Chapter 1453: Encounter at the Market

Everyone understood. Master Dao intended to reveal his true identity to Yuan Fang.

Lü Wushuang gave Niu Youdao several extra looks. She could hear the confidence in his words, but she still could not help feeling somewhat worried.

The reason was simple. From Yuan Fang’s perspective, one side was Yuan Se and the other was Niu Youdao. Which side he should choose seemed obvious enough.

Even Niu Youdao himself did not dare show his face before Yuan Se and had to operate in secret. What would Yuan Fang think?

Lü Wushuang had never dealt deeply with the people of Maolu Villa, so it was natural for her to have such concerns. Guan Fangyi, Yuan Gang, and Yun Ji were different. They understood the internal situation of Maolu Villa very well. Throughout the entire villa, only Niu Youdao had ever been able to truly keep everyone in line. Neither Guan Fangyi nor Yuan Gang had enough authority to make every person wholeheartedly submit.

Guan Fangyi might currently be the one in charge, but everyone at Maolu Villa remained united largely because circumstances forced them to be, and because they still stood under the influence of Shang Chaozong or Zijin Cave.

The fact that Yuan Fang had turned his coat the moment he saw an opportunity showed that Guan Fangyi did not truly intimidate him.

Yuan Fang might fear Yuan Gang, but only because Yuan Gang had beaten that fear into him. Yuan Fang knew he could not win against Yuan Gang. It was not heartfelt submission.

Back at Zijin Cave, even with Yuan Gang present, Yuan Fang had still tried to become a fence-sitter and lean toward Zijin Cave. That alone proved it.

Had Niu Youdao been there at the time, Yuan Fang would never have dared defect to Zijin Cave. Even if Niu Youdao was absent, merely knowing that he was still alive would have been enough to keep Yuan Fang obedient.

That was the deterrence Niu Youdao had gradually built throughout Maolu Villa over many years and countless incidents.

Yuan Gang and the others knew that so long as Master Dao was willing to reveal his true face and personally step forward, Yuan Fang would not be able to jump very far. There should be no major problem.

“All right.” Guan Fangyi nodded slightly, then looked up at the sky. “We may not even need to think of a way to lure him out. Yuan Fang may already have left the annex to purchase supplies in the city. There’s a chance we can find him now.”

Niu Youdao asked, “Doesn’t Maolu Annex have designated merchants who deliver its ingredients directly?”

Guan Fangyi replied, “There are suddenly so many extra people. The normal quantity obviously isn’t enough. After I noticed something was wrong with Yuan Fang, I paid closer attention and overheard him talking to the monks from Nanshan Temple. Looking back now, that bastard probably wants to show off his cooking properly in front of Yuan Se, so he was planning to go into the city personally and choose some better ingredients.”

Niu Youdao said, “Return to the city first and make the arrangements. We’ll enter afterward and wait for your message.”

Guan Fangyi nodded. “All right.”

Niu Youdao added, “One more thing. Would it be convenient for Yun Ji to sneak into the annex right now?”

Guan Fangyi shook her head. “Too dangerous. Their security is very tight. She could easily be discovered. I don’t recommend taking the risk.”

“What about sneaking into the secret chamber?”

Guan Fangyi stared at him. “You want to hide right under their noses?”

“You’re thinking too much. We don’t know when Yuan Se will leave. To guard against accidents, I need to bring over some additional manpower. All the Goldenwings we use to contact the outside are still inside the annex. We need to get them out.”

“See whether you can move the Goldenwings used for confidential communications into the secret chamber without attracting attention. Yun Ji can retrieve them later.”

Guan Fangyi considered the matter. “All right. I’ll do my best.”

Niu Youdao nodded. “Go. Be careful.”

Guan Fangyi left.

The others also began arranging their entry into the city. When Yun Ji heard that Niu Youdao intended to take only Yuan Gang and leave her behind to guard Lü Wushuang and Yin’er, she showed some concern.

“Why not leave Monkey here and let me go with you? If Yuan Fang really did sell us out and Yuan Se has already laid a trap inside the city, you and Monkey may have difficulty escaping.”

She said this because her earth-escape ability made retreat far easier.

Niu Youdao replied, “The chance that a trap has already been laid is small. I also have a reason for taking Monkey.”

“You only need to take us into the city and remain ready to receive us.”

“If something truly goes wrong, remember this: wake Yin’er immediately and make her angry.”

“Even if the two of us fall into Yuan Se’s hands, he’ll certainly want to understand what’s happening first. He probably won’t kill us immediately. With Yin’er tying Yuan Se down, and with your strength, rescuing us from the others should be much easier.”

Yun Ji thought it over and agreed. Since he had already considered the possibility of disaster and prepared a retreat rather than acting recklessly, she felt somewhat reassured and nodded.

Lü Wushuang could not help giving Niu Youdao another couple of looks.

In a few moments, he had already constructed plans for what would happen before, during, and after the encounter.

That speed of thought alone showed he truly possessed the ability to live with his tongue on the edge of a blade.

For someone who had stirred up one incident after another throughout the cultivation world and still survived to this day, he was indeed no ordinary man.

The longer she spent around him, the more things she began to notice.

...

A carriage followed the main road past the heavily guarded front gate of the Prince’s residence. Inside, Yuan Fang lifted the curtain slightly and took a look outside.

After letting the curtain fall, he could not help sighing.

Once yesterday’s excitement had faded and he had calmed down, worry had begun gnawing at him.

Because of Yin’er.

He knew Yin’er’s true identity was the Holy Rakshasa.

Should he tell Yuan Se that secret?

The matter had left him deeply conflicted.

He was no fool. Of course he understood what it meant.

Maolu Annex was entangled in something of this scale. If he exposed the secret, forget Maolu Annex. The entire Prince’s residence might be washed in blood, perhaps even the whole Nanzhou faction.

Yuan Fang had committed more than his share of murder and arson over the years, but deep down he still considered himself a monk.

If the lives of this many people were dragged into the matter and blood flowed like a river, explaining himself before the Buddha might be rather difficult.

More importantly, he had some degree of friendship with many of these people. Some had even treated him fairly well.

That ugly Commandery Princess, for example.

The thought made him deeply uneasy.

But if he said nothing, and Yuan Se later discovered the truth on his own, then none of the monks of Nanshan Temple might be able to escape.

Now that Yuan Fang had thrown in his lot with Yuan Se, he would become Yuan Se’s man in the future.

Did anyone even need to ask which side he should help?

The question had been circling endlessly in his mind.

The carriage stopped at the market, pulling him from his thoughts.

Yuan Fang had changed into ordinary clothing and wore a hat. He climbed out of the carriage, while two Nanshan Temple monks, likewise dressed to conceal their identities, jumped down from either side of the driver’s bench and gave him a hand.

The market was bustling.

Seeing the crowds, Yuan Fang drew a deep breath and gathered his spirits.

Whatever else happened, he should first handle the task in front of him properly.

Serving a lofty Sacred Venerable was not something he could afford to take lightly.

Each of the two Nanshan Temple disciples carried a woven basket on his back and followed behind.

For this meal, Yuan Fang personally selected every ingredient, choosing one fresh meat or vegetable after another.

He was unusually generous today and barely haggled at all.

Normally he would pinch every coin he could and save wherever possible, but his mind was too occupied by other matters.

By late morning, just as he was preparing to head back, a shop assistant came running from one of the nearby stores and called out along the roadside.

“Rare fresh mountain goods! Fine wild game you don’t often see! Come take a look if you want the good stuff!”

Yuan Fang happened to be walking past. He paused and asked, “What do you have?”

The assistant smiled. “Everything you could ask for. Come take a look, honored guest. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.”

“Mm.” Yuan Fang raised his chin, signaling for the man to lead the way.

They did not go far. The shop stood right beside the market.

The assistant led the three of them inside.

Once there, Yuan Fang looked around, grabbed a handful of dried goods, then casually tossed them back. “This is all?”

The assistant hurriedly said, “There’s more in the back. This way, honored guest. Everything good is behind the shop. It hasn’t been put out yet.”

Yuan Fang swung his sleeves and strutted after him.

The rear hall truly was filled with racks of every kind of mountain produce.

Yuan Fang swept his gaze across them and brightened slightly. He chuckled. “You’ve arranged things rather nicely.”

Then he led the two Nanshan Temple disciples down the rows of shelves, inspecting the goods.

When he reached a doorway beside one row and bent down to examine an ingredient, the small door next to him suddenly opened.

Yuan Fang turned his head.

Before he could understand what was happening, a large hand shot out like lightning and clamped around his throat.

It nearly snapped his neck on the spot.

He could not even force out a sound before the hand hauled him through the doorway like a chick being snatched from the ground.

The door opened and closed in an instant.

One man had vanished from the hall before anyone outside could react.

“Who—”

The moment Yuan Fang was released and managed to gasp out the first word, his voice died.

His eyes went wide as he stared at the man before him, disbelief filling them.

Standing there was none other than Yuan Gang, his face cold and murderous.

His skin tone had changed, but a man was still a man.

Yuan Fang was far too familiar with Yuan Gang’s movements, manner, and presence to mistake him.

That grim aura was exactly the same as every time Yuan Gang had dealt with him in the past.

Whenever Yuan Gang looked like this, Yuan Fang knew misfortune was coming his way.

The impression had been beaten into him too deeply.

How could he possibly forget it?

How could he recognize the wrong man?

“M-M-Master Yuan!” Yuan Fang could barely speak. “Y-you... weren’t you...?”

The arrogant manner he had shown Guan Fangyi was nowhere to be seen.

Yuan Fang had been beaten into a deep, instinctive fear of the man standing before him.

“Gentlemen, that honored guest has some business to discuss.”

The shop assistant’s voice sounded outside.

The two Nanshan Temple disciples had noticed their abbot disappear, and they had also heard half of Yuan Fang’s startled cry. They immediately moved toward the storeroom door to investigate, but the assistant stepped in front of them.

Inside, Yuan Fang’s eyes suddenly flickered.

He remembered.

He had Yuan Se behind him now.

What was there to fear?

His somewhat hunched posture slowly straightened.

His chest began to rise.

Then Yuan Gang’s hand flashed out again and clamped around his throat.

At the same time, Yuan Gang kicked behind his knee and stomped down.

Yuan Fang was forced to his knees on the spot.

He tried to struggle.

That only frightened him more.

He had fought Yuan Gang plenty of times in the past, and the difference between their strengths had never been especially large. That had been the source of his sudden courage just now.

When he had been dragged through the door, he had assumed he had simply been careless and caught by surprise.

Now he poured all his spiritual power into resisting and discovered something terrifying.

Yuan Gang’s strength was as steady as a mountain.

Killing him would be effortless.

Panic surged through Yuan Fang.

With his throat locked, he could not even beg for mercy.

As his eyes shifted, he suddenly noticed another person sitting in the shadowed corner of the room.

The man was slowly pouring tea and drinking, seemingly without even enough interest to glance at what was happening.

Yuan Fang knew this person.

It was Wang Xiao, Yun Ji’s follower.

“Abbot! Abbot!”

The voices of the Nanshan Temple disciples came from outside, along with the sound of hands striking the door and the shop assistant trying to stop them.

Yuan Gang finally released Yuan Fang’s throat, then grabbed him by the back of the neck and hauled him upright.

He tilted his head toward the door.

The meaning was clear.

Deal with the trouble outside.

[End of Chapter 1453]