Chapter 116: A Heavy Fist to the Rescue

At the vegetable plots, Lan Ruoting approached slowly and stopped on the ridge between the fields. He watched Shang Shuqing speaking with the monks who tended the vegetables. She was even trying the work herself, apparently learning how to grow them.

Shang Shuqing soon noticed him as well. She came out of the vegetable patch and, after meeting him, asked, “Does Mister Lan need something?”

“We just received another message from Master Dao.” Lan Ruoting smiled and drew a secret dispatch from his sleeve, presenting it with both hands.

Shang Shuqing took it and immediately opened it to read.

Lan Ruoting’s gaze flickered. He seemed to be watching her reaction quite carefully.

After reading the message, Shang Shuqing visibly relaxed. Niu Youdao wanted them to establish a contact point in Yanjing responsible for making secret contact with Chen Guishuo.

With that arrangement in place, she felt reassured. It meant Niu Youdao had not truly decided to sever himself from their side altogether.

When she looked up, however, she found Lan Ruoting watching her rather strangely. She could not help asking, “What are you looking at, Mister?” She raised a hand and touched her face, thinking she might have gotten dirt on herself while working in the vegetable patch.

Lan Ruoting hurriedly said, “Nothing. I merely found it a little strange to see the Commandery Princess learning how to grow vegetables.”

Shang Shuqing smiled sweetly, though the smile on her face was not especially pretty. “I noticed their vegetables seem to grow better than the ones outside, so I came to ask them how they do it.”

“Oh, so that’s it!” Lan Ruoting nodded cheerfully.

In a mountain forest far from Jinzhou Prefectural Capital, Niu Youdao and Yuan Fang lowered the carrying baskets from their shoulders. From beneath the goods piled inside, they took out their swords, blades, and packs. Both were dressed as farmers and quickly changed clothes.

Not far away, someone waited with two horses. Once the pair had collected their things and gone over to confirm identities with the man holding the reins, they took the horses, mounted, and galloped out of the forest.

As for the alliance between Shang Chaozong and Hai Ruyue, the powers backing both sides had agreed. Tianyu Sect and Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion had already arranged to meet. The moment matters were settled here, Niu Youdao left at once, preparing to fulfill what he had promised Hai Ruyue.

After riding up a stretch of sloping road, the two reined in one after the other, turned their horses, and gazed back at the enormous city in the distance.

“Master Dao, are we really going to ask for the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit for that woman?” Yuan Fang ventured.

Niu Youdao raised a brow. “Old Bear, do I strike you as someone who does not keep his word?”

“No, no, Master Dao, that’s not what I meant.” Yuan Fang scratched his cheek and gave a dry laugh. “I just think there’s no need. The matter with her has already been settled. Whether we find the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit or not doesn’t really matter anymore. Besides, if even she couldn’t obtain one, I doubt we’ll have much luck either.” His meaning was obvious: why make a pointless trip?

“Whether I can obtain it is one thing. Whether I go and try is another,” Niu Youdao said. “Once war begins in Qingshan Commandery, His Highness may look like he has the advantage, but everything can change. Who can say what the final result will be? I know absolutely nothing about fighting wars. Since you people have chosen to follow me, I have to take responsibility for you. I need to prepare a road of retreat.”

Yuan Fang looked thoughtful. He understood. Master Dao had already chosen Jinzhou as a fallback. Then another thought struck him and he asked in alarm, “Master Dao, if war breaks out in Qingshan Commandery, the people from my temple won’t be in danger, will they?”

“I told you already. Since you’re following me, I’ll take responsibility for you. Don’t worry. I have made arrangements. As long as they stay at the villa, nothing should happen. If something does happen, have you forgotten the secret passage beneath the villa? Someone will arrange for them to withdraw.”

“Oh!” Yuan Fang relaxed. From Niu Youdao’s decision to use Jinzhou as a fallback, he also noticed something else: Master Dao had no intention of hanging himself from Shang Chaozong’s one tree. He tested the waters again. “Master Dao, there’s really no need for us to get tangled up in all these rights and wrongs. Why don’t we simply leave? We don’t have to rely on anyone. We could live freely.”

“You think I don’t want to?” Niu Youdao replied. “If you can truly give up building that broken-down temple of yours, then everything is easy. If necessary, we can simply hide away somewhere... Monkey has hot blood in his veins. Every other day he talks about doing something meaningful. Unless I keep him away from people forever, sooner or later he’ll stir something up and get dragged into trouble. I can’t keep him from interacting with everyone else for the rest of his life, can I? In a world like this, with his temperament, there is no way he can remain a recluse forever.”

“And then there’s you, a perfectly good bear demon who insists on becoming some damned abbot and reviving some damned Nanshan Temple. Is that fun?”

Yuan Fang said weakly, “It has nothing to do with fun. I promised the old abbot before he died.”

Niu Youdao scoffed. “Is that so? You want to revive Nanshan Temple. Fine. Suppose you build the temple. With the little strength you people have, can you protect it in these chaotic times? Believe me, if you really build some grand temple, it will be shut down in less than a year! Every one of you, without real power backing you, is just talking nonsense and courting death! Every one of you wants to be true to yourself, wants to hold on to your own beliefs. What am I supposed to do? Someone has to be the one who gives way.”

Yuan Fang seemed to understand something. “Master Dao, then why don’t we find some powerful faction and throw in with them?”

“You think attaching yourself to a powerful faction means you’ll have nothing to worry about? Who do you think will support idlers for free? You can only see the scenery from the height you manage to climb. Sow melons and you reap melons; sow beans and you reap beans... There’s no point explaining this to you, and I can’t exactly make you return to secular life. Just follow me quietly. You haven’t really seen much of this world anyway. Consider this trip a chance to broaden your horizons. Let’s go!”

Niu Youdao turned his horse and drove his heels into its flanks, galloping away.

Yuan Fang immediately urged his mount after him.

After traveling along the official road for a while, the two turned onto a small track and followed a route prepared in advance. For now, they still did not dare remain on the official roads continuously. They were worried enemies might be waiting along the way, so they planned to make a wide detour before returning to the main roads.

Their destination: the Northern Great Snowy Mountains in the State of Han—the Ice and Snow Pavilion!

Elsewhere in the mountains, two horses grazed leisurely.

Not far away, Yuan Gang stood bare-chested and bent forward, the muscles of his back ridged like a dragon.

Wei Duo held a wooden staff and walked around him, striking him again and again with sharp cracks.

After finishing his exercises, Yuan Gang leapt into the pond nearby to wash.

Horses could not run endlessly and needed rest along the road. Every day during those stops, Yuan Gang preserved two hours for his training.

The two had already entered Jinzhou and were drawing ever closer to Jinzhou Prefectural Capital...

Night fell over Guangyi Commandery and the Commandery Governor’s residence.

Inside the study, Steward Shounian entered and presented a secret letter with both hands. “Master, this came from Tianyu Sect.”

Feng Lingbo looked up from the desk and set down his brush. As he read the letter, his brows gradually drew together. He stared at the contents for a long time without speaking.

Before long, Peng Yulan entered carrying a bowl of hot soup. Seeing that Feng Lingbo’s expression was wrong, she set the bowl down and asked, “What happened?”

Feng Lingbo handed her the letter so she could read it herself.

Peng Yulan accepted it in puzzlement. After reading it, she looked surprised. “They’re ordering us to prepare fifty thousand troops within half a month and hand them over to Shang Chaozong? What does one little Canglu County need so many men for? And we’re supposed to raise this much grain and supplies for him too? Will Qingshan Commandery even allow that many troops to enter?”

She turned and asked Shounian, “Has there been no word from Ruonan? Has anything happened in Canglu County?”

Shounian shook his head. “No. Apart from that business involving Niu Youdao, nothing else has happened.”

Feng Lingbo pondered. “Could it be connected to the trouble Niu Youdao caused in Jinzhou?”

Peng Yulan looked at the secret letter again. “Stop guessing. I’ll send word directly and ask Father what is going on.” Her father was Peng Youzai, the current Sect Leader of Tianyu Sect.

Towering city walls rose high before them. Jinzhou Prefectural Capital had arrived.

These walls were the largest Yuan Gang had seen since entering this world. He and Wei Duo dismounted at the gate, submitted to inspection, then led their horses into the city one behind the other.

The prosperity inside needed no comment. They had not eaten properly along the way either, so the two found a roadside stall and stopped to fill their stomachs.

They tethered their horses and had only just sat down when commotion arose on the road behind them. A group of mounted guards escorted a luxurious carriage toward them, with a rider out front clearing the way.

Pedestrians hurried aside. The husband and wife running the stall suddenly went pale and shouted, “Girl!”

Their young daughter had wandered away holding a coarse steamed bun. She stood in the middle of the road, apparently frightened senseless and unsure where to go, while the horse clearing the way was already bearing down on her.

Yuan Gang exploded from his seat. In an instant he was there, sweeping the little girl into his arms and out of the way.

The approaching rider seemed startled as well and hauled hard on the reins. The horse reared, forelegs pawing the air as it neighed. In the same motion, the rider lashed his whip toward Yuan Gang’s back and barked angrily, “Get out of the way!”

Without looking back, Yuan Gang caught the tip of the whip in one hand and gave it a casual tug.

The whip flew instantly from the rider’s grasp and sailed onto the roof of a nearby building.

Yuan Gang said nothing. As though nothing had happened, he turned and continued toward the stall.

The husband and wife hurried out to meet him.

The rider, however, flew into a rage. He drove his horse directly at Yuan Gang, intending to ram him.

The couple had just taken their daughter back and were frightened stupid. Seeing the warhorse bearing down on them, the woman screamed.

Wei Duo shot to his feet.

But Yuan Gang had already turned. He twisted through the waist, swung his arm, and drove out a punch.

Bang!

The heavy fist smashed squarely into the oncoming horse’s face.

“Neighhh!” The warhorse screamed in pain. Horse and rider toppled sideways together and crashed onto the street.

Cries of shock erupted from the crowds on both sides. To ordinary people, the sight of a man knocking down a charging warhorse with a single punch was simply unimaginable.

Even Wei Duo was secretly shocked by Yuan Gang’s strength. The man’s bones were hard indeed.

Hai Ruyue sat inside the carriage and watched the scene through the beaded curtain.

Cultivators immediately flashed out from both sides of the carriage, but Hai Ruyue said mildly from within, “Forget it.”

Someone outside instantly relayed the order.

The two cultivators who had landed in front of Yuan Gang gave him cold looks, then glanced at Wei Duo, who had flashed to Yuan Gang’s side. Afterward, both men withdrew to the carriage.

The procession continued forward. The little girl had already burst into loud sobs.

Yuan Gang bent down, picked up the coarse steamed bun that had fallen to the ground, and blew the dust from it. He tore away the dirtied parts, placed what remained back into the girl’s hand, and gently patted her head.

The girl immediately took a bite. She looked up at him through tearful eyes—and somehow stopped crying.

As the carriage and riders passed beside him, Yuan Gang stood there proudly without even bothering to glance at them.

Inside the carriage, however, Hai Ruyue took in the entire scene. She even turned her head toward the side window to keep watching until he disappeared from view.

[End of Chapter 116]