Chapter 1069: The Victor Is King; the Vanquished, an Outlaw!

Escaping the trap of Corpse-Rot Vines controlled by a mass of Demon Foxes was already difficult enough. Xiang Ming also had Sha Huanli with him, a woman without the slightest cultivation or spiritual power, and had to protect her with everything he had. At this moment, Sha Huanli had become an enormous burden.

The three Star-Plucking City men left behind in the forest saw the commotion in the distance but had not yet realized what was happening. They assumed the party had simply been attacked by Demon Foxes.

They were about to rush over to help when one of them shouted at the supposed Demon Fox Bureau personnel nearby, "If anything happens to City Lord Sha, none of you will get away clean! Why aren't you helping?"

The fake Demon Fox Bureau men merely watched them without moving. Some were expressionless; others wore cold smiles.

Then other movement erupted in the forest. A swarm of Demon Foxes suddenly appeared and charged toward the large flying mounts.

Startled, the mounts beat their wings and tried to take off, but masses of Demon Foxes raced up the trees and leapt onto them. Some birds were dragged back to the ground on the spot. Others managed to rise into the air with Demon Foxes clinging all over them. The foxes tore and bit savagely, some ripping open flesh and burrowing directly into the birds' bodies. One by one, the flying mounts eventually crashed.

Only one Gray-Feather Eagle escaped unharmed. Niu Youdao's mount rose smoothly into the sky without a single Demon Fox disturbing it, then circled high overhead with frightened cries.

Destroying such expensive and useful large flying mounts was certainly a pity.

But for this operation, Niu Youdao had instructed the Demon Fox race to spare no cost. Not one person could be allowed to escape.

To make absolutely certain no one got away and no information leaked, the first thing they naturally had to destroy once the attack began was the targets' mounts. Otherwise, if anyone took to the sky and escaped, they would never catch up.

The three Star-Plucking City guards finally realized something was wrong. The "Demon Fox Bureau" men not only made no move to help but instead drew weapons and charged straight at them.

The three immediately fled through the Desolate Marsh Deadlands, with Demon Fox Elders pursuing them all the way.

Again and again, Demon Foxes controlling Corpse-Rot Vines burst out ahead to cut off their path, coordinating with the Elders' pursuit.

Niu Youdao, already outside the main trap, watched gigantic tentacles repeatedly explode from the swamp and rise into the air. He could not help feeling somewhat worried. "Can they hold them? Nothing will go wrong, will it?"

Hei Yun stood beside him. "Don't worry. We chose this place for the trap precisely because the Corpse-Rot Vines grow most densely underground in this area. I've gathered a large number of our people here. They won't escape."

Niu Youdao said, "A cautious hand keeps a ship sailing for ten thousand years. There cannot be the slightest mistake in this. Let's go take a look." He raised his hand and shook the finger bell to summon the flying mount overhead, only for the bird to be so terrified by the horrific scene below that it refused to descend.

Niu Youdao had no choice but to turn and give another order. "Leave no one else alive. Sha Huanli and Xiang Ming are to be captured alive. If that proves impossible, then at the very least Sha Huanli's safety must be guaranteed. She absolutely cannot be harmed, or everything we've done on this trip will have been for nothing. In a certain sense, Sha Huanli ought to call the former Clan Chief 'Grandmother,' shouldn't she?"

"What kind of nonsense is that?" Hei Yun rolled his eyes. There was not the slightest blood relation between them. The Demon Fox race had no desire for this granddaughter.

As for Sha Huanli's safety, Niu Youdao had already emphasized it to Hei Yun long before. Their purpose this time was to abduct Sha Huanli, absolutely not to kill her. Hei Yun had passed that order down as well, but now he repeated it once more to the Elder beside him.

After Hei Yun gave the order, Niu Youdao flashed away, and Hei Yun followed.

Only after they had left the terrifying area did the Gray-Feather Eagle finally dare lower its altitude. Niu Youdao and Hei Yun boarded the mount and immediately pursued the three fugitives.

By the time they caught up, the three had already been trapped by Corpse-Rot Vines and dragged deep underground.

When the fugitives appeared again, what the vines brought back to the surface were three blood-soaked corpses.

Once he confirmed the loose ends had been eliminated, Niu Youdao guided the flying mount back. The three corpses were left to the Demon Foxes, which swarmed over them and tore them apart for food.

Niu Youdao had no interest in watching foxes gnaw corpses. His appetite was not nearly that strong. He left.

When they returned to the place where the first attack had begun, there was already no sign that any fighting had occurred. The swarms of Demon Foxes had vanished as well. The trapped targets had clearly been taken underground.

A short while later, the swamp churned. A Demon Fox Elder surfaced, bringing up corpses as well as living captives. Sha Huanli lay cradled horizontally in one man's arms.

Niu Youdao and Hei Yun jumped down from the flying mount together.

The other living captive was Xiang Ming, Chief Steward of Star-Plucking City. He looked wretched and was being held under guard, struggling as he repeatedly cried, "Miss! Miss! Miss..."

Sha Huanli did not respond at all.

Xiang Ming threw back his head and wept bitterly, tears streaming down his aged face. "Sir and Madam showed me kindness weightier than a mountain. I was incompetent and failed to protect the young mistress. I deserve ten thousand deaths!"

The "Sir" he spoke of naturally meant Sha Rulai. The "Madam" was not Luo Fangfei, but Sha Rulai's first wife, Sha Huanli's birth mother.

Seeing Sha Huanli lying there like a corpse, Niu Youdao frowned and lifted his chin toward her. His voice sank. "What happened?"

Hei Yun likewise said sternly, "Didn't we tell you to capture her alive and not harm her?"

The Elder holding Sha Huanli smiled bitterly. "Clan Chief, she's fine. She was only frightened unconscious. We can wake her whenever we want." He tilted his head toward Xiang Ming. "This old fellow, though, fought to the bitter end. We nearly had no choice but to kill him. Fortunately, he's utterly loyal to this woman. Once she fell into our hands, threatening her safety made him give up resisting, so we managed to capture him alive as well."

Hearing that Sha Huanli was unharmed, Niu Youdao stepped forward and personally checked her condition. Only then did he relax.

By now Xiang Ming had noticed him. He roared, "Niu Youdao, you've got some damned audacity! You actually dare collude with the Demon Fox race? Aren't you afraid of the Sacred Venerables' thunderous wrath?"

Even now he could hardly believe it. How could Niu Youdao possibly have joined hands with the Demon Fox race? Sacred Realm had tried countless times to plant people inside the Demon Fox race and failed every time. Precisely because of that history, the Demon Foxes simply did not trust outsiders.

Niu Youdao abruptly turned around and declared in ringing tones, "The victor is king; the vanquished, an outlaw!"

"..."

Xiang Ming was actually struck speechless for a moment by the force of Niu Youdao's bearing and words. Then he roared again, "If you dare touch the young mistress, Mr. Sha will never let you go!"

Niu Youdao suddenly smiled. "Chief Steward Xiang, don't worry. So long as Mr. Sha is willing to save his own daughter, I won't harm so much as one finger on City Lord Sha's hand. So long as he's willing to save all of you, I'll return you safely to Sha Rulai. If Sha Rulai doesn't want to save you, then there's nothing I can do."

Xiang Ming froze, then understood. The reason they had been taken alive was probably to use them as leverage against Sha Rulai. He immediately shouted, "Niu Youdao, what are you trying to do?"

"What I want to do is none of your concern, nor is it your place to concern yourself with it." Niu Youdao dismissed him with one sentence, then raised a hand and gestured for him to shut up.

He was no longer the Niu Youdao who had first arrived in Star-Plucking City all those years ago.

The Demon Fox Elder restraining Xiang Ming reached out and pinched the back of his neck. Xiang Ming's eyes rolled upward, and he immediately fell unconscious.

Niu Youdao turned back. "Take them down and guard them carefully. Nothing can happen to them. Later, send them to the location I designate."

Hei Yun nodded and raised a hand in signal. The Demon Fox Elders took the captives and sank back into the swamp.

Only Hei Yun and Niu Youdao remained. Every trace of the fighting had been swallowed by the returning marsh.

Looking across the surroundings, Hei Yun chuckled. "Before this, I was wondering how you could possibly lure them to the ambush point we'd prepared. I never expected you'd fabricate a traveling palace belonging to your master. Weren't you afraid they wouldn't come?"

What he meant was obvious. If the other side had refused the bait, then once Niu Youdao had spoken those words, there would have been no way to take them back. If the story spread, Niu Youdao would be in serious trouble.

Niu Youdao sighed. "That's precisely why I had to invent something tempting enough to draw them in. Plans can't keep up with changes. I had no better choice. I learned that she intended to leave on the very night the wedding ended. That gave us no preparation time at all. With your people's speed on foot and no flying mounts, there was simply no time to reach the original ambush site. Once this opportunity passed, finding another chance to act would be difficult."

"Besides, your chances of success are much greater inside the Desolate Marsh Deadlands. I could only adapt on the spot and make a decisive choice. I had no choice but to take this dangerous gamble."

Hei Yun shook his head with a sigh. "What do you plan to do next?"

"Now that they're in our hands, one test will tell us whether Sha Rulai is the hidden hand behind all this. If it is him..." Niu Youdao spoke slowly. "Since I couldn't invite him out, I'll have to force him to come meet me."

He glanced back. "I don't have much time and can't remain here long. I'll leave first. I'll trouble the Clan Chief to arrange the rest."

Hei Yun nodded. "Don't worry. We've already handled something this large. The remaining details won't be a problem."

Niu Youdao did not stand on ceremony. He used the finger bell to summon the circling Gray-Feather Eagle, flashed onto its back, and quickly vanished into the distant sky.

He hurried to the place where he had left Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie. After finding the two, he immediately turned back toward Wentian City.

By the time he reached Wentian City, two days had passed. After briefly reporting the necessary matters there, Niu Youdao returned to his own quarters.

The moment he came back, he went straight into his study, wrote a letter, and sealed it inside a hollow silver hairpin he had carved himself, closing it completely.

Afterward he contacted Qu Lingkun. When he handed over the silver hairpin, he warned him specifically, "Give this letter to the person behind you. Make one thing absolutely clear: only the person who can truly make the decisions is allowed to read it."

He then added, "And let me offer you one piece of advice, Brother Qu. Do not unseal it and look for yourself. If you read what's in this letter, or if there's even the slightest irregularity in the seal, I can guarantee you won't keep your life. Even if I don't kill you, the people behind you won't let you live. Remember that."

Qu Lingkun looked uncertain and alarmed. After accepting the item, he nodded. "I'll pass it upward as quickly as possible."

...

"What's going on? Still no news?"

Inside a pavilion at Daluo Sacred Land, Sha Rulai had been sitting when Wang Zun entered. He immediately rose and questioned him.

Wang Zun shook his head. "The people at Sacred Realm's exit report that, up to now, Miss and her party still haven't left."

Sha Rulai paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, visibly anxious. "How can that be? By rights, they should've left Sacred Realm long ago. Even if something unexpected delayed them, Xiang Ming wouldn't let me worry like this. He should have reported promptly. Could something have happened?"

Wang Zun reassured him, "Sir, don't worry yet. As things stand, no one has any reason to move against Miss. Doing so would accomplish nothing except angering you. It wouldn't serve any useful purpose. Please steady yourself. I'll go make further inquiries right now."

"Ask everywhere she might possibly have gone. Go." Sha Rulai waved his sleeve.

His mind was clearly in turmoil. A vague sense had already begun to tell him that something might indeed have happened.

Wang Zun cupped his hands and withdrew.

[End of Chapter 1069]