Chapter 1248: He Will Not Fail a Man of Loyalty and Righteousness

Niu Youdao then cupped his hands toward Yuan Cong again. "I'll have to trouble you to tell me in detail exactly how the Misty Pavilion found you."

This was the matter he cared about most on this trip.

It was simply too serious.

As Jia Wuqun had said, at this point the most important thing was determining whether Shao Pingbo had truly joined the Misty Pavilion or had merely borrowed its power.

If he had only borrowed the Misty Pavilion's power, then the situation was still manageable. Whoever acted behind the Pavilion's back would not dare publicize such a thing.

But if this truly had been an operation ordered by the Misty Pavilion, then the men it sent to find Jia Wuqun had disappeared.

That would mean enormous trouble for their side.

Yuan Cong had nothing to conceal. He immediately recounted the entire sequence in detail, while Niu Youdao repeatedly stopped him to question specific points.

After confirming the particulars, Niu Youdao fell into thought for a while, then asked, "The man you captured still hasn't spoken?"

Yuan Cong said, "He knows he'll die if he talks. We've used every method we can think of, but he refuses to say anything."

"He keeps bargaining and setting conditions. He insists we take him to Star-Plucking City, Boundless Pavilion, Ice and Snow Pavilion, or Demon Ridge. Only after we bring him to one of those places will he answer whatever we ask."

Niu Youdao gave an "Oh." "Where is he? I'll take a look."

Yuan Cong tipped his head in indication.

Niu Youdao followed his gaze and saw a cave at the base of a cliff not far away. He immediately walked over.

Jia Wuqun and Yuan Cong followed.

Wei Duo looked from side to side, then jogged after them as well, curious to see what was happening.

Inside the cave, a man in ragged clothes sat against the stone wall.

His entire body was covered in blood.

He had already been tortured almost beyond human recognition. One could easily imagine how much suffering he had endured under interrogation.

When he saw the group enter, the coachman, barely able to move, gave a miserable smile and closed his eyes.

Niu Youdao stood over him and looked him up and down.

To have been tortured this badly and still refuse to confess—when it came to clinging to his life, the man truly had gone all in.

Niu Youdao slowly crouched in front of him. "Talk. Tell me the truth, and I promise to spare your life."

The coachman gradually opened his eyes again and gave a dry laugh. "Another one. Looks like someone important finally showed up."

"You think I'll believe you?"

"Even if you're telling the truth, I wouldn't dare believe it."

"Don't waste your effort. I already told them. Take me to Star-Plucking City, Boundless Pavilion, Ice and Snow Pavilion, or Demon Ridge. Any of those will do."

"Bring me there, and I'll answer whatever you ask."

Niu Youdao naturally understood why the man wanted to go to one of those places.

Only in places like the Inviting Moon Inn would he have a chance to preserve his life, because they would not dare casually kill him there.

But how could Niu Youdao possibly take a man like this to such a place?

Put plainly, there was no chance this man could be allowed to live.

"What is your name?" Niu Youdao asked.

The coachman chuckled. "So once you know my name, you can investigate me? You think I'll tell you?"

Niu Youdao smiled faintly.

He reached out, pinched a strip of the man's ragged clothing that had already dried into the blood crust over one of his wounds, and suddenly tore it free.

"Mmgh..."

The coachman groaned in pain and shut his eyes again.

"Hard bones." Niu Youdao patted him on the face. "Get some rest."

He rose and walked out.

Jia Wuqun, Yuan Cong, and Wei Duo exchanged glances before following.

Once outside, Yuan Cong walked to Niu Youdao's side. "You're not going to think of some way to interrogate him?"

Niu Youdao shook his head slightly. "If he still refuses to talk after being tortured into that condition, then unless we know something about him and can find a weakness, more interrogation is meaningless."

Yuan Cong asked, "So we just let it go?"

Niu Youdao said, "Since I've come all this way, naturally I'll think of something. I didn't make the trip for nothing."

As he spoke, he drew a rolled map from his sleeve and snapped it open.

It was a large map of the Seven States, prepared on the road.

The others exchanged glances, none knowing what he intended.

Niu Youdao looked around until he found a relatively flat section of cliff, then spread the map against the stone.

Yuan Cong walked over. "What are you doing?"

Niu Youdao asked instead, "They came to your door in the Qi capital?"

"Mm." Yuan Cong nodded.

Niu Youdao immediately flicked one finger.

A thread of force punched a tiny hole through the map at the position of the Qi capital.

He then asked, "When did you leave the Jin capital, and when did they find you in the Qi capital? Give me the times as accurately as you can."

Yuan Cong did not understand the purpose, but still answered. "We left after lunch in the Jin capital six days ago. They found us early in the morning three days ago."

Niu Youdao closed his eyes and estimated for a while.

When he opened them again, he looked around, made a grasping motion through the air, and drew a branch into his hand.

He swept away its side twigs and leaves with spiritual power, leaving a straight wooden rod.

Using the map for comparison, he marked a scale along the rod.

Then he placed one end at the Qi capital, used the scale to estimate the distance, and pierced a small point into the map at the corresponding range.

After that, he tossed the rod aside and took two steps back.

His five fingers spread toward the map.

With a soft ripping sound, a circular piece of the map centered on the Qi capital separated cleanly from the sheet and floated into his hand.

Niu Youdao shook the round paper disk. "With luck, this should help identify the two men who came looking for you."

Yuan Cong looked puzzled. "You can find out who they were just from this?"

Niu Youdao glanced back.

Jia Wuqun already wore a thoughtful expression.

Niu Youdao smiled and deliberately tested him. "Sir seems to have guessed part of it."

Yuan Cong turned to look at Jia Wuqun as well.

Jia Wuqun remained silent for a moment, then bent down and picked up the marked wooden rod.

He walked behind Yuan Cong and began tracing characters across his back while holding up the rod.

"Sir used the scale on this rod to calculate the range people could have traveled within the available time?"

Niu Youdao smiled. "I knew I wouldn't be able to hide it from Sir. Correct."

Jia Wuqun wrote again.

"We left the Jin capital and were later found in the Qi capital. There were delays and complications in between. How can the distance be calculated accurately?"

Niu Youdao shook his head slightly. "It doesn't need to be too accurate."

"Take the time you left the Jin capital as the starting point, and the time they found you in the Qi capital as the endpoint. That gives the outer range."

"But the condition for the other side to start looking for you was first discovering that you had already left the Jin capital."

"Once they discovered you in the Qi capital, messages would also have had to move back and forth by Goldenwing. Add the time spent passing information and making arrangements, and at least one full day would have been consumed."

"So we can subtract one day."

"If the Misty Pavilion itself truly ordered them to find you, there would be no need to dispatch people from some distant place and have them rush over such a long distance."

"If this was a private operation, then without official business they would not conveniently be able to mobilize the Misty Pavilion's flying mounts either."

"In other words, even with a generous estimate, the Misty Pavilion personnel who came for you could have been no more than two days' ride from the Qi capital."

"The people sent must have come from within this region."

He shook the circular map fragment in his hand.

Understanding dawned on Yuan Cong.

Jia Wuqun's face also showed admiration. He wrote again.

"I have learned something. The Prince truly has hidden dragons and crouching tigers at his side!"

Niu Youdao waved a hand. "Sir praises me too highly. It is only a trifling trick."

Yuan Cong, however, still looked confused. "You intend to find which Misty Pavilion personnel disappeared inside this area?"

"How do we investigate the Misty Pavilion's internal affairs?"

Niu Youdao looked down at the circular map fragment. His tone was calm.

"Very easily."

"I refuse to believe people vanish from inside the Misty Pavilion every day."

"If someone inside the Misty Pavilion suddenly disappears, they cannot possibly pretend nothing happened. There will inevitably be some internal effort to search for them."

"Now that the region has been narrowed down, all we need is to have the right person pay attention."

The moment those words left his mouth, Jia Wuqun's expression sharpened.

He abruptly realized something.

It was not only Shao Pingbo.

Shang Chaozong also had people inside the Misty Pavilion!

Yuan Cong fell into thought as well.

He had guessed the same thing.

That did not surprise him.

For Niu Youdao to escape from the Sacred Realm, there was no possibility he had done it without cooperation from someone inside the Misty Pavilion.

Niu Youdao glanced at Jia Wuqun's reaction.

"Sir, when the demon rises one foot, the Dao rises ten."

"When soldiers come, send a general to stop them; when water comes, dam it with earth."

"There is no need to be overly worried or frightened by certain things."

He turned away, found a place to sit, and personally wrote a secret message on the back of the circular map fragment.

Then he folded it and tossed it to Wei Duo.

"Send this out immediately!"

This was intended for Yuan Gang to forward to Sha Rulai.

Sha Rulai only needed to watch the region shown on the paper.

Otherwise, searching across the entire world would be far too broad.

Wei Duo immediately went to carry out the order.

A little later, Yuan Cong came over again. "Sir Jia has something to ask you."

Niu Youdao looked toward Jia Wuqun and smiled. "Why is Sir being so courteous?"

Jia Wuqun traced characters on Yuan Cong's back.

"Sir, did the Prince send someone to the Chancellor's side?"

His eyes remained fixed on the slightest reaction in Niu Youdao's face.

The moment the question was voiced, Niu Youdao fell silent.

Shang Chaozong had sent no one.

Niu Youdao had.

And he had sent a lethal expert.

Jia Wuqun had clearly guessed something.

Seeing that he did not answer, Jia Wuqun immediately lifted the hem of his robe and dropped to his knees in front of Niu Youdao.

Then he kowtowed deeply and remained there, forehead lowered to the ground.

Yuan Cong looked at the kneeling man, then at Niu Youdao.

Off to one side, Wei Duo, who had just taken hold of the Goldenwing, froze and stared at the scene without understanding what had happened.

Niu Youdao stepped forward and used both hands to help Jia Wuqun up. "Sir, why such a great ceremony?"

Jia Wuqun gave a miserable smile and once again wrote across Yuan Cong's back.

Yuan Cong spoke for him.

"I grew up in the Zi household from childhood. The Zi household always treated me as family."

"In food, clothing, shelter, travel—in every respect, they never treated me poorly."

"The Zi household is my home. The Chancellor and the others are my family."

"How can I abandon my family when they are in danger?"

"I beg you, Sir. I beg the Prince. Please spare the Chancellor!"

Jia Wuqun understood the situation perfectly.

If this side approached Zi Pingxiu in his name, Zi Pingxiu would never suspect a trap.

The Chancellor could never dream that these people had actually dared kill Misty Pavilion personnel.

If the situation changed and Nanzhou faced exposure, they would certainly silence Zi Pingxiu without hesitation rather than let Nanzhou be revealed before the Misty Pavilion.

As for Jia Wuqun himself, even if one did not call him a prisoner, so long as these people refused to let him contact the outside world, he would find it difficult even to walk out of these vast mountains.

There was no way for him to warn Zi Pingxiu.

Niu Youdao smiled mildly. "Sir worries too much."

He had not heard the answer he wanted.

Jia Wuqun immediately began writing again, urgently.

"If those men truly were dispatched by the Misty Pavilion, then I cannot escape disaster, and the Chancellor's household will also be implicated."

"The Chancellor need not cling to his office either."

"I beg you, Sir, to move the Chancellor and the others somewhere safe in time. There is no need to kill them."

"Sir, if the family of the Zi household can be preserved, Jia Wuqun will repay the Prince with his life, even if his liver and brains are spilled upon the ground."

"I beg you for mercy!"

The moment he finished, he dropped to his knees again.

Tears already stood in his eyes.

Once more he bowed his head to the ground before Niu Youdao.

In the present situation, every channel of contact had been controlled.

He could not leave either.

He truly had no other choice but to beg like this.

The muscles in Niu Youdao's cheek tightened.

Then he suddenly turned his head and called, "Wei Duo, come here."

Wei Duo hurried back, still looking bewildered.

Niu Youdao immediately took brush and paper and wrote another secret letter.

He handed it over.

"Send this one as well. Send both immediately!"

"Yes!" Wei Duo accepted it, rolled it together with the earlier message, placed both inside the Goldenwing's leg tube, and released the bird into the sky.

Niu Youdao turned back to Jia Wuqun.

"I have already sent word to the Prince according to Sir's wishes."

"The Prince values you, Sir, and he will not fail a man of loyalty and righteousness. He will certainly act accordingly."

"Set your heart at ease and please rise."

Niu Youdao bent once more and helped the kneeling Jia Wuqun to his feet with both hands.

[End of Chapter 1248]