Chapter 250: Afraid I'll Be a Burden?

After lowering his head and reading the message, Chen Tingxiu was left speechless. Niu Youdao had actually become sworn brothers with Linghu Qiu! He looked up at the Sect Master and understood somewhat why Peng Youzai's expression had been so unnatural.

Tianyu Sect had known the warhorse affair would be troublesome before it ever made a move. For that reason, the disciples sent to the State of Qi had all been carefully selected, capable men. Yet in the end, some were buried there while others returned in defeat.

The senior members of Tianyu Sect might surpass those capable disciples in seniority, experience, and cultivation, but that did not mean they surpassed them in their ability to get things done. Some problems simply could not be solved by taking Tianyu Sect's martial strength into Qi. If those capable disciples could not accomplish something, the sect's senior figures might not be able to accomplish it either. The fact that higher-ranking members sent to Qi afterward had likewise failed had already proven that point.

Yet the matter still had to be solved somehow. Faced with such a complicated situation, whom they should send next had become a problem.

Later, Peng Youzai had made one remark: Tianyu Sect lacked disciples with Niu Youdao's sort of ability. In the future, when taking disciples, they should perhaps place more weight on that kind of talent. Everyone understood what the Sect Master meant.

After observing a number of incidents, they had to admit that Niu Youdao really did possess the ability to control complicated situations. The Sect Master wanted him to go and try.

But Niu Youdao was not a disciple of Tianyu Sect. If they asked him to handle the matter, it would make Tianyu Sect look bad. Were they supposed to admit openly that their own people were incompetent? They could not bring themselves to ask. There was still such a thing as face. And once the discussion began, every sort of opinion naturally appeared.

Some denied Niu Youdao's ability and looked down on him. Their reasoning was simple: if he truly had ability, why had Shangqing Sect expelled him like a homeless dog? That school of thought leaned toward belittling him.

Others suggested bringing Niu Youdao into Tianyu Sect first. Once he became a disciple of the sect, assigning him the task would be perfectly natural. That school of thought was to tear down the bridge after crossing the river.

Right at that point, Niu Youdao broke their agreement again and demanded that Tianyu Sect yield part of the liquor profits to the three sects.

Tianyu Sect knew Niu Youdao and the three sects were currently wearing the same pair of trousers. After some discussion, they took the opportunity to pass the buck to them instead. Who would have expected Niu Youdao to keep hiding away in secluded cultivation without showing his face at all? Only now, after reading the secret report, did they know he had finally been unable to hold back.

But no one had expected Linghu Qiu to take the initiative and visit Niu Youdao, much less for Niu Youdao to become sworn brothers with the man. Peng Youzai had once asked Linghu Qiu for help. Linghu Qiu had politely refused and done nothing. If Niu Youdao now managed to secure Linghu Qiu's help after all, what was Peng Youzai supposed to feel?

Chen Tingxiu passed the secret report to the other elders. After reading it one after another, the elders all fell silent... After staying in Qingshan Commandery for a little over a day, Niu Youdao finally brought up the warhorse matter again. Between sworn brothers, it was easy to talk. Linghu Qiu agreed readily, and the two settled the itinerary. At the wine table, Hongxiu and Hongfu quietly exchanged a glance when they saw Linghu Qiu agree so readily.

There were some things the sisters understood perfectly well but had not exposed out of regard for Linghu Qiu's face.

If the sworn-brotherhood affair had not been entirely because of Dong Guo Haoran, then Niu Youdao's declaration that he was "determined to have" the two of them had certainly played a role.

The hidden meaning of those words was clear: refuse to give them to him, and relations would turn hostile. Coming from a man who had dared kill an envoy of Yan, those words carried weight.

Niu Youdao's attitude had simply not been so rigid. He gave Linghu Qiu a way down from the stage and immediately shifted the subject to sworn brotherhood instead. Linghu Qiu then accepted with pleasure.

Even so, both women believed that with how widely Linghu Qiu made friends, if any of those people ever proposed becoming sworn brothers, he would probably not refuse. It was simply that no one had ever brought it up before.

This Master Dao, however, had used soft pressure and hard threat together. There was more than a hint of forcing Linghu Qiu to yield.

Then they looked again at this Master Dao, who had remained attentively hospitable the whole time, never letting the words "Elder Brother" leave his mouth, giving Linghu Qiu every bit of face and appearing all smiles and harmless goodwill.

The sisters still remembered the negotiation vividly. Within only a few sentences, he had directly asked for warhorses. Linghu Qiu said the matter was difficult, so Niu Youdao immediately accepted that even a few hundred would do, forcing Linghu Qiu to agree. Once Linghu Qiu had agreed, Niu Youdao calmly circled back and raised the amount.

When that increase could not be negotiated, he immediately abandoned the subject and jumped straight to asking for the two of them instead.

When Linghu Qiu refused, Niu Youdao kept raising his price for them, even secretly pressing a blade to his waist with the threat hidden beneath the words.

Yet he never made the pressure unpleasant. The moment Linghu Qiu understood the implication, Niu Youdao shifted the conversation away again and jumped to sworn brotherhood.

Now that the sworn-brotherhood matter had been settled, Niu Youdao plied him with fine food and wine. Between brothers, everything was easier to say.

And just like that, the conversation returned to the warhorses. After circling around and around, it had come right back to where it started. At last, Niu Youdao had achieved his objective.

Both women strongly suspected that if the sworn-brotherhood proposal had failed, no one knew what new trick Master Dao might have produced afterward... A lake lay in a mountain hollow, part of a restricted area. It was the restricted ground Yuan Gang had requested. No one was allowed to enter without permission. Niu Youdao, of course, was an exception.

He slowly climbed a slope and looked down over the hollow. Sunlight glittered across the lake. Looking carefully, one could see things like wheat stalks sliding over the surface. From his higher vantage, faint human shapes could be made out swimming beneath the water. As they approached the shore, figures silently surfaced one after another and slowly slipped onto land. Suddenly, a group hidden in the grass on shore rushed out. A fierce bout of grappling and close combat erupted.

In the water, friend and foe wrestled. On shore, the two sides grappled and struck. People on both sides repeatedly fell, climbed back up, and went at one another again.

More than a year had passed. With abundant food and high-intensity training, the group of boys had changed enormously. In bearing and build alike, they had already grown into young men. Niu Youdao glanced back. Yuan Gang was slowly coming up the slope. Niu Youdao returned his gaze to the fighting by the lakeside.

Yuan Gang came to stand beside him. "Going to Qi?"

Niu Youdao nodded. "Tomorrow."

Yuan Gang nodded too. "I'll go prepare."

He turned to leave.

Niu Youdao called after him. "You don't need to go."

Yuan Gang turned back, eyes burning as he waited for an explanation.

Niu Youdao said, "This isn't like before, when we were isolated and short-handed. I have enough people around me now. Someone I trust needs to remain here and hold the fort so I can leave without worrying about what lies behind me."

Yuan Gang said, "That's not the reason. Afraid I'll become a burden?"

Niu Youdao answered directly. "Yes. You should understand. Things are different here from before. There isn't much room for you to use what you're good at."

"Just give me a destination. I won't travel with you." Yuan Gang lifted his chin toward the people by the lake. "They can't stay cooped up at home training forever. They need to go out and broaden their horizons. If they never experience a real crisis, they'll never truly understand the meaning of their training."

With that, he turned and left. Niu Youdao frowned. He had specifically told people to keep the matter from this fellow. How had Yuan Gang still found out?

Inside a swaying carriage, Niu Youdao and Shang Shuqing sat facing one another as they returned to Qingshan Commandery City.

The carriage remained silent for a long time before Shang Shuqing tentatively asked, "Are you going to bid farewell to my brother?"

Resting his chin on his hands atop the pommel of his sword, Niu Youdao smiled. "I've been cooped up for a long time. It's about time I went out and got some air."

Shang Shuqing fell silent. The carriage arrived at the rear gate of the Commandery Governor's residence. The two climbed down one after another and entered. Lan Ruoting was away handling official business. Only Shang Chaozong came personally to receive them. Shang Chaozong naturally wore a warm smile. Bai Yao, standing in one corner of the courtyard, watched from a distance.

Once they were seated inside the hall, Shang Chaozong personally served tea. Niu Youdao hurriedly stood and said he did not dare accept such courtesy.

The two sat again. Shang Chaozong asked, "Master Dao, have you come because there's something you need?"

Niu Youdao smiled. "About the warhorses. I'm preparing to go to Qi personally and have a look at the situation."

"I'm afraid it isn't very safe over there. Master Dao could remain here and direct matters from a distance. There's no need to personally take that risk." Shang Chaozong sounded genuinely worried, but when he noticed the difficult-to-read glance his sister cast toward him, guilt and embarrassment flickered across his face.

Niu Youdao said, "I know nothing about the people or affairs over there. How am I supposed to direct anything from here? Better to go and see for myself."

Shang Chaozong said, "I'll contact Tianyu Sect and have them send more experts to escort you."

Niu Youdao shook his head. "There's no need for an escort. I've already made arrangements of my own. But I do need Your Highness to speak with Tianyu Sect. If anything happens, have their people over there cooperate with me fully."

"Good!" Shang Chaozong nodded repeatedly. Then he asked, "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

At dusk beside the lake, the group of young men stood in orderly ranks, backs straight as spears. Yuan Gang came out of a wooden building beside the water. Yuan Feng, Niu Lin, Yuan Huo, and Niu Shan followed, carrying several large baskets between them.

Standing before the young men, Yuan Gang asked in a deep voice, "Everyone eaten your fill?"

"We have!" the group shouted in unison.

Yuan Gang tilted his head toward the people behind him. "Distribute the gear."

Yuan Feng immediately called out commands. The young men came forward one after another and received items from the four men: maps, copper coins, daggers, and bundles. Once everything had been distributed, they returned to their places.

Yuan Gang raised his voice. "One hundred copper coins per man. One dagger. One bundle. Inside the bundle is one day's dry rations and one change of clothes. That's your entire allotment for the next several months. Whether you eat your fill on the road will depend on your own ability. If you starve to death, you deserve it!"

"Everyone will move separately. Five men to a team, one map per team. The destination is marked on the map. Whether you walk, run, or use some other method is up to you. In any case, you must reach the destination within the appointed time. If you don't, no one will wait for you."

"Once you've prepared, go back and rest immediately. Get your strength up. After midnight tonight, you will depart secretly through the rear mountain on time. Is that clear?"

"Clear!" the group shouted back.

Yuan Gang remained expressionless, his face cold and hard. He turned and left alone. Yuan Feng, Niu Lin, Yuan Huo, and Niu Shan then divided everyone into teams and explained several points requiring attention.

Just as Yuan Gang had ordered, after midnight a crowd of shadows slipped into the rear mountain under cover of darkness. Without a sound, they disappeared deep into the forest. Yuan Gang was among them. He had set out before Niu Youdao.

The cultivators of the three sects hidden throughout the surrounding mountains had long grown accustomed to scenes like this and thought nothing of it. At daybreak, golden sunlight from the rising sun spread across the land. In one of Liuxian Sect's courtyards, five experts each from Liuxian Sect, Fuyun Sect, and Lingxiu Mountain had gathered.

Gongsun Bu arrived behind Niu Youdao. This time, Niu Youdao had specifically named him as someone who would accompany the journey. Five Wuliang Mountain disciples came with them as well, each carrying a birdcage containing a Goldenwing.

[End of Chapter 250]