Chapter 88: Practically a Monster

In the southern part of the county seat lay an open space where mountain produce was sold. Villagers from outside the city usually brought whatever they gathered from the mountains here to sell.

By now it was already afternoon, and few people remained. Only a handful of villagers still lingered, hoping to make one last sale.

A gray-clad man strolled through the market with his hands behind his back. From time to time he crouched beside the goods spread out by villagers, inspecting their quality or asking the price. After wandering around once, he entered a nearby teahouse, sat down, and called to the attendant.

"Bring me a pot of tea!"

"Right away. Please wait a moment."

A carriage arrived outside and stopped directly in front of the entrance. The gray-clad man's attention was drawn to it, but no one stepped down. While he was still watching, he suddenly felt something press against his waist. He looked down. A dagger was resting against him. His head snapped up. Two men had appeared on either side, pinning him between them.

"..."

He had just opened his mouth when the dagger pricked him painfully in warning. Neither man said a word.

Several copper coins were tossed onto the table. Each man took one of his arms, and without making any obvious commotion, they escorted him outside and pushed him directly into the carriage. The instant he entered, someone covered his mouth.

He was forced flat inside, bound tightly from head to foot, and the carriage immediately wheeled around and sped away. The teahouse attendant emerged carrying the freshly brewed tea only to discover his customer had vanished.

He set the teapot down, swept the copper coins from the table into his hand, then ran to the entrance and looked both ways. Still no sign of the man. Scratching his head in confusion, the attendant went back inside...

Outside the mountain estate, the group of Canglu County notables took their leave. Lan Ruoting personally escorted them out and went with them as far as the path down the mountain.

"Mr. Lan, please stay!"

The group repeatedly urged him not to see them farther. Only after Lan Ruoting finally stopped did they turn and begin descending the mountain. Their steps were light on the way down. The day had been thoroughly enjoyable, and many still wore expressions of lingering delight.

The Commandery Princess had personally received them, discussed poetry, lyrics, songs, and fu with them, and even joined them for lunch.

Although she had worn a veiled hat and no one had seen her face, her graceful figure, elegant bearing, gentle manners, and soft, melodious voice were enough to inspire fascination. Her insight in conversation and the measure she showed in every word revealed an exceptionally fine upbringing. She truly was a daughter of the imperial clan, someone a little county town could never have raised. The guests could not help admiring her. Rumor claimed the Commandery Princess was hideously ugly.

But after everything they had seen and heard today—her figure, her bearing, that voice—how could a woman like this possibly be ugly? Some of the men had already begun indulging in private fantasies. How wonderful would it be to win even a touch of her affection?

Unfortunately, her status placed her far beyond anything they could ever reach. Such thoughts could only remain hidden inside their own minds.

After lunch, Lan Ruoting had taken over and spoken privately with the guests, asking for their views and opinions on the circumstances in Canglu County. In short, the entire gathering had passed in excellent spirits.

Before they left, Lan Ruoting presented each of them with one hundred silver coins, saying it was travel money bestowed by the Commandery Princess and asking them not to disdain the gift. Lin Shangpo, who had arrived full of anxiety, was now in an excellent mood. He realized he had worried for nothing. His mind still lingered on the time spent with the Commandery Princess.

When he thought of his own wife and compared her with the Commandery Princess, the difference in bearing was simply beyond comparison. A faint regret stirred in him. Most of the guests were similarly pleased.

Only men like Su Dekang wore taut expressions and said little. He seemed to have seen through Shang Chaozong's attempt to buy people's hearts long ago and remained worried about the future. As for Lu Shengzhong's disappearance, Shang Shuqing's side simply told everyone he had left early. No one thought much of it.

Some had privately felt that Lu Shengzhong had no business attending such an occasion in the first place. Just because he happened to manage the best stationery shop in the city, Quiet Ink Studio, and dealt in things associated with letters, did that give him the right to pass himself off as a refined man of learning?

Was that not inviting humiliation?

At least, every one of these people considered himself part of Canglu County's refined scholarly class. Once they reached the foot of the mountain, everyone went his separate way. By the time they returned to the county seat, evening was nearly upon them. Smoke from cooking fires was already curling above the narrow, secluded alleys.

The thin scholar pushed open his courtyard gate and announced loudly, "Tomorrow, kill that hen and stew it!"

The declaration marked his triumphant return. His young wife popped her head out of the kitchen and immediately cursed him.

"What, did the Commandery Princess refuse to feed you and leave you starving?"

The scholar strutted proudly into the main room. In front of his wife, who had followed him inside, he pulled out a money pouch and poured a jingling pile of silver coins onto the table. The young woman covered her mouth in shock.

"You actually dared steal or rob someone?"

There was at least one thing she knew for certain: no one would lend their family this much money all at once.

"Steal or rob? How did you even think of that?"

The scholar rolled his eyes, then puffed himself up with renewed pride.

"The Commandery Princess gave it to me as travel money. Still think a scholar can't earn money?"

There was unmistakable satisfaction in finally holding his head high.

"The Commandery Princess gave it to you?"

The young woman's eyes lit up. She immediately turned and shut the front doors, as though terrified someone outside might see the money. Then she hurried back to the table and began counting, her hands trembling with excitement. Their household had never seen so much money at once.

"No need to count. Exactly one hundred silver coins. Enough to feed our family for a year! Tomorrow I'll buy you two new sets of clothes. And remember to kill that hen..."

Not long after the Canglu County notables returned to the city, a carriage entered as well and stopped directly outside Quiet Ink Studio. The driver respectfully invited Lu Shengzhong down, then drove away.

The neighboring shopkeepers immediately came outside and crowded around him, asking what the Commandery Princess's invitation had been about.

"Can't say, can't say!"

Lu Shengzhong repeatedly cupped his hands, begging them to spare him the questions. Since he would say nothing, the crowd eventually gave up and dispersed. Even so, the looks they gave him carried obvious envy. Lu Shengzhong surveyed the area. He hesitated. With his spiritual power sealed, he ultimately did not dare attempt escape. He walked to the shopfront, removed the shutter boards, and went inside. The moment he entered, he hurried toward the rear room. Then he lifted the curtain and froze.

Bai Yao was sitting inside, staring coldly at him. No one knew how he had gotten in. Lu Shengzhong glanced at the window and gave a bitter smile. After nightfall, Lu Shengzhong went back to the front and lit one of the two lanterns hanging outside. Two hours later, a figure appeared at the corner of the street. It was Liu Ziyu, lightly disguised. He reached the entrance to Quiet Ink Studio, checked his surroundings, then walked straight inside.

Before long, the sound of fighting erupted from within.

Crash!

A figure smashed through the wooden door boards and flew into the street, hitting the ground and coughing blood. It was Liu Ziyu. The commotion immediately drew several figures from the dark corners of the street. They flashed toward the shop. Before they could get halfway there, however, other figures appeared and intercepted them, launching a sudden attack. Bai Yao shot out of Quiet Ink Studio. One foot slammed Liu Ziyu back down just as he tried to rise. Bai Yao's sword moved.

Cold light flashed. Liu Ziyu's head flew from his shoulders. The Liuxian Sect disciples who had come to rescue him knew at once that they had fallen into a trap. With Liu Ziyu dead, there was no longer anything to rescue. Then Bai Yao appeared as well.

Knowing they were no match for him, someone shouted, "Go!"

Two screams rang out in the darkness. Two other figures rose into the air and fled into the night. Figures pursued them from behind.

People in the surrounding shops had been alerted by the fighting. They peered through cracks in windows and doors, and every one of them was frightened half to death. Patrolling soldiers quickly arrived. A carriage came as well.

One of Shang Chaozong's personal guards stepped down and showed a command token to the patrol, immediately taking control of the scene. Yuan Gang emerged from the carriage too. He went into Quiet Ink Studio, dragged Lu Shengzhong outside, pushed him into the carriage, and quickly left. Bai Yao and the others also shot away through the air, disappearing into the night. On the city wall, someone lit a bonfire.

Oil-soaked firewood erupted at once into a pillar of flame that rose high into the sky.

Back at the mountain estate, Niu Youdao stood at the railing of a tall pavilion and saw the signal blazing above the distant city wall.

He said calmly, "Old Bear, release it."

Yuan Fang immediately reached into a cage, took out a Goldenwing, walked to the railing, and tossed it into the night. The Goldenwing beat its wings rapidly and vanished into the hazy moonlight. Shang Chaozong, Shang Shuqing, and Lan Ruoting were standing nearby watching as well. They exchanged looks.

At last Shang Chaozong could not resist asking, "Have the assassins been caught?"

"Whether the assassins are caught isn't important. The people behind them are the real trouble, and for the moment there's nothing we can do to them."

Niu Youdao turned and smiled at him.

"Your Highness, if you manage to seize Qingshan Commandery, I'll give you a generous gift when the time comes."

A generous gift?

The three looked at one another.

Lan Ruoting asked with interest, "What kind of generous gift?"

Niu Youdao only smiled. Lan Ruoting was speechless. He knew he had asked for nothing. If this man did not want to tell you something, asking was useless. Niu Youdao seemed to cast the entire affair out of his mind and changed the subject.

"If it's convenient, I can leave for the secret realm tomorrow and begin secluded cultivation."

Shang Chaozong nodded.

"Good. We'll make the arrangements for Master Dao."

Even as he spoke, however, his mind was still scratching at the question of what sort of generous gift Niu Youdao had promised him. Niu Youdao cupped his hands in farewell and led Yuan Fang down from the pavilion. The three at the railing watched the two men return toward their courtyard. Lan Ruoting suddenly sighed with feeling.

"This Master Dao truly is no simple man."

Shang Chaozong asked, "What is Sir referring to?"

Lan Ruoting asked in return, "Has Your Highness not noticed? That bear demon has already been tamed until he obeys Master Dao in everything. The Nanshan Temple monks still keep their distance from us, yet they obey him without question and have plainly grown close to him. To possess this kind of ability at such a young age... he's practically a monster."

Moonlight lay quietly across the courtyard. Yuan Gang returned. With him came Lu Shengzhong, whose face was filled with bitterness.

"It's done."

Those simple words from Yuan Gang were enough to account for everything that had happened in the city. Niu Youdao turned toward Yuan Fang.

"Old Bear, take him away. Tell the men below to watch him closely. Under no circumstances is he to escape. No one is permitted to speak with him. If necessary, use extreme measures."

"Master Dao, don't worry."

Yuan Fang gave his assurance. Then he grabbed Lu Shengzhong by the front of his clothes and dragged him away.

Late that night, in a courtyard within Nanzhou, a Goldenwing descended from the sky and landed on the perch beneath the eaves with a soft cooing call. An Xiaoman quickly came outside, caught it, and removed the secret message from the tube on its leg. He returned indoors and opened the letter. It was supposedly a message from his senior brother, Lu Shengzhong.

The letter said that Lu Shengzhong had accidentally exposed a flaw. To protect himself, he had been forced to sell out Liu Ziyu and the other Liuxian Sect disciples. Liu Ziyu had now been killed. Worse, surviving Liuxian Sect disciples knew what had happened. Liu Lu would almost certainly receive the news very soon. The message urged An Xiaoman to contact Wuliang Mountain immediately and prepare to avoid disaster. An Xiaoman's face changed dramatically.

Who was Liu Lu?

He might only be a steward in the Song Residence, but his influence was nothing to underestimate. Liu Lu had only one son. Now that son had died because a man from Wuliang Mountain had betrayed him.

Liu Lu might not be able to move against Shang Chaozong's side immediately, but could he not deal with a mere Wuliang Mountain? He would inevitably vent his fury on them.

And even if Liu Lu himself said nothing, the Liuxian Sect would still have to give him an explanation. Wuliang Mountain was in grave danger!

[End of Chapter 88]