Chapter 1177: Kneel Before One as Master, Heaven and Earth Bear Witness

Human desire can be a hateful thing. One knows perfectly well that something should not be coveted, yet still finds it almost impossible to resist.

The Wuliang Fruit was simply too irresistible. It was a treasure capable of carrying a man across an impassable heavenly chasm to the far shore of his dreams.

For many people, obtaining one would be worth any price.

Gong Lince was no exception.

Naked desire was ugly, however, and people invariably wanted something with which to cover their shame. Gong Lince was no exception to that either. He sighed. "If I accept this thing, I may drag Zijin Cave into a place beyond redemption. I fear I would have no face to meet the ancestral founders of Zijin Cave."

Niu Youdao said, "Or you may lead Zijin Cave to another height, bring glory to the sect and its forebears, and console the spirits in Heaven of Zijin Cave's masters through the generations."

Gong Lince said, "Someone inside the Sacred Realm is helping you. It seems I have no choice. If I refuse, the person colluding with you inside the Sacred Realm probably won't let me off."

Niu Youdao said, "An opportunity without precedent is already in Sect Leader's hands. Whether you pick it up or put it down depends on your courage. Back then, all three great sects of Yan wanted to recruit me, but only Sect Leader directly offered me the position of Elder. With Sect Leader's boldness, I'm sure you'll make the wise choice."

Gong Lince said, "The moment I accept this thing, an enormous piece of leverage falls into your hands. Am I supposed to be controlled by you from now on?"

Niu Youdao said, "Sect Leader worries too much. Haven't I likewise placed an enormous piece of leverage in your hands? How would I dare act recklessly, much less press Sect Leader too far? Threats cannot sustain a relationship for long. Shared interests can."

Gong Lince asked, "Why give it to me? With the temptation of something like this, you could easily give it to someone far more powerful."

Niu Youdao replied, "Giving it to someone more powerful is not as useful as giving it to someone more suitable. Benefit is one consideration. Another is that the foundations of my power all lie within Yan. I cannot think only of myself and ignore everyone else. My people need a suitable and reasonable justification, one that arouses no suspicion, for continuing to stand in Yan."

"If I continue cooperating with Zijin Cave—or more precisely, continue cooperating with Sect Leader Gong—the benefits are obvious. Yan is already an environment we've spent years cultivating. There is no need to start over somewhere else, and the people of Maolu Villa can continue to stand in Yan."

"Once I am publicly dead, Shang Chaozong and my forces in South Prefecture can openly and properly submit to Zijin Cave. It will be perfectly reasonable and arouse no suspicion."

"With Sect Leader Gong's cooperation, Shang Chaozong's forces can remain intact instead of being purged. That point is extremely important."

"And with my cooperation, the Shang faction will naturally stand on Zijin Cave's side. With Shang Chaozong's men behind you, Zijin Cave will have the final say in Yan. That benefits me, and it benefits Zijin Cave. Sect Leader will also have an explanation for the people inside Zijin Cave. When both sides profit, why not do it?"

"Finally, there are Fuyun Sect, Liuxian Sect, and Lingxiu Mountain. Those three factions were originally mine. I know them, and I am accustomed to using them. I intend to keep using them."

"Once news of my death spreads, they will inevitably seek Zijin Cave's protection in order to survive. For now, they cannot be allowed to know that I am still alive. After they submit to Zijin Cave, Sect Leader will need to intervene and guide them toward following Shang Chaozong's side."

Gong Lince nodded. "So that's your plan. You want to borrow Zijin Cave's hand and remain behind the scenes, continuing to control the forces you already possess."

Niu Youdao said, "It does not harm Zijin Cave's interests. Add this Wuliang Fruit as the price, and I believe Sect Leader should be willing to help me."

Gong Lince said, "You make it sound simple, but this puts me in a difficult position. Zijin Cave does not belong to me alone. It belongs to every disciple of Zijin Cave."

"All of your forces will publicly submit to Zijin Cave. Such a large piece of fat will be sitting in front of everyone, yet no one else in the sect is to be allowed to touch it. That will be difficult to justify."

Niu Youdao said, "Sect Leader need not worry about that. Shang Chaozong will give you an excuse."

"There will be a negotiation. He will use his complete submission to Zijin Cave as leverage and demand that certain powers remain in his own hands. If Zijin Cave refuses, Shang Chaozong can threaten to turn against you. If necessary, I will also use Lingjian Mountain and Xiaoyao Palace to apply pressure."

"I doubt the people inside Zijin Cave want to see that kind of chaos either."

"Given Sect Leader's ability to control the internal situation of Zijin Cave, once you have such a convenient excuse, I believe you will have some way to silence the other discordant voices."

"For convenience in the future, the Shang faction will publicly obey only Sect Leader. If they are regarded as Sect Leader's own power, I doubt anyone else inside Zijin Cave will dare interfere recklessly."

Gong Lince said, "Now that truly is speaking from the heart. It seems you've been calculating all of this long before you came to find me."

Niu Youdao said, "Some calculation is necessary. I have to preserve my strength."

"And the brothers beneath me have followed me for so many years. I cannot leave them wandering like homeless dogs. They have risked life and death for me all these years. At the very least, I owe them a road to survival and something to look forward to."

"There are still many things I need them to do for me. Old hands are simply easier to use."

"Otherwise, as Sect Leader said, there would be no need for me to give this Wuliang Fruit to you. Which disciple of the Nine Saints wouldn't want it?"

"But none of them, no matter who they are, would dare openly step forward and protect my people. Even in secret, none would dare casually interfere in the affairs between the various states. So I can only rely on myself."

The balance of interests had been laid out with perfect clarity. Gong Lince understood. "I want to know how you obtained this thing. I want the precise process. I need to know whether everything is truly secure. Otherwise, I cannot put my heart at ease."

Niu Youdao said, "Some things do not need to be asked. Even if you ask, I will not answer."

"Sect Leader only needs to know one thing: I will not harm myself. Put yourself in my place and allow me to keep certain things in reserve."

"And taking ten thousand steps back, even if you knew everything, what difference would it make? If you knew or did not know, would Sect Leader truly be willing to spit this thing back out?"

Outside, the mountain wind rose and fell.

Inside the pitch-dark cave, the two men remained immersed in the darkness. Every sentence spoken within that tiny corner concerned both their futures and the fate of many others.

After a long silence, Gong Lince slowly said, "Then I will gladly accept it. I only hope you've cleaned up everything properly inside the Sacred Realm, so that in the end I can still laugh."

Niu Youdao said, "We ride through the jianghu. Wind or rain, who knows what lies ahead? I've carried my head in my hands to reach this point. All we can do now is make matters happen through our own efforts."

"Some things are worth any risk."

"Whether we end up laughing or crying, Sect Leader no longer has a road back either."

Gong Lince said, "From the moment I brought you into Zijin Cave until now, you've finally dragged Zijin Cave all the way into the water with you."

He sighed. "You can't show your face anymore, can you? What do you intend to do next?"

Niu Youdao said, "We'll take matters one step at a time. First, we deal with what's in front of us."

"Your eating manners are a little too ugly. Those flying mounts of mine—spit them back out. I need them for my own affairs, and my people need them too. Return them to me."

Gong Lince fell silent briefly, then frowned and shook his head. "That will be difficult."

"I mean nothing else by it. At this point, I have no reason to covet a few flying mounts of yours. The problem is that Guan Fangyi and Yuan Gang have already signed a written agreement presenting them to Zijin Cave. By now, the whole sect probably knows."

"You're asking me to return them. How am I supposed to do that?"

"If I spit out such a large piece of fat, not only will I have no way to explain myself to everyone above and below in Zijin Cave, it will also make no sense. People will become suspicious."

"You should understand that in your present situation, no one can be allowed to suspect you're still alive."

Niu Youdao nodded slightly. "Sect Leader has considered matters thoroughly."

"Fine. I'll handle it. I'll give Sect Leader a reasonable excuse. When the time comes, you only need to go along with the current."

Gong Lince said, "I hope so. I cannot stay away for long. I need to return. Where are you preparing to go?"

Niu Youdao said, "Arrange for me to make a trip into Zijin Cave."

Gong Lince's voice sank. "You cannot show yourself inside Zijin Cave now."

"There is someone I need to see."

"Who?"

"Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion. Zhong Guzi. I'll have to trouble Sect Leader to arrange it."

Gong Lince did not understand. "Have you gone mad? You want to take this kind of risk just to see him? Is that truly necessary?"

Niu Youdao enunciated each word clearly. "He is one of Misty Pavilion's people. He was an informant Misty Pavilion planted inside Zijin Cave many years ago."

"What?" Gong Lince was badly shocked. "How is that possible?"

Niu Youdao said, "I was shocked when I first learned it too. But someone inside the Sacred Realm with access to Misty Pavilion's classified archives confirmed it."

"Zhong Guzi is already useless to them. There would be no reason to fabricate something like this just to deceive me. It should not be wrong."

A venerable elder of Zijin Cave was actually a Misty Pavilion spy.

Gong Lince's expression became grave. "Misty Pavilion truly penetrates everywhere."

"If you already know his identity, then all the more reason not to see him."

He suddenly thought of something. "He always helped you in the past. Does he know some secret of yours? Don't tell me you're planning to go there and silence him."

Niu Youdao said, "Sect Leader is overthinking it. His lifespan is almost exhausted. He is already on the verge of death and has shut himself away from the world."

"To Misty Pavilion, he has no further value. They long ago began treating him as an abandoned piece."

"He's a dying man. Why would I need to risk going there simply to silence him?"

Gong Lince asked, "Then why take the risk at all?"

Niu Youdao said, "Kneel before one as Master, and Heaven and Earth bear witness. What the human heart turns toward is righteousness."

"Since I have chosen this road, I do not want the road beneath my feet to grow narrower with every step."

"Long ago, I stopped being able to tell whether I am black or white. If the human heart is gone, then righteousness is gone with it. Where, then, am I supposed to go?"

"We have borne the name of master and disciple. Let right and wrong, grace and grievance, be set aside."

"I ask only for a clear conscience."

"I want to give him one more chance."

Gong Lince said heavily, "I don't understand what you're talking about. There is absolutely no need for this. I still say the same thing: you don't need to take this risk."

Niu Youdao said, "Arranging something this minor inside Zijin Cave shouldn't be difficult for Sect Leader."

"You need not worry. I have my own plan."

"I'll trouble you to arrange it."

Gong Lince frowned...

As for how to enter Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion while causing Gong Lince as little trouble as possible, Niu Youdao had already prepared a method.

He led Gong Lince out of the cave and, amid a patch of tangled grass below the mountain, found a large root carving prepared in advance.

It depicted an auspicious old man symbolizing longevity, seated upon clouds.

There was more to the carving than met the eye.

Niu Youdao crawled inside.

Gong Lince sighed, lifted the root carving, and took it away...

After a long flight, three large flying mounts returned to Zijin Cave shortly before dawn.

One descended outside Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion.

Gong Lince had come in person. Naturally, none of the guards dared stop him.

Ju An came forward to pay his respects. When he learned Gong Lince had personally brought a gift for Zhong Guzi, he looked surprised, but immediately went inside to report.

When the Sect Leader himself had come to present a gift, Zhong Guzi could hardly refuse to see him.

Before long, Ju An came back out and invited him inside.

Ju An offered to help carry the gift.

Gong Lince waved him off and carried it inside with his own hands.

[End of Chapter 1177]