Guan hesitated instead of immediately accepting the order. He warned him gravely, "Elder, Misty Pavilion is already dissatisfied with us. The Demon Fox Bureau may very well seize this chance to act against you. The Desolate Marsh Deadlands is exactly the sort of place where they could do it. Something could happen far too easily there. Elder, please think carefully!"

Niu Youdao said, "The various factions have been making this much trouble, yet Misty Pavilion has continued swallowing its anger. That shows they're still restraining themselves for now. I submitted several reports in succession. If they moved against me at a time like this, the retaliation would be far too obvious. They probably aren't in that much of a hurry. There shouldn't be any problem."

"Don't worry. Since I dare go, I naturally have a way to protect myself. And to guard against the unexpected, neither of you needs to come. This time I'll accompany them alone."

Qin Guan hurriedly said, "Elder, we understand that you're trying to protect us, and we're grateful. But it would be far too dangerous for you to go alone. If something happens, you won't even have anyone there to help. Even if the two of us can't do much, at least we can lend some support."

"No need to say more. It's settled."

Qin Guan had no choice but to withdraw. Later, however, he pulled Ke Dingjie over and the two tried persuading Niu Youdao together.

Faced with their repeated pleas, Niu Youdao hesitated again and again before finally agreeing to take them.

In their view, it would have been best to bring Kunlin Shu as well. One more person meant one more source of support if anything happened. Niu Youdao absolutely refused, however, so the two could only settle for what they had managed to obtain.

...

At the Maolu Annex in Zijin Cave, Guan Fangyi hurried into Yuan Gang's courtyard.

In the past, if Yuan Gang had summoned her, she certainly would not have come this eagerly. Ever since Niu Youdao's letter arrived, however, the moment she heard Yuan Gang wanted her, she came at once.

As soon as she arrived, she followed Yuan Gang directly into the room, and the two shut the door behind them.

Recently, the two had often been meeting alone behind closed doors. Duan Hu, who stood guard outside, had nearly begun to suspect something improper between them. But from certain signs, it seemed far more likely they were secretly plotting something.

The moment the door closed, Guan Fangyi turned and asked Yuan Gang in a low voice, "Master Dao sent another letter?"

Yuan Gang nodded and first handed it to her, proving that new word had indeed arrived.

Guan Fangyi still could not read the wildly flowing script. Once she confirmed what it was, she handed the letter back. "What does it say?"

"Master Dao agrees with our judgment. He believes Sha Huanli probably will enter Sacred Realm to attend Xue Luo'er's wedding. Because of that, he wants us to cancel the plan to abduct Sha Huanli."

"Cancel it? Why?" Guan Fangyi asked, puzzled.

"Master Dao wants Sha Huanli to enter Sacred Realm. He'll make the move himself inside."

Guan Fangyi was startled. "Inside Sacred Realm? Is that safe?"

Yuan Gang lifted the letter in his hand. "Master Dao says that if something happens to Sha Huanli on this side, it will become an enormous affair. The cultivation world and the mortal world could both be turned upside down, and too many people would be placed in danger. Seizing Sha Huanli outside Sacred Realm was only the choice we had when there was no better option."

"Now there is a better one. Acting inside Sacred Realm is more suitable. If Sha Huanli disappears inside Sacred Realm, the disturbance remains contained there. Everyone will suspect someone inside Sacred Realm. No one will believe people from outside managed to interfere. And with nine factions inside checking and balancing one another, the waves won't spread too far."

Guan Fangyi remained worried. "I'm concerned about Master Dao's safety inside Sacred Realm. Sha Huanli will certainly have experts protecting her when she travels. Does Master Dao have enough manpower inside? Wouldn't moving rashly be too dangerous? If necessary, send another message and discuss it with him. Better to leave the actual abduction to us."

"I know him too well. Once Master Dao has made a decision, warning him that it's dangerous isn't going to persuade him. Don't worry. His ability to plan first and adapt to changing circumstances is better than ours. If he's decided to do it this way, he must have some confidence. But he still needs our cooperation."

Guan Fangyi immediately asked, "How?"

"Master Dao's eyes and ears inside Sacred Realm are limited. And no one can be certain Sha Huanli will arrive on the day of the wedding itself. She may very well leave early and enter Sacred Realm in advance. If we wait until we discover she's already departed and only then send word to Master Dao, the message will have to change hands and pass through several stages. It may not reach him before Sha Huanli enters Sacred Realm."

"With his limited eyes, ears, and manpower inside, Master Dao won't have time to improvise. So he wants us to determine Sha Huanli's exact entry time in advance, allowing him to make arrangements."

"This..." Guan Fangyi looked troubled. "Do you think that's possible? At most, we can gather some information inside Star-Plucking City. We have no way to infiltrate the City Lord's residence and master its internal movements in such a short time, much less learn Sha Huanli's exact departure time."

"Master Dao considered that. He already pointed out a direction. He wants us to contact Hong Gaitian, who is currently serving as an inspector at the All-Under-Heaven Money House. Master Dao says Hong Gaitian looks rough but is meticulous inside, making him well suited for this kind of work."

"He wants us to ask Hong Gaitian to secretly approach Bai Yulou, the manager of Inviting Moon Inn. Master Dao specifically reminded us that Bai Yulou once accepted a sum of money from him. Hong Gaitian should start from that angle..."

...

Once again, Niu Youdao stood before the Desolate Marsh Deadlands.

Both hands resting atop his planted sword, he gazed over the vast swamp while Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie stood guard nearby.

Behind them, the core personnel of the Demon Fox Bureau were gathered together, arranging the plan for the operation. Zhou Tianyu had only recently taken control of the Bureau and had no desire for his first routine sweep to end in trouble, so he had personally come to lead the group.

As he made the arrangements, Zhou Tianyu occasionally glanced back at Niu Youdao. He found that Niu Youdao seemed to have no interest whatsoever in the hunting plan.

As far as Zhou Tianyu was concerned, lack of interest was ideal. His greatest fear was that Niu Youdao would become interested, stare at every detail, find some fault, and report it upward. That would be a nightmare.

The more Niu Youdao kept himself apart from the operation, the more relieved Zhou Tianyu felt.

Once the plan was settled, Zhou Tianyu walked over to him. "Elder Niu, we're about to move. Come with me. That way we'll be able to look after one another."

Niu Youdao smiled. "No need. Just leave us a flying mount. We'll look around the Desolate Marsh Deadlands on our own."

Zhou Tianyu frowned. "Little Brother, the Demon Foxes here aren't exactly courteous toward races other than their own. The three of you alone won't be safe. Staying with us would be steadier."

Niu Youdao said, "If I'm here to inspect you, what would be the point of following beside you and watching only what you've prepared for me to see? Please make things convenient, Brother Zhou. Give us some freedom to conduct the inspection and let us look at what we choose to look at."

Zhou Tianyu cursed inwardly.

He was afraid something might happen to this bastard and leave Zhou unable to explain himself afterward.

But Niu Youdao insisted. He was not Zhou Tianyu's subordinate, and with his status as an inspector, Zhou could hardly force him. In the end, Zhou Tianyu had no choice but to do as he asked and leave one large flying mount for Niu Youdao's group.

After the Demon Fox Bureau personnel disappeared into the depths of the marsh, Niu Youdao and his two companions set out as well, circling through the sky above the Desolate Marsh Deadlands on the giant bird.

After flying for a while, Niu Youdao spotted the place he had been seeking and pointed out a location for them to descend.

Once they landed in a wooded hill amid the swamp, Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie immediately searched the area as usual.

Niu Youdao glanced at the large flying mount beside him as it preened its feathers. He casually drew a stone into his hand, used spiritual power to bore a hole through its center, took a tightly rolled scrap of paper from his sleeve, and stuffed it inside.

Then he slowly turned and walked to a conspicuous boulder nearby.

He tossed the small stone at the boulder's base and leisurely walked back.

By evening, the three hurried to the Demon Fox Bureau's gathering point, joined the others, and spent the night there.

At dawn, Niu Youdao once again operated independently. From time to time, he appeared overhead above the teams carrying out the hunt.

Flying through the sky, the three naturally could not hear the hunters below spitting curses at them.

Two days later, Niu Youdao left Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie behind at one location and flew off alone on the large mount.

After traveling for a while over the boundless marsh, he descended into a forest.

As he landed and looked around, a black fox suddenly darted out from the vegetation.

It walked toward him, its body changing as it came, until a human figure stood before him.

It was Hei Yun, Clan Chief of the Demon Fox race.

"Why did it take you so long to contact me?" Hei Yun asked the moment he reached Niu Youdao. Niu had said before that he would contact them as soon as possible.

"I had no choice. Establishing secure footing came first. Besides, any meeting between us needs to be handled carefully."

Hei Yun asked, "What about Ao Feng in Wuliang Garden? Have you contacted him?" What he cared about most was the Fox Immortal Fruit.

Niu Youdao shook his head. "You're too impatient. What kind of place is Wuliang Garden? How could I casually go there? Until everything is prepared, it would be unwise to approach it. Doing so would only invite suspicion. Once I go there, the trip has to accomplish something. Until then, I'll avoid touching Wuliang Garden as much as possible."

"Have your Demon Foxes learned anything new about the Garden?"

Hei Yun shook his head as well. "Nothing has changed. I even went personally to take a look. Under the concealment art of the great formation sealing it off, you can't see Wuliang Garden at all. There's no way to glimpse anything inside."

Niu Youdao frowned.

He did not dare ask anyone inside Misty Pavilion about Wuliang Garden. He did not even dare casually mention the place, for fear of arousing suspicion. What little he knew had come through the Demon Foxes.

The Demon Fox race had coveted Wuliang Garden for many years. Over the years, they had captured quite a few Misty Pavilion personnel in the Desolate Marsh Deadlands and continually questioned them about the Garden. With information accumulated little by little across so many years, they had at least managed to piece together some idea of what lay inside.

Wuliang Garden was defended like walls of bronze and iron.

First came the great formation concealing it. The naked eye could not see any trace of the Garden. A person could walk directly across the ground where Wuliang Garden stood and still notice nothing. With the formation also serving as protection, there was no possibility of an outsider silently breaking in.

Experts guarded the interior as well. Everyone entering or leaving was searched, making it impossible to smuggle anything through.

It was also said that specially refined Crow Generals guarded the Wuliang Fruit tree. Anyone who approached would immediately trigger an alarm.

And the number of fruits on the tree was counted once every two hours.

No opportunity for theft was left to anyone.

Forget stealing the fruit.

Even getting close was difficult.

[End of Chapter 1056]