Chapter 526: Hidden Killing Intent

Zhong Yangxu, his face showing shame, glanced at the young man who mocked them without the slightest regard for the dignity of Dachan Mountain’s Sect Leader.

He did not know who Niu Youdao was.

But when he saw Hongniang approaching, he immediately guessed.

Years ago, in the Qi capital, Zhong Yangxu had once seen Hongniang from a distance.

He still did not know the negotiations or outcome between Dachan Mountain and Niu Youdao, so he found the young man’s boldness rather astonishing.

Being mocked openly left Huang Lie unable to save face. He snorted coldly. “We should never have sent the order ahead by Goldenwing. We should have waited until we arrived in person before acting.”

Niu Youdao asked in return, “Sect Leader Huang means this place leaks like a sieve, yet somehow our arrival here would not have alerted him into escaping?”

One sentence left Huang Lie speechless.

The logic was simple.

Dachan Mountain had failed to control the situation here before. Even if Huang Lie and the others had arrived personally, that movement would still have triggered Shao Pingbo’s warning arrangements and alerted him into fleeing.

The key issue was never whether the Goldenwing arrived first.

The real problem was that Dachan Mountain had been far too self-confident and had left Shao Pingbo too many gaps to exploit.

Even as he said this, Niu Youdao was only preventing Huang Lie from shifting responsibility.

Inwardly, Niu Youdao was blaming himself too.

If they had waited until he arrived before moving, with him personally overseeing things, Shao Pingbo might not have escaped so easily.

Niu Youdao treated Shao Pingbo with far more caution and vigilance than Dachan Mountain did.

Someone came out from the rear courtyard under the “escort” of several Dachan Mountain disciples.

It was Shao Dengyun.

“Sect Leader Huang has arrived.” Shao Dengyun approached Huang Lie and saluted, then sighed. “You came because of that unfilial son of mine, I assume? I failed to teach my son properly. The fault is truly mine.”

Huang Lie looked at him coldly.

He knew Shao Dengyun had refused to cooperate with the search, and inwardly he was indeed angry with the man. But in the end, he forced out one sentence. “One matter is one matter. This has nothing to do with Brother Shao.”

Hearing who this gray-haired, formidable man was, Niu Youdao could not help looking him up and down.

It was his first time seeing Shao Dengyun in person.

He discovered that father and son did not look much alike.

Shao Dengyun was tall and powerfully built, with a forceful presence.

Shao Pingbo, by contrast, was handsome, refined, and somewhat feminine in appearance.

Shao Dengyun’s gaze also settled on Niu Youdao.

The young man was not dressed in Dachan Mountain’s robes, yet could stand shoulder to shoulder with Huang Lie. Naturally, that was enough to attract attention.

More importantly, Shao Dengyun caught a trace of killing intent in the young man’s eyes.

For a man who had spent nearly his entire life amid battlefields and warfare, Shao Dengyun was particularly sensitive to killing intent.

This young man bore him ill will.

“And this is?” Shao Dengyun asked.

Everyone from Dachan Mountain looked toward Niu Youdao.

They all knew this man and Shao Dengyun’s son were mortal enemies.

Niu Youdao showed a smile, revealing white teeth. “Niu Youdao.”

Shao Dengyun’s pupils contracted sharply.

At last he understood why the young man carried faint killing intent toward him.

He had not expected Niu Youdao to dare come here personally.

Looked at another way, that meant Niu Youdao had come with complete confidence. He had already swayed Dachan Mountain to his side and had rushed here to eradicate his son completely.

“I’ve long heard your name. So you’re the Niu Youdao who killed Yan’s envoy. You are indeed an impressive young man.” Shao Dengyun nodded.

Niu Youdao smiled pleasantly. “So you are General Shao, raised up with one hand by Prince Ning, Shang Jianbo, only to betray the Shang clan in the end. I’ve long heard of you as well.”

The words struck directly at Shao Dengyun’s sore point.

He fell silent.

Niu Youdao glanced sideways at Zhong Yangxu. “Elder Zhong, has the Provincial Inspector’s Residence been searched? Could Shao Pingbo still be hiding somewhere inside?”

Zhong Yangxu sighed. “He already escaped through the tunnel.”

Niu Youdao said, “Meaning you still haven’t searched. Better search carefully again.”

The suggestion seemed unnecessary at first glance, but Huang Lie quickly understood.

Sometimes the most dangerous place was the safest.

The people stationed here had actually overlooked that possibility.

Huang Lie immediately glared at Zhong Yangxu and said heavily, “Search again carefully. Do not miss a single place!”

Niu Youdao truly was worried about darkness beneath the lamp, worried Shao Pingbo might exploit precisely that blind spot.

“Yes!” Zhong Yangxu replied in embarrassment and quickly called people over to search.

Seeing Niu Youdao openly arranging measures against his own son right in front of him, Shao Dengyun had nothing to say.

Standing with his sword planted before him, Niu Youdao’s fingers shifted lightly.

The hand resting on the hilt seemed somewhat restless.

The killing intent in his gaze toward Shao Dengyun surfaced and disappeared intermittently.

A hand reached over.

Huang Lie pressed his palm directly onto the back of Niu Youdao’s hand where it gripped the sword, plainly warning him not to act recklessly.

Niu Youdao raised his face toward the sky, thoughts shifting unpredictably.

He understood Huang Lie’s concern.

If Shao Dengyun were killed, Beizhou would fall into chaos and there would be no way to continue negotiating with Yan’s three great sects.

The logic was simple.

To negotiate with the three great sects, Dachan Mountain needed something worth negotiating over.

The three great sects were willing to talk because Dachan Mountain could hand Beizhou over smoothly.

Only if the cultivation power controlling Beizhou and the secular power controlling Beizhou both willingly surrendered the province could Yan take control of it easily.

If Beizhou fell into chaos and Yan had to fight Han for it, then what was there left to negotiate with Dachan Mountain about?

Why would Yan’s three great sects still need to accept Dachan Mountain’s conditions?

Dachan Mountain would also lose the qualifications needed to withdraw cleanly from Beizhou and take control of Nanzhou.

Killing Shao Dengyun now was therefore against Dachan Mountain’s interests.

It was against Niu Youdao’s interests as well.

That was why Huang Lie stopped him.

Niu Youdao nodded to show he understood, then said to Shao Dengyun, “General Shao, you know this place well. Would you honor me by taking me around for a look?”

Shao Dengyun said coldly, “There’s no need. You are not welcome here.”

Niu Youdao chuckled.

He was about to speak when a Dachan Mountain disciple arrived.

After saluting Huang Lie, the disciple reported to Zhong Yangxu, “Master, we found a lead at that estate outside the city. One of the servants saw several people wrapped in black cloaks use three flying mounts to take Shao Pingbo and Shao Sansheng away.”

Huang Lie immediately asked, “Do we know who those people were?”

The disciple replied, “The servant only did odd jobs and knows very little. He happened to see them by chance and has no idea who they were.”

Three flying mounts at once.

People wrapped in black cloaks.

The details instantly struck Niu Youdao.

He remembered what Duan Hu had reported about the attack on Black Peony.

Slowly, Niu Youdao said, “They were probably Xiaoyue Pavilion’s people.”

Shao Dengyun glanced at him.

Huang Lie was surprised. “Xiaoyue Pavilion?”

“You thought I was joking when I said Shao Pingbo had ties to Xiaoyue Pavilion?” Niu Youdao asked.

Huang Lie’s face gradually darkened.

He looked toward Shao Dengyun, wondering whether the father was entangled with Xiaoyue Pavilion as well.

But it no longer mattered, and there was no need to force an answer.

Dachan Mountain had already decided to abandon Beizhou. They had no desire to provoke this trouble any further. Let someone else suffer the headache.

Niu Youdao turned away and drew Guan Fangyi to one side. Quietly, he instructed her, “Contact Xiaoyue Pavilion immediately. Ask whether they took the man. If they did, tell Xiaoyue Pavilion to hand him over. The terms are negotiable.”

Guan Fangyi nodded and turned to find Uncle Chen to make the arrangements.

Niu Youdao looked back toward Shao Dengyun.

He had originally wanted to take the man aside and probe him a little, to see what attitude Shao Dengyun held.

Why probe him?

Because Niu Youdao had not yet decided against killing him.

Originally, killing Shao Dengyun had never been part of the plan.

But Shao Pingbo had escaped, and that changed the nature of everything.

As long as the forces Shao Dengyun controlled in Beizhou remained intact, Shao Pingbo still had the possibility of returning.

As long as the forces Shao Dengyun controlled in Beizhou remained intact, Shao Pingbo would retain influence in the outside world and still possess the power to continue stirring up trouble.

In that case, killing Shao Dengyun and throwing Beizhou into chaos, thereby completely severing Shao Pingbo’s greatest source of support, was not necessarily a bad option.

Yet if Beizhou fell into chaos, that would interfere with Niu Youdao’s plan to kick Tianyu Sect out of Nanzhou.

Relatively speaking, however, he considered Shao Pingbo more dangerous than Tianyu Sect.

Whether he should kill Shao Dengyun or not, and how the benefits and dangers balanced, still required careful thought.

That was why he wanted to test Shao Dengyun’s attitude.

It was a key factor in deciding whether Niu Youdao would strike.

Unfortunately, Shao Dengyun had no wish to pay attention to him.

So Niu Youdao could only think it through for himself.

Using his sword as a walking stick, he began wandering around the Provincial Inspector’s Residence.

When he encountered a Dachan Mountain disciple, Niu Youdao asked a few questions and was directed to the study where Shao Pingbo normally handled official business.

There was almost nothing decorative inside.

The limited wall space on every side was covered with maps, many of them marked with all kinds of annotations.

Niu Youdao leafed through the documents piled on the desk as well.

They bore Shao Pingbo’s various written instructions and approvals.

Several drafts written personally by Shao Pingbo drew Niu Youdao’s attention.

He read through them carefully for some time.

The insights and strategies of governance within left him with much to reflect upon.

Judging from the processing dates on some of the piled documents, Niu Youdao discovered that Shao Pingbo’s daily workload was astonishing.

After leaving the study, he wandered here and there.

The more private places Shao Dengyun and his son used in daily life were of particular interest to him.

He wanted to use the opportunity to understand his opponent better from other angles.

Given such a chance, he would not waste it.

Eventually, he reached a quiet chamber belonging to Shao Dengyun.

He was told that Shao Dengyun never allowed anyone else to enter.

The chamber was very simple.

There was an incense altar, a painting, one memorial tablet, and a single kneeling cushion.

In the painting, a heroic man in battle armor sat astride a horse with whip raised, his bearing formidable.

The inscription on the memorial tablet unexpectedly read:

“Memorial Tablet of Shang Jianbo, Grand Marshal of the State of Yan and Prince Ning.”

Niu Youdao was genuinely surprised.

His nostrils flared slightly as he caught the lingering scent of incense inside the chamber.

He looked around at the traces left by years of incense smoke, then at the marks worn into the kneeling cushion from long use.

After confirming this was a place of long-term worship, Niu Youdao stood silently before the memorial tablet for a while.

Then he turned and left.

While continuing to wander through the residence, he ran into Guan Fangyi, who had come looking for him.

The moment she saw him, she asked, “Where did you disappear to?”

“Just looking around.” Niu Youdao answered casually and led her back toward the front courtyard, where they found the hall in which Shao Dengyun was being watched.

After a little negotiation, Dachan Mountain’s disciples allowed him inside.

Shao Dengyun sat behind the long table and stared coldly at Niu Youdao as he entered, making no move to greet him.

Steward Yang Shuang looked somewhat nervous.

Earlier, he too had noticed the hidden killing intent Niu Youdao bore toward Shao Dengyun.

He quickly stepped forward to block Niu Youdao, cupped his hands, and forced a smile. “Mr. Niu, do you have some instruction?”

Shao Dengyun barked, “Why all the hiding and blocking? Move aside!”

Yang Shuang looked back at him, then reluctantly stepped away.

Niu Youdao walked to the table and planted his sword before him. “I invited General Shao to take a walk with me. Why does the General not dare?”

Shao Dengyun gave a cold snort. “Is there any need?”

Shing!

Niu Youdao abruptly lifted his sword and drew it halfway from the scabbard, cold light flashing from the exposed blade.

Yang Shuang cried out in fright. “Men! Men!”

He had already rushed forward to block the table.

Shao Dengyun remained seated, unmoved. “Yang Shuang, move aside!”

[End of Chapter 526]