Chapter 1091: Wu Fei

"Burn Wuliang Garden?" Hei Yun was badly startled. "Niu Youdao, you really dare think of anything!"

Niu Youdao said, "Then do you have any other way?"

"Wuliang Garden is a place the Nine Dogs practically wish they could guard in person. Once you sweep a fire across it, the disturbance certainly won't be small. Aren't you afraid you'll burn up some serious trouble?"

"What trouble could there be? The Nine Dogs have intensified their rectification of Misty Pavilion. Even I can feel people inside Misty Pavilion beginning to stir restlessly in resistance. This is precisely the right time to set a fire. The Nine Saints will definitely suspect someone inside Misty Pavilion did it."

"In any case, at a time like this, no one will suspect me. It's the perfect opportunity to create chaos and set a great fire. Even if they discover the Demon Fox race did it, who could possibly connect it to me?"

Hei Yun asked, "Once the fire starts, are you certain my people can get away?"

"That's why you need to prepare thoroughly. Have plenty of tinder and other flammable material ready. The moment the fire starts, it has to become fierce enough immediately. The bigger the fire, the better."

"Only if the blaze is large enough will enough people come out of Wuliang Garden, making it more likely Ao Feng will be drawn out. Only if the blaze is large enough will Wuliang Garden's guards fear for the Garden's safety. If anything happens to Wuliang Garden, none of them can bear the responsibility. They'll have no choice but to rush to extinguish the fire. Their first priority will be ensuring Wuliang Garden's safety."

"Once that happens, everything else becomes secondary. With Wuliang Garden's guards too occupied to concern themselves with anything else, your people will have cover to withdraw quietly and safely."

"Clan Chief, the fire absolutely must be large. If it's too small and can be put out easily, the guards will immediately search the surrounding area. A small fire puts your people in danger. A large fire keeps them safe and gives them enough time to get away. Understand?"

Hei Yun fell silent and considered it for a while before finally nodding faintly. "Wuliang Garden is a long way from here, and we still need to prepare. I'll need several days."

"Keep in contact. Once everything is ready, I'll go there personally."

"Nonsense. You want to meet Ao Feng. If you don't go yourself, am I supposed to meet him for you?"

...

As he neared Wentian City, Niu Youdao noticed that a small stone had been stacked atop a huge boulder on one mountain. He immediately guided the Gray-Feather Eagle down.

This was the new method of contact between him and Sha Rulai. If there was no stone atop the boulder, there was nothing to report. If a stone had been placed there, it meant a message was waiting.

Niu Youdao no longer wanted to use Qu Lingkun to pass messages between the two sides. Qu Lingkun stayed close to Niu Youdao, and if they kept using him for long enough, someone would eventually notice something. Unless a message was so urgent that it absolutely had to be delivered immediately, Qu Lingkun would no longer be activated.

After checking the surroundings, Niu Youdao removed the small stone from the top of the boulder. Then he reached into a crevice beneath the great rock, felt around for a moment, and pulled out another stone. From a small hole drilled through it, he extracted a secret letter.

He unfolded it and read.

Sha Rulai wanted to meet him.

...

Two days later, under cover of night, Niu Youdao returned to the canyon where he and Sha Rulai had first met.

The moment Niu Youdao arrived, Sha Rulai, who had reached the place first and was hiding in the darkness, revealed himself.

When they came together, both men first surveyed the surroundings warily.

Niu Youdao asked, "Why did Mr. Sha ask to meet?"

"The matter you mentioned in your last letter isn't suitable for passing back and forth in writing. Better to discuss it face-to-face."

So it was about that.

Niu Youdao immediately asked, "Have you found someone for the task I entrusted to you?"

"I did find one person, but he may not fully meet your requirements. He knows a fair amount about the internal situation of Tianmo Sacred Land, but it's probably impossible for him to keep track of Wu Chang's movements."

"He has some status inside Tianmo Sacred Land, but only on the outer perimeter. He can't reach the true core. In fact, there are very few people inside Tianmo Sacred Land who can keep track of Wu Chang's movements at all."

"I've already called the man out. He's waiting several dozen li away. If you want to see him, we can go at any time. If you don't, forget it."

Niu Youdao asked, "Who is he?"

"His name is Wu Fei. He's a grand-disciple of Elder Zhu Xin of Tianmo Sacred Land."

"Are you certain you can control him?"

"On that point, you can rest easy. While I was presiding over Misty Pavilion, I discovered a fatal problem of his. I helped suppress the matter, and he's been under my control ever since. I kept him in reserve for emergencies."

"I never saw any real use for him before, so I never activated him. If you need him, I'll activate him now. If you don't, forget it."

"But let me make one thing clear beforehand. Tianmo Sacred Land has its own measures for guarding against infiltration. Finding someone from inside is not easy. Wu Fei is already the limit of what I can manage. I truly cannot provide someone who completely satisfies every one of your conditions."

Niu Youdao considered it, then made his decision. "Let's meet him first, ask about the situation, and decide afterward."

Sha Rulai, wrapped in a black cloak, flicked his arm and tossed another black cloak over. "Put it on."

Niu Youdao paused.

Sha Rulai had already taken out a mask and fastened it over his own face.

Niu Youdao could not help asking, "Didn't you say the man is already under your control?"

"I control him, but he has no idea who I am. Exposing my identity for his sake isn't worth it. Surely you don't intend to show him your real face either?"

That made sense.

Niu Youdao immediately put on the cloak, then took the mask wrapped inside it and placed it over his face. He gave a quiet chuckle. "Mr. Sha came well prepared."

"Better to be careful. Come. Follow me."

At Sha Rulai's call, the two flashed away one after the other.

After traveling swiftly, they reached a mountain valley several dozen li away.

Once they arrived, Sha Rulai raised a hand and snapped his fingers three times in succession. Evidently, this was the signal they had agreed upon.

Niu Youdao watched the surroundings.

A bearded man emerged from the darkness not far away and flashed down before them. He looked uncertainly at the two men, who were dressed almost identically, then slowly cupped his hands.

"Gentlemen, why have you summoned me?"

Sha Rulai deliberately roughened his voice. "Wu Fei, we called you here because there are things we want to ask. You will answer honestly. Conceal anything, and you will bear the consequences yourself."

Wu Fei sighed deeply. He was obviously unhappy at being threatened like this. "Ask. What do you want to know?"

Sha Rulai looked toward Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao nodded slightly, then disguised his own voice as well. "How much do you know about Wu Chang refining Crow Generals?"

At those words, Sha Rulai's gaze immediately shifted sideways. He stared at Niu Youdao with open surprise and suspicion.

Wu Fei looked stunned. "Crow Generals? I truly don't know anything about that."

He quickly waved a hand and added, "I'm not hiding anything. How could I possibly know about secret arts used by the Sacred Venerable? I've never even seen them."

Niu Youdao asked, "Does Wu Chang often kill people inside Tianmo Sacred Land?"

Wu Fei hesitated. "So long as people obey the rules, why would Tianmo Sacred Land kill people for no reason? It happens occasionally."

"Have you personally seen him kill someone inside Tianmo Sacred Land?"

"I saw it once in the past. Someone angered the Sacred Venerable, and the Sacred Venerable killed him in front of everyone. But the Sacred Venerable rarely acts personally. In all my years at Tianmo Sacred Land, I've only seen it happen that once."

"You only saw it once. Why say it happens occasionally?"

"There are things I didn't witness myself, but I've heard other people mention them."

"What happens to people from Tianmo Sacred Land after they're killed?"

"There's a mass graveyard on the outer edge of the Sacred Land. The dead should all be buried there."

"Are the people Wu Chang kills personally buried there too?"

Wu Fei's eyes flickered. He clearly did not understand why the other man was asking these questions. "They should be."

"I don't want 'should be.' I want a definite answer."

"I can't guarantee it. But I've seen corpses carried out from the Sacred Hall and taken to that mass graveyard."

That information secretly lifted Niu Youdao's spirits.

He continued, "If I asked you to steal several sets of remains from that graveyard, would there be a problem?"

Wu Fei looked astonished. "You want corpses from the mass graveyard?"

"You only need to answer whether you can do it."

"Once someone has been thrown into a mass graveyard and reduced to bones, who cares about the place? It's desolate and eerie, and normally no one goes there. Digging up a few sets of remains shouldn't be a problem."

Privately, Wu Fei was muttering to himself that if they had summoned him merely for something like this, there truly did not seem to be much risk.

Niu Youdao asked, "Do you know everyone buried there?"

"I've only been inside the Sacred Land for about thirty years. I might remember people who died during those thirty years. Anyone from before that, I definitely wouldn't know."

Thirty years?

According to what Zhao Xiongge had told him, Niu Youdao did not need to go back anywhere near that far.

He relaxed slightly. "If I give you several names, can you find the exact places where their remains were buried?"

"That..." Wu Fei considered it, then shook his head. "I wasn't the one who buried them. How would I know exactly where their bones are?"

"But if you truly need to know, it shouldn't be too difficult. I can find the people who buried the bodies and ask around."

"Wouldn't asking about something like that make people suspicious?"

"It shouldn't be a serious problem. The people assigned to bury corpses are generally low-level people in the Sacred Land with no status or standing."

"I can find an opportunity to eat and drink with them as though by chance and casually probe during the conversation. So long as the dead have specific names and identities, they should remember something."

"If I get the answer, then after the matter is done I can find some excuse to become angry with the person and silence him. Those people know no important secrets and have no status. Killing one is killing one. With my identity and background, no one will pay too much attention. If I'm careful, there shouldn't be trouble."

"Good." Niu Youdao expressed his approval.

Sha Rulai, standing nearby, was still wondering what exactly was going on.

When Niu Youdao first mentioned Crow Generals, Sha Rulai had begun to suspect he might be planning something against Wuliang Garden.

But the more he heard afterward, the more confused he became.

What did digging up corpses have to do with anything?

When Niu Youdao turned and gave him a slight nod, Sha Rulai immediately said to Wu Fei, "Enough. Go back for now."

Wu Fei stared. "If you don't give me the names of the dead, how am I supposed to ask around?"

Niu Youdao said, "Don't think too much. If there's something for you to do, we'll contact you again."

Sha Rulai urged him, "Go."

Still full of doubts, Wu Fei cupped his hands, then quickly flashed away.

Only after confirming he had gone did Sha Rulai ask in a low voice, "Why have you suddenly become interested in corpses from Tianmo Sacred Land's mass graveyard?"

[End of Chapter 1091]