Chapter 8: The Presumptive Sect Leader

Niu Youdao played with the sword a little longer before discovering that a lack of training was exactly that. His wrist could not quite control the momentum of the blade, and at unfamiliar angles he could easily strain his tendons and joints. He sheathed the sword and flexed his wrist, considering whether he should start properly stretching his tendons and opening up his frame. This body was still young. It was not too late to begin.

With his hands behind his back, he wandered slowly around the courtyard and inspected his surroundings. Cultivation had now become a serious priority as well. He had to gain the ability to protect himself. Being casually threatened again and again, forever forced to pull his head into his shell, was an unpleasant way to live. A real man knew when to bend and when to stand tall; he could not spend his whole life bent without ever straightening, could he?

He chose a suitable room and settled in for the time being. With nothing else to do, he sat cross-legged and began silently practicing Taiyi, the cultivation method from his former life. He had long since understood that art thoroughly, so cultivating it came naturally to him. He had endured the journey to the Shangqing Sect because Dong Guo Haoran's abilities had opened his eyes and made him want to learn a more profound cultivation method. For the moment, however, obtaining one did not seem so easy. He could only practice what he already knew and gain at least some ability to defend himself.

As for where Taiyi had come from, he had discovered it during one of his underground archaeological excursions in his former life. The tomb's occupant had been sitting cross-legged in death, holding a jade box. Inside the box were several sheets of gold inscribed with the Taiyi cultivation method.

Niu Youdao had then studied it painstakingly, consulting and cross-referencing more ancient texts than he could remember before finally achieving what he later did. That cultivation had helped forge the man whom the jianghu came to know as Master Dao.

But he had never been satisfied, for a simple reason. Those few gold sheets contained very little: only one qi cultivation method and one sword art. Judging from the profound and mysterious general principles he had deciphered in the preface, completing Taiyi ought to enable a person to soar through the heavens, burrow through the earth, and accomplish almost anything imaginable. The thought alone was exhilarating. Yet the qi method and sword art recorded on those few sheets could never have reached such a level. To him, they felt like nothing more than introductory material.

He had always believed that the Taiyi he possessed was incomplete. That was why he had spent years searching for clues to the complete art. If not for that obsession, he would never have met disaster in the ancient tomb. After witnessing Dong Guo Haoran's power, the effect on him could be imagined. It was why he had left that mountain village without hesitation.

The days passed one after another. Three meals arrived on time every day, but he was still a prisoner. People stood guard outside and never allowed him to step beyond the courtyard gate. No one spoke to him about anything either. It was as though he had been cut off from the rest of the world.

Repeated requests to see Tang Mu led nowhere. Niu Youdao gradually began to feel that something was wrong. From the way Dong Guo Haoran had spoken, he had clearly trusted Tang Mu deeply, and Tang Mu had been his senior martial brother. If Dong Guo Haoran was dead, there was no logical reason Tang Mu would refuse to see his final disciple.

Niu Youdao realized that some change he knew nothing about might have occurred, and that it was probably connected to the guards' unfriendly attitude toward him. But he had no opportunity to contact anyone outside, nor did he possess enough ability to make anything happen from where he was.

So he endured it and waited. He did not waste the free time. In addition to cultivating Taiyi, he began tempering his body: splits, handstands, weighted exercises, and other drills. He was a little old to begin loosening and stretching his tendons and bones, and the process brought plenty of pain, but if the will was there, what hardship could not be endured?

There was also the bronze mirror. Song Yanqing had found it when searching him, but Song Yanqing had obviously paid no attention to the mirror. Instead, he had shown considerable interest in the token the female general had shot onto the raft. After asking where the token came from, he tossed the unimpressive mirror back to Niu Youdao and confiscated the token.

Niu Youdao was convinced the bronze mirror could not be simple. First, it looked remarkably like the ancient bronze mirror he had seen in the tomb. Second, Dong Guo Haoran had said that he had all but lost his life because of this mirror and had repeatedly warned Niu Youdao that it could only be handed to Tang Mu.

How could an object like that possibly be ordinary? Most likely, Song Yanqing simply had eyes and failed to recognize treasure. Yet no matter how often Niu Youdao turned the mirror over, examined it, and studied it whenever he had spare time, he could not discover anything unusual about it.

The Shangqing Sect's main hall was called Shangqing Palace. One day, three disciples went directly there and met Luo Yuangong, Su Po, and Tang Susu. With the position of Sect Leader currently vacant, the three Elders were temporarily holding the Sect Leader Token jointly and handling the sect's affairs together.

After the three disciples had paid their respects, Luo Yuangong asked, "What did you find?"

The disciple in front reported, "The people of Small Temple Village identified Niu Youdao. There should be no mistake. He had been gone from Small Temple Village for some time. He disappeared the day after the village was raided by soldiers, so the timing matches. The villagers had been looking for him as well and thought wild animals might have gotten him. The moment they saw the portrait of Niu Youdao, they recognized him. As for the token, Junior Brother Wu traveled to Guangyi Commandery and found its owner. That incident was also confirmed."

Tang Susu's face remained taut. "The way Niu Youdao speaks doesn't sound like some ignorant mountain boy."

"We investigated that too," the disciple replied. "Years ago, a down-on-his-luck scholar once stayed in Small Temple Village. Niu Youdao's family had been killed in the fighting, leaving him alone with spare rooms in his home, so the scholar lodged there for a time and taught him to read and write. Niu Youdao is one of the few literate people in the village. As for how learned he actually is, the villagers themselves don't have enough education to judge. The scholar later left and no one knows where he went. Finding him now to verify the matter would be difficult."

Luo Yuangong asked, "Could the people from Small Temple Village be part of some deception?"

The disciple answered, "This disciple investigated them first. They are all genuine residents of Small Temple Village. There is no mistake on that point."

"In that case, there should be no problem with Niu Youdao's identity." Luo Yuangong turned toward Su Po and Tang Susu as he spoke.

Tang Susu said indifferently, "What if someone found a similar-looking boy and had him impersonate Niu Youdao? It would still be better to let the villagers identify him in person."

And so, several days later, Niu Youdao was finally taken out of Peach Blossom Spring. No one told him where he was going. He only knew they brought him to the nearest walled town. He had just started looking around curiously at the local sights and customs when, for some inexplicable reason, they walked him around the town once and then took him straight back. Nothing happened at all. He had no idea what the point had been.

Upon his return, he was shut inside the courtyard again.

Meanwhile, the Shangqing Sect's three Elders seemed to become extremely busy. They repeatedly summoned inner disciples for private, closed-door conversations. A full month passed before Niu Youdao was taken out of Peach Blossom Spring again and brought to Shangqing Palace on the cliff opposite.

Several large bronze furnaces filled the lofty, spacious hall with heat. Every inner disciple currently within the sect had assembled, and quite a few wore grave expressions. Standing in the middle of the hall, Niu Youdao looked left and right at the crowd staring at him, completely baffled as to what was happening.

In the end, he could only repeat the line he had said so many times before. "Before Master died, he instructed me to pay my respects to the Sect Leader."

Luo Yuangong, standing in the central position above, sighed. "You came too late. Sect Leader Tang Mu has already passed away."

"Ah!" Niu Youdao blurted out, stunned.

What kind of situation was this? At last he understood why Tang Mu had never come to see him. The man was dead.

Luo Yuangong continued slowly, "Since Dong Guo Haoran accepted you as his disciple, summoning you here today serves as the Shangqing Sect's formal recognition of your identity. There is another matter we need to ask you as well. If we were to make you Sect Leader of the Shangqing Sect, would you be willing?"

"What?"

He had been pleased by the first part. At last they had formally acknowledged him. But the second part frightened him so badly that he wondered whether he had misheard.

He looked around at all the solemn faces, pointed at his own nose, and asked, "Make me Sect Leader?"

Luo Yuangong nodded, confirming that he had heard correctly. Niu Youdao's first reaction was that there had to be a trap. Judging from the way these people had treated him before, nothing about their behavior suggested they wanted him as Sect Leader. Even if the offer were real, it could not possibly be anything good. If the position were truly such a wonderful prize, how would it ever have fallen to him?

He hurriedly waved both hands. "That won't do, that won't do. This disciple lacks both learning and virtue. I'm not capable of it!"

At those words, Tang Susu's rigid expression visibly relaxed.

Luo Yuangong asked again, "You're certain you don't want to be Sect Leader?"

Niu Youdao continued waving his hands in refusal. "This disciple doesn't even understand what being Sect Leader involves. I truly can't do it. Please choose someone more worthy."

Luo Yuangong swept his gaze across the hall and raised his voice. "You all heard that?"

The assembled disciples answered in unison, "We heard."

What was this about? Niu Youdao looked left and right again, growing suspicious of the whole performance. Tang Yi, standing among the crowd, said nothing. Instead, she slowly lowered her head, as though she did not quite dare meet Niu Youdao's eyes.

Luo Yuangong raised a hand toward him. "In that case, you may return for now."

Song Yanqing walked over. This time, surprisingly, he was smiling. He extended a hand politely toward Niu Youdao. "You've had a hard time, Junior Brother. Please, after you."

Niu Youdao followed him away, looking back every few steps, suspicion still on his face. He had no idea what these people were playing at. As they went, he also had no idea what Song Yanqing was so happy about. Every so often Song Yanqing patted him on the shoulder with great familiarity, almost as though he wanted to throw an arm around him.

When they reached the courtyard of Peach Blossom Spring, Song Yanqing told Chen Guishuo, who was taking his turn on guard duty, "We're all fellow disciples now. Don't keep the gate shut all the time. When there's nothing going on, let Junior Brother Niu come out for some air. Oh, and later, give him two extra good dishes and bring him a jar of decent wine."

"Yes!" Chen Guishuo agreed with a smile.

Niu Youdao brightened as well. He assumed things were exactly as Luo Yuangong had said and that his status as a Shangqing Sect disciple had now been formally recognized.

Smiling, he said, "I've been at the Shangqing Sect for so long and still haven't properly learned the paths. I was just thinking of going down the mountain to look around and admire the grandeur of our sect."

He turned and started walking, thinking he had finally regained his freedom.

Song Yanqing's smile stiffened. He quickly reached out and stopped him. Pointing to the small area of cliff top outside the courtyard, he said pleasantly, "Junior Brother, it's enough to come out here for some air. Don't go wandering down the mountain. You've only just entered the sect. It isn't time for you to run around yet."

"..."

Niu Youdao slowly turned his head and looked at the tiny patch of ground outside the courtyard. So when they said he could come out for some air, they had meant exactly that.

Back at Shangqing Palace, the inner disciples filed out one after another. Some looked rather pleased; others were much quieter.

When everyone had left, Tang Susu spread her hands and smiled. "Well? He gave up the position of Sect Leader himself."

Luo Yuangong and Su Po exchanged a sigh. Letting Niu Youdao become Sect Leader of the Shangqing Sect truly did seem absurd, but using a method like this also felt rather underhanded. Unless the boy were a complete fool, anyone asked in such a manner would probably refuse. If they had genuinely wanted his answer, they could have tried telling him the truth first and then asking.

Su Po said, "For now, he's only the presumptive Sect Leader. Some of Dong Guo's other disciples may still be alive."

"Fine," Tang Susu said decisively. "Then we'll wait another three months. If there is still no news, we'll do as I proposed."

Su Po shook his head. "What we're doing is hardly open and honorable."

Tang Susu's voice grew heavy. "We're doing it for the good of the Shangqing Sect. Otherwise, why would the other disciples agree? Making some green boy who understands nothing the Sect Leader would be a joke. Besides, we aren't mistreating him. If Tang Yi's beauty were ranked second in Ziyun Commandery, who would dare claim first? In the end, he's the one getting the better end of the bargain. This way, we'll have an explanation both inside the sect and outside it."

Luo Yuangong frowned. "Will Tang Yi agree once she learns about it?"

Tang Susu answered solemnly, "She is a disciple of the Shangqing Sect and the daughter of its late Sect Leader. At a time like this, how can she refuse to step forward and shoulder responsibility? I am not only an Elder of the Shangqing Sect, but also her grandaunt. Her parents are gone. Naturally, a senior of the family such as myself will make this decision for her."

[End of Chapter 8]