Chapter 166: Hard to Digest

What was he reading? What was all this about one piece of candy and two pieces of candy?

Everyone was bewildered, though all of them noticed that Shao Pingbo’s expression had changed.

At first, even Shao Pingbo himself had been distracted by the repeated talk of candy. Only after reading farther did he realize something was wrong.

When he finished, he slowly raised his head and asked the steward, “What is this?”

“A children’s rhyme,” Shao Sansheng replied.

A children’s rhyme?

Shao Pingbo understood now. No wonder the thing was filled with one piece of candy, two pieces of candy. He had been wondering what sort of written form it was and whether those words concealed some other meaning.

So it was a children’s rhyme.

He asked, “Where did it come from?”

“This rhyme is being sung by children in the streets and alleys of several areas north of the Great River. Our people discovered it and sent word back.”

“Being sung north of the Great River...”

Shao Pingbo’s chest tightened painfully.

He found it difficult even to imagine the scene of this thing being sung through the streets and alleys.

Slowly, he lowered his gaze to the words again.

The rhyme plainly called the Shao family the kings of Beizhou. the State of Han above could do nothing about them, while the State of Yan below had no way to restrain them.

That part was not important. To some extent, it was even true.

The real problem lay in the latter half.

It said that his father, Shao Dengyun, was only the king in appearance, while the man truly making decisions in Beizhou was Shao Pingbo!

Worse still, someone had made deliberate use of his name.

Shao Pingbo.

Reverse the three characters, and it became Bo-Ping-Shao.

Within the meaning of the rhyme, that reversal immediately suggested that he, Bo, would “level” the Shao patriarch—bring down his own father.

The very act of reversing the name carried the flavor of rebellion.

And the wording fit far too neatly.

It gave the whole thing the ominous feel of a prophecy.

A heart-killing accusation!

How would his father react when he saw it?

There was something even more frightening.

A children’s rhyme had a natural tendency to spread from mouth to mouth.

It would continue diffusing outward.

Shao Pingbo would become the focus of attention throughout Beizhou.

Until now, he had stood behind his father.

Once every eye turned toward him, powers hostile to Beizhou might begin directing their efforts at Shao Pingbo instead.

People who wanted to remove his father might also shift their spearpoints toward him.

Even within the Shao clan, someone might seize upon this matter and make use of it.

This was a conspiracy aimed at him from beginning to end!

Whoever had devised it possessed a viciousness of mind that sent a chill through him.

The others still had not understood what exactly was written on that sheet, or what had happened.

Tang Yi, however, noticed something.

Women were often attentive to small details.

She saw the brief flash in Shao Pingbo’s eyes, gloom and fury twisted together.

Tang Yi was startled.

That frightening look made her instinctively remember Niu Youdao’s words.

Shao Pingbo was dangerous!

Shao Pingbo finally understood why the steward’s expression had looked strange earlier. Shao Sansheng had obviously already grasped the severity of the consequences.

Shao Pingbo quickly suppressed his complicated emotions and asked coldly, “When did this thing appear?”

Shao Sansheng replied, “Our covert posts north of the river had never heard it before. Around two days ago, the rhyme suddenly erupted in several places.”

“Our people deliberately questioned children about it. Some said someone had given them candy and taught them to sing it. Others said they heard other children singing and simply joined in.”

“Following the clues available, our people found only a few surface-level men who accepted money to carry out the task. They could not trace the mastermind behind it.”

The others still did not understand why a children’s rhyme mattered so much.

Was it spreading some message harmful to Beizhou?

Now that it was already being sung openly, Shao Pingbo knew there was no point hiding it from the people present. The moment they walked outside, they might hear about it anyway.

Rather than conceal it uselessly, he handed the paper out and let them read for themselves.

“Map!”

At his call, the steward immediately had a map brought over and opened in front of him.

Shao Pingbo rose and stared at it. “Where was the rhyme first discovered?”

Shao Sansheng pointed out several areas.

“The earliest report came from Qin’an County. Almost immediately afterward, the surrounding counties began spreading it rapidly as well.”

Shao Pingbo slowly closed his eyes.

One after another, the others passed the sheet around.

Once they understood the rhyme’s meaning, each felt a chill.

This was clearly intended to drive a wedge between the Shao father and son and force Shao Pingbo into a dead end.

“Two days ago...”

Shao Pingbo murmured the words while sorting through the sequence of recent events in his mind.

After a long while, his eyes slowly opened.

A name came from his mouth.

“Zhang San!”

Everyone paused.

Shao Sansheng did not understand. “Who does Eldest Young Master mean?”

Shao Pingbo gave a cold laugh. “If my guess is right, this should have been done by that Zhang San who burned down the restaurant.”

Tang Yi looked startled and uncertain. “Eldest Young Master, why are you certain it was that Zhang San?”

“Nothing else unreasonable has happened recently. The restaurant fire was the only abrupt incident. Then this children’s rhyme followed immediately afterward.”

Shao Pingbo looked at the map.

“The timing matches, and so does the travel distance. Nine times out of ten, it was him.”

There was another important basis for his judgment that he did not voice.

The moment the restaurant burned, he knew someone had seen through his intentions.

At that moment he had already sensed pressure from the person behind it and recognized that the other side was dangerous.

Someone capable of giving him that feeling, followed immediately by such a ruthless maneuver, fit too well.

Tang Yi asked again, “There were several people in Zhang San’s group. Why are you convinced it was Zhang San himself? Could it not have been one of the others?”

Shao Pingbo looked at her calmly.

“In that situation, to dare burn down the restaurant and flee, they would have been unlikely to act without the man leading them making the decision.”

“Look at their ages. Several older people followed that young Zhang San as their leader. A young man capable of keeping several older cultivators under control—how could he be simple?”

He turned, returned to his seat, and sat down.

A trace of self-mockery appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Speaking of it, I was blind. I forcibly invited a true god to serve as my cook.”

“I must have angered him. He turned around and immediately showed me what he was capable of.”

“First he burned down the restaurant and made me eat ashes. Then he sent me this children’s rhyme to savor slowly.”

“The force of it lingers. It will be very hard to digest.”

His smile faded.

“This time I truly encountered an extraordinary expert. This Zhang San is not simple.”

Su Po and Tang Susu looked at one another, both uncertain and alarmed.

Tang Yi stood stunned.

Could Niu Youdao truly have done this?

Could he really have devised a children’s rhyme like this?

She could believe him capable of burning down the restaurant.

But this children’s rhyme was such a sophisticated method that the possibility had never even occurred to her.

She found it difficult to believe Niu Youdao could produce a move like this.

What made it even harder for her to digest was the person praising him.

What kind of man was Shao Pingbo?

Above, he maintained ties with the cultivation factions.

In the middle, he handled military affairs.

Below, he kept civil administration in order.

He was young and vigorous, yet possessed ability far beyond the ordinary.

In Tang Yi’s understanding, among men of his age there was no one who could compare.

Add his elegant appearance, composed bearing, and graceful manners, and he was a truly outstanding man among men.

With a family background like his on top of everything else, such a person could almost be called perfect.

As far as Tang Yi knew, no one knew how many women regarded Shao Pingbo as the man of their dreams.

Had she herself not already been married, with her heart bound elsewhere, Tang Yi suspected even she might have found it difficult to refuse the pursuit of such a seemingly perfect man.

It was difficult to imagine finding anyone more outstanding.

Yet a man like this thought so highly of Niu Youdao.

He had even called Niu Youdao an extraordinary expert.

Naturally, he was not referring to cultivation.

He meant Niu Youdao’s intellect.

Tang Yi almost felt she had heard wrong.

Was he truly talking about Niu Youdao?

That cook holding a knife and cutting meat in the kitchen?

That lazy youth beneath the peach trees?

In a daze, memories from Peach Blossom Spring surfaced again.

The maturity the youth had shown beyond his years.

His poem.

Song Yanqing’s poem.

Scene after scene returned to her mind.

And precisely because she was now shaken by doubt, another thought arose.

If Niu Youdao truly possessed the level of ability Shao Pingbo had just praised, then what about the judgment he had made in the kitchen?

Shao Pingbo was extremely dangerous...

“Everyone has traveled hard. Go rest.”

Shao Pingbo rose again.

“After I wash away the dust of the road and bathe, I still need to report to the Provincial Inspector.”

Everyone immediately cupped their hands and withdrew.

Most of those leaving the hall were guards normally stationed at Lingbo Residence. There was no need for them to leave the estate.

Tang Yi and the others were different.

As the leader of a sect, she could hardly live permanently in someone else’s residence. She had sect affairs of her own to handle, and she was also a woman.

More importantly, with Shao Pingbo openly pursuing her, living in his residence would plainly be inappropriate.

She had to avoid suspicion.

On the way out, Su Po asked softly, “Was it really him?”

Tang Yi and Tang Susu remained silent.

Neither dared reach a conclusion.

Tang Yi remembered Zhao Xiongge’s words.

Dong Guo Haoran would not casually accept a disciple.

If he had done so, there had to be a reason.

Su Po, meanwhile, sighed inwardly.

If Niu Youdao truly possessed that kind of intellect, then regardless of whether his methods were poisonous, the present Shangqing Sect needed precisely such a capable leader if it wished to revive.

If his ability truly deserved the evaluation Shao Pingbo had just given him, then what did that make all of this?

The person who by every right should have been the Shangqing Sect’s leader had been driven away by their combined hands...

“Mister Huang, Mister Lin, please remain. Eldest Young Master requests your presence!”

Huang Dou and Lin Hu were disciples of Dachan Mountain.

Dachan Mountain was also one of the powers supporting Shao Dengyun from behind the scenes, and these two were responsible for Shao Pingbo’s safety.

The pair had only just passed through the moon gate into a side courtyard when Shao Sansheng hurried after them and called them back.

When they returned to the main hall, Shao Pingbo was still seated in the same place, both hands resting on his knees, eyes closed in silence.

The two came forward and cupped their hands.

“What instructions does Eldest Young Master have?”

Without opening his eyes, Shao Pingbo slowly asked, “Who still remembers what Zhang San said to Tang Yi at the river wharf?”

The two looked at one another and thought back.

After a moment, Huang Dou said, “That fellow spoke rather rudely, so I remember it.”

“The moment he saw Tang Yi, he said, ‘What a beauty.’ After Eldest Young Master warned him, he asked whether Tang Yi was the honored guest you intended to entertain.”

“After that, he even said Eldest Young Master and Tang Yi were well matched.”

“Praised us?”

Shao Pingbo gave a faint reply.

“Looking at it now, it was mockery.”

Huang Dou looked puzzled. “Mockery?”

Shao Pingbo slowly opened his eyes.

“After sorting through the whole sequence carefully, I think I know who he is.”

“He should be that Niu Youdao.”

The two men were startled.

Lin Hu asked, “Tang Yi’s husband, Niu Youdao? Eldest Young Master, how do you arrive at that?”

“At the wharf, he was openly rude to Tang Yi, yet none of the three people from the Shangqing Sect reacted.”

Shao Pingbo continued calmly, “Even at the time, I felt something was unusual about their reaction when they saw him.”

“Afterward, all three entered the kitchen one after another. They were obviously going to see him.”

“That means it was not one person who knew him. All three knew him.”

“You should both have heard the rumors outside concerning Tang Yi and Niu Youdao.”

“He was confined by the Shangqing Sect for five years. They seized the position of Sect Leader from him and even tried to kill him.”

“For someone so young to escape the Shangqing Sect alive was already no simple matter.”

“He killed members of the Song family and still survived. Could that be simple?”

“He killed an envoy of the State of Yan in Jinzhou and still escaped intact. That makes it even less simple.”

“Afterward, Shang Chaozong allied with Jinzhou. Can anyone truly say that has no connection at all with Niu Youdao appearing in Jinzhou?”

“Put all these unusual things together, and even the methods now being used against me stop looking surprising.”

“From this, I have reason to suspect that Shang Chaozong’s rapid rise may very well be connected to him.”

“One more important point is age.”

“Niu Youdao’s age should match Zhang San’s.”

“When every factor can be connected to the same person, who else could Zhang San be besides Niu Youdao?”

“And if that is true, then what happened at the wharf also makes perfect sense.”

[End of Chapter 166]