"If that's the case …" Niu Youdao muttered to himself.
"What?" Linghu Qiu asked.
Niu Youdao explained, "What I mean is that they don't have a strong background. Each of them won't be able to buy a hundred thousand horses. It seems like we'll have to auction them separately."
Linghu Qiu said, "There's no need to worry about this. Let's see what the Emperor will do."
Since they had nothing to do and couldn't cultivate in peace, the two continued their long-winded discussion.
In the evening, Hong Fu prepared some food and wine. After enjoying their meal, the sky had darkened.
Niu Youdao asked Hong Fu to prepare some paste and found a few pieces of yellow paper from the study. He picked up a lantern under the eaves and pasted the yellow paper on the lantern. After the lantern was lit, it emitted a hazy yellow light.
"Hang it on the top of that tree so that the people on the street outside can see it." Niu Youdao pointed to the tallest tree in the front yard and gave the order. He handed the lantern to Hong Fu.
Hong Fu carried the lantern and left.
Standing shoulder to shoulder under the eaves, Linghu Qiu asked, "Brother, who are you sending the signal to?"
Niu Youdao grunted, "To Hei Peony and the others."
Linghu Qiu was astonished. "Didn't they leave?"
Niu Youdao answered vaguely, "I have other arrangements."
In fact, the signal was meant for Yuan Gang. If Pei Sanniang didn't come today, he would hang up a white lantern to indicate that they could make a move. A yellow lantern would indicate that they should hold off.
He wanted to meet Yuan Gang more, but it wasn't realistic at the moment. There were too many people watching. If Yuan Gang was exposed, he would be in danger.
Driving Hei Peony and the others away in advance was also a form of protection for Yuan Gang. If the capital was set on fire, he might be suspected. Naturally, his people would be the first to be suspected. Hei Peony and the others who had disappeared would be the primary suspects. As long as Yuan Gang was given enough time, he believed that Yuan Gang would be able to eliminate the hidden dangers and protect himself.
The mountain was high, and the stars in the sky seemed to be right in front of them. It felt as if they could reach out and pluck them.
On one side of the mountain were the lights of the capital. On the other side were the stars that filled the sky above the grassland. A gentle breeze blew.
A man dressed in red stood on the edge of a cliff with his hands behind his back, gazing at the lights of the capital that reflected the starry sky.
The man was handsome and elegant. There was a hint of arrogance in his eyes, and he did have the right to be arrogant. He, Kun Linshu, was an elite among the younger generation of the Heavenly Fire Cult. No disciple of the same generation could compare to him.
A beautiful woman in a red dress floated down from the sky and landed beside Kun Linshu. Her figure was graceful and delicate, and her bright eyes sparkled as she stared at Kun Linshu. She said softly, "Senior Brother, what are you thinking about?"
She was Nie Yunchang, also known as the Fire Phoenix. She was also an outstanding disciple of the Heavenly Fire Sect, and she was already engaged to Kun Linshu.
Kun Linshu turned to glance at her and smiled before turning back to look at the brightly lit capital. "I heard that Niu Youdao's cultivation level is also at the Foundation Establishment stage. Between him and me, who do you think is stronger?"
The Fire Phoenix laughed. "How can he be compared to Senior Brother? Both of us are about to break through to the Golden Core stage. How can he compare to us?"
Kun Linshu asked, "Then how many seniors in our sect do you think are stronger than Zhuo Chao?"
The Fire Phoenix said proudly, "Senior Brother has seen many people from sects that have a place in the Misty Pavilion put their names on the Pill Rankings. It's just disdain. How can someone like Zhuo Chao compare to them? There are naturally countless people in our Heavenly Fire Cult who can defeat Zhuo Chao."
Kun Linshu asked, "Then if I challenge Niu Youdao, do you think I can win?"
"…" The Fire Phoenix was stunned. She quickly reminded, "Senior Brother, don't be reckless. The Emperor wants to use Niu Youdao to clean up the foul atmosphere in the capital. This is also beneficial to our Heavenly Fire Cult. There are too many people here, and it will take up too much of our energy. If we mess things up, the Emperor's face is secondary. It won't be good if Master and the others are unhappy."
Kun Linshu said, "Of course I know this. I just want to see that Niu Youdao who killed Zhuo Chao. I also went to the Waterfall Platform, but I didn't see him. I hope the Heavenly Mirror Lake tomorrow won't disappoint me again!"
"Senior Brother …"
Before the Fire Phoenix could finish, Kun Linshu raised his hand and interrupted, "I'm just going to take a look. Master also wants me to pay attention to the auction tomorrow. If anything happens, I can report it to the sect immediately."
The Fire Phoenix was silent for a moment before saying, "Senior Brother, bring me along tomorrow."
Kun Linshu turned back and looked at her with a smile. He slowly reached out and held her hand.
The Fire Phoenix slowly leaned against his side and tilted her head on his shoulder. She revealed a look of anticipation and murmured, "I still have to wait for half a year."
Kun Linshu knew that she was referring to the date of their wedding, but his mind kept replaying the scene of him on duty in the Imperial Palace today.
The Emperor coincidentally met him on the way and asked about the strength of the Niu Youdao who killed Zhuo Chao.
He replied that he had never seen him before, so he didn't know and couldn't give an evaluation.
The Emperor then asked him how he was compared to him.
He replied that he had never fought with him before, so he didn't know!
The Emperor then asked him how he was compared to Zhuo Chao.
He fell silent at that moment. He had never seen Zhuo Chao before, let alone fought with him. Although the Heaven Fire Order did not take Zhuo Chao seriously, the first-rate experts on the Pill Rankings were not to be trifled with. They definitely had some ability. He didn't dare to say that he was Zhuo Chao's match, not to mention the obvious gap between their cultivation levels.
Seeing his silence, the Emperor turned around and left. However, before he left, he sighed. He heard that Zhuo Chao was a first-rate expert on the Pill Rankings, but he wasn't a match for Niu Youdao. Presumably, no one in the same generation in the cultivation world was a match for Niu Youdao. It would be great if he could serve me!
He heard that Niu Youdao was very young and that he should be at least ten years older than Niu Youdao. He didn't know if he and Niu Youdao were considered to be of the same generation, but the Emperor's words made him very uncomfortable …
Pei Sanniang said that the Great Qiu Sect would come to fetch Niu Youdao early in the morning. Sure enough, they came early in the morning. More than ten cultivators reined in their horses outside the alley and didn't enter it.
Pei Sanniang dismounted alone and entered the alley. She entered the courtyard and soon brought Niu Youdao and the others out.
When they arrived outside the alley, Niu Youdao cupped his hands in greeting to the disciples of the Great Qiu Sect. However, no one paid any attention to him and they all looked at him coldly.
Niu Youdao was embarrassed when his enthusiasm was met with an awkward silence. Fortunately, Niu Youdao didn't really care about this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to save his face.
He also knew that if he hadn't encountered such a situation, he wouldn't have been qualified to be fetched by the Great Qiu Sect.
Pei Sanniang pointed out a horse for Niu Youdao and an empty horse for Linghu Qiu. It seemed that she had guessed that Linghu Qiu would be tagging along and knew that they were sworn brothers.
However, she only prepared two empty horses and didn't prepare any for Hong Xiu and Hong Fu.
"Let's go!" The leader of the men on horseback called out and spurred the horse forward.
"You two don't need to tag along. Just stay here," Linghu Qiu instructed Hong Xiu and Hong Fu. Then, he and Niu Youdao mounted the horse and left together.
Everyone watched them leave.
Seeing that the Great Qiu Sect had personally appeared to escort them, many unidentified cultivators in the streets and alleys looked at each other. No one dared to act blindly without thinking.
There were too many people in the city and it wasn't suitable for horses to gallop. After leaving the city, the group galloped towards the north of the city. Along the way, it seemed as if someone was spying on them …
Inside the palace, in a hall where government affairs were handled, Hao Yuntu was reading documents behind a desk in a serious and focused manner.
Outside the door, the Chief Supervisor of the Imperial Palace walked briskly in and bowed before walking to the side of the desk. He bent down and whispered in Hao Yuntu's ear, "Your Majesty, I've just received news that the people of the Great Qiu Sect have already escorted Niu Youdao to the Moon Island. The Kunlin Tree has also arrived."
Hao Yuntu looked up at the scenery outside the hall and snorted coldly, "He thinks too highly of himself. How can he be provoked? I knew he would go."
Bu Xun said, "Your Majesty, isn't it inappropriate to use the people of the Heavenly Fire Order? Actually, after the event, let's spread the news that Niu Youdao had set up this auction to protect himself. Later on, those sects that have suffered losses will definitely look for Niu Youdao to settle the score. "
Hao Yuntu said, "He's just a small cultivator. Is he worth the reputation of burning bridges after crossing the river? However, this Niu Youdao seems to be quite capable. If it's possible to avoid making enemies head-on, then try to avoid it. If it's possible to divert the conflict, then try to divert it. Who knows what will happen in the future? So, if it's a problem that can be resolved now, then don't delay it! That Kunlin Tree is arrogant, self-righteous, and condescending. He even dared to hit my son. He doesn't respect me at all. He won't tell his sect about these things. That Niu Youdao also has a reputation for a long time. It's not inappropriate to let Kunlin Tree try it out. "With that said, he continued to work on the documents on the table.
"Yes!" Bu Xun bowed slightly in response. He understood His Majesty's intentions.
One dared to hit a prince, and the other dared to flirt with a princess. The Emperor intended for them to fight each other.
If Kunlin Tree lost, even if he didn't die, he would be disgraced. If Niu Youdao won, the Heavenly Fire Order couldn't afford to lose face, so they would definitely harm Niu Youdao …
Fifty miles away from the capital, a vast lake appeared in front of them. From afar, it looked as vast and boundless as the ocean, but much calmer than the ocean. The surface of the lake was azure, like a huge mirror that reflected the blue sky and white clouds. This was the origin of the name Sky Mirror Lake.
As the group of people reined in their horses by the lake, they flew up one after another, riding the waves as they flew towards the depths of Sky Mirror Lake.
When they could no longer see any signs of land, an island in the middle of the lake appeared in everyone's line of sight. The group of people quickly landed on the island.
The island was in the shape of a crescent moon and was densely covered with trees. There was a manor built on the island, making it a good place to recuperate.
It was supposed to be a peaceful place with few people, but at this moment, the island was overcrowded with people. It was estimated that there were at least a few thousand people gathered there. All kinds of people were staring at the arrival of Niu Youdao and the others. All of them were wearing masks, hiding their true identities.
Without any further ado, the people from the Great Qiu Sect directly brought Niu Youdao to a cliff on the island. There were already a few people standing in a pavilion waiting for them. Two of them were covered in black cloaks, a man and a woman, one dressed in red and the other in a red dress. They were Kunlin Tree and Fire Phoenix.
Linghu Qiu whispered into Niu Youdao's ears, "The one in black should be from the Profound Weapon Sect, and the one in red should be from the Heavenly Fire Order."
After the group entered the pavilion, Kunlin Tree suddenly stared at Niu Youdao and said, "You're Niu Youdao?"
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