Chapter 442: A Regional Lord

Shang Chaozong's side also accepted Tianyu Sect's condition: responsibility for his personal security would be handed entirely to Tianyu Sect, and cultivators from the other three sects would not be permitted to insert themselves into his guard detail.

The generals accepted their orders and withdrew. Meilin Sheng, Wu Tiandang, and Zhao Xingfeng left among them, all three looking dispirited. They understood perfectly well that Shang Chaozong was about to conduct a purge of the forces beneath them and dismantle their power. That was indeed exactly what Shang Chaozong intended.

He had already suffered once. The memory of being driven into a dead end and nearly losing his life was still vivid. The despair of that moment had been too complete. It would have been strange if an experience like that had not changed his state of mind. The purge that was about to come would therefore be unprecedented in severity. Shang Chaozong had even fixed his eyes on Feng Lingbo and several of Feng Lingbo's grandsons.

Killing Feng Ruoyi and Feng Ruojie was not enough to put him at ease. So long as their sons and Feng Lingbo himself remained alive, Peng Youzai, as Sect Leader of Tianyu Sect, could at any time expend effort supporting them. There would always remain the possibility that they might replace Shang Chaozong one day.

Peng Youzai, who had been observing from the side, watched the generals leave and then stepped forward. As though asking casually, he said, "Your Highness has received the imperial decree and been elevated to Provincial Inspector of Nanzhou. On such a joyous occasion, why has Niu Youdao not come to offer his congratulations?"

Peng Youzai had been waiting here all this time for Niu Youdao to show himself. Yet from beginning to end, there had not been so much as a shadow of the man.

Even if I don't harm you, you've already gotten your way. At the very least, you damned bastard still need to come out and explain what happens to the liquor profits, don't you? One miscalculation had left Tianyu Sect passive at every turn. It was a wretched feeling.

Shang Chaozong replied, "This Prince is looking for him as well. I don't know where he is."

It sounded like a refusal to answer, but in truth he genuinely did not know where Niu Youdao was. He wanted to see Niu Youdao too. The gratitude remained heavy in his heart.

More importantly, Niu Youdao was unlike Tianyu Sect. He never demanded anything from Shang Chaozong and had only continued helping him, again and again delivering aid when snow covered the ground.

Although Niu Youdao was a cultivator too, their dealings had always felt like dealings between friends. There was a sense of security in dealing with him. That feeling had caused both Meng Shanming and Lan Ruoting to mention Dong Guo Haoran.

Both said that it was no wonder Dong Guo Haoran had accepted Niu Youdao as his final disciple. In temperament, the disciple resembled his master. What Niu Youdao himself would think if he heard that assessment was another question entirely. A muscle in Peng Youzai's cheek tightened almost invisibly. This time, he had truly experienced someone's methods firsthand.

Previously, he had only encountered them indirectly and had not felt much. This time, however, he could say he had crossed hands with that bastard in the dark, and Tianyu Sect had suffered a major loss. The pent-up frustration had nowhere to go. Yet the bastard had hidden himself away and refused to appear, manipulating everything from behind the curtain. At present, Shang Chaozong himself did not truly frighten Peng Youzai. Shang Chaozong's life was still in Tianyu Sect's hands.

The man Peng Youzai genuinely dreaded was Niu Youdao, hidden somewhere behind the scenes. Especially after suffering this defeat, so long as Niu Youdao remained alive, Peng Youzai would always fear that one day Tianyu Sect might lose control of Shang Chaozong entirely. Seeing that Shang Chaozong had no intention of saying more, Peng Youzai did not press him.

Instead, he offered a reminder. "Whatever grievances Your Highness may have with the Feng family, the Princess Consort is innocent. I hope Your Highness will treat her well and not make things difficult for her."

Tianyu Sect would not allow Peng Yulan's family to remain here. If they stayed, Shang Chaozong might very well kill them. They had originally intended to take Feng Ruonan away as well, lest Shang Chaozong mistreat her. But Feng Ruonan herself would rather remain beside Shang Chaozong and suffer whatever came than leave with the Feng family. Everyone understood that the Feng family had truly broken this daughter's heart. Some things could not be forced.

If Feng Ruonan herself refused to go, they could hardly drag her away and imprison her.

Shang Chaozong replied, "Sect Leader can rest assured. This Prince is not so petty as to vent his anger on a woman. Ruonan is my wife. I will see that she is fed and clothed properly and will never treat her harshly."

Peng Youzai fell silent for a moment and said nothing further. If Feng Ruonan truly suffered some grievance and refused to speak of it, then as a matter between husband and wife, outsiders would find it difficult to interfere anyway. Saying more would be pointless. A group of people left the main hall to see Peng Youzai and the others off and watched them depart. At last, this storm had settled.

Standing beneath the eaves atop the steps, Shang Chaozong tilted his head back and let out a long breath. His mood seemed as though clouds had parted and sunlight finally shone through. Nanzhou was at last in his hands.

Shang Shuqing suddenly said softly, "I wonder when Master Dao will return."

Everyone felt something different at those words. Niu Youdao had not only helped them take Nanzhou, he had also helped them obtain recognition from the imperial court. They were not rebels.

They now had the proper name and legitimate standing of a Provincial Inspector of Nanzhou formally appointed by the court. They had gained both substance and face, saving themselves countless future troubles. The thought only made everyone more emotional.

Lan Ruoting said, "Taking Nanzhou is only the beginning. Governing it will be the next problem. Tianyu Sect did not pay all this cost for nothing. Their next step will certainly be reaching into Nanzhou for wealth. That will be troublesome."

Everyone understood that. The only reason Tianyu Sect had taken the risk of seizing Nanzhou was to obtain a larger and more enduring source of income. There was no possibility the sect would keep its hands to itself. It was unavoidable.

At that moment, one of Shang Chaozong's personal guards came over and cupped his hands below the steps. "Your Highness, the Sect Leaders of Liuxian Sect, Fuyun Sect, and Lingxiu Mountain request an audience."

Shang Chaozong was just about to order that they be invited in when Yuan Gang spoke from the side and cut him off.

"Master Dao's meaning is that they should be left hanging for a while. There is no need to bother with them yet."

Everyone turned toward him.

Shang Chaozong hesitated. "Is that appropriate?"

Yuan Gang replied, "Master Dao ordered them to come protect Your Highness. Instead, they outwardly obeyed while secretly dragging their feet, huddling outside the city and wavering between both sides. Your Highness nearly died because of it. When Master Dao learned what happened, he was very displeased. This kind of behavior cannot be allowed to continue. Tell them to get back to Qingshan Commandery and watch the house for Master Dao. They can think carefully about which side they're standing on before they come back. If they aren't our own people, then there's no reason to bother with them. Heaven and earth are vast. They can go wherever they please."

Send the people of those three sects back to Qingshan Commandery to watch Master Dao's house? Shang Shuqing's bright eyes blinked, and amusement appeared within them. Master Dao's words sounded wonderfully domineering. Meng Shanming and Lan Ruoting exchanged a smile. If Niu Youdao could say something like this, then those three sects were evidently already well within his grasp. His ability truly left them without much to say.

Then again, someone capable of wrestling Tianyu Sect itself would hardly fear those three smaller sects.

Meng Shanming sighed with feeling. "The blue comes from indigo, yet is bluer than indigo. Mr. Dong Guo back then did not possess the abilities of this disciple of his."

Lan Ruoting nodded. "Dong Guo Haoran's final disciple, yet the Shangqing Sect cast him aside without mercy. Ai, what a pity for the Shangqing Sect. They threw away a man who could have restored the sect to greatness."

Their side had old ties with the Shangqing Sect. In earlier years, the sect had continuously assisted Prince Ning. Seeing it now fallen into decline, they could hardly avoid feeling regret. Shang Shuqing's eyes flickered. Whenever the Shangqing Sect was mentioned, she thought of the woman who had once bowed through the wedding rites with Niu Youdao. Subconsciously, she did not want Niu Youdao to return to the Shangqing Sect.

Meng Shanming caught the change in Shang Shuqing's expression from the corner of his eye.

"Since Master Dao himself does not wish to turn back, it is not our place to force him. Your Highness, follow Master Dao's wishes."

Shang Chaozong nodded and said to the guard, "Reply exactly that way. Tell them to return to Qingshan Commandery and wait."

"Yes!" The guard cupped his hands and withdrew.

"Pass the order! Move the army to Nanzhou's provincial capital!"

At Shang Chaozong's command, the troops and cultivators stationed in Changping City began moving out in a vast procession. Whether in terms of city size, geography, or any number of other considerations, Changping City was not suitable to serve as the provincial capital. Now that Nanzhou had been taken, relocating to Nanzhou's provincial capital was inevitable. Outside the city, Fei Changliu, Xia Hua, and Zheng Jiuxiao had waited for a long time.

Seeing Shang Chaozong and the others emerge surrounded by a mighty column, the three stepped forward hoping to request an audience, only to be driven aside by Tianyu Sect's people. Tianyu Sect had no pleasant feelings toward them either.

For the moment, the sect had no way to deal with Niu Youdao. But in Peng Youzai's eyes, these three sects belonged to Niu Youdao's side, so naturally they received no friendly treatment. Shang Chaozong saw them too. He made no move to meet them and simply left them behind as the army departed. Being disliked by both sides was an exceedingly uncomfortable feeling. The three sect leaders could only watch the army transfer away, all three looking unbearably awkward.

They truly were helpless. By now they had also learned that Jinzhou had mobilized troops. None had imagined Niu Youdao could actually move Jinzhou to lend Shang Chaozong a hand, destroying Tianyu Sect's plans and leaving Nanzhou in Shang Chaozong's hands after all. As a result, the method they had chosen—trying to offend neither side—had instead left both sides displeased. What kind of mess was this?

They knew Tianyu Sect's current strength was limited and that the sect needed smaller sects to help hold Nanzhou. They could choose to submit to Tianyu Sect. But after offending Shang Chaozong, submission to Tianyu Sect alone would be useless. If the local troops and officials deliberately opposed them, the three sects would be unable to establish themselves anywhere in Nanzhou.

"What do we do?" Xia Hua turned and asked.

Zheng Jiuxiao rubbed his nose. "Didn't Niu Youdao tell us to return to Qingshan Commandery and wait? He didn't close the door completely, so there's still room to discuss matters."

"His own strength is limited. He needs our help too. We may as well return to Qingshan Commandery first and wait for news."

Xia Hua sighed. "Our three sects contributed to pacifying Nanzhou too, yet somehow matters ended like this. What kind of situation is this?"

Fei Changliu said expressionlessly, "There comes a day when the daughter-in-law finally becomes the mother-in-law. Didn't Tianyu Sect itself come up this way in its early years? Let's go. Back to Qingshan Commandery to see Niu Youdao."

Wu Calendar, Year 528. Shang Chaozong entered Nanzhou's provincial capital and formally announced to all beneath Heaven that he had taken Nanzhou. Inside the imperial palace of the State of Yan came several bitter laughs.

"Jianbo, you truly fathered a fine son!"

Standing atop the imperial city wall, Director of Imperial Carriage Office Ga Miaoshui wore a dark expression. Only now did he realize that he had fallen into Niu Youdao's scheme.

Outside the palace, Shang Chaozong's powerful rise—and the astonishing speed of that rise—combined with the reappearance of the Yingyang and Wulie Guards to stir currents beneath the apparent calm.

Many members of the imperial clan who had previously cut off contact with Shang Chaozong began, more or less, to correspond with him in secret again.

They at least had a respectable excuse for putting aside their pride and reaching out: Shang Chaozong's position as Provincial Inspector of Nanzhou had been formally granted by the imperial court. Since the court itself had pardoned his former offenses, then naturally the imperial relatives were all family again. These royal clansmen did not necessarily intend to throw themselves behind Shang Chaozong.

The real problem was that, no matter how they looked at it, Shang Chaozong seemed to be rising with overwhelming force to avenge Prince Ning's old grievances. Sooner or later, perhaps he would march on Yanjing. Who could predict what the future might bring? Leaving themselves one additional road of retreat could only be a good thing. Sending a friendly letter or offering a modest congratulatory gift cost them little. Forces throughout the realm were surprised by the news.

According to everything they had heard before, Feng Lingbo had seemed certain to take control of Nanzhou. Now, without warning, the man entering Nanzhou's provincial capital was Shang Chaozong instead. How could that not surprise them? For Shang Chaozong, taking his seat in Nanzhou's provincial capital carried extraordinary meaning. He had become a true regional lord. He had become one of the regional lords capable of influencing the balance beneath Heaven.

His influence could no longer be compared to the days when he held only two commanderies. From this moment onward, he had formally entered the sight of all the great contenders beneath Heaven.

[End of Chapter 442]