Chapter 1574: The Curtain Rises on the Migration

Guan Fangyi waited with a smiling face for Wen Xinzhao to apologize.

Truth be told, merely watching Wen Xinzhao stand there stifled and aggrieved, yet not daring to act out, gave Guan Fangyi no small amount of satisfaction.

Wen Xinzhao truly was humiliated.

This slut had seduced her man, and now she herself had to apologize to the slut. At least in Wen Xinzhao's own mind, how could she possibly endure such a thing?

Nantian Wufang stepped out from behind Guan Fangyi.

Du Yunsang moved at the same moment, placing himself directly in front of Wen Xinzhao and staring coldly at Nantian Wufang.

Everyone present had sensed Nantian Wufang's killing intent.

Du Yunsang had noticed it too.

Whatever had happened between him and Guan Fangyi, and whatever the state of his feelings for Wen Xinzhao, there was no possibility he would simply watch someone kill his wife in front of him.

Approval flashed in Wen Hua's eyes.

He had always admired this disciple. That was exactly why he had been willing to marry his daughter to Du Yunsang and later pass the position of Sect Leader to him.

At a critical moment, the man knew what mattered.

Niu Youdao spoke. "All of you, stop."

Nantian Wufang looked back at him.

Wen Hua immediately turned to Niu Youdao. "Niu Youdao, I agreed to your condition back then. I'm keeping my promise. I hope you'll keep yours as well."

Niu Youdao knew exactly what he meant.

Back then, the two sides had agreed that Guan Fangyi would be allowed to return the slaps Wen Xinzhao had once given her. Wen Hua's meaning now was obvious: let Guan Fangyi slap Wen Xinzhao a few times, and call the matter settled.

This time, however, Niu Youdao was even more magnanimous. "Forget it. That matter is already in the past. There's no need to pursue it any further."

"That said, your daughter actually dared come to my Maolu Villa and make trouble. That truly is going too far. For Senior Wen's sake, I won't pursue it this time. But I hope you can keep your daughter under control from now on. If it happens again, don't blame me for being discourteous."

Wen Hua was delighted and visibly relaxed. He hurriedly cupped his hands. "People call you Master Dao. Meeting you today, I see you truly are broad-minded. Thank you for your generosity, Master Dao."

"Rest assured. Once we return, I will discipline my daughter strictly."

He turned toward Wen Xinzhao and barked, "Why haven't you thanked Master Dao for his magnanimity?"

Wen Hua knew his daughter would find it difficult to bow her head to Guan Fangyi. He also knew Niu Youdao was the one who truly made the decisions here.

So he immediately shifted the target of her apology to Niu Youdao.

Wen Xinzhao pressed her lips together. She wanted to apologize, but with Guan Fangyi standing there, unwillingness still showed all over her face.

Du Yunsang immediately reached back and tugged her arm, tilting his head toward her. "Listen to Father."

Only then did Wen Xinzhao cup her hands toward Niu Youdao, somewhat unwillingly. "Thank you for your magnanimity, Master Dao, and for not lowering yourself to argue with a woman like me."

Niu Youdao chuckled. "Enough. It's all in the past. You can talk among yourselves. I won't disturb you."

Guan Fangyi glared angrily at him.

After turning away, however, Niu Youdao gave her a look.

As he walked off with his sword planted before him, he warned without looking back, "No one is allowed to cause trouble."

Guan Fangyi caught the meaning in his glance.

She turned her head, gave Wen Xinzhao a cold snort, and left as well.

Nantian Wufang followed.

Only Yun Ji remained behind to keep watch. She would not give Du Yunsang and the others any opportunity to remove the restraints planted inside Wen Hua's body.

The moment they returned to Niu Youdao's courtyard, Guan Fangyi immediately erupted.

"Master Dao, what exactly do you mean by that?"

Niu Youdao stopped and turned around with a smile. "What do you want, then?"

Guan Fangyi snapped, "I didn't intend to do anything terrible to her. I'd already decided to let bygones be bygones. But that bitch refusing to lower her head is unacceptable. This isn't how the matter was supposed to end."

"After what you just did, I don't want to let it go anymore. If I don't slap her hard a few times, I can't swallow this anger."

"That bitch didn't make me angry. She isn't worthy of making me angry. You're the one who made me angry!"

Niu Youdao said, "When I gave Wen Hua the Wuliang Fruit back then, I told him I had to seek justice for my Hongniang. My condition was that Wen Xinzhao had to be sent before you so you could return those slaps."

"What Wen Hua called his promise just now was referring to exactly that."

Guan Fangyi froze for a moment. "Then why did you stop it?"

Niu Youdao said, "That was then. This is now."

"At present, we need to turn hostility into peace. Otherwise Wen Hua will remain wary of us. What I need now is for Tianxing Sect to put its full effort into the matter before us."

"Creating another feud right now would be unwise. Wen Xinzhao doesn't know whether to live or die. Do you want to become as foolish as she is?"

"Originally, I intended to let you slap her a few times and end it there. But judging from Wen Xinzhao's behavior, she's incapable of letting go of this obsession even if her life depends on it."

"Someone this extreme will still come after you the moment she finds another chance."

"People often capsize in a gutter. I don't want to leave you with future trouble."

"Since that's the case, there's no reason to keep her alive."

"Once the present matter is finished, you can kill her however you like. But killing her will create a blood feud with Wen Hua."

"So we may as well settle everything cleanly and get rid of Wen Hua and Du Yunsang too."

"Don't worry. Later, I'll give you the opportunity..."

He paused and looked at her.

"You've followed me for so many years. I know you too well. Your mouth is sharp, but your heart is soft. You may not be able to bring yourself to do something this ruthless."

He turned his head toward Nantian Wufang. "You handle it."

Nantian Wufang glanced at Guan Fangyi and nodded. "All right."

Guan Fangyi was speechless.

Her anger had vanished. Instead, she looked as though she wanted to say something but did not know how.

She had only wanted to teach Wen Xinzhao a lesson. She had never thought of killing the woman.

She had already let go of the past. There was even less reason now to kill Wen Xinzhao.

Yet this Master Dao not only wanted Wen Xinzhao dead, he wanted Wen Hua and Du Yunsang killed along with her.

Guan Fangyi genuinely did not know what to say.

Whether back in Qi Capital or here at Maolu Villa, no matter how many grievances she had suffered, she had never been a vicious and ruthless person.

More importantly, she and Du Yunsang had truly loved each other once.

That relationship was long over, but asking for Du Yunsang's life was something her heart simply could not bear.

After all, Du Yunsang truly had treated her well once.

"Some things should be settled once and for all when the time comes. Stay out of this matter."

Niu Youdao left those words behind and walked away.

Guan Fangyi remained standing there in a daze.

She had only wanted to vent a little anger, yet Master Dao intended to kill that entire family of three.

One thought makes a demon; one thought makes a Buddha.

Master Dao was still that same Master Dao, both righteous and wicked.

Guan Fangyi turned to look at Nantian Wufang.

Plead for Du Yunsang?

How could she possibly bring herself to say such words?

...

It was not only the relevant sects that came pouring in.

Once word spread that Niu Youdao was still alive, the Demon Kings of the Four Seas came together to pay him a visit.

Naturally, in order to strengthen the connection, they did not forget to bring along Niu Youdao's sworn brothers.

Fuhua, Hong Gaitian, Duan Wuchang, and Lang Jingkong had initially been somewhat nervous.

The reason was obvious.

The Niu Youdao of today was no longer the Niu Youdao of the past.

Fortunately, his attitude toward them remained exactly as before. He was still warm and welcoming and personally led the four of them around the mountains and waters surrounding Maolu Villa.

Of course, admiring the scenery was never the true purpose.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about the scenery around Maolu Villa anyway.

What Niu Youdao really wanted to discuss was their migration into the Fifth Domain.

He laid the ugly truth out in advance for the Demon Kings of the Four Seas.

He intended to use this opportunity to restore peace to the human world. Every demon, monster, ghost, and spirit throughout the Four Seas had to migrate into the Fifth Domain.

The Demon Kings of the Four Seas would be responsible for organizing it.

Anyone who refused would leave Niu Youdao no choice but to launch a purge.

He explained the reasoning clearly as well.

Once the circulation of spiritual qi among the Five Domains was cut off, the decline of the cultivation world would be inevitable.

Afterward, purges would continue throughout the human world.

Anyone who intended to hide through it had better possess the ability never to show himself for an entire lifetime.

Otherwise, he should ask himself whether he could withstand encirclement and extermination by a hundred thousand Crow Generals.

And even if he spent his whole life hiding and never dared show his face, what meaning would such a life have?

After the Demon Kings of the Four Seas and the others departed, Guan Jitai, Sect Leader of Lingxiao Pavilion, arrived with Niu Youdao's sworn brother Quan Taifeng.

The Sect Leaders of Blood God Hall and Heaven-Splitting Palace came with them.

Once again, Niu Youdao took them to admire the mountains and waters.

Besides informing them of the migration into the Fifth Domain, he told Song's Three Great Sects directly that he intended to support Shang Chaozong's ascent, unify all beneath Heaven, and return the realm to the Shang clan.

Whether Song's Three Great Sects persuaded Song to surrender to Yan, or allowed Song and Yan to fight a war, was for them to decide after weighing the consequences.

The great sects beneath Heaven sent delegations one after another.

Han's Three Great Sects could not avoid coming either.

Niu Youdao had only one thing to say to them.

Han must surrender.

Even Qiyun Sect had no choice but to face reality.

Taishu Feihua personally came to Maolu Villa, and Niu Youdao still advised surrender.

Seated inside the waterside pavilion, Taishu Feihua remained silent for a long time.

Maolu Villa had not even acted yet, and Jin was already unable to withstand the Yan army's offensive.

If the war continued, Jin still had no chance of victory. It would only create more losses and casualties.

If they stubbornly resisted to the end, the result for Qiyun Sect could only be complete extermination.

After thinking again and again, Taishu Feihua finally made the painful decision.

"Jin is willing to surrender..."

He paused, then added, "I'm not trying to bargain. There are still many descendants of the Taishu clan living as ordinary people in Jin. Could they be allowed to migrate into the Fifth Domain as well?"

Niu Youdao said, "All cultivators are migrating. Many cultivators have wives, children, and families too."

"Maolu Villa isn't so heartless that we'll deliberately tear great numbers of cultivators away from their spouses and children. Doing that would lose people's support, create resistance, and harm the migration."

"Anyone willing to bring his wife and children may do so. Anyone wishing to bring secular relatives and friends may do so as well. Ordinary people who wish to go may also go."

"Cultivators have already caused far too many deaths and injuries in the secular world."

"After all beneath Heaven is unified, I intend to proclaim a general amnesty, empty the prisons beneath Heaven, and relocate the various criminals into the Fifth Domain as well."

"There is only one absolute condition governing the entire migration: cultivators are not permitted to force or coerce ordinary people into going."

"Ah..." Taishu Feihua sighed softly.

The greater tide could no longer be reversed.

Qiyun Sect had no power to turn it back.

...

Across the vast desert, more than a dozen Scorpion Emperors burst through the sand with thunderous force.

Dozens of flying mounts circling in the distant sky immediately approached.

More than a hundred people leapt into the air, landed on the mounts, and scattered away.

Yuan Gang, meanwhile, led several flying mounts back toward Maolu Villa.

If cultivators from every faction were to be convinced to migrate into the Fifth Domain, those factions naturally needed to confirm that the Fifth Domain truly existed.

More importantly, they needed to confirm that it was actually suitable for survival.

Niu Youdao naturally had to let them verify that much.

If there were no road to survival there, then no matter how strong he was, everyone would still fight him to the death.

As for the logistical work of transporting people into the Fifth Domain, Niu Youdao naturally intended to leave it to Yuan Gang.

In truth, this group was not the only one that had been taken inside.

Some representatives of the various factions had already remained in the Fifth Domain to survey the terrain and scout suitable places where their sects could establish footholds when they arrived later.

Those who emerged now were the ones returning to deliver reports.

The group that followed Yuan Gang back to Maolu Villa reported to the Nascent Soul cultivators from their respective sects, all of whom remained under soft detention.

Only after they confirmed that a world truly existed with abundant spiritual qi and conditions suitable for life did the curtain finally rise on the great migration.

[End of Chapter 1574]