Chapter 1256: A Stack of Heavenly Sword Talismans

What was that supposed to mean?

Xi Haitang abruptly looked up at him. Throwing out a Wuliang Fruit just to make a demand like this carried an almost brutally simple feeling.

Since when had Wuliang Fruits become so cheap?

It felt like someone saying: I have money, I'm extraordinary, so I can do whatever I want.

After his initial astonishment, Xi Haitang could only smile bitterly to himself. When someone could casually throw out an object like this, he really did have the qualifications to be brutally direct. It left the other side with almost no room to choose.

Wen Hua was somewhat dazed as well. For a moment, he thought he had misheard.

Give him a Wuliang Fruit merely in exchange for this?

Since when had Wuliang Fruits become so worthless?

His daughter was naturally precious to him, but compared with obtaining a Wuliang Fruit, a few slaps hardly seemed worth mentioning.

For the moment, however, he had no mind for anything else.

What concerned him most was the object before him.

Was it truly a Wuliang Fruit?

His gaze rested on Niu Youdao's face, then dropped back to the fruit. He pointed at it tentatively. "This is a Wuliang Fruit?"

He seemed to be asking for confirmation.

Niu Youdao was generous. He simply extended a hand, inviting him to inspect it.

Wen Hua drew a deep breath.

He could already smell that refreshing fragrance penetrating straight to the heart and lungs.

Slowly, he reached out.

Slowly, he took hold of the Wuliang Fruit.

Then he slowly raised it before his eyes and examined it, turning it over and over.

The longer he looked, the more excited he became.

His breathing gradually grew disordered, and his emotions seemed increasingly difficult to control.

He could at least confirm that it was some kind of fruit.

But nowhere in the world had he ever seen a fruit that glowed like this.

It was very likely the legendary treasure.

Of course, he still did not dare be one hundred percent certain.

This was hardly something one could simply obtain at will, and he did not even know who the person before him was.

What he understood even more clearly was what it would mean if this truly were a Wuliang Fruit.

Opportunity and danger existed side by side.

An enormous opportunity.

An enormous danger.

If the Nine Saints discovered it, he might possess the treasure yet lack the fortune to enjoy it.

The thing was scalding hot to the touch in another sense, yet enough to set the blood boiling.

The visitor had been astonishingly generous.

He had simply tossed out an object like this and allowed Wen Hua to take it in hand without the slightest concern that Wen Hua might harbor evil thoughts and seize it.

But did Wen Hua dare seize it?

Even if the other side let him try, even if he had the strength to take it away, would he truly dare?

It seemed almost within reach.

Yet when someone suddenly appeared and said he would simply give him a Wuliang Fruit, one still needed the courage to accept it.

Countless emotions churned through Wen Hua's heart.

Faced with consequences he might not be able to bear, he gradually forced himself to calm down.

No matter how much he wanted the fruit, he finally placed it back where it had been.

He did not even know who this visitor was.

"May I ask who Your Excellency is?" Wen Hua asked with restraint.

At the same time, he glanced at Xi Haitang, clearly asking him as well.

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

The face was completely unfamiliar to Wen Hua.

He had never met Niu Youdao before.

Compared with Wen Hua, the man looked very young.

But how could someone capable of producing a Wuliang Fruit be treated as an ordinary person?

Wen Hua's tone remained courteous. "Sect Leader Xi, forgive this old man's limited knowledge. Who is this gentleman?"

Xi Haitang chuckled. "You may never have seen him, but you should have heard the name. He is..."

He suddenly scratched the back of his hand.

For a moment, he did not quite know how to introduce a man who was already supposed to be dead.

He looked back. "Since you've already come this far, you may as well say it yourself."

Niu Youdao cupped his hands toward Wen Hua. "Niu Youdao of Nanzhou, State of Yan!"

"..."

Wen Hua's eyes widened.

Naturally, he had heard Niu Youdao's name.

Precisely because he had heard it, he immediately looked toward Xi Haitang.

Xi Haitang understood the question in that look.

Was this genuine or false?

He nodded slightly. "There is no mistake."

Then he tapped a finger against the tabletop and pointed at the Wuliang Fruit. "If he hadn't come out of the Sacred Realm, how could he possibly have obtained something like this?"

Wen Hua looked back at Niu Youdao. "This old man heard that you already died in the Sacred Realm."

Niu Youdao answered crisply, "I faked my death and escaped!"

Wen Hua's gaze returned to the Wuliang Fruit. "One can imagine that an object like this must have been guarded extremely heavily. How could it have been obtained so easily?"

At last, someone had said "obtained" instead of "stolen."

Niu Youdao shook his head. "Elder Wen, asking too many questions is meaningless. I ask only one thing: do you want it or not?"

Wen Hua reached out and took the Wuliang Fruit again.

He turned it over several more times, then asked Xi Haitang, "You have one too?"

Xi Haitang nodded. "There were twelve Wuliang Fruits on the tree. I received one."

Wen Hua weighed the fruit in his hand and looked puzzled. "I heard about the matter involving this old man's daughter. That Hongniang is with you. Merely to let her vent her anger, you are willing to give me this? It is difficult to believe."

Niu Youdao said, "You can ask Sect Leader Xi whether I attached any conditions when I gave him his. There were none whatsoever."

"Elder Wen is the exception. Your daughter happened to provoke one of my people."

Wen Hua said, "And therefore you want this old man's daughter humiliated?"

Niu Youdao replied, "Elder Wen, you need to understand something clearly. I came here to turn weapons into jade and silk—to settle this feud peacefully."

"I'm also helping your daughter."

"I'm saving your daughter's life."

"I'm helping you!"

Wen Hua said, "Forgive this old man's ignorance. You want to have my daughter beaten, yet somehow that becomes helping me... saving her life? Are you threatening this old man?"

"Your daughter is arrogant and unreasonable. She relies on power to bully others and humiliated Hongniang before a crowd."

"As far as I know, what happened years ago in the Qi capital was even worse. She beat Hongniang severely and nearly took her life!"

Niu Youdao pointed at the Wuliang Fruit in Wen Hua's hand.

"Elder Wen, I think I should remind you of one thing."

"Hongniang has one of these too!"

The instant those words left his mouth, Wen Hua's heart tightened.

Niu Youdao watched his reaction and continued, "Women are often narrow-minded, and this was a humiliation difficult to wash away."

"If that anger is never vented, Hongniang will repay it a hundredfold or a thousandfold one day."

"If I step in to mediate and a grudge like this can be settled with nothing more than a few slaps, isn't that better than having your daughter lose her life?"

Wen Hua fell silent.

After a long while, he said blandly, "Those are small matters. We can discuss them later."

He gestured with the Wuliang Fruit in his hand. "If something like this was lost from the Sacred Realm, the search for it should turn Heaven and Earth upside down. Have you considered how to deal with that?"

"Once the slightest clue appears, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Niu Youdao, who had been standing all this time, walked over and sat down beside the table.

He put the false face back on and adjusted it into place.

"The thing was lost long ago. Has Elder Wen seen Heaven and Earth overturned?"

"Many matters are difficult to explain, and some cannot be explained clearly at all."

"Elder Wen only needs to understand one thing."

"The Sacred Realm is not a place where anyone may enter or leave whenever he wishes. Since I was able to escape from it, naturally someone helped me."

"Even if the theft is discovered, the first people they will suspect are their own insiders."

Wen Hua asked, "Can your words be trusted?"

Niu Youdao said, "Would I harm myself?"

Wen Hua sighed. "This thing truly burns the hand."

Niu Youdao said, "But Elder Wen cannot resist it."

"Break through to the Nascent Soul Realm and gain longevity without death..."

"This object is enough to make Elder Wen willing to shoulder any risk!"

"The words may not sound pleasant, but they are the truth. At our age and position, there is no need for either of us to pretend otherwise."

"Whether this is fortune or calamity, who can say?" Wen Hua shook his head.

He turned and opened one hand.

A box some distance away flew into his grasp.

He opened it, placed the Wuliang Fruit inside, and closed the lid.

One hand remained pressed on the box.

"You're truly just giving this to me?"

Niu Youdao said, "There are some things I cannot swallow alone."

"We each have what the other lacks. If anything changes, then we'll join hands and resist together."

Wen Hua smiled bitterly.

There was probably no other answer.

"Let's hope we truly can resist when the time comes. This old man is already old. I never imagined I'd still have to take a risk like this."

Something seemed to occur to Niu Youdao.

"Right. There actually is one matter where I need Elder Wen's help."

Wen Hua said, "Speak."

Niu Youdao said, "My cultivation has not yet reached the peak of the Golden Core Realm. For now, I still need ways to protect myself."

"Tianxing Sect's Heavenly Sword Talismans truly are excellent life-saving objects."

Wen Hua asked, "How many do you want?"

Niu Youdao answered, "A few hundred should be enough."

"Cough..."

Xi Haitang, who had been slowly drinking tea, choked.

Wen Hua's eyebrows shot upward. "The great formations Tianxing Sect spent enormous effort establishing can gather enough energy of Heaven and Earth to refine only two Heavenly Sword Talismans a year."

"And from the output of each formation every year, one must be handed over to the Misty Pavilion."

"A few hundred? And you say it as though it's nothing?"

"What do you think these things are?"

Niu Youdao chuckled. "I don't know the market. Elder Wen, forgive me. Just give whatever you think appropriate."

Wen Hua reached into his sleeve.

A stack of talismans appeared in his hand.

Smack!

He threw them down in front of Niu Youdao.

Xi Haitang's eyes immediately widened.

One glance was enough for him to recognize a stack of Heavenly Sword Talismans.

How many were there?

Several dozen?

His blood heated instantly.

Several hundred million gold coins' worth of objects, just handed over like that?

Of course, he understood.

A Wuliang Fruit could no longer be measured by any quantity of gold coins.

It was priceless.

Xi Haitang was not particularly greedy for wealth either. Myriad Beasts Sect was rich.

His blood heated because Heavenly Sword Talismans were extremely useful.

Niu Youdao's eyes immediately lit up.

He swept the stack into his hands and rapidly counted them.

Exactly thirty.

Not one more, not one less.

Once he finished counting, he deftly tucked them into his sleeve and laughed cheerfully. "Elder Wen is truly generous. This junior accepts with thanks."

"Cough, cough!"

Xi Haitang cleared his throat. "Elder Wen, you can't favor one man and neglect another!"

Wen Hua gave him a cold look. "Do you think I'm Tianxing Sect's talisman storehouse? That's all I had on me. I gave every one to him."

Xi Haitang said, "You probably don't believe that yourself. Would you really leave yourself nothing for protection?"

Wen Hua insisted, "That's all there was. If you want some, ask him to share."

He tipped his chin toward Niu Youdao.

Xi Haitang immediately smiled at Niu Youdao. "Little Brother, a guest should follow the host's wishes. That's Elder Wen's own suggestion. What do you say?"

Niu Youdao immediately raised a hand to stop him. "You're the dignified Sect Leader of Myriad Beasts Sect, surrounded everywhere by experts."

"I'm the poor bastard scrambling around on my own. Aren't you embarrassed to say this?"

Xi Haitang said, "That's not how it works. Everyone has times when he's alone. I don't need half."

"Just give me ten."

"Ten?" Niu Youdao laughed. "Sect Leader Xi, are you short of money? I am!"

"If you want Heavenly Sword Talismans, you can buy them whenever you please."

"If you have fewer than two Heavenly Sword Talismans on you right now, I'll give you every one I have!"

Xi Haitang said, "Little Brother, you stole all those flying mounts from Myriad Beasts Sect, and I never settled accounts with you over it, did I?"

"Eight. Fine, five. How about five?"

He kept lowering the number. Having some was better than having none.

Wen Hua raised an eyebrow when he heard this and calmly lifted his teacup. "It seems Brother Niu is rather skilled at stealing things."

"Do I look like that kind of person? Elder Wen, don't listen to his nonsense!"

Niu Youdao waved the accusation away, then immediately turned the spear back on Xi Haitang.

"Which eye of yours saw me steal Myriad Beasts Sect's flying mounts? Do you have evidence?"

"And you still have the nerve to settle accounts with me?"

"Let me ask you this. I gave you a Wuliang Fruit for nothing. What exactly did you give me?"

"How about this—we make it an equal exchange."

"Come. Let's calculate it properly and see how much money you still owe me!"

"Enough, enough. Keep them and eat them yourself." Xi Haitang hurriedly raised both hands to stop him.

Had it been someone else, he might have argued to the end.

But as Sect Leader of Myriad Beasts Sect, he truly was not short of money.

Judging by Niu Youdao's attitude, the man clearly had no intention of handing over even one talisman.

Xi Haitang could not be bothered wasting more breath.

[End of Chapter 1256]