Chapter 123: From Now On, Follow Me

Niu Youdao sat there making glib remarks while the sobbing from the corner made the room feel strangely oppressive.

Yuan Fang bared his teeth slightly. They had returned her money and agreed to help her, so why was she still crying like this? It did not look like tears of joy, nor like someone crying from grievance. Neither joy nor grievance should have made a person sob as though her heart were being torn apart.

Unable to make sense of it, Yuan Fang leaned toward Niu Youdao and whispered, “Master Dao, is there something wrong with this woman?”

“Leave her alone. The food’s getting cold. Eat.” Niu Youdao gestured for him not to meddle.

Yuan Fang looked left, then right, and finally sat down. The two picked up their chopsticks and began eating and drinking.

As far as Yuan Fang was concerned, the food and wine were quite good. The only problem was that someone kept crying beside them, which made the whole meal feel exceedingly strange. This was the first time he had ever eaten while listening to someone sob. Usually, wasn’t one supposed to eat while listening to a little music?

Neither man paid Black Peony any attention, nor did they offer any comforting words. They simply let her hide in the corner and cry. She cried for quite some time.

Years of bottled-up bitterness and dark emotion poured out of her. Gradually, the sobs weakened, then faded away altogether.

Still sitting in the corner, Black Peony occasionally sniffled as she wiped her tears. At last she stood and glared at the two men, who were still calmly eating and drinking. She was angry and embarrassed, and inwardly blamed herself as well. Why had she cried in front of them? Yet just now, for some inexplicable reason, even she had been unable to control herself.

Once she had steadied her emotions, Black Peony walked over. The two men turned their heads. Yuan Fang’s mouth twitched. Master Dao had been right: women really were made of water. She had actually soaked a large patch of her clothes with tears.

Black Peony looked awkward for only an instant. Then, as though nothing had happened, she sat down at the table with perfect confidence, slapped the receipt onto the tabletop, and pushed it toward Niu Youdao. “My means are limited, so I can’t offer much. Take this as a small token of appreciation. Don’t think it too little.”

Niu Youdao looked at her with open amusement, his gaze strange. “Do I dare accept it?”

Black Peony understood exactly what he meant. She had voluntarily paid the money at first, then immediately threatened him and demanded it back when she thought the deal had fallen through. Now she was voluntarily offering it again. The situation was undeniably awkward. She muttered stiffly, “This time I mean it.”

Niu Youdao chuckled. He could not be bothered pushing the thing back and forth, so he tipped his chin toward Yuan Fang. Black Peony slid the receipt over to Yuan Fang instead.

Yuan Fang showed no courtesy at all. Money interested him. He cheerfully pocketed it, grinning from ear to ear at the discovery that after circling all the way around, the money had somehow returned to his pocket after all.

Black Peony took the wine flask and poured for Niu Youdao of her own accord. After all that torment, after being wrung nearly to death and back, she now found herself unexpectedly relaxed. Neither joyful nor troubled, she felt lighter in both body and mind than she had in years. She knew it was not merely because the other man had agreed to help her. Even if he were to say now that he would no longer help, she felt she would not be angry. She would simply leave without resentment.

She could not explain the feeling herself. All she knew was that she suddenly felt at peace—profoundly, incomparably at peace.

The man before her had bullied her mercilessly only moments ago, yet somehow she sensed an inexplicable feeling of security from him. She could not say where it came from. He was obviously a bad man, but there was a solidity to his badness. He was bad in a way that made one feel reassured. There was something in his character that made her feel safe.

The unease that had shadowed her heart for so many years had somehow vanished just like that.

Leaning slightly back in his chair, Niu Youdao asked, “There should be plenty of people here who want to establish sects. Why don’t all of you join together, pool your money, and found one common sect?”

Black Peony sighed. “We’ve considered it. But if too many unrelated people gather together, the hidden dangers are enormous. Once the sect is founded, who becomes Sect Leader? Whose word carries the final say? If people don’t truly share the same goals, internal conflict will break out before long. And if someone causes trouble outside, the entire sect has to bear responsibility. It’s happened before, more than once. Different groups didn’t trust one another. Before long, disputes over benefits erupted. People fought for authority by any means necessary, even killing one another. A sect like that can’t compete with established sects at all. Others can dismantle it almost effortlessly.”

Niu Youdao gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment. He understood.

Black Peony hesitated before asking, “Master Dao, may I ask which sect you plan to approach to recommend and guarantee us, and when? We should prepare in advance... My brothers are still waiting outside. I ought to give them an answer.”

Niu Youdao said indifferently, “Does it matter which sect recommends and guarantees you?”

“...” Black Peony stared at him. How could that not matter?

Niu Youdao looked directly at her. “Look farther ahead. Stop fixing your eyes on one place and one problem.”

“...” Black Peony remained confused. She still did not understand.

Niu Youdao said calmly, “From now on, follow me. I’ll arrange what needs arranging.”

Seeing her hesitate, he added, “Is there a problem?”

Black Peony paused for a moment. Then, seeming to make up her mind, she nodded firmly. “All right!”

Niu Youdao lifted his wine cup again and took a light sip. “How many brothers do you still have outside? Men or women?”

“Three. All men.”

“Reliable?”

“Master Dao can rest assured on that point. Absolutely reliable. Otherwise, we could never have stayed together for so many years.”

“What you say to me is useless. I’m asking you one thing: can you keep them under control?”

Black Peony hesitated. “There isn’t really any question of controlling them, but when I speak, they do listen.”

“When it’s one person at a time, I can talk things through individually, like I did with you just now. When there are more people, I don’t have the energy to deal with every one of them separately. A group needs rules.”

Niu Youdao’s tone turned serious. “Listen carefully. Anyone unreliable, anyone you have doubts about, remove them immediately. That is for your own good and for theirs. Otherwise, if something happens later, don’t blame me for being merciless. By then they may not be able to bear the consequences, and you’ll be caught in the middle. Better a short pain than a long one. If someone isn’t suitable, part on good terms now while there is still time.”

He fixed her with his gaze. “Black Peony, I am not joking.”

Black Peony said, “Master Dao, they truly are reliable. There won’t be any problem. If they weren’t, how could a woman like me have stayed with them all these years? I’m not someone who tolerates sand in her eyes either. Fine. Since you say so, I believe you. But you’re responsible for those words. Later, I don’t want to hear any snide complaints or strange talk. Keep your own people in line.”

Black Peony found that this man had clear rules for everything he did, which only gave her more confidence. She nodded. “Understood.”

“Give her four gold drafts. Four thousand.” Niu Youdao pointed toward Yuan Fang.

Black Peony and Yuan Fang both froze. Yuan Fang was plainly reluctant, but he obeyed. He took out four gold drafts, each worth one thousand gold coins, and pushed them across the table.

Black Peony looked puzzled. “Master Dao, this is...?”

“One per person. Stop standing outside one by one looking so shabby. Have all of them move in here.” Niu Youdao waved a hand, telling her to go take care of it at once.

As far as he was concerned, winning people over required more than words. Strength had to be displayed when necessary, and financial strength was strength too. When it was time to spend, one had to spend.

Black Peony shook her head. “Master Dao, there’s no need. We may not have much money, but we can afford a few days of lodging.”

Niu Youdao brooked no argument. “Nothing to be embarrassed about. I told you to do it, so do it.”

Black Peony had no choice but to take the four drafts and stand. “All right. I’ll arrange for them to move in immediately.”

She turned and headed quickly for the door. As she opened it, she naturally remembered what had happened earlier—remembered how close she had come to actually agreeing to his condition. The thought made her cheeks heat with embarrassment. She did not want to keep feeling guilty and losing confidence whenever she thought about it later.

Suddenly she turned back and teased, “Master Dao, if you really do want me to spend a night with you, I’ll throw caution to the wind today. Shall I come find you later?”

Niu Youdao rolled his eyes. “I like them fair. I’m not interested in dark ones. Get lost!”

Black Peony burst out laughing, opened the door, and left.

The moment she was gone, Yuan Fang started muttering and doing the accounts. “We took in eighteen hundred and paid out four thousand. That’s a loss of twenty-two hundred. Master Dao, what use is a woman like that if you’re not even going to sleep with her?”

Clearly, he was still grieving over the lost money.

Niu Youdao said, “A group of independent cultivators, and one woman can keep a whole group of men in line. She has some ability. If she weren’t a woman, I probably wouldn’t even have bothered with her. Some things are easier for a woman to handle than a man. I need a woman around me who can take care of certain matters. She’ll do.”

Outside, Black Peony walked with a light step. Her whole body felt loose and comfortable, as though every pore were breathing freely. She was genuinely happy in both body and mind. Unable to resist, she spread her arms joyfully like a bird taking flight.

The moment she left the inn, the companions who had been waiting outside immediately gathered around her.

One of them noticed at once. “Boss, were you crying?”

Black Peony laughed. “From happiness.”

The others immediately exchanged delighted looks. They all heard what that implied. The matter had probably succeeded.

Black Peony beckoned them over and led them to a secluded place. Then her expression turned serious. “For now, we’re setting aside the matter of founding a sect.”

“Ah!” The others were startled. One asked, “Boss, what do you mean?”

“I mean exactly what I said. We’re not thinking about founding a sect for now. I’ve decided to follow him. Anyone willing to come with me can come. Anyone unwilling, I won’t force. Those who stay with me will take out everything they own and give it to those who choose to leave. We part on good terms. No one forces anyone.”

One immediately asked, “Boss, does this man have some enormous background?” The implication was obvious. Why else would she agree to leave with him?

Black Peony shook her head. “I don’t know what his background is. You probably won’t believe this, but even now I still don’t know who he really is.”

She could not help laughing after she said it. She almost wondered whether she had gone insane. Someone had casually said a few things to her, and she had stupidly agreed to follow him without even knowing who he was. Was she still the Black Peony she knew?

And yet this particular stupidity made her feel more relaxed and happier than she ever remembered being. Even if she suffered a loss and had been tricked this time, she had brought it on herself. She was willing to bear the consequences.

“This... this...”

The three men stared at her as if she truly had lost her mind. Everything she had done today seemed mad. First she scraped money from them to voluntarily pay half a year of someone else’s room fees. Then she bought the man fine wine and food. Now she was abandoning the goal they had struggled toward for years and deciding to follow someone whose identity she did not even know.

One of them cautiously asked, “Boss, don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to him?”

Black Peony immediately cursed, “Bullshit! Stop wasting words. Give me a straight answer: are you coming or staying? If none of you want to go, then I’ll give you everything I own. You can continue what we started. I’ll follow him alone!”

[End of Chapter 123]