Chapter 1136: A Chance Encounter

Qin Guan remained doubtful and uneasy. He had no idea what Niu Youdao was planning, but he knew the man's methods were extraordinary. There had to be a reason for doing this.

After following Niu Youdao for so long, he had also learned his habits. If a question went unanswered, there was no point asking it again. Continuing to press would achieve nothing.

Elsewhere, Ke Dingjie concealed himself around the corner of an alley. With his back against the wall, he looked up at the sky as though lost in thought.

When he heard footsteps, he quickly exposed the edge of his face around the corner. Seeing a man enter Xuan Yao's residence, his eyes flickered. Then he swiftly turned and left...

"He really said that?" Inside the pavilion, Xuan Yao wheeled around.

The visitor replied, "This subordinate heard every word clearly. There can be no mistake."

"He intends to move against me?" Xuan Yao muttered. He paced back and forth, his face gradually darkening.

"Yes. That's exactly what he said. This subordinate heard it personally. He shouldn't have said something like that without a target in mind. Sir, you may need to be careful, lest some petty villain scheme against you."

Xuan Yao stopped in front of him. "When does he plan to make his move?"

"He didn't say. He only said he would get to you before you could move against him. Since he's so certain he can act first, it presumably won't be long!"

Xuan Yao asked heavily, "Did he say how he intends to act against me?"

The visitor shook his head. "No. Even his own disciple asked, but he kept his mouth very tight and revealed nothing."

"Don't omit a single word. Tell me exactly what he said, in detail."

"Yes. After I saw where they were heading, I got ahead of them..." The visitor recounted the entire eavesdropping process, together with every detail of the conversation he had overheard.

After hearing everything, Xuan Yao frowned. Not knowing when Niu Youdao would act was bad enough. Not knowing how he would act was worse.

If he knew when, he could prepare in advance. If he knew the method, he could lay a trap first and turn the tables, making Niu Youdao walk into it himself. Then killing him would be perfectly justified.

But now he knew nothing. That truly left him uneasy. Niu Youdao had said he would make him die as stifled and helpless as Long Fanhai. Had Long Fanhai died a stifled death? He certainly had! Xuan Yao had to admit that Niu Youdao's methods could sometimes be almost impossible to guard against.

For Xuan Yao, the information stolen through eavesdropping was not all that different from knowing nothing at all.

There were some things both sides already understood perfectly well. If Xuan Yao had the opportunity, he would never let Niu Youdao off. Conversely, Niu Youdao would never let him off either.

After pacing in thought for a while, Xuan Yao waved a hand. "Withdraw for now. Keep watching him!"

"Yes!" The man accepted the order and departed.

Left alone in the pavilion, Xuan Yao paced back and forth for a while before walking to the window and gazing into the distance. He muttered aloud, "You'll definitely kill me first? I haven't even moved against you, and instead you're going to move against me... Five days from now, the routine sweep ends... Fine. Let's see which of us kills the other first!"

Thud! He struck the windowsill with one fist, as though he had made up his mind.

Ke Dingjie returned directly to the Demon Fox Bureau residence and found Niu Youdao. Cupping his hands, he reported, "Elder, that man really did go straight to Xuan Yao's residence."

Niu Youdao confirmed, "You're certain you didn't mistake him for someone else?"

Ke Dingjie assured him, "I saw him perfectly clearly. There can be no mistake!"

"Good." Niu Youdao nodded, then instructed both men, "Keep an eye on the other seven sects as well. The moment you see signs they're about to meet, report to me immediately. There must be no mistake!"

"Yes!" The two cupped their hands together and accepted the order. After withdrawing, they discussed taking turns watching the other seven sects. Their manpower was limited. It would be inappropriate for both to waste all their time there, and doing so would also draw attention.

People could move freely throughout Wentian City so long as they did not intrude on another party's grounds, but caution was still necessary.

Once the two men left, Niu Youdao immediately went behind the desk and sat down. He pulled over a sheet of paper, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote a secret letter to Sha Rulai.

The meticulous scheme had taken a very long time to put in place. Now that the plan had reached this stage, he could not afford the slightest mistake. He had to confirm whether Xuan Yao would proceed as planned. If anything unexpected happened, he would have to use further measures to correct the course. He absolutely could not allow an accident to disrupt his plan. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous, and all the painstaking effort already invested would come to nothing.

That was why he needed Sha Rulai's help. He needed Sha Rulai to use his influence inside Wentian City to keep watch on Xuan Yao's movements.

It was still the same problem: his own manpower was limited, while Ke Dingjie and Qin Guan could not openly tail people all over Wentian City. Given their identities, they were suited only for limited surveillance.

Power and influence often showed their true value at moments like this. Many things simply could not be accomplished by one man fighting alone. Someone like Ximen Qingkong was nothing more than a great hulking blind man in that respect...

Among the eight sects retained inside the Sacred Realm, the other seven never felt entirely secure. Every few days they would gather together. They called it discussion, but in truth they were huddling together for warmth and comforting one another so they could feel a little more at ease.

After Niu Youdao issued his instructions, it took only two days for something to happen.

Toward evening, Qin Guan, who was responsible for observing them, hurried over and reported urgently, "Elder, the seven sects seem about to meet. People from the different sects are heading one after another toward Qiyun Sect's quarters in the Inspection Bureau."

"Looks like we'll have to find somewhere to mooch a meal tonight." Niu Youdao smiled as he rose from his cross-legged meditation on the couch. He called Ke Dingjie and Qin Guan and set out with them.

The three had just come out of the room when they happened to see Kunlin Shu closing the main courtyard gate. In one hand he carried the food box a Demon Fox Bureau attendant had just delivered.

As the two sides met, Kunlin Shu looked somewhat surprised. He glanced at the sky. It was nearly dark. They were going out at this hour?

It was rare for Niu Youdao and the other two to go out at this time. Kunlin Shu could not help asking, "Dao Ye, are you going out on another inspection?"

Niu Youdao pointed at the food box in his hand. "You eat it yourself. We're going to find somewhere else to mooch a meal." Afraid Kunlin Shu might think too much of it, he added jokingly, "It's not that we're leaving you out when there's good food and drink. We may run into people from Tianhuo Sect, and I don't want things to be awkward for you."

Kunlin Shu nodded to show he understood, then shifted a few steps aside to clear the way.

Seeing his silence, Niu Youdao did not hurry away. "Does staying behind alone all the time get unbearably dull?"

Kunlin Shu shook his head, still holding the food box. "This is nothing. I once spent ten years in seclusion."

Niu Youdao sighed. "Bear with it a little longer. After some time, I'll take you out with us."

Kunlin Shu gave no particular reaction.

Niu Youdao said nothing more and strode forward. Ke Dingjie hurried ahead and opened the gate.

After watching the three disappear and the gate close behind them, Kunlin Shu walked alone to the pavilion. He opened the food box, laid out the meal, and silently ate by himself...

"Elder Niu!"

Hearing someone call to him, Niu Youdao, who seemed to be strolling along admiring the evening glow with Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie, looked back. When he saw Blood God Hall Elder Mei Changhong, he immediately smiled and cupped his hands. "Elder Mei. What a surprise to meet you here. Have you also come to admire the evening glow?"

A chance encounter? Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie exchanged a glance. There was no chance at all that this was a coincidence.

Mei Changhong laughed. "I don't have your leisurely refinement, Brother Niu."

"Oh?" Niu Youdao asked. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Several sects are gathering to discuss the inspection. Since Elder Niu happens to be free, why not come with us?"

Niu Youdao planted one hand on the sword before him and rubbed his nose with the other. "You all go ahead and meet. I won't join the excitement." With that, he turned to leave.

Mei Changhong immediately reached out and stopped him. "Elder Niu, that's not right. The eight sects here are supposed to stand together. What do you mean by always leaving us behind and acting on your own?"

"Acting on my own?" Niu Youdao hurriedly waved a hand. "A misunderstanding. Nothing of the sort. I've simply been busy and never managed to catch one of your gatherings."

"In the past you were always away, so we couldn't find you even when we wanted to. Today you're free enough to admire the sunset. You can't still claim to be busy, can you? Come. You're coming with us!"

"Heh-heh..." Niu Youdao gave an awkward laugh. "I'm a little hungry. Let me go back and put something in my stomach first."

What kind of excuse was that? Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie were secretly amused. Their Elder was shameless enough. He had clearly come here on purpose, yet after "running into" them he was putting on an act as though he did not want to go.

Mei Changhong grabbed Niu Youdao by the arm. "Don't worry. There'll be food and drink. We won't let you starve!" Then Mei Changhong simply dragged him away.

"All right, all right, I'll go. There's no need to pull me around." Unable to refuse such enthusiastic hospitality, Niu Youdao finally went along.

By the time they reached Qiyun Sect's quarters in the Inspection Bureau, nearly everyone from the eight sects had already arrived. The others were surprised to see Niu Youdao. This man normally came and went like a ghost and was notoriously difficult to invite. Why had he appeared today?

Everyone naturally asked what had happened. Mei Changhong explained, and understanding dawned. So Mei Changhong had happened across him and dragged him here by force.

"Don't worry, Elder Niu. Since I'm the host and you so rarely honor us with your presence, I'd sooner go hungry myself than fail to save enough to fill your stomach first." Taishu Shanhai teased him in a slightly barbed tone. It sounded like a joke, but his dissatisfaction with Niu Youdao was genuine.

Once everyone had arrived, Taishu Shanhai, as host, invited them to take their places. Niu Youdao behaved very modestly, acknowledging that he was young and lacked seniority, and voluntarily took a lower seat.

The dishes on the table were much more plentiful than when they had first arrived. The crying child gets the milk. Earlier, when they had behaved obediently, this side had barely paid them any attention. Once they began making trouble and repeatedly reporting that the Inspection Bureau was deliberately making things difficult for them, the Bureau became unwilling to invite trouble over petty matters. Their food and daily necessities were now supplied as generously as possible.

The attendants naturally had their own place to eat and drink.

Once host and guests were seated, they raised their cups and exchanged the inevitable courtesies. After three rounds of wine, they moved on to the real subject.

They discussed nothing beyond the inspection: asking after one another's situations and considering possible ways to coordinate their efforts.

Niu Youdao sat among them, but at the lower end of the table he merely ate and drank with gusto. His chopsticks and hands never seemed to stop moving, yet he said nothing at all.

They had finally managed to get him here. How could the others possibly let him off? One by one, their gazes eventually settled on this "glutton" who had done nothing but eat.

It looked very much as though Mei Changhong had cornered him into coming, and that even after arriving he was only going through the motions and making up the numbers.

Taishu Shanhai suddenly coughed lightly and asked, "Elder Niu, everyone else has explained the situation on their side. Shouldn't you tell us what's happening at the Demon Fox Bureau as well?"

Niu Youdao looked up while chewing. His gaze swept around the table and met everyone's eyes in turn. After swallowing, he gave an extremely modest smile. "I don't know the Demon Fox Bureau's situation very well either. Asking me is a waste of time."

[End of Chapter 1136]