Chapter 1142: Going In No Matter What

The meaning behind those words made the members of the other seven sects secretly blanch.

Taishu Shanhai had always considered himself a cut above the others among the eight sects, yet even he had become unusually well behaved after arriving here. Who would dare speak so forcefully in this place?

Today, the members of the various sects finally saw just how bold this Zijin Cave Elder truly was. They had to admit they could not compare. Whether they liked it or not, they had to respect his nerve.

Hearing the shout, the gray-white-haired elder stopped. Slowly, he turned around again. "I'll say it one more time. This is not a place for you to run wild. Get out at once, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Niu Youdao stepped toward him. "And how exactly do you intend to be impolite? Are you going to attack inspectors personally appointed by the Sacred Venerables?"

The corner of the old man's mouth twitched slightly, but his attitude remained hard. "I have duties of my own. No one is permitted to trespass into Wuliang Garden. Trespassers are to be killed without mercy!"

He could not casually allow outsiders into Wuliang Garden. Whoever was on gate duty and let someone through would bear responsibility if anything happened. Today it happened to be Wuxu Sacred Land's turn to guard the gate, meaning these men.

Niu Youdao said, "Good! I am carrying out an inspection under sacred command. That is also my duty. Once I discover a problem, I cannot simply pretend not to see it. Otherwise, how am I supposed to answer to the Sacred Venerables? I have a few questions for senior now, and I hope you'll cooperate. If you can explain them clearly, I'll leave immediately and will not step half a pace into Wuliang Garden. Neither side will make trouble for the other. How does that sound?"

The gray-white-haired elder hesitated slightly. After a moment, he slowly said, "What can be said, I will say. What cannot be said, I will not utter a single word."

"Senior is a reasonable man." Niu Youdao cupped his hands respectfully, then his expression turned serious. "Some time ago, a great fire broke out outside Wuliang Garden. May I ask senior: was that fire a natural disaster or man-made?"

The elder fell silent briefly before answering slowly, "Judging by certain signs, it should have been deliberate arson."

Niu Youdao immediately pressed him. "Who did it?"

"How would I know? If I knew, I would have reported it long ago. I wouldn't have waited for you to come ask."

"Why was the fire set?"

"If I don't know who set it, then naturally I don't know why they set it."

"Did senior never speculate at all about the arsonist's purpose? Never make any connection?"

"Without evidence, what use is idle speculation?"

"Without evidence? Then senior does have suspicions. Could you tell me what you suspect so I can investigate and verify it?"

The gray-white-haired elder said, "That isn't what I meant. I said I don't indulge in baseless speculation."

"Fine. Then let me ask senior this: is it possible the arsonist's purpose was to covet the Wuliang Fruit?"

The elder fell silent again. This time, the silence lasted longer before he finally answered, "That possibility cannot be ruled out."

Niu Youdao said, "Senior knows who I am. I came here before to investigate, so presumably you know that as well. During my earlier investigation, I discovered the area affected by the fire was enormous, and there was more than one ignition point. It should not have been the work of a single person. Several people must have set the fires simultaneously. In other words, it was an organized operation. Does senior agree with that judgment?"

The gray-white-haired elder gave a slight nod but did not state it absolutely. "It is possible."

Niu Youdao continued, "Who would dare set fire around Wuliang Garden? And do it as part of an organized operation? Someone capable of organizing a group to act together here must possess a certain degree of power inside the Sacred Realm. Does senior agree with that?"

The old man instinctively stared more carefully into Niu Youdao's eyes. These conclusions hardly needed to be asked aloud. Every side had probably considered the same suspicions already. He could not understand why Niu Youdao was pressing step by step in this fashion, but his answer remained the same. "It is possible."

Niu Youdao said, "I came to Wuliang Garden before and questioned people about this matter. Senior knows that, correct?"

Naturally, the elder knew. Members of Wuxu Sacred Land had been questioned by Niu Youdao as well. He gave a cold snort. "I know. So what?"

"At the time, I already suspected the arson might have been connected to someone targeting the Wuliang Fruit. With that suspicion in mind, I questioned several people. During those conversations, I noticed certain irregularities. After leaving Wuliang Garden, I traveled everywhere following that point and investigating in secret. Eventually, I uncovered part of the picture." Niu Youdao's voice was steady. "The fire was probably only a diversion, meant to draw people inside Wuliang Garden out. There was also an accomplice inside, someone who intended to take advantage of the chaos and carry the Wuliang Fruit out. For some unknown reason, however, the attempt failed."

The gray-white-haired elder was visibly shocked. "You're saying there is an inside accomplice in Wuliang Garden?"

He was not the only one alarmed. The Wuxu Sacred Land personnel who had come out and were now guarding the entrance all felt their hearts tighten.

Taishu Shanhai and the others likewise turned grave. At last, they understood more clearly why they had come. There was actually a traitor inside Wuliang Garden. Suddenly, everyone felt the enormous weight of the responsibility they had taken on.

"According to the clues I've uncovered, that should be the case," Niu Youdao said.

The elder asked, "Who is the accomplice?"

"Anyone could be. Before I obtain hard evidence, I cannot reveal whom I suspect. The people implicated in this matter are no small figures. Think about it yourself. Someone who dares, and is able, to organize people to set fire around Wuliang Garden must possess extraordinary nerve and backing."

Niu Youdao continued, "Has senior heard of the death of Hong Yunfa from the All-Under-Heaven Money House? His death was suspicious. The operation to arrest him had been kept under strict secrecy, yet somehow he died before the arrest could be carried out. Think about that. The more you think, the more frightening it becomes. That is one of the reasons the Sacred Venerables ordered the various sects to establish this inspection system."

"Hong Yunfa's death is a lesson written in blood. If word leaks before we obtain solid evidence, every clue may be erased, and afterward it may be impossible to find proof at all. That is precisely why we appeared here without warning."

He swept an arm toward the inspectors of the eight sects. "The Sacred Venerables left inspectors from all eight sects inside the Sacred Realm, and never before have all eight joined hands to investigate a single case. This time, every one of the eight sects has come out in force because we intend to verify the clues with thunderous speed and give the hidden mastermind no opportunity to sever them!"

"But senior—" Niu Youdao pointed sharply toward the elder. "You are obstructing us! You're clinging to so-called rules of Wuliang Garden even at the cost of resisting the inspection authority personally granted to us by the Sacred Venerables, deliberately blocking our path!"

"If senior insists on stopping us, we naturally cannot force our way inside. But you must understand: now that we've appeared here, it won't be difficult for the mastermind to guess our purpose."

"We can leave. But what does leaving mean? The quarry has already been alerted! Once we go, we give the mastermind time. We give him time to cut off the clues that are already almost in our hands!"

His eyes hardened. "Senior, by deliberately delaying and obstructing us, what exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

The gray-white-haired elder erupted. "Are you accusing me of being the inside traitor?"

Niu Youdao planted both hands atop the sword before him and stood perfectly straight. His answer came hard and decisive, with an imposing force behind every word. "By decree of the Sacred Venerables, apart from the Nine Sacred Lands themselves, there is nowhere in the entire Sacred Realm beyond our authority to inspect—including Wuliang Garden. Otherwise, how was I allowed inside last time?"

"Senior is now willing to oppose the decree of the Sacred Venerables to stop us. Your actions violate ordinary reason and are highly abnormal. Calling this deliberate obstruction would not be excessive. Even if I did not want to suspect senior, your behavior gives me no choice. Faced with all this, how could I not suspect you? If our positions were reversed, would senior not suspect me?"

He raised one hand from the sword and pointed directly at the elder. "Based on senior's suspicious conduct here alone, we have sufficient grounds to detain and interrogate you immediately!"

The elder roared, "Who dares?"

Niu Youdao lifted his sword in both hands and cupped his fists toward the heavens in a gesture of respect to the Nine Saints. Then he pointed toward the men at the gate and shouted sharply, "We act under the decree of the Sacred Venerables! Who dares stand in our way?"

The Wuxu Sacred Land personnel exchanged uncertain looks. Unease unexpectedly rose among them. If the inspectors truly tried to arrest the elder for questioning, for a moment they did not even know whether they ought to interfere.

The gray-white-haired elder's face shifted from red to white and back again. He was so furious he could barely find words to defend himself. Through clenched teeth, he spat, "Fabrication! Complete nonsense!"

Niu Youdao pressed harder without yielding an inch, his cadence rising and falling with deliberate force. "Whether I am speaking nonsense is not important. What senior should be thinking about is how you're going to explain today's abnormal conduct clearly to the Sacred Venerables afterward!"

What did it mean to be overbearing? Taishu Shanhai and the others finally saw it with their own eyes. At the very least, none of them could have done this. None of them would have dared.

Qin Guan and Ke Dingjie clicked their tongues inwardly. Elder Niu truly was Elder Niu. With this kind of presence, who in Zijin Cave could compare? Even the Sect Leader was probably far behind him. On sheer bearing alone, calling him the foremost man of Zijin Cave would hardly be excessive.

Kunlin Shu stood speechless, staring. He could feel with unusual clarity just how great the gap was between himself and Niu Youdao.

Wei Ye, on gate duty, was also staring blankly.

Ao Feng's expression twitched from time to time as he cursed inwardly. Damn it. He can even make this sound convincing?

He truly had to admire Niu Youdao. The man spoke as though the whole story were unquestionably real. If Ao Feng had not known the actual scheme, he suspected even he would have believed it.

One thing was now perfectly clear: Niu Youdao was absolutely determined to enter Wuliang Garden today.

That determination made Ao Feng even more certain of another thing. Niu Youdao had come here intending to make his move. Could he truly take the fruits from the tree?

Now that the moment had arrived, the stakes were so enormous that Ao Feng genuinely felt afraid. His heart was full of nervous dread.

He cursed even more bitterly inside. Bastard. You're going to make your move and you don't even warn me beforehand. You just show up out of nowhere and leave me without the slightest chance to prepare myself!

The gray-white-haired elder had already been frightened by the argument. Something he had originally believed completely justified now sounded, after Niu Youdao's twisting, suspicious enough to make even him feel guilty. If the Sacred Venerable truly became suspicious afterward, how was he supposed to explain himself? Would any explanation be enough?

Yet simply letting them inside now would leave him nowhere to put his face. So he clenched his teeth and stubbornly held his ground. "How I explain myself is my affair. It is none of your concern!"

"Senior, please put the greater situation first!"

Niu Youdao, who had just been forceful and aggressive enough to crush the man beneath his momentum, suddenly softened. He gripped his sword in both hands, cupped his fists around it, and bowed deeply. His manner turned respectful, sincere, and painstakingly earnest.

"Senior, our inspection authority was granted by the Nine Saints. Everyone understands why they gave us powers this broad. Entering Wuliang Garden to verify evidence violates no rule. It is both reasonable and within our authority."

"Of course, we can turn around and leave. But we already know there was a hidden mastermind behind the arson. We already know the clues and hard evidence are nearly within reach. Are we supposed to stand here and watch helplessly after alerting the quarry as every clue is cut away? Watch all our previous effort fail at the final step? Watch the hidden mastermind escape punishment and remain at large? How could any of us bear that?"

When he finished, he cupped his hands toward the Wuxu Sacred Land personnel behind the elder as well and pleaded in a pained voice, "Gentlemen, desperate circumstances call for exceptional measures. Please raise your hands and let us pass!"

At the gate, Ao Feng had been quietly watching everyone's reactions. Inwardly, he muttered one word.

Finished.

[End of Chapter 1142]