Chapter 291: The Princess Reneges on Her Debt

"What nonsense are you talking?" Lady Pei could not help tugging Hao Qingqing back again.

It was not that she wished to deny the princess face in front of everyone. The problem was that this princess spoke far too recklessly.

Niu Youdao, however, stared at Hao Qingqing with a grin and pressed, "Princess, does your word count?"

"Of course it counts. I..." Hao Qingqing had not even finished before Lady Pei pulled her behind herself.

Lady Pei said, "Brother Niu, stop teasing her."

"Heh, it's fine, it's fine. She has never been very good at keeping her word. I'm used to it." Niu Youdao smiled and extended a hand in invitation. "The entrance isn't a place to talk. Everyone, please come inside."

"Who doesn't keep her word?" Hao Qingqing shouted in outrage.

No one paid her any attention. Niu Youdao led Lady Pei and the others inside while the two sides chatted as they walked.

"You know the princess's identity now?"

"The princess told me her real name long ago. If I'd reached this place and still couldn't work out who she was, I might as well smash my head against a wall."

Once they reached the main reception hall and both sides had introduced the people with them, Lady Pei and her companions plainly did not think much of Linghu Qiu, Feng Entai, and the others. They exchanged only a few polite words, then subtly hinted that those people should withdraw. They truly did have the standing to do so.

Anyone who could serve as an imperial palace protector naturally came from a sect with an extraordinary background. Such sects ranked among the major powers of the entire cultivation world. Tianyu Sect might count for something in the State of Yan, but over here it was nothing remarkable.

Even Linghu Qiu's supposedly extensive network depended on whom he was dealing with. The truly great sects would not put Linghu Qiu in their eyes at all.

Lady Pei and the others looked down on them and had no interest in forming connections with Linghu Qiu or Feng Entai. In their view, the men were not qualified to take part in the conversation. Affairs concerning a princess of the State of Qi were not something just anyone could sit and listen to.

Put more harshly, in Lady Pei's eyes, Linghu Qiu and Feng Entai were not even as worth talking to as Black Peony. Lady Pei actually exchanged a few smiling words with Black Peony. They were acquaintances, after all.

If Lady Pei and the others had not formed some friendship with Niu Youdao during the journey, and if Niu Youdao had not later displayed enough ability to make them think more highly of him, they might not even have been willing to meet him again after parting at Ice and Snow Pavilion, much less come to his door of their own accord. Linghu Qiu, Feng Entai, and the others understood the situation and voluntarily excused themselves.

Once the outsiders had left the reception hall, Niu Youdao gave Huyan Wei a couple of extra looks. He knew this man was close to Yuan Gang. Before today he had only heard about Huyan Wei, yet unexpectedly they had met so soon. Niu Youdao took the initiative to chat with him, wanting to get some sense of his character. Huyan Wei was somewhat cautious at first.

This was, after all, a man who had dared kill an envoy of the State of Yan, and Huyan Wei had personally witnessed the bloody scene at Flying Waterfall Terrace. He had assumed Niu Youdao would be difficult to deal with. Who would have expected Niu Youdao to be so easygoing, even taking the initiative to joke with him? Huyan Wei gradually relaxed.

"Brother Niu, I've admired your great name for a long time. Since you've come to the Qi capital, you have to give this brother a chance to play host properly," Huyan Wei invited enthusiastically once his mood rose.

"Easy enough!" Niu Youdao nodded in agreement.

Seeing the two men act more familiar on their first meeting than either was with her made Hao Qingqing unhappy. She especially could not stand seeing Huyan Wei swagger in front of her.

At last she broke in. "Huyan Wei, I'm standing right here. Since when did it become your turn to play host in the capital? Niu Youdao, don't listen to him. Apart from visiting brothels and taking you to filthy places like that, he doesn't know anywhere else to go."

Huyan Wei was about to flare up when Niu Youdao unexpectedly nodded again and again.

"Brothels are good. Brothels are good. I wonder what the women here are like. Brother Huyan, I hear there's a famous place in the capital called Among the White Clouds. Its reputation is enormous. Does the reality live up to the name?"

Smack!

Huyan Wei slapped his thigh and promised with shining eyes, "Brother Niu, don't worry. Among the White Clouds it is! I'll make the arrangements another day!"

Contempt immediately filled Hao Qingqing's face. Lady Pei held her teacup and said nothing. Listening to two men openly discuss visiting a brothel in front of them was hardly pleasant.

Black Peony, on the other hand, merely smiled faintly without speaking. She knew Niu Youdao was not that kind of man at all.

Niu Youdao immediately turned to Black Peony. "From now on, if Brother Huyan comes here, don't stop him. He may see me whenever he likes."

Black Peony smiled. "Yes. I'll remember."

Huyan Wei instantly beamed. He cared greatly about face. He would have to let his friends see that Niu Youdao, the man who had killed the envoy of the State of Yan, was his friend. That would be enormously impressive.

Come to think of it, that envoy the State of Yan had stationed in the State of Qi had even talked back to him the last time they met!

Hao Qingqing abruptly forced her way back into the conversation. "Niu Youdao, why didn't Yuan Gang come?"

"Princess!" Lady Pei immediately rebuked her.

With Huyan Wei present, she did not want Hao Qingqing bringing up Yuan Gang. At the same time, she shot Niu Youdao a meaningful look. Niu Youdao understood. Black Peony had already told him about Hao Qingqing confessing her feelings to Yuan Gang.

Whether Hao Qingqing's words had been sincere or not, Niu Youdao did not think the two were suitable for one another. First, Yuan Gang did not like women like her. Second, the disparity in their status was simply too great. Forcing them together would only harm Yuan Gang. Niu Youdao hoped this woman would stay farther away from him.

So he changed the subject. "Princess, speaking of that reminds me of something. Isn't it about time you paid back the money you owe me?"

Pfft!

Huyan Wei choked on his tea and coughed repeatedly. Looking up, he asked, "Brother Niu, she owes you money?"

Niu Youdao nodded.

Huyan Wei asked again, "How much?"

Hao Qingqing's face flushed red. She immediately roared at him, "Fur-faced scum, what the hell does it have to do with you?"

Niu Youdao said, "Not much. About two million gold coins."

That much still counted as not much? Huyan Wei stared at Hao Qingqing in disbelief, then raised his teacup again and snickered into it as though speaking to the cup.

"I've never seen that much money in my entire life. Owing someone that much... really makes you wonder who the scum is."

Hao Qingqing instantly snatched up the teacup from the side table and flung its contents straight at Huyan Wei's face. Heng Tianduan, who had remained silent nearby, swept out one broad sleeve. The flying tea abruptly changed direction in midair and splashed outside the doorway. Hao Qingqing did not dare lose her temper at Heng Tianduan.

Instead, she shouted at Niu Youdao, "Where did two million come from? You never took me inside Ice and Snow Pavilion. According to our wager, you lost. You owe me one million. Set the two debts against each other and neither of us owes the other anything!"

Back at Ice and Snow Pavilion, she had not understood the scale of the sum. By now, she had more or less figured out what two million gold coins actually meant.

Niu Youdao laughed. "Princess, you're reneging on your debt. You were the one who left early. How can you blame me for not taking you inside? Fine. Even if you repudiate one part of the wager, you still owe me one million, don't you?"

"How do I know whether you really could have taken me inside?"

"Princess, that's unreasonable. Have you forgotten? You even wrote me a debt note for two million. I was the one kind enough to return it to you."

The two began bickering back and forth. Hao Qingqing was furious. Niu Youdao merely teased her. Huyan Wei perked up and listened with complete seriousness, diligently collecting compromising material about Hao Qingqing for possible future use. Lady Pei did not take the matter seriously. Whether Niu Youdao was joking or not, there was no possibility the money would actually be given to him. Did he think money from the imperial clan of the State of Qi was so easy to swindle?

He had run all the way to the Qi capital to collect this debt. Niu Youdao himself would have to consider the consequences.

Old acquaintances had reunited and new ones had been made. The two sides did not talk for very long before Lady Pei proposed leaving and declined Niu Youdao's invitation to a meal. Niu Youdao personally escorted the group through the main gate. Before departing, Huyan Wei repeatedly said that he would come find him another day. Once the guests were gone and Niu Youdao returned inside, Linghu Qiu and Feng Entai immediately crowded over again.

"What about those warhorses the princess mentioned?" Feng Entai asked urgently.

Niu Youdao sighed. "She's a princess without actual authority. Do you really think she has the power to break the State of Qi's national policy and give us one hundred thousand warhorses?"

At first, even he had failed to react. He knew Hao Qingqing was not someone who habitually lied, and for a moment her casual declaration had nearly fooled him into taking it seriously. He had even started thinking about how he might make use of her. Fortunately, Lady Pei had secretly given him a hint, and only then had he come to his senses. Hao Qingqing had not been lying. She had simply been talking complete nonsense without using her brain.

"Uh..." Feng Entai was speechless.

Once he understood, regret filled his face. "She was joking?"

When it came to the warhorses, Feng Entai was actually the most anxious person among them. He had brought men to the State of Qi long ago, yet even now he still had nothing to report back to his sect.

Linghu Qiu had something else on his mind. "Little Brother, I heard you sent a group of men over and had them gang up on Xuan Zichun in public and kill her?"

He had remained at Niu Youdao's side and known nothing about what was happening elsewhere until returning to the residence and hearing the news from Flying Waterfall Terrace.

"What happened?" Feng Entai asked in astonishment.

The Tianyu Sect disciples under him had already heard, but no one had been in a hurry to tell him. They had all assumed that since he had been beside Niu Youdao, he must know.

"Mm." Niu Youdao merely nodded in acknowledgment, then walked away.

After Feng Entai learned the details from Linghu Qiu, he fell silent for a long time. At last, he shook his head and smiled bitterly... Along a tree-lined path beside a lake, a broad-shouldered, powerfully built man in white walked at an unhurried pace. White dragon patterns were embroidered across his white robes. His bearing was noble, as though he sat high among the clouds, and even without anger he carried natural authority. He was Hao Yuntu, emperor of the State of Qi.

Zuo Desong, now changed into formal dress, walked beside him and spoke. Hao Yuntu had suddenly remembered a matter concerning another state and summoned him on short notice. Once the official business was finished and Zuo Desong was preparing to withdraw, he suddenly smiled.

"Your Majesty, something rather interesting happened at my residence today."

Hao Yuntu said, "If it's interesting, let's hear it."

Zuo Desong said, "A man sent by Commandery Prince Yongping, Shang Chaozong of the State of Yan, came to my residence to pay his respects. During the conversation, he suddenly mentioned that the Grand Princess owes him two million gold coins. He even asked whether I could help inquire when the Grand Princess intended to repay him. I found it amusing and ignored the matter."

Hao Yuntu stopped walking. He vaguely remembered hearing before that his daughter had incurred some sort of debt.

After thinking briefly, he asked, "A man sent by Shang Jianbo's son? What's his name?"

Zuo Desong replied, "Niu Youdao. The same Niu Youdao who killed the envoy of the State of Yan."

"Oh." Hao Yuntu nodded and continued walking.

Zuo Desong studied his reaction but could not read anything from it. He then took his leave. Afterward, Hao Yuntu changed direction during his lakeside walk and returned to the rear palace, heading directly to the Empress's residence. When word of his arrival came, the Empress emerged to receive him.

After husband and wife exchanged a few casual words and sat down, Hao Yuntu asked, "Where's Qingqing?"

The Empress smiled. "She heard that Niu Youdao, the man who assassinated the Yan envoy, had arrived and was going to fight someone at Flying Waterfall Terrace north of the city. You know your daughter. She clamored to go watch the excitement and ran out first thing this morning."

Hearing the name Niu Youdao again so soon made Hao Yuntu's brows shift faintly.

Without revealing anything else, he said, "Have Third Madam Pei come see me."

[End of Chapter 291]