Chapter 1144: You Handle the Stealing

That really was considerate. The other man understood perfectly well what he meant. Asking too many questions about matters one should not know could bring down suspicions that were difficult to explain. He shut his mouth.

Seeing that no one objected, Niu Youdao pointed to one side. "There seems to be another empty room over there. I must trouble the eight deacons to stay there for the time being. Someone will come question you later, and when that happens, I ask the eight seniors to cooperate."

"Also, the eight subordinates you brought are still waiting outside. I must trouble all of you to keep the specific reason I explained just now confidential for the moment. Until this matter is finished, do not reveal it to anyone else. We need the people of all Nine Sacred Lands to cooperate while we question their personnel, so please instruct those men to guide us and assist."

Taishu Shanhai and the others nodded inwardly. They could see that Niu Youdao's control of the situation and deployment of personnel were methodical and orderly, without the slightest confusion. He had plainly come prepared and knew exactly what he was doing. Had they taken over in a rush, they might truly have made a mess of things.

At least up to this point, they completely believed the explanation Niu Youdao had given for coming to Wuliang Garden. All they needed to do now was cooperate with him and claim that great merit together!

When the eight deacons remained silent, tacitly accepting the arrangement, Niu Youdao continued, "Elder Lu, all eight seniors are reasonable men. There is no need to guard them too tightly, and our manpower is limited anyway. Send one disciple to watch them. Do not allow anyone to approach."

Lu Yao, Elder of Tianhuo Sect, gave a grunt of acknowledgment and pointed out one disciple, signaling him to escort the eight men over and keep watch.

The eight deacons looked at one another. With nothing else to say, they silently turned and left.

There was no helping it. Niu Youdao had already explained the matter very clearly. Anyone who refused to cooperate would inevitably become suspect.

After leaving the great hall, the white-haired elder told the subordinate waiting outside, "The inspectors are investigating a case under sacred decree. Cooperate with them."

The other seven deacons likewise nodded slightly to their respective subordinates, indicating the same thing. The eight men exchanged confused looks, having no idea what had happened.

Still, since an investigation was underway, the eight subordinates could make some guesses. People from the Sacred Lands had been coming and going through Wuliang Garden frequently of late, and it had all been for the same affair.

Then, under the watchful eyes of their eight subordinates, the eight deacons were shut inside an adjacent room. The guard stationed outside the door made their confinement perfectly obvious.

After dealing with the eight deacons, Niu Youdao immediately sent someone to the room where the Wuxu Sacred Land deacon was being held and had one subordinate from that side brought over to assist as well. With that, guides from all nine contingents were assembled.

Everything prepared, Niu Youdao immediately began deploying the personnel of the other seven sects and arranging the isolation and review of everyone throughout Wuliang Garden.

With men from the Nine Sacred Lands leading the way, and with the deacons' own instructions having been passed down, no one among the personnel stationed there caused trouble. They all cooperated obediently. At most, some tried to ask what had happened.

Niu Youdao personally arranged where each group would be isolated and where each group would be questioned, assigning tasks to the people of the seven sects one by one.

He had rehearsed and sorted through this entire process in his mind countless times.

There was no way he could entrust the matter to anyone else, which was why he had come inside and taken personal control. He had already entered Wuliang Garden once and possessed a general understanding of its layout. Combined with the information Ao Feng had provided about the personnel and internal defenses, no one knew Wuliang Garden better than Niu Youdao did for the purpose of carrying out what was about to happen.

Once the isolation was complete, the sects began interrogating people one by one.

Zijin Cave took responsibility for questioning the personnel currently on duty inside Wuliang Garden, while also handling overall coordination. The seven other sects handled the questioning of everyone else in isolation...

At the exit of the great formation, the two men on duty watched as the commotion caused by the isolation gradually subsided and the whole of Wuliang Garden fell quiet. It became so still that not a single person could be seen moving around. The atmosphere felt inexplicably tense.

Standing beneath the archway, Wei Ye asked, "This really looks like something major is about to happen. Sir, is there truly an inside traitor?"

Inside traitor? Ao Feng knew perfectly well there was no such inside traitor. If one absolutely had to name someone, then it would be him. Outwardly, however, he said calmly, "How would I know? In any case, it has nothing to do with us."

The words had barely left his mouth when Qin Guan arrived. He walked over and said to Ao Feng, "Mr. Ao, the inspectors are currently questioning everyone in Wuliang Garden. This post is no exception. Since the two of you are on duty, you'll be questioned in turn, beginning with Mr. Ao. Please come with me."

Question him? Question my ass! Ao Feng cursed Niu Youdao's ancestors inwardly. Outwardly, he merely gave a grunt and followed Qin Guan away.

Wei Ye was left alone beneath the archway, staring helplessly as the two men departed.

Outside the great formation, not far away in the wilderness, Kunlin Shu was likewise alone, guarding eight Scarlet Hunting Eagles and waiting.

Inside Wuliang Garden's council hall, Ao Feng entered alone and found Niu Youdao standing with his hands behind his back, facing away from him as he studied the statues of the Nine Saints.

Hearing footsteps, Niu Youdao looked back and smiled. Then he pointed at the nine towering statues arranged in the hall. "Do these statues resemble the Nine Saints themselves?"

He had met Luo Qiu and could see that Luo Qiu's statue did indeed resemble the man. He could not be certain about the others, which was why he asked.

"They were all carved according to the originals. They're fairly accurate," Ao Feng replied as he walked closer.

"Oh." Niu Youdao nodded, then looked over the nine statues once more, committing the faces to memory. They might prove useful someday.

Seeing how unhurried he was, Ao Feng began to lose patience. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Niu Youdao pursed his lips, turned around, and smiled at him with amusement. "Isn't that knowingly asking? Don't you already know what I came here to do?"

So he really was going to carry out that plan. Ao Feng lowered his voice urgently. "Are you insane? You didn't warn me beforehand and just barged in like this. Then you call me over to meet you alone. Are you afraid people won't suspect us enough already?"

"Don't be nervous!" Niu Youdao said. "Everything has been arranged. Meeting you is perfectly reasonable under the circumstances and won't arouse suspicion. At present, the entire Wuliang Garden is under my control. You can act at your leisure."

"Me?" Ao Feng pointed at his own nose, his heart leaping with alarm. What he had feared was actually coming true. Through clenched teeth, he said, "You lunatic. You're not really planning to make me do it, are you?"

"If you don't do it, who will?" Niu Youdao replied. "If we want everyone to remain safe, I need an alibi when the theft happens. Every person I brought with me needs an alibi. I can manufacture one for you too. In a little while, when I have you go replace the other gate guard and send him over here, that will be the signal for you to act. The moment the other man leaves, you move immediately. Take the things I gave you and replace what is on the tree with them. You won't have much time, so move quickly!"

Ao Feng said, "Are you insane? People from all nine contingents are stationed around the fruit tree and watching it from every angle. How am I supposed to get close?"

"I already told you. Wuliang Garden is temporarily under my control. When I tell you to act, it will be safe. No one will discover you. I'll move every last one of them away. You can go do it openly and without fear."

Ao Feng almost clawed at his own head. "I think you really have gone mad! How are you going to move all of them away?"

"It's not as complicated or difficult as you're imagining," Niu Youdao said. "I can't explain all of it in a few words. You only need to understand one principle. The Wuliang Fruit may be guarded under extremely strict rules, but the rules governing that protection are not flawless. There is no flawless set of rules anywhere in this world. The moment rules are created, they become rigid things, and rigid things can be exploited. The best way to deal with rules is to use the rules themselves!"

Ao Feng stared at him. "You're actually giving me a lecture on grand principles right now. Have you thought this through? If I'm supposed to act, every single person has to be moved away. But the moment every guard is pulled away, people will immediately become suspicious afterward."

"I'll deal with that," Niu Youdao said. "If I'm telling you to do it, then it won't create suspicion. I'm not looking to die. Just listen to me and do as you're told! In short, I'll be responsible for clearing away the obstacles. You're responsible for stealing the goods!"

"Stealing?" Ao Feng's face twisted. The word sounded unpleasant no matter how he heard it. Of course, this was hardly the moment to quibble over phrasing. He hurried on. "Even if you can solve that part, what about the three Crow Generals guarding the tree? The moment I approach, I'll alert them. If I try to seize the fruits by force, there'll be a fight, and the slightest commotion means death. Only the nine deacons have the means to open this formation. Once trouble starts and the formation gate stays shut, we won't be able to break through it quickly. Do you really think we can escape? With the handful of people you brought, can you possibly defeat the guardians here? Do you know how many Heavenly Sword Talismans they have on hand? Enough to blast all of you into slag."

"Nonsense!" Niu Youdao said. "How could I not have thought of that? The skulls I gave you weren't toys. They're specifically meant to restrain those three Crow Generals. Those skulls came from the Crow Generals' original bodies. You only need to display the skulls where they can see them. For a short time, the three Crow Generals will fall into a dazed state and make no response. That will be your opportunity to make the switch."

Ao Feng stared at him in shock.

This lunatic had actually found a way to restrain the Crow Generals. He had even found the remains of the people from whom the Crow Generals had been made. To find the bones left behind from the dead whom Wu Chang had refined into Crow Generals—wasn't that far too unbelievable? Did his reach truly have to be this absurd?

Then Ao Feng remembered the sketches Niu Youdao had made him draw when he described the Crow Generals after their true forms emerged during the fire. He immediately asked, "Those portraits you had me draw after the fire were for finding this? Where did you get the skulls from their original bodies?" He truly was curious. The man's reach seemed almost impossibly vast.

"What business is it of yours where I got them?" Niu Youdao said. "Is this really the time to chatter about that? I can explain it later. Right now, we need to settle the important business first."

Ao Feng said, "No, wait. There are three Crow Generals. Why did you give me five skulls?"

That did require explanation. Niu Youdao said, "All five skulls were buried together. The situation was urgent at the time. I had to use the period after the incident, while the great formation was opening frequently, to get them to you so you'd have more chances to smuggle them in. I couldn't identify which three of the five belonged to the Crow Generals in time, but the correct three are definitely among them. When you steal the fruits, just bring out all five skulls and display them together. The effect will be the same. You can rest assured."

This was no small matter. There could be no mistake. Niu Youdao had repeatedly confirmed it with Zhao Xiongge's side.

"One more thing," Niu Youdao continued. "Remember this clearly. When I have you replace the other gate guard and send him here, that is your signal to act. The moment he leaves, move immediately. Go straight from your quarters to the target. No detours, no sneaking around. I will have cleared everyone from that entire area and kept them under control elsewhere. You don't need to worry about anyone seeing you."

[End of Chapter 1144]