Chapter 28: Any Late-Night Snacks?

After they had talked for a while, Yuan Fang withdrew. Song Yanqing sent Xu Yitian along with him. Ostensibly he was keeping Yuan Fang company; in reality, he was keeping watch to make sure the bear demon did not run. As far as Song Yanqing was concerned, whether Yuan Fang ultimately accepted recruitment was a separate matter. At the very least, he could not allow Yuan Fang to ruin what he was planning. For now, Nanshan Temple had to remain under his control.

Once Yuan Fang was gone, Song Yanqing could not help laughing as he cursed, "That bear demon is something else."

Chen Guishuo moved closer and blinked at him. "A bear. Golden fur. Hair that blades and spears can't penetrate. Senior Brother, doesn't that remind you of something?"

Song Yanqing's eyes narrowed slightly. Then he nodded. "The moment he took off his clothes and showed that golden fur, I recognized it. The Record of Strange Beasts describes the Golden King Bear. Armor woven from its fur has extremely powerful defensive properties. It's a very rare thing. I can't believe we ran into one here. Judging by him, he probably has almost no contact with the cultivation world. Otherwise, with cultivation as weak as his, he would never dare expose himself so casually. There's no hurry. We can deal with that later. Whether he survives will depend on whether he knows what's good for him. For now, we handle the matter in front of us first."

Chen Guishuo gave an acknowledging sound. This bear demon had certainly been lucky. If his transformation had already been complete and he no longer had that coat of golden fur to protect him, the three of them probably would have killed him as soon as the fight began. Afterward, Chen Guishuo accompanied Song Yanqing around Nanshan Temple, examining the terrain and surroundings in preparation for what was to come. After leaving the Shangqing Sect, the three of them had traveled almost without rest precisely so they could arrive early and make arrangements. Song Yanqing's background had been invaluable along the way. They were able to use relay stations to change horses as they traveled. Otherwise, their own mounts could never have endured such relentless riding...

A bright moon shone over the great river. Tents lined the riverbank, and rolling waves reflected the moonlight. On a rocky stretch of bank stood a somewhat dilapidated pavilion. Shang Chaozong stood inside with his hands clasped behind his back, leaning near the railing and gazing out at the moonlit water. Lan Ruoting approached from nearby and slowly entered the pavilion.

"Your Highness, awake beside the river with worries on your mind?"

Shang Chaozong sighed softly. "I can sound confident when I'm encouraging morale, but we know our real circumstances. There isn't a cultivator with strong spiritual power protecting us. I don't know whether we'll be able to reach the fief safely. Once we pass Guangyi Commandery, Canglu County isn't far away. The closer we get to the end, the more worried I become."

Lan Ruoting reassured him. "Your Highness can rest easy. Until they obtain those hundred thousand Crow Generals, we shouldn't face any great danger on the road. We should be able to reach the fief safely. What worries me is the situation at the fief itself. The court has probably already made arrangements there in advance."

Shang Chaozong turned around. "I've been considering whether, given our present circumstances, there is still any need for us to go to Canglu County."

Lan Ruoting's expression immediately turned grave. He waved both hands repeatedly. "Your Highness, absolutely not. The court must have eyes arranged all along our route. If we obediently continue as ordered, we may remain safe. But if we slip out of their control and change direction, I'm afraid pursuers will immediately be sent to kill us. Besides, I spent enormous effort in the capital maneuvering matters so that Your Highness's place of exile would be fixed at your fief in Canglu County. There was a reason for that. When the late prince was alive, he quietly prepared some foundations in Canglu County. This is Your Highness's last hope. We have almost no resources left in our hands. We cannot lightly abandon what little remains."

Shang Chaozong nodded silently. "I only hope we can give these brothers who have sworn to follow us to the death something worthy of their loyalty."

At that moment, one of the five Hundred-Man Commanders, Guan Tie, strode over. Behind him came a white-haired old man with a slight limp. The two entered the pavilion one after another.

Guan Tie cupped his hands. "Your Highness, Uncle Fang is here."

The white-haired old man dropped to one knee. His voice trembled. "This lowly one, Fang Ping, greets the Young Prince... no, greets Your Highness!"

"Uncle Fang, quickly, please rise!"

Shang Chaozong stepped forward and personally helped the old man up with both hands. Fang Ping had once been one of Prince Ning Shang Jianbo's personal guards. Later, after being wounded on the battlefield and left with trouble in one leg, he retired and returned to his native home. His home was in this region.

Once he was standing again, Lan Ruoting asked, "Fang Ping, have you prepared the means for crossing the river as I instructed beforehand?"

Ashamed, Fang Ping shook his head. "This lowly one is incompetent. Up to now, I've managed to prepare only a few wooden rafts."

Lan Ruoting frowned. "There were dozens of men. After all these days, you've only prepared a few rafts? What happened?"

When Shang Jianbo was alive, there had been a reason he deliberately arranged for a number of retired soldiers to settle in this region. They were meant to be available in an emergency.

Fang Ping sighed. "Mr. Lan, there is something you don't know. After Commandery Governor Feng Lingbo began holding his troops for his own interests, his forces clashed several times with the imperial army. The nearby villages were inevitably caught up in the fighting. Then came the forced conscription of young and able-bodied men. Of the few dozen men we had here, half died. The other half were seized by Feng Lingbo's men. We don't know whether they're alive or dead. I'm only still here because I'm too old and my leg is bad. They had no use for me, so I escaped the disaster."

Lan Ruoting fell silent.

"So that's what happened." Shang Chaozong comforted him. "Uncle Fang, don't trouble yourself over it. This is not your fault."

Then he pointed upstream along the river. "If I remember correctly, there is a bridge farther up where the river narrows. If necessary, we can simply take the longer route."

Lan Ruoting smiled bitterly. "Your Highness may not know. I've followed every clash between Feng Lingbo and the imperial army. To guard against surprise attacks by the court's forces, Feng Lingbo not only seized control of every boat along the river, he also destroyed every bridge that allowed crossing. If we truly make a detour, we'd have to go at least eight hundred li out of our way. With this many people, it would take us several days merely to get around the river. Once across, we'd still have to make another long detour. The loss outweighs the gain. We're better off cutting timber and making rafts."

Shang Chaozong thought briefly, then made the decision. "Very well. At first light, we cut trees."

The matter was settled. Guan Tie had only just taken Fang Ping away to rest when Shang Shuqing approached carrying a guqin. She still wore her gauze-veiled hat. Several people followed behind her carrying food boxes.

Seeing the arrangement, Shang Chaozong laughed. "Qing'er, it seems you're in the mood for music."

Shang Shuqing shook her head. "Brother, those two don't seem willing to open their hearts to us. On a fine night like this, why not invite them over for a few drinks? Qing'er is willing to play the qin for everyone. If the mood comes, perhaps it will loosen the knots between us."

Shang Chaozong hesitated. "You want to play for them? You're a Commandery Princess. Isn't that lowering yourself too much? Qing'er, aren't you placing too much importance on those two?"

Shang Shuqing replied, "Brother, there is no shame in humbling oneself before worthy men. Even if they turn out not to be men of talent, look at how far we've fallen. What qualifications do we still have to talk about lowering ourselves or not? We can simply treat them warmly as guests. We lose nothing by doing so. If they truly are worthy men, then all the better if we gain their assistance. Given our present circumstances, we need not fear making too many friends. What we should fear is having none. Even in the worst case, if we part on good terms, then at least we've made one enemy fewer. Isn't that worth something?"

Lan Ruoting sighed inwardly. This Commandery Princess was extraordinarily intelligent and possessed a breadth of mind that many men could not match. What a pity she had been born a woman. Otherwise, she might have accomplished great things.

"It seems I was the shortsighted one. I've learned something." Shang Chaozong sincerely cupped his hands, wearing the expression of a student receiving instruction.

That made Shang Shuqing laugh softly. Shang Chaozong smiled as well, then nodded toward Lan Ruoting, signaling him to go invite the two men.

Shang Shuqing said, "Why don't we all go invite them together? It will show a little more sincerity."

Shang Chaozong nodded. "Very well."

Shang Shuqing set down the guqin and gave instructions for the soldiers to arrange the wine and dishes. Only then did she go with Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting. The three found the tent where Niu Youdao was resting. They had only just approached when Shang Chaozong, walking in front, suddenly stopped. Something had caught against his foot. Before any of them understood what had happened, a figure rolled out from beneath the tent flap. Yuan Gang's powerful frame appeared abruptly, blocking the entrance. He held a dagger in a reverse grip behind his wrist and stared at the three of them like a tiger watching prey. Shang Shuqing and Lan Ruoting both noticed Shang Chaozong's reaction and followed his gaze downward. Only then did they see the thread his foot had caught.

The three exchanged glances. Someone had silently laid a warning device through the short grass surrounding the tent. The moment anyone approached, the person inside would know immediately. Niu Youdao had never placed anything like this around his tent before. They had approached him in the same way previously and found nothing. There was no need to ask who had set it up. All three looked at Yuan Gang. Interest deepened in Shang Chaozong's eyes. He had so many men watching the camp, yet none had noticed Yuan Gang quietly arranging this.

Once Yuan Gang saw who they were, his voice became as cold as his face. "What is it?"

Shang Chaozong replied, "We've been traveling hard, and our hospitality has been lacking. It's rare to have such a fine night and scenery. We've prepared some wine and food at the riverside pavilion and would like to invite Cultivator Niu and Brother Yuan to share a few cups."

Yuan Gang said coldly, "No need. The cultivator is already asleep."

The three froze. They thought they had simply been rebuffed when Niu Youdao's voice suddenly came from inside the tent.

"Any late-night snacks?"

The tent flap lifted.

Niu Youdao crawled out and casually flicked the ponytail that had fallen crookedly across his shoulder back into place. He looked at the three of them, his gaze shifting, then cheerfully asked again, "There are late-night snacks?"

"Late... night snacks?" Shang Chaozong paused, then understood. "Yes, there are. They're waiting in the pavilion by the river. Cultivator, please honor us with your presence."

Niu Youdao craned his neck and looked toward the riverside pavilion.

Then he turned back to Yuan Gang. "Hungry? If you're not hungry, go sleep."

Without waiting for an answer, he cupped his hands toward Shang Chaozong. "Much obliged, much obliged. Please."

The group turned and left. Yuan Gang slipped back inside the tent. Shang Chaozong and the others assumed he had truly gone back to sleep. Instead, Yuan Gang emerged again almost immediately. This time he carried a treasured sword in his hand: Niu Youdao's personal sword. He said nothing about whether he was hungry. He simply followed silently behind Niu Youdao, his gaze sweeping the surroundings with casual vigilance. When they reached the riverside pavilion, Niu Youdao wandered around for a moment before stopping by the railing. Looking out over the moonlit river, he sighed appreciatively.

"It truly is a fine night and beautiful scenery."

"Cultivator, please sit." Shang Chaozong warmly gestured toward a seat.

Niu Youdao sat down with a smile. Lan Ruoting took a seat as well. Yuan Gang, on the other hand, showed no intention of joining them. He stood behind Niu Youdao with the sword in hand.

"Brother Yuan, please." Shang Chaozong gestured toward another seat.

Yuan Gang replied coldly, "Not hungry."

He gave Shang Chaozong no face whatsoever, leaving the prince somewhat embarrassed.

Niu Youdao came to the rescue. "He's simply that kind of man. One-track mind, doesn't understand the ways of the world. I've told him off more times than I can count, and it never helps. Your Highness, no need to concern yourself with him."

[End of Chapter 28]