Chapter 1569: No Chance in This Lifetime

The two looked over and saw Guan Fangyi approaching with a radiant smile, hips swaying as she walked. Her whole face seemed to glow. Nantian Wufang followed half a step behind her, with Uncle Chen farther back.

At the sight of Niu Youdao, Nantian Wufang looked somewhat awkward. This was supposedly their first meeting, but from Yun Ji's manner toward the man, he had already guessed that this was Niu Youdao, master of Maolu Villa.

Years ago, Nantian Wufang might not have taken Niu Youdao seriously. Now he knew exactly what sort of figure stood before him. How could he fail to show respect to a man capable of bringing down the Nine Saints?

Before the group reached them, Yun Ji quietly explained to Niu Youdao, "Nantian Wufang has withdrawn from the Demonic Sect. Wu Zhaoxing belonged to the Demonic Sect and has returned there. Uncle Chen left the Demonic Sect years ago. He can basically be considered Nantian Wufang's personal man now, which also means he'll continue following Hongniang."

Niu Youdao nodded slightly to show he understood.

Yun Ji immediately smiled at Guan Fangyi. "Which ear of yours heard me speaking ill of you?"

"As if you weren't." Guan Fangyi came closer with a mock glare, then introduced Nantian Wufang to Niu Youdao. "Master Dao, you know who he is. I don't need to introduce him, do I?"

Niu Youdao smiled. "I know him. We've met before."

Nantian Wufang immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Master Dao."

Privately, however, he searched his memory furiously, unable to recall when the two of them had ever met.

He did not know that Niu Youdao had already seen him at Demon Ridge. Niu Youdao had been disguised at the time, so Nantian Wufang had no idea that the man he had met then was the person before him now.

"Good." Niu Youdao smiled and nodded, then let his gaze fall on Guan Fangyi's missing arm. "The injury—are you all right?"

Guan Fangyi looked utterly unconcerned. "I'm fine. I'm only missing an arm."

Niu Youdao sighed inwardly. Of all the women at Maolu Villa, she had always cared most about looking beautiful. Now she had been crippled and did not seem to care at all. Apparently being together with the man she loved outweighed everything else. As expected of a woman who lived for love and romance.

His gaze shifted to Nantian Wufang again, and he teased with a smile, "I heard the two of you are already living together. That was fast!"

Nantian Wufang remained quietly beside her, saying nothing. A faint smile rested on his face. His long hair, half black and half white, had returned to its natural state and flowed freely around him.

Guan Fangyi instantly glared at Yun Ji. "And you still claim you weren't speaking ill of me?"

Yun Ji laughed. "Saying the two of you are living together counts as speaking ill of you? You look pretty pleased to me."

Guan Fangyi gave her an expression that said she could not be bothered arguing, then glared at Niu Youdao instead. "What, we're not allowed to live together?"

Niu Youdao said, "Of course you are. Why wouldn't you be? As long as you're happy. After all those calamities, true feeling remains. It's a good thing."

He fell silent for a moment before continuing, "There's something I may need you to make a trip for."

Guan Fangyi immediately understood what mattered. She turned to Nantian Wufang. "Give us some space."

Niu Youdao quickly said, "There's no need. It isn't anything serious."

Nantian Wufang nevertheless cupped his hands and turned back first, quite consciously withdrawing on his own.

Niu Youdao chuckled. "Looks like he listens to you."

Guan Fangyi looked smug. "Of course. He was the one who said he'd serve me like an ox or horse. I didn't force him."

Niu Youdao and Yun Ji exchanged smiles. Then Niu Youdao became serious. "The Tiandu Secret Realm has opened. I want you to make a trip inside."

Guan Fangyi froze. "The Tiandu Secret Realm? It's open?"

Niu Youdao nodded. "Confirmed. It truly has opened."

Guan Fangyi looked uncertain. "If I go in, how long will I have to wait before I can come back out?"

"You don't need to worry about that. If you couldn't come back out whenever you wanted, I wouldn't send you in. With the way it has opened now, you should be able to enter and leave freely."

"When you get there, find a condemned criminal and send him in first to test it. Confirm that he can enter and leave without trouble before you go inside yourself. If you can't confirm that, don't risk entering."

Guan Fangyi nodded, understanding, but another question remained. "What am I going inside for?"

"To find a pyramid. It should look roughly like tiers stacked one atop another..." As he spoke, Niu Youdao used his hands to sketch its approximate shape. "Logically, it shouldn't be somewhere too difficult to find. Once you locate it, remember its exact position. There should also be a recess on the top. Make a drawing of the recess and bring that back to me. That's all."

This time it was not only Guan Fangyi who was surprised. Even Yun Ji said, "There's something like that inside the Tiandu Secret Realm? How come we've never heard of it?"

"One has already emerged in the Boundless Desert. Hongniang, you can go take a look at that one first. Having seen it once may make the one in the Tiandu Secret Realm easier to find."

Guan Fangyi stared. "There's one in the Boundless Desert too? What's going on? Why are you looking for these things?"

"You'll know soon enough." For now, Niu Youdao still had no intention of explaining.

Seeing that he refused to make matters clear, Guan Fangyi immediately grew dissatisfied. She tugged at her empty sleeve. "I've lost an arm too. I only just found myself a man. Can't you let me rest for a while? Why can't Sister Yun go? Why does it have to be me?"

"You know what kind of people are being held inside the villa right now. Yun Ji needs to remain here every moment to personally keep watch over them. It isn't convenient for her to leave."

Hearing that only made Guan Fangyi more displeased. "Master Dao, now that's favoritism. Why can't I stay behind and guard them? Don't you trust me...?"

She stopped abruptly.

Her expression became grave.

"You mean there's a problem with Nantian Wufang?"

Her eyes locked hard onto Niu Youdao.

If the old love she had finally recovered turned out to be some kind of spy, after one more shock like that she might truly lose the will to live.

She did not want to believe it. But Master Dao had predicted far too many things correctly over the years, often with terrifying accuracy. The thought left her badly frightened.

Niu Youdao shook his head. He did not conceal what he was thinking. "There probably isn't any problem with him. Hongniang, your relationship with me is between you and me. Your relationship with him is between you and him. They're two separate matters."

"You know the situation inside the villa now. I don't know him well, and I don't understand him very deeply. At this stage, I don't want any accidents. Anything avoidable should be avoided as much as possible."

"You can take him with you to the Tiandu Secret Realm and let him have a look around too. You should understand what I mean."

With it stated so plainly, Guan Fangyi understood.

She relaxed, though a trace of melancholy also entered her expression.

Nantian Wufang's appearance had created distance between her and Master Dao.

But looking at it from another angle, she had indeed been rash.

There were guest residences in the mountains outside the villa. Back when Yun Ji had first arrived and had not yet earned their trust, that was where she had lived.

Now so many important figures were detained inside Maolu Villa. Master Dao had even placed his own master Zhong Guzi under soft detention. Yet while Master Dao was away, Guan Fangyi had brought an outsider directly into the villa's core area without first asking permission.

If anything changed and those people escaped, the future trouble would be endless.

Given Master Dao's habitual caution—or, for that matter, if anyone else had been in his position—it would be impossible not to guard against such a risk.

None of them had reached this point easily. They had traded countless brushes with death and moments of terror for the present day. They could not allow another accident at the very last step.

She understood.

Once they returned from the Tiandu Secret Realm, she would probably have to find some excuse to tell Nantian Wufang that living in the outer guest residence was more comfortable, offered more privacy, or something of the sort, and take the opportunity to move out.

There were matters where one had to know enough to act consciously. Otherwise, if Master Dao had to arrange people specifically to guard against them, everyone would lose face.

"All right. I understand. I'll take him and set out tomorrow. If there's nothing else, I'll go make preparations."

Niu Youdao nodded slightly.

Guan Fangyi forced a smile and turned away. The moment she turned, the smile vanished.

The taste of gaining one thing while losing another was not pleasant.

She had taken only a few steps when she suddenly heard Niu Youdao sigh behind her.

"Hongniang, you've followed me for so many years, and now you happily run off with another man just like that. What am I supposed to feel?"

There was genuine melancholy in his sigh.

Guan Fangyi stopped.

Her eyes instantly reddened.

For no reason she could explain, that single sentence nearly made her burst into tears.

She forced the emotion down, turned back smiling, and beamed at him. "Where were you all these years? If you didn't have the Commandery Princess, and if I hadn't lost this arm, and you dared speak to me like that, I'm a very sentimental woman. Believe it or not, I could cling to you for the rest of my life."

Niu Youdao said, "You're thinking too much. I only feel like I'm marrying off a daughter."

Guan Fangyi did not buy it. "No chance in this lifetime. But if there's another life, and if we meet again, and if I'm willing to marry you—would you marry me?"

Niu Youdao burst into laughter. "I could consider it."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Guan Fangyi tossed the words over her shoulder and turned away.

Her tears immediately escaped her control and streamed down her face, blurring her vision.

She tried her best to leave behind the image of a woman walking away as though nothing were wrong, but her trembling lips would not close. Tears slipped into her mouth, salty and bitter.

Niu Youdao watched her go with a smile.

Beside him, Yun Ji gave a long, quiet sigh. "If Guan Honghua back then had met Niu Youdao instead of Nantian Wufang, what kind of ending would there have been?"

Niu Youdao planted his sword ahead of him and walked. "Women love indulging in wild imaginings."

Yun Ji followed beside him. "At the very least, Niu Youdao would have faced the problem and solved it. He wouldn't have watched helplessly while she fell into the red dust the way Nantian Wufang did. Hongniang's fate would certainly have been completely different."

"Master Dao, you shouldn't have said what you just said. You broke Hongniang's heart."

Niu Youdao fell briefly silent, but did not respond to that. His mind remained cool and rational.

"There should be another pyramid like that inside the Sacred Realm. Send someone there and find it."

...

The cultivation world was shaken.

Only now did news of Wu Chang's death truly erupt in full.

Word spread that Yan Zhutian, Xi Haitang, Wen Hua, Gong Lince, Zhong Guzi, Zhuge Chi, Wang Zun, Kunlin Shu, Guan Fangyi, Yun Ji, Zhao Xiongge, Ao Feng, Yuan Gang, and the other newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivators had joined forces in a ferocious battle against Wu Chang. The rumors also mentioned that Ao Feng had died in the fighting.

Niu Youdao's name was absent.

Control over public discourse was already in his hands. If he did not want himself publicized, naturally the stories being circulated would not include him.

He had also deliberately listed Yuan Gang among those possessing Nascent Soul-level strength.

The moment the news spread, all beneath Heaven exploded with discussion.

Had a new Twelve Saints appeared?

Debate raged everywhere.

Equally explosive was Shang Chaozong's possession of a hundred thousand Crow Generals, and the way those forces were crushing the Jin army like rotten wood.

A hundred thousand Crow Generals!

The old legend that Prince Ning had refined a hundred thousand Crow Generals had actually been true.

Han and Song fell into profound alarm.

The two states quickly established contact with each other while simultaneously seeking ways to reach the newly emerged Nascent Soul experts within their respective territories.

[End of Chapter 1569]