Chapter 621: Use a Scarlet Hunting Eagle

Niu Youdao did not show Guan Fangyi the secret letter. He handed it straight back to Yuan Gang to deal with.

Yuan Gang glanced at Guan Fangyi, then turned and left.

Guan Fangyi was no fool. She knew at once that the letter Yuan Gang had taken away was the truly sensitive one, and displeasure spread across her face. “Master Dao, you still don’t trust me.”

Niu Youdao smiled faintly. “You’re overthinking it. Some things are no use to you even if you know them now. With certain matters, the fewer people who know, the better. The more people who know, the more easily I get distracted. When the time comes for you to know, naturally I’ll tell you. It has nothing to do with whether I trust you.”

For the moment, the matter involving Gao Jiancheng was simply too serious. No one else on their side could be allowed to know about it yet.

Guan Fangyi curled her lip. “In the end, you still don’t trust me. Why does Monkey get to know things I can’t? Fine. You’re right that some things are better known by fewer people. From now on, I’ll work a little harder and keep things from that red-faced monkey too.”

Niu Youdao said, “Fine. I’ll give the two of you a fair chance. I’ll test you with something simple. Whoever can do it gets to take charge of such matters from now on.”

Guan Fangyi blinked curiously. “What?”

“A cesspit.” Niu Youdao turned to look at her. “Whoever can jump into one and stay there for a full day gets to take charge from now on.”

Guan Fangyi’s expression twitched. There was no chance she was doing anything that disgusting. She spat, “Pervert!”

“He really is that perverted.” Niu Youdao leaned his face closer to hers. “If something fell into a cesspit, he could pick it back up and eat it in one bite. That letter just now, for instance. Could you?”

From the way he spoke, it sounded as though Yuan Gang might genuinely have done such a thing before. Guan Fangyi was thoroughly revolted. She took a step back as though Niu Youdao might spray filth from his mouth. “I’m a woman and he’s a man. Comparing us like that is hardly fair. Why don’t you make him compete with a woman at giving birth?”

Niu Youdao shook his head helplessly. He could not stand this sort of argument from women. When it suited them, they wanted men and women treated the same. When it did not, suddenly they were women. Either way, they were right. In other words, there was no reasoning with them.

He asked, “Can you produce a child all by yourself?”

Guan Fangyi rolled her eyes. “Of course not.”

Niu Youdao said, “You find a man to help you, and he finds a woman to help him. Same conditions. You can give birth to one a year. He can father a hundred in a year. How are you supposed to compete?”

For a moment Guan Fangyi did not understand what he meant. When it finally dawned on her, she was left speechless. She found it nearly impossible to win an argument with this man. In the end she flung out one word: “Shameless!”

Niu Youdao chuckled, then suddenly turned his head toward the sky. A flying mount was approaching from the distance.

The visitor was none other than Huang Lie, Sect Leader of Dachan Mountain.

Huang Lie at least observed the rules. He did not barge directly into Maolu Villa, but first landed outside the mountain gate and had someone announce his arrival.

Naturally, once Niu Youdao heard that Huang Lie had come, he invited him in and personally went out to receive him. Before descending from the high pavilion, however, he had Duan Hu summoned and whispered a few instructions into his ear. Duan Hu nodded and left.

After receiving permission to enter, Huang Lie and his companions mounted their flying bird again, rose from beyond the mountain gate, and landed outside Maolu Villa.

Only three people had come: Huang Lie, an accompanying elder, and one disciple.

The usual courtesies between host and guest were unavoidable. Huang Lie wore a broad smile. The thing he had feared most had not happened. Instead, Dachan Mountain had smoothly gained the interests from three additional commanderies, all of them falling entirely into its hands. Niu Youdao had not touched them at all. How could Huang Lie not be pleased?

Niu Youdao invited them inside. Huang Lie sent the other two in but did not enter himself. Instead, he asked Niu Youdao to walk with him outside the villa.

Niu Youdao readily agreed, and the two strolled among the mountains and streams.

Once no one else was around, Niu Youdao, who had been pointing out the surrounding terrain, returned to the real subject. “Sect Leader Huang, did something bring you here?”

Huang Lie’s smile faded. He sighed. “What else could it be? Yan is plagued by troubles within and enemies without. The state is already on the verge of being battered apart by wind and rain. Brother Niu, are you truly not worried at all?”

It was hardly only Huang Lie who was worried. There was probably not a cultivation sect anywhere in Yan, including the three major sects themselves, that was not anxious about the situation.

Niu Youdao walked beside him. “What use is worrying? We can’t even control what happens inside Yan, much less withstand the forceful intervention of the other states. This is beyond the strength of either you or me. If the sky falls, the tall men will have to hold it up. The three major sects are first in line. Let them deal with it. For now, all we can do is watch.”

He did not reveal Tong Mo’s scheme against Nanzhou.

Huang Lie said, “If Yan collapses, how could we possibly come out of it well? Why would the great powers of the other states allow us to keep occupying the interests we hold here? Of course, Brother Niu is different. Looking at things now, your foresight really was greater. You don’t occupy territory, and you don’t need territorial interests to support so many people. It would be easy for you to pull out. You could go anywhere. Dachan Mountain has so many disciples. If we lose our foothold in Yan, where are we supposed to go? Which power in another state would feel comfortable letting Dachan Mountain move into its territory?”

Niu Youdao merely listened to such words. They were easy to say, but it was not truly so easy for him to walk away.

What about Liuxian Sect, Lingxiu Mountain, and Fuyun Sect? Was he supposed to throw them aside? And Shang Chaozong in Nanzhou—was he supposed to abandon him too?

If he really did that, it would be no different from lifting a rock only to smash his own foot. No sect would ever again be willing to serve him, and no regional lord would ever trust him. Even if he managed to withdraw, he would ultimately be reduced to bowing his head and obeying someone else.

All the effort he had poured in over these years would be lost, and from then on he would have nothing left but to work for others. That would be true helplessness.

Huang Lie continued, “I hear the people who personally intervened in Cangzhou were none other than your sworn elder brother Quan Taifeng and sworn elder sister Hui Qingping. Apparently they failed to get what they wanted from you, turned toward Cangzhou instead, and succeeded there, stirring up the conflict.”

The two reached the top of a hill and stopped side by side, looking into the distance. Niu Youdao planted his sword before him and shook his head. “That explanation is too one-sided. Looking at things now, the affair must have been planned long in advance. Otherwise, how could Cangzhou have rebelled so quickly? Yan is riddled with holes. Clearly, people had their eyes on those weaknesses long ago.”

Huang Lie thought it over and nodded slightly. The reasoning made sense.

Even if Quan Taifeng and Hui Qingping had managed to succeed after reaching Cangzhou, the situation could never have erupted this quickly without thorough preparations in advance. Qu Yunkong and Wu Gongshan had been, respectively, the Sect Leader of the cultivation faction guarding Cangzhou and the regional lord commanding his own army there. Men like that could not simply be killed on a whim without a meticulous plan. Quan Taifeng and Hui Qingping must already have made preparations in Cangzhou before coming to Maolu Villa.

Seen that way, the purpose of their visit to Maolu Villa became clearer. They had wanted to use Nanzhou to pour more oil onto Yan’s internal fire. Nanzhou had never been their only piece on the board.

Huang Lie’s reason for coming was to learn how Niu Youdao intended to deal with the present situation. He also knew Niu Youdao would not willingly abandon Nanzhou. At this moment there was no conflict of interest between them. Their aims were the same: both wanted to preserve Nanzhou.

From another angle, Dachan Mountain had also come to acknowledge Niu Youdao’s ability and hoped he might have some way to resolve the crisis.

But Niu Youdao truly had no solution at present. The Yan court was not yet something he could order about, much less could he control the will of Han and Song.

The struggle among the states was simply too vast. The information in his hands was limited, leaving him unable to make any effective judgment. The strength he currently possessed was still insufficient to move such a situation.

Huang Lie did not get the answer he wanted, but neither did he hurry to leave. Niu Youdao invited him to stay, and he agreed to spend the night before departing.

When the two returned to Maolu Villa, Huang Lie’s pupils abruptly contracted. He had noticed a familiar figure atop the high pavilion.

The man in flower-patterned robes was leaning against the railing...

...

Toward evening, a Goldenwing fluttered down into a cluster of buildings.

Inside one room, Gongsun Bu suddenly turned toward the Goldenwing that had landed on the windowsill. The bird cooed softly, its gaze searching the room.

Gongsun Bu’s expression shifted several times.

A disciple outside heard the movement and came over, reaching out to take the Goldenwing. Gongsun Bu stopped him and waved him away.

The disciple obeyed and withdrew without thinking much of it. Perhaps the message was a secret not suitable for others to handle. Wuliang Mountain was responsible for this kind of work now, and everyone understood the rules.

Without letting the message pass through anyone else’s hands, Gongsun Bu personally took the Goldenwing from the windowsill and carried it inside.

...

“Master Yuan, it’s appeared again.”

Duan Hu rushed into Yuan Gang’s room. The moment he saw him, he immediately pointed meaningfully in the direction of Wuliang Mountain.

He had only recently returned after changing his appearance. Then an urgent message arrived from Wuliang Mountain, and he had come straight to Yuan Gang without delay.

Yuan Gang had been wiping down the Three-Roars Saber. A sharp light flashed in his eyes. “Quick. Follow the prepared plan. Have Wu Sanliang and Lei Zongkang tail it immediately. Use a Scarlet Hunting Eagle!”

“Right!” Duan Hu spun around and ran out.

Yuan Gang lifted the saber horizontally before his eyes. His own reflection stared back from the gleaming blade, while his heart felt heavy.

Not long ago, shortly after activating the people he had planted inside Wuliang Mountain, Yuan Gang had begun sorting through the mountain’s incoming and outgoing messages and discovered something abnormal.

Not long after the attack on Maolu Villa, a Goldenwing had flown to Gongsun Bu.

There was nothing extraordinary about that by itself. Everyone had private affairs, and it was hardly worth making a fuss over. But Gongsun Bu’s position was far too important. Niu Youdao had entrusted the whole foundation of their operation to Yuan Gang, so Yuan Gang could not afford to be careless.

Afterward, he secretly checked every Goldenwing belonging to Wuliang Mountain. By comparing the times when the various birds were present or absent, he discovered that the Goldenwing contacting Gongsun Bu did not belong to Wuliang Mountain’s known pool of messenger birds at all.

Unfortunately, by then the opportunity had already been lost. The Goldenwing had departed, leaving no clue to pursue.

But Yuan Gang believed that a bird used to contact Gongsun Bu would not appear only once. There would be a second time.

He therefore made secret arrangements at once. The moment that Goldenwing appeared again, it was to be identified and locked onto immediately.

The preparations had not been in place for long before it returned.

Under the setting sun, the Goldenwing had barely risen from Wuliang Mountain’s sect compound when a Scarlet Hunting Eagle burst from a nearby forest and went after it.

Lei Zongkang and Wu Sanliang pressed low against the Scarlet Hunting Eagle’s back, their eyes fixed on the black speck receding into the distance.

...

The kitchens of Nanshan Temple were bustling. Huang Lie had come, so naturally a banquet had to be prepared for him, with Niu Youdao himself acting as host.

At about this time, Guan Fangyi entered Niu Youdao’s room. On occasions like this, she generally accompanied him.

As the two walked out beneath the eaves, Guan Fangyi asked as though casually, “Lei Zongkang and Wu Sanliang suddenly took a Scarlet Hunting Eagle and slipped away. Did you send them off to do something shady again?”

Niu Youdao gave an “Oh?” He was genuinely surprised. Yuan Gang had never told him about the secret arrangements.

[End of Chapter 621]