Chapter 1375: Madam Yin Ji

Put simply, only if the Holy Rakshasa could defeat some of the Nine Saints would there be any possibility of defeating the rest. If it could not even defeat a portion of them, there was even less point talking about all nine. Facing them in separate batches would increase the Holy Rakshasa's chances of success and better safeguard its life.

The principle was extremely simple. Once stated aloud, it sounded obvious. But not everyone could put it into practice. That was the difference between one person and another.

Yun Ji finally understood why Niu Youdao had gone to such lengths to draw away part of the Nine Saints. She also felt even more strongly the gap between herself and this man. That was one reason she, and indeed a whole group of people, were willing to follow Niu Youdao.

Sending that glutton Yin'er to clash head-on with the Nine Saints carried an obvious risk. Niu Youdao knew perfectly well that if things went badly, this attempt could cost Yin'er her life.

The reason he dared let her try at all was because of something Yin Ji, the former Fox Clan Chief, had once said: if the Holy Rakshasa had been present, how could the Nine Saints have been allowed to rise so easily? That alone showed that Yin Ji recognized Yin'er's strength. Yun Ji herself had also fought Yin'er before and freely admitted she was no match for her.

But Yin Ji had been speaking about the Yin'er of those earlier years, when she could have checked the rise of the Nine Saints. Yin'er had since been sealed away for several hundred years. As for how powerful the present Nine Saints had become, that was not something ordinary people could truly understand.

The danger Yin'er might face was considerable. The thought weighed heavily on Niu Youdao, and it was not something he wanted.

Leaning against the back of his chair, looking suddenly exhausted in both body and spirit, he slowly waved a hand. "Go carry it out. While you're at it, hand over the matters you're handling to Hongniang. We should set off as well."

Yun Ji noticed the sudden weariness in him. Her voice softened. "Where are we going?"

"The Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm."

Yun Ji was surprised. "We're going too?"

Niu Youdao sighed. "I have no certainty whether the lure will succeed, or how many of them we can draw away. Once fighting begins inside the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm, outsiders will find it difficult to know what's happening. Even Myriad Beasts Sect may not be able to learn the details. If I don't know the situation, there are certain judgments I won't be able to make. We have no choice but to make this trip ourselves."

"All right!" Yun Ji nodded, then turned to make the arrangements.

...

Across the vast sea, the tides rose and fell around an obscure, nameless stretch of land.

A team searching for the guards who had fled Wuliang Garden descended there and began combing the area.

"Report! We found traces of a man-made fire ahead. The marks are fresh."

The search party immediately rushed over.

They found the fire pit, then followed footprints beside it deeper into the mountains.

At last, a group gathered outside the mouth of a cave.

The leader gave a hand signal. Five men cautiously entered in a triangular formation.

Clanging sounds suddenly erupted from within, mixed with several screams.

Two corpses flew out of the cave.

Then a figure flashed outside and stood there proudly.

Among the dozen-odd men surrounding the cave, someone recognized him and exclaimed, "Ao Feng!"

It was indeed Ao Feng.

His cold gaze swept across the crowd. Without another word, his figure flashed and he attacked.

Killing these pursuers was as easy for him as chopping melons and vegetables.

They had no power to resist. In the blink of an eye, those who survived the slaughter scattered in panic and fled in every direction. They had no choice. They were simply no match for Ao Feng.

Ao Feng's figure flickered through the air as he pursued the fleeing men in several directions.

In the end, only two escaped into the vast sea and vanished.

Ao Feng landed beside the surging shoreline and slowly exhaled. He made no attempt to continue hunting the last two survivors.

More precisely, he had deliberately let them escape.

He knew who they were.

He had intentionally spared two men from Wuxu Sacred Land.

That was what Niu Youdao's side had instructed him to do. He had also been told to carry the matter out strictly according to Niu Youdao's timetable. Ao Feng did not understand why Niu Youdao wanted it done this way, but he followed the order all the same.

At this point, so long as an instruction did not plainly send him into certain death, Ao Feng carried out Niu Youdao's orders without hesitation.

He had little choice anyway. His cultivation might be high, but if he dared disobey, there would no longer be any place for him in the Desolate Marsh Deadlands.

Besides, he knew that the Desolate Marsh Deadlands also held the Fox Clan's former Clan Chief, whose strength exceeded his own. He had no room to defy orders.

Of the twelve Wuliang Fruits, he had received only one, yet that single fruit had made him what he was today. He therefore understood that Niu Youdao now held formidable strength in his hands.

And Ao Feng himself no longer had another path.

He had already chosen his side and stood with Niu Youdao.

...

Qin Du was an old retainer of Daluo Sacred Land.

His hair had gone completely white, and he was no longer young.

At this moment, he was riding a flying mount back toward Daluo Sacred Land with two attendants after completing an inspection of one of the outlying stations.

A figure suddenly rose from the ground below, quickly caught up with the flying mount, and began flying alongside it.

The newcomer's robes fluttered in the wind. She wore magnificent silver garments, and her bright, radiant beauty was almost beyond description. Only a faint trace of melancholy lingered in her graceful, dignified bearing.

The two attendants were badly startled.

It was not her beauty that shocked them.

Someone capable of flying beside a mount at this altitude under her own power had to possess terrifying cultivation. Yet among the Nine Saints, they had never seen such a person.

Qin Du, however, stared with eyes wide open, disbelief filling his face. His Adam's apple bobbed several times before he stammered, "M-Madam!"

The newcomer was none other than Yin Ji, former Chief of the Fox Clan.

Her bright eyes moved toward him. She smiled faintly and nodded. "Old Qin. It's been many years."

Qin Du's mouth went dry. "Madam... is it really you?"

"Give this to him."

Yin Ji produced a letter and flicked it toward him with one finger.

Qin Du caught it.

He looked down at the letter, then back at her, only to see Yin Ji abruptly turn and speed away in another direction.

He watched until her figure disappeared completely before looking again at the letter in his hand.

Naturally, he knew who the "him" she meant was.

"Deacon, who was that woman? You know her?" one attendant asked.

Qin Du's expression was complicated.

He truly had never imagined it.

She was actually still alive.

He turned and looked at the two attendants, then warned them, "Mind your mouths. Pretend you saw nothing. Otherwise, no one will be able to protect you."

After so many years in Daluo Sacred Land, Qin Du could not tell whether the three of them seeing this woman alive was good fortune or calamity.

"Yes!" The two attendants cupped their hands and obeyed, though inwardly they remained full of questions.

Qin Du urged the flying mount onward.

After arriving at Daluo Sacred Land, he did not return to report to his superior. Instead, he headed directly for Daluo Sacred Hall, bringing both attendants with him.

He refused to let them out of his sight and did not allow them to make contact or speak with anyone. Keeping them under tight control, he led them straight to the Sacred Hall.

Having survived so many years in Daluo Sacred Land, Qin Du knew what ought to be done and what ought not to be done.

He was not qualified to simply barge into the Sacred Hall, so naturally he first reported to the guards.

Even the guards were surprised.

Qin Du insisted on seeing the Sacred Venerable himself, and his attitude was unusually firm. No matter what they asked, he refused to explain the matter and only said he had to speak to the Sacred Venerable in person.

Seeing that it must be urgent, one guard hurried inside to report.

A short while later he emerged and beckoned. "The Sacred Venerable says you may enter."

Qin Du nodded, then turned and warned the two attendants. "Wait here. Do not leave without permission. Unless the Sacred Venerable says otherwise, do not speak to anyone. Understand?"

"Yes!" The two attendants cupped their hands.

Their nerves tightened.

People like them now needed the Sacred Venerable's permission even to speak to someone?

Qin Du lifted his head and looked at the sky, steadying himself before striding into the Sacred Hall.

Someone led him directly to the rear of the hall.

There he found Luo Qiu sitting in a pavilion, playing Go with his disciple Lu Zhichang.

Seeing Qin Du, Luo Qiu, who rarely smiled, revealed the faintest trace of one.

He knew Qin Du had no great ability, but the man had always been honest and dutiful. Luo Qiu's gaze returned to the board as he said calmly, "Old Qin, what matter was so important that you had to see me personally?"

Qin Du glanced at Lu Zhichang and cupped his hands. "Mr. Lu, please withdraw for a moment."

"..."

Lu Zhichang froze with a Go stone pinched between his fingers.

He was genuinely surprised.

Qin Du might be an old man of Daluo Sacred Land, but he ordinarily had no standing to speak to Lu Zhichang this way. Yet he had said it right in front of Luo Qiu, so Lu Zhichang instinctively looked toward his master's reaction.

Luo Qiu was surprised as well, but after a moment he tilted his head in assent.

Lu Zhichang set down the stone, rose, and left.

As he passed Qin Du, he could not resist looking at him twice.

"Sit." Luo Qiu gestured toward the seat opposite.

"I wouldn't dare." Qin Du bowed and declined.

Luo Qiu smiled faintly. "You've been in the Sacred Land for many years. There are no outsiders here. There's no need for all that ceremony."

For people who were honest, dutiful, and lacking in ambition, especially old retainers who had served for many years, Luo Qiu was comparatively lenient. When he encountered them, he would sometimes even greet them first, enough to leave the recipient overwhelmed by favor. One could also call it a way of winning loyalty.

Seeing that Qin Du still did not dare sit, Luo Qiu did not force him.

"He's gone. What is it? Speak."

Qin Du said gravely, "Sacred Venerable, this subordinate was ordered out on inspection. On the way back, I encountered someone. I encountered Madam!"

Luo Qiu raised his eyes, not immediately understanding. "Madam? Which madam is worth making you this agitated?"

Qin Du enunciated each word. "Madam Yin Ji!"

Luo Qiu's pupils contracted sharply.

He slowly rose and stepped away from the Go board, standing face-to-face with Qin Du. "Old Qin, do you know what you're saying?"

"This subordinate could hardly believe it. I never imagined I would see the Madam, whom everyone believed long dead. This is the letter she gave me..."

Qin Du presented the letter with both hands, bowing as he carefully recounted everything that had happened.

After hearing the full account, Luo Qiu's cheeks tightened.

His eyes remained fixed on the letter.

He first examined it carefully with his Dharma Eye. The incident at Wuliang Garden, where he had nearly capsized in a gutter, was still fresh in his memory.

Only after confirming there was no problem did he accept the letter.

He broke the seal, cautiously pulled out the contents, and slowly unfolded them.

The first thing he saw was a map.

At a glance, he could tell it was a map of the Desolate Marsh Deadlands, though he did not yet understand what it meant.

There was clearly writing on the reverse.

He turned it over.

Lines of familiar handwriting appeared before him.

That was the true message.

And he knew the script very well.

After understanding the contents, Luo Qiu pressed his lips together and slowly folded the letter.

He raised his eyes. "Old Qin, you said two other people also saw Madam?"

Qin Du said, "Yes. They're outside the hall. This subordinate brought them here directly and strictly forbade them from making contact or speaking with anyone."

Luo Qiu said, "You did well. Leave those two here. You don't need to concern yourself with them anymore. You're an old retainer I trust. You should know what may be said and what may not. Treat this matter as though it never happened. I don't want to hear any rumors. Understand?"

"Understood."

"You may go."

"Yes!"

Qin Du cupped his hands, retreated several steps, then turned and left.

[End of Chapter 1375]