Chapter 522: So Brazen

Huang Lie said, “When Shang Chaozong expands in the future, Dachan Mountain will inevitably be dragged into it.”

Niu Youdao laughed. “To put it unpleasantly, Shang Chaozong isn’t that stupid. Expecting Dachan Mountain’s strength to support his expansion would be a joke.”

“On that point, Dachan Mountain and I share the same interests. Before there is confidence of successful expansion, Dachan Mountain won’t want to be dragged into anything, and do you think I would sit back and watch the foundation I have in Nanzhou be destroyed?”

“Even if Dachan Mountain doesn’t restrain him, I will intervene and restrain him myself. I won’t let Shang Chaozong act recklessly.”

“Put another way, if there truly is confidence of expansion and success is assured, then what does Dachan Mountain have to fear? So long as Dachan Mountain has merit in holding the territory and works smoothly with Shang Chaozong, he will naturally regard you as an asset. Why would he treat you poorly? Why would he create internal discord and make trouble for himself?”

“And if there is no confidence of expansion, then as I said, our interests are aligned. You and I will stand on the same side and restrain him together.”

Guan Fangyi clicked her tongue inwardly.

Listen to him talk. In a few sentences, they were practically becoming one family already.

Silence settled over the scene.

Huang Lie exchanged glances with several Elders. At last, he said with difficulty, “Shao Pingbo truly is a rare talent. A pity.”

There was no need to explain what those words meant, and no need to force him to make the statement any more explicit.

Niu Youdao smiled brilliantly. “I assume Dachan Mountain’s people already have Shao Pingbo under control?”

The implication was obvious: if you already control him, taking his head should be easy. What are you still hesitating over?

Huang Lie did not want to follow Niu Youdao’s lead and make it appear that everything had fallen exactly as the other man predicted. That would be too humiliating.

He deliberately dampened the effect. “He is under control, but not because we seized him. He entered prison voluntarily to prove his innocence.”

Niu Youdao froze.

This truly surprised him. “What do you mean?”

“When the matter erupted, our people confronted him. To prove his innocence, he walked into the dungeon himself...” Huang Lie briefly explained the circumstances.

Niu Youdao’s expression changed instantly. He said urgently, “Not good! Sect Leader Huang, send word to Beizhou immediately. Tell Dachan Mountain’s disciples there not to waste words. The moment they see Shao Pingbo, kill him. No hesitation whatsoever!”

Huang Lie looked somewhat disdainful. “He is already under tight control, yet he can still make you this uneasy? It seems you truly are wary of Shao Pingbo.”

Even the hand Niu Youdao had resting on his sword was no longer steady. He said heavily, “Sect Leader Huang, I am not joking with you.”

“Do not think that because he is an ordinary mortal he can easily be restrained. Do not think Dachan Mountain’s people can handle him however they please merely because they have him under control.”

“You may not like hearing this, but Dachan Mountain is no match for him at all!”

“Sect Leader Huang, I understand what kind of man Shao Pingbo is far too well. He is absolutely not someone who will sit and wait for death. If he dared imprison himself voluntarily, then he must have another move prepared.”

“Kill him immediately while he is unprepared. Otherwise, you will regret it when it is too late!”

Put that way, it did seem to make some sense. Huang Lie hesitated too. “Surely there is no need to be this hasty?”

Niu Youdao said decisively, “Sect Leader Huang, delay invites disaster. Please order his execution immediately. Kill him on sight. There must not be even a moment’s hesitation!”

“If you can have his head taken before dawn tomorrow, I will give Dachan Mountain a flying mount free of charge!”

He had schemed for so long and spent so much effort trying to kill Shao Pingbo. How could he allow everything to fail at the very last step?

He knew exactly how dangerous Shao Pingbo was.

If not for Shao Pingbo’s weakness within the cultivation world, it was impossible to say which of them would have emerged victorious.

And if Niu Youdao had not planted eyes beside Shao Pingbo long ago, Shao Pingbo would not have lost so badly this time either.

If Shao Pingbo escaped, the trouble he might create in the future was impossible to predict. A man like that possessed destructive power far beyond the ordinary.

If giving away one flying mount could remove this opponent and make Dachan Mountain act decisively, what did a flying mount matter?

Huang Lie was surprised by this unexpected bonus. “You mean that?”

Niu Youdao’s reply struck the ground like iron. “I will not break my word!”

Guan Fangyi was speechless.

You do not even own one yourself. Where are you getting a flying mount to give away?

For Huang Lie, however, this was an unexpected gain. He immediately looked back and nodded toward one of the Elders.

The Elder quickly left to make arrangements. Before long, a Goldenwing belonging to Dachan Mountain rose from outside the courtyard and flew directly toward Beizhou.

Yet Niu Youdao continued pacing restlessly. He remained uneasy. At last he stopped and said, “No. I need to see him executed with my own eyes. I must go to Beizhou immediately.”

Until he personally confirmed Shao Pingbo was dead, he would not feel at ease.

The fact that Shao Pingbo had entered prison voluntarily felt wrong no matter how Niu Youdao considered it.

He still feared Dachan Mountain was not Shao Pingbo’s match and wanted to hurry over at once. If anything went wrong, he could personally step in and pin Shao Pingbo down.

He simply did not trust a group of people Shao Pingbo had manipulated for years, people whose habits and weaknesses Shao Pingbo already understood thoroughly, to finish him cleanly.

Huang Lie was somewhat dismissive. “Even if you leave now, you won’t make it in time. By the time you reach Beizhou, his head will already have fallen. Put your heart back in your stomach. Nothing will go wrong.”

“I can make it!” Niu Youdao was certain.

Because he now had flying mounts.

He called Yuan Gang aside and gave him a series of arrangements. Yuan Gang understood and immediately went to the rear courtyard to prepare. Before long, a Goldenwing rose from their side as well and rapidly flew away.

Niu Youdao then told Huang Lie plainly that he had flying mounts in hand and urged Huang Lie to travel with him to Beizhou.

There were certain circumstances the people in Beizhou still did not know. If Niu Youdao rushed there on his own, a misunderstanding could easily lead to conflict and give Shao Pingbo an opportunity to exploit.

If Huang Lie personally appeared in Beizhou, the situation would be entirely different. Everyone in Dachan Mountain would obey him, making it far easier for Niu Youdao to handle matters.

Huang Lie was surprised to learn Niu Youdao already had flying mounts on hand. He also wanted to see whether the claim was true, so he agreed.

Niu Youdao still needed to take his leave of Myriad Beasts Sect. He could hardly run off without even saying goodbye to his hosts.

So Huang Lie led his people away first. They agreed to meet outside Myriad Beasts Sect’s mountain gate.

The moment Dachan Mountain’s people left, Niu Youdao immediately found Zhou Tiezi and asked him to hurry and report that he wished to take his leave.

There was one other matter he had not forgotten. “As for our sworn brotherhood, when I see your sect’s senior figures, I will tell them personally.”

Unexpectedly, Zhou Tiezi waved his hands repeatedly. “No need, no need. Brother Niu, truly, there’s no need.”

Niu Youdao looked surprised. “Why?”

Zhou Tiezi hemmed and hawed before finding an excuse to decline.

Niu Youdao could see that he no longer wished to swear brotherhood. But he was in a hurry and had no time to slowly dig out the reason, so he did not force the issue.

After all, becoming Niu Youdao’s sworn brother would carry a certain amount of risk. Trying to rise within Myriad Beasts Sect would inevitably mean weathering storms. If Zhou Tiezi was content with his present circumstances and had made his own choice, Niu Youdao could hardly force him.

Sworn brotherhood was not something one could force anyway.

A bond that might have existed between the two men was missed just like that...

This time, Xi Haitang finally found time to see Niu Youdao. Guan Fangyi accompanied Niu Youdao to the meeting.

There was no helping it. The same reason applied as before: this woman carried many life-saving talismans. It would have been a waste not to use a bodyguard like that. Niu Youdao knew exactly what she possessed, and whenever there was any possibility of danger, he naturally brought her along.

The meeting with Xi Haitang consisted of little more than mutual courtesies. Niu Youdao was eager to leave, and Xi Haitang had no intention of detaining him, so they said their farewells.

Xi Haitang casually assigned a disciple outside to escort them down. He did not send Qiu Shan personally this time.

“What is it? The way you were looking at Xi Haitang seemed a little strange. Don’t tell me you know him too.”

Niu Youdao asked the question as they descended the mountain.

Guan Fangyi looked uncertain. “He seemed familiar. I feel as though I may have seen him before.”

She truly could not remember.

Far too many years had passed. When Xi Haitang met her back then, he had not used his real name and had taken measures to conceal his true identity. Time had aged people as well, leaving changes in his appearance. And Xi Haitang himself had no desire to bring up those old days when he had admired a celebrated beauty.

Guan Fangyi could hardly ask him to his face either.

She knew what reputation she had. To ask the dignified Sect Leader of Myriad Beasts Sect whether he had once had dealings with her might itself be an insult to him.

The two had only just reached the mountain gate when two Black Jade Eagles descended from the sky.

Two Wuliang Mountain disciples had arrived riding them.

Huang Lie and the others waiting not far outside the gate stared dumbfounded.

Niu Youdao actually had two flying mounts?

No wonder he had said he would give one away. With wealth like this, no wonder he claimed he did not care about Nanzhou’s meager benefits.

Heat immediately stirred in Huang Lie’s heart.

So the man had been telling the truth. If they took Shao Pingbo’s head, they really might receive a flying mount!

Guan Fangyi and the others were equally astonished. They could hardly believe Niu Youdao actually possessed flying mounts, and two of them at that.

The sudden reality before them caught the people of Fufang Garden completely unprepared.

Before leaving Nanzhou, Guan Fangyi had heard Niu Youdao say he was coming here to obtain flying mounts. But she had never seen him make any move toward doing so. How had he suddenly acquired them? Two at once? How?

Guan Fangyi naturally did not believe he had bought them. She knew exactly how poor Niu Youdao was. He did not even carry a copper coin on him and spent every day eating other people’s food and using other people’s things.

These two flying mounts alone were worth at least twenty million gold coins.

How had two suddenly appeared?

Even the Myriad Beasts Sect disciples seeing them off and guarding the gate looked somewhat surprised.

“Brother Niu truly possesses deep pockets!” Huang Lie flew over with his people to join them and offered a few words of praise, his eyes practically shining.

Niu Youdao chuckled. “I’m merely benefiting from Fufang Garden. These were both gifts other people gave Hongniang.”

Huang Lie laughed and looked toward Guan Fangyi.

So that was why this fellow had gone to such trouble to get this woman at his side. There had been a purpose behind it after all.

Uncle Chen, Old Six Xu, and Old Thirteen all turned to look at Hongniang, somewhat bewildered.

“...” Guan Fangyi was already beyond words.

The two flying mounts did not carry everyone away.

Niu Youdao took only Uncle Chen and Guan Fangyi with him. Huang Lie likewise brought only two Elders.

The six of them mounted the two flying beasts and rose into the sky beneath everyone’s gaze.

As for Yuan Gang and the others, Niu Youdao had already made arrangements.

There were still three more flying mounts. It would have been inappropriate to drag them all out together and display them at the gate, so Yuan Gang and the others would ride those afterward.

In the mountain forest, Chao Shenghuai stood frozen.

Niu Youdao had asked him to keep watch on other people, but Chao Shenghuai had never stopped keeping watch on Niu Youdao either. The moment he learned Niu Youdao was leaving, he rushed over without even sending word.

And then he saw this.

Niu Youdao had actually summoned flying mounts stolen from Myriad Beasts Sect directly to Myriad Beasts Sect’s own gate and flaunted them this brazenly.

Wasn’t his courage a little too enormous?

Niu Youdao himself treated it as nothing.

Chao Shenghuai, however, nearly had his soul frightened out of his body.

Once he recovered, he cursed Niu Youdao inwardly as a lunatic.

The goods had only just come into his hands, yet the bastard made no effort to hide them at all.

Did he not know how to show even a little restraint?

[End of Chapter 522]