Chapter 183: All Placed Under House Arrest

The people of the Liuxian Sect did not know Yuan Gang. A “Master Dao” had suddenly appeared out of nowhere; who the hell knew who that was? But the moment they saw Duan Hu and the others behind him, they understood at once.

Niu Youdao. Cui Yuan, who had come out with the others, needed even less explanation. He had known Duan Hu and the rest back in Star-Plucking City. In the past, he might still have felt himself above people like them. Now that confidence was gone, replaced by a guilty unease. Killing Niu Youdao to silence him would not be enough. There were several others as well!

“What happened?”

Wu Shaohuan, drawn out from the rear by the commotion, barked the question. His gaze fell on the smashed display cabinets, then on the disciple being helped upright, his mouth full of blood and consciousness half gone. Anger rose across his face. Xiao Tie hurried over and whispered a few words beside Elders Wu Shaohuan and Li Guang.

The anger on Wu Shaohuan’s face gradually subsided. The tension that had abruptly surged through the shop was just as abruptly forced back down.

“We do not know any ‘Master Dao’ here,” Wu Shaohuan said as he stepped out from the crowd.

Yuan Gang replied stiffly, “Niu Youdao.”

Wu Shaohuan asked, “Who are you?”

He somewhat suspected that the man might be from the Ice and Snow Pavilion. Otherwise, how could he dare behave this arrogantly?

“Whoever here can make decisions, come out and speak. Everyone irrelevant, stand aside.”

Wu Shaohuan looked left and right. “Here, I can make the decisions.”

“Master Dao requests your presence. Come with us to Rainbow Inn.”

Wu Shaohuan was conflicted as well. He could not figure out what connection Niu Youdao had with the Ice and Snow Pavilion and did not dare act rashly. Yet with so many disciples watching, he could not appear too weak either. His face hardened.

“How do you intend to settle the account for injuring a disciple of our sect?”

“Come with us first. Afterward, however you want to settle it, I’ll take it.”

That at least gave Wu Shaohuan an explanation, a step he could use to descend in front of the disciples. Yuan Gang knew exactly when to be hard and when to yield. He would not mishandle something Niu Youdao had entrusted to him. That was also why Niu Youdao had sent Yuan Gang personally. Inviting people over did not inherently require him to run errands. There were people below who could do it; Black Peony and the others could have made the trip.

But Black Peony and the others had never truly stood on a great stage. They lacked the necessary poise. Having lived so long beneath the oppressive might of major sects, they were liable to lose confidence when facing such people, to become timid, to let themselves be looked down upon. Sometimes the difference of a single line was the difference between Heaven and Earth. Yuan Gang was different. He could hold down the scene.

Before long, a group emerged from the Liuxian Sect shop. Wu Sanliang led Wu Shaohuan toward Rainbow Inn, while Yuan Gang took the others onward to the next place.

“Honored guest...”

At the Fuyun Sect shop, an attendant came forward to welcome them. Yuan Gang answered with another explosive kick.

Bang!

The smiling attendant was caught completely unprepared and sent flying. He hit the ground spitting blood, and everyone else in the shop came rushing out in alarm. Duan Hu and Wei Duo broke into a faint sweat. This man was simply too fierce. Was he planning to fight his way through every shop one by one?

What they did not know was that Yuan Gang’s behavior had at least something to do with the fact that he already knew these three sects had hunted Niu Youdao.

“Who are you?”

“Master Dao requests your presence!”

When Yuan Gang left the Fuyun Sect shop, he continued toward the next one. Duan Hu remained behind to escort the shopkeeper, Cao Heng, away...

At Rainbow Inn, Lei Zongkang led the way as Mei Shikai, shopkeeper of Dachan Mountain’s shop, finally had the good fortune to reach the inn’s top floor.

Ordinarily, even he could not come up here. He knew this was not a place open to just anyone. It was where the Ice and Snow Pavilion received distinguished guests, and this was his first time setting foot on the floor.

The door stood open. Black Peony paced outside while, inside, Niu Youdao sat behind a desk with his eyes closed, apparently resting and thinking about something. Lei Zongkang met Black Peony at the entrance and introduced Mei Shikai.

“Please wait a moment.”

Black Peony smiled and nodded to Mei Shikai, then went inside, bent beside Niu Youdao, and spoke softly into his ear.

“Master Dao, Shopkeeper Mei Shikai of Dachan Mountain has arrived.”

Niu Youdao gave a quiet “Mm.”

Only then did Black Peony beckon toward the door. Lei Zongkang immediately extended a hand to invite Mei Shikai inside. The two entered. Lei Zongkang stood to one side while Mei Shikai cupped his hands toward Niu Youdao behind the desk.

“Brother Niu, why did you ask to see me?”

Niu Youdao slowly opened his eyes.

“I hear Dachan Mountain wants to kill me?”

Mei Shikai froze. He had been mentally prepared for something along these lines, but the other man’s bluntness, without even bothering to ask who was right or wrong, still surprised him. He hurriedly waved a hand.

“How could that be? Dachan Mountain and Brother Niu have neither grievance nor enmity. Where did Brother Niu hear such a thing?”

“Can Shopkeeper Mei make decisions for Dachan Mountain?”

Mei Shikai laughed. “I merely manage the shop here. How could I decide matters for the sect?”

Naturally, he had to evade a question like that.

Niu Youdao nodded. “It seems there are many things Shopkeeper Mei does not know. In that case, I will trouble you to send a message back and invite Dachan Mountain’s Sect Leader to make a trip to the Ice and Snow Pavilion.”

The smile on Mei Shikai’s face slowly stiffened.

“I can send the message. Whether the Sect Leader comes is not something I dare guarantee.”

“No matter. Shopkeeper Mei can stay here at the inn for the time being. Whenever your Sect Leader arrives, that is when I will let you leave.”

Mei Shikai’s face sank.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Nothing much. I simply want to make matters clear with your sect. Since this is not something you can decide, there is no need for you to trouble yourself over it.”

“And if I refuse to stay?”

Niu Youdao replied, “I would rather like to see you fight your way out of Rainbow Inn.”

The corner of Mei Shikai’s mouth twitched. The two men stared at one another.

“This has nothing to do with you. Do not make trouble for yourself. Let someone who can make decisions come deal with it.”

Niu Youdao picked up his tea, then turned his head toward Lei Zongkang.

“Please take Shopkeeper Mei to your room to rest. Later, have someone from his shop come over so Shopkeeper Mei can pass along the message.”

“Yes!”

Lei Zongkang accepted the order, stepped in front of Mei Shikai, and invited him to follow. A faint sweat broke out on Black Peony.

They had already detained the shopkeepers from Tianyu Sect and Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion. Now they had detained Dachan Mountain’s as well. What exactly was Master Dao trying to do? Not long afterward, Wu Sanliang arrived with Wu Shaohuan.

The result was much the same. However hard a man might be, he could not stay hard when facing the power behind Rainbow Inn. Afterward came Cao Heng, shopkeeper of Fuyun Sect, and Li Huoyun, shopkeeper of Lingxiu Mountain. They arrived one after another. None met with a good end. Niu Youdao spared no one. All of them were placed under house arrest. In Black Peony’s eyes, Niu Youdao had simply gone mad.

Even borrowing the tiger’s might while playing the fox was not done like this. Did he think all these sects were fools? If he told their sect leaders to come, would their sect leaders really come just to see him?

“Master Dao, you detained people from several sects. They will definitely approach the inn afterward and demand an explanation.”

Niu Youdao leaned back in his chair, looking at the sky outside as it gradually darkened. Black Peony brought him a cup of tea and reminded him.

What she was really warning him was that this bluff of borrowing Rainbow Inn’s authority would be exposed. When that happened, they might not be able to get away.

“Mm. I know.”

Niu Youdao answered and continued looking outside, somewhat distracted. Yuan Gang’s figure moved into view, blocking his line of sight. He stood at the window, looked at the sky, then turned back.

“The climate here changes without warning. There will probably be a major snowstorm tonight.”

Niu Youdao smiled. He had to admit that having Monkey at his side saved him a great deal of worry. Monkey excelled at gathering intelligence. He would continuously keep track of people and matters that might threaten him.

Niu Youdao had been on the road and ignorant of many developments, but the moment Monkey arrived here, he began asking around everywhere. The situation of the Song family in Yanjing was one example. Black Peony was speechless. The two men seemed completely unworried. It made her look like the ignorant one. Feeling somewhat discouraged, she left the room. The moment she stepped outside, Duan Hu and the others crowded around.

“How is it?” Duan Hu asked.

“What do you mean, how is it? It’s like this. What else can it be?”

Wu Sanliang lowered his voice. “Peony, that Yuan Gang is vicious enough. Do you know what he did when he went to the different shops? He practically fought his way in, one after another.”

“Fought his way in?”

Black Peony stared.

Duan Hu shook his head with a sigh. “Master Dao at least waited until no one was around before looting somebody’s shop. This one is even fiercer than Master Dao. The moment he walked in, he struck hard enough to make people spit blood. No explanations, broad daylight, straight through the door and beating whoever was there into serious injury...”

The three began whispering excitedly about what had happened. Black Peony listened in a daze. Why would a man like that be afraid of detaining people and offending sects? He had already started hitting them directly! Looking at the three men, she noticed something else as well. Before, they had been somewhat unhappy with Yuan Gang and had muttered strange complaints behind his back. Now their attitude toward him seemed to have changed...

“Innkeeper Chu, Rainbow Inn detained one of our people. Surely there should be an explanation?”

On one side of Rainbow Inn’s main hall, Li Guang had rushed over the moment he heard Wu Shaohuan had been detained and immediately sought out Chu Anlou to demand an explanation. Chu Anlou felt somewhat speechless.

It was not only the Liuxian Sect. Tianyu Sect, Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion, Dachan Mountain... one faction after another had come to his door.

What was going on?

Xuanyuan Dao was actually Niu Youdao, the man who had killed envoy of the State of Yan? He had heard reports earlier that people were coming and going constantly from the top floor, but he had never imagined they were creating this sort of trouble.

“Innkeeper Chu, I am a disciple of Fuyun Sect.”

Another man entered the inn, looked around the hall, spotted Chu Anlou, and immediately came over to identify himself.

Again?

Was this never going to end? Chu Anlou raised a hand at once to stop him.

“Everyone, wait here a moment. Allow me to understand the situation first.”

With that, he hurried away and went straight upstairs to find Niu Youdao. Seeing him arrive, Niu Youdao put down his teacup and cupped his hands.

“Innkeeper Chu.”

Chu Anlou asked heavily, “You are Niu Youdao, the man who killed envoy of the State of Yan?”

“That is correct.”

Niu Youdao admitted it without hesitation.

“My apologies, Innkeeper Chu. For the sake of safety while traveling, I had no choice but to conceal my name and identity.”

“Under the banner of Rainbow Inn, you detained people from several sects inside Rainbow Inn?”

Niu Youdao looked embarrassed.

“I saw how warmly Innkeeper Chu received me and thought I might use the opportunity to settle a little trouble. So I took the initiative to invite them here. Looking at things now, Innkeeper Chu’s deterrent power is indeed enormous.”

Chu Anlou raised a hand to stop him.

“Enough. Release them immediately. If you do that now, I will pretend none of this happened.”

Niu Youdao counted on his fingers.

“It is not that I am looking for trouble with them. They are looking for trouble with me. Tianyu Sect wants to kill me. Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion wants to kill me. Dachan Mountain wants to kill me. Liuxian Sect wants to kill me. Fuyun Sect wants to kill me. Lingxiu Mountain wants to kill me. Some of them have already gathered their men.”

He looked at Chu Anlou.

“Innkeeper Chu, they had not even discovered me at first. Your enthusiastic hospitality suddenly made me conspicuous and exposed me. What would you have me do?”

Chu Anlou cursed him inwardly. Just how many people had this bastard offended?

He said sternly, “Those are your personal grudges. Rainbow Inn does not involve itself in outside feuds, and there is no reason for us to detain people here without cause. If you behave this way, who will dare stay at Rainbow Inn in the future?”

“Before this creates a real disaster, release them immediately. You should know the background behind Rainbow Inn. If you dare use the inn for your own ends, you are courting death.”

Niu Youdao replied, “How would I dare use the Ice and Snow Pavilion? I simply wanted to seize the chance to negotiate with these sects. If negotiations go well and they are willing to spare me, all is well. If negotiations fail, I would never dare ask the Ice and Snow Pavilion to do anything for me.”

Chu Anlou stared at him. He wanted to ask: If this is not using us, what is? But the crucial problem was that if Niu Youdao did not use them and instead chose to run, Chu Anlou could not allow that either. Niu Youdao sighed.

“Since Innkeeper Chu puts it this way, I have nothing more to say. I can only find some way to flee for my life. I will remember the kindness of Innkeeper Chu’s warm reception. Farewell.”

Chu Anlou frowned.

“Where are you going?”

“How would I know where I’m going? Wherever I can escape to. In any case, I need to run for my life now. If I do not leave before they are ready to kill me, am I supposed to wait here for them?”

[End of Chapter 183]