Chapter 1436: Searching the Underground River

That single “Go” sent Lü Wushuang silently turning away. She remembered the first time she had met Niu Youdao at the entrance to Wuliang Garden.

Back then, she had looked down on him from high above, while Niu Youdao had treated her with utmost deference. The scene remained vivid in her mind.

The contrast between then and now left her with deeply complicated feelings.

Just as she was leaving, Niu Youdao suddenly spoke behind her.

“Monkey can’t conveniently show himself outside now because of what you dragged him into. For the moment, he’s responsible for receiving and sending intelligence from every channel. You said you would help him, so starting today, stay beside him and assist him.”

“As for Feng Guan’er, I don’t want that matter to create too much of a disturbance. I hope you’ll handle it properly. It’s a matter inside your household, so I won’t interfere.”

Lü Wushuang looked back once, then left the secret chamber.

Outside, she encountered the three people waiting there. Without a word, she silently walked away.

The three exchanged looks and hurried into the secret chamber.

Yuan Gang was the first to ask, “Master Dao, how did it go?”

There was a distinct sense that he wanted to know whether his sacrifice had been worth it.

Niu Youdao replied, “I’ve said what needed saying. I know where things stand now. Monkey, starting today, she’ll assist you with the intelligence work.”

Yuan Gang was somewhat surprised. “Our intelligence exchanges involve many secrets. If she gets involved, won’t she discover them?”

“No matter. I said I know where things stand. We can let her come into contact with them.”

“You need to understand one thing. It doesn’t matter who she used to be, what status she held, or how capable she was. If she knows nothing about the situation, then however great her ability, she’s still groping in the dark. If she doesn’t know what’s happening, she can’t offer useful advice.”

Yuan Gang fell silent.

After he left, Guan Fangyi tentatively asked, “Master Dao, that woman is no ordinary person. Monkey may not be a match for her. She’s accustomed to standing above everyone else. Aren’t you afraid she’ll learn too much?”

“If one day her ambitions become difficult to contain, might she use Monkey? Might she drive a wedge between you and him?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Niu Youdao was unconcerned. “At the very least, she should understand one thing. In the future, if she leaves Monkey, she’ll be nothing.”

“No matter how much she tries to sow discord, so long as she can keep Monkey alive, that’s enough. And if events really can be dragged out until that future arrives, then many things won’t be worth worrying about anymore.”

Footsteps suddenly sounded outside.

Judging from the rhythm, they belonged to Lü Wushuang.

The three looked over.

Sure enough, Lü Wushuang had returned. She walked to the desk. “There’s something I forgot to remind you about just now. When the Holy Rakshasa was rescued, two flying mounts from your side appeared. The Six Sacred Venerables should investigate those two mounts.”

Niu Youdao said, “Don’t worry. They won’t be able to trace those back to us.”

“That isn’t what I mean.”

“After Zhuge Chi was warned and escaped, and with all the chaos that followed, the rest of us met and discussed ways to suppress disorder and limit the response speed of those harboring improper designs. One idea was whether to bring every flying mount beneath Heaven under control.”

“This time both the Holy Rakshasa and I escaped. If they fail to trace the origin of those two flying mounts, the Six Sacred Venerables may very well confiscate every flying mount beneath Heaven.”

Yun Ji and Guan Fangyi looked at one another.

Niu Youdao asked, “How likely?”

“Very. Make preparations early.”

Lü Wushuang dipped slightly at the waist, then turned and left.

Niu Youdao frowned.

If that truly happened, travel and communication between the various regions would become genuinely inconvenient.

The thing one feared most came exactly as feared.

They had only just received Lü Wushuang’s warning when news arrived that very afternoon.

Misty Pavilion had issued an order beneath Heaven: all flying mounts everywhere were to be uniformly surrendered to Misty Pavilion.

Whether they belonged to the great sects or to military and political powers within the various states, every last one had to be handed over. None could be retained for private use.

Every region was ordered to implement the decree immediately, with no delay whatsoever. The mounts were to be surrendered to the nearest All-Under-Heaven Money House, which would handle the rest.

Of course, Misty Pavilion was not simply confiscating them without compensation. The mounts would be purchased at current market price. The All-Under-Heaven Money Houses would pay the money, buying them back without shortchanging anyone by a single coin.

Once the decree fell, enforcement was swift and decisive. No one dared delay.

Niu Youdao’s side was no exception. Maolu Annex had no choice but to send every flying mount under its control to the All-Under-Heaven Money House in Nanzhou’s provincial capital.

In the blink of an eye, Misty Pavilion had dragged the personnel-mobilization speed of every sect and faction down to roughly the same level.

Whether willing or unwilling, every power had to obediently accept reality. From now on, the important figures of the great sects would once again have to jolt along on horseback whenever they traveled, and at far slower speeds.

It was equivalent to stripping the upper ranks of every major sect of one of their privileges.

Many things would become inconvenient.

And that was obviously one of the effects Misty Pavilion wanted.

Afterward, a message arrived from Xi Haitang.

Myriad Beasts Sect was probably the only place outside Misty Pavilion still permitted to retain flying mounts.

But that permission existed only because Myriad Beasts Sect still needed to domesticate and breed them, not because the sect was allowed to use them. The flying mounts kept by Myriad Beasts Sect were forbidden from leaving the territory under the sect’s control.

Relatively speaking, the other sects had merely lost convenience. Myriad Beasts Sect suffered a much larger loss. Misty Pavilion’s move was practically severing one of its sources of income.

If people could no longer use flying mounts, who would still go to Myriad Beasts Sect to buy them?

And Myriad Beasts Sect itself no longer dared sell them.

So Niu Youdao too had no choice but to conduct his affairs from horseback.

Together with Yun Ji, he left Nanzhou’s provincial capital on a pair of horses and galloped toward Canglu County.

After receiving confirmation from Lü Wushuang that there was no immediate danger for the time being, Niu Youdao could finally begin verifying certain matters.

Guan Fangyi once again failed to secure a place on the treasure-hunting expedition. When Niu Youdao left, he had not even told her.

After going so long without riding, suddenly returning to horseback left even Niu Youdao somewhat unaccustomed. Not only was the efficiency of travel much worse, the ground was full of eyes and ears, increasing the possibility that they might be exposed.

Fortunately, Canglu County lay within Nanzhou and was not especially far away.

With a military warrant from Nanzhou, changing horses continuously at relay stations along the way posed no problem. Riding through day and night, they reached Canglu County.

After finding an inn and settling their mounts, the two immediately left the city.

They entered the mountains and moved through the forest until they stopped among several old trees.

Niu Youdao raised a hand and pointed toward a villa in the mountains opposite them. It was Prince Ning’s Villa.

Yun Ji looked at it in confusion, then her eyes brightened as she understood. She turned back to him. “That’s the villa from the map on your sword?”

Niu Youdao nodded. “There’s a secret passage inside the villa leading underground. Roughly a hundred zhang below, there’s an underground river.”

“People remain stationed inside the villa. I don’t want to alarm them, so it would be inconvenient to enter through the villa’s secret passage. Go belowground and search for it. Once you find the underground river, come back for me immediately.”

Yun Ji nodded and sank into the earth.

With an exact location to work from, finding the underground river was not difficult.

Less than half an hour later, Yun Ji emerged from the ground again. “Found it.”

“Take me there. Let’s go.”

At Niu Youdao’s instruction, Yun Ji immediately brought him underground with her.

Before long, the two broke through a wall of earth and entered an underground space. The sound of running water murmured continuously beside them.

Two Moon Butterflies were released one after another to provide light.

They were already inside the cavern of the underground river. Beyond the glow of the Moon Butterflies lay complete darkness, lending the place an eerie and mysterious air.

Niu Youdao sent one Moon Butterfly flying farther to illuminate the surroundings and quietly asked, “How far are we from the villa? Are we upstream or downstream from it?”

“Not far. About half a li. We’re downstream.”

Niu Youdao observed the current, silently recalled the map, then turned and sent the Moon Butterfly ahead to light the way. He continued downstream.

Yun Ji followed.

Neither of them flew rapidly through the cavern. Instead, they proceeded at an unhurried pace, illuminating the surroundings and inspecting everything carefully, as though afraid of overlooking something.

Yun Ji kept close behind him, vigilant and on guard. She did not ask unnecessary questions.

She knew they had undoubtedly come to search for the secret location recorded on the map.

The fact that Niu Youdao had brought her at all already represented enormous trust.

She also understood that part of the reason he had brought her on this journey was so she could serve as his guard. If anything happened, she was responsible for keeping him safe.

After traveling for some time, they reached an enormous bend ahead. The sound of running water gradually deepened into a roar.

When they drew closer, they discovered they had reached an outlet in the underground river: an underground waterfall.

Churning spray filled the air. Water dripped steadily from the stone walls.

Yun Ji glanced at Niu Youdao as he stopped, then stopped beside him.

His Moon Butterfly flew back and forth through the mist while Niu Youdao used its light and his Dharma Eye to inspect the surroundings.

He found nothing unusual.

The Moon Butterfly returned.

Niu Youdao lowered his voice. “According to the map, if I read it correctly, the place we’re looking for should be here. There’s nothing unusual on the surface, but if it really exists, then there must be a hidden entrance somewhere nearby.”

“Search. You take the shore. I’ll check underwater.”

“All right.”

Yun Ji agreed.

Niu Youdao put away the Moon Butterfly, took out a luminous pearl, and stepped directly into the dark void beneath the waterfall.

He descended slowly, the churning mist swallowing him until only a faint orb of light remained.

Standing on the bank, Yun Ji leaned over and watched for a moment. Only then did she turn away, send the Moon Butterfly toward the stone wall, and begin searching.

From time to time, she knocked against the rock or pressed a hand to it and sent spiritual power inward to probe.

Below the waterfall, Niu Youdao continued descending through a mass of surging bubbles.

The water was fairly deep. He did not reach the bottom until several dozen zhang below. Apart from the dim glow in his hand, everything around him was pitch-black.

Strange fish of unfamiliar shapes moved freely through the water. Some were naturally fierce and launched attacks at him, but naturally none could get close.

The riverbed was rough and uneven, strewn with rocks large and small.

Niu Youdao moved along it, probing with spiritual power as he went, but found nothing. He then examined the rock walls on both sides of the channel in the same way and still discovered no clue.

After searching for roughly two hours, Niu Youdao broke the surface and landed on the bank.

Yun Ji was already searching some distance away on the opposite side.

Sensing him emerge, she flashed over and asked, “Find anything?”

Niu Youdao had been about to ask her the same question, but hearing her speak told him there was no need. She clearly had found nothing either.

He shook his head and looked around.

“There’s no point searching too far away. According to the map, if the target is here, the entrance shouldn’t be far. Unless I’ve misunderstood something on the map.”

His gaze suddenly settled on the place where the water dropped through the great height.

A thought occurred to him.

He flashed downward and followed the current, feeling along the stone wall behind the curtain of water.

Not long afterward, Yun Ji noticed that the glow of his luminous pearl had stopped halfway down behind the waterfall.

She immediately flashed over and pierced through the water curtain to appear beside him.

Using spiritual power to force the water aside, she saw a massive stone embedded in the cliff wall under the constant pounding of the waterfall.

Perhaps because the current had scoured it year after year, the huge stone had nearly become one with the cliff itself. Unless someone deliberately paid close attention, it would be difficult to notice.

Niu Youdao was circling the massive stone and examining it.

[End of Chapter 1436]