Chapter 501: Play Along with Them

“What are you thinking about?”

Wen Xinzhao walked over to Du Yunsang and stood beside him, asking as though casually.

Du Yunsang remained unmoved for a while before answering, “Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm failed to close. According to what the predecessors of the Wu Dynasty left behind, Li Ge’s spirit pet, the Holy Rakshasa, is inside the Illusory Realm. Legend says the Holy Rakshasa can preserve itself in undying slumber by entering a cocoon. If the legend is true, then the Illusory Realm remaining open means the door out of it has been left open as well. Once the Holy Rakshasa emerges into the world, there will be another Nascent Soul Realm expert beneath Heaven. The balance of the realm will change dramatically.”

Wen Xinzhao asked, “Is that really what you were thinking about? You weren’t thinking about that woman?”

Du Yunsang said, “What is the point of bringing up the past?”

Wen Xinzhao turned her head slightly aside. She had the impulse to mention that she had slapped Guan Fangyi twice, just to see his reaction, but in the end she said nothing.

Husband and wife both fell silent, each looking in a different direction.

When the two of them were alone together, they were often silent like this. Conversation would suddenly die between them, leaving nothing to say. It had been so in the past, and perhaps it would continue so in the future...

In a courtyard beneath the moon, Chen Tingxiu paced back and forth. At times he lowered his head, at times he looked up at the night sky, and every so often he let out a long sigh.

Unless something had gone wrong, Niu Youdao’s intentions were already obvious: step outside Nanzhou, accumulate strength, then begin a second round of struggle with Tianyu Sect. Yet now Long Xiu had refused to see Chen Tingxiu while receiving Niu Youdao instead, and the two had spoken for a long time. What could the dignified Sect Leader of Xiaoyao Palace possibly have to discuss at such length with a mere Niu Youdao? The more Chen Tingxiu thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He feared Niu Youdao might win Long Xiu over and use him against Tianyu Sect.

Tianyu Sect’s plan had two stages. Chen Tingxiu had come to carry out the first: kill with a borrowed knife. He had ridden without rest all the way here for that purpose.

His urgent arrival also served to gather information for the second stage. When he set out, all they knew was that Niu Youdao was here. They knew nothing else about the situation.

The second stage would be carried out by one of Tianyu Sect’s two venerable guardians, a top expert. If the borrowed-knife plan failed, Tianyu Sect would use direct force and assassinate Niu Youdao.

It could only be an assassination. It had to be done without sound or trace, making Niu Youdao disappear quietly. They could not act openly.

And once they acted, they would have to wipe everyone out. Not a single person around Niu Youdao could be allowed to escape or carry word back. Otherwise, even if Niu Youdao were killed, the moment news reached Nanzhou, the province would erupt into chaos and give the Yan court an opportunity to recover it.

That was precisely why Tianyu Sect was willing to send one of its hidden top experts, someone who rarely showed himself. The purpose was naturally to ensure the strike succeeded in one blow.

The problem was that no one knew exactly how many people Niu Youdao had around him, openly or in secret. Tianyu Sect could not guarantee that no news would leak, so assassination carried risks. Unless they were driven to the last resort, they would not take that gamble.

Chen Tingxiu had come to carry out the first stage, only to discover that Niu Youdao was inside Myriad Beasts Sect, where it was difficult to move against him. Worse, he had been forced to watch as Niu Youdao seemed to get a step ahead. How could Chen Tingxiu simply sit by?

So he had tried to contact Tianhuo Sect, hoping to use the old conflict between Tianhuo Sect and Niu Youdao to inflame hostility between the two sides. Tianhuo Sect, however, had not even bothered to see him.

Now he was waiting for news from the disciples he had sent out.

Almost all the disciples who had accompanied him had been dispersed. He ordered them to find ways to contact anyone they knew on Myriad Beasts Sect’s side, even low-ranking disciples, so that he could spread his eyes and ears as widely as possible and learn what Niu Youdao was doing inside the sect.

Qiu Shan had already done more than enough for him and would not help further. Chen Tingxiu was also inside Myriad Beasts Sect itself and could not roam around asking questions as he pleased. He could only find ways to get Myriad Beasts Sect disciples to help him...

Niu Youdao was also pacing alone through a moonlit courtyard, the surroundings cold and quiet.

Yuan Fang, Uncle Chen, and Old Six Xu were not people with whom he could discuss such things deeply. Guan Fangyi had remained shut inside her room and had not emerged.

In the end, Yuan Gang came out and stood quietly to one side. He offered a single sentence. “You seem to be thinking more than usual today.”

Niu Youdao stopped in front of him and raised his head to look at the moon. “Chen Tingxiu is here.”

Yuan Gang said, “Would he dare cause trouble inside Myriad Beasts Sect?”

“Tianyu Sect is probably preparing to kill me.” Niu Youdao had already been worried after the Shangqing Sect group exposed his true identity in Myriad Forms City. Chen Tingxiu’s arrival now faintly confirmed those concerns.

Yuan Gang asked, “Aren’t they afraid of throwing Nanzhou into chaos?”

“They wouldn’t dare do it openly, but they can do it in secret. An open spear is easy to dodge; a hidden arrow is hard to guard against. The key is that unless I have absolutely no choice, I don’t want Nanzhou thrown into chaos either. If we truly tear off all pretense, Shang Chaozong and the others still have their lives in Tianyu Sect’s hands. Count the travel time from when we were exposed in Myriad Forms City, to Tianyu Sect receiving the news, to Chen Tingxiu arriving here. Shao Pingbo has probably already joined hands with Tianyu Sect. Those people in Tianyu Sect don’t understand what he is capable of. I’m afraid this time they’ll be used by him perfectly.”

Yuan Gang said, “If Shao Pingbo really has stepped in, does he even need to manipulate them? A common enemy is enough to bring them together.”

“The only thing they share is that they both want me dead. Shao Pingbo doesn’t care whether Nanzhou falls into chaos. If Tianyu Sect can kill me, good. If they can’t, then provoking a rupture between Tianyu Sect and me and throwing Nanzhou into disorder would still make it difficult for me to maintain a foothold there. Everything I’ve built in Nanzhou would be ruined. As long as Tianyu Sect makes a move and starts fighting me openly, either outcome serves his purpose.”

“By using the chance to deal with a common enemy, he only needs one successful cooperation to win Tianyu Sect’s trust. As long as I don’t collapse in Nanzhou, Tianyu Sect won’t let matters rest. Then that cur will truly have stretched his hand into Nanzhou. With Tianyu Sect there for him to use, he won’t need to spend many resources or much effort at all. He only has to fan the flames, and that will be enough to keep me exhausted.”

Yuan Gang said slowly, “Why not try explaining the situation to Tianyu Sect? When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits. Why let that happen?”

Niu Youdao said, “Would explaining help? Would Tianyu Sect believe me? Those people have never seen what Shao Pingbo can do. They think of themselves as lofty cultivators and probably don’t even take Shao Pingbo seriously. If I tell them this, they’ll only think I’m afraid. Shao Pingbo is all the way in Beizhou. They won’t consider him much of a threat.”

Yuan Gang said, “This time you want to use Dachan Mountain, and he wants to use Tianyu Sect. You’ve run into each other again.”

“We’ll see who seizes the initiative first. If I can’t bring him down before he moves this time, he’ll make me pay dearly.”

“Your weak point right now is Nanzhou. You don’t want it thrown into chaos. But he has weaknesses too. He isn’t part of the cultivation world, and his ability to operate and exert control within it is far below yours. This world is still a world controlled by cultivators.”

“Heh. Exactly. That has always been his greatest weakness.” Niu Youdao smiled, turned, and took two steps. His gaze shifted toward the rear courtyard, and he lifted his chin. “Her room is still dark?”

Yuan Gang gave an acknowledging sound, then asked, “Could those talismans in her possession have been gifts from Du Yunsang?”

Niu Youdao hesitated slightly. “I suspected that at first too. She even half-jokingly admitted it herself. But after what happened, I don’t think so anymore. Look at the backbone she showed when she took those two slaps. I find it hard to believe she would use things Du Yunsang gave her.”

Yuan Gang thought about it and agreed that something did not fit. “There are enough troublesome matters tangled together already. You’re not really planning to go after Wen Xinzhao at a time like this, are you?”

“One thing has bothered me all along. Wen Xinzhao’s hatred for Hongniang is obvious. With the way she behaved, how could she have allowed Hongniang to remain alive until now?” Niu Youdao held the sword horizontally behind his back and clasped his hands over it. His tone toward Yuan Gang became meaningful. “Wen Xinzhao does not look like someone willing to spare Hongniang. Judging from the circumstances back then, there was only one person both willing and able to stop Wen Xinzhao from killing her.”

Yuan Gang’s brows shifted. He suddenly said, “Du Yunsang has been protecting Hongniang?”

“We know too little, and the matter also involves the position of Sect Leader of Tianxing Sect. It’s hard to be certain.” Niu Youdao released one hand and planted his sword before him again, both palms resting on the hilt. Looking up at the moon, he seemed to speak to himself. “The debt with Chao Jing, Shao Pingbo stirring up trouble, Tianyu Sect preparing to kill me, the two slaps Hongniang took... and we haven’t exactly been idle ourselves. Everything really has piled up at once. Messy and troublesome.”

He smiled faintly. “It doesn’t matter. Let them come. If soldiers come, send a general; if floodwaters come, dam them with earth. We’re roaming the jianghu anyway. We’ll rest our feet here at Myriad Beasts Sect. This time I’ll sit here and play along with them. We’ll push every front forward at once and start settling all of it together!”

For an instant, Yuan Gang was dazed, as though he had once again seen the old Master Dao who had dominated the jianghu with such fearless spirit. Even so, he remained doubtful. “Settle all of it together?”

Niu Youdao turned his head toward him, his gaze cold. “Exactly. I can’t afford to provoke Tianxing Sect, but those two slaps Hongniang took sit badly with me. If I hadn’t forced her to go out and socialize with me, she wouldn’t have suffered that humiliation. She can stay silent, but I can’t pretend nothing happened. Sooner or later I’ll have Hongniang slap those two blows back with interest, with her own hands. Even if I can’t do anything to Wen Xinzhao right now, I still can’t let her swagger around in front of me as though nothing happened. Otherwise Hongniang won’t even have the face to show herself in Myriad Beasts Sect.”

“I was already planning to feel out exactly what is going on between Du Yunsang, his wife, and Hongniang. Chen Tingxiu probably came here to make trouble for me too. Fine. Tomorrow, once I’m done with Dachan Mountain, I’ll use them as a warm-up.”

...

At Tianyun Inn, two Dachan Mountain disciples followed Elder Huang Tong downstairs.

At the foot of the stairs, another Dachan Mountain disciple was waiting. He led the three of them into a private room.

Several delicacies made from spirit-beast meat had been set out on the table. Anyone who came here generally wanted to taste such things.

After Huang Tong sat, he gestured for everyone else to sit as well. “After we finish eating, don’t sit idle. Split up and go ask around.”

“Yes!” the others answered.

They had only just begun eating when footsteps sounded outside, entering the private room next door. Chairs scraped as people sat, followed by voices in conversation.

“Is that woman beside him really Hongniang from the Qi capital?”

“That’s right. I heard she was once hailed as the most beautiful woman beneath Heaven.”

“Huh. Why would Sect Leader Du’s wife suddenly slap her twice? Could it be Hongniang and Sect Leader Du had some kind of...”

“Shut up. Don’t talk nonsense about something like that.”

“Senior Brother, I heard that Niu Youdao has been visiting the Sect Leaders of Xiaoyao Palace, Zijin Cave, Lingjian Mountain, Baichuan Valley, Wushang Palace, and Tiannü Sect one after another. That’s quite a lot of face.”

“What face? I heard he was forced into it by some Shao Pingbo from Beizhou.”

[End of Chapter 501]