Chapter 582: I Remain Unmoved!

Gao Shaoming's spirits lifted. He stepped forward quickly and reached for the secret message in the eunuch's hand.

“Lord Gao!” the eunuch warned, raising an arm to block him and reminding him to mind his station.

Without a word from Zhao Sen, how could their secret intelligence be handed over casually for someone else to read?

Gao Shaoming had no choice but to stop and turn toward Zhao Sen.

Zhao Sen was looking at him as well.

According to the information he had received, it was this man who had persuaded the Emperor, leading to Zhao Sen's own return to cooperate in eliminating Niu Youdao. To move against Niu Youdao within Jinzhou's territory—who knew what might happen? To some extent this was a risky undertaking, and Zhao Sen had been dragged into it by Gao Shaoming. He was not especially pleased.

But there was nothing he could do.

The imperial decree had already been issued. He had to obey.

In the end, Zhao Sen jumped down from the boulder, accepted the secret letter from the eunuch, and read it. Afterward he frowned and muttered, “Doesn't he have flying mounts available?”

Gao Shaoming could not hold back any longer. “Director Zhao, what's happening?”

Zhao Sen handed him the message.

The moment it reached his hand, Gao Shaoming read it carefully. He too found it strange. “He's traveling by land? He's returning to Nanzhou, yet despite having flying mounts, he's taking the roads?”

The two looked at one another.

Zhao Sen said, “Apart from Hongniang and that Old Second Wu, he has only ten disciples of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion escorting him. Do you think he's out admiring the mountains and rivers, or simply bored?”

Gao Shaoming understood the implication.

It might be a trap.

That possibility worried him as well. The situation was far too abnormal.

“Even if he were riding a flying mount, the people sent to kill him could still act against him. Could it be that precisely because he knows this, he's deliberately making a mystery of things?”

“Don't forget,” Zhao Sen replied, “Tu Huaiyu had so many guards traveling with him and still couldn't be saved. The force that assassinated Tu Huaiyu was no small thing. If this really is a trap, the losses could be enormous.”

Gao Shaoming said, “Then are we supposed to watch him return without doing anything? He isn't an ordinary cultivator anymore. He already controls a considerable amount of power. Around Maolu Villa, three sects have gathered several thousand cultivators to protect him, and there are armies guarding the surrounding region as well. Even an army of a hundred thousand would find it difficult to force its way in.”

“Not even top cultivator experts can approach him easily. Any suspicious movement is detected by his eyes and ears several li away from the villa. Before an assassin can get close, the slightest disturbance has already beaten the grass and startled the snake, and he can disappear without a trace. In vast mountains like those, hiding a single man is too easy. Trying to find him would be no different from searching for a needle in the sea.”

“His nest is defended like walls of bronze and iron. Once he withdraws back inside it, moving against him again will be far more difficult. Trap or no trap, we cannot miss this opportunity. We have to test it no matter what. What if all this is only an empty show meant to frighten people?”

Zhao Sen asked, “Did you bring the manpower?”

“The people sent earlier were never withdrawn. They've been waiting outside Jinzhou's provincial capital the entire time. How many men have you prepared here?”

“What men would I have prepared? I have only those beside me.”

Gao Shaoming's voice sank. “Eunuch Zhao, don't tell me you didn't receive instructions from above?”

“The instructions from above only ordered me to cooperate with you. The eyes and ears of my Star Observatory are already watching everything over there for you, allowing you to keep informed of every movement. I've also transferred five flying mounts for your use in case Niu Youdao tries to escape by air.”

“Do you expect my men to rush to the front for the actual killing as well? If that's what you want, I might as well handle everything myself. What need would there be for you to stand here pointing fingers?”

It was a joke.

Knowing full well there might be a trap, Zhao Sen had no intention of sending his own people charging first. Naturally, Yan's men should go in and test the depth of the water.

Gao Shaoming found himself unable to answer.

The key problem was that Zhao Sen's words were reasonable.

He finally said in a muffled voice, “Fine. My people will handle the attack. But I hope Eunuch Zhao understands that only after Niu Youdao is eliminated can Yan act against Nanzhou. And only after Nanzhou is no longer there to support Jinzhou will your state be able to move against Jinzhou. Since both sides are cooperating, I hope Eunuch Zhao will keep the greater situation in mind. If my side needs assistance, you cannot stand by and watch.”

“You don't need to remind me. I know.”

“Map!” Gao Shaoming called.

A map was brought over and spread before the two men. They repeatedly confirmed Niu Youdao's route and current position using the reports from Zhao Sen's intelligence network, then discussed where an ambush should be laid.

...

At the eastern city gate, a party of more than ten riders approached.

Niu Youdao, Guan Fangyi, and Old Second Wu—who carried a cage for Goldenwings on his back—were among them, escorted by ten disciples of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion.

When Guan Fangyi had been young, she had dressed with elegant restraint. Now, the older she became, the more she seemed to enjoy dressing in extravagant colors.

A faint smile habitually rested on her face. Her graceful body swayed with the motion of the horse, her bright eyes glancing beautifully in every direction. Yet beneath those glances lay constant vigilance and observation.

Old Second Wu's slowly shifting gaze was deeper and more severe, likewise relaxed on the outside while tightly guarded within, watching their surroundings at every moment.

The two rode on either side of Niu Youdao, protecting him between them.

Niu Youdao himself, swaying gently in the saddle, remained quiet and composed, passing through the city as though merely admiring flowers from horseback.

As they reached the gate, Li Wuhua's disciple Sun Linxian—the leader of the escorts sent by Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion—went forward and exchanged a few words with the guards. The usual questioning was skipped, and the entire party left the city without obstruction.

They had barely ridden beyond the gate when a lone horse waiting off to one side came trotting over to meet them.

Its rider was a man dressed in flowered clothing.

Truly flowered clothing—the robe was covered from top to bottom in clusters of embroidered blossoms.

His real appearance was hidden. A false face was clearly fitted over his features.

“Who are you?” Sun Linxian shouted.

As leader of the guards, he raised his sword and signaled for the stranger to stop approaching.

The entire escort immediately went on alert. Guan Fangyi and Old Second Wu likewise sharpened their vigilance.

The flower-robed man pulled on the reins and stopped beside the group, his gaze falling upon Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao looked over the man's floral robe. A teasing smile touched the corner of his mouth. He raised a hand and waved. “It's fine. He's one of ours.”

One of ours?

Guan Fangyi and Old Second Wu quickly exchanged a look, each seeing the same confusion in the other's eyes.

Did they have someone like this among their people?

Since Niu Youdao had said so, Sun Linxian could only follow his signal and wave the alert disciples aside.

The flower-robed man tapped his heels against his horse's belly and moved forward. Without the slightest courtesy, he squeezed Old Second Wu out of position and took his place beside Niu Youdao, blending directly into the formation.

“Was it really necessary to make me dress like this?” the man asked in a deliberately hoarse voice.

Niu Youdao smiled. “I was afraid I'd mistake someone else for you. This made you easier to identify. Besides, you actually look rather good in it. Better than what you used to wear, at least.”

The flower-robed man shot him a sidelong glance and said no more.

Guan Fangyi grew increasingly suspicious.

From time to time, she secretly studied the stranger.

Whether or not he was one of their people, Niu Youdao's outside communications throughout this period had all passed directly through her hands. She had read every incoming and outgoing message, yet she had never seen him arrange for anyone to meet them outside the city.

Unless there was one exception.

During this period, Niu Youdao had exchanged letters with Yuan Gang, but the two of them used a bizarre script she could not understand at all.

“Let's go.” Niu Youdao gestured, signaling the group to set out properly.

Once beyond the city, the riders released their pace. More than ten horses thundered down the official road.

...

Outside the gates of the Provincial Inspector's Residence, a carriage stood waiting. One of its curtains had been rolled up on the side facing the residence.

Jin envoy Chu Xiangyu sat inside.

Within the residence, Guo Wanjin, who was temporarily acting as steward, came out. He trotted down the steps, reached the carriage, and cupped his hands toward Chu Xiangyu through the open window.

“Lord Chu wishes to see Niu Youdao?”

Chu Xiangyu said, “What? Whether he sees me or not is something your people decide for him now?”

Guo Wanjin smiled. “That's not what I meant. Lord Chu, don't misunderstand. Niu Youdao has already left. He's no longer in the residence.”

“Left?” Chu Xiangyu was startled. “Where did he go?”

“That I don't know. He left early this morning.”

Guo Wanjin did know Niu Youdao was returning to Nanzhou, but naturally he would not openly reveal the man's destination.

For the moment, Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion had to consider Niu Youdao's safety. The simple reason was that too many people's interests were now tied to it.

Chu Xiangyu had no words.

He had only just received Jin's reply.

Taishu Xiong had ordered him to speak with Niu Youdao again. Other than Shao Pingbo's head, any condition Niu Youdao proposed could be discussed. If Chu Xiangyu lacked the authority to decide, he could report back and ask for instructions.

But now the man was gone.

How was he supposed to negotiate?

His own authority was limited to Zhao territory. If Niu Youdao had already left Zhao, whether Chu Xiangyu should pursue him into another state to continue negotiations was something he would have to request instructions about yet again.

What puzzled him most was the sense that Niu Youdao had little sincerity about negotiating at all. He had known perfectly well that Chu Xiangyu was waiting for a reply from Jin, yet he had simply left without waiting in the slightest.

...

Mountains and rivers passed one after another, and the sound of hooves accompanied them the entire way.

Another winding mountain range appeared ahead.

The party slowed.

Men on either side handed their reins to companions. Four figures leapt into the air. Two entered the forests flanking the road to search ahead, while the other two skimmed above the treetops and surveyed the surroundings from on high.

This was not the first mountain they had crossed, and naturally not the first time they had cleared the road in this fashion.

Every previous time, nothing had happened.

But calamity, when destined to come, could not be avoided forever.

“Ambush!”

Of the four men scouting ahead, two were moving through the woods on either side while the other two leapt across the crowns of the trees and scanned the wider area.

They found no problem directly along either side of the road.

The enemy, however, had been cunning. The ambush was not set close to the road at all, but deeper inside the forests on both sides.

They seemed to have learned the escort's pattern.

The moment the forward scouts passed, the assassins concealed in the forest burst into motion and rushed straight toward Niu Youdao's party behind them, giving him no chance to escape.

Even so, the disturbance within the woods was spotted by the scouts above the canopy, who immediately sent an urgent warning back.

The disciples of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion drew their swords one after another, every one of them facing a great enemy.

Old Second Wu, meanwhile, had already pulled out a slender bamboo tube.

He yanked the cord.

Bang!

With a shrill whistle, a signal arrow shot into the sky.

Niu Youdao remained unmoved.

He continued holding his horse to the same measured pace as it moved forward.

The flower-robed man could not help giving him an extra look.

Branches rustled violently on both sides.

Groups of masked men shot out of the forests one after another.

The disciples of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion turned pale with shock and launched themselves forward, desperately trying to block them.

Booming clashes erupted at once.

The mounts screamed and reared.

Niu Youdao tightened his reins, preventing his startled horse from bolting, and continued forward at the same unhurried pace.

“Master Dao, go!” Sun Linxian shouted desperately.

Niu Youdao ignored him completely.

Let the great waves tower to Heaven; I remain unmoved!

The disciples of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion could not possibly stop so many killers.

Their defensive line shattered almost instantly.

More than a dozen assassins joined forces and lunged through the breach. Together they unleashed over a dozen blades of sword qi, all of them cutting toward Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao showed no intention of drawing his sword.

He did not even show the slightest intention of defending himself.

Still neither hurried nor slow, he continued riding forward, as though deliberately steering his horse straight into the oncoming sword qi.

“Master Dao!” Guan Fangyi cried out.

She was nearly scared out of her soul.

The corner of the flower-robed man's mouth seemed to twitch.

He had remained beside Niu Youdao, but even as the sword qi was about to split Niu Youdao's face apart, there was still no reaction from him.

At last, the flower-robed man could no longer hold back.

“Fine. You're ruthless!”

As the curse left his mouth, both his palms swept outward.

His ten fingers snapped forward in a blur of phantom motion!

[End of Chapter 582]