Chapter 856: I Want Justice!

The rear palace lay in ruins.

Nearly one-third of the entire inner palace had been destroyed in a single night.

Some things, and some people, needed events to happen abruptly if they were to look real. The supposed victims could not be informed beforehand.

Several palace consorts were caught in the disaster and died miserably.

At first, the people of the three great sects had been arrogant. They had not believed anyone would dare act under their noses.

But they were not fools.

With events reaching this stage, how could they fail to understand what had happened?

Faced with the furious questioning of Xi Yao, Shen Baochun, and Luo Mingjian, everyone in Shang Jianxiong's faction, Tong Mo included, denied everything cleanly.

Not only did they refuse to admit anything, they insisted with one voice that Niu Youdao had been behind the assault.

As for the attack on Niu Youdao's residence, this side likewise insisted that they had only dispatched troops after receiving distress signals from the six diplomatic missions.

In short, they shoved every responsibility onto Niu Youdao.

Even where their story contained obvious holes that could not explain themselves, they simply refused to change it and kept insisting Niu Youdao was responsible.

Xi Yao and the others could do little about Shang Jianxiong.

A matter this serious was beyond their authority to decide.

Without approval from their sects, they could not simply kill Shang Jianxiong and the others on their own initiative. If they enlarged the chaos any further, none of them could bear the responsibility.

...

Dawn came.

Three large flying birds hurried in from the distance.

Gong Lince, Sect Leader of Zijin Cave, had arrived.

Because of the distance, he was the last of the three Sect Leaders to reach Yanjing.

By the time he arrived, Long Xiu and Meng Xuan were already standing black-faced amid one section of the palace ruins.

Their expressions were ugly.

All three had originally set out after receiving news from the capital and had come because of Niu Youdao.

Yet while still on the road, they had received reports of the sudden upheaval.

When they arrived, this was what greeted them.

After Shen Baochun explained the entire sequence in detail, Gong Lince cursed him until the man could barely lift his head.

He cursed Shen Baochun for being arrogant and conceited.

He cursed him for being incompetent and ignorant.

How could he have possessed so little vigilance?

If he had sensed the danger beforehand, how could events possibly have reached this point?

Shen Baochun had nothing to say.

Beforehand, it simply had never occurred to him that anyone here would dare attack people from the three great sects.

Gong Lince gave a cold snort and swept his sleeve as he walked away.

He joined the other two Sect Leaders beside the ruins.

Afterward, all three rose into the air together and traveled to the site of the other incident.

The scene there was even more horrifying.

Buildings and trees had all vanished.

Everything was charred black.

Wisps of smoke still drifted from the ruins, while the surrounding area was a wreck as well.

Great heaps of scorched stone filled the compound.

The gaps between them were packed with blackened steel spears and similar debris.

Forget living people.

Not even corpses could be seen.

"What do we do about this?" Long Xiu asked heavily.

Gong Lince's face was dark.

"I think Shang Jianxiong has grown tired of living!"

Meng Xuan said, "He was certain that once Niu Youdao was dead, we wouldn't dare act recklessly against him."

"Niu Youdao still hasn't shown himself. I'm afraid something truly happened to him."

"A disturbance this large cannot be concealed. Nanzhou will hear the news very soon."

"The two states are still at war. No one knows how great a disturbance this will cause."

"That fat piece of meat in Zhao may now be beyond our reach."

"And to prevent Niu Youdao's remaining forces from acting like cornered dogs and jumping the wall, we'll need to find a way to bring them under emergency control."

"Damned bastard!" Gong Lince cursed, anger and humiliation mixing on his face.

It was not only the profits in Zhao that might disappear.

If something had happened to Niu Youdao, Zijin Cave itself would suffer enormous losses.

Many arrangements had already been settled with him.

Nanzhou's power had practically become a fat piece of meat already at Zijin Cave's lips.

With Niu Youdao dead, all of that might turn into nothing.

How could Gong Lince not be furious?

Yet some losses could only be swallowed silently.

They could not be announced publicly.

Long Xiu said, "Whether Niu Youdao is dead or alive, we need to prepare for both possibilities immediately!"

While the three Sect Leaders discussed their response among the blackened ruins, Niu Youdao slowly opened his eyes deep underground.

The group had all been sitting cross-legged in meditation.

There was limited air below, so they had used their cultivation to enter a state of suspended breathing. Otherwise, the air would never have lasted.

"It should be about dawn by now," Niu Youdao said.

At his words, the others opened their eyes one after another.

Guan Fangyi asked, "Are we going out now?"

Niu Youdao replied, "No matter how slow the three great sects are, they can't remain slow for an entire night. The situation should already be under control, and the capital should now be firmly restrained by the three great sects."

"It's time to close the matter."

Guan Fangyi looked worried.

"You created something this large. Aren't you afraid the three great sects will attack you?"

Niu Youdao asked in return, "What did I do?"

"I did nothing."

"Someone suddenly tried to murder me. I merely escaped by luck."

"..."

Guan Fangyi had nothing to say.

Yun Ji said, "The three great sects still may not let you go."

Niu Youdao sighed. "They won't let me go, but not now."

"Right now Zhao would love nothing more than for Yan to kill me and throw itself into internal conflict, relieving Zhao's crisis."

"The three great sects do not dare act recklessly at a time like this."

"This isn't like when I was trapped inside the Secret Realm."

"They have no confidence that they can kill me quickly while simultaneously taking smooth control of Nanzhou without causing disorder."

"The instant internal strife begins, Zhao will certainly seize the opportunity."

"And if Han sees an opening, it will not sit idle while Yan grows stronger either."

"In short, too many forces restrain them."

"They want me dead because of profit. But with even greater profit already laid out before them, they cannot bear to give up the fat piece of Zhao that has reached their mouths."

"They will not easily take that risk..."

Long Xiu, Gong Lince, and Meng Xuan, still discussing matters among the charred ruins, suddenly turned their heads at the same time and stared toward one spot.

"There's someone below!" Long Xiu exclaimed.

His words had barely fallen when a heavy boom erupted.

Earth and stone flew everywhere.

Three figures shot from the surging dust and landed.

They were Niu Youdao, Guan Fangyi, and Wu Zhaoxing.

As for Yun Ji, she had already departed underground on her own.

Carrying others made escaping through the earth cumbersome.

Moving alone, she could leave easily.

The three Sect Leaders froze at the sight of Niu Youdao still alive.

Niu Youdao likewise looked startled to find all three of them present.

Then he examined the surroundings.

Good heavens.

Everything had been destroyed beyond recognition.

For a moment, a man could almost doubt whether he was still in Yanjing.

The three Sect Leaders flashed over.

The first thing each did was inspect the place where Niu Youdao and the others had hidden.

Afterward, they looked at one another.

They had all assumed this fellow was certainly dead.

The scale of last night's attack had been enormous. They had heard that more than ten Heavenly Sword Talismans alone had been used.

And yet he had simply hidden underground and survived?

"That was far too dangerous. I nearly never got to see the three Sect Leaders again!" Niu Youdao exclaimed repeatedly, looking deeply relieved.

Not dead?

Gong Lince turned toward him.

Surprise and relief mixed in his eyes, though he quickly controlled his emotions.

"It's good that you're all right."

Niu Youdao said indignantly, "Who exactly was vicious enough to do this?"

Long Xiu barked angrily, "Why ask when you already know? You were plainly the one who started this whole affair!"

Niu Youdao could never admit that.

He reminded him solemnly, "I killed no one. Someone was trying to kill me!"

The three Sect Leaders exchanged a glance.

At that moment, a slight disturbance arose at the outer perimeter, which was being jointly controlled by cultivators and troops.

Old Six Xu had appeared and been stopped.

Niu Youdao called out, "He's one of ours."

His words meant nothing.

Only after Gong Lince waved a hand in indication was Old Six Xu allowed through.

Niu Youdao flashed over to meet him.

Deliberately keeping the people of the three great sects from overhearing, he asked in a low voice, "What happened here last night?"

"The commotion was enormous. Both sides spent quite a while smashing Heavenly Sword Talismans against one another..."

Old Six Xu gave him a summary of what he had observed from outside the battlefield.

As Niu Youdao listened, his heart pounded.

The scale of the fighting had far exceeded what he imagined.

He had expected the six diplomatic missions to suffer losses.

He had not expected all six delegations to be wiped out completely.

Old Six Xu finally added, "People from the Tong household really did try to flee last night. We intercepted them in time and now have them under secret guard outside the city."

"Tong Mo's influence here is too extensive. Bringing them back inside the city would probably be inconvenient..."

After hearing the full report, Niu Youdao understood the situation.

He turned and walked back toward the three Sect Leaders.

Many things were already understood by everyone present.

There were no outsiders here, so there was little reason to keep pretending.

He went straight to the point.

"About last night's affair, I want justice!"

"Justice?" Meng Xuan sneered. "This was plainly a trap you set yourself. If you still deserve justice, then Heaven itself must have gone blind!"

"Sect Leader Meng gives me too much credit." Niu Youdao said. "There was no trap. I never imagined Shang Jianxiong would have this much nerve, enough to attack even the people of the three great sects!"

Meng Xuan said, "Still claiming it wasn't a trap? Then explain the people from the six diplomatic missions!"

Niu Youdao replied, "I won't hide it from you. The six states have been trying to find me through the Prince's side all this time. I came to the capital precisely to meet them. I never expected something like this to happen."

It was no secret that the six states had been searching for him.

The three Sect Leaders knew that.

But naturally they did not believe his nonsense.

The problem was that this fellow had carried out everything without leaving behind a single handle they could seize.

There was no evidence with which to nail him.

Meng Xuan gave a cold snort.

"You know perfectly well what really happened."

Gong Lince coughed once and asked, "What justice do you want?"

Niu Youdao said, "Everyone knows who controls the military forces in the capital."

"To mobilize troops stationed in Yanjing for an encirclement, while also using that many Heavenly Sword Talismans—there is no one else in this capital besides Shang Jianxiong who could do it."

"I think that muddleheaded ruler's seat should be occupied by someone else."

Long Xiu gave a low "Oh?"

"Who do you want sitting there instead?"

Niu Youdao said, "Prince Yong has exhausted himself for Great Yan and won outstanding merit. His military and political ability surpasses Shang Jianxiong's by who knows how much. He is also a member of the Shang imperial clan."

"There is no second person more suitable to sit on that throne."

He had known Niu Youdao wanted to push Shang Chaozong onto the throne.

Long Xiu sneered repeatedly.

"Impossible!"

They could not allow Niu Youdao's people to control the entire State of Yan.

Even now, Niu Youdao was already becoming somewhat difficult for them to control.

How could they give him still more room to move?

Until the Nanzhou problem had been settled, maintaining a force capable of checking him was inevitable.

Gong Lince frowned as well.

He thought Niu Youdao was moving too quickly.

Niu Youdao said, "Disciples of the three great sects were openly killed. How will you explain that to everyone in your sects? Are you going to pretend nothing happened?"

"And then there are the six diplomatic missions."

"This affair has become far too large."

"If you cannot give a satisfactory accounting, I doubt the six states will let the matter rest!"

Long Xiu said, "This is not for you to decide. We will handle it ourselves!"

Niu Youdao lowered the sword in his hand and planted its tip against the rubble beneath his feet.

"It is indeed not for me to decide!"

"But someone has tried to kill me again and again and still refuses to learn."

"I can imagine exactly what will happen if I let this matter pass lightly. There will inevitably be another time."

"If the three Sect Leaders insist on something, I do not dare disobey."

"But I cannot swallow this grievance."

"There is no principle in this world that says a man may only take a beating and never strike back!"

[End of Chapter 856]