Chapter 1301: Good That You're Crippled

Seeing Yuan Gang reduced to this, with his hands and feet practically ruined—a perfectly good man crippled like this—Niu Youdao's true impulse was to kill the woman.

But he couldn't. He had to keep his anger under control.

He knew Yuan Gang too well. If he really killed this woman, there would be no explaining it to Yuan Gang. Once Yuan Gang found out, he would absolutely turn on him.

Between brothers, no matter how deep the brotherhood, there were times when it truly could not compare with a woman. "Could not compare" was not quite the right way to put it, but some things simply could not be done. Once you crossed a line that could not be crossed, even brothers could end up with no brotherhood left between them.

The same was true in reverse. A woman could turn against her own sisters over a man.

Forget brothers—even if one's own parents rashly did such a thing, their child could still turn against them.

As stifled and furious as he felt, his reason remained intact. He still knew where that line was.

At the sight, Zhao Xiongge gave a slight shake of his head. He more or less understood why Niu Youdao had brought the woman here: to give her a warning, so she would not entice Yuan Gang, who had only just escaped disaster, into risking his life again.

Feng Guan'er began sobbing, tears streaming down her face. Only after seeing Yuan Gang with her own eyes did she understand what she had reduced him to. Choking so badly she could barely speak, she said, "I was wrong. I really was wrong. Save him! Please, save him!"

"Save him? Now you want him saved?" Niu Youdao gave a cold laugh. His hand abruptly released her, turned edge-on, and struck the back of her neck.

Her crying stopped at once. Feng Guan'er's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to one side with tears still covering her face, unconscious and motionless.

Niu Youdao nudged her farther aside with his foot, then crouched in front of Yuan Gang and reached out to examine his injuries.

The wounds were indeed severe, but Yuan Gang's vitality remained astonishingly vigorous. Without such powerful life force, injuries like these would probably have killed him already.

After confirming that Yuan Gang's life was not in danger and gauging what his body could withstand, Niu Youdao took hold of the steel needles embedded in him and pulled them out one by one. Throughout the process, his other hand remained pressed to Yuan Gang's body, spiritual power monitoring his condition in case anything went wrong.

Once every needle sealing his acupoints had been removed, a trace of surprise flashed through Niu Youdao's eyes.

At the instant the last needle came free, he clearly felt Yuan Gang's qi and blood surge full again and begin circulating freely.

Even after being injured to this extent, the man's flesh still possessed such tremendous self-recovering vitality. Niu Youdao had not expected it. The ability of the Chi You Wufang Yuan Gang practiced so diligently to temper the body was almost monstrously powerful.

With the physical objects sealing his acupoints removed and his circulation restored, the unconscious Yuan Gang seemed to wake almost immediately. He gave a low groan and slowly opened his eyes.

The haziness in his gaze cleared with startling speed.

Seeing an unfamiliar man crouched in front of him, Yuan Gang thought he was still being interrogated. Savage ferocity flared in his eyes, and he swung an arm at him.

Smack! Niu Youdao caught his wrist. Yuan Gang might have awakened quickly, but he was still far too weak. Niu Youdao tossed his arm back down. "Well! Still have the strength to hit people. You're in pretty good spirits."

The moment he heard that voice and looked into those eyes, Yuan Gang froze. "Master..." He had barely begun before vigilance snapped back into place. He glanced around, not knowing where he was. Only after seeing the unconscious Feng Guan'er and Zhao Xiongge did he relax enough to call out, "Master Dao, how did you... Where is this?"

He distinctly remembered being imprisoned. He had no idea why he was here now, much less how Niu Youdao could possibly be standing in front of him.

Niu Youdao took in every reaction and gave a cold laugh. "Looks like you're not completely muddled yet." He crushed a wax pellet in his hand, pried Yuan Gang's mouth open, and shoved a Heavenly Succor Pill straight inside. A slap to the mouth sent the pill down his throat.

For Yuan Gang, who had endured so much torment, the sheer joy of seeing Niu Youdao again was beyond words. He had thought he would never see him again in this life.

For the moment, he could not spare any thought for what had happened to Feng Guan'er. The thing forced down his throat made his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. He tried to struggle upright, but the pain in his palms made it difficult. Panting, he asked, "Master Dao, what happened?"

"Don't. Someone as mighty as Master Monkey? I wouldn't dare call myself your master!" Niu Youdao's voice dripped with sarcasm, and neither were his hands idle. One finger stabbed directly into the wound in the hollow of Yuan Gang's shoulder where a steel needle had passed through, driving in hard without the slightest mercy.

Zhao Xiongge grimaced at the sight, his teeth showing as though he could feel the pain himself.

"Mm..." Yuan Gang let out a muffled grunt.

Niu Youdao brightened. "Oh? Monkey, you're an iron man, and even you feel pain? That shouldn't happen. Did I see wrong?" As though he truly had, he ground his finger back and forth inside Yuan Gang's wound.

Yuan Gang clenched his teeth and held himself rigid, refusing to let out another sound of pain.

Niu Youdao withdrew his finger and patted Yuan Gang's cheek. "Not bad. You really are a tough man." He reached out again, seized one of Yuan Gang's hands, and lifted it for Yuan Gang himself to see. "Who are you putting on this tough-man act for? Does it look good? Take another look at your feet. Your hands and feet are crippled, ruined. What are you planning to do from now on—crawl along the ground, or sit in a wheelchair like Meng Shanming?"

Slap! Without warning, a vicious slap cracked across Yuan Gang's face. Niu Youdao's expression and voice turned suddenly severe. "Has your brain filled with water? Looks more like piss to me!"

Yuan Gang had been half-propped on one elbow. The slap knocked him back, but he said nothing.

In this world, there was only one person who could hit him into silence, one person whose blows would never stir even the slightest thought of fighting back in him: the man before him.

He was no fool. By now, how could he not know that Master Dao had saved him?

It seemed to happen every time. It had been the same in the past. Whenever his life hung by a thread, Master Dao was the one who repeatedly dragged him back from the edge of death.

Clearly, this time was no exception.

Yuan Gang had thought there was no chance he would survive, yet once again Master Dao had saved him. He had no idea what method Master Dao could possibly have used to rescue him from the hands of the Nine Saints.

But he understood one thing. Master Dao was Master Dao. Master Dao always had his own methods. If he could not do what others could not, how could he be Master Dao?

Niu Youdao reached back, caught Feng Guan'er by the arm, and dragged her over. "Take a good look. The woman you wanted—I got her here for you. And then what? Let her live out some loving life together with a cripple like you? You may not find it disgusting, but she will!"

Yuan Gang said, "Master Dao, it's not what you think."

Niu Youdao flared. "Then what is it? Spare me your bullshit grand principles! You can't even keep yourself alive. What right do you have to act recklessly?" With a sweep of his arm, he flung Feng Guan'er back to the side, then paced angrily back and forth across the cliff terrace.

If Yuan Gang had merely suffered serious injuries, that would have been one thing. But he was crippled—actually crippled. Niu Youdao simply could not extinguish the rage inside him.

Yuan Gang lowered his head, despondent. He knew he had truly infuriated Master Dao this time.

Zhao Xiongge looked from Niu Youdao to Yuan Gang and had to admit he was impressed. Yuan Gang was fierce enough, and thickheaded enough, to confront Lü Wushuang, one of the Nine Saints, head-on—and he had even killed Lü Wushuang's disciple. Just how outrageously bold did a man have to be to do something like that?

It was only thanks to Niu Youdao finding a way to rescue him that this blockhead had not left his life behind in the Sacred Realm.

Of course, Zhao Xiongge was hardly qualified to criticize Yuan Gang. Back then, had he himself not also lost his reason over a woman? He had known perfectly well that nothing between him and the Demonic Sect Saintess was permissible, yet he still had not been able to control his feelings.

Niu Youdao was rational in the end. He knew there was no use raging now that things had already come to this. They had to face what was in front of them.

He tipped his head back and breathed out a long breath, then turned and walked back to Yuan Gang. In an even tone, he said, "Good that you're crippled. Now that you are, stay here at Demon Ridge and behave yourself from now on."

"Demon Ridge?" Yuan Gang looked up in surprise, then glanced around again.

"I still don't know exactly how Wu Chang settled this matter, but if Wu Chang was able to bring you here, then for the time being your danger should be past." Niu Youdao pointed at Feng Guan'er. "The woman you wanted is here too. Stay here and keep your head down. Lü Wushuang's anger hasn't passed yet. This is Wu Chang's territory, after all. Don't go running around again, or there's no telling what else will happen."

He turned to Zhao Xiongge. "Martial Uncle Zhao, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on him for me from now on."

Zhao Xiongge stared. "Me?"

"It's on your way, isn't it?"

Zhao Xiongge shook his head slightly. "I've fulfilled the Saintess's charge. Wu Chang has the item, and I'm free now. I may leave Demon Ridge."

Niu Youdao was surprised. "Where will you go?"

"In the Jin–Wei war, the Shangqing Sect suffered grievous losses. This is exactly when they need people. I want to try returning to the Shangqing Sect."

"You think Tang Susu will accept you?"

"I'll try. If she truly won't, then I'll stay near the Shangqing Sect. I owe the sect far too much."

"If you truly want what's best for the Shangqing Sect, stay here."

Zhao Xiongge did not know what idea Niu Youdao had now. "How so?"

"I understand how you feel, Martial Uncle, but matters have reached this point. After everything we've weathered, neither you nor I can remain outside the storm. The rise or decline of the Shangqing Sect isn't decided in a day. You should know what fate awaits you—and the Shangqing Sect—once Wu Chang achieves the purpose for which he took that item. What meaning is there in running back to the Shangqing Sect now?"

Zhao Xiongge sighed. "Then what meaning is there in my staying here? To go on being a drunkard?"

Niu Youdao pointed at Yuan Gang. "He's become the Holy Son now, so it's inconvenient for him to return to Nanzhou. But this is also an opportunity Wu Chang has given us. We might as well take advantage of the situation and start building up the Demonic Sect. He knows neither the people nor the place, and he has a habit of being foolish about how he deals with people and situations. You know the Demonic Sect well. Stay here and lend him a hand. Keep an eye on him while you're at it, and contact me at once if anything happens."

Holy Son? Yuan Gang had no idea what they were talking about.

Zhao Xiongge understood Niu Youdao's meaning and silently nodded.

"I shouldn't stay here long. I'm leaving." As Niu Youdao spoke, he glanced at Yuan Gang. The words were meant for him as well.

Yuan Gang suddenly remembered something and called out, "Master Dao! Lü Wushuang wants the Scorpion Emperor."

Niu Youdao said impassively, "I heard."

"Her people took me straight back to Wushuang Sacred Land the moment they got me in Wentian City. She wasn't torturing me just to vent her anger. Lü Wushuang had only one purpose in tormenting me over and over—she wanted me to summon the Scorpion Emperor!"

[End of Chapter 1301]