Chapter 1176: This Thing—Do You Want It or Not?

At midnight, a letter was delivered into Gong Lince's hands.

The disciple reporting said no one knew who had sent it.

Gong Lince turned the envelope over and examined it. There was no name written upon it.

Wary of trickery, he carefully opened the envelope and shook the letter inside onto the table.

Under the glow of a Moon Butterfly, he unfolded the paper and read its contents.

His brows gradually furrowed.

Slowly, he folded the letter shut again.

After thinking for a while, he put it away, rose from beside the desk, called a disciple close, and whispered a series of secret instructions.

Not long afterward, three flying mounts disappeared into the night.

Gong Lince claimed he intended to personally inspect the area around Zijin Cave. In reality, he left with a group of guards.

The sect disciples found nothing strange about it.

It was perfectly normal for the Sect Leader to personally inspect Zijin Cave's defensive arrangements. From time to time, such inspections were carried out without advance warning. The sect Elders occasionally did the same, all to prevent disciples on duty from growing numb or lax.

Throughout the journey, Gong Lince's mind remained full of suspicion.

The letter claimed to come from Misty Pavilion.

It said there was a secret matter requiring a private meeting and specifically warned him not to let word leak. He was to go to the appointed location alone.

Of course, it was impossible for him to come running merely because some random letter claimed to be from Misty Pavilion.

But the letter bore one of Misty Pavilion's exclusive special marks, something extremely difficult to counterfeit.

That forced him, doubts and all, to come investigate.

After a long flight, once they drew close to the destination, Gong Lince began making arrangements.

The three flying mounts split apart and circled outward. He ordered his people to deploy secretly throughout the surrounding area, prepared to provide support or extract him if anything went wrong.

Only then did Gong Lince travel alone toward the appointed location.

Even though the person requesting the meeting was using Misty Pavilion's name, and even though almost no one in the cultivation world would dare impersonate Misty Pavilion, Gong Lince could hardly risk going alone before confirming the truth.

He had not merely arranged men nearby in case of trouble.

Before leaving, he had also placed several additional Heavenly Sword Talismans on his person as a precaution.

After flying over several mountain ridges, Gong Lince rose into the air and drifted down onto a mountaintop.

It was the same place Guan Fangyi and Yuan Gang had visited earlier.

The man they had met was still there, quietly waiting beneath the same great tree.

Landing among several trees at the summit, Gong Lince fixed his gaze on the figure standing with hands clasped behind his back.

Inside his sleeve, his fingers had already closed around a Heavenly Sword Talisman.

He called out, "You summoned me in the middle of the night. May I ask which honored personage of Misty Pavilion you are?"

Niu Youdao slowly turned around.

He studied the newcomer and, after confirming it was Gong Lince, smiled.

"Sect Leader, I trust you've been well."

The voice sounded familiar.

Gong Lince frowned suspiciously. "And you are...?"

Niu Youdao raised a hand and peeled away the disguise covering his face, revealing his true appearance.

Moonlight filtering through the branches fell across his features.

Gong Lince froze.

Then his eyes suddenly widened.

"Niu Youdao... it's you? You... weren't you...?"

"Shh." Niu Youdao raised one finger before his lips, signaling him to lower his voice.

Gong Lince stared at him in astonishment and uncertainty.

Slowly, he stepped closer and examined him carefully.

Niu Youdao said, "Sect Leader, there's no need to doubt. The genuine cannot be made false."

So that was why the voice had sounded familiar.

There was no mistake.

It was Niu Youdao's voice.

Gong Lince still found it unbelievable. "How can it be you? Didn't you die in the Sacred Realm?"

Niu Youdao gave a dismissive sound. "What's there to make such a fuss about? Obviously I faked my death to get away."

Gong Lince frowned. "Was this arranged by the Sacred Realm?"

Niu Youdao chuckled and glanced around. "An unexplained invitation like this must have put Sect Leader on guard. How many people did you bring?"

Now that he had discovered the person he was meeting was Niu Youdao, Gong Lince relaxed somewhat.

"Don't worry. They're not nearby. Without my summons, they won't approach. They won't discover that you're still alive."

He instinctively suspected Niu Youdao was carrying out some secret mission for the Sacred Realm.

"You were the one who sent me the letter?"

Niu Youdao said, "I was. Surprised?"

That only made Gong Lince more certain of his own guess. "What exactly happened? The Sacred Realm arranged for you to fake your death? What are they trying to do?"

Niu Youdao gave a bitter smile. "Sect Leader, I already told you I faked my death to escape. This has nothing to do with any arrangement by the Sacred Realm. Why would the Nine Saints need me to fake my death?"

"Let me put it plainly. I secretly escaped from the Sacred Realm."

"Escaped?" Gong Lince stared at him.

He had said something so outrageous in such a casual tone that Gong Lince's expression immediately turned grave.

"Elder Niu, this joke isn't funny at all. I'm asking you about a serious matter."

Niu Youdao almost found it ridiculous.

These days, even telling the truth was difficult.

"Sect Leader, do I have any reason to joke about something like this?"

Gong Lince did not believe him. "The Sacred Realm simply lets you escape whenever you feel like it?"

That question truly was inconvenient for Niu Youdao to explain.

He gave a vague answer. "Naturally, someone inside the Sacred Realm assisted me."

Gong Lince said, "Elder Niu, this is no matter for jokes. What exactly happened?"

The other man had already fixed on his own assumption.

Niu Youdao decided there was no point continuing to argue.

Instead, he countered, "Sect Leader keeps asking me what happened. I should be the one asking you what happened."

"What? The moment you heard I was dead, you decided there was no one left at Maolu Villa worth fearing?"

Gong Lince's expression stiffened.

Now that the subject had turned to that, matters became somewhat awkward.

He had never imagined Niu Youdao had merely faked his death.

"You're an intelligent man. Some things are understood by everyone. There is no point giving too many explanations."

"Since you aren't dead, I will naturally give you an accounting afterward."

"For now, let's talk about you. Why did you suddenly come find me? What mission were you given?"

Niu Youdao looked back toward the ground, spread his fingers, and drew a stone beneath the tree into his palm.

He turned and handed it to Gong Lince.

"I brought Sect Leader a small gift from the Sacred Realm. I imagine you won't despise it."

"A stone?" Gong Lince looked puzzled.

He weighed it in his hand and immediately noticed the weight was wrong.

When he probed it with spiritual power, he discovered something hidden inside.

"No need to open it yet. This place is too exposed." Niu Youdao stopped him and gestured. "Sect Leader, follow me."

Gong Lince had no idea what he intended.

He followed Niu Youdao down the mountainside.

Only when they landed halfway down did he notice a natural cave in the slope.

Clearly, Niu Youdao had already examined the surrounding terrain beforehand.

Niu Youdao went directly inside.

Gong Lince stopped at the entrance and hesitated.

He was plainly wary of the pitch-dark cave and did not dare enter casually.

"Don't worry," Niu Youdao called from within. "I wouldn't bring Sect Leader all the way here just to murder you. Killing you would only create trouble for me. It would do me no good at all."

Only then did Gong Lince slowly enter.

Even so, one hand remained inside his sleeve gripping a Heavenly Sword Talisman, while his spiritual power spread outward to probe the surroundings.

The cave was not deep.

There was also the lingering odor of some beast, suggesting it had once been an animal's den.

At the back of the cave, Gong Lince found nothing abnormal.

He asked, "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Niu Youdao said, "You can open the gift I gave you now."

Hearing that, Gong Lince turned the stone over in his palm and began using spiritual power to break it open.

He still did not dare exert force suddenly.

Under circumstances like these, caution was unavoidable. He had to guard against the possibility that the object itself might be a trap.

The instant a crack appeared in the stone, writhing red radiance shone out.

Gong Lince's expression changed slightly.

He continued applying spiritual power until the stone shell fell away, revealing the object beneath its shifting red glow.

At first, he could not identify it.

Then he turned it over and noticed the fruit stem.

His pupils abruptly contracted.

In shock and uncertainty, he stammered, "Th-this... what is this?"

Niu Youdao prompted him, "It grew in Wuliang Garden. Every cultivator beneath Heaven dreams of obtaining it. Surely Sect Leader can guess what it is."

Gong Lince blurted, "A Wuliang Fruit!"

Even his hands began to tremble.

The object was already in his hands.

Whether it was something naturally grown could be distinguished by touch and spiritual probing.

There was no doubt.

It was real.

It took Gong Lince quite some time to suppress his excitement.

Seeing the forbidden fruit casting red light outward, he became worried about attracting attention. He immediately lowered his hand and covered it beneath his sleeve, blocking the conspicuous glow.

His voice was still agitated. "Where did you get this?"

Niu Youdao said, "If it weren't for this, would I have needed to fake my death to escape?"

"I won't hide it from Sect Leader. I used my authority as an inspector to steal this from Wuliang Garden."

Gong Lince stared at him in horror. "Have you gone mad? Are you trying to drag Zijin Cave into death with you?"

"Afraid to die?" Niu Youdao laughed.

He pointed at the object hidden beneath Gong Lince's sleeve.

"I'll ask Sect Leader only one thing."

"This thing—do you want it or not?"

Gong Lince felt his scalp go numb.

His emotions were almost impossible to control. His breathing became rapid, his mouth went dry, and his Adam's apple bobbed repeatedly.

Do you want it or not?

It was an agonizing choice.

He understood perfectly well what keeping such a thing meant.

If word ever leaked, the consequences would be beyond redemption.

Even breaking through into the long-dreamed-of Nascent Soul Realm would not make him invincible.

How many years had the Nine Saints already spent in the Nascent Soul Realm?

Their strength stood above the entire world.

Merely entering the same realm did not mean one could challenge them.

This fruit was a deadly piece of trouble.

But refuse it?

This was something every cultivator dreamed of.

A treasure that could break the barrier into the Nascent Soul Realm.

Immortality alone was enough to make its temptation almost impossible to resist.

If it were something he wanted but could never obtain, perhaps that would be one thing.

But now the treasure was right before his eyes.

More than that, it was already in his hands.

How was he supposed to reject such an overwhelming temptation?

Never in his dreams had Gong Lince imagined that he would suddenly meet the supposedly dead Niu Youdao, only for Niu Youdao to throw such an impossible choice directly into his hands.

Everything about it felt like a dream.

Gong Lince was no inexperienced man.

After the first surge of emotion, he quickly forced himself to calm down.

"With a treasure like this, you're actually willing to give it to me?"

Niu Youdao said, "There were twelve fruits on the tree. Pluck one and I die. Pluck all twelve and I still die. If Sect Leader were in my place, what would you do?"

"Is there any difference between eating one and eating twelve?"

"So what if I give one to Sect Leader?"

Gong Lince was stunned, his expression almost chaotic. "You picked every forbidden fruit in Wuliang Garden? How could the Nine Saints possibly let this go?"

Niu Youdao said, "Sect Leader can relax. There are twelve counterfeits hanging on the tree right now. They won't discover the truth for a while."

"And even if they discover it now, it's already too late."

"I made arrangements inside the Sacred Realm long ago. If the matter erupts, the Nine Saints will suspect their own disciples. They won't suspect me."

He paused there and reminded him meaningfully, "Sect Leader, don't forget."

"I'm already dead."

Gong Lince's breathing remained heavy.

His eyes flickered.

The look he gave Niu Youdao gradually became strange.

Inside his sleeve, the fingers gripping the Heavenly Sword Talisman shifted uneasily.

He asked again, "You're certain they won't suspect you?"

Niu Youdao smiled. "Sect Leader's reaction is making me a little uneasy."

"You're not thinking of taking the treasure and then killing me to silence the witness, are you?"

"That would be a poor idea."

"I already told you someone inside the Sacred Realm helped me escape, and afterward Misty Pavilion's name was used to invite Sect Leader here."

"Leaving aside whether Sect Leader could even kill me, if something happened to me, do you truly think no one would know?"

"I'll ask you the same question again."

"This thing—do you want it or not?"

[End of Chapter 1176]