Chapter 1168: Niu Youdao Is Already Dead!

The moment they met, Sha Rulai tossed a bundle to Niu Youdao. "Change into these."

Niu Youdao caught it but did not hurry. Smiling, he said, "Looks like Ding Wei's side has already produced a result."

"There is a result, but not the one you're imagining," Sha Rulai said. "Ding Wei has been removed from his position as Presiding Administrator of Misty Pavilion. The reason given is that the assassination case has gone too long without progress, while Hong Yunfa's death also remains unsolved. Failure after failure angered Yuan Se, so Ding Wei was removed and assigned exclusively to investigate the assassination."

"Xuan Yao did die, but officially it wasn't because he assassinated you. It was because he had a grudge against you. Yuan Se took the position that it was better to investigate the wrong man than let a suspect slip through, so Xuan Yao was seized and subjected to harsh interrogation. Unable to endure the humiliation, he killed himself by smashing his head into a wall."

Niu Youdao stared in surprise. This was somewhat beyond his expectations. "I told Lü Wushuang plainly and clearly that Ding Wei was the suspect. How could they let him off so easily? Did Lü Wushuang conceal it and say nothing?"

Sha Rulai slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I heard something else. Lü Wushuang and Yuan Se actually exchanged blows in Wentian City, and the disturbance wasn't small."

"The public explanation is that someone from Dayuan Sacred Land offended Lü Wushuang and Yuan Se stepped in to protect his own. If I hadn't already heard some of the inside story from you, even I might have believed it."

Niu Youdao's gaze sharpened. "In other words, Lü Wushuang probably did say it, but never made it public. She and Yuan Se reached some kind of compromise?"

"Most likely," Sha Rulai said. "Otherwise, Ding Wei being demoted and Xuan Yao dying at precisely this time would be too coincidental. If Lü Wushuang really revealed something privately, then Ding Wei's demotion is probably only the visible surface of whatever has been concealed."

"But from now on, Ding Wei will probably find it very difficult to rise again."

Niu Youdao thought for a while, then laughed. "There really is something interesting about the Nine Saints. If they suppress the affair like this..."

He turned his head and looked in a certain direction, then muttered, "I'm afraid I'll have to wrong that brother. Looks like he's in for a hard time..."

His voice was too low. Sha Rulai did not hear clearly. "What?"

"Nothing." Niu Youdao shook his head and sighed.

He was actually talking about Ao Feng.

His original intention had been to steer the matter of the inside traitor toward Ding Wei.

As long as the investigation reached Dayuan Sacred Land's faction, Ao Feng would naturally be safe.

But now someone had suppressed the affair.

That meant the investigation into the inside traitor would temporarily have no clear direction, which in turn meant that everyone inside Wuliang Garden remained a suspect.

Under those circumstances, how could the Nine Saints possibly allow people inside Wuliang Garden to leave freely?

Niu Youdao estimated that Ao Feng would have a very difficult time getting out for now.

Whether the man could find some method to escape on his own, Niu Youdao did not know.

If Ao Feng could not leave smoothly, Niu Youdao could well understand the torment he would suffer in that environment. He would probably spend every day and every night in fear.

Fear that could descend at any moment, yet remained suspended without ever arriving, was the hardest kind to endure.

Sha Rulai said, "You'd better worry about yourself first. I still hope you'll calm down and think again. Do you truly have to leave?"

Niu Youdao sighed. "There are some things I still can't tell you. In any case, I must go."

"I'm afraid you'll drag me down with you."

"Don't worry. I still have some sense of loyalty. I won't casually implicate you." Niu Youdao then added, "By the way, I left a gift for you with the Fox Clan. When the time is right, they'll pass it to you."

"A gift?" Sha Rulai paused, then gave a dismissive laugh. "Forget the gift. I don't lack anything. As for the Fox Clan, the safest thing is to avoid meeting them whenever possible."

Niu Youdao laughed heartily. "Of course I know Mr. Sha doesn't lack anything. Don't worry. You'll definitely like the gift I'm giving you."

"Oh?" Sha Rulai's curiosity was aroused. "Something I'm certain to like? What kind of gift has to wait until the right time before you can give it to me? Can't you simply hand it to me now?"

Niu Youdao shook his head. "Giving it to you now wouldn't be appropriate. In your current environment, once you had it, traces might be exposed. It could even bring disaster down on you. I wouldn't be at ease either."

"Better to wait."

Sha Rulai became even more curious. "Then when will the time be right?"

"When the time comes, I'll notify the Fox Clan and have them give it to you. Or if I die..." Niu Youdao paused. "If I die, the Fox Clan will need someone like you to help them. They'll follow my instructions and give it to you then as well."

Die?

For this fellow to start speaking of death meant he knew the road ahead would be perilous.

He intended to climb it anyway and had already prepared for the possibility that something might happen.

Sha Rulai's curiosity immediately faded. After a moment of silence, he said, "Take care of yourself. Perhaps my own fate was decided long ago. You promised me you would look after my daughter."

"If I die before you do," Niu Youdao said, "then for the sake of the gift I'm leaving you, if you have the ability to help, please look after my brothers as much as you can."

Sha Rulai frowned. "Aren't we taking this a little too far?"

The subject had become too heavy.

"Once you're in the jianghu, you don't get to decide everything for yourself." Niu Youdao sighed. "Fine. We won't go that far. Let's talk about what is in front of us."

"Ding Wei's affair hasn't exploded publicly. Is it truly safe for you to send me out right now? I don't want anything unexpected happening."

Sha Rulai said, "Don't worry. Misty Pavilion has just changed Presiding Administrators, which has attracted a fair amount of attention from the other Sacred Venerables. I used to preside over Misty Pavilion, so I'm relatively familiar with its affairs. Luo Qiu sent me out to keep an eye on certain developments."

"I can simply take you out along the way. If anyone tries to question you, I can invoke Luo Qiu's name and stop them openly and properly. Nothing will happen."

"Good." Niu Youdao nodded. He had no desire to capsize in a gutter over some insignificant checkpoint. "By the way, who took over Misty Pavilion?"

"Yuan Se's eldest disciple, Huo Kong. I doubt Huo Kong wanted the position either. What happened to Ding Wei is a lesson right in front of him."

"Misty Pavilion is filled with entrenched forces from every faction and is complicated enough even normally. Now, just as the Nine Saints are reorganizing it, whoever takes control risks drawing fire onto himself. No one wants to take over."

"There's something else. I'm afraid news of your death can no longer be kept hidden. The outside world will know soon enough."

Niu Youdao asked, "They're going to announce my death?"

"I wouldn't call it an announcement, but it's close enough," Sha Rulai said. "Huo Kong only just took over Misty Pavilion. He's still sorting out the affairs in his hands and familiarizing himself with the situation. What can he do right now? Only handle the obvious matters in front of him."

"You're dead, and all the Zijin Cave people with you are gone. According to procedure, Zijin Cave has to send replacements in."

"Huo Kong submitted the matter upward, and the Nine Saints apparently raised no objection."

"By the time the news reached me and I came to tell you, I'm afraid it was already too late. Huo Kong should have sent people to carry out the order long ago."

Without another word, Niu Youdao immediately opened the bundle.

He took out the contents and began disguising himself.

He had to get outside as quickly as possible.

If the people there learned he was dead, trouble might erupt...

...

In the Jin-Wei war, Wei's military morale was in turmoil and preparations everywhere had been inadequate.

Local garrisons collapsed at the first blow. Some even surrendered without fighting.

Jin's army was almost sweeping through Wei unchecked, and more than half of Wei's territory had already fallen.

This was exactly the result Jin had spent so long and worked so hard to create.

The Jin army pressed directly toward Wei's capital.

Xuan Wei refused to abandon the capital and flee. She resolved to defend it to the death and fight Jin's army to the bitter end.

But given the momentum of defeat, everyone estimated that the capital's defenders could not withstand Jin's wolf-and-tiger troops.

The ministers repeatedly urged her to leave.

Wei's three great sects urged withdrawal as well.

Even Qi sent letter after letter to Xuan Wei, repeatedly demanding that she abandon the Wei capital and retreat.

Qi's purpose was simple.

Xuan Wei and the people around her represented the final force holding together Wei's will to resist Jin. If Xuan Wei and the others fell beneath Jin's blades, the strength helping Qi resist Jin would be weakened along with them.

With no other choice, Xuan Wei went to bid farewell to the ancestral temple.

She left in tears.

The flood of people fleeing the capital stretched endlessly.

The moment Gao Pin, Grand Marshal of Jin, learned what was happening, he urgently redeployed troops to pursue and intercept them.

What Qi wanted to preserve was naturally what Jin wanted to destroy.

For Jin, once Xuan Wei and the others were eliminated, Wei would be finished.

With something so critical at stake, how could Gao Pin possibly let the opportunity pass?

At the moment when the Wei leadership's escape route was nearly cut off, Huyan Wuhen's army rushed to their aid.

His eldest son, Huyan Bao, personally led one hundred thousand grassland cavalry in a day-and-night forced march. They smashed through the Jin blockade, cut open a road of blood for Xuan Wei and the others, and received them as they retreated in the direction of Qi.

Only Wei's troops and a group of important officials managed to withdraw successfully.

Many family members who had fled with them could not escape in time and fell entirely into Jin's hands.

For many, dreams of wealth and glory shattered in that instant.

Talented men and beautiful women, pampered young dandies—whatever they had once been, all the drunken luxury and gilded splendor of former days collapsed here, leaving behind countless tears of blood.

And with that, the armies of Huyan Wuhen and Gao Pin formally opened their confrontation.

Gao Pin used the enormous number of hostages in his hands to demand surrender.

How could Xuan Wei agree?

In fury, Gao Pin had several thousand family members of Wei officials brought forward.

Old men, women, and children were pushed out before the lines where the two armies faced each other.

Fight or surrender—it was entirely up to the Wei side.

The method was vicious enough that even Huyan Wuhen was deeply wary.

His army was forced backward again and again and gradually assumed a defensive posture.

From a hilltop, Shao Pingbo surveyed the distant confrontation and smiled.

He pointed toward the distance for Shao Sansheng. "Grand Marshal Gao is decisive. Even at the risk of having his own rear cut off, he insisted on intercepting these people first. Now they've proved useful exactly as expected."

"Xuan Wei delayed too long and refused to abandon the Wei capital. She missed the best chance to withdraw and created this bitter fruit. The officials of Wei are probably cursing her in their hearts by now."

"Yes," Shao Sansheng answered.

Then he lowered his voice. "Eldest Young Master, the Shopkeeper has arrived."

Shao Pingbo turned back.

Shao Sansheng nodded in confirmation.

The two turned and left.

Beside a stream at the foot of the mountain, Shao Pingbo exchanged greetings with the mysterious visitor, then asked, "I urgently requested a meeting because I have an important matter. Why did Sir delay until now?"

The Shopkeeper shook his head. "Something happened inside the Sacred Realm. It wasn't convenient for me to leave for a while. Speak. What was so urgent?"

Shao Pingbo's expression immediately turned grave. "I studied the information Sir sent last time about Niu Youdao and discovered a major problem. Niu Youdao is almost certainly planning to make a move against the Wuliang Fruit. Sir must find a way to stop him!"

The moment he said it, a strange look entered the Shopkeeper's eyes as he stared at Shao Pingbo.

When no answer came, Shao Pingbo grew anxious. "Sir, this is no empty claim. Niu Youdao intends to strike at the root. If he obtains that forbidden treasure, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

The Shopkeeper smiled. "I know you're eager to settle the grudge between you and Niu Youdao. Now things have already gone as you wished. There's no need to keep clinging to him."

Shao Pingbo did not understand. "What does Sir mean?"

"Niu Youdao is already dead!"

"Ah!"

Shao Pingbo froze on the spot.

Then he immediately waved one hand in firm denial. "Impossible! I know his abilities far too well. How could he fall victim to someone so easily?"

"He is dead beyond any possibility of being more dead. What's impossible about it?" The Shopkeeper then roughly explained how Niu Youdao had been assassinated.

Even after hearing the account, Shao Pingbo still refused to believe it.

He paced back and forth, thinking for a while, then suddenly stopped in front of the Shopkeeper.

"Sir, something is badly wrong. Niu Youdao may already have succeeded in obtaining the Wuliang Fruit. There is a very real possibility he faked his death to escape!"

The Shopkeeper chuckled. "Shao Pingbo, have you obsessed over Niu Youdao until you've become possessed?"

"The Wuliang Fruits are so conspicuous. If any had gone missing, do you think no one would notice? Is everyone blind?"

Shao Pingbo fell speechless for a moment.

Then he suddenly asked urgently, "Did anyone see Niu Youdao's corpse? If the face was destroyed beyond recognition and the body could not be identified, then there must be trickery!"

"Niu Youdao is a cunning fox. Before danger even arrives, he is the sort to catch the scent and flee first. He would never be murdered so easily!"

[End of Chapter 1168]