Chapter 725: Chao Jing's Fury

The annihilation of Chen Shaotong's entire army had an enormous impact on Song.

More precisely, the shadow Meng Shanming had once cast over Song, a shadow the state had gradually begun to forget, once again settled over the whole country.

From top to bottom, people in Song changed color at the mere mention of him. Whenever the common people discussed the war, they inevitably brought up the humiliation Meng Shanming had inflicted on Song in years past. Only this time, the pain was even worse.

When a war was lost, one could hardly blame the enemy for being too strong. Besides, the enemy had not been strong to begin with. More importantly, Song itself had started the war and had been the first to invade Yan. The only conclusion was that something had gone wrong with Song's own strategy, and as Grand Commander-in-Chief, Luo Zhao could not escape responsibility.

For a time, condemnation of Luo Zhao surged through the Song court. He was accused of underestimating the enemy and advancing recklessly. People said they had warned all along that Meng Shanming must not be taken lightly. Some even claimed Meng Shanming's wholesale slaughter had been provoked by Luo Zhao, denouncing Luo Zhao's childish and irresponsible stunt of "sending a white horse to deliver mourning."

The Song emperor came under immense pressure. He had personally overruled opposition and supported Luo Zhao's strategic advance, so no one felt the backlash more keenly than he did.

Everyone had already perceived Meng Shanming's strategic intentions, and Song might not necessarily be destroyed. But who dared guarantee that nothing unexpected would happen?

Song's three major sects likewise fell into profound unease.

...

"What does everyone think of this matter?" Xi Haitang stood at the head of the main hall and swept his gaze over those to either side.

Yue Yuan had only just left. Yan's three major sects had come demanding an explanation, with witnesses and material evidence in hand. The Myriad Beasts Sect could no longer deny everything, and Yue Yuan had thoroughly humiliated them before leaving.

News had also come from the Song court, which was likewise demanding an explanation from the Myriad Beasts Sect and asking what exactly had happened.

The hall remained silent for a time. Then Chao Jing suddenly spoke. "Sect Leader, could someone inside our sect have leaked the secret method for avoiding the beast tide?"

The words caused a slight stir among those present. In truth, not many people inside the Myriad Beasts Sect knew that method.

Not every disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect was proficient in every secret art. Disciples were divided by duty and generally specialized deeply in a single field, chiefly to keep them from dabbling in too many miscellaneous arts and mastering none of them. Apart from the disciples specifically responsible for that particular method, only Elders of sufficient rank, like those present here, were qualified to study the sect's various secret arts.

Chao Jing's suggestion therefore implicated every Elder in the hall.

Xi Haitang said coldly, "Elder Chao, do not make reckless accusations without evidence. There may be people outside the sect who know similar methods. In any case, that is not the most urgent issue. We can investigate it later. Right now, we need to decide what explanation to give both sides. How should we answer them?"

The Myriad Beasts Sect's choice to remain neutral and avoid the struggles among the states had been debated when the sect was first founded.

The conclusion had been simple. They feared becoming an enemy of the entire cultivation world. Their beast-controlling methods were effective enough against ordinary mortals, but had relatively little effect on cultivators. If they truly provoked the cultivation world's combined suppression, the Myriad Beasts Sect could not withstand it.

That was why the sect had chosen neutrality, reassuring every sect and faction by refusing to develop a territorial power base of its own. Instead, it concentrated on earning resources and strengthening itself. Only through that policy had the Myriad Beasts Sect reached its present position.

Its intervention this time had also been forced by circumstances. The Myriad Beasts Sect possessed no territorial power base of its own and could not determine the outcome of a war between states. Under threat from the Song court, it had merely chosen the moment to display a measure of its strength. Put plainly, it had meant to deter others.

Discussion gradually broke out throughout the hall.

Yan's three major sects had certainly come to call them to account, but they had also shown a willingness to reconcile. In other words, the Myriad Beasts Sect had already achieved its objective.

A conclusion was therefore reached quickly: accept Yan's conditions and withdraw from the war.

As for the reply to the Song court, the answer would be that the Myriad Beasts Sect had always observed the principle of neutrality and did not involve itself in conflicts among the states.

Yue Yuan obtained the result he wanted and departed satisfied.

Afterward, Chao Jing still suspected that someone inside the sect had leaked the secret. He sought out Sect Leader Xi Haitang and volunteered to secretly investigate whether anyone within the sect had done so.

Xi Haitang agreed. After Chao Jing left, he summoned Elder Qiu Shan and gave him the same secret order to investigate whether anyone inside the sect had leaked the method.

Nor was Qiu Shan the only one. Several other Elders received the same confidential order from Xi Haitang.

And Xi Haitang concealed from every one of those Elders that still other people had been brought into the investigation as well.

...

A hundred li from the Myriad Beasts Sect, two large flying mounts descended into the depths of a vast mountain forest.

Niu Youdao kept his word and sent Chao Shenghuai back. Returned with him were Chen Ping, Gao Lan, and Liu Ding'an, the fellow disciples who had once helped Chao Shenghuai create the false plague and steal the flying mounts. Qiu Wenxian, the fourth man, had already been killed by Chao Jing.

"Brother Chao, take care." After releasing the restriction on Chao Shenghuai's body, Duan Hu smiled and cupped his hands in farewell.

With his spiritual power restored, Chao Shenghuai flexed his arms and said darkly, "Tell Niu Youdao this: if there is a next time, then if he shows me no benevolence, don't blame me for returning the favor! Don't think that..."

His words stopped abruptly.

Several screams had frightened the rest of the sentence back into his throat.

Chen Ping, Gao Lan, and Liu Ding'an had already collapsed into pools of blood. Lei Zongkang and Wu Sanliang shook the blood from their swords and sheathed the blades.

"What are you trying to do?" Chao Shenghuai asked in horror.

Duan Hu said, "Master Dao is not a man who breaks his word. He said he would help Brother Chao deal with them, so naturally he would do it. It merely happened a little later than promised. As for the money, since Brother Chao himself no longer wanted it, Master Dao could hardly force it on you. In short, the matter has now been settled completely. Brother Chao, are you satisfied with this explanation?"

It sounded as though they had killed the men to help Chao Shenghuai silence them, but that was not the true reason.

These men had stayed in the secret place surrounded by poisonous miasma.

That hidden place still contained secrets for the time being. Gao Jiancheng's son, for example, was still living there in seclusion. Niu Youdao knew the place would be exposed sooner or later, but he did not want it exposed too soon.

The Myriad Beasts Sect was also different from ordinary factions. It possessed many flying mounts capable of carrying passengers. If its people learned the distinguishing features of the place, it would be easy for them to survey the area from high in the sky and locate the target.

Chao Shenghuai did not know what to say. He had been worrying over how to deal with these three men himself, only for the other side to suddenly solve the problem in front of him.

"Brother Chao, take care. Forgive us for not seeing you farther." Duan Hu smiled faintly, turned, and leaped onto a flying mount with Lei Zongkang and Wu Sanliang. The great bird beat its wings and rose into the sky.

Chao Shenghuai swallowed dryly and looked around. He quickly disposed of the corpses, then fled in a panic.

He had no idea why Niu Youdao had done this. He had also known nothing of what happened while he was being held captive. Only after returning to the Myriad Beasts Sect did he understand.

Niu Youdao had used him to pry open his grandfather.

Inside a quiet room, Chao Jing's fury blazed. He slapped Chao Shenghuai from one side, then the other, again and again. Blood poured from Chao Shenghuai's nose and mouth. His face had already swollen like a pig's head, yet Chao Jing's rage still had not abated, and he showed no intention of stopping.

At first, Chao Shenghuai had stammered and tried to conceal things. But once he learned Niu Youdao had already gone to his grandfather, he was truly terrified. He immediately spilled everything like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, including the truth about the assassination of the Song envoy.

Chao Jing nearly vomited blood from rage.

So the assassination of the Song envoy really had been his own grandson's doing. This precious grandson had been lying to him all along.

And Niu Youdao's story about the flying mounts had been complete nonsense too. The man had simply stolen five flying mounts from the Myriad Beasts Sect.

Chao Jing also learned that Niu Youdao had killed the He brothers back inside the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm. He had never possessed those witnesses at all. Chao Jing had actually been frightened into submission by Qiu Wenxian and by the story Qiu Wenxian told.

As for Chen Ping and the others not being handed over to him as promised, that was because Niu Youdao had fulfilled his promise to Chao Shenghuai instead and killed them. That part was no issue. They had been killed in front of his grandson, so it could hardly be false.

But Chao Jing was still so furious that he almost wanted to kill Chao Shenghuai himself. He dared not do so in the middle of this storm, however. If Chao Shenghuai died now, it would easily arouse suspicion. All he could do was beat him savagely to vent his anger.

Even after finishing, he still had to order Chao Shenghuai to stay quietly in the room and recover. Only after his injuries had healed was he allowed to get out.

Naturally, the reason was that Chao Jing feared Chao Shenghuai's wounds would provoke suspicion. But he had simply been unable to swallow the anger in his chest. Without beating the boy half to death, there would have been no way to vent it.

After Chao Jing left, Chao Shenghuai lay on the floor of the quiet room, barely breathing. Yet instead of despair, he felt relief, as though an immense burden had finally been lifted.

After enduring this beating, he finally understood.

The demon that had tormented him had at last let him go.

He no longer possessed any value worth exploiting. That demon had changed targets and latched onto his grandfather instead.

Chao Shenghuai never wanted to see Niu Youdao again for the rest of his life.

It was the first time in his life he had learned just how terrifying a person could be.

...

Deep in the mountains, Niu Youdao bathed naked in a spring-fed hot pool. Half-reclining against the bank with his eyes narrowed, he had a wet cloth draped across his face.

Through the rising mist, Guan Fangyi approached and reported, "Duan Hu sent word. The matter is settled."

Niu Youdao gave a muffled acknowledgment. "Any result from Monkey?"

"You know what he's like," Guan Fangyi said. "If he has something to say, he won't say it to me."

"Have him come over."

Guan Fangyi left. Before long, she returned with Yuan Gang. She wanted to know the woman's identity too.

With the wet cloth still covering his face so no one could see his expression, Niu Youdao asked in a muffled voice, "Have you pried open that woman's mouth yet?"

Yuan Gang was silent for a moment before answering, "She insists her name is Su Zhao. As for her background, her mouth is very tight."

"Meng Shanming's army has already begun withdrawing. We need to leave as well. If you truly can't get anything out of her, then forget it. The war is going smoothly now. Whether her identity can be of use no longer matters. I know you don't indiscriminately kill innocent people. If you can't bring yourself to do it, hand her to Hongniang and let her deal with her."

Yuan Gang understood what he meant. They could not keep an uncertain danger with them indefinitely. After hesitating, he said, "Master Dao, give me a little more time."

Niu Youdao did not answer.

Yuan Gang turned and left.

In the mist, Niu Youdao raised a hand and pulled the wet cloth from his face. Expressionless, he asked, "He didn't use torture?"

Guan Fangyi smoothed her skirt and crouched beside the pool. "That woman's whole body looks perfectly fine. She probably hasn't suffered much. Monkey has learned to cherish fragrance and jade. If it really won't work, and you don't want to force Monkey, why not simply release her?"

Niu Youdao dipped the cloth into the water and scrubbed himself. "And let her tell people I've been staying near the army all this time? We don't even know who she is. How can we release her now? If she could be released, Monkey would have secretly let her go without telling me long ago."

Crouching by the edge, Guan Fangyi could not resist peering into the water. But the steam above the pool obscured everything beneath the surface. She cupped water in one hand and splashed it over his shoulder. "Then what do we do? We can't keep bringing her along forever."

Niu Youdao continued washing, seemingly unconcerned. "Whether enemy or friend, turning her into one of our own can only be good. You're a woman. You understand a woman's weak points better than a man does. Think of something."

[End of Chapter 725]