Chapter 1549: Return to the Secret Place

For the time being, Niu Youdao would not bring anyone else to a place like this. If something went wrong at such a critical moment, everything they had done would fall short at the final step.

Broaden his horizons? Yuan Gang had no idea what there was down here that could broaden his horizons.

As they spoke, the group reached the underground river. They could hear the rush of water and, farther off, the roar of a waterfall.

Then Zhao Xiongge's shout came from the darkness. "Who is it?"

Niu Youdao answered, "Me."

Light appeared in the dark as Zhao Xiongge released a Moon Butterfly. In a corner behind him, two women sat against the wall: Shang Shuqing and Lü Wushuang.

The Moon Butterfly flew over to illuminate Niu Youdao's group. Once Zhao Xiongge confirmed who they were, he visibly relaxed. The waiting over these past days had been torment.

Seeing Yuan Gang return, the weight in Lü Wushuang's heart finally dropped. She stood together with Shang Shuqing.

When Shang Shuqing saw Niu Youdao had returned safely, she clasped her fingers tightly together. Joy welled up inside her, along with immense relief that the misfortune Niu Youdao had spoken of had not come to pass.

"Qingqing." The moment Yin'er saw Shang Shuqing, she shook free of Niu Youdao and ran over. Tugging at Shang Shuqing's sleeve with a slightly aggrieved look, she said, "Qingqing, hungry."

Niu Youdao could not help rolling his eyes. How long had it been since she last ate? Two hours at most. She had been eating nonstop before that, and now she was hungry again? She had plainly turned eating into a habit.

Shang Shuqing had no idea how long Yin'er had gone without food. She quickly turned, picked up the bundle on the ground, and took out some of the dry rations they had prepared for their vigil here. She cared for Yin'er almost like a child. Yin'er immediately broke into a satisfied smile and began stuffing food into her mouth.

Walking over to the three, Niu Youdao glanced around. "Nothing unusual?"

Zhao Xiongge said, "Nothing." He too looked around. "This place seems eternally unchanged." His gaze returned to Niu Youdao's group. After confirming they did not appear injured, he asked, "How did it go?"

Niu Youdao said, "Dangerous, but nothing went wrong. Lan Daolin and Du Wuxu have been dealt with."

Emotion surged across Zhao Xiongge's face. Lü Wushuang had heard him clearly, yet still could not resist asking, "They're dead?"

Niu Youdao looked at her. "Same ending as Yuan Se. Your man cut both of them down with a single slash."

Zhao Xiongge, Lü Wushuang, and Shang Shuqing all turned toward Yuan Gang.

Yuan Gang showed no reaction at all.

For Shang Shuqing, the shock was enormous as well. She knew these people had gone out to handle a major affair and killed two Sacred Venerables, but she had no idea what she could possibly say about something like that. Anything she said would only sound childish.

Zhao Xiongge said, "Looks like there won't be any need to trouble us with those arrangements you made before. I can't handle affairs that complicated."

Niu Youdao said, "Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest. You kept a secret for so many years. If it were me, I couldn't have done it."

Zhao Xiongge said, "You would've found some other way to solve it."

Niu Youdao smiled and walked past him to Yin'er, who was still eating.

Yin'er chewed with her mouth full and looked up at him. For some reason, a sudden sense of vigilance rose in her heart.

But Niu Youdao still acted. He knocked her unconscious again. There was still food stuffed in her mouth, and he casually caught her in one arm before glancing back.

Yun Ji understood. She immediately cast a spell and opened a hole in the wall.

Niu Youdao placed Yin'er inside, then looked back at Lü Wushuang.

Realizing he intended to stuff her in there too, Lü Wushuang hurriedly said, "Are we going behind the waterfall? I want to see what's been sealed there."

Niu Youdao was silent for a moment. In the end, he stepped back from the hollow.

With a tilt of his head, he signaled Yun Ji. She sealed the hole again, leaving air vents for the sleeping Yin'er.

"Let's go." Niu Youdao spoke and led the way.

Yun Ji lent Shang Shuqing an arm and moved swiftly with her.

Zhao Xiongge followed close behind.

Yuan Gang ran a few steps, then stopped and looked back.

Lü Wushuang was trudging unevenly through the darkness, one foot deep and one shallow. She could not keep up at all.

The Lü Wushuang of today had lost every trace of her cultivation. She was no longer Sacred Venerable Wushuang, who had once roamed the skies without restraint.

Yuan Gang stopped and waited.

When Lü Wushuang reached him, she lifted her eyes to his.

The two looked at one another for a moment.

Yuan Gang raised a hand, took the great saber from his back, then turned his back to her and crouched.

Lü Wushuang bit her lip slightly. She stepped forward, climbed onto his back, and looped both arms around his neck.

Yuan Gang hooked his arms beneath her legs, stood, then carried her through the darkness at speed, leaping and racing after the light ahead.

Mist churned in the air. The enormous drop in water level produced a deafening roar. Shang Shuqing looked up at the magnificent underground world in amazement.

Niu Youdao pointed toward the waterfall and said to Zhao Xiongge, "There's a stone stalactite driven into the wall behind it. Pull it out. The entrance is behind it."

Zhao Xiongge nodded slightly, flashed into the torrent, and searched behind the waterfall for a moment. He found the stone stalactite wedged into the cliff face, embraced it with both arms, applied his power, and pulled.

With a humming rumble, the stone came free.

Zhao Xiongge flew back out beyond the waterfall, hovering with the stalactite in his arms as he looked toward Niu Youdao.

The stone was no longer needed. Niu Youdao pointed toward the churning pool below.

Understanding, Zhao Xiongge released it.

The great stone crashed into the pool with a boom.

"Go." Niu Youdao called out, then flashed forward first and disappeared through the waterfall.

Yun Ji wrapped an arm around Shang Shuqing's waist, flew up, and protected them both with a shield of spiritual power as they burst through the falling water and entered the opening behind it.

Yuan Gang, still carrying Lü Wushuang, looked up and was considering whether to launch himself violently upward.

Zhao Xiongge, hovering nearby, noticed. He flashed over, seized Yuan Gang by the arm, and carried both of them into the air. In an instant, the three passed through the waterfall and entered the cave.

Niu Youdao looked back, saw everyone had arrived, and released a Moon Butterfly to light the way as he continued ahead.

The ground was slick with moisture, but that presented no difficulty to this group. Those who had never been here before looked around as they walked and could all see signs that the passage had been carved by human hands.

Soon proper stone steps appeared. The farther they went, the deeper and quieter the place became.

The silence did not last long. A rumbling sound gradually rose ahead.

They reached another vast underground space with a tremendous drop. By the Moon Butterfly's light, everyone felt as though they stood at the bottom of a ten-thousand-zhang abyss. Two waterfalls plunged down on either side, as though pouring from the River of the Dead itself.

Shang Shuqing was still looking up at this marvel of nature when Niu Youdao had already flashed across the broken bridge and entered the passage opposite.

Yun Ji carried her across as well.

Zhao Xiongge had been about to lend Yuan Gang a hand, but Yuan Gang suddenly broke into a run. Carrying Lü Wushuang on his back, he leapt directly across the broken bridge and the abyss below, landed, and ran into the opposite passage.

Zhao Xiongge glanced back at the pitch-black way they had come, then flashed across himself.

Once they descended farther on the other side, Yun Ji noticed something wrong with Shang Shuqing.

The woman was visibly trembling. Yun Ji knew the dense yin qi seeping through this place was becoming too much for her and immediately used spiritual power to shield her.

In truth, Shang Shuqing had begun feeling cold much earlier. She simply had not wanted to trouble anyone.

Ever since she was old enough to understand things, she had been the sort of person who hated burdening others. So she had endured it in silence until her body finally could not bear any more.

Warmth flowed into her and drove out the chilling yin energy.

Shang Shuqing said softly, "Qing'er has become a burden. Thank you, Manager Yun."

Her words were filled with unease and embarrassment. Every so often, she glanced toward Niu Youdao ahead, feeling more and more like a useless burden.

"The Commandery Princess is too polite." Yun Ji smiled.

Inwardly, she thought: anyone here can have an accident except you. Now that we've reached this place, you're the key.

By this point, Yun Ji had naturally guessed that Shang Shuqing was the one required to undo the seal. Otherwise there would have been no reason to bring her.

When Niu Youdao left Yin'er behind, he had even considered leaving Lü Wushuang there too, yet he had never considered leaving Shang Shuqing.

The reason was obvious.

Yun Ji looked back, slightly worried that Lü Wushuang might not be able to endure the environment either.

Instead, she found Lü Wushuang riding comfortably on Yuan Gang's back, looking around with perfect ease.

That was obviously abnormal.

Yun Ji activated her Dharma Eyes for a closer look.

Yuan Gang's body seemed to have been stimulated by the environment itself. His blood and vital energy were so vigorous that he gave off the impression that a hundred evils could not invade him. The immense vitality surrounding him kept the drifting yin qi from approaching.

Lü Wushuang, pressed against his back, was protected along with him.

Yun Ji marveled inwardly.

Yuan Gang's physical body had truly reached a state beyond ordinary reason.

Since there was no problem, she ignored the matter and continued protecting Shang Shuqing as they went.

Lü Wushuang truly felt nothing wrong.

To her, lying against Yuan Gang was like lying on a warm blanket. She was comfortable, could enjoy the scenery, and did not even need to walk. What could be more pleasant?

After the sound of the waterfall behind them had completely faded, the temperature dropped even farther.

Soon even the Moon Butterflies could no longer endure it.

The group put them away. Niu Youdao took out a luminous pearl and continued leading them forward by its light.

At last, after moving quickly through the darkness, they reached a stone chamber and saw the enormous spherical sealing stone.

Shang Shuqing's gaze fell upon the lintel over the blocked entrance.

She murmured, "Loyal Heart, Martyr's Blood!"

Her eyes then shifted instinctively toward Niu Youdao as she remembered the same words on that sword.

Yuan Gang and Zhao Xiongge were both familiar with the sword as well, and both looked toward Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao turned, walked a few steps to Shang Shuqing, and smiled at her. "Commandery Princess, those four words should look familiar."

Shang Shuqing nodded. "The sword Mister Dong Guo gave my father bore those same four characters on the blade near the hilt."

Niu Youdao lifted the sword in his hand slightly. "Commandery Princess, do you remember what we discussed last time concerning this sword?"

Shang Shuqing gave a soft "Mm." "I remember."

Niu Youdao said, "It was your reminder last time that made me think of this sword and led me here. This place was secretly prepared by that old fellow Dong Guo and your father while they were still alive. The reason Prince Ning drew your attention to this sword lies here."

Shang Shuqing stared at him in astonishment and uncertainty.

She had no idea why her father had created such a secret place while he was alive.

Lü Wushuang looked puzzled as well. Even with all she had seen in her life, the conversation sounded almost like some obscure heavenly scripture to her.

Niu Youdao continued, "Commandery Princess, do you feel any discomfort?"

Shang Shuqing looked around, then answered tentatively, "The yin qi here seems extremely heavy. It's very cold. Without Manager Yun protecting me, Qing'er wouldn't be able to endure it."

Zhao Xiongge suddenly cut in. "He isn't asking about the environment. He's asking about your body. Do you feel anything unusual?"

Shang Shuqing instinctively raised a hand and touched her face.

She did not know whether she should say it. Making a fuss over her ugly face felt inappropriate to her, perhaps even affected.

But under Niu Youdao's encouraging gaze, she tried to answer.

"Qing'er doesn't know why, but the closer we came to this place, the hotter my face became... It feels a little burning, almost swollen. Master Dao, does that count?"

[End of Chapter 1549]