Chapter 21: Down the Mountain

Not long after Tang Yi left, a female disciple named Tian Xiang came hurrying in. She went to Tang Susu and whispered a few words in her ear. Tang Susu raised an eyebrow, gave a cold laugh, then quietly issued several instructions of her own. A short while later, another person appeared outside seeking an audience. It was none other than Song Yanqing.

Once he was permitted to enter, Song Yanqing saw Tang Susu hand a letter to Tian Xiang beside her and instruct, "After Niu Youdao goes down the mountain, have him deliver this to the abbot of Nanshan Temple at Little Nanshan in Guangyi Commandery. It's on his way. Make sure he delivers it!"

"Yes!" Tian Xiang accepted the letter with both hands. As she turned to leave, she quietly glanced at Song Yanqing.

Song Yanqing, meanwhile, paid particular attention to the letter in her hand. Once she was gone, he respectfully saluted Tang Susu. "This disciple greets Elder."

Tang Susu chuckled and raised a hand, indicating that there was no need for ceremony.

Song Yanqing, however, remained expressionless. Calmly, he said, "Elder, I heard Niu Youdao is going down the mountain to serve Shang Chaozong as a retainer cultivator?"

Tang Susu nodded slightly. "There is such a matter."

Song Yanqing's face tightened. In a low voice, he said, "Elder, you only just assured me that the Shangqing Sect would not send Shang Chaozong any retainer cultivators."

He had returned to the Shangqing Sect before Shang Shuqing arrived and had already passed along the warning in advance. Now the sect was sending someone to Shang Chaozong after all. He would have no way to explain this to his family in the capital.

Tang Susu sighed. "Something unexpected happened. Commandery Princess Shang personally came to our door carrying the token of gratitude the Shangqing Sect once gave Prince Ning. How could the Shangqing Sect refuse? We are an upright and renowned sect. We owe them a debt, and now they have come to collect it. If we refuse to repay it, how will anyone in the Shangqing Sect ever show his face in the cultivation world again? People would point at our backs and laugh. Yanqing, this is no trivial matter we can simply ignore. We truly had no choice."

Song Yanqing replied, "This disciple doesn't know enough about that old debt to judge whether it should be repaid. I only know that the message from the capital has already been delivered to the Shangqing Sect. What the sect is doing now is beyond what the capital expected. Elder, I would like to ask: how am I supposed to explain this to them?"

His tone had grown heavier, even faintly aggressive.

Tang Susu chuckled. "You're worrying too much. Don't you know exactly what Niu Youdao is capable of? With what little he has, can he truly serve anyone as a retainer cultivator? We're merely fobbing Shang Chaozong off."

In truth, the Shangqing Sect genuinely had not intended to send anyone to Shang Chaozong. But Shang Shuqing had come personally with the token, and the sect's reputation was at stake. They could not refuse outright and had been forced to maneuver around the problem. Sending Shang Shuqing to see Niu Youdao had itself been meant to make her retreat in the face of difficulty. Niu Youdao's youth was obvious enough. Who could have guessed what strange thought had entered Shang Shuqing's head? She had actually agreed, leaving the Shangqing Sect riding a tiger and unable to dismount.

Song Yanqing said coolly, "This disciple hasn't been at the Shangqing Sect these past few years, so I don't know Niu Youdao's present situation. I only know what the capital said: no one is to be sent to Shang Chaozong. Not one!"

"You..." Tang Susu pointed at him and shook her head slightly. "I'm doing this for your sake. Can you really not see that?"

"Uh..." Song Yanqing froze. "For my sake? This disciple fails to see how any of this is for my sake."

Tang Susu said casually, "There is something you may not know. Sect Leader Tang Yi has never taken a liking to Niu Youdao. In all these years, she's barely even seen him a few times. Their marriage has never been consummated. To this day, the Sect Leader is still a virgin. Just as I told you years ago, she married him only to shoulder the responsibility placed upon her, not because she truly wanted to give herself to Niu Youdao. How could the Sect Leader ever fall for some country bumpkin? Compared with you, do you think she cannot tell which man is better? But she is the daughter of the previous Sect Leader. There are certain responsibilities she has no choice but to bear. As a man, you should understand the difficulties a woman faces."

"..." Song Yanqing was completely stunned. He looked as though he wanted to speak but could not. Gradually, his eyes began to shine, and his heart stirred back to life.

Tang Susu's implication could hardly have been clearer.

Watching his reaction carefully, she continued, "Everyone knows Shang Chaozong's circumstances. His road is destined to be fraught with danger, and he is unlikely to meet a good end. Niu Youdao, meanwhile, has no ability to protect himself whatsoever. Following Shang Chaozong is hardly different from courting death. There are certain things the Shangqing Sect cannot openly do. You should understand that. It would be inappropriate if something happened to him while he was still inside the Shangqing Sect. If Shang Chaozong were to drag him into disaster after he left, that would be another matter entirely. You also know the relationship between Prince Ning and Dong Guo Haoran. If Shang Chaozong specifically asks Dong Guo Haoran's disciple to leave the mountain with him, the other disciples of the Shangqing Sect will understand. No one will suspect anything."

Song Yanqing's eyes flickered as he considered her words. In any case, the tension gradually left his face.

Silence hung in the hall for a while. Tang Susu, watching him closely, suddenly smiled again. "Of course, accidents can happen in anything. Perhaps Shang Chaozong will somehow survive danger after danger and keep Niu Youdao safe along the way. If that happens, it can only be called Niu Youdao's good fortune, and the Sect Leader's marriage to him will naturally have to continue. Yanqing, the Shangqing Sect has its own difficulties. Niu Youdao can hardly be counted as a genuine retainer cultivator. You'll have to explain the situation clearly to the capital on the sect's behalf."

A trace of a smile squeezed onto Song Yanqing's face. He nodded repeatedly. "This disciple is also a disciple of the Shangqing Sect. Naturally I will speak for my own sect. Elder can rest assured. I know how to explain matters to the capital."

Tang Susu nodded. "Good, good. I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

"If Elder has no other instructions, this disciple will take his leave."

Tang Susu waved her sleeve cheerfully. "Go, go."

Song Yanqing respectfully backed away several steps before turning and leaving at a brisk pace. The moment he was away from the hall, he went straight to find his two followers, Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo. He ordered one to prepare horses and the other to request leave from the sect. The reason given was that they were returning to the capital. Once everything was ready, the three galloped out of the Shangqing Sect at full speed. Song Yanqing was in an excellent mood throughout the journey, all because of Tang Susu's words. Tang Yi and Niu Youdao were actually husband and wife in name only. That was entirely unexpected. It seemed this flower was still waiting for him to pluck.

This time, he was determined to make Tang Yi his. Tang Susu ought to understand the consequences of fooling him again and again. Let her try refusing to cooperate!

"Senior Brother, we're going the wrong way! That isn't the road to the capital!"

The three riders had already left the Shangqing Sect's territory, crossed a shallow stretch of river, and reached the opposite bank. Song Yanqing, riding at the front, abruptly turned his horse in the opposite direction. Chen Guishuo hurried to catch up and shouted a warning.

"Nonsense! I'm not blind. Just follow me!" Song Yanqing turned and cursed.

Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo exchanged bewildered looks. Neither knew what he intended, but they had no choice except to spur their horses and follow... Tang Susu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, her eyes closed, silent and motionless. The lamps in the hall had not been turned up very high, leaving much of the room steeped in shadow.

Tian Xiang hurried in from outside and knelt beside Tang Susu. Lowering her voice, she reported, "Elder, they didn't head toward the capital!"

Tang Susu opened her eyes and gave a cold laugh. "That fool certainly knows how to dream..."

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, a Shangqing Sect disciple arrived at Peach Blossom Spring and asked Niu Youdao to descend the mountain. He also asked whether there was anything Niu Youdao needed help packing. The disciple's eyes clearly carried a trace of curiosity toward this husband of the Sect Leader. Yet whenever Niu Youdao asked him anything, the man became guarded and refused to say a word. Niu Youdao did not have much to pack. He bundled two changes of clothing and a few other necessities, strapped the treasured sword Shang Shuqing had brought across his back along with the bundle, and went down the mountain just like that.

He followed the steep zigzagging steps carved through the cliff all the way to the foot of the mountain, crossed a stone bridge, and found Shang Shuqing waiting on the other side. Four burly men stood behind her. Two wore fitted green clothes, while the other two wore earth-gray. Leather bracers protected their wrists, leather guards were strapped around their waists, and all four carried a fierce, murderous air. Bows, crossbows, sabers, swords, and other weapons hung from the horses beside them.

"Cultivator." Shang Shuqing cupped her hands in greeting.

Niu Youdao nodded with a smile.

Tian Xiang led over a handsome bay horse. After saluting him, she pointed to the bundle hanging from its saddle. "Martial Uncle, the sect has prepared some gold, silver, and valuables for you, along with dry provisions for the road."

Then she took a sealed letter from her sleeve and handed it to him. "The Sect Leader asks you to deliver this on your way to the abbot of Nanshan Temple at Little Nanshan in Guangyi Commandery. You'll pass through that area. Ask around and you'll be able to find the place. The Sect Leader specifically said that you must remember to deliver it."

Niu Youdao took the letter and turned it over in his hands. There was no name written on the envelope. He casually tucked it into the bundle on the horse, then raised his head and looked toward Shangqing Palace.

"Don't I need to go say farewell?"

Tian Xiang smiled. "The Sect Leader said there's no need. The Commandery Princess and the others still have a journey to make."

"Oh. Then let's go." A faintly self-mocking smile touched Niu Youdao's lips.

In all these years here, he had never had the slightest choice in anything. This time was no different. Saying more would only waste breath. He took the reins and swung smoothly into the saddle. Shang Shuqing and her party mounted at once. They turned their horses and galloped away, with Niu Youdao riding after them. The group thundered off at full speed. High above, beneath an ancient pine at the edge of the cliff near Shangqing Palace, Tang Yi stood with her robes fluttering like an immortal's. She watched the departing riders from above, her brows drawn together. The mystery surrounding Niu Youdao's origins had only deepened. Judging from how smoothly he rode at speed, had he received formal riding instruction when he was younger?

Would a poor boy from an isolated mountain village ever have had the opportunity? Amid the rapid clatter of hooves, Niu Youdao looked back once at Peach Blossom Spring. The peach blossoms were still as brilliant as ever.

He wondered whether he would ever have the chance to return...

The Shangqing Sect controlled a considerable stretch of territory. The riders galloped along mountain roads through the forest for some time. Just as they were nearing the edge of the sect's lands, the riders in front suddenly pulled up sharply on a forest road, forcing Niu Youdao to halt as well. He leaned forward for a look. The one-eyed, lame Tu Han stood blocking the road ahead.

"Commandery Princess, I need to speak with him alone." Tu Han pointed at Niu Youdao behind them, his voice rough.

Shang Shuqing glanced back. Seeing that Niu Youdao had no objection, she waved a hand and led her four attendants onward first.

Niu Youdao jumped down from his horse and smiled. "What is it that you had to waylay me here to say?"

[End of Chapter 21]