Chapter 1181: A Woman's Narrow View

Those caught up in events are often blinded, while onlookers see clearly. Watching from the side, Zhong Guzi had sensed something of what was going on. Whether everything Niu Youdao had said was true or false, one thing was undeniable: Yan Li had repeatedly opposed the people of Maolu Annex, and the moment Niu Youdao returned, he wanted to send Yan Li into the Sacred Realm. However one looked at it, it seemed very much as though Niu Youdao was cleaning Yan Li up.

And judging from Gong Lince's reaction, Yan Li might truly be unable to escape this calamity.

Whether Zhong Guzi had seen through it or not, he said nothing. It was not that he intended to stand on Niu Youdao's side. There was simply no need for him to express a position. Zijin Cave had to send an Elder no matter what. If Yan Li did not go, someone else would.

As for whether Gong Lince would agree, he neither refused nor accepted. That in itself was already an attitude.

Yan Li's matter was set aside for the moment. Gong Lince and Niu Youdao then had a detailed discussion about what would happen after Niu Youdao left. First, they established a means of contact.

Afterward, Niu Youdao bade farewell to Zhong Guzi and climbed back inside the root carving.

Gong Lince opened the doors and called Ju An over, ordering him to send someone to Maolu Annex and invite Guan Fangyi to come.

With an order from the Sect Leader, the messenger naturally went and returned swiftly, bringing Guan Fangyi with him.

Guan Fangyi had no idea why she had been summoned. This was her first time entering Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion. The moment she saw Gong Lince, after offering the proper greeting, she could not resist saying with a trace of mockery, "I asked to see Sect Leader Gong again and again before and could never manage it. It seems Sect Leader Gong has finally returned."

Now that she knew Master Dao was back, she had confidence again. Her words naturally carried a little less courtesy than before.

Whether or not he felt guilty, Gong Lince had no interest in arguing with her. In his younger days he really had admired this woman, but fate had never brought them together. That youthful heart had vanished with the years. It was all long past, and he no longer took such things seriously enough to trade barbs with her.

Only after Guan Fangyi had paid her respects to Zhong Guzi did Gong Lince say, "Hongniang, take this back to Maolu Annex with you." He pointed at the root carving.

Guan Fangyi looked back suspiciously. "What is it?"

"A gift I gave Elder Zhong. Elder Zhong has decided to pass it on to Maolu Annex. Take it with you."

Guan Fangyi walked over, circled the root carving, and even reached out to touch it. Discovering that it was nothing more than a large wooden carving, she immediately turned to Zhong Guzi with an apologetic smile. "Elder Zhong, everyone in Maolu Annex appreciates your kindness. But we're about to be driven out, and carrying something this large with us truly isn't convenient."

It was a tactful refusal.

Zhong Guzi's aged voice sounded. "The sect has made its decision. This old man cannot say much about it. Take it. If anyone makes things difficult for you along the way, perhaps bringing this out will help. It is this old man's possession and a token of the Sect Leader's goodwill. It may prove useful."

Guan Fangyi understood. He was worried people from Zijin Cave might harass them on the road and wanted to give them something that could serve as protection.

But Master Dao had already returned. She no longer worried about that sort of thing. The carving really was inconvenient to carry, so she still did not want it. Yet it was also Zhong Guzi's goodwill, leaving her somewhat hesitant.

What she did not know was that Zhong Guzi's words had not truly been meant for her. They had been spoken for Ju An's benefit.

It was not that Zhong Guzi distrusted Ju An. Some matters simply had nothing to do with trust. Besides, moving such an eye-catching object in and out required an explanation for outsiders.

Seeing her hesitate, Gong Lince walked over, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Niu Youdao is inside."

Guan Fangyi's eyes flashed.

She immediately thanked Zhong Guzi for his kindness, took her leave, lifted the root carving, and carried it away.

On the road, she quietly probed it with spiritual power and discovered that someone really was hidden inside. A wicked smile crept across her lips.

Once back inside her own courtyard at Maolu Annex, she ordered everyone to stay away. After entering her room and shutting the door, Guan Fangyi promptly slammed the root carving onto the floor with a bang.

Fortunately, a root carving was solidly made. It did not break, though it rolled several times across the floor.

Bang!

The man inside sensed something was wrong and smashed straight through the carving, crawling out. After shaking his head, he cursed at Guan Fangyi, who was laughing so hard her whole body trembled. "Crazy woman! What did I ever do to you?"

He had been completely unprepared and had taken that blindside fall full-on.

Guan Fangyi covered her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter. "Oh my, Master Dao! How did you end up hiding inside there?"

"Keep your voice down." Niu Youdao immediately pointed outside, warning her not to let anyone hear.

Smiling brightly, Guan Fangyi moved closer and put both hands on him, feeling him up and down. "Did you hurt yourself anywhere? Let me check."

"Go, go. Enough of that." Niu Youdao brushed her hands aside, walked over to her couch, and sat down. He pointed at the broken root carving. "Dispose of that cleanly afterward."

"Yes!" Guan Fangyi dipped into an exquisitely proper half-curtsy, then quickly went over and sat beside him. She immediately hooked an arm around his shoulders.

"What are you getting so worked up for? Ever heard that men and women should keep proper distance?" Niu Youdao could not stand the way she kept clinging to him and repeatedly pulled her arm away. "Settle down. We have serious business to discuss."

"Oh? You sneak into this old lady's bedchamber, and now you're lecturing me about men and women keeping proper distance?" Guan Fangyi sneered and suddenly made her move.

Their eyes met, one above and one below.

Niu Youdao blinked, then laughed. He slipped both arms around her waist and teased, "What's gotten into you? Feeling frisky? Trying to make this old ox graze on tender grass?"

"Bullshit!" Guan Fangyi's mood flipped instantly. She caught both his wrists, raised them, and pinned them against the couch. With a serious expression, she demanded, "Tell me honestly. What exactly was that thing you gave me?"

That gift had tormented her for an entire night. She had suffered badly enough.

"So that's why you're suddenly so enthusiastic. I thought spring had come early for you." Niu Youdao laughed. "You're not that stupid, are you? You truly couldn't guess what it was?"

Guan Fangyi was growing angry. "Guess, my ass. Tell me. What was it?"

Niu Youdao sighed. "Let go. You're lying on top of me. How am I supposed to talk?"

"Talk first. If you don't, I'll scream that you're taking liberties with me."

Niu Youdao stared at her. "Look at us. Who exactly is taking liberties with whom?"

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Guan Fangyi even bared her teeth.

Niu Youdao was delighted. He had intended to give her a surprise in the first place, and he could well imagine what one night of uncertainty had done to her. Seeing that she was on the verge of losing her mind, he no longer dared tease her. He enunciated the words clearly.

"A Wuliang Fruit."

Guan Fangyi's eyes shone. "Really?"

"You doubt me?" Niu Youdao struggled upright. "If you don't want it, give it back."

"Get lost!" Guan Fangyi released him, planted one palm over his face, and shoved his head back down. Then she rolled upright herself and grabbed his collar, hauling him after her.

She sat back down at the edge of the couch while Niu Youdao, dragged around like a dog, ended up almost kneeling in front of her. The posture was anything but dignified.

"I heard the Wuliang Fruit can preserve one's looks. Is that true?" Guan Fangyi demanded, still clutching him.

"Let go!" Niu Youdao forcibly knocked her hand aside and jumped down from the couch. After straightening his disordered clothes, he bent close to her ear. "I've seen Lü Wushuang. She's several hundred years old, yet young as anything. She looks barely over thirty. What do you think? Can it preserve one's looks or not?"

Guan Fangyi clasped all ten fingers before her chest, excitement lighting her face. "So it really can keep a person from aging!"

Niu Youdao raised a hand and patted her cheek. "Wake up. Could you show a little ambition? Apart from your face, can you think about anything else? If your cultivation isn't strong enough to make the breakthrough, eating it won't help you."

"Ah, that..." Guan Fangyi stood and began pacing anxiously. "By the time my cultivation reaches that level, won't I have aged even more?"

Niu Youdao snorted. "Usually all you know how to do is paint your face and parade around. Now you're anxious? What were you doing before? You're already this old, you've never lacked cultivation resources, and after all these years you still haven't even muddled your way to peak Golden Core. Who can you blame?"

Guan Fangyi complained bitterly, "Who knew I'd ever obtain something like this? When there was no hope of it, spending the best years of my life sitting in meditation felt like such a waste."

"A woman's narrow view!" Niu Youdao said with contempt. Then he waved one hand. "Enough. We won't talk about this anymore. How is everyone in the Annex doing with the packing?"

"Some of the larger things are difficult to pack and take with us."

"Then leave them. Take whatever can be packed easily."

Guan Fangyi stared. "We spent a great deal of money acquiring those things one by one. Roughly added together, they're worth close to a million gold coins. We're just throwing all of that away?"

Niu Youdao sighed. "At a time like this, which matters more, money or lives?"

"Easy for you to say. Throw away close to a million now, then when we settle somewhere else we'll have to buy everything for this many people all over again. Not only do we lose what we had, we have to spend another enormous sum. You don't manage the household, so you have no idea how much it costs to support this many people—"

"Enough!" Niu Youdao raised a hand and cut her off. "Hongniang, this is not about money anymore. We need to leave before news that we're departing Zijin Cave spreads too far. Otherwise, on a long journey across one jurisdiction after another, all kinds of unexpected trouble could arise. Taking that sort of risk is not worth it."

Guan Fangyi fell silent. After a moment, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"Nanzhou. From now on, we'll base ourselves with the Prince."

Guan Fangyi looked worried. "Nanzhou is still under Zijin Cave's control. Yan Li has always wanted to vent his anger and avenge his humiliation. I'm afraid he'll keep making trouble for us, and you can't show yourself."

"Don't worry about Yan Li. I'm back. It's not his turn to strut around anymore. I've already dealt with him. He'll be packed off to the Sacred Realm soon enough. He's no concern."

"He's going to the Sacred Realm?" Guan Fangyi stared, then broke into a smile, looking thoroughly relieved. She teased, "Master Dao truly is Master Dao."

Niu Youdao walked over to the sword rack and picked up the familiar sword. He drew it partway from its sheath. The four characters on the blade, "Loyal Heart, Martyr's Blood," remained unchanged. Clearly Guan Fangyi had kept it for him all this time, and the blade was spotless from careful cleaning.

He sheathed it again and sighed. "I'm afraid this sword won't be coming out again for a very long time. A keepsake that old fellow Dong Guo left me... Ah. Shangqing Sect, over in Wei..." He handed it over. "Keep the sword safe for me."

Guan Fangyi took it and returned it to the rack. Then she lowered her voice. "Master Dao, how many of those fruits did you get? Surely you didn't give me the only one?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask," Niu Youdao replied coldly. "Go. Call Monkey over."

Guan Fangyi shot him a look, but still obeyed and left.

...

"Yuan Fang wants to see me? That monk from Maolu Annex?"

Inside a pavilion, Gong Lince looked somewhat surprised when a disciple reported the request.

"That's right," the disciple replied. "According to him, he wanted to request an audience earlier, but heard that Sect Leader was away. He saw that you had returned today, so he came to ask for an audience."

Gong Lince found it strange. "What does he want with me?"

"I don't know. But he was bowing and scraping the whole time. It looks as though he has some favor to ask."

Gong Lince considered it. Curiosity eventually won out. He wanted to know what the monk was up to.

"Let him in."

[End of Chapter 1181]