Chapter 201: A Generous Gift

Niu Youdao did not tell Black Peony what they were waiting for. The group continued onward, passing through Jinzhou and heading straight for Qingshan Commandery.

Taking a route through the State of Yan would have shortened the journey back considerably, but to guard against any unforeseen danger, they chose to make a long detour instead...

After the long journey home, the capital of Qingshan Commandery finally came into view. Niu Youdao did not enter the city. Instead, he led the others into the nearby mountains and forests.

The setting sun was infinitely beautiful, gilding the layered woods. Niu Youdao stood atop a hill and gazed into the distance. Ahead lay the capital of Qingshan Commandery; behind him stretched shadowed forests and rolling mountains. This was his first time seeing the commandery capital as well.

A lone rider could faintly be seen galloping along the official road toward the city gates. It was Duan Hu, sent ahead to find Yuan Fang and ask about the situation. If everything was suitable, Yuan Fang was to inform Shang Chaozong that Niu Youdao had returned. They waited for a while. Then, from the direction of the city gates, a large force thundered out and headed straight toward them.

The mounted column reached the area and, led by Duan Hu, entered the forest. At the same time, dozens of cultivators skimmed over the treetops.

Shang Chaozong, Shang Shuqing, Lan Ruoting, Yuan Fang, Bai Yao, Liuxian Sect Leader Fei Changliu, Fuyun Sect Leader Zheng Jiuxiao, Lingxiu Mountain Sect Leader Xia Hua, and a large crowd of others arrived at the foot of the hill. One after another, they raised their heads.

Atop the hill, Niu Youdao stood with both hands resting on his sword, his back turned toward them. The setting sun enveloped his entire figure in a hazy golden radiance.

Seeing that familiar back again—especially that familiar posture, standing with his sword planted before him—the old acquaintances among Shang Chaozong's party were visibly stirred. Niu Youdao turned.

Looking down at the people below, he smiled faintly. The slanting sunset fell across one side of his face, lending the smile on his young features an air of mystery and restraint.

With a clatter, people began jumping down from their horses. Shang Chaozong in particular could not wait and broke into a run up the hill, plainly overwhelmed with emotion.

Excitement shone across Shang Shuqing's face. Her bright eyes lit with an unusual radiance as she looked toward the man above. Together with Lan Ruoting, she too hurried uphill. Yuan Fang had already flown ahead. Landing beside Niu Youdao, he cupped his hands with unconcealed delight.

“Master Dao!”

Niu Youdao nodded. Then he raised a palm toward the people running up from below, signaling that there was no need for them to come any farther, and floated down the hill himself. After so long apart, he had finally reunited with the Shang siblings.

“Greetings, Your Highness, Commandery Princess, Mister Lan.”

Niu Youdao cupped his hands. Shang Chaozong immediately reached out with both hands to support his arms.

“Master Dao, why didn't you send someone ahead to announce your return? This prince could have come out to welcome you!”

Niu Youdao smiled.

“For safety's sake. One guards against petty men, not gentlemen.”

At the word “safety,” Shang Chaozong thought of the dangers Niu Youdao had faced on this journey. He knew a little of them. Emotion surged so strongly that for a moment he did not know what to say.

Then he abruptly lifted the hem of his robe and dropped to one knee.

“Master Dao, please accept a bow from this prince!”

“You mustn't!”

Niu Youdao hurriedly caught him before he could bow fully. His gaze shifted toward the crowd approaching from behind, and he lowered his voice.

“There are too many eyes here. Whatever we have to say can wait until later.”

“Good.”

Shang Chaozong nodded. Expectation filled Shang Shuqing's bright eyes. She seemed ready to say something, but Niu Youdao merely smiled and nodded to her before his attention moved elsewhere. A faint trace of disappointment entered her gaze. Her eyes then fell upon Black Peony and Lei Zongkang standing behind him. Black Peony and Lei Zongkang exchanged a look, both secretly astonished.

Neither had expected Master Dao to possess such prestige with Commandery Prince Yongping that a dignified prince would actually kneel to him. The sight left them faintly excited. So long as they followed Master Dao closely, establishing themselves here would clearly present no difficulty at all. Their future looked promising.

Fei Changliu and the others came forward. After exchanging greetings with Niu Youdao, Xia Hua asked, “Why did it take you so long to return?”

“I ran into some matters that delayed me.”

They exchanged pleasantries. Bai Yao stood off to the side, watching coldly. His face seemed expressionless, but inwardly he was filled with emotion. This young man was truly extraordinary.

He had actually managed to settle matters even with Bai Yao's own Sect Leader and master. Peng Youzai had mentioned him constantly over the past several days, repeatedly wondering why he had not returned yet.

In fact, Tianyu Sect Leader Peng Youzai had come as well. He had already been staying in Qingshan Commandery's capital for some time, waiting for Niu Youdao's return. Some things had to be seen with one's own eyes before one could truly feel at ease. This was now Tianyu Sect's foremost concern. There could be no carelessness. The moment Peng Youzai heard Niu Youdao had returned, he too wanted to come meet him immediately. But his status made that inconvenient.

He represented the face of Tianyu Sect. If he personally rushed out to welcome Niu Youdao, it would look as though he had lowered himself to receive him. Tianyu Sect was not a minor faction like Liuxian Sect. Nor had Peng Youzai come alone.

After Tianyu Sect's senior leadership discussed the matter, quite a number of high-ranking figures had accompanied him. All of them wanted to see the results for themselves.

Yet Niu Youdao had been delayed for so long that Tianyu Sect's people had grown increasingly anxious, worried that something might have happened to him on the road. Seeing that everyone had begun talking without end the instant they met, Lan Ruoting finally cut in.

“Everyone, Master Dao has traveled a long distance and must be exhausted. Whatever needs discussing, shouldn't we return to the city first and let him rest?”

Niu Youdao said, “If I openly show myself here, the court of the State of Yan will lose face. There are some matters everyone understands without needing to say them aloud. The situation has only just stabilized. There is no need to tear away the last veneer of civility again for now.”

That problem was easy enough to solve. Shang Chaozong gave an order, and someone immediately returned to the city and brought back a large carriage. Once it arrived, Niu Youdao climbed inside. The entire group then returned to the city. His lodgings had been arranged in a garden estate behind the Commandery Governor's Residence.

The estate had originally belonged to a wealthy local merchant. Before Qingshan Commandery changed hands, the merchant had fled with his family, leaving the property ownerless. A road had once separated the estate from the Commandery Governor's Residence.

After word came from Tianyu Sect that Niu Youdao might return, and especially after Peng Youzai and the others arrived, the road between the two compounds had been sealed and the walls opened so the properties connected directly. Niu Youdao had barely returned and had not even had time to settle when Tianyu Sect sent someone over. Peng Youzai wanted to see him. Under everyone's eyes, Niu Youdao was invited away. He arrived at another courtyard and naturally exchanged greetings with the senior figures of Tianyu Sect gathered there.

After the pleasantries, Peng Youzai sat in the principal seat of the reception hall and asked in a deep voice, “When are you planning to begin brewing the liquor?”

“One step at a time. This isn't something that can be rushed.”

Niu Youdao urged him to remain calm.

“At the very least, we first need to choose a suitable site and acquire the necessary equipment.”

Then he turned the question around.

“How is it that I've heard the military and civil authority of the two commanderies still has not been unified?”

Peng Youzai replied, “Concentrate on getting the liquor business running. Once we see actual results, there will be no problem on Guangyi Commandery's side.”

Niu Youdao nodded. He could understand that. If Tianyu Sect stripped Feng Lingbo of authority first and then the liquor business collapsed, they would have no way to explain themselves to Feng Lingbo afterward.

A Tianyu Sect elder whom Niu Youdao was meeting for the first time asked, “Only ten thousand jars a year, and such small jars at that. Isn't the quantity too low? Can production be increased?”

Greed was everywhere. It was not that Niu Youdao could not satisfy them. The real problem was that distilled liquor consumed enormous amounts of grain. For commoners who already struggled to fill their stomachs, expanding production too aggressively could become a disaster. That was precisely why he had deliberately capped production at ten thousand jars.

“If there were greater profit to be made, I would have no reason not to want it.”

Niu Youdao shook his head.

“But under the present conditions, this is all we can do.”

“More importantly, greater volume is not necessarily a good thing.”

“If supply grows too large, the price will not rise. And even if the price stays high, wouldn't profits on too great a scale make others jealous and invite trouble for Tianyu Sect?”

“Even with only ten thousand jars, I advise all of you not to publicize that number outside.”

“As for how Tianyu Sect explains the supply to others, you should think carefully and come up with a story that holds together.”

Everyone fell silent.

Peng Youzai said, “You don't need to concern yourself with that. Handle your own part properly.”

Once the discussion over the liquor business ended, Niu Youdao took his leave. He had barely returned to the courtyard arranged for him when Fei Changliu drew him aside for a private word.

“Can the Liuxian Sect disciples at the Ice and Snow Pavilion be withdrawn now?”

Those men had originally been taken there to intercept and kill Niu Youdao. At Niu Youdao's request, however, most of them had since been secretly redeployed around the Ice and Snow Pavilion.

“Not yet.”

Niu Youdao shook his head.

“Keep them there and continue watching for me.”

Then he immediately changed the subject.

“What about the pledge of allegiance I asked for? Has it been prepared?”

The three sect leaders each turned and signaled to their disciples. Before long, thirteen wooden boxes were carried over and set down along the flowerbed. Fei Changliu personally opened one. Inside lay Song Jiuming's head, preserved with lime.

“Apart from Song Shu, whom you specifically excluded, the thirteen heads of the Song household are all here, including Song Jiuming and steward Liu Lu. Please verify them yourself.”

“Dispose of them.”

Niu Youdao answered indifferently. He had no intention of inspecting them. There was no need. He did not know Song Jiuming and the others by sight in the first place. Whether the heads were genuine could easily be confirmed later by asking Shang Chaozong what information Chen Guishuo had sent back. There was no reason to go through unnecessary motions. Besides, with night falling, admiring a pile of severed heads was hardly an elegant pastime. Still, one burden had finally been lifted from his heart.

The great danger posed by the Song family was gone.

As for Song Shu, the “fish that slipped through the net,” without the Song family's influence behind him, Niu Youdao did not take the man seriously at all.

Under normal circumstances, Song Shu would now have difficulty even getting close enough to threaten him. If Niu Youdao wanted him dealt with, it would require only a word. He was no longer worth worrying about.

Only after finishing with this group did Niu Youdao finally have time to sit down and speak at length with Shang Chaozong and the others. A maid came in carrying tea. Black Peony stepped forward on her own initiative, took the tray from her, and set a cup before Niu Youdao. Then she returned to stand behind him together with Yuan Gang and Yuan Fang. Duan Hu and Lei Zongkang remained outside on guard. Precisely because of that, the unfamiliar Black Peony once again drew Shang Shuqing's attention.

And because Shang Shuqing was watching her, she soon noticed that Black Peony's attitude toward Master Dao seemed somewhat unusual. Especially the way Black Peony looked at him. Several thoughts flashed through Shang Shuqing's mind. Then she felt she might be overthinking things. The difference in their ages was obvious. After returning to Niu Youdao's side, Black Peony happened to meet Shang Shuqing's gaze. Shang Shuqing smiled faintly, then looked away and lowered her eyes to the teacup in her hands.

Black Peony was equally curious about this extraordinarily ugly Commandery Princess. From the moment they first met, Shang Shuqing's appearance had naturally drawn her attention. And Black Peony had also sensed that the ugly princess's gaze toward Master Dao did not seem entirely ordinary. Women understood certain things about other women. Sometimes that sort of understanding was not necessarily a good thing. Once the tea had been served, Niu Youdao lifted his cup in salute.

“I haven't yet congratulated Your Highness on taking Qingshan Commandery. A joyous achievement indeed.”

Shang Chaozong raised his cup in return, then shook his head with emotion. Everything he felt was contained in that gesture. Any words of gratitude seemed too light. After lowering his cup, Niu Youdao smiled again.

“Since the sect leaders are all here, I assume they have already told Your Highness what needed telling.”

“Your Highness may remember that before I went into seclusion, I once said that as long as you took Qingshan Commandery, I would present you with a generous gift.”

“I wonder whether Your Highness is satisfied with this gift?”

[End of Chapter 201]