Chapter 880: These People Cannot Be Allowed to Remain

"No! We won't allow it!"

The old Marshal's fury ignited the generals around him. A group of them abruptly raised their arms and roared in response.

"No! We won't allow it!"

The answering cries spread from one division to another.

Shouts rose and fell across the army until gradually they merged into a single voice, thousands upon thousands of troops roaring without pause.

"No! We won't allow it! No! We won't allow it..."

Several hundred thousand troops were gathered here.

When several hundred thousand men shouted together, the force of it truly seemed like mountains roaring and seas surging.

The scene erupted so suddenly that no one had been prepared for it.

Long Xiu spun around and swept his gaze across the surroundings.

Caught inside that ocean of sound, the Sect Leaders of Yan's three great sects all kept turning and looking around.

Everywhere their eyes reached, soldiers were brandishing sabers and spears overhead and roaring without stop.

The sheer force of it seemed almost capable of drowning the three men where they stood.

Shock.

At that moment, it was the only word that could describe what the three Sect Leaders felt.

The disciples of the three great sects also stared around in uncertainty.

It was as though someone had suddenly stepped on the Yan army's tail.

Mr. Yucang, watching from the side, was genuinely shaken as well.

Once he recovered, he studied Long Xiu and the others, then the soldiers still roaring in every direction.

A thoughtful look gradually appeared on his face.

Only now did he realize Niu Youdao's influence over Yan's military went far beyond anything he had imagined.

The army was openly confronting Yan's three great sects over him, without the slightest fear of leaving the three sects unable to step down with dignity.

This was plainly a posture of being willing to turn against Yan's three great sects and fight until both sides were ruined for Niu Youdao's sake!

Would Yan's three great sects dare fight until both sides were ruined?

In Mr. Yucang's judgment, they would not.

At least, not now.

In truth, after the two sides had come into contact earlier, the three Sect Leaders had already hinted at certain intentions.

Again and again, openly or obliquely, they had sounded out Mr. Yucang's attitude.

Their meaning had been obvious.

They wanted both sides to cast Niu Youdao aside and cooperate directly with one another.

It was not that Mr. Yucang had never been tempted.

Yan was still controlled by the three great sects, after all, and their power far exceeded Niu Youdao's.

The reason he had never clearly expressed his position was only that he did not want fresh complications at such a time.

So he had kept things vague, neither agreeing nor refusing.

But looking at the situation now, if he dared cast Niu Youdao aside and cooperate with Yan's three great sects directly, disaster would certainly follow.

Niu Youdao could absolutely leave him with the chickens scattered and the eggs smashed.

That was no longer speculation.

The evidence stood right in front of him.

If trouble truly erupted, even Yan's three great sects would not be able to control this scene.

Huang Lie, Sect Leader of Dachan Mountain, looked around at the tremendous display and was stunned.

Shang Chaozong was openly refusing to give Yan's three great sects face.

Huang Lie was genuinely shocked.

And at last he understood something clearly.

Unless the Shang faction was purged completely, Dachan Mountain had no possibility of competing with Niu Youdao for dominance in Nanzhou.

No matter how formidable Dachan Mountain was, could it possibly be more formidable than Yan's three great sects?

Situ Yao, Sect Leader of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion, wore a face full of astonishment.

He had been completely caught off guard.

Niu Youdao's influence had erupted all at once, and the sight truly blindsided him.

Even Yan's three great sects plainly could not suppress it!

After witnessing this scene, Situ Yao knew exactly which side Jinzhou's forces should stand with so long as Niu Youdao remained alive.

Nor did he want anything to go wrong with the war against Zhao.

Otherwise, he would never recover Jinzhou.

One thing was already perfectly obvious.

If anything happened to Niu Youdao, chaos would erupt immediately.

Situ Yao had already made his decision.

Once he returned, he would transfer manpower to participate in Niu Youdao's protection.

Nothing could be allowed to happen to him.

The roar was deafening.

Fei Changliu, Xia Hua, and Zheng Jiuxiao were almost dazed inside the immense wave of sound.

The three looked at one another.

Only now did they realize Niu Youdao's influence over the Shang faction far exceeded anything they had imagined.

They did not even know whether they should feel pleased or worried.

Dong Jinhuan and the other two women were frightened by the sheer momentum.

Only now did they understand what kind of foundation stood behind Master Dao of Maolu Villa.

Zhao Dengxuan, Mu Liangfeng, and Chen Guangzu felt increasingly uneasy in the face of it.

Zhao Dengxuan in particular finally realized how naive his earlier thoughts had been.

Did someone like Niu Youdao need to give him face?

The confrontation ended unhappily.

Long Xiu flung his sleeve and left with a dark, ugly expression.

He had lost face badly.

But the situation before him was already like a pile of dry firewood.

One spark could ignite the whole thing.

Long Xiu did not dare make a reckless move.

Otherwise, the result would be chaos beyond control.

Forget taking a bite from the fat piece of Zhao.

He might even break his own teeth on it.

Meng Xuan left as well, his expression equally gloomy.

He followed Long Xiu to the latter's tent.

Gong Lince went with them.

Before leaving, however, he could not help looking back once more at Shang Chaozong and the others.

One brow rose slightly.

After what he had witnessed today, he understood even more clearly the significance of bringing Niu Youdao into Zijin Cave.

Once all three Sect Leaders had left the scene, Shang Chaozong raised one hand.

The roaring cries of the army receded like a tide, gradually fading into silence.

Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming exchanged a look.

Both understood that today's actions had forced them into a position with no retreat left.

From now on, they could only follow Niu Youdao's road all the way to the end.

When the two returned inside the tent, Guan Fangyi inclined herself in thanks.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, Marshal Meng."

With the commotion outside being so immense, there had been no possibility the people inside the tent had failed to hear it.

Yun Ji sighed inwardly.

These people, Niu Youdao included, had all staked everything.

Shang Chaozong said, "Red Lady, if you speak that way, then this Prince truly has nowhere to put his face."

"Master Dao risked his life for righteousness. We have no way to repay him except, if need be, to give ours to uphold what is right."

"If we did not even dare raise our voices now, what face would we have left to call ourselves human?"

Meng Shanming sighed as well.

"It is what we ought to do."

The infant in the swaddling clothes was still wailing.

The enormous roar outside had frightened him.

Only now did Shang Chaozong finally have the state of mind to look at his child.

He walked over to Shang Shuqing.

"Qing'er, are you all right?"

Shang Shuqing shook her head, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Elder Brother, I dragged everyone into this. I dragged Master Dao into it."

"Don't think like that. None of this is your fault."

After reassuring her, Shang Chaozong reached out and took the swaddled infant himself.

He carefully cradled the crying little fellow in his arms.

An unusually gentle expression appeared on the iron-blooded man's face.

The feeling in his heart was impossible to describe.

He knew that if Niu Youdao had not risked his life to save the child, Shang Chaozong might never even have had the chance to hold his own son.

"Your Highness, let me see him."

Meng Shanming could not resist asking.

Shang Chaozong immediately passed the infant over.

Meng Shanming settled him across his knees and examined him with delight.

"He has a loud cry and plenty of strength behind it! Worthy of the Shang bloodline."

"This mouth, these eyes—they look like Your Highness when you were little."

"Ah, what a pity Prince Ning died so early. If he could have seen that he had a grandson, he would certainly have been overjoyed..."

He rambled on for quite a while.

Seeing that no amount of coaxing could stop the baby's crying, he finally looked up and asked, "Is he hungry? How long has it been since he was fed?"

Shang Shuqing wiped away a tear and froze.

Then she quickly nodded.

"It has been a long time since he was fed. He should be hungry."

Meng Shanming immediately turned and ordered, "Quickly. Go get him something to eat."

Then he looked back and said, "Master Dao needs rest. The child keeps crying. Your Highness, let's step away for now."

Shang Chaozong immediately beckoned for Shang Shuqing to leave with them.

He also wanted to ask her about everything that had happened.

Unexpectedly, Shang Shuqing shook her head.

Her reddened eyes turned toward Niu Youdao lying motionless and silent on the bed.

Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming exchanged another look.

Their hearts tightened again.

Master Dao had risked his life to save her.

Qing'er was probably going to be even more difficult to deal with after this.

Meng Shanming gently advised, "Commandery Princess, judging by your appearance, you haven't rested properly either. You should wash up first. Go clean yourself and come back afterward."

Shang Shuqing looked down at herself.

She truly was filthy beyond description.

Only then did she softly agree and leave.

...

Crash!

A jade cup smashed into pieces.

Inside the tent, Long Xiu paced angrily back and forth, repeatedly muttering through clenched teeth, "A swarm of ants who don't know whether to live or die..."

Meng Xuan stood silently to one side, his face dark.

Gong Lince looked from one man to the other.

Long Xiu suddenly strode over to them and said viciously, "You both saw it. These people cannot be allowed to remain. They must be purged!"

Gong Lince said, "You're not thinking of acting now, are you? This is not the time. It would cause enormous disorder."

"Brother Long, what must be endured should still be endured."

Long Xiu replied, "I didn't say now."

"Once the war ends and the situation stabilizes, we act immediately."

"We cannot delay any longer!"

Meng Xuan suddenly asked, "This Niu Youdao has gone against us again and again. The more I think about it, the more abnormal it seems."

"Does he have something he's relying on?"

The question made Long Xiu frown.

Gong Lince felt a flicker of unease in his heart but asked in return, "What could he possibly be relying on?"

A cold light appeared in Meng Xuan's eyes.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter."

"To guard against unforeseen changes, Niu Youdao can be dealt with first."

"Once the chief culprit is removed, Dachan Mountain can be put to use after the war ends, and the Shang faction can be purged gradually."

Even Long Xiu became calmer when he heard that.

He did not agree.

"That won't do."

"You saw the situation yourself. Moving against Niu Youdao right now is inappropriate."

"The instant we touch him, trouble will erupt."

"It isn't worth losing the greater matter over something smaller."

Meng Xuan raised his brows.

"True, it isn't convenient for us to move against him."

"If we do, chaos will follow."

"But what if Zhao's people are the ones who act?"

"If Zhao kills Niu Youdao in revenge, that is perfectly reasonable."

"Could the Shang faction possibly blame us for it?"

Long Xiu and Gong Lince exchanged a glance.

Gong Lince tested the idea aloud.

"Zhao's people come all the way here to kill him? Do you think that's possible?"

Meng Xuan replied, "What if someone lends Zhao a hand?"

Long Xiu looked thoughtful.

"You mean cooperation from inside and outside?"

Meng Xuan sneered.

"Niu Youdao agreed to negotiate with Zhao, yet secretly ran over and stole the hostages back."

"We don't know exactly what happened during the process, but he unquestionably played Zhao for fools."

"With old hatred piled atop new hatred, could Zhao possibly swallow this humiliation?"

"So long as we tell Zhao exactly where Niu Youdao is and give them an opportunity to strike the correct target, then cooperate from our side as well, Zhao will have the opening it needs."

"Add the fact that Niu Youdao is badly wounded and cannot easily escape."

"Zhao can strike once and hit for certain!"

Gong Lince said, "Shang Chaozong has sent a large army to guard him tightly, and Niu Youdao also has some people of his own nearby."

"The other side may not find it so easy to succeed."

Meng Xuan replied, "They don't necessarily have to succeed."

"So long as Zhao makes the move and chaos erupts, then no matter how Niu Youdao dies, Zhao will be the one who did it."

Long Xiu and Gong Lince exchanged another look.

Both understood the deeper meaning behind his words.

...

The battle had stopped.

At the front, Pang Teng climbed to high ground and watched the Yan army's movements in the distance.

They had fought for a while and then truly withdrawn?

He could not understand Yan's intention.

While he was reorganizing the troop deployments, the Guiyuan Sect party that had gone to pursue and kill Niu Youdao returned.

Seeing the ugly expressions on their faces, everyone already sensed something was wrong.

Jiang Wanlou, Sect Leader of Guiyuan Sect, cautiously asked, "Supreme Elders, how did it go?"

The five old men were too ashamed to speak.

At last, one sighed.

"Our losses were not small."

"He killed more than thirty Golden Core disciples."

The people around them exchanged looks.

Some quietly felt fortunate that it had not been their own disciples who went in pursuit.

The losses truly were severe.

The muscles in Jiang Wanlou's face twitched.

Then he asked, "Was that Niu thief executed?"

The Supreme Elder gave a deep sigh.

"He escaped."

[End of Chapter 880]