Chapter 35: You Think I'm Afraid of Your Song Clan?

The palm struck cleanly and decisively, landing squarely on Xu Yitian's chest. A dull thud was followed by the crisp crack of bone breaking. Xu Yitian flew backward.

"Pfft!"

A mouthful of blood sprayed from him in midair, shocking everyone who saw it. When Xu Yitian hit the ground, he staggered backward again and again, blood pouring continuously from his mouth and nose. His eyes were wide as he stared at Niu Youdao, filled with disbelief. He had been far too careless. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was already too late to defend himself. He had not raised his protective power anywhere near its limit. To the onlookers, the exchange had happened so quickly it was almost disorienting. Even Shang Chaozong and the others were shaken. One move had injured the opponent this badly.

Was the difference between their strength truly so great?

If so, why had Xu Yitian looked as though he were taking Niu Youdao so lightly? Niu Youdao's striking palm remained extended for a moment. Only after knocking his opponent away did he slowly lower it. He himself had not moved a single step from where he stood. His expression remained calm. Inside, however, he was thinking that this was the first time he had ever properly tested his Qiankun Palm on another person. He wondered how it felt on the receiving end. Xu Yitian kept stumbling backward until Chen Guishuo caught him and steadied him. The moment Song Yanqing and Chen Guishuo saw that blood still would not stop pouring from Xu Yitian's mouth and nose, they knew he had been seriously injured by that single palm. Both cursed him inwardly for underestimating the enemy.

How could he have been careless to such an absurd degree? Even if he thought nothing of Niu Youdao himself, he should at least have been wary of the Transmission Protective Talismans inside him. What they did not know was that Xu Yitian had misery he could not voice. Inside his body, a hard, tyrannical yang force and a soft yin force were working against each other. One hot, one cold, they twisted together without end, throwing his spiritual power into complete disorder. He could not circulate his cultivation to suppress or harmonize his inner breath at all. Everything inside him had become such a chaotic mess that he could not even open his mouth to speak. His shock at Niu Youdao was impossible to describe.

One thing he could say with certainty was that whatever Niu Youdao cultivated, it was absolutely not the Shangqing Heart Sutra. The Shangqing Sect's cultivation method was nowhere near this domineering. Unfortunately, he could not communicate any of this to the two men beside him. Song Yanqing felt a trace of regret as well. Back then, he should never have persuaded the Shangqing Sect to let Niu Youdao cultivate. It seemed the bastard had actually achieved something over these past few years. Otherwise, he could never have injured Xu Yitian this badly. Without waiting for an order, Chen Guishuo released Xu Yitian and strode forward. He sprang into the air, drew his sword in mid-flight, and came down on Niu Youdao with a streak of sword light.

Niu Youdao looked exactly as he had before, showing no reaction at all. Only when Chen Guishuo was about to descend upon him did the arm holding Niu Youdao's sword suddenly straighten. Using the sword and scabbard as a pivot against the ground, Niu Youdao vaulted upside down around it, both legs whipping through the air in rapid succession. One kick struck the side of Chen Guishuo's descending sword and knocked the blade aside. A second kick intercepted the palm Chen Guishuo chopped toward him with his free hand. Then Niu Youdao's other leg completed the rotation and slammed squarely into Chen Guishuo's chest.

Bang!

Before the crowd could even make sense of the blur of movement, Chen Guishuo, who had not yet touched the ground, was already flying backward. Seeing that something was wrong, Song Yanqing rushed forward at once. He leapt into the air and planted one foot on Chen Guishuo's body as the man flew backward. Using him as a stepping stone, Song Yanqing avoided the collision and launched himself even higher.

Clang!

His sword came free. From above, fierce sword light flashed downward, covering Niu Youdao below. Niu Youdao was still turning through the air around the sword planted against the ground and had yet to land. Mid-rotation, his body suddenly curled like a shrimp. Then it snapped open again. The inverted rotation corrected itself.

Clang!

Cold light left the scabbard. Niu Youdao's foot tapped the scabbard standing against the ground, and his entire body shot violently upward. His sword met the attack from above, shaking out a fierce curtain of flashing light. This sword technique was called the Taiyi Light-Splitting Sword. With the cultivation Niu Youdao had possessed in his previous life, he could never have executed it. A curtain of sword light scattered through the air, dazzling beneath the reflected sunlight. Song Yanqing, turning upside down as he descended, was scared nearly out of his wits. Seen from above, the fierce sword shadows surging upward resembled a blooming lotus. He could no longer tell which blade was real and which was illusion. He had no idea how to defend.

Only at that instant did he finally understand that the Niu Youdao before him was nothing like the Niu Youdao he had imagined.

Clang-clatter!

A burst of chaotic metallic sound rang out. One of Song Yanqing's arms flew away, still gripping the sword in its severed hand. Niu Youdao and Song Yanqing crossed in midair. Niu Youdao spun and carved out a spray of blood. Then he twisted and delivered a flying side kick.

Bang!

The kick struck Song Yanqing squarely in the chest and sent him hurtling away. Two severed legs spun through the air behind him, scattering blood. The upright scabbard below began to topple. Still airborne, Niu Youdao flicked his sword downward.

Clang!

A streak of cold light shot into the scabbard and seated itself perfectly, stabilizing the scabbard before it could fall. Chen Guishuo crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. A moment later, Song Yanqing hit the earth with another crash. Only afterward did a figure descend from above, robes fluttering. Niu Youdao landed lightly. He casually extended one hand and rested it on the sword hilt. No one had seen so much as a trace of blood left on the blade. That killing weapon once again looked like nothing more than a walking stick in Niu Youdao's hand. The sword's name was Loyal Heart, Martyr's Blood. Song Yanqing's two neatly severed legs came down on either side of him. Silence filled the surroundings.

Everything had happened so quickly that the watchers were still trying to untangle what they had seen. Niu Youdao had defeated Xu Yitian with a palm, Chen Guishuo with his feet, and Song Yanqing with his sword. The first exchange had been clear enough. The latter two had unfolded in a blur, fast as startled rabbits and swooping falcons, sword light dazzling the eyes. Only when the two severed legs struck the ground and everyone looked again at Song Yanqing writhing weakly on the earth did they fully understand. Niu Youdao had cut off one of Song Yanqing's arms and both his legs. Everyone was secretly shaken. A cultivator truly was a cultivator. No ordinary martial man could compare.

Before this, who knew how many people had looked down on Niu Youdao because of his youth, including Shang Chaozong, Shang Shuqing, and Lan Ruoting. Only now did they realize how badly they had misjudged him. In a matter of moments, he had defeated three Shangqing Sect cultivators in succession. Even if the Shangqing Sect had sent Shang Chaozong three cultivators like these, together they would not have been as useful as this seemingly young Niu Youdao. Shang Chaozong felt ashamed. His late father had repeatedly warned him never to judge a man by appearances, yet here he had done exactly that. He remembered the day Niu Youdao threw away the provisions from the Shangqing Sect and how he himself had been unable to resist making sarcastic remarks.

The man had simply been broad-minded enough not to hold it against him. Standing among the crowd, Yuan Gang silently watched Niu Youdao. He sighed inwardly. Master Dao was far stronger than he had been in their previous life. The gathered staff monks looked frightened and uneasy, especially Abbot Yuan Fang. Inside, Yuan Fang was practically wailing. He had never wanted to become entangled in disputes between people of this level, and now look where he was. At this point he wanted to run, but he did not even dare run. Chen Guishuo struggled back to his feet, clutching his chest. He looked at Song Yanqing's miserable body on the ground, then at Niu Youdao. His face grew even paler. Fear had entered his eyes. Memories from years ago flashed vividly through his mind.

One man rose, another fell. Xu Yitian, who had barely managed to remain standing, suddenly spat another mouthful of blood. He could no longer support himself. His insides churned like overturned rivers and seas, and he collapsed heavily onto his backside. But after vomiting that mouthful of blood, his breathing finally eased a little. At last, he could barely gather his qi and begin circulating it to suppress the chaos within. His collapse gradually brought the spectators back to their senses. Lan Ruoting sighed inwardly. He could not understand why Niu Youdao had been willing to show restraint toward the other two, yet had dealt so ruthlessly with Song Yanqing.

Did he truly not know Song Yanqing's background?

After crippling the man like this, how could the Song clan possibly let Niu Youdao go? The cultivation sects the Song clan could mobilize were probably not limited to something on the Shangqing Sect's level. What Lan Ruoting did not understand was that from the moment Niu Youdao saw Song Yanqing here and learned he had come to kill him, he had known peaceful coexistence was impossible. Forget any hatred from his earlier confinement and humiliation. The mere fact that he had stepped between Song Yanqing and Tang Yi and married her was already an unforgivable offense in Song Yanqing's eyes. Niu Youdao had lived two lifetimes. He understood men like Song Yanqing far too well. If he let Song Yanqing go today, Song Yanqing would not let him go tomorrow.

He would simply find stronger people to come after him. If the final outcome would be the same whether he spared the man or not, then he might as well collect enough interest first. In his previous life, Master Dao had known how to tolerate trouble and swallow humiliation when necessary. But he was no harmless man who had never seen blood. His eyes cold, Niu Youdao stared down at Song Yanqing. Leaning on his sword, he walked over slowly and stopped above him. The scabbard lightly tapped Song Yanqing's face.

"Hey. I told you already, I don't like fighting and killing. Wouldn't it have been better if we'd ended things peacefully and nobody lost out? You just had to force me to act. Why bother? You think I'm afraid of your Song clan? Your Song clan is nothing but a pack of country bumpkins in my eyes. You don't amount to shit!"

Shang Chaozong and the others were speechless. A great clan like the Songs was nothing but country bumpkins in this man's eyes? Song Yanqing raised his head with difficulty. Pain had twisted his face almost beyond recognition, yet he still forced out a smile.

"Junior Brother... Junior Brother, I was wrong. Be magnanimous. Don't hold a petty man's mistake against me. Let me go. Let me go, all right? Whatever you want, you can ask for it. Anything, as long as you're willing to spare me!"

Niu Youdao could not be bothered answering him. He turned toward Shang Chaozong.

"Your Highness, have your men withdraw for a moment. I have a few things I want to ask this bastard."

Shang Chaozong immediately waved, signaling the surrounding men to fall back. Abbot Yuan Fang ducked his head and turned, trying to slip away with them. Niu Youdao's voice came mildly from behind him.

"Did I say you could leave?"

Yuan Fang froze.

Niu Youdao continued, "Your Highness, keep these people under control and question them separately. If their stories don't match what this bastard tells me, we can settle accounts afterward."

He pointed as well at Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo. There was no need for further instruction. A group of personal guards rushed forward and bound the twenty-odd monks. Not one dared resist. Even Yuan Fang obediently allowed himself to be tied. Just like that, the monks of Nanshan Temple were taken away. Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo met the same fate. After seeing what Niu Youdao could do, and with both men injured, they knew escape was impossible. The surroundings finally quieted. Niu Youdao lightly tapped Song Yanqing's face with the scabbard again.

"Talk. Why did you want to kill me?"

Song Yanqing wailed, "Junior Brother, it wasn't me who wanted you dead. Elder Tang ordered it! I had no choice but to obey!"

He had never been a man of backbone. As far as he was concerned, staying alive mattered more than anything else. Naturally, he was not going to confess that jealousy over Tang Yi was part of the reason. Anything that could shift responsibility elsewhere, he shifted.

"Elder Tang wanted me dead?" Niu Youdao froze.

He did remember that the old woman had never liked him much. The first time they met, she had nearly killed him outright.

"Ever since I entered the Shangqing Sect, I was confined to Peach Blossom Spring. I don't believe I ever did anything to wrong the sect. Why would she want me dead?"

Shang Shuqing and the others looked at him in surprise.

Confined the entire time?

"The reason is simple. You can figure it out if you think about it," Song Yanqing whimpered. "Elder Tang wanted Tang Yi's position as Sect Leader to be secure. As long as you remained alive, Tang Yi's position was never fully legitimate. At any time, someone might speak up for you and overturn the old decision..."

Still groaning in pain, Song Yanqing revealed an astonishing secret unknown to the outside world.

[End of Chapter 35]