Chapter 1467: Going Gallantly to His Death

Someone arrived carrying a burlap sack. Guan Fangyi carried it into the hidden cave.

Seeing the sack drop to the ground, clearly with a person inside, Niu Youdao immediately asked, “What happened?”

Guan Fangyi said anxiously, “Master Dao, something went wrong. Yuan Se wasn’t poisoned at all. Consort Yuan was caught—taken alive. She’s fallen into Yuan Se’s people’s hands.”

Niu Youdao and Lü Wushuang exchanged a look, both visibly startled.

Guan Fangyi bent down, pulled open the mouth of the sack, and dragged out Yuan Fang, whose eyes were wide open but whose body could not move.

The moment Niu Youdao saw it was Yuan Fang, he understood Guan Fangyi’s intention.

They had deliberately used Yuan Fang to leak Yan Baoru’s whereabouts as bait to lure Consort Yuan out. Unless Consort Yuan was a fool, she would be able to guess that Yuan Fang was the inside man.

Now that Consort Yuan had been captured, if they pried open her mouth and she exposed Luo Qiu and his people, that would not matter much. Luo Qiu’s side had little to fear.

But if she exposed Yuan Fang, things would become troublesome.

Anyone familiar with Yuan Fang knew he was no hard bone. Under torture, the consequences were deeply worrying.

If Yuan Se merely concluded that Yuan Fang was Luo Qiu’s spy, that would still be manageable. At worst, the people of Maolu Annex would be implicated.

But if Yuan Fang confessed that Niu Youdao was still alive, the problem would become enormous. The people dragged down would no longer be limited to Maolu Annex.

Guan Fangyi had made the wise choice by controlling Yuan Fang at the first possible moment. Even if his disappearance aroused Yuan Se’s suspicions, it was still better than allowing the worst outcome. With Luo Qiu already stirring up trouble, Misty Pavilion could only swallow the situation.

After thinking briefly, Niu Youdao suddenly asked, “Where is Consort Yuan now?”

Guan Fangyi replied, “Still at the annex, under the control of Yuan Se’s people. Master Dao, we need to hurry. Consort Yuan cannot be allowed to live, or everyone in the annex may be implicated.”

Lü Wushuang said, “If they can withdraw, have the people in the annex withdraw immediately. Consort Yuan is in Yuan Se’s hands. With the strength we have here, there is no way to fight our way to his side and silence her.”

Guan Fangyi said anxiously, “They can’t withdraw. The moment the people of Maolu Annex run, even if there was no problem before, there will be one afterward. The Prince’s residence and Zijin Cave will both be dragged in. Master Dao, we still need to silence her as quickly as possible. Yuan Se has gone after Luo Qiu and isn’t at the annex right now.”

She did not want the affair to expand, and she also wanted to protect the people from her Fufang Garden.

Niu Youdao immediately asked, “You’re certain Yuan Se left?”

“I’m certain. I saw it with my own eyes. I just can’t be sure when he’ll return, so we have to move quickly.”

Niu Youdao considered for only a moment before rapidly making arrangements. “Hongniang, I’ll give Zhuge Chi to you. Take him into the city. Find Sha Rulai and tell him to lead people into the annex under the pretext of rescuing Luo Fangfei. Have Zhuge Chi conceal his strength and mix in with Sha Rulai’s people. When the opportunity comes, eliminate Consort Yuan in one strike.”

Yuan Fang, lying on the ground, rolled his eyes.

Zhuge Chi?

Good heavens.

Even that Nascent Soul cultivator the Sacred Realm was trying to capture was here with Master Dao.

“All right!” Guan Fangyi nodded, then hesitated. “Is it appropriate to let Zhuge Chi know so much? Wouldn’t it be safer to have Yun Ji go with me?”

Niu Youdao sighed. “She endured several direct strikes underground and was wounded by Yuan Se. She barely managed to flee back on the last of her strength. Her injuries are severe. She isn’t fit to take part in more fighting right now.”

“Also, tell Sha Rulai in passing that Luo Fangfei has already been rescued.”

“Understood.” Guan Fangyi nodded.

Niu Youdao quickly bent down, removed the restrictions on Yuan Fang, and hauled him to his feet. “Come with me.”

Yuan Fang immediately followed him with extreme care, not daring to say a word, looking extraordinarily obedient.

The sight made Lü Wushuang glance at him twice. He looked so proper and dignified at first glance, yet behaved like an ingratiating lapdog.

Deep inside the hidden cave, Yun Ji had already taken a Heavenly Succor Pill and was sitting cross-legged, circulating her cultivation to heal her injuries.

As for Luo Fangfei, her cheeks and lips had already begun turning bluish-black. Zhuge Chi sat cross-legged behind her, one palm pressed to her back as he used spiritual power to suppress the poison inside her.

“You go help. Suppress the poison in her body.” Niu Youdao gestured toward Luo Fangfei.

Yuan Fang nodded and bowed repeatedly, then took Zhuge Chi’s place.

There was no helping it. They were short-handed.

Lü Wushuang had lost her spiritual power. Yuan Gang might be tremendously strong, but he did not use spiritual power. Yun Ji was badly injured and could barely take care of herself.

The only people here still able to use spiritual power to suppress the poison were Niu Youdao and Zhuge Chi. Niu Youdao still had to oversee the entire situation, so Zhuge Chi could only be used wherever needed.

For that reason, Yuan Gang had gone outside to replace Zhuge Chi on watch.

After rising, Zhuge Chi reminded them, “The poison inside her is very strange. The wound is even giving off a faint fragrance. I’m afraid she won’t be able to hold out much longer. We may need another solution.”

Niu Youdao nodded slightly. They had already noticed the same thing when examining Luo Fangfei earlier.

Guan Fangyi looked surprised. “She was poisoned?”

Niu Youdao said, “Fatty Yuan is no simple man. He prepared contingency after contingency, enough to catch anyone off guard. Whoever rescued Luo Fangfei was forced to fall into his trap.”

“But there’s no need to panic. As long as someone uses spiritual power to suppress it, she can endure for a while longer. The most urgent matter is dealing with Consort Yuan first. Ghost Doctor and his disciples are still in Sha Rulai’s hands and should be nearby. Once Consort Yuan is eliminated, have Sha Rulai bring them over immediately to treat Luo Fangfei.”

He turned to Zhuge Chi. “Go with her. She’ll tell you what needs to be done.”

Zhuge Chi nodded.

Guan Fangyi said only, “Let’s go,” and immediately led him away. The matter was urgent and truly could not afford delay.

Unexpectedly, before the two even reached the cave entrance, someone rushed inside.

It was Yuan Gang.

His expression was grave. He raised a hand and blocked the two of them. “You can’t go out.”

Guan Fangyi immediately saw something was wrong. Yuan Gang rarely reacted like this. “What happened?”

“Yuan Se is here.”

Yuan Gang dropped the words and brushed past them, hurrying deeper inside.

Yuan Se?

Guan Fangyi and Zhuge Chi were both shocked. They immediately became alert and retreated into the cave.

Yuan Gang rushed into the depths of the hidden cavern. The moment he saw Niu Youdao, he reported urgently, “Master Dao, Yuan Se is here. Withdraw!”

Yun Ji, sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, abruptly opened them.

Yuan Fang immediately panicked.

Even Lü Wushuang was startled.

“Go!”

At Niu Youdao’s command, he was the first to flash toward a corner and lift the sleeping Yin’er into his arms.

Guan Fangyi quickly grabbed Lü Wushuang by the arm, while Zhuge Chi picked up Luo Fangfei.

Yuan Fang rose in a fluster, his heart filled with terror.

If Yuan Se saw him here, how could he possibly spare him?

How were they supposed to leave?

Everyone looked toward Yun Ji.

Yun Ji struggled somewhat as she stood and gave a bitter smile. “Taking so many people at once is difficult, especially in my current condition.”

“Go!”

Niu Youdao, carrying Yin’er, immediately ran toward another hidden passage.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows. Naturally, this place did not have only one way out.

The group instantly followed.

Yuan Gang remained at the rear with his saber to cover their retreat. At Niu Youdao’s signal, Zhuge Chi handed Luo Fangfei to Yuan Fang and joined Yuan Gang at the very back.

...

Under the night sky, Yuan Se landed atop a mountain peak. His Dharma Eyes fixed on a white bat dipping and rising as it flew through the mountains.

When the bat began circling above one particular spot, Yuan Se flashed over and landed in a tree halfway down the mountain.

Beneath a huge rock, he saw the mouth of a cave.

The projecting stone happened to conceal it. Anyone not paying attention would have found the entrance difficult to notice.

With a cold laugh, Yuan Se flashed forward. An invisible force reached out and sucked the white bat into his hand as he entered the cave.

His figure flickered repeatedly through the tunnel as he charged straight to the end, truly displaying the courage born of absolute confidence in his own skill.

At the cave’s end, no one was there.

No other passage could be seen.

Yuan Se swept the area with a cold gaze, then opened his hand and released the white bat.

The bat circled with shrill chirps before finally clinging to one section of the cave wall and crying incessantly.

Yuan Se grabbed it, hung it against his chest, and swung both hands repeatedly.

Boom after boom rang out as he smashed through the cave wall as easily as cutting tofu.

...

Inside the hidden passage, the group raced at full speed, one person dragging another along.

“How did Yuan Se find us?” Niu Youdao asked darkly as they ran. “Hongniang, were you followed?”

Guan Fangyi had nothing to say.

She did not know whether she had been followed. She had been extremely careful on the way here, and Yuan Se had clearly left.

From behind, Yuan Gang said, “Probably not. He didn’t follow her here. If he had, he would already have attacked. There was a white bat that seemed to be guiding him. From a distance, I saw Yuan Se following it while searching.”

He pointed toward Luo Fangfei. “By the logic of tracking, there may be something wrong with her.”

“A white bat?” Zhuge Chi froze.

The others glanced toward him as they ran.

His reaction already explained the problem.

He had seen it before, but had overlooked it.

“The fragrance!” Lü Wushuang suddenly said, turning toward Luo Fangfei as she instantly understood. “I was wondering why he kept chasing Luo Qiu. Fatty Yuan truly prepared contingency after contingency.”

A violent rumble suddenly rose behind them.

The sound traveled continuously through the earth from the direction of the passage.

With their senses, everyone could clearly tell it was coming toward them.

They were shocked.

Yun Ji had already used her art to seal a long stretch of the passage behind them. Yet Yuan Se could still locate their exact position?

The rumbling continued for a while, then stopped again.

Yun Ji immediately stretched out one hand and used her art to seal the surrounding passage with earth once more.

Lü Wushuang shouted, “It’s useless! The soil sealing the passage traps Luo Fangfei’s fragrance inside it. He’ll follow the scent all the way here. Abandon Luo Fangfei immediately or none of us will escape!”

Her judgment was correct.

Holding Luo Fangfei, Yuan Fang looked left and right, then gazed pitifully at Niu Youdao.

But it was already too late.

Boom!

Earth and stone exploded outward.

A figure flashed into view.

Yuan Se.

There was no escape!

Everyone froze in shock and stopped moving.

The fact that Yuan Se could still chase them down under circumstances like these said everything about how quickly he could react and pursue.

Niu Youdao immediately used spiritual power to wake Yin’er.

Yuan Se’s gaze swept over the group.

It paused first on the Three-Roars Saber in Yuan Gang’s hand, then on Yuan Gang’s towering frame. His brows rose slightly and he chuckled. “Holy Son of the Demonic Sect!”

His eyes then moved to Guan Fangyi and Yuan Fang.

Everyone else wore false faces. Only those two did not.

Seeing Luo Fangfei in Yuan Fang’s arms, Yuan Se chuckled again. “Demon monk, you’re rather interesting. You put on quite a convincing act. You actually managed to fool even my eyes.”

Yuan Fang’s expression was awkward, but the terror he could not conceal was far more obvious.

“Dao-Dao...” Yin’er murmured drowsily.

Niu Youdao was not wearing Wang Xiao’s false face now, but Yin’er had seen his current appearance before.

Smack!

Yin’er stared blankly.

Niu Youdao had slapped her.

Before she could react—

Smack!

Another slap.

Then another.

He kept striking her face, one after another, until Yin’er seemed almost stunned senseless.

Don’t just stand there in a daze!

Niu Youdao nearly wanted to call her Ancestor.

This was completely unlike how she normally reacted.

But he quickly recovered and shoved her toward Guan Fangyi. “You do it. Make her angry!”

Whether the Holy Rakshasa would recognize friend from foe once awakened no longer mattered.

At this point, a dead horse had to be treated as though it were alive.

Just then, Yuan Se strolled toward them, unhurried and smiling.

Cold light flashed in Yuan Gang’s eyes.

He brought the saber across his body and suddenly roared, “Go!”

The next instant, he shot forward in a blur, charging straight at Yuan Se.

Zhuge Chi’s eyes flashed.

He was shocked.

Deeply moved as well.

That was one of the Nine Saints, a figure who stood above all beneath Heaven.

Zhuge Chi had spent so many years hiding because of people like him.

Yet the man before him charged forward as though no one else could take his place, going gallantly to his death.

The sight shook Zhuge Chi to the core.

Lü Wushuang’s eyes widened.

Guan Fangyi, who had raised her hand to slap Yin’er, froze.

Yuan Gang’s utter disregard for death stunned one person after another.

“Monkey!”

Niu Youdao roared, eyes nearly splitting with fury.

[End of Chapter 1467]