Chapter 861: The Road Was Their Own Choice

After Dong Jinhuan, An Miao'er, and Lin Feiyan entered the tent, they only dared glance at Niu Youdao once before immediately lowering their heads.

None of them dared look him directly in the eye. Their hearts were filled with fear and regret.

Back when they had only been low-ranking disciples, there had been many things they simply did not know. Certain matters were not things the upper ranks of their sects would tell them.

Now, after what had happened in the Tiandu Secret Realm, being furiously berated had instead allowed them to learn some of the truth. They knew Niu Youdao had killed Xiaoyao Palace Elder Guo Qingkong and his group. They knew Niu Youdao had brazenly resisted Yan's three great sects and forced the war to begin. More recently, they had learned that this same man had toppled Tong Mo.

Only after learning so much did they truly understand that the Master Dao standing before them was far more powerful than they had ever imagined.

The three women also realized that the face of people like Zhao Dengxuan was probably useless here. Even if Niu Youdao ignored Zhao Dengxuan and the others entirely and killed them, it was unlikely to stir even a ripple. The three great sects would never turn against Niu Youdao for their sake.

Thinking back now, their old belief that attaching themselves to disciples of great sects would somehow protect them seemed utterly ridiculous.

The three truly regretted it. They regretted it until their guts turned green. Only now did they understand what they had missed.

"Kneel!" Fei Changliu suddenly barked.

Dong Jinhuan shuddered in fright and dropped to her knees with a thud. An Miao'er and Lin Feiyan instinctively knelt as well, all three kneeling before Niu Youdao.

Guan Fangyi watched them coldly from the side. In truth, the sight of these three women infuriated her. She had the urge to kill them with her own hands.

And it was not only because they had betrayed Niu Youdao.

Only later, through Situ Yao's side, had she learned that after betraying Niu Youdao, these three cheap women had even kicked him while he was down before the three great sects. To protect themselves and distance themselves from him, they had slandered him as viciously as they could, claiming he had wanted to do this and that to the three of them.

Others might not know what sort of man Niu Youdao was, but Guan Fangyi did. In matters between men and women, he had a heart of iron and stone. He had never shown much interest in feminine beauty. Every woman the three great sects had sent to his door had been prettier than these three. They ought to look in a mirror before flattering themselves. Would Niu Youdao really have taken a fancy to them?

Just seeing the three women made Guan Fangyi angry all over again.

Fei Changliu cupped his hands toward Niu Youdao. "Master Dao, these three rebellious disciples are yours to dispose of. Kill them or cut them apart as you please. Our three sects will have no complaint."

"Hey!" Niu Youdao waved a hand, as though Fei Changliu had gone too far.

He personally walked over to the three women, even reaching down to help them up one by one.

"It's fine. A small matter. Nothing that serious. It's all in the past."

Dong Jinhuan sobbed, "Master Dao, we were wrong. We're willing to accept any punishment."

Guan Fangyi rolled her eyes. The display made her feel sick.

Niu Youdao waved again. "Wrong? No, no. You're overthinking it."

"From your own personal standpoint, the three of you never owed me anything. There was no reason you had to stake your lives for me. Given the situation at the time, it was understandable that you chose another path. That doesn't count as some great wrongdoing."

"It's over. All of it is over. There's no need to keep dwelling on it."

"Master Dao..." Xia Hua started to say something.

Niu Youdao raised a hand to stop her.

Then he clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at the three women.

"I heard the men you gave yourselves to have also come here?"

Originally, only Zhao Dengxuan of Xiaoyao Palace had been here. Before Niu Youdao arrived, however, he had sent word to the three Sect Leaders, asking them to have Lin Feiyan and An Miao'er write letters. That was how the two Lingjian Mountain disciples had reluctantly been brought over as well.

The three women nodded one after another.

"Yes."

Niu Youdao asked, "When do they plan to marry you?"

The subject was awkward.

The three women hesitated and stammered, unable to answer.

Marry them?

The three great sects would probably never agree.

In truth, at the beginning, the three women had only yielded to circumstances. It had been purely for survival. They had never expected the men they gave themselves to would actually marry them.

Only after leaving the Secret Realm had they begun to "ask for a mile after taking an inch" and developed hopes in that direction.

Seeing that none could answer, Niu Youdao asked again, "Then are you willing to marry them?"

"If you are, leave the matter to me. I'll go speak to the three great sects on your behalf."

"If I personally come forward, they should give me at least some face. There shouldn't be much difficulty. I should be able to bring about these three good matches for you."

"What do you say?"

Fei Changliu, Xia Hua, and Zheng Jiuxiao could not help exchanging looks.

All three were astonished.

It was already surprising enough that Niu Youdao was willing to forget the past. Yet he was actually repaying resentment with virtue and taking the initiative to worry about the marriages of a few junior disciples under them?

Hearing that he was willing to step forward personally, and hearing him say the matter should not be difficult, gave Dong Jinhuan a flicker of hope.

She understood Zhao Dengxuan's feelings for her very clearly. There should be no problem on his side. The real obstacle was Xiaoyao Palace.

Now Niu Youdao was willing to disregard the past and personally help settle that obstacle. An opportunity like this was rare, and she feared missing it.

She immediately gave a soft acknowledgement.

"I leave everything to Master Dao."

An Miao'er and Lin Feiyan, however, hesitated.

Niu Youdao looked directly at them.

"What? You two aren't willing?"

A trace of grief passed across An Miao'er's face.

"Master Dao, I was blind and entrusted myself to the wrong man. A melon forced from the vine is not sweet. I don't want to force anyone. Better to forget it."

Lin Feiyan also murmured, "It's all in the past."

Both women felt somewhat bitter.

They were not fools. They could see that those two men were different from Zhao Dengxuan.

Neither man had any real desire to marry them.

They were willing to continue the relationship, but they had no intention of giving the women a proper status.

Niu Youdao said, "I'm thinking of your own good."

"Some things I can choose not to care about, but I cannot stop other people's mouths. Human words are frightening; enough mouths can melt metal."

"Even if you don't think about yourselves, you should think about your sects' reputations."

"If those men truly marry you, then everything becomes different. It will be a marriage born of genuine affection."

"Isn't that so?"

The two women struggled inwardly.

As they themselves had said, a melon forced from the vine would never be sweet.

What good ending could possibly come from forcing themselves into a man's household?

Yet Niu Youdao did not allow them to refuse.

"Good. Then it's settled. Leave the matchmaking to me. You three can wait to become brides!"

It seemed asking whether they were willing had been meaningless from the beginning.

If they agreed, then they were willing.

If they refused, he would decide for them anyway.

The three women stared blankly.

Niu Youdao had already waved a hand.

"Someone go invite those three gentlemen over."

Before long, Zhao Dengxuan, Mu Liangfeng, and Chen Guangzu were invited into the tent.

After entering and paying their respects, all three looked somewhat uneasy.

Again, it was because the situation was no longer what it had been inside the Tiandu Secret Realm.

They had learned far more since then.

Before entering the Secret Realm, Niu Youdao had been very low-key. As ordinary disciples, there were many things they knew little about.

But after leaving the Secret Realm, Niu Youdao had suddenly become forceful.

The more they learned, the less confidence they had.

Even if they wanted to rely on the background of the three great sects to pressure Niu Youdao, it seemed they were nowhere near important enough to do so.

"Maolu Villa may be nothing more than a poor mountain hollow, but it is not a place where others can bully people at will."

"A man of honor may be killed, but not humiliated. Whoever humiliates my Maolu Villa, I will make him spill blood within five paces!"

The moment they met, Niu Youdao first threw down a few heavy words to intimidate them.

Then he smiled at the three men.

"I've heard some rumors lately."

"They say the women of my Maolu Villa are there for anyone to sleep with and toy with as they please. The rumors even say those words came from the three of you."

"Today, I want to confirm it!"

The moment those words emerged, Dong Jinhuan, Lin Feiyan, and An Miao'er abruptly looked toward the three men, alarm and suspicion in their eyes.

Had these bastards really said something like that?

"Absolutely not!"

"There was never any such thing. Rumors cannot be trusted!"

The three men had never said those words.

Even if they had, there was no possibility they would admit it.

All three immediately denied it again and again, indignant and forceful in their refusal.

Niu Youdao had no interest in listening to them chatter endlessly.

He had no time to play with them slowly and no desire to waste much effort on such a small matter.

He raised a hand and stopped them.

"In that case, the three of you were certainly not merely playing around with these three women. Your feelings were sincere?"

"Naturally, they were sincere..."

The three men repeatedly insisted their feelings were genuine.

Even if they were not genuine, none would stand here and publicly admit they had only been pretending.

And with Niu Youdao's restless hand resting on the hilt of his sword, they had still less reason to say otherwise.

Niu Youdao raised a hand again.

"Words alone prove nothing. Bring brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."

"If your feelings are sincere, leave me a written pledge!"

Someone immediately brought writing materials and placed them before the three men.

What was this supposed to mean?

The three exchanged looks.

Zhao Dengxuan glanced at Dong Jinhuan, then acted decisively. He picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write.

Seeing her lover behave this way, a trace of shy sweetness appeared between Dong Jinhuan's brows and eyes.

Mu Liangfeng and Chen Guangzu looked at each other.

With Zhao Dengxuan already taking the lead, the two had no choice but to grit their teeth and write as well, declaring their feelings sincere.

Once all three written pledges were in hand, Niu Youdao examined them one by one and nodded slightly.

He looked up.

"You truly like these three women? I'm not forcing you?"

"If you feel forced, you may take the pledges back right now."

"No, no."

"We aren't being forced."

The three men smiled somewhat awkwardly and waved their hands.

None was willing to take his pledge back.

Niu Youdao put the written pledges away and smiled.

"What fine matches!"

"Good. From now on, I'll leave these three women in your care. Treat them well."

"Can you do that?"

"Naturally."

All three men nodded repeatedly.

Seeing that the matter seemed to have ended there, they secretly breathed sighs of relief.

The moment they left, however, Niu Youdao immediately took his people to find the men from Xiaoyao Palace and Lingjian Mountain and propose the marriages.

Marriage proposals?

Naturally, Xiaoyao Palace and Lingjian Mountain refused.

Lingjian Mountain Elder Shi Yuanlong politely declined.

"This sort of thing requires mutual willingness. I'm not their master, so I cannot decide their marriages for them."

"We should still ask the two men what they themselves want."

"Go. Bring the two of them over."

He shot one of the nearby disciples a meaningful look.

The disciple immediately understood.

The sect was highly unlikely to allow women whose reputations had been dragged through the mud to marry into Lingjian Mountain.

Shi Yuanlong wanted him to warn the two men to refuse.

So long as the two absolutely refused to marry, Lingjian Mountain could pretend helplessness and claim it could not force them.

"No need for all that trouble. They are definitely willing to marry them."

Niu Youdao stopped the disciple and produced the written pledges from Mu Liangfeng and Chen Guangzu.

He handed them over for everyone to see.

After Shi Yuanlong and the others read the two pledges, their expressions began twitching.

Even so, marriages like these still required the sect's approval.

Zhao Dengxuan's side was simpler.

Zhao Dengxuan himself sincerely and proactively declared that he wanted to marry Dong Jinhuan.

That infuriated Xiaoyao Palace.

In the end, however, Niu Youdao's face carried more weight.

After a whole string of further maneuvers from him, and with the situation being what it was, neither Xiaoyao Palace nor Lingjian Mountain wanted such a minor matter to expand without end and begin affecting larger affairs.

Both sects finally relented.

Niu Youdao handled everything quickly and decisively.

The moment the two great sects gave way, he immediately arranged the weddings.

They were held directly inside the army camp.

Everything was kept simple.

The three couples bowed to Heaven and Earth, then were sent into their bridal chambers.

The "bridal chambers" were simply three tents given a little extra decoration.

As for whether there were any springtime delights inside those tents that night, outsiders had no way of knowing.

Xia Hua and Zheng Jiuxiao, however, could both tell something was wrong.

During the bows to Heaven and Earth, Mu Liangfeng and Chen Guangzu had not smiled once from beginning to end.

They had merely gone through the motions.

From the start inside the Secret Realm, the two men had mostly regarded the matter as nothing more than a bit of fun.

Who could have imagined that the two women would turn out to have people backing them from their "maiden families"?

What was supposed to be a fling had somehow become real.

Before this wedding, the two men had been cursed bloody by their sect.

It would probably affect their futures there as well.

"I'm afraid even after marrying, they won't have much of a good life." Xia Hua sighed as she watched the newlyweds enter their bridal tents.

"The road was their own choice," Niu Youdao said mildly from beside her.

"I've already done what I could to help them. From here on, you three need to keep a closer eye on things."

"Keep a closer eye on what?" Xia Hua asked suspiciously.

"The rest is the business of you three Sect Leaders."

"I don't care what methods those three women use, and I don't care whether they are willing or not."

"In any case, within one year their bellies must be swollen."

"A year from now, I want to see babies come squalling into the world."

"If you can't manage that, I'll settle accounts with the three of you!"

He left those icy words behind, then turned and walked away without hurry.

[End of Chapter 861]