Chapter 354: Her Fated King

Prestige was something born from the influence created by concrete deeds. The warhorses before them were the clearest example. Once Black Peony invoked Niu Youdao's name, the three elders exchanged glances and found it difficult to say anything more. Their sects had indeed instructed them to obey Niu Youdao's deployment. That said, the three sects respected Niu Youdao's influence. Black Peony herself was another matter. They did not regard her very highly.

They knew her background perfectly well: merely an independent cultivator who had once begged for a living in Star-Plucking City. Had she not followed Niu Youdao, she would not even have possessed the qualifications to stand before them.

For someone like that to threaten them publicly without giving them face naturally left the people of the three sects uncomfortable.

"Kill? Who exactly can you kill?" Wu Shaohuan warned her. "Black Peony, if this really is Niu Youdao's order, then naturally we have nothing to say. But we've lost all contact with the outside world. Every word is coming from your mouth. We don't even know whether this is truly Niu Youdao's intention. You'd better not issue commands however you please!"

He knew perfectly well that she was unlikely to be lying. But with disciples from his own sect watching, he still needed to recover a little face. Gongsun Bu hurriedly stepped in.

"Elder Wu, the messages are transmitted through my side. I can confirm that this truly is Master Dao's order."

Black Peony was angry inside, but she still spoke courteously.

"Everyone sees the warhorses before us, but none of us knows how much effort Master Dao has put in outside. Getting warhorses out of the State of Qi is not something easily accomplished. Who knows what dangers Master Dao has gone through? We simply weren't there to see them. If he gave this order, he naturally has his reasons. Things have already reached this point. None of us wants another accident, and I absolutely refuse to let Master Dao's painstaking work fail at the final step. If anything I said was unpleasant to hear, please forgive me. For now, let's follow Master Dao's instructions and get these warhorses home. If any of you still have complaints about me after we return, I'll personally apologize. But at this moment, I hope everyone will work together!"

She had softened her stance. Wu Shaohuan and the others took the offered way down and said nothing more. Afterward, the manpower of the three sects was rapidly redeployed. The people here were not the entire force.

Nearly all the manpower the three sects had sent into the State of Qi had assembled for this operation. Most of the several hundred people were still waiting over the sea. Lu Lijun's three ships had originally served as the rear guard. After the fleet turned around, those ships instead became the vanguard. The disciples of the three sects were then distributed backward through the ships one group at a time... A ditch suddenly appeared across the grassland.

Niu Youdao urged his horse straight over it. The mount sailed across and landed on the other side, then immediately continued forward in a trail of dust. The four riders behind him followed in the same fashion. They rode beneath stars and moon, then beneath the blazing sun of another dawn. The five disguised riders almost never stopped galloping across the vast grasslands.

Aside from changing horses wherever they found the opportunity, or occasionally pausing to eat and drink something, the five drove their fine mounts onward at full speed through dust and wind.

Niu Youdao understood very clearly that as long as they remained on the soil of the State of Qi, danger remained. Once they reached the boundless sea, however, finding him would become far more difficult. And even if someone did find him, Niu Youdao knew his own cultivation art better than anyone. Once he reached the water, his chances of escaping danger would rise considerably. Killing him would not be so easy.

As for Zhuo Chao's death, Niu Youdao had more or less understood the reason afterward. So they could not stop on the road. He needed to reach the sea and rendezvous with the fleet as quickly as possible.

"I'm filthy! Find somewhere so this old lady can wash!"

Guan Fangyi, who was obsessively fond of cleanliness, complained like this from time to time. Niu Youdao ignored her and insisted on pressing forward. This journey would require the five riders to cross almost half of the State of Qi's territory.

The road ahead was long...

At Among the White Clouds, the sound of a qin drifting through pavilions and terraces stopped abruptly. Su Zhao looked up from beside the instrument in surprise.

"Niu Youdao was arrested by the court?"

Qin Mian nodded.

"That is indeed the rumor outside. They say he, Linghu Qiu, and the people of Fufang Garden were all secretly arrested by the court at the same time."

Su Zhao stood.

"Is that possible?"

"It can't be ruled out. The two of them did disappear during the same period. And according to the higher-ups' analysis, it is indeed unlikely that Niu Youdao knew Linghu Qiu's identity beforehand. If he had known such a danger was beside him, he couldn't possibly have allowed Linghu Qiu to remain near him for so long. Only a handful of people inside the organization knew Linghu Qiu's identity, so there was virtually no possibility of a leak. And throughout all this time, Linghu Qiu never did anything around Niu Youdao that should have exposed him. After hearing this new information, the higher-ups have every reason to believe that the court may truly have arrested both men together for some unknown reason."

Su Zhao inwardly groaned. Shao Pingbo had guessed Linghu Qiu's identity long ago. He had also concluded long ago that Niu Youdao had very likely already discovered it. This side believed Niu Youdao could not possibly keep a threat beside him after learning of it. Yet Niu Youdao had done precisely that! But Su Zhao could not reveal the truth. If she did, the higher-ups would inevitably hold her accountable. If she had known this earlier, why had she never reported it?

She still had no idea how much Linghu Qiu's situation truly involved. She was suffering with bitterness she could not speak aloud. Now she was beginning to regret things. She regretted not keeping Shao Pingbo informed in time. She should not have hidden matters from him and acted on her own.

What did "the higher-ups' analysis" amount to?

Only now was she beginning to understand something. Among the people capable of matching Niu Youdao move for move, Shao Pingbo probably counted as one.

If Shao Pingbo had remained fully informed of the situation, perhaps Niu Youdao would not have been able to play everyone so easily in the palm of his hand.

"What do the higher-ups want us to do?" Su Zhao asked.

Qin Mian said, "They want us to immediately concentrate our informants in the capital, find out where the prisoners may be held, and then wait for an opportunity to act."

"But most of our manpower has already been sent out to search for Niu Youdao."

"The people useful for finding a detention site are those with connections to official circles. Pure fighters are useless for that sort of work. We only need to recall the relevant people with official connections. There's no need to bring everyone back. That way, we can prepare for both possibilities at once."

Su Zhao was now almost certain Niu Youdao was behind the whole affair. And there was an eighty or ninety percent chance he already knew Xiaoyue Pavilion intended to kill him. She cursed the treacherous bastard inwardly.

This was plainly an attempt to tie down Xiaoyue Pavilion's pursuit force, or at the very least divide their attention and buy himself more room to escape! She immediately found a reason to object.

"If Niu Youdao really has left, then the people who can use official connections are precisely the ones best suited to tracing where he went. Otherwise, if we search blindly across these endless grasslands, how is that different from looking for a needle in the sea? Besides, is it really appropriate to keep moving people back and forth like this?"

Qin Mian said, "Proprietress, are you questioning the higher-ups' decision? Do you think they don't understand what you're worried about? Even if he escaped, where can he go? Unless he plans never to show himself again for the rest of his life. So what if he returns to Qingshan Commandery? If the higher-ups want to move against him, can Tianyu Sect protect him?"

"..."

Su Zhao had no answer. In the inner courtyard of the Tofu House, profits were being divided. The Huyan clan's accountants had arrived and were leading people through the ledgers, checking the accounts. Naturally, Huyan Wei had come too. But he had little interest in such things. He was not entitled to the largest share anyway, and he trusted his own family not to shortchange him. Yuan Gang had little interest in it either.

He sat off to one side watching from a distance while Huyan Wei stayed beside him, chattering endlessly and bragging about one trivial matter after another that Yuan Gang did not care about. Eventually, after circling through subject after subject, Huyan Wei brought the conversation around to Niu Youdao. He said he was not someone who broke his word. He had originally promised to take Niu Youdao to Among the White Clouds to enjoy himself. Who could have known Niu Youdao would leave?

For now, that promise could only remain outstanding. Then Huyan Wei began sighing with emotion. He talked about how Niu Youdao had taken Hongniang away too. He said many people in the capital were lamenting that the flower called Hongniang had finally been plucked. Then he praised his own judgment, saying the man he had thought highly of truly had not disappointed him. Otherwise, how could Niu Youdao have managed to carry Hongniang off? Yuan Gang, however, fell into silence.

He knew a little more than Huyan Wei did. Before leaving, Niu Youdao had already had one of the men selling tofu on the street deliver him a message. It was a farewell. And it was also insurance against the unexpected.

Niu Youdao had feared Yuan Gang might hear false news and act recklessly, so he had specifically warned him not to believe any rumor claiming that Niu Youdao had been arrested. Master Dao truly had left the Qi capital! Yuan Gang knew what that departure meant. They had lived two lives. They had been brothers through one entire life already. And after so many years, the two brothers had finally gone separate ways.

It had been Yuan Gang himself who asked for that separation, because of the words "move behind the scenes."

He understood. Master Dao was a rational man. There was nothing wrong with what he had said, and it had been for Yuan Gang's own good. But Yuan Gang could not explain the feeling in his heart.

By the time the accounts were finished and Huyan Wei called out a farewell before leaving, Yuan Gang was still sitting on the stone slab beneath the eaves, unmoving. Only after some time did he leave the Tofu House. Standing beside Ming Lake, his emotions still refused to settle. A small skiff drifted past before him. Yuan Gang suddenly lifted one hand.

"Boatman!"

The boat came ashore. He climbed aboard and tossed the boatman a silver coin. The skiff rocked away across the water... By the time Yuan Gang disembarked again, evening had already arrived. He stood outside the rear entrance of Among the White Clouds. Not long after the boat departed, Su Zhao came.

She had heard Yuan Gang had suddenly appeared of his own accord to seek her out and found it somewhat surprising, so she came personally to receive him. Qin Mian did not appear. At this hour, Among the White Clouds was busy with business, and Qin Mian needed to entertain several honored guests.

"What wind has blown Brother An here today? Please, come inside!"

Su Zhao raised one sleeve and invited him in. Yuan Gang entered without saying a word. He moved as though he had come home, walking wherever he pleased. He still remembered the paths here. Su Zhao hurried after him, unable to guess what he intended to do. To her bewilderment, Yuan Gang walked directly to her private room. Without asking her permission, he simply pushed open the door and entered.

"Have you eaten dinner? Shall I have someone prepare some wine and dishes for you?"

Su Zhao studied his expression as she carefully asked. Yuan Gang stood there in silence. Su Zhao tried again.

"Is something troubling you? Did something happen? If there's a problem, you can tell me. Let me see whether I can help. If it's within my ability, I certainly will. Though that doesn't sound right either. The Huyan clan stands behind you. In this capital, who would dare refuse them a few points of face..."

Her words stopped halfway. She lowered her eyes toward her own hand. Yuan Gang, standing sideways to her, had suddenly reached out and seized it. Before she could raise her head, he pulled hard. Su Zhao was dragged straight into his arms.

"Proprietor An..."

Su Zhao lifted her face. Yuan Gang lowered his head. Her eyes flew wide.

Shock flooded her expression!

The strength in this man's powerful arms was terrifying. Even now, her mind was still hesitating over whether she should reveal her cultivation and resist him. It was as though she had encountered the king fate had ordained for her. The one before whom she was destined to submit. The one destined to conquer her!

Swish!...

[End of Chapter 354]