Chapter 745: Who's Helping Whom?

"Mr. Yucang." Niu Youdao greeted him courteously, wearing an amiable smile.

Guan Fangyi, however, kept her eyes fixed on Yucang with the utmost vigilance. Leaving aside the fact that he had once hunted them down, she also knew Niu Youdao's suspicions regarding the false Su Zhao. Even now, she still found it hard to believe that this famous man, known throughout the world, was actually one of Xiaoyue Pavilion's senior figures. How many people had he deceived all these years?

Yucang turned his gaze back to Niu Youdao. "Getting a meeting with Brother Niu truly isn't easy!"

Niu Youdao replied politely, "I was thinking of your sake too. Making Mr. Yucang travel such a great distance back and forth would hardly be proper. If anyone should visit, it ought to be me paying my respects in person."

"So I really did misunderstand you," Yucang said. "I thought Brother Niu was deliberately avoiding me."

"That depends on how you look at it. If we're speaking frankly, I am somewhat dissatisfied. Zhao has come bullying me at my own doorstep, and my situation is difficult. I asked Mr. Yucang for a little help, yet you ignored me. Naturally, I wasn't too pleased."

Yucang laughed. "Brother Niu really doesn't hide anything. Straightforward as ever. Fine. That's exactly why I came today."

Niu Youdao did not quite understand. "Oh? Then I would like to hear your wisdom."

"The reason I never agreed earlier was because I wasn't ready yet. Think about it, Brother Niu. Zhao is such an enormous power. Secretly assassinating one or two people won't accomplish anything. Especially in wartime, every side is heavily guarded, so even carrying out an assassination is difficult. If you truly want to break Zhao's offensive, petty tricks are meaningless. If we're going to play, we should play big. If I'm going to help you, I'll help you properly."

"Play big?" Niu Youdao looked suspicious. "Forgive my ignorance. How exactly do you intend to play?"

Yucang turned and signaled behind him. Dugu Jing bowed slightly, then flashed away to avoid the conversation that followed.

Niu Youdao was still wondering what that meant when Yucang lifted his chin toward Guan Fangyi as well. "Hongniang, the men need to discuss something indecent. Women won't like hearing it. Please give us some privacy."

Guan Fangyi looked at Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao frowned slightly. "Is that really necessary?"

"It is!" Yucang nodded with certainty. "Or do you not trust me?"

Niu Youdao chuckled. "I remember very clearly how you once tampered with my body and later sent people to kill me."

"Brother Niu certainly holds a grudge. Still, I was indeed the one in the wrong back then. How about this? If you don't trust me, you can place a restriction on me first." Yucang spread his arms, plainly inviting Niu Youdao to do as he wished.

Niu Youdao's eyes flickered. He could not make sense of the old fellow. First Yucang had agreed to let Niu Youdao arrange every detail of their meeting. Now he was even willing to place his own safety in Niu Youdao's hands. Niu Youdao could not help wondering what exactly Yucang wanted, and what could possibly be important enough for him to take such a risk.

"Wouldn't treating you that way be rather inappropriate?" Niu Youdao tested him.

Yucang waved a hand with easy indifference. "There's nothing inappropriate about it. If we're here to discuss business, then sincerity matters. Without sincerity, there'd be no point meeting just to waste words. Don't you agree?"

"Since you put it that way, I can only respectfully comply." Niu Youdao smiled and tipped his head.

Guan Fangyi slowly stepped forward. Remaining alert as she approached, she suddenly struck, sending several fingers tapping across Yucang's body with spiritual power. She quickly discovered that he offered no resistance whatsoever and simply allowed her to place the restriction.

Once she had finished, Guan Fangyi backed away and nodded to Niu Youdao, indicating that there was no problem.

Niu Youdao flicked his gaze behind him. Guan Fangyi flashed away as well.

"Brother Niu should be at ease now, yes?" Yucang asked with a smile.

Niu Youdao gave no answer, merely gesturing for him to sit.

The two sat facing one another on a pair of large rocks in the mountains. Niu Youdao rested both hands on his sword and finally spoke plainly. "Mr. Yucang, this doesn't look like someone coming to help me. If you really came to help, there would be no need to abase yourself like this. I've never seen anyone help someone else this way. Don't try to take advantage of my youth."

Yucang said, "I might take advantage of anyone's youth but yours. You only look young. No matter how I look at you, you're a sly old fox."

Niu Youdao laughed. "Fine. I'll take that as praise."

Yucang said, "Before I came here, I already had people go to Maolu Villa and take Zhuang Hong and her son away."

"I know. I've treated them well enough. I gave mother and son their freedom long ago. They were the ones unwilling to leave. You can hardly blame me for that."

"You're a very irresponsible teacher. From beginning to end, all you did was throw Young Master Xia a collection of poems and tell him to study it himself. You never taught him anything else."

"Learning depends on talent. A master leads you through the door; cultivation depends on the individual. Everyone has their own method of teaching. Outsiders can't necessarily understand it. Besides, there are some matters both of us understand perfectly well. Why insist on taking them too seriously? Mr. Yucang, let's stop circling around each other. Speak plainly. What do you want?"

"I already have. I came to help Brother Niu solve the threat from Zhao."

Niu Youdao shook his head directly. "I don't understand."

"Xiaoyue Pavilion carrying out a few assassinations or acts of sabotage won't shake a state as large as Zhao. Nor does Yan currently possess the strength to annex Zhao. You don't deny that, do you?"

"Mr. Yucang, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Yucang continued as though talking to himself. "If we truly did that sort of thing to help you, your objective still wouldn't be achieved, while Zhao would later retaliate fiercely against Xiaoyue Pavilion. That is why I have held back all this time. Now I have a better way to help you resolve Zhao's threat."

Niu Youdao spread his hands, indicating for him to continue. He was waiting.

"Two of Zhao's great generals, Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an, happen to be my students."

Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an? Niu Youdao mentally reviewed what he knew of them. When Zhao attacked Yan, it had established two separate armies to guard against Wei and Qi. The commanders of those two forces were precisely Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an. Between them, they held close to two million troops.

Niu Youdao stared at Yucang. "Mr. Yucang, don't tell me that just to help me, you can make two Zhao generals turn their blades against Zhao itself."

"Why not?" Yucang asked.

Niu Youdao shook his head, plainly unconvinced. "Even if the two of them obey you, the cultivators from Zhao's three major sects accompanying the armies aren't decorations."

"I'll tell you plainly. For Zhao to place this military power in their hands, Xiaoyue Pavilion put in no small amount of effort behind the scenes. This time, in order to help Brother Niu, Xiaoyue Pavilion has practically mobilized every overt and covert force we can use. Once the time is right, Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an will coordinate with Xiaoyue Pavilion's people to purge the cultivators from the three major sects accompanying their armies. Responsibility for the army's cultivator support will then be taken over directly by Xiaoyue Pavilion."

Niu Youdao's heart jolted.

That was not something a few petty tricks could accomplish.

It appeared Xiaoyue Pavilion truly intended to stake everything this time.

Even so, he found it difficult to believe Xiaoyue Pavilion would pay such an enormous price merely for his sake. His voice deepened. "The troops under Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an are all Zhao's men. Will they really follow the two of them into rebellion so easily?"

"Once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back. Every disobedient general below them will be purged!"

Niu Youdao was speechless for a moment. Then he slowly said, "That isn't something a small number of people can accomplish. It sounds like Xiaoyue Pavilion intends to come out in full force."

"Exactly."

"Then Xiaoyue Pavilion's people will all be exposed."

"Some things have to be faced sooner or later. We cannot hide in the darkness forever. Taking advantage of this opportunity to help Brother Niu, Xiaoyue Pavilion is preparing to step onto the public stage officially."

Niu Youdao's tone became faint. "Mr. Yucang insisted on meeting me face-to-face just to tell me this?"

"So long as Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an rebel, Zhao will inevitably descend into chaos. Isn't that helping Brother Niu? But before they rebel, they must first secure control over the two million troops under them. Purging the disobedient officers will unsettle morale, and they will need time. Zhao will not give them that time."

"To stabilize its interior, Zhao will inevitably swallow its pride before Yan. Even if it has to pay a price, it will seek peace with Yan first so it can deal with the rebellion at home. Yan, for its part, lacks the strength to annex Zhao and will likewise agree to stop the war. Fortunately, the men directing Yan's campaign this time are Brother Niu's people."

The final words carried deliberate meaning.

Niu Youdao seemed to understand. He picked up the thought. "To give Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an enough time, you don't want Yan to stop fighting. You want Yan to keep up the offensive so Zhao cannot spare the strength to deal with them. Am I right?"

Yucang smiled. "Talking to an intelligent man truly saves effort. I know very well how much influence Brother Niu has over Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming."

Niu Youdao slowly nodded. "This truly is no small matter. No wonder you refused to let it go and insisted on discussing it with me face-to-face."

"This kind of thing can't be made clear in a letter. Explain it face-to-face and everyone can rest easy. Isn't that right?"

Niu Youdao smacked his lips and shook his head. "Is this really helping me? Who exactly is helping whom here? Why do I feel as though I'm the one helping you? Or rather, helping Xiaoyue Pavilion?"

Yucang reached over and patted the hand Niu Youdao had resting on his sword hilt. His tone was gentle. "Brother Niu, who helps whom is not important. What matters is that this benefits everyone. If this succeeds, Zhao will never again possess the strength to look east. The western side of Nanzhou will no longer pose such a threat to Nanzhou, and Brother Niu's interests will be secured. Then you can focus on the problems inside Yan without distraction. Isn't that an excellent outcome?"

Niu Youdao said slowly, "I think I'm beginning to understand why Xiaoyue Pavilion tried every possible method to obtain the Shang Mirror. Only one who holds a State-Protecting Divine Artifact may establish a state."

Yucang smiled without speaking. He neither denied nor admitted it, which was as good as tacit confirmation.

Niu Youdao narrowed his eyes. "Mr. Yucang, are you the Pavilion Master of Xiaoyue Pavilion?"

Yucang shook his head. "No. But I won't hide this from Brother Niu either. This old man holds an important position in Xiaoyue Pavilion—below one man and above ten thousand."

Niu Youdao immediately pressed him. "Then who is the Pavilion Master?"

Yucang refused to answer. "That isn't important."

"Oh." Niu Youdao nodded. "So you're not the Pavilion Master after all. After all this, you're only risking your life for someone else. Then this isn't very interesting."

Yucang frowned slightly. "What do you mean by that, Brother Niu?"

"Nothing much. I thought it over and decided perhaps we shouldn't trouble Xiaoyue Pavilion with this after all. Yan can handle its war with Zhao itself. Judging from the current situation, Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming are fully capable of crushing Zhao's ambitions. There's no need to create more complications."

"Xiaoyue Pavilion has remained hidden for so many years. If all of you expose yourselves because of me, my conscience would be uneasy. Mr. Yucang may not know this, but I never do anything that betrays my conscience. I think we should forget it."

[End of Chapter 745]