Chapter 597: Just a Smokescreen

At those words, Shang Shuqing's bright eyes flickered. She might not understand the cultivation world, but she knew something of Yan's present situation. This truly was an excellent opportunity to swallow territory.

The people present looked at one another.

The members of Dachan Mountain were thinking it over as well. Niu Youdao's argument did seem to make some sense.

Huang Lie's heart stirred. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, “You want to seize the opportunity to annex Dingzhou?”

He had no choice but to consider one problem behind the proposal. The fat meat was already at their lips, but Dachan Mountain might not have the stomach for it. With the sect's present strength, it simply could not hold the territory of two provinces.

Niu Youdao said, “Our appetite isn't that large. We only mean to take a few bites while the chance is there. As for how much we can bite off before the three great sects intervene, that will depend on how quickly His Highness can seize territory.”

Huang Lie frowned. “As little brother himself said, the three great sects won't simply stand by. I'm afraid they'll force us to spit back out whatever we've swallowed.”

Niu Youdao replied, “I'm not so idle that I'd eat myself full and then go looking for trouble. I'll handle the three great sects myself. Dachan Mountain only needs to cooperate with the army's offensive; leave everything else to me. Whatever territory we take will be the grand gift for which I invited Sect Leader Huang here in person. I wonder whether Dachan Mountain is willing to stand of one heart with me?”

A faintly cold scrutiny lay beneath his words.

They were clearly pleasant words, yet what the people of Dachan Mountain heard behind them was: such a good thing has been placed right in front of you, and you still won't agree?

There had always been a vague trace of suspicion in Niu Youdao's words, as though he suspected Dachan Mountain had colluded with the imperial court to attack Maolu Villa from within and without, and suspected the court might hold some evidence of such collusion over them, leaving them afraid to move against it.

Put plainly, if they did not dare strike at the imperial court, that proved they had a guilty conscience.

Niu Youdao had never said so outright. Earlier, he had even said he believed Dachan Mountain would never do such a thing. Now he was claiming to be seeking benefits for them. Yet every word somehow felt like a test, as though one wrong answer would make him turn hostile on the spot.

Huang Lie glanced at the flower-robed man and the black-clad masked men. He did not answer immediately, instead turning to the senior members of Dachan Mountain who had accompanied him. “What do all of you think?”

The others were uncertain as well. Each quietly stole another look at the flower-robed man and the masked men.

Truthfully, they all knew that Dachan Mountain's present strength was nowhere near the point where it could expand its territory. But the atmosphere before them was deeply wrong. Niu Youdao was plainly sharpening a blade behind their backs, ready to lay it against their necks if they gave the wrong answer.

Yet since Niu Youdao had not torn away the veil, neither could they.

Once everything was spoken openly, there would be no room left for pleasant words between the two sides.

If they truly forced Niu Youdao to ask outright whether they would attack or not, Dachan Mountain would lose face and leave itself with no graceful way down. Agreeing would mean submission; refusing would mean breaking with him.

“Why no answer?” Niu Youdao pressed again. “Could Dachan Mountain have divided loyalties?”

One Elder finally spoke. “This is no small matter. We have no choice but to consider it carefully. Can you truly guarantee that the three great sects won't force us to spit out whatever we swallow?”

Niu Youdao had no intention of giving them some absolute guarantee. “There is no question of guaranteeing anything. I'll do my best. In any case, you don't need to worry about the three great sects. If anything goes wrong, Dachan Mountain can put the responsibility on me.”

The Elder immediately turned to his fellow sect members. “The imperial court truly does not dare launch a major war under present circumstances. We seem to have nothing to lose by trying.”

He had given everyone a step down.

Other Elders immediately began voicing agreement.

In the end, Huang Lie nodded and made the decision. “Very well. Then we'll give it a try and see whether we can bite off a few mouthfuls of that fat meat. Little brother, if there's nothing else, we'll head back first and make the necessary arrangements.”

Remaining here was vexing. He had no desire to linger.

Niu Youdao said, “Then Dachan Mountain has agreed to attack Dingzhou. I need to begin making arrangements on my side as well. This cannot be empty talk meant to toy with this Niu.”

Huang Lie replied, “Little brother is overthinking it. Dachan Mountain is not a sect that goes back on its word.”

“Good!” Niu Youdao cupped his hands to see them off, smiling broadly.

What he wanted was precisely for the other side to agree aloud.

Once they had agreed, that was enough. In the Nanzhou of today, no one could casually go back on his word.

As they watched the group depart, Guan Fangyi edged closer to Niu Youdao and muttered, “You're practically pressing their heads down until they nod.”

Niu Youdao glanced at her and muttered back, “What nonsense are you talking? Mind how it sounds. I didn't force anyone.”

Guan Fangyi's face instantly filled with contempt.

She despised this sort of behavior—acting like a whore and then erecting a memorial arch to one's own chastity.

If he had any nerve, he should have told Dachan Mountain all this before displaying the strength on his side and then seen whether they still agreed. He had plainly put a soft knife against their waist and forced them.

Niu Youdao did not bother arguing with her. He turned toward Fei Changliu, Xia Hua, and Zheng Jiuxiao. “The three Sect Leaders have worked hard. I won't let your three sects pay the price of this battle for nothing. Go wash up and rest first. Come see me again afterward.”

The three exchanged glances.

So there were benefits coming.

They were curious what those benefits would be.

Covered in blood and grime as they were, they truly were in no condition for a long conversation. Together, they took their leave.

...

A flying mount carried Huang Lie and the others into the sky.

Looking down at Maolu Villa amid the mountains and waters below, Huang Lie said with melancholy, “I never imagined that fellow had hidden such formidable strength behind him. His attitude toward the imperial court is extraordinarily hard this time.”

He shook his head faintly.

The others knew that was not what he was truly lamenting.

He was lamenting the way Niu Youdao had used force to pressure them into agreeing.

Some things were best left understood without being spoken aloud.

Until they actually decided to break their word and go back on the promise, none of them would expose it. They would not speak of it after returning either. Doing so would only humiliate themselves.

At times, strength itself was reason.

That was precisely why Niu Youdao had called them here this time: to display his strength.

What bullshit grand gift?

It had plainly been a warning to behave themselves.

“Who exactly is that flower-robed man?” one Elder asked, changing the subject.

“Legend says Shangqing Sect possessed a supreme art known as the Azure Cloud Sword Art. Shangqing Sect once shook all beneath Heaven with it, but after the third generation no one ever mastered it again, which also contributed to the sect's decline. Didn't what we saw look somewhat similar? No one in Shangqing Sect has mastered it for so many generations. Among those connected to Shangqing Sect today, who else would possess the talent to learn it? And who else would possess cultivation at that level?”

“You suspect Zhao Xiongge of Demon Ridge?”

“I suspect him too. But according to the old accounts, the Azure Cloud Sword Art manifests azure sword light, while that man's was blood-red. That part doesn't fit.”

“Niu Youdao's Shangqing Sect origins are right there. I think it's very likely Zhao Xiongge. Otherwise, where would he find an expert like that?”

“There's no need to guess blindly. Zong Yuan has been killed, so the Golden Core Ranking is bound to change. When the rankings shift, we'll know.”

...

Boom!

An explosion tore through the mountain forest.

Of the five black-clad masked men attacking together, one was blasted away as Ga Miaoshui burst skyward from their encirclement.

Two Scarlet Hunting Eagles swept rapidly past at low altitude.

One of the masked riders reached out and caught the companion who had been sent flying. Under his other arm, he already carried the unconscious Gao Shaoming.

The remaining four masked men immediately leapt aboard the flying mounts, and the two Scarlet Hunting Eagles sped away.

Ga Miaoshui twisted in midair and glided after the two low-flying mounts.

The four masked men swept out their hands together, scattering a cloud of black pellets.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The pellets exploded in midair into great clouds of smoke.

Ga Miaoshui urgently changed direction to avoid them.

By the time he raised his head again, the two Scarlet Hunting Eagles had already climbed high into the sky. He no longer had any way to catch them.

He drifted down to the ground, watching the black specks disappear into the distance with a murderous expression.

The gleaming flexible sword in his hand trembled once, then curled like a spirit snake into the belt around his waist.

He turned and swept away through the forest in several flashes, eventually finding the Black Jade Eagle that had died miserably.

He stood staring at it for a while.

He had not expected Maolu Villa to possess Scarlet Hunting Eagles as well. Otherwise, after the battle he would never have gone so casually to observe the fighting ground.

In the end, his own mount had been slower than theirs, and they had caught him.

He did not remain long. His figure flashed and vanished into the distance.

Aboard one of the flying mounts in the sky, one masked man coughed several times and spat blood.

A companion supported him. “How is it?”

The wounded man shook his head. “I'm afraid I'll need to recuperate for a while. Damn it. Just a damned eunuch from the palace, and no one's ever heard of him making a move in the cultivation world. Who would've thought he was hiding strength that deep? Even with all of us joining hands, we still couldn't do anything to him.”

The men looked at one another.

Apart from the one carrying Gao Shaoming, the others all had slashes torn through their clothing. Every one of them had bled.

...

Outside Maolu Villa, the army was still searching.

The surrounding region was being combed as thoroughly as grain through a sieve, in case any assassins remained hidden nearby.

Inside the waterside pavilion, Su Jieren sat with Niu Youdao.

“You men have no use for cultivation pills, so leave those here. As for the other valuables recovered, there's no need to turn them over to me. Give them to His Highness to dispose of.” Seated beside the table, Niu Youdao pushed the box Su Jieren had offered back toward him, then gestured to Guan Fangyi.

She took out a stack of gold drafts.

“Here is one million in gold drafts. Reward the officers and soldiers on my behalf.”

Su Jieren hurriedly declined. “The valuables recovered are already substantial. How could we take Master Dao's money as well? Master Dao has already done so much for Nanzhou—”

Yuan Gang cut in. “Enough nonsense. If you're told to take it, take it. The families of every soldier who died in battle need compensation. Make sure Master Dao's goodwill reaches every single household. Understood?”

Su Jieren looked toward Shang Shuqing.

Seeing her give a faint nod, he had no choice but to accept the drafts and thank Niu Youdao on behalf of his brothers.

After he left, Shang Shuqing tentatively asked, “Master Dao, Elder Brother has already written to say the residence there is prepared. But from what I heard you tell Sect Leader Huang... have you changed your mind?”

Niu Youdao raised a hand and slapped his forehead. “I'll have to trouble the Commandery Princess to write back and explain for me. I never intended to move to the provincial capital. It was only a smokescreen. I didn't tell His Highness the truth because I needed the activity in the provincial capital to make the false look real. Please apologize to him for me. I've put him to trouble.”

Shang Shuqing was puzzled.

A smokescreen?

What smokescreen?

She could not work it out.

Nor was she alone.

Many of the people around Niu Youdao were equally confused.

Did it have something to do with this attack?

Niu Youdao gave them no answer.

He rose and returned to his own courtyard.

The flower-robed man followed him all the way into his room. At last he could not help asking, “What was that smokescreen you just mentioned?”

He knew far too little of the surrounding circumstances.

Niu Youdao was silent for a moment, then did not conceal it from him. “I knew that after the imperial court carelessly failed against me in Jinzhou, they wouldn't let the matter rest. But I couldn't keep moving to the imperial court's rhythm. I needed the imperial court to move to mine. Once I hid inside the Provincial Inspector's Residence of Nanzhou, it would become much harder for them to act against me.”

The flower-robed man gave a faint sound of understanding.

So that was it.

Niu Youdao had been forcing the imperial court to act within the window of time he himself had chosen.

[End of Chapter 597]