Chapter 141: Repaying Enmity with Kindness

Only 1.2 million!

They had practically emptied the shops of three entire sects, hauled away so much merchandise—and it had brought in only 1.2 million gold coins!

Black Peony and the others felt as though their hearts were bleeding. The larger the total, the more it meant they had lost by selling everything off cheap. What a waste. An absolute waste!

Only a few days ago, they had been willing to abase themselves beyond recognition over one hundred thousand gold coins. Now, in the blink of an eye, they were throwing money around like this. The change was so extreme that even they had trouble accepting it.

Yuan Fang had originally been delighted. They had struck it rich!

But after Black Peony and the others explained that everything had been dumped at half price, his mood collapsed as well. He had spent years swindling, bluffing, and scraping together only a few hundred gold coins at Nanshan Temple. How many grand temples had just vanished in the blink of an eye?

They had obviously made a massive haul, yet the people following Niu Youdao all looked somewhat dejected. The nervousness they had felt while looting the shops had already been forgotten. All they could see in their minds were the buying shopkeepers grinning so widely their mouths would barely close.

Only after they left Star-Plucking City and all jumped into the river did they finally come back to their senses.

They felt their way through the darkness underwater, unable to judge direction accurately, and let the current carry them downstream.

When they finally surfaced and climbed ashore again, Niu Youdao—who had checked the stars before entering the water to establish their direction—looked up at the heavens once more. After determining where they were, he took out one of the scent-bait pellets Lei Zongkang had given him, crushed the wax shell, and tossed it onto the ground.

The group set off again at speed. They did not use Moon Butterflies, relying on moonlight instead.

Now that they had finally recovered from the shock of that 1.2 million, Black Peony and the others watched Niu Youdao racing ahead of them and found their emotions difficult to describe.

They had spent their whole lives risking death, committing no shortage of ugly deeds—swindling, bluffing, robbing, killing—with their heads hanging from their belts more times than they could count. Yet look at this man. He too did things that could hardly be called righteous, but a single job of his was worth who knew how many of theirs.

Black Peony felt it most strongly. She had personally seen one of Niu Youdao’s paintings sell for one hundred thousand gold coins. Now she had watched him calmly loot three sect shops without so much as blinking. She was almost certain that the sort of ten- or twenty-thousand-gold job they considered enormous was probably beneath Master Dao’s notice. The group suddenly realized something.

Niu Youdao was an independent cultivator now too. Why did he show not the slightest resentment about being one? Was escaping the status of an independent cultivator by founding a sect really that important? Had it truly been worth throwing away their dignity and begging people over one hundred thousand gold coins?

Yuan Fang was wondering much the same thing. Only now did he realize that Niu Youdao had been entirely right to call him short-sighted and petty. Was earning money to build a temple really so difficult? Was that actually something worth worrying about?

After this experience, the whole group genuinely lost interest in petty little jobs. It might be too much to say their horizons had suddenly become lofty, but their appetites had unquestionably grown.

They cut across the mountain range and returned to the horse yard. After retrieving the mounts they had left there, the five rode hard into the depths of the Gobi.

They crossed the Gobi, entered the grasslands again, and after another bout of hard riding returned to the same hill. They reined in before it.

Niu Youdao looked warily over the surroundings. “Two of you go take a look.”

Duan Hu and Wu Sanliang sprang from their saddles, landed on the hill, and vanished into the woods.

Before long, Duan Hu came flying back and landed before the horses. “Master Dao, everyone is still there. No problems.”

Only then did Niu Youdao rise into the air. The rest followed him over the hill and into the forest behind it.

Wu Sanliang and Lei Zongkang stood side by side. Cui Yuan and Yao Youliang, still bound, sat on the ground. Several Moon Butterflies illuminated the clearing brightly. Niu Youdao tipped his chin. Wu Sanliang hauled the two captives to their feet.

Facing their dispirited expressions, Niu Youdao said calmly, “We just made a trip back to Star-Plucking City. Thanks to the information the two of you gave us, we knew the shops of all three factions had been left unattended, so we emptied all three.”

“...”

Cui Yuan and Yao Youliang stared at him in disbelief. These people had actually dared return to Star-Plucking City? And they had emptied the shops?

Neither man quite dared imagine what would happen once their sects discovered the loss. Lei Zongkang froze as well. He looked toward Black Peony. She gave a faint nod. Only then did he believe it.

This lunatic had actually looted the three sects’ shops in Star-Plucking City.

That was something Lei Zongkang had never even dared imagine doing before.

Three shops at once?

Just thinking about it felt insane. And from the look of things, his old companions had taken part too.

Cui Yuan gritted his teeth. “What exactly do you want?”

Niu Youdao said, “Relax. I don’t like fighting and killing. Besides, the two of you helped us make a fortune, so I won’t make things difficult for you.”

He waved a hand. “Let them go.”

The others exchanged looks.

Duan Hu stared. “Master Dao, let them go?”

“I keep my word. Release them.”

His tone left no room for doubt. Duan Hu and Wu Sanliang looked at each other, then reluctantly unwound the flexible steel whips binding the two men.

Niu Youdao pointed again. “Remove the restrictions too.”

Duan Hu and Wu Sanliang exchanged another look, then did as he said.

The two prisoners were still badly injured, so no one was particularly worried about them making trouble.

Even so, everyone found Niu Youdao’s decision baffling. Why leave future trouble alive? Killing them here would solve everything. If Master Dao insisted on claiming he disliked fighting and killing, fine—they were perfectly willing to do it for him.

But Niu Youdao’s authority among them had gradually taken shape. Since he had spoken, no one pressed the issue further.

Cui Yuan and Yao Youliang themselves found it even harder to believe. They had tried to kill Niu Youdao. And he was actually letting them go?

The two flexed their numb limbs, both looking wary and uncertain.

Yao Youliang said, “Niu Youdao, we’ve already fallen into your hands. If you want to kill or carve us up, just say it plainly. There’s no need to toy with us like a cat playing with mice.”

Niu Youdao stood with both hands resting on his sword. “A man rides the jianghu road through wind and rain alike. What matters is the road one walks and the friends one makes. I’ll say it again: I don’t like fighting and killing. I prefer making friends and keeping things peaceful. If I weren’t forced into a corner, I wouldn’t act at all.”

“Believe me or don’t. Either way, rest assured. We won’t breathe a word about looting the three shops, nor will we reveal that the information came from you. We have no reason to create more trouble for ourselves. The two of you can return to your sects without worrying about that.”

Seeing that they still seemed unconvinced, he smiled. “If you’re worried about explaining yourselves after you return, you can say this instead: tell them I asked you to carry back a message. Say that I hope the three factions will show mercy and let me live.”

“Work out the details among yourselves. Tell whatever story you think fits. I don’t care. You may take some blame for failing in your mission, but there’s nothing I can do about that. You’ll have to find your own way through it.”

He stepped aside, opened one hand in invitation, and said, “Safe journey. I won’t see you off.”

Cui Yuan and Yao Youliang were still only half convinced. They carefully walked out from among the group. They had not gone far when Niu Youdao spoke again. Both men jumped, thinking he had changed his mind.

“One more thing. Don’t touch the horses outside. We still need them. You’ll have to walk back.”

He added, “And it would be best not to mention Lei Zongkang turning against you. I made a few arrangements back at the shops. Don’t outsmart yourselves and end up hurting your own interests.”

“Gentlemen, may the road be smooth. Forgive me for not seeing you farther.”

Cui Yuan and Yao Youliang finally breathed easier. They quickened their pace, leapt onto the hill, and once they reached the grassland beyond, they truly did not touch any of the horses. Instead they fled on foot in a panic, afraid Niu Youdao might regret letting them go. After all, they had tried to take his life.

Behind the hill, Black Peony still found the whole thing difficult to believe. “Master Dao, you’re really letting them go just like that?”

“Better to resolve enmity than deepen it,” Niu Youdao replied lightly.

Black Peony gave a bitter smile. “Master Dao is broad-minded. I’m only afraid they may not appreciate the favor.”

Niu Youdao remained perfectly calm. “Then I’ll repay enmity with kindness. In any case, making more friends is never a bad thing.”

Black Peony rubbed her forehead. She truly could not understand the logic. How exactly did this count as repaying enmity with kindness?

It would be a miracle if those two treated him as a friend.

Niu Youdao had no interest in debating it with her. He turned and gestured. “Bring along the horses we rode here earlier. We’ll change mounts along the road to keep up our pace. And don’t leave behind the communication items belonging to the three factions.”

The group left the woods and returned to the moonlit grassland.

Niu Youdao had Yuan Fang bring out the map again. After studying it, he pointed to a location. “Which of you knows the situation at Duyun Mountain?”

The others thought for a moment.

Duan Hu said, “Duyun Mountain isn’t too far from here. At most, it’s about a day’s journey.”

Wu Sanliang added, “Quite a few demon cultivators gather in Duyun Mountain. They’re led by the snake demon Yun Ji, and the mountain is effectively her territory. Yun Ji is also an expert listed on the Golden Core Ranking.”

“The State of Zhao once gathered cultivators to exterminate the demons there, but Duyun Mountain’s terrain is complicated. Clouds and mist shroud it year-round, and the mountain is honeycombed with caves like a spiderweb. The demons were almost impossible to root out completely.”

“After repeated campaigns left both sides unable to live in peace, even Yun Ji grew sick of it. There are rumors that the authorities of the State of Zhao eventually reached some secret agreement with her—probably mutual nonaggression. That is how things have remained peaceful until now.”

None of this was what Niu Youdao wanted to know. He had already read the same information in the Shangqing Record of Gleanings.

He asked, “I’ve heard Yun Ji rarely concerns herself with worldly affairs anymore and that her son, Yun Huan, handles Duyun Mountain’s day-to-day matters. There are rumors that Yun Huan is extremely greedy for wealth and forgets all principle the moment profit appears. Is that true?”

Black Peony replied, “More or less. Whether he’s truly so greedy and profit-blinded is debatable. Duyun Mountain’s situation is what it is, and its avenues for making money are limited. Anyone managing the place would have a difficult job. Some of Yun Huan’s actions aren’t hard to understand.”

Niu Youdao nodded slightly and looked around at the group. “Does anyone know people from Duyun Mountain?”

Everyone froze.

Black Peony looked left and right, then answered tentatively, “If you mean genuinely know them, probably not. But Duyun Mountain isn’t far from here. Running into minor demons from the mountain isn’t unusual, and we’ve exchanged greetings with some before. Does that count?”

Niu Youdao looked interested. “Anyone you would recognize on sight and whose name you know?”

“One or two,” Black Peony said with a nod.

Then suspicion entered her eyes. “Master Dao, don’t tell me you’re planning to go to Duyun Mountain?”

“Is there some reason I can’t?”

Niu Youdao handed the map back for Yuan Fang to put away.

Then he took out another wax-coated scent pellet, cracked it open, and tossed it onto the ground. He swung onto his horse and called, “Let’s go!”

The others stared at the pellet on the ground, then mounted and followed. The group raced through the night.

Black Peony urged her horse alongside Niu Youdao. “Master Dao, are you planning to borrow Duyun Mountain’s strength to deal with the three factions? Forgive me for speaking frankly, but Duyun Mountain probably won’t do that.”

“You’re thinking too much,” Niu Youdao said. “What matters is the road one walks and the friends one makes. Since we’re passing through someone else’s territory, we’ll pay a visit. Making a few more friends is never a bad thing.”

[End of Chapter 141]