Chapter 443: I'm Not Going!

For a time, quite a few powers sent people bearing gifts to Nanzhou to offer congratulations. Even envoys from the various states went openly and without concealment. Shang Chaozong had been publicly enfeoffed by the court of the State of Yan; he was no rebel minister, and no one could say otherwise. That was the advantage of possessing proper name and legitimate standing.

Congratulating Shang Chaozong on his elevation to Provincial Inspector of Nanzhou was secondary. The true purpose was to make contact and establish ties with him.

As for Feng Lingbo, whom so many powers had previously favored, winners became kings and losers bandits. He had already been cast from everyone's mind...

At the Beizhou Inspector's Residence, Shao Sansheng entered the study and walked to Shao Pingbo's side, where the latter was bent over the desk writing. He stood silently without speaking.

Shao Pingbo did not lift his head. "If something happened, say it."

Shao Sansheng said, "Master has shut himself in his study all day and hasn't come out."

The tip of Shao Pingbo's brush paused. He finished the character he had been writing before setting the brush aside. His hands slowly came to rest on the desk as well, and he remained silent for a long time. He knew why his father had shut himself away.

Ever since the news from Nanzhou in the State of Yan arrived, and his father learned that Shang Chaozong had risen with overwhelming momentum and now controlled the entire province, Shao Dengyun's mood had been off.

Shao Pingbo knew his father had never been able to let go of what happened years ago. He had always believed he had betrayed Prince Ning. Now Prince Ning's son had risen again as the representative of Prince Ning's old faction, and the sight had evidently stirred those old wounds and awakened his guilt once more.

Shao Sansheng understood this too. He asked, "Does Eldest Young Master want to go persuade Master?"

Shao Pingbo shook his head.

Shao Sansheng was puzzled. "It really is strange. At the crucial moment, Jinzhou unexpectedly threw its full support behind Shang Chaozong. I have no idea what Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion was thinking. Otherwise, how could there have been any place for Shang Chaozong in the end?"

Shao Pingbo gave a cold laugh. "You still haven't understood? Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion mobilized its troops because Niu Youdao threatened them. Otherwise, whoever ended up controlling Nanzhou would not have cost Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion anything. There was no reason for them to take such an enormous risk."

"It also proves something else. All that nonsense about the Ghost Doctor's disciple curing Xiao Tianzhen was a lie. It was plainly the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit Niu Youdao stole that did the work."

Shao Sansheng's brows and eyes twitched violently. Enlightenment appeared on his face. Then he suddenly lowered his voice. "Why not secretly leak the truth?"

"Secretly?" Shao Pingbo glanced sideways at him. "Do you think Niu Youdao wouldn't know I was behind it? No matter what happens that harms me, the first person I suspect is Niu Youdao. Niu Youdao is exactly the same. Whatever happens that harms him, I immediately become his first suspect. And if Niu Youdao falls into the hands of Ice and Snow Pavilion, do you really expect him to keep my secrets for me? He would absolutely drag out what I did back then, when I used Ice and Snow Pavilion, and use me as a cushion beneath himself. If he weren't certain I didn't dare expose the secret, do you think he would have dared do this?"

Shao Sansheng was left speechless. After a moment, he said in confusion, "Then doesn't that mean we'll have to keep his secret forever?"

Shao Pingbo's gaze settled on the brush resting nearby. He let out a slow breath. "That scoundrel is deeply calculating and far-sighted, with the ability to overturn clouds and rain. In the future, he will certainly become a great threat to me. Shang Chaozong has Lan Ruoting for civil affairs and Meng Shanming for military affairs, and now he has that scoundrel as an adviser to settle his troubles in the cultivation world. He truly is a tiger given wings. It makes a man envious. I, Shao, thirst for worthy men. Beizhou's situation has already stabilized, yet still no men of true ability have come to offer me their service..."

Shao Sansheng's expression darkened. The reason was probably inseparable from the way Niu Youdao had ruined Eldest Young Master's reputation. Outside a small wooden cabin in the mountains, Niu Youdao lay in a reclining chair, basking in the sun with his eyes closed as though asleep. Yuan Gang stood nearby with a watering can, carefully watering a pot of Black Peony flowers.

When they left Maolu Villa, they had brought almost nothing with them. This pot of Black Peonies, however, had come along. Year after year passed. The flowers withered, and the flowers bloomed again.

Guan Fangyi came strolling over, leisurely waving a round fan. When she reached the back of the reclining chair, she suddenly gave it a hard shove and snickered. The violently rocking chair woke Niu Youdao.

He opened his eyes and slowly said, "Mischievous."

Why did that sound like he was scolding a child?

Guan Fangyi rolled her eyes, reached out to steady the swaying chair, and called, "Hey. Word came from Old Eight in Jinzhou."

Niu Youdao asked, "Jinzhou's troops withdrew?"

"Mm." Guan Fangyi nodded. "Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion had Old Eight pass on a message. They want Xiao Tianzhen returned."

"But Hai Ruyue secretly hinted to Old Eight that we shouldn't send Xiao Tianzhen back."

Niu Youdao asked, "What's the situation?"

Guan Fangyi said, "Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion has already placed Hai Ruyue under house arrest. She had a hard time even managing to meet Old Eight once and give him that hint. Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion has control of her now. They're forcing Hai Ruyue to issue orders reshuffling personnel throughout the military and civil administration. Judging by what they're doing, they seem ready to abandon the Xiao clan completely, purge Jinzhou's secular power structure, and replace the people in control. I can't figure out why Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion would make such a huge move."

She did not understand, but Niu Youdao did. Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion could not allow itself to remain under another person's control forever. Naturally, it would want to destroy the evidence. Hai Ruyue certainly did not want Xiao Tianzhen returned now.

As long as Xiao Tianzhen did not return, Hai Ruyue might still have a road to survival. The moment Xiao Tianzhen came back, mother and son would both have to die.

Niu Youdao said casually, "Reply to Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion and tell them we'll follow the agreement. Xiao Tianzhen will be returned only after His Highness has completely secured control of Nanzhou."

Guan Fangyi gave an acknowledgment, then asked curiously, "If Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion intends to purge the Xiao clan's influence, why are they so anxious to get Xiao Tianzhen back? If they no longer intend to use the Xiao family, does it matter whether Xiao Tianzhen returns?"

Niu Youdao answered against his true thoughts, "Who knows what they're plotting?"

Suspicion appeared in Guan Fangyi's eyes. She had a feeling he was not telling the truth. Something had to be wrong with Xiao Tianzhen.

How could one Xiao Tianzhen possibly have coerced Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion into taking such enormous risks otherwise? Their current abnormal behavior only deepened her suspicions. But suspicion was only suspicion.

After following Niu Youdao for so long, she knew that if he did not want to say something, asking was useless. She would only be wasting her breath.

So she changed the subject and asked cheerfully, "I hear Nanzhou's provincial capital is extremely lively now. Envoys from the various states and people from every major power have all gone to congratulate His Highness on his promotion."

"I imagine it won't take long before His Highness has Nanzhou firmly under control. Shouldn't we start preparing to move into Nanzhou too?"

Life in these mountains might be peaceful and leisurely, but Guan Fangyi was not someone who could endure rustic seclusion for long. She much preferred the bustle and splendor of the world outside. Even without seeing it, she knew Nanzhou's provincial capital had to be far more prosperous than that rural backwater Qingshan Commandery. She had been itching to go for a long time.

Still lying there, Niu Youdao turned his head and looked at her with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Guan Fangyi immediately raised her round fan to half-cover her face and struck a coquettish pose. "Never seen a beauty before?"

Niu Youdao chuckled. "I've seen beauties. I've just never seen one this beautiful."

"Hehe..."

Guan Fangyi immediately laughed until her entire body trembled. But then she noticed Yuan Gang casting her a disgusted glance. Her laughter died on the spot.

She coughed dryly and muttered something under her breath as though talking to herself. Whatever she said, it was probably nothing flattering about Yuan Gang. After spending so much time around him, she had to admit Yuan Gang held a certain attraction for her. She had once deliberately given him an opening. Who could have imagined he would remain completely oblivious to romance and bluntly throw two words at her instead:

Old woman!

Those words had genuinely wounded Guan Fangyi. Ever since then, Yuan Gang had become unpleasant to her eyes. And she was hardly alone in that. Yuan Gang disliked her just as much.

Niu Youdao pushed himself up from the armrests and left the reclining chair. With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked to the mountain's edge and looked out over the distant peaks.

"The incident at Changping City exposed one problem. Our ability to respond to emergencies is too poor."

"So?" Guan Fangyi followed him over.

"Naturally, we make up for our weaknesses by learning from others' strengths."

"How?"

Niu Youdao looked back at her and broke into a brilliant smile. "Traveling long distances whenever something happens really is troublesome. Shouldn't we get a few flying mounts of our own and keep them around for emergencies?"

"Flying mounts? A few of them?" Guan Fangyi stared.

She instinctively backed away from him and said warily, "I'm warning you, I have no money. Don't even think about coming after mine."

"You and Old Bear truly are a perfect pair." Niu Youdao lifted his chin toward Yuan Fang, who happened to be wandering past below with both sleeves swinging loosely. "Relax. I'm not asking you to pay. Interested in taking a trip to the State of Song with me? Myriad Beasts Sect shouldn't lack things like flying mounts. If we go make contact with them, perhaps they'll even gift us a few."

"Gift you a few? Dream on. Do you think those things are cabbages..."

Halfway through her sentence, Guan Fangyi froze. Something seemed to occur to her. She suddenly turned and looked toward the pot of Black Peonies beside the wooden cabin. Her expression sharpened.

Turning back, she said gravely, "Master Dao, don't tell me you're thinking of looking for that man surnamed Chao?"

"I'm warning you. That Chao is far more dangerous than Tianyu Sect. We cannot afford to provoke him."

Back when they escaped the State of Qi, after the badly wounded Black Peony died aboard the ship, Guan Fangyi had personally overheard Niu Youdao's conversation with Duan Hu. Niu Youdao had asked who had humiliated Black Peony in her early years. The man Duan Hu named was an important figure of Myriad Beasts Sect surnamed Chao. Now Niu Youdao had suddenly mentioned going to Myriad Beasts Sect in the State of Song.

Guan Fangyi immediately connected the two and could not help becoming vigilant.

Niu Youdao said, "You're thinking too much. Even if I wanted to settle that matter, now isn't the time. Do you think I'd walk straight into death?"

"My only purpose is the flying mounts. Nothing else."

Guan Fangyi eyed him suspiciously. "Really?"

"Really. Are you coming or not?"

"I'm not going!" Guan Fangyi refused without hesitation, her attitude resolute.

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed. At Maolu Villa, Shang Shuqing stood atop one of the villa's towers in a purple cloak, gazing into the distance. After more than half a year of purges and reorganization, Nanzhou's secular power was now completely held in Shang Chaozong's hands. Yet Niu Youdao remained nowhere to be found. There were occasional letters, but he showed no intention of returning to Shang Chaozong's side in person.

So Shang Shuqing had returned here to take a look. According to the three sects stationed at the villa, Niu Youdao had never come back. The three sects had remained here the entire time waiting for him.

They had waited miserably...

Inside the wooden cabin, Niu Youdao soaked in a steaming bath barrel. Someone knocked once, then pushed the door open directly. It was Yuan Gang.

Without opening his narrowed eyes, Niu Youdao asked mildly, "Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion received him?"

This side had honored its promise and sent Xiao Tianzhen back.

Yuan Gang gave an acknowledgment, his voice heavy. "You should know that once he goes back, mother and son probably won't have any road to survival."

Niu Youdao said, "You should know too that with certain things, I have no choice. I can only protect one side. Some people have to disappear. Even if Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion doesn't kill them, I would have to dispose of them myself. I'm no righteous gentleman. Saying this to me is meaningless. Enough. Pack up and prepare. Once Old Eight returns from Jinzhou, we set out."

[End of Chapter 443]