Chapter 306: The Arrogant One

"In that case..." Niu Youdao murmured thoughtfully.

"What?" Linghu Qiu asked.

Niu Youdao explained, "I mean that if the forces behind them aren't very large, no single faction will be able to swallow a quota of one hundred thousand warhorses. Looks like the permits will need to be auctioned separately."

Linghu Qiu said, "There's no need for you to worry about that. Let's see how the emperor arranges things."

There was nothing else to do, and neither man could settle his mind enough to cultivate, so they idly discussed the matter back and forth. By evening, Hongfu had prepared food and wine. After they finished eating, darkness had fallen.

Niu Youdao had Hongfu bring him some paste. He also found several sheets of yellowed paper in the study, took down a lantern from beneath the eaves, and pasted the yellow paper over it. When the lantern was lit, it gave off a hazy yellow glow.

"Hang it at the very top of that tree. Make sure people on the street outside can see it." Niu Youdao pointed toward the tallest tree in the front courtyard and handed the lantern to Hongfu.

Hongfu carried it away and did as instructed.

Standing shoulder to shoulder beneath the eaves, Linghu Qiu asked, "Little Brother, you're sending someone a signal, aren't you?"

"Mm." Niu Youdao said, "Black Peony and the others."

Linghu Qiu looked surprised. "Didn't they leave?"

"They have other arrangements." Niu Youdao gave only a vague answer.

In truth, the signal was for Yuan Gang. If Third Madam Pei had not come today, Niu Youdao would have hung a white lantern, meaning the operation could begin. The yellow lantern meant to suspend the operation for now. He would have preferred to meet Yuan Gang in person, but that was unrealistic at present. Too many people were watching. If Yuan Gang were exposed, Niu Youdao would be placing him in danger.

Sending Black Peony and the others away in advance was also, to some extent, a way of protecting Yuan Gang. If the Qi capital went up in flames, suspicion might fall on Niu Youdao. Naturally, the first people suspected would be his own subordinates. Black Peony and the others, who had disappeared, would become the primary suspects.

As long as that bought Yuan Gang enough time, Niu Youdao trusted that he could erase the traces around himself and protect his own position.

The mountains rose high beneath the night sky, and the stars overhead seemed so close that one could reach out and pluck them down. On one side of the mountain lay the myriad lights of the capital. On the other stretched the grasslands beneath a sky full of stars. A light breeze drifted past.

A man dressed in red stood with his hands clasped behind his back at the edge of a cliff, gazing toward the lights of the capital shining beneath the stars. He was handsome and elegant, with a faint aloof pride in his eyes. And he had reason for that pride. His name was Kunlin Shu.

He was one of the outstanding disciples of Tianhuo Sect's younger generation, and among the disciples of his age, no one surpassed him. A beautiful woman in a red dress came flying lightly through the night and descended beside him. Her figure was graceful and charming.

Bright eyes flickered as she looked at Kunlin Shu and asked softly, "Senior Brother, what are you thinking about?"

She was Nie Yunshang, known as the Fire Phoenix. Like Kunlin Shu, she was an outstanding disciple of Tianhuo Sect's younger generation. The two were betrothed and were already regarded as husband and wife in waiting. Kunlin Shu turned and gave her a faint smile, then looked back toward the illuminated capital.

"I hear Niu Youdao is still only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Who do you think is stronger, him or me?"

Fire Phoenix smiled.

"A man with an undeserved reputation—how could he compare with Senior Brother?"

"Both of us are already close to breaking through into the Golden Core Realm. How could he be your equal?"

Kunlin Shu asked, "Then among the elders of our sect, how many do you think could defeat Zhuo Chao?"

Fire Phoenix answered proudly, "As for that so-called Golden Core Ranking, how many disciples from sects that hold seats in Misty Pavilion have you ever seen put their names on it?"

"They simply disdain to do so."

"How could people like Zhuo Chao compare with them?"

"Naturally, countless people in Tianhuo Sect could defeat Zhuo Chao."

Kunlin Shu said, "Then if I challenged Niu Youdao, do you think I could win?"

"..."

Fire Phoenix froze.

Then she hurriedly warned him, "Senior Brother, don't do anything reckless."

"The emperor intends to use Niu Youdao to clean up the foul mess around the capital. That's beneficial to Tianhuo Sect as well."

"There are too many miscellaneous outsiders here, and they've tied up far too much of our sect's attention."

"If you ruin the affair, offending the emperor would be secondary. It would be much worse if Master and the others became unhappy."

Kunlin Shu said, "Naturally I know that."

"I only want to see the Niu Youdao who killed Zhuo Chao."

"I went to Flying Waterfall Terrace too, but I never saw him."

"I hope Heavenly Mirror Lake tomorrow doesn't disappoint me again."

"Senior Brother..."

Before Fire Phoenix could finish, Kunlin Shu raised a hand and stopped her.

"I'm only going to look."

"Master also told me to keep an eye on tomorrow's auction. If anything happens, I can report it to the sect immediately."

Fire Phoenix fell silent briefly, then said, "Senior Brother, take me with you tomorrow."

Kunlin Shu turned. He looked at her and smiled, then slowly reached out and took her delicate hand. Fire Phoenix leaned gently against him, resting her head on his shoulder. A trace of longing showed on her face.

"We still have to wait more than half a year."

Kunlin Shu knew she was referring to their wedding date. His own mind, however, kept returning to something that had happened while he was on duty in the imperial palace that day. The emperor had happened to pass by and encountered him. His Majesty had asked how strong Niu Youdao, the man who killed Zhuo Chao, was.

Kunlin Shu had answered that he had never seen the man and did not know, so it was difficult to judge.

The emperor then asked, "Compared with you?"

Kunlin Shu had answered that they had never fought, so he did not know.

The emperor asked again, "And how do you compare with Zhuo Chao?"

At that, Kunlin Shu had fallen silent. He had never met Zhuo Chao and had never fought him. Tianhuo Sect might not put Zhuo Chao in its eyes, but a first-rate expert on the Golden Core Ranking was no joke. Anyone who reached that level unquestionably possessed real ability.

Kunlin Shu did not dare claim casually that he could defeat Zhuo Chao, especially when the difference in their cultivation realms was obvious. Seeing him remain silent, the emperor had turned to leave. Before departing, however, Hao Yuntu had sighed.

"I hear Zhuo Chao was a first-rate expert on the Golden Core Ranking, yet even he was no match for Niu Youdao."

"Among cultivators of the same generation, I imagine no one is Niu Youdao's equal."

"Wouldn't it be splendid if such a man could serve me?"

He had heard Niu Youdao was very young. Kunlin Shu himself should have been more than ten years older. He did not know whether the two of them truly counted as men of the same generation. But the emperor's words had made him deeply uncomfortable... Third Madam Pei had said people from Daqiu Sect would come for Niu Youdao early in the morning. Sure enough, they arrived very early.

More than a dozen cultivators reined in their horses outside the alley, making no attempt to enter. Third Madam Pei dismounted alone, walked through the alley and into the residence, and before long came back out with Niu Youdao and the others.

Once they reached the mouth of the alley, Niu Youdao cupped his hands toward the Daqiu Sect disciples in greeting. No one responded. They merely looked at him coldly from the corners of their eyes. His warm greeting met utter silence, leaving Niu Youdao rather awkward. Fortunately, he did not care much about such things. Otherwise it would have been difficult to preserve his face. He understood the situation clearly enough.

If not for this affair, what qualifications would he have to make Daqiu Sect personally come escort him? Third Madam Pei pointed out a horse for Niu Youdao. There was another riderless horse for Linghu Qiu. It seemed they had guessed Linghu Qiu would follow. After all, they now knew the two were sworn brothers. Only two spare horses had been prepared, however. None were provided for Hongxiu or Hongfu.

"Let's go!" called the man leading the Daqiu Sect group from horseback.

He was already urging his mount forward.

"You two don't need to come. Stay here," Linghu Qiu instructed Hongxiu and Hongfu.

Then he and Niu Youdao mounted and rode after the others. Everyone watched them depart. With Daqiu Sect personally appearing to escort Niu Youdao, the many unidentified cultivators scattered around the surrounding streets and alleys looked at one another. No one dared act rashly. There were too many people inside the city for galloping horses. Once the group left the gates, however, they urged their mounts into a run and headed north. All along the road, it seemed as though eyes were watching them...

Inside a hall of the imperial palace, Hao Yuntu sat behind a desk handling state affairs, reading and marking documents with focused attention. Bu Xun, Chief Steward of the Inner Palace, hurried in from outside. After saluting, he moved around beside the desk, bent close to Hao Yuntu's ear, and reported quietly.

"Your Majesty, a message just arrived. Daqiu Sect has already escorted Niu Youdao out."

"Kunlin Shu has also reached Moon Island."

Hao Yuntu lifted his eyes slightly and glanced toward the light outside the hall. Then he gave a cold snort.

"Someone so proud of himself could hardly endure being provoked. I knew he would go."

Bu Xun said, "Your Majesty, is it entirely appropriate to make use of someone from Tianhuo Sect?"

"Afterward, we could simply release word that Niu Youdao designed this auction to protect himself. The sects that suffer losses will naturally seek him out to settle the account."

Hao Yuntu said, "Is a mere cultivator worth having me bear a reputation for tearing down the bridge after crossing the river?"

"This Niu Youdao does appear to have some ability. If possible, avoid becoming his enemy directly."

"If a conflict can be shifted elsewhere, shift it."

"No one knows what the future may bring. Problems that can be resolved today should not be dragged into tomorrow."

"That Kunlin Shu is proud, arrogant, and conceited. He looks down on everyone."

"He even dared strike one of my sons. He doesn't put me in his eyes at all."

"He won't tell his sect about these things."

"And Niu Youdao has long enjoyed a great reputation."

"Whether that fame is hollow or deserved, there is nothing inappropriate about letting Kunlin Shu test him."

With that, Hao Yuntu lowered his head again and returned to the documents on his desk.

"Yes." Bu Xun bent slightly in acknowledgment.

He understood His Majesty's intention now. One had dared strike an imperial prince. The other had dared make sport of an imperial princess. The emperor was deliberately setting the two dogs at each other's throats.

If Kunlin Shu lost, then even if he did not die, his reputation would be swept into the dirt.

If Niu Youdao won, Tianhuo Sect would be unable to swallow the humiliation and would inevitably turn against him... Fifty li north of the capital, a vast expanse of glittering water gradually came into view. Seen from afar, the lake looked almost like a boundless sea, yet far calmer. The water was a deep blue, truly resembling an enormous mirror reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. That was the origin of the name Heavenly Mirror Lake.

The riders reined in their horses at the lakeshore. Then one after another they sprang into the air and skimmed over the water toward the depths of the lake. Only when no trace of land remained visible around them did an island appear ahead. The group soon descended onto it. The island curved like a crescent moon and was densely wooded. A manor complex had been built there, making it an excellent place for quiet recuperation. Normally the island was peaceful and rarely visited.

Today it was packed with people. At least several thousand seemed to have gathered there. People of every description stared as Niu Youdao's group arrived. Each wore a false face, concealing his true appearance. There was no unnecessary talk. The Daqiu Sect cultivators led Niu Youdao directly to a cliff on the island. Several people were already waiting inside a pavilion complex there. Two were wrapped in black cloaks. There were also a man and woman dressed in red.

The man wore red robes, the woman a red dress. They were Kunlin Shu and Fire Phoenix.

Linghu Qiu leaned toward Niu Youdao and murmured, "The ones in black cloaks should be from Xuanbing Sect. The ones in red should be from Tianhuo Sect."

After the group entered the pavilion, Kunlin Shu suddenly fixed his gaze on Niu Youdao.

"You're Niu Youdao?"

There was unmistakable condescension in his manner as he spoke.

[End of Chapter 306]