Chapter 1356: Man's Plans Fall Short of Heaven's

After learning things he should never have known, a trace of worry lingered between Wang Zun's brows.

If matters were truly as Sha Rulai said, if Niu Youdao genuinely did not know that the Wuliang Fruit tree would bloom early and had not arranged it himself, then no one could predict how much turmoil this unexpected change might cause.

No wonder Sha Rulai had spoken to him as though arranging matters after his own death.

Sha Rulai said, "With something this serious happening, by rights I should make a trip outside and speak to Niu Youdao face-to-face. But the present circumstances make that inappropriate. If I leave the Sacred Realm immediately after an event this large, it will invite suspicion. Send him a message instead. Tell him what happened so he can prepare, and ask whether the fruit tree flowering early was something he caused."

Wang Zun nodded, then hesitated. "The Nine Saints have started fighting one another. We don't even know whether Luo Qiu will come back alive. If he doesn't, shouldn't we make other preparations?"

Sha Rulai asked in return, "Who would dare move now? Until the outcome is certain, no one will act recklessly. What if Luo Qiu returns? If he discovers anyone making arrangements for after his death, no one could bear the consequences. That's exactly why the others pushed Luo Fangfei forward to make the decisions. We don't need to make any other preparations. We only need to heighten our vigilance. If something truly goes wrong, if Luo Qiu really does fail to return, then the other factions will inevitably purge Daluo Sacred Land. All we need is to be ready to withdraw to the Desolate Marsh Deadlands at any moment. Besides, I simply don't think something as crude as Heart-Bewildering Powder is enough to kill Luo Qiu. We'd better not indulge in that fantasy. And recently, don't leave the Sacred Realm. Better yet, avoid leaving Daluo Sacred Land unless necessary, so you don't attract needless suspicion."

Wang Zun nodded. "Understood."

Sha Rulai said, "Go make the arrangements. I only came back to explain these things to you. Luo Fangfei is completely unsettled right now. If I ignore her entirely, that could also arouse suspicion. I need to go calm her down."

"All right. I'll arrange it immediately."

Wang Zun accepted the order and left.

...

The secret message from the Sacred Realm reached Maolu Annex at the first possible moment.

Yun Ji carried the letter into the secret chamber.

Seeing Niu Youdao sitting cross-legged in meditation, she unexpectedly moved the letter behind her back before stepping forward. "I have something to ask you."

Niu Youdao slowly brought his cultivation to a close and opened his eyes.

He looked her up and down, somewhat puzzled. "What's wrong?"

He found her attitude strange.

Yun Ji had never spoken to him like this before, and now she even had both hands hidden behind her back.

She repeated, "I have something to ask you."

Niu Youdao studied her suspiciously for another moment before saying slowly, "Ask."

Yun Ji said, "Heart-Bewildering Powder. You've heard of it?"

Niu Youdao paused. "I've heard of it. What about it?"

"Have you ever used it?"

He froze again.

His gaze flickered as he watched her reaction, then he slowly said, "That sort of filthy thing is mostly used by certain people against women. If a woman is caught unprepared and falls under its influence, it's easy for someone to violate her. You don't seriously think I'd need to use something like that, do you?"

Yun Ji said, "You really haven't used it?"

Niu Youdao replied, "Do you think it would be difficult for me to get a woman anywhere beneath Heaven? If I truly took a fancy to someone... would I need to resort to that?"

"I didn't say anything about women. For example, inside the Sacred Realm. Have you used it there?"

A trace of vigilance flashed across Niu Youdao's face. His voice sank. "What are you hiding behind your back?"

"I'm asking whether you've used it."

"News came from the Sacred Realm?"

As he asked, Niu Youdao also held out a hand demanding the letter.

Yun Ji could not help imitating Guan Fangyi, clicking her tongue twice.

"So it really was you. The theft of the Wuliang Fruits has been exposed. The Nine Saints were poisoned by Heart-Bewildering Powder and started fighting."

She finally handed over the letter.

Niu Youdao's expression jolted.

He snatched the message, read it rapidly, then got off the couch and began pacing back and forth while continuing to read.

Yun Ji turned her head and watched his every movement.

Inwardly, she truly admired him.

The mighty Nine Saints had actually been caught by his Heart-Bewildering Powder.

This man really dared play with anything.

At the same time, she found it almost unbelievable.

Of all the poisons he could have used, why choose something as weak and filthy as Heart-Bewildering Powder?

Trying to poison the Nine Saints with Heart-Bewildering Powder?

Only this man could think of such a thing.

Was he joking, or simply amusing himself?

Thump!

After pacing back and forth while reading the entire letter, Niu Youdao suddenly slammed a fist onto the table.

Endless regret filled his face.

He said bitterly, "To fail at the crucial moment like this! It seems Heaven truly has no intention of letting the Nine Saints perish yet!"

Yun Ji could no longer contain her curiosity.

The matter was simply too bizarre.

"Of all the poisons you could have used, why insist on Heart-Bewildering Powder?"

Niu Youdao snorted and asked in return, "Then find me a lethal poison that doesn't need to be inhaled or swallowed, one that kills the instant it touches the outside of the body. Is there such a thing? If there were, would I have needed Heart-Bewildering Powder?"

Yun Ji still did not understand. "Even so, there was no need to use Heart-Bewildering Powder. Surely you didn't think some low-grade filthy drug like that could kill the Nine Saints?"

Niu Youdao snorted again. "I only wanted them to lose the ability to protect themselves for a period of time. I had already obtained the Wuliang Fruits. That was enough to create a batch of Nascent Soul experts. When the opportunity became suitable, I could bring those people into the Sacred Realm, then expose the theft of the Wuliang Fruits. If circumstances aligned properly, perhaps everything could have been settled in a single stroke. I never actually expected the Nine Saints to fall for the powder. I merely left that extra move behind while I was at it, just in case an opportunity ever appeared."

Yun Ji suddenly understood.

Once the moment came and the theft of the Wuliang Fruits was exposed, if the Nine Saints were then affected by the powder while Niu Youdao had already arranged his people outside Wuliang Garden, whichever direction the Nine Saints fled, there was a chance he could track them.

And if he had already brought a group of Nascent Soul cultivators into the Sacred Realm, then while the Nine Saints were weak, those people could very well take their lives.

"So that was your plan. Niu Youdao, you really are vicious."

Yun Ji clicked her tongue and shook her head, making it impossible to tell whether she was praising or mocking him.

"When I asked you just now, you still refused to admit anything. Unless someone knocks a hole through the wall, you absolutely refuse to let out a draft."

Niu Youdao said irritably, "It was a killing move I kept in reserve. Was I supposed to advertise it everywhere?"

Then he tilted his head back and sighed. "I never expected all nine of them to truly lose emotional control and fall for it. What a pity. Heaven still has no intention of seeing the Nine Saints destroyed!"

Yun Ji said, "It wasn't completely useless. At least it drove a wedge among them. Haven't the other eight Saints joined hands to hunt Granny Xue?"

Niu Youdao shook his head. "Even if they truly kill Granny Xue, what difference is there between Nine Saints and Eight Saints? It changes nothing. What I can't understand is the Wuliang Fruit tree. Isn't it supposed to flower only thirty years after the fruit is picked? How long has it been since we took the fruits? How could it already be flowering? Man's plans fall short of Heaven's!"

The regret in his voice was genuine.

Yun Ji had never seen him show such open regret before.

She understood exactly what he was regretting.

If events had developed according to the hidden move he prepared, then there really was a chance he could have knocked all Nine Saints down at once and settled the entire matter in one stroke.

"It really is a pity. Still, I've learned something today. Against people like you who kill without showing blood, even the highest cultivation may not match the viciousness of the human heart. But stop puzzling over it for now. The Sacred Realm is asking you the same question. They want to know whether you were the one who caused the fruit tree to flower early."

Niu Youdao was both annoyed and amused. "How the hell would I know what happened? I already told you. Heaven simply isn't ready to end the Nine Saints yet! If I'd known this would happen, would I really have failed to make preparations in advance?"

Yun Ji nodded. "Fine. I'll reply that way."

Niu Youdao raised a hand. "Tell them I want to enter the Sacred Realm. If there's anything else to say, I'll speak to them face-to-face."

Yun Ji was startled. "You finally got out of the Sacred Realm, and now you want to go back? What if you can't get out again?"

Niu Youdao tapped the tabletop repeatedly with one finger. "If I don't understand why the tree flowered early, that's even more dangerous. Who knows whether this is some scheme by the Nine Saints? Tell that side to prepare to receive me."

"All right."

Yun Ji turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Niu Youdao suddenly raised a hand again, as though remembering something.

Yun Ji turned and waited.

The hand he had raised slowly lowered.

He sighed rather helplessly. "You're right. Entering the Sacred Realm right now really isn't appropriate. If this news is genuine, then the Nine Saints will probably lock down the entrances and exits and conduct strict inspections. Forget whether I can get in. Even if I manage it, getting back out may become almost impossible. Reply and tell that side to first verify whether the Wuliang Fruit tree has truly blossomed. If it really has, tell him to contact the Fox Clan. Inside the entire Sacred Realm, there is probably no one who understands the Wuliang Fruit tree better than the Fox Clan. Tell him to determine the situation and reply to me as quickly as possible. Until I understand what's happening, I don't dare move recklessly. What if the Nine Saints have spread a net and are waiting for me to throw myself into it? Warn him to proceed cautiously."

Yun Ji looked puzzled. "The Fox Clan?"

Niu Youdao said impatiently, "You'll know in the future."

Yun Ji did not press him, but she still looked worried. "Could the fact that you stole the Wuliang Fruits be discovered?"

Niu Youdao tapped the table again, emphasizing each phrase. "That is exactly why I need to understand what happened. If the tree really did flower early, then this actually becomes easier. According to the normal rule, flowering now means the fruits were picked thirty years ago. We wouldn't even need to do anything—the timing itself would cover our tracks. But if the tree didn't truly flower early, then we're in serious trouble."

Yun Ji thought about it and realized he was right.

Then she stared at him and asked seriously, "Now that this has happened, there's something I suddenly want to know. If you truly eliminate the Nine Saints, after personally creating so many Nascent Soul cultivators, how do you intend to end matters? One generation of newcomers replacing the old?"

Niu Youdao sighed. "You women really can think up useless nonsense. Can you use your brains for once? I'm already a Nascent Soul cultivator myself. What is there for me to fear? As for Duyun Mountain surviving all these years, I think it was entirely because you're good at burrowing into holes and escaping. Stop thinking about things that don't matter. Reply immediately. This is urgent. Understand?"

Yun Ji rolled her eyes and nearly lost her temper.

But she knew the matter before them was no small thing and could trigger a chain of consequences, so she temporarily let it go and quickly turned to carry out the instructions.

...

Just as Niu Youdao predicted, control over entry into and exit from the Sacred Realm became far stricter.

The possibility of slipping in or out under disguise effectively vanished.

At Daluo Sacred Land, Luo Qiu returned after being missing for some time.

He had disappeared for an entire day.

After neutralizing the Heart-Bewildering Powder, he returned immediately.

The instant he came back, the Nine Saints joined hands and imposed strict control over the Sacred Realm.

As for the matter of the eight Saints hunting Granny Xue, since they had failed to kill her, they all immediately behaved as though nothing had ever happened.

Granny Xue might be furious, but there was nothing she could do.

Was she supposed to confront all eight of them alone and demand her dignity back?

If she were capable of doing that, she would not have waited until today.

Similar incidents had in fact repeated themselves among the nine many times over the years.

None of the Nine Saints admitted stealing the Wuliang Fruits.

As for what had happened thirty years earlier, they could barely remember it. None recalled anything unusual occurring at Wuliang Garden around that time.

The present Wuliang Garden, however, had become almost empty.

Those doing the chasing and those being chased had all vanished from the place.

[End of Chapter 1356]