Chapter 904: Moving House

"Elder of Zijin Cave..."

Inside a pavilion, Shao Pingbo held the detailed report sent by Jin's intelligence organization, Blackwater Terrace, and could not help murmuring the words with a sigh.

He had received the news several days ago and had immediately ordered a thorough investigation.

For the moment, it was difficult to obtain the true inside story or the exact details of how everything had happened. But what he had learned so far was already enough for him to form certain judgments.

A melancholy settled over him. Back then, what had Niu Youdao amounted to? Compared with Shao Pingbo, the difference between them had been as vast as Heaven and earth. One displeased look from him had been enough to frighten Niu Youdao into fleeing for his life. Yet now, after Shao Pingbo had been knocked down, he had remained stuck in place, while Niu Youdao had already become an Elder of Zijin Cave and held enormous power in his hands.

For a brief moment, regret flashed through him. If he had known Xiaoyue Pavilion intended to found a state, perhaps he should have joined them from the beginning. His identity and standing today would naturally have been entirely different.

He quickly suppressed that regret. Had he truly joined Xiaoyue Pavilion then, Niu Youdao would certainly have tried every possible means to kill him afterward. And if Niu Youdao used Shao Pingbo's cooperation with Xiaoyue Pavilion's uprising as leverage, there was no telling what outrageous thing Xiaoyue Pavilion might do to him. It would have been far too dangerous. Taking refuge with the State of Jin had been the steadier choice.

"It will be even harder to move against him now." Shao Pingbo turned and sighed to Shao Sansheng beside him.

Shao Sansheng hesitated, then suggested, "Young Master, why not have people spread a rumor that Niu Youdao wants to become Sect Leader of Zijin Cave?"

Shao Pingbo understood what he meant, but shook his head. "Not now! Something major is about to happen in the State of Wei. I do not want to draw his attention to me. The moment that rumor appears, I will be the first person he suspects. What is happening in Wei must remain secret and be handled with the utmost caution. That man's methods are bizarre and impossible to predict. I do not want to attract his notice and create complications. He has only just established himself in Zijin Cave and should have plenty of matters to deal with. For the time being, he will not have the attention to spare for me. Until our affair is finished, I must keep a low profile. Staying out of his sight is the best choice. Besides, with this great matter imminent, if I start fighting him again, His Majesty will be displeased. In His Majesty's eyes, nothing at present is more important than swallowing the State of Wei."

Shao Sansheng nodded. "Young Master is right."

Shao Pingbo lowered his eyes to the intelligence report in his hand, his mood still oppressed. Niu Youdao now possessed status within the cultivation world while also controlling enormous secular power. The former alone was a weakness Shao Pingbo had no way to make up for...

"Wei Duo!"

Tang Yi and the others had just come out of the council hall when they saw Wei Duo walking past beneath the shade of a tree by a nearby wall, his head lowered. Elder Luo Yuangong called out to him.

Wei Duo seemed not to hear. He looked utterly dejected and gave no response, continuing on his way with his head hanging.

Luo Yuangong was about to call again when Su Po raised a hand to stop him. "Forget it. He is probably very disappointed that Niu Youdao joined Zijin Cave."

At those words, complicated expressions appeared on everyone's faces. Even Sect Leader Tang Yi had a flicker of sadness in her bright eyes.

When they first heard the news, everyone had been astonished. An Elder of Zijin Cave! Niu Youdao had practically leaped upward in a single bound. Zijin Cave had actually given an independent cultivator from outside such treatment, allowing Niu Youdao to reach that position in a single step?

For Niu Youdao personally, it was naturally a good thing.

But everyone in Shangqing Sect understood what it meant for them. Once Niu Youdao switched allegiance to Zijin Cave, his connection with Shangqing Sect was completely a thing of the past. There would be no turning back. He had now formally become a disciple of Zijin Cave.

"I knew that bastard had a traitor's bones. He'll come to no good end!" Tang Susu cursed furiously.

She herself could not quite explain why. He was clearly no longer a member of Shangqing Sect, yet she was still enraged by the news that he had joined Zijin Cave.

In fact, nearly every Shangqing Sect disciple seemed to have taken a certain emotional blow from the news.

...

The Maolu Annex had been extremely busy of late, with people coming and going constantly. Great numbers of visitors, both familiar and unfamiliar, came to call. After hearing the news, sects large and small throughout the prefectures and provinces of Yan began sending people one after another to offer congratulations.

Guan Fangyi greeted arrivals and saw departures until her face was almost frozen from smiling, yet she never tired of it. She was accepting gifts until her hands went soft.

Those who came to congratulate Niu Youdao naturally brought gifts of one sort or another, which just happened to relieve the urgent shortage in Guan Fangyi's purse.

She had come to understand that once a person possessed status and standing, money was not hard to come by. Still, with so many people under them to support and such enormous expenses, she continued to believe that the more money they had, the better.

Of course, not every cultivation sect in every prefecture sent people. Those in territories directly controlled by Yan's three major sects did not.

There were many visitors, but after Guan Fangyi totaled the monetary gifts, she was somewhat dissatisfied. The sects, large and small, had not been especially generous. Altogether, the gifts came to only a few million gold coins. In truth, that was hardly a small sum, but compared with what she had spent before, the gap was too large to make up for the pain she still felt.

Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion and Dachan Mountain were the generous ones. Each gave one million gold coins.

Of course, the most generous of all were Niu Youdao's sworn siblings from the Four Seas. The four sides together made their gifts add up to a neat total of ten million!

Even so, Guan Fangyi still complained a little. Niu Youdao had earned three hundred million for the Four Seas in the Tiandu Secret Realm. How could they have the nerve to bring out only ten million?

Yet she understood, more or less, that it was precisely because of those three hundred million that they were giving ten million now. Niu Youdao's identity and standing had finally risen high enough, and this ten million could be considered a measure of repayment. Otherwise they would never have been so generous. Ten million was no small sum.

Guan Fangyi's feelings were somewhat contradictory. In the end, she was still aching over how thoroughly their earlier expenses had emptied her reserves...

More people arrived. A great many of them this time, but they were not guests. Niu Youdao personally went outside the Maolu Annex to meet them.

Yuan Gang had arrived. The monks of Nanshan Temple had arrived. The people of Wuliang Mountain, led by Gongsun Bu, had arrived as well. They had all moved their base here.

The large group came in covered with travel dust. Upon seeing Niu Youdao, they stepped forward together to pay their respects. "Master Dao!"

"You've all had a hard journey." Niu Youdao offered the customary words, then looked back and signaled Guan Fangyi to take them away and settle them in.

Yuan Gang tossed the bundle he carried and the Three-Roars Saber to Duan Hu to take away, but did not leave himself. He moved closer to Niu Youdao and asked in a low voice, "With so many people coming here and planning to stay long-term on someone else's ground, will Zijin Cave agree?"

Niu Youdao said, "I used a small trick to settle it. There shouldn't be much of a problem."

Yuan Gang asked again, "Can they really treat you as one of their own? Could something change?"

"Changes are hard to predict, but I am an Elder of Zijin Cave now. Every sect has its rules. They cannot move against me without cause." Niu Youdao changed the subject. "Any news from Yanjing?"

His relationship with Gao Jiancheng was an absolute secret. No one else handled their communications. Everything passed through Yuan Gang alone.

"Nothing yet. This sort of thing probably isn't easy to arrange. Can that man manage it?"

"That old fellow is no pushover. When it comes to the people and affairs of the imperial court, and to understanding Shang Jianxiong, neither of us can match him. He knows how to maneuver within the court, and now he holds great power as well. Something like this shouldn't be beyond him. No news is good news. It means he is still working on it. Once he is certain he can pull it off, he will naturally send word."

Yuan Gang considered this and nodded. Then he said, "I've already arranged for the local garrison to move into Maolu Villa and station men there. There shouldn't be any problem with the grave outside the villa."

At the mention of the grave, Niu Youdao raised his head slightly and looked at the sky. A living person could judge the situation and move from place to place, but a grave could not be shifted back and forth so easily. In the end, he had still left her there all alone.

No one knew what he was thinking. After a while, he looked back and said, "We can talk about the rest later. Get settled first."

Yuan Gang nodded and turned away.

Niu Youdao slowly turned as well, watching his retreating back. He could not help giving a faint sigh. Some things had unfolded just as he expected. According to what he had heard, Yuan Gang had been using Wuliang Mountain's eyes and ears all along to keep track of Feng Guan'er's situation.

"Over here, and over there..." Yuan Fang had removed his hat, revealing his bald head, and changed back into monk's robes. Outside the annex, he was pointing here and there while directing a group of monks.

Yuan Fang was rather excited. He had never imagined there would come a day when he could live in a place like Zijin Cave.

Not knowing what he was up to, Niu Youdao walked over with his sword serving as a staff. "Old Bear, what are you doing?"

"Master Dao!" Yuan Fang turned around, his face instantly piling into a smile. Flapping his broad sleeves, he scampered over and bowed obsequiously. "Master Dao, the old rules, of course. We'll clear these flatter plots of land and plant them. Master Yuan's reasoning still makes sense. We should personally control what you eat. Otherwise there are too many opportunities for someone to tamper with your food, and it would be difficult to guard against."

So he was staking out farmland! Niu Youdao smiled. Yuan Gang really had corrupted this group of monks. They had picked up the habit of growing vegetables wherever they went.

In truth, Niu Youdao was quite happy to see them. He would once again be able to hear the morning bells and evening drums. Listening to them every day could dispel agitation and calm the mind. It seemed beneficial to cultivation as well, and it gave the atmosphere around him a different quality.

So long as the morning bells and evening drums were still sounding, it meant all was well.

He raised a hand and patted Yuan Fang on the shoulder. "It has been a long time since I've tasted your cooking. I do miss it."

Yuan Fang immediately thumped his chest. "Whatever Master Dao wants to eat, just say the word. I'll have it made at once."

"Anything is fine. We'll talk when it's time to eat."

"Good! Then I'll make what Master Dao likes." Yuan Fang readily promised, then asked, "Master Dao, where do you think we should put the wine-brewing operation? Would it work to hollow out a cave in that mountain?" He waved toward a nearby peak.

Niu Youdao said, "Forget about the wine brewing."

"Huh? Forget it?" Yuan Fang's eyes widened.

"Someone else will do the work. You get paid without lifting a finger. What could be better? It saves you the trouble."

"Don't, Master Dao! We can handle that ourselves. We don't need someone else to do it for us." Yuan Fang immediately grew anxious.

Just then, Wen Mo'er flashed over and reported, "Master Dao, the Sect Leader has returned from Misty Pavilion. Mr. Yucang of Xiaoyue Pavilion came with him. Mr. Yucang is here."

"Old Bear, the man who's going to do your work has arrived." Niu Youdao looked back and teased him, then walked away.

"Master Dao! Master Dao..." Yuan Fang called after him repeatedly, but it did no good. Niu Youdao never looked back. In the end, Yuan Fang rubbed his bald head and stamped his foot. There were some things he was quite reluctant to let out of his own hands.

But this was Niu Youdao's place to decide matters. Whatever Niu Youdao said was how it would be. Yuan Fang had no say in it.

[End of Chapter 904]