These words filled Tang Yi with shame. She put herself in his shoes. Considering how the Supreme Purity Sect had treated him, and now he was expected to serve her alongside some inexplicable man? She understood his feelings, and that understanding brought a flush of shame.
In truth, she had always felt ashamed before him. Yet, she calmly replied:
— I believe you've misunderstood everything.
— Misunderstood? — Niu You Dao sneered: Interesting. What exactly have I misunderstood?
Tang Yi: My relationship with Shao Ping Bo isn't what it seemed to you. Not what you imagined.
Niu You Dao: What does your connection have to do with me? You don't need to explain your relationship to me. In truth, both you and I know there's nothing between us. This fabricated reputation shouldn't influence either of us, nor should we influence each other. I already made myself clear to Tang Su Su. Your relationships with anyone are of no concern to me whatsoever.
Tang Yi: For the past, the Supreme Purity Sect is indeed at fault towards you. Give me time, and I will repay everything to you. The Supreme Purity Sect owes you, and I will repay that debt to you.
Niu You Dao: Sect Master Tang has grown serious. The Supreme Purity Sect owes me nothing, and I owe you nothing. Each of us has our own path; let us follow them!
Tang Yi: You Dao, I know you are resentful. But now is not the time for resentment. The Supreme Purity Sect is no longer what it once was. Much has passed. Come back. I guarantee that no one in the Supreme Purity Sect will harm you!
— Return? — Niu You Dao sneered:
— How could I return? I painstakingly returned Dong Guo Hao Ran's remains to the sect, and immediately they tried to kill me. Whom did I offend then? I spent five years in Peach Blossom Spring. I learned a few things, but I didn't know about many of your dirty dealings. What are five years for a person? You kept me under house arrest quite well. And if I hadn't acted according to the situation myself, I would have been killed long ago!
— Even after I left you, you still wouldn't let me go. You handed me a letter to deliver to the Southern Mountain Monastery, where they intended to kill me. There's no way you couldn't have known. Everyone in the Supreme Purity Sect either hoped I would die or watched indifferently as someone tried to kill me. I ask you, if you were in my place, would you not feel fear before such a heartless sect? How could anyone return to such a sect? Sect Master Tang, I am not the vengeful one; you are simply too callous. You frighten people. The ties are already severed; I will not return!
Tang Yi shook her head slightly: I understand you; I also understand your feelings. However, you are in great danger now; the Yan Kingdom will not let you go. But here, at the very least, the Yan Kingdom wouldn't dare touch you.
Niu You Dao: Are you trying to say that without the Supreme Purity Sect, I won't survive?
Tang Yi: I mean that, at the very least, we can provide you with protection.
Niu You Dao: Don't worry. I can take care of myself. It's none of your business.
Tang Yi: You Dao, now is not the time for anger.
Niu You Dao: You've overthought things. The Supreme Purity Sect isn't worth my anger. I don't want to return because I don't want to bear the responsibility of the Supreme Purity Sect. I can forget everything the sect did to me out of respect for Dong Guo Hao Ran. But I will not repay malice with kindness. Your pathetic bunch isn't worthy of me returning and toiling for you!
Tang Yi: You don't need to do anything, nor do you need to toil. We are indebted to you; you only need to enjoy the benefits.
— Enjoy your benefits? — Niu You Dao burst into laughter, as if he'd heard a joke. He sighed, then said:
— Tang Yi. Sect Master Tang, it seems we have different perspectives on the situation. If I return to the Supreme Purity Sect, then my troubles will truly begin. Shao Ping Bo truly won't let me go!
Tang Yi furrowed her brows: I'll tell you again, you've overthought things. My relationship with Shao Ping Bo isn't what you imagine. I have not wronged you in this regard whatsoever. To put it another way, Shao Ping Bo has other plans for me.
— Hmm?! — Only now did Niu You Dao show interest, his eyes lighting up: What plans?
— If you understood it that way, then of course I can understand you... Tang Yi moved closer to him and whispered:
— Shao Ping Bo isn't fixated on me; he wants Zhao Xiong Ge from Werewolf Ridge. He is his true objective.
As the two people drew close, Niu You Dao caught Tang Yi's delicate fragrance and recalled times past. He remembered his time spent in Peach Blossom Spring. Niu You Dao stepped back a little and, looking at her, said:
— I see. But are you sure he hasn't fallen for you?
And why did that sound like a hint of jealousy? Tang Yi herself didn't know whether to be happy or not. She couldn't help but glance at him:
— What he truly thinks, I don't quite understand myself. However, if you reveal your identity, he will certainly be frightened and retreat!
Niu You Dao: Sect Master, are you playing dumb, or am I just thick-headed? It doesn't matter whether he loves you or not, or if he's chasing Zhao Xiong Ge. Either way, it's all connected to you. He wants to get close to Zhao Xiong Ge through you. And if I return, I'll simply become an obstacle for him, one he'll eliminate first. As for you protecting me... that's just a joke.
Tang Yi flinched. She had been trying to persuade him to stay, failing to notice the imminent threat hanging right over them.
— I want you to understand that things aren't as you imagined. I understand you. But we need his power to uplift the sect!
— Simply put, you want to use his power without letting him close? Don't these two things seem contradictory to you? You're playing with fire. Now, I can definitively state that you will lose in this game. That tempting promise he whispers to you, about elevating the Supreme Purity Sect, will not fulfill your hopes. Because I have now determined that there are no capable people in the Supreme Purity Sect. You are simply a bunch of nobodies. No wonder you've survived this long!
Niu You Dao sighed and said: I previously wondered how you hadn't fallen into his hands. I thought there were some clever people in the sect. Only now do I understand that your continued existence is solely due to me.
Tang Yi: What?
Niu You Dao sighed and shook his head: What? It's simply that you publicly declared yourself a married woman. And as long as I don't die, Shao Ping Bo wouldn't dare lay a hand on you. And as long as Shao Ping Bo hasn't found me, he won't touch you. Shao Ping Bo is waiting for the Yan Kingdom to kill me. But if the Yan Kingdom fails, then he will seek methods to kill me himself. Damn it, this is how I gained an enemy! If I hadn't understood this today, I would have been killed, and I wouldn't even know who did it.
— ...Tang Yi was speechless. She realized how overconfident she had been.
— Tang Yi, it doesn't matter whether you're speaking the truth or not, and I'm not interested in whether you'll listen to me or not. But out of consideration for your kindness and respect for Dong Guo Hao Ran, I will tell you something. When under someone's patronage, one must give something in return. The Supreme Purity Sect is no exception. But... you, it's better for you to stay far away from Shao Ping Bo. Not because Shao Ping Bo is plotting something against you. That doesn't interest me.
— I advise you to find another patron. According to my experience, Shao Ping Bo is a dangerous man. And you won't be able to handle such a dangerous man. Don't think he'll treat your paltry group of cultivators with any special regard. I've heard something about Zhao Xiong Ge. He is indeed strong. However, in this situation, Shao Ping Bo won't be able to do much. Strong he may be, but this isn't Zhao Xiong Ge's territory!
At that moment, Tang Yi walked over to the stove and tossed a sheet of paper into it. Niu You Dao noticed that it was precisely the paper he had given to Tang Su Su.
Tang Yi approached Niu You Dao again:
— You do as you wish; I won't stop you. But I cannot accept this yet. Our sect owes you. Give me time, and I will compensate you for everything. If you want to write this to me again, you can do so later. For now, this matter can wait!
Niu You Dao understood that this girl wasn't listening to him. Of course, they had already accomplished so much, overcome such a path, and stabilized themselves. Could a few words from him really persuade them?
Alright, it's not his business. He had no interest in their fate. He sighed and said:
— By burning this item, you are, on the contrary, harming me. With it, Shao Ping Bo might have let me go!
Tang Yi: You're young, and you pay too much attention to many things. You shouldn't fear him so much.
— I fear him? — Niu You Dao chuckled to himself:
— To some, I am far more terrifying than he is! I simply don't need unnecessary trouble.
Tang Yi: Alright, I shouldn't linger here any longer. We'll talk later.
— Wait! — Niu You Dao walked to the window and called out to her. He pointed to the mountainous, forested area on the opposite bank.
— Do you see that forest?
Tang Yi replied doubtfully: Yes. What about it?
Niu You Dao: You'll understand later...
On the observation deck, Shao Ping Bo was talking with the soldiers when a cultivator approached and whispered into his ear:
— Tang Su Su, Su Po, and Tang Yi each entered the kitchen in turn.
Shao Ping Bo remained calm. He nodded slightly.
When he had just introduced Brother Zhang to them, he noticed how strangely all three had reacted to him.
After Tang Yi left the kitchen, another cultivator entered and brought the prepared dishes.
When he left, Niu You Dao ordered the doors closed. Niu You Dao summoned Hei Mudan and the others. He pointed to the forest he had shown Tang Yi:
— When the commotion starts, dive into the water and swim there. I'll follow you. If we don't meet there, then immediately return to Beishan County, to our old spot.
Hei Mudan asked strangely:
— After preparing the food, we'll leave immediately? Won't Shao Ping Bo cause us trouble? Has he really recognized Lord Dao?
Niu You Dao: It's unlikely he recognized me. However, those three entered to see me one after another, and Shao Ping Bo isn't blind. He realized that things aren't as simple as they appear. Until he figures out what's going on, it's unlikely he'll let us go. And then, we definitely won't have a chance to escape!