Chapter 1245: I'm a Useless Good-for-Nothing

"Dog biting dog?" Niu Youdao looked distinctly displeased. Then he waved a hand, deciding not to argue over it. "There's something I've always found strange. You've had dealings with the Demonic Sect for so many years and opposed Wu Chang for just as long. Do you know how Wu Chang broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm?"

Zhao Xiongge plainly knew. He snorted. "Didn't you strip every fruit from the tree? Why do you still care? Naturally, it was a Wuliang Fruit."

Niu Youdao was surprised. "Where did Wu Chang get a Wuliang Fruit?"

"The Demonic Sect Saintess had always secretly kept one. Only the successive Saintesses knew about it. No one else inside the Demonic Sect was aware. Later, somehow Wu Chang learned of it. After the fruit was stolen, no one knew where it had gone, and the Saintess did not dare search openly. If the people in the Sacred Realm were alarmed and learned the Demonic Sect possessed such a thing, it might have brought annihilation down upon the entire sect. Only after Wu Chang broke through did they realize he had stolen it."

Niu Youdao frowned. "How did the Saintess come to possess a Wuliang Fruit?"

Zhao Xiongge said, "Have you forgotten who opened the Sacred Realm? I already told you the Demonic Sect traces its origins to Li Ge, empress of Shang Song, founding emperor of the Wu Dynasty. Li Ge could freely enter and leave the Sacred Realm in those days. Is it strange that she had a Wuliang Fruit in her hands?"

Niu Youdao gave a thoughtful "Oh," yet remained puzzled. "If they possessed a Wuliang Fruit, why did none of the Demonic Sect Saintesses through the generations use it?"

"Every generation obeyed Li Ge's instruction and did not dare use it without authorization."

Niu Youdao chuckled. "Every single generation could resist the temptation?"

Zhao Xiongge said, "Do you think everyone is like you? Why do you think they were called Saintesses? That title stood for purity. They weren't as filthy-minded as you."

Niu Youdao looked at him with contempt, secretly amused. Purity? Hadn't one of those Saintesses been defiled by this very man? Naturally, he did not say that aloud. "Li Ge left the fruit behind but forbade anyone from using it. What was the point?"

Zhao Xiongge sighed. "Li Ge probably foresaw it long ago. Once she and Shang Song were both gone, cultivators beneath Heaven would lose the power that restrained them, and sooner or later the world would change. The fruit she left behind was meant for the master of the Holy Rakshasa."

"The master of the Holy Rakshasa?" Niu Youdao looked baffled. Yin'er? He tried asking, "What the hell does that mean?"

"I don't know either. I shouldn't really be telling you this, but the fruit is already gone, so there's no harm in speaking of it. Li Ge's final instruction to her trusted maid was this: when the Holy Rakshasa of the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm appeared in the world again, the person whom the Holy Rakshasa followed would be its master. The inheritor was to give that person the Wuliang Fruit."

Niu Youdao's expression twitched violently, becoming extraordinarily colorful. Then he suddenly blurted, "Wu Chang, you motherfucker..."

"Hm?" Zhao Xiongge had no idea why he had suddenly started cursing. "What's wrong?"

Niu Youdao fell silent for a while, thinking about something. In the end, he shook his head and sighed. "Nothing. I just think there was something wrong with Li Ge's head. There were ten thousand other ways she could have handled it. At the very least, why not just give it directly to the Holy Rakshasa? Though come to think of it, there seems to be something wrong with the Holy Rakshasa's head too..."

"You're the one with something wrong in your head. Li Ge arranged it that way because she naturally had a reason."

"Besides that Wuliang Fruit, did Li Ge leave anything else to be handed over?"

Alarm flashed through Zhao Xiongge's heart. He realized he needed to be careful whenever he spoke with this man. He warned, "Don't push your luck. It has nothing to do with you."

Niu Youdao asked, "Don't tell me the Demon Canon is also supposed to be given to the master of the Holy Rakshasa?"

"None of your business."

"What if I told you I am the master of the Holy Rakshasa? Would you believe me?"

"You?" Zhao Xiongge froze, then sneered. "You brat will use any means necessary. Do you really think I'd believe you? You could talk until the heavens cracked open. Even if you brought the Holy Rakshasa right in front of me, I still wouldn't believe you. I advise you to stop thinking about the Demon Canon. Forget whether I have it or not. Even if I did, I would never hand it over to you."

Niu Youdao stared at him in shock. "I bring the Holy Rakshasa right in front of you and you still won't believe me?"

"I know you too well. You even managed to steal Wuliang Fruits from inside the Sacred Realm. Nothing you do would surprise me. Once you use those fruits to create a few Nascent Soul cultivators, if you really charge into the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm and start meddling, the Holy Rakshasa may end up in danger. So I'm warning you now: don't do anything reckless. Even if you bring the Holy Rakshasa here, it won't help. I should never have told you any of this."

Niu Youdao was rendered speechless. Only after quite a while did he give a helpless laugh. "Zhao Xiongge, do you really have to be this absolute?"

"If you refuse to listen... I've held out against Wu Chang for this many years. You're welcome to try me too."

Niu Youdao did not know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and sighed. "Looks like knowing too much isn't always a good thing. Uncle Zhao, I'm genuinely not lying to you. I'll tell you plainly: the Holy Rakshasa has been following me for a long time."

"The Demon Canon isn't in my hands."

"No, I'm serious. I haven't lied to you at all. You've even seen the Holy Rakshasa before."

Zhao Xiongge wore an icy expression, plainly waiting to hear what story he would fabricate next.

Niu Youdao said, "At Myriad Beasts Sect, the time we met—the girl called Yin'er. Remember her? You nearly killed her. You even said she had aberrant demon qi inside her. She is the Holy Rakshasa."

"The Demon Canon isn't in my hands."

"When she transforms, she becomes the Holy Rakshasa. I brought her out of the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm..." Niu Youdao launched into a rapid explanation, telling him almost everything except the method for unlocking the Shang Mirror.

Zhao Xiongge picked up his wine jug and began drinking again, listening at his leisure. When Niu Youdao finally finished, he said, "It sounds convincing enough. No wonder you managed to steal things out of the Sacred Realm. With that mouth of yours, you could probably swindle them into your hands even if you couldn't steal them."

Niu Youdao, who had nearly talked his mouth dry, fell silent on the spot.

This man had already decided he was a scheming thief.

There was simply no convincing him.

In the end, Niu Youdao surrendered, raising both hands. "Fine, fine, fine. You win. It doesn't matter whether you believe me. Just keep the thing safe and don't let anyone else get hold of it."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Niu Youdao gave a self-mocking laugh. "What kind of mess is this?" After sighing several times, he added, "I already told you, I picked all twelve fruits from the tree."

Zhao Xiongge answered casually, "So what? I'm not interested."

"What do you mean by that? Do you really need to guard against me like I'm some thief? Can't you at least hear me out?"

Zhao Xiongge stoppered his wine jug and glanced around. "I should head back too." With that, he turned to leave.

Niu Youdao suddenly reached out and caught his arm. "I came all this way and exposed my identity. I didn't do that just to chat with you. We finally meet once and I'm trying to discuss something serious. I hear you're on pretty good terms with the current Left Envoy of the Demonic Sect?"

Zhao Xiongge looked puzzled. "What does that have to do with you?"

"Quit putting on that 'a dog won't eat shit' act. I'm asking whether you're on good terms with him."

"More or less."

"Is the man reliable?"

"More or less."

"Since you think he's all right, what if I give him a Wuliang Fruit?"

Zhao Xiongge frowned. "Why would you think of giving one to him?"

"There were twelve fruits. No matter how precious they are, I can't hoard all of them for myself. I need to distribute them as quickly as possible, make them useful as quickly as possible, and finish laying out the board. From what I've seen, the Demonic Sect still has quite a few people hidden in the shadows. That's a force worth using."

Zhao Xiongge shook off his hand, turned to face him, and shook his head. "No. Nantian Wufang may not be trustworthy."

"Didn't you just say he's all right?"

"I said more or less. That depends on the matter. It doesn't mean there can be no problem at all. Wu Chang has left the Demonic Sect untouched for so many years. I cannot guarantee there isn't some other reason. I cannot guarantee Nantian Wufang wasn't deliberately planted beside me by Wu Chang."

Niu Youdao stared, then smiled bitterly. "That vigilance of yours really is something."

"Keep the fruit for people around you whom you can trust."

Niu Youdao shook his head slightly. "That isn't how these fruits work. It isn't simply a matter of trust. Giving all of them to people around me would be inappropriate, and in another sense, almost useless. A few more fighters at my side won't accomplish anything. The Nine Saints could summon the powers beneath Heaven at any time and wipe us all out in one sweep."

"There can be no selfishness in this matter. Only when the forces resisting the Nine Saints become larger will our strength become greater, and only then will it become impossible for the Nine Saints to crush me in a single stroke!"

The words were simple.

Yet Zhao Xiongge suddenly felt as though he could sense the storm gathering ahead.

His scalp tingled.

An indescribable emotion surged through his chest.

For the first time—truly the first time—he had heard someone say they intended to oppose the Nine Saints, not merely as empty words, but as something already being put into action.

And this man had already obtained the first pieces needed to fight back.

Zhao Xiongge's blood stirred.

His eyes unexpectedly grew moist.

His disheveled face tilted upward toward the narrow crack overhead, toward the shaft of daylight filtering down through it. In his heart, it was as though he were silently speaking to everyone beneath Heaven:

Who says Shangqing Sect is finished?

For some inexplicable reason, he wanted to cry.

In the end, he suppressed the emotion.

Now that he understood what Niu Youdao meant, he looked at him again and asked solemnly, "Have you used one yourself?"

"My cultivation probably still needs a few more years. I can't use one yet. Don't worry. I'm not so selfless that I'd forget myself completely. You already said I'm no good man. I'll keep one for myself."

"I'm a useless good-for-nothing. Keep an eye on Shangqing Sect for me. I'm leaving."

Zhao Xiongge tossed out the words, turned, and flashed away. In the blink of an eye, he had left the cavern.

Niu Youdao stood there, stunned by what he had just said.

Outside, Yun Ji glanced at the figure flashing away.

A little later, Niu Youdao emerged as well, once more wearing his disguised appearance.

Yun Ji raised a hand and passed him a secret letter. "It just arrived. I've already decoded it."

Niu Youdao took it and read. It was a message from Jia Wuqun forwarded through Nanzhou. The opening lines alone surprised him. "That bastard actually got away!"

Yun Ji said, "Now I understand why you've been so determined to deal with a mere mortal like him. He really is formidable. You laid the net this thoroughly and he still slipped out!"

Niu Youdao stared at the message and slowly shook his head. "Unexpected, yet not unexpected. That man is good at changing with danger. Back in Beizhou, I drove him into what should have been certain death twice and he escaped both times. In the Qi capital, even Hao Yuntu joined the effort and he still got away..."

As he read farther, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Misty Pavilion?"

[End of Chapter 1245]