Chapter 316: Chief Steward of the Inner Palace

After finally guiding the conversation this far, how could Linghu Qiu simply stop? Niu Youdao's words left him deeply frustrated, but he was unwilling to give up.

"Something capable of attracting Zhao Xiongge's attention, and you're not even curious?"

Niu Youdao shook his head.

"I was confined for years. That experience... Peach Blossom Spring was practically a nightmare for me."

"The past is painful enough without looking back."

"Second Brother, I truly don't want to think any more about Peach Blossom Spring."

"Ah, I wonder how Old Feng is doing now. I don't know whether Tianyu Sect managed to get rid of those things in time. If they didn't, Old Feng may be in danger."

Linghu Qiu nearly choked to death on the words.

That one mention of "Old Feng" completely blocked him from pursuing the subject.

The reason was simple. No matter what else could be said, Feng Entai was now their sworn brother. If Linghu Qiu ignored whether his sworn brother lived or died while obsessing over the belongings of a man who had been dead for years, would that look appropriate? What he did not know was that Niu Youdao was deliberately keeping him dangling. Linghu Qiu's constant companionship throughout the journey had already made Niu Youdao suspicious.

At Boundless Pavilion, someone had deliberately lured Linghu Qiu away before making a move against Niu Youdao. Afterward, Linghu Qiu had remained beside him all the way here, and Xiaoyue Pavilion had almost entirely stopped attacking him. Had Xiaoyue Pavilion suddenly become that kindhearted? Most people would never bother calculating around such details. A man like Niu Youdao could hardly fail to become alert.

For someone with a problem to remain beside a man like him for this long without drawing his sharp notice was almost impossible. By now, Niu Youdao had already guessed seventy or eighty percent of Linghu Qiu's background and identity.

Earlier, he had only suspected Linghu Qiu was here because of the bronze mirror connected to Dong Guo Haoran. The reason was simple.

Of everything Niu Youdao knew that involved Dong Guo Haoran, the only truly important matter was that bronze mirror.

Apart from that, he could not think of anything connected to Dong Guo Haoran that would be worth Linghu Qiu plotting for.

Combining that with certain rumors he had heard, Niu Youdao had long suspected that the bronze mirror might be the legendary Shang Mirror. The difficulty was that this did not quite match the stories. The Shang Mirror was supposedly foremost among the Eight State-Protecting Divine Artifacts. Yet the bronze mirror Niu Youdao had deciphered seemed merely to be an object recording a cultivation art. That did not sound much like a so-called divine artifact.

If it truly was the Shang Mirror, then it should have passed through other people's hands and remained with them for many years in earlier times. Had no one ever deciphered what it contained? Or did the Shang Mirror possess some other use Niu Youdao had not yet discovered? Was Linghu Qiu truly here for that object? Only now, after Linghu Qiu's probing questions, had Niu Youdao finally confirmed it.

There was an eighty or ninety percent chance the bronze mirror was exactly what Linghu Qiu wanted. For most people, realizing such a danger was beside them would mean finding some way to shake it off. Niu Youdao did the opposite. He intended to keep Linghu Qiu at his side and keep him dangling so he would not leave.

Niu Youdao understood very clearly that once Linghu Qiu figured out the truth, he would certainly find some opportunity or excuse to depart. He might even kill Niu Youdao first. Had Xiaoyue Pavilion not already tried to kill him? Now Niu Youdao had deliberately introduced this vague, uncertain Zhao Xiongge into the matter. Anyone wanting to verify the story could not avoid dealing with Zhao Xiongge. And Zhao Xiongge was no Zhuo Chao.

Niu Youdao did not believe Xiaoyue Pavilion would dare act recklessly against one of the foremost experts below the Nascent Soul Realm without first confirming the truth.

Even if Xiaoyue Pavilion possessed enormous power, Niu Youdao doubted it would directly move against Zhao Xiongge before determining whether he was truly the target. Nor was Niu Youdao worried Zhao Xiongge might be alerted and come confront him. From beginning to end, Niu Youdao had never said or admitted that the mysterious man was Zhao Xiongge. His only concern now was that no one else remained at his side. Food and daily necessities were being handled by Linghu Qiu's people.

Niu Youdao had to guard against the possibility of Linghu Qiu secretly striking from the shadows, then taking him captive and forcing the truth from his mouth.

Yet Niu Youdao had long since grown accustomed to a life spent licking blood from the edge of a blade. He always faced danger head-on.

Even knowing Linghu Qiu might one day strike him a fatal blow, he continued to dance with the wolf and work beside the wolf.

Until he was truly out of danger and safely back in Qingshan Commandery, he would not lightly allow Linghu Qiu to leave his side.

Just as he had once told Black Peony, once Linghu Qiu boarded his boat, he should not expect to get off easily.

In truth, by following Niu Youdao around and repeatedly showing his face beside him, Linghu Qiu was already becoming entangled in Niu Youdao's affairs. That too was part of Niu Youdao's gradual design. Hot tofu cannot be eaten in haste. Take it slowly. One day, Linghu Qiu would be trapped too deeply to pull himself free.

Linghu Qiu said gloomily, "Old Feng isn't a fool. We've already explained everything clearly to him. He should know what to do. There shouldn't be any great danger."

Even as he spoke, his mind kept turning over ways to guide the conversation back. At that exact moment, Hongxiu came walking quickly over with a token presented in both hands.

"Master Dao, Bu Xun, Chief Steward of the Inner Palace, has arrived. He's outside and asks to see you."

"Bu Xun?" Linghu Qiu exclaimed in surprise.

He immediately reached out, took the token, and examined it.

Niu Youdao looked puzzled. "Chief Steward of the Inner Palace? Which Chief Steward?"

Linghu Qiu turned the token over in his hands and said heavily, "The senior eunuch beside Hao Yuntu, emperor of the State of Qi."

"He oversees all affairs within the imperial palace. You could call him Hao Yuntu's household steward, and he is also Hao Yuntu's most trusted confidant."

"Rumor says he also commands the Office of Investigation, the State of Qi's largest intelligence organization."

"He may not hold military or civil authority directly, but his power is anything but ordinary."

"Rumor also says he's a cultivator."

"No one knows how deep his cultivation is."

"According to the stories, everyone who ever learned the depth of his cultivation is dead."

Niu Youdao looked somewhat surprised.

He asked Hongxiu, "Are you certain it's really him? Could someone be impersonating him?"

Hongxiu said, "He lives deep inside the imperial palace, so I've never seen him before."

"But Third Madam Pei is accompanying him, and she treats him with obvious respect."

Linghu Qiu passed the token over.

"I've never seen a token like this, so I don't know whether it proves his identity."

"But the workmanship is exquisite, almost beyond human craftsmanship. It would be extremely difficult to counterfeit and certainly impossible to reproduce in a short time."

Niu Youdao accepted the token and examined it. It possessed an imposing quality. No matter how skilled a counterfeiter might be, reproducing the spirit and bearing of such an object would indeed be extremely difficult. If nothing else, the dragon on the token alone was extraordinary. It soared amid clouds, and its eyes seemed almost alive.

No matter what angle one looked from, those eyes appeared to be staring back with stern majesty, exerting a faint sense of oppression and awe. Niu Youdao was still puzzled.

"Bu Xun? The dignified Chief Steward of the Inner Palace of the State of Qi has personally come to see me?"

"What does he want?"

Hongxiu interjected, "Could he be here to settle accounts with Master Dao?"

Linghu Qiu snorted.

"If he wanted to settle accounts with us, would he need to grace us with his presence personally?"

"Let's go receive him." Niu Youdao rose with a wave of his hand.

He wanted to see exactly what game the other side was playing. Just as Linghu Qiu had said, if Bu Xun intended to deal with him, there was no need for the Chief Steward of the Inner Palace to come personally. Along the way, Hongxiu noticed a faintly reproachful look in Linghu Qiu's eyes and was secretly puzzled. She had no idea what she had done wrong. In truth, she had done nothing wrong.

She had simply arrived with the report at exactly the wrong moment and ruined Linghu Qiu's business. He had finally found an opening in the conversation and had just reached the crucial point. Now everything had been interrupted.

Trying to return to the same topic afterward would be far too abrupt and could easily arouse Niu Youdao's suspicion. There was nothing Linghu Qiu could do about it.

Bu Xun had personally come to the door. Could Linghu Qiu really make him wait outside until he finished slowly asking every question he wanted? The group reached the main gate. Outside stood an entirely ordinary carriage. But men were obviously keeping watch at both ends of the alley. The alley entrances had already been sealed, preventing outsiders from seeing what was happening inside.

"Elder Sister Pei." Niu Youdao had barely cupped his hands in greeting toward Third Madam Pei when the curtain of the carriage lifted.

Bu Xun emerged, descended from the carriage, and looked Niu Youdao up and down.

"You're Niu Youdao?"

Third Madam Pei gave Niu Youdao a slight nod, indicating that this was indeed the man himself. Niu Youdao rapidly studied the visitor as well. He was a white-haired old man, slightly plump, plainly dressed, with a smile on his face. Yet beneath that smile was a restrained air of lofty dignity. Niu Youdao cupped his hands.

"I am. Niu Youdao greets the Chief Steward!"

"Young and accomplished indeed." Bu Xun nodded with a faint look of approval.

Then, without waiting for the owner to invite him, he turned and walked straight up the steps. He carried an entirely different kind of presence. Several men at either side immediately flashed ahead into the residence to clear the way. The escort led Bu Xun directly to the main hall, which actually saved Niu Youdao some thought. There was no possibility he could receive a guest in the courtyard piled high with excavated earth. Would that not expose the tunnel?

The moment they entered the main hall, the guards immediately extended their arms and stopped Linghu Qiu, Hongxiu, and the others. Only Bu Xun and Niu Youdao were allowed inside. The others were not merely stopped. They were driven farther away and made to wait in the courtyard. Even Third Madam Pei was not allowed near the hall. She showed no temper at all and obediently complied. Inside, Niu Youdao glanced back at the situation outside.

Bu Xun strolled around, leisurely examining the furnishings of the hall. Then he walked to the seat of honor, swept one sleeve across the chair, turned, and sat down. He gestured toward Niu Youdao.

"No need for ceremony. Sit."

His manner made it seem as though he were the master of the residence.

Niu Youdao sat as instructed and asked, "May I ask what instructions bring the Chief Steward here personally?"

Bu Xun studied him and suddenly asked, "I heard that when Kunlin Shu provoked you, you bowed and scraped like a petty man."

"Why, now that you've met me, are you neither servile nor overbearing?"

"Do you think a palace servant like me is inferior to those disciples of famous sects?"

Niu Youdao answered, "Those so-called disciples of famous sects had only the outward appearance of gentlemen. In truth, they were arrogant, overbearing petty men."

"If you treat a petty man according to the Dao of a gentleman, he won't understand it. So I could only return the courtesy appropriate to a petty man."

"The Chief Steward is a gentleman and a man who understands."

"Naturally I should meet you openly and properly, without false sentiment or empty pretense."

"What a fine phrase, 'without false sentiment or empty pretense.' You certainly know how to speak."

Bu Xun laughed.

"Looks like Commandery Prince Yongping had his reasons for sending you here."

Then a trace of regret appeared on his face.

"What a promising piece of material."

"I've always wanted to find a good disciple to succeed me."

"Would you be interested?"

"What I can give you, Shang Chaozong cannot."

Succeed you?

Niu Youdao broke into a faint cold sweat. Gooseflesh nearly rose over his entire body.

He replied, "I couldn't do it. I can't bear that kind of restraint."

"But I do have someone suitable I could recommend to the Chief Steward."

"I simply don't know whether the Chief Steward would be able to recruit him."

Bu Xun seemed genuinely interested in the suggestion.

"Oh? Someone worthy of such praise from you?"

"Tell me who he is."

Niu Youdao said, "Beizhou in the State of Yan. Shao Dengyun's son."

"Shao Pingbo!"

[End of Chapter 316]