Chapter 304: Sacrificing Oneself for Others

Early the next morning, inside the imperial palace. After morning court, two ministers accompanied Hao Yuntu on a leisurely walk.

Sovereign and ministers talked as they went. Weeping willows lined the lakeshore, and sunlight glittered across the rippling water. Third Madam Pei stood beneath one of the willows with her hands folded before her. Seeing that His Majesty was discussing affairs with his ministers, she did not step forward to interrupt. Hao Yuntu merely cast her a sidelong glance and continued walking past. Third Madam Pei looked toward Bu Xun, Chief Steward of the Inner Palace, who followed behind. She gave him a slight nod.

Bu Xun slowed as he reached her. Third Madam Pei leaned close and murmured into his ear for a while. Bu Xun frowned, then beckoned with one hand. Third Madam Pei therefore fell in beside him, following the sovereign and ministers walking ahead.

Only after the discussion ended and the two ministers cupped their hands and withdrew did Bu Xun step forward and report the matter to Hao Yuntu. Then he gestured for Third Madam Pei to approach. After paying her respects, Third Madam Pei recounted everything from her meeting with Niu Youdao the previous night. When she finished, Hao Yuntu looked toward Bu Xun. His brows lifted and his eyes brightened. Not only was he not angry, he looked as though he found the whole affair interesting.

Bu Xun smiled obsequiously, bowed slightly, and said, "What enormous dog guts!"

Hao Yuntu gave a cold snort and chuckled.

"A mere cultivator dares threaten me to my face!"

Third Madam Pei lowered her head slightly and said nothing. She was only reporting the facts exactly as they were. She offered no suggestion of her own.

"Agree to it. Tell him I grant permission!" Hao Yuntu said with a sidelong glance.

Then he turned and walked away. Bu Xun gave Third Madam Pei a look that was not quite a smile, then turned and followed the emperor... Niu Youdao followed Feng Entai into his courtyard. The smell of freshly turned earth was obvious.

Several rooms were piled with soil, and inside the courtyard walls another thick ridge of earth had been heaped high enough to nearly reach the top of the wall.

A row of Tianyu Sect disciples stood beneath the eaves, all watching as Feng Entai led Niu Youdao inside. Overall, the courtyard had still been cleaned fairly thoroughly. Feng Entai brought Niu Youdao to the well and pointed downward.

"The entrance is inside."

Niu Youdao leaned over and looked. The well water was muddy. A hole had been opened in the wall of the shaft. Feng Entai went down first and entered the tunnel. Niu Youdao followed. Black Peony remained outside the well.

The tunnel mouth was only wide enough for a single person, and the passage beyond was the same, allowing just one person through at a time. It was somewhat damp. Feng Entai released a Moon Butterfly and led the way. At last he stopped at the end of the passage, roughly a hundred zhang away. The end was slightly wider, enough for two or three people to stand. When Niu Youdao caught up, Feng Entai pointed overhead. Niu Youdao looked up.

A stone slab could be seen at the pointed ceiling above.

"Directly over us is the storeroom in that neighboring residence."

"To avoid alerting the snake by striking the grass, we didn't break through the final layer."

"When Little Brother needs it, punching through will be easy."

Niu Youdao silently calculated the underground route. He was an expert at judging the position of underground passages. After considering it briefly, he more or less determined where they were and judged that Feng Entai's words should be accurate. He nodded.

"Thank you for the trouble. Let's head back."

On the return trip, Feng Entai apologized.

"The passage is rather narrow. We didn't dare make much noise while digging, so we had to work carefully. That slowed us down."

"Little Brother wanted it finished before noon, so for the moment we could only make something crude."

Niu Youdao said, "It's fine. This is only a temporary passage. There's no need to make it elaborate."

The two emerged from the tunnel and flashed out of the well.

Niu Youdao then said to Feng Entai, "Eldest Brother, you should leave."

"Pack your things and depart as quickly as possible."

Feng Entai stared at him. His expression was extremely complicated. The other man was sacrificing himself to bear Tianyu Sect's responsibility. For a time, Feng Entai did not know what to say. Finally he cupped his hands and bowed deeply.

"A sect's command is truly difficult to defy. Brother, this time your old brother has wronged you!"

He still did not know that Niu Youdao had asked Third Madam Pei to persuade the emperor to show mercy.

The Tianyu Sect disciples who had dug the tunnel now more or less understood what was happening as well. Seeing Feng Entai bow, one disciple after another cupped his hands and bowed toward Niu Youdao. In the end, every Tianyu Sect disciple present was bowing. Niu Youdao reached out with both hands and helped Feng Entai upright.

"Eldest Brother, no need for this."

"If I manage to pick up my life again this time, remember that you owe me the favor."

"Pack up and go."

There were no elaborate words of false sentiment. Niu Youdao simply turned and left with Black Peony. Feng Entai watched him depart, then looked at the row of Tianyu Sect disciples standing beneath the eaves.

He sighed softly...

Back in his own courtyard, Niu Youdao looked up at the sun. It was already nearing the zenith. Third Madam Pei still had not appeared. His mood grew heavier. He entered the hall, stopped, and turned toward Black Peony.

"Pack immediately."

"Call Gongsun Bu and the people from the three sects as well."

"Withdraw together with Tianyu Sect at once."

Black Peony said anxiously, "Master Dao, let Duan Hu and me stay with you! You should at least keep two people beside you to handle errands."

Leaving all other considerations aside, she genuinely did not want anything to happen to Niu Youdao. As long as Niu Youdao remained, whether the three of them were independent cultivators or not hardly mattered.

If Niu Youdao disappeared, the three of them might very well be beaten back to their original state and once again become independent cultivators with no one to rely on. The three sects could barely protect themselves. Would they take in three outsiders?

Tianyu Sect had no shortage of cultivators either and had no reason to let Shang Chaozong keep outsiders beside him. They were not Niu Youdao. Shang Chaozong would not fight Tianyu Sect to the end on their behalf. Before matters truly reached this point, they might still have felt fairly secure.

But now, standing at what felt like the brink of life and death and separation, Black Peony suddenly realized they were only one step away from returning to the circumstances they had once faced outside Inviting Moon Inn, watching others helplessly and begging for a way forward. There was an even greater problem. By now, many people knew they belonged to Niu Youdao, including his enemies.

If they were truly beaten back to their former state, they might not even enjoy the freedom they once had. Some roads, once taken, were very difficult to turn back from.

Niu Youdao might outwardly look like an independent cultivator too, and he had certainly done well enough for himself to serve as an example. But there were some things one simply had to admit. When trouble came, the difference in ability between one person and another could be enormous. Many things looked simple.

Sometimes it seemed as though the entire mystery was separated by nothing more than a thin layer of window paper. Once someone pierced that layer, the reasoning sounded simple enough.

Yet the difference between people represented by that single layer of paper could be as vast as Heaven and earth. It could even decide a person's fate.

The three of them could not even balance their relations with Shang Chaozong, the three sects, and Tianyu Sect in Qingshan Commandery. Anything beyond that was even farther outside their ability. Niu Youdao's eyes turned cold.

"I'm not reasoning with you right now. I'm giving you an order to carry out!"

Black Peony said, "Master Dao, haven't you already asked Third Madam Pei to speak with Hao Yuntu?"

"Wait a little longer."

"Wait for Third Madam Pei to come."

"If she still hasn't appeared by nightfall, it won't be too late for us to leave then!"

Niu Youdao said, "Do you think Hao Yuntu cares whether I live or die?"

"We had never dealt with the emperor of the State of Qi before, yet he suddenly made a move against us. With no idea what was happening, he caught us completely unprepared and made us suffer a loss without even understanding why."

"If we still don't learn from that, then we'd truly be courting death!"

"A man who doesn't care whether I live or die."

"A man sitting high above me who can take my life with a single sentence."

"Do you really think he can tolerate being threatened by me?"

"Once I no longer have value to use, he may not let me go!"

Black Peony was startled. "If Master Dao knows that, why did you still seek out Third Madam Pei?"

Niu Youdao said, "No matter which way I turn, I'm trapped."

"At present, I still don't understand Hao Yuntu well enough. I can only try everything available and hold on to one thread of hope."

"But I can't place all my hopes on Hao Yuntu."

"I need preparations on both fronts!"

"If he truly raises his hand and lets me go, naturally that's best."

"If he refuses, then the only possible result is that he and I become enemies!"

At that, he smiled slightly. He reached out, pinched Black Peony's chin, and teased her.

"Don't worry. I don't die that easily."

"If I make it back to Qingshan Commandery safely this time, I'll give you a grand gift afterward!"

"Master Dao..."

Black Peony had barely begun to speak when Niu Youdao moved his finger upward and pressed it against her lips. With his other hand on her shoulder, he turned her toward the doorway. His body came almost against her back as he breathed softly beside her ear.

"Protecting all of you is because I still have things I need you to do later."

"Be obedient. Don't make me angry."

"Go."

"Don't look back!"

"Once I'm no longer beside you, whether you can reach the western coast will depend on yourselves."

"Tell Feng Entai not to waste time dawdling."

"Go!"

His palm then gave her backside another light slap before he pushed her gently away. Black Peony bit her lip in silence and walked toward the door one difficult step at a time.

When she gathered the others and prepared to withdraw, they encountered Feng Entai coming to say farewell outside the courtyard. Linghu Qiu followed behind with his hands clasped behind his back. Seeing Black Peony and the entire group, the two naturally asked what was happening. When they learned Black Peony and the others were withdrawing as well, both were surprised.

"Eldest Master, Master Dao said we are to leave immediately!" Black Peony reached out and stopped Feng Entai when he tried to go in and demand an explanation.

In the end, only Linghu Qiu hurried into Niu Youdao's courtyard.

He found Niu Youdao sitting alone inside and urgently asked, "What's going on? Why have all your people left? Did Hao Yuntu refuse?"

"No. Third Madam Pei still hasn't sent any news."

"Then what do you mean by making them leave?"

Linghu Qiu could hardly avoid worrying. If there truly was a problem, he certainly had no intention of staying beside Niu Youdao and dying with him. He would run too. This cheaply acquired sworn brother could be abandoned if necessary. Niu Youdao picked up the teapot and poured him tea.

"I only had them leave first. I didn't tell them to abandon everything."

"We can't all remain trapped here."

"I'm having them leave this place first because I have other arrangements. If something happens, they can respond from outside."

"Little Brother, don't fool me!"

"Second Brother, listen to yourself."

"Do you think I'm tired of living?"

"Do you really think I'm so noble that I'd sacrifice myself for everyone else?"

Hearing that, Linghu Qiu thought about it and decided the words made sense. Somewhat reassured, he slowly sat down beside Niu Youdao, picked up the tea, and drank. His face still showed signs of careful thought.

"Second Brother, look at me now. I don't even have anyone left to wait on me."

"You, on the other hand, have two women beside you."

"How about giving me either Hongxiu or Hongfu?"

"Don't start thinking crooked thoughts about them."

"Don't you understand that a friend's woman is untouchable?"

"Besides, they're your brother's women!"

"Listen to yourself. Am I that kind of man?"

"Heh. Have you tried to get ideas about them only once or twice?"

"How many times during the journey did you try to have them spend the night with you? Count them yourself."

"With things like this, what crooked thoughts could I still have? I only want someone to handle errands."

"I can lend you one..."

"Not give you one. Temporarily let one help you."

"But I'm warning you—don't act recklessly, or don't blame me for turning against you!"

[End of Chapter 304]