Chapter 913: Niu Youdao, Don't Go Too Far!

Niu Youdao had simply laid it bare with brazen arrogance.

At a time like this, everyone could only pretend they had not understood him.

Those with guilty consciences feared ghosts knocking at the door. In truth, they had already harbored suspicions along these lines before. Now those suspicions had effectively been confirmed.

Yan Li was somewhat speechless. He thought to himself, They were the ones who went after you. I never caused you any trouble. Couldn't you at least have spared my people? What was the point of killing them?

Then he reconsidered. This fellow probably had no idea which men belonged to Yan Li and which did not.

Off to one side, Guan Fangyi muttered inwardly. She was beginning to realize that Master Dao's manner toward this crowd from Zijin Cave truly was rather abnormal. He would throw his temper around at the slightest provocation.

Once the group left, Niu Youdao went back inside as though nothing had happened.

After pacing through the courtyard for a while, Wen Mo'er quietly came up beside him and offered a well-intentioned warning. "Master Dao, what you're doing isn't good."

She too had followed the people around here in changing how she addressed him. Calling Niu Youdao "Elder" simply felt strangely unnatural.

Niu Youdao gave an "Oh?" and turned back with a smile. "What wise counsel do you have?"

Wen Mo'er waved her hands. "I don't have any wise counsel. It's only that when I went over to the Sect Leader's side earlier, I happened to hear the Sect Leader and the others discussing something. They were talking about Sacred Realm."

"Sacred Realm?" Niu Youdao's smile disappeared. He turned to face her squarely. "What about Sacred Realm?"

Wen Mo'er said, "It seems Misty Pavilion has issued an order requiring every major sect with a seat in Misty Pavilion to send three elite disciples to Sacred Realm. They say Sacred Realm is giving everyone an opportunity to temper themselves. The various sects should be drawing up their lists of disciples for Sacred Realm right now. This really isn't a good time for you to make relations with everyone too tense."

Niu Youdao immediately understood what she meant. If he angered that crowd badly enough, there was no telling whether they might put his name on the recommended list.

He had not heard so much as a whisper of this. His brow furrowed. "Make a trip for me. Invite Elder Yan over."

"Yes!" Wen Mo'er agreed, then hesitated and added another reminder. "Master Dao, don't tell him I was the one who told you."

Niu Youdao nodded. "Don't worry. I won't sell you out."

After Wen Mo'er left, Niu Youdao called to Guan Fangyi, "Tell Old Bear to prepare a table of wine and dishes."

They waited quite some time without Yan Li appearing. Only when Wen Mo'er returned did they learn that after leaving the annex, Yan Li and the others had gone back to the council hall to continue deliberations. Wen Mo'er had not dared enter and interrupt, so she had waited until Yan Li came out before approaching him with the message.

A little later, Yan Li arrived. His timing was perfect: Yuan Fang had just finished preparing the food and wine.

"Why'd you call me back?" Yan Li asked, still plainly annoyed with him.

"I only just learned that Elder Yan's people were accidentally caught in the sweep. I feel ashamed, so I specially prepared a table of wine and dishes to apologize."

"You think one table of food and wine is enough to send me away?"

"Don't refuse the face I'm giving you. You're an Elder, and I'm an Elder. We hold the same standing in the sect, so stop giving me that look. The food and wine here are unparalleled beneath Heaven. Even the Sect Leader hasn't tasted them. You're getting a treat today."

Talking all the while, Niu Youdao half dragged Yan Li inside and pushed him down into a seat.

Yan Li did not know whether to laugh or cry. But when he saw the variety of dishes spread across the table and caught their fragrance, he paused in surprise.

"Try some." Niu Youdao forcibly stuffed a pair of chopsticks into his hand.

A guest followed the host's wishes. Somewhat reluctantly, though genuinely tempted by the unfamiliar dishes, Yan Li took a bite. His eyes brightened slightly. His chopsticks moved again and again as he sampled several dishes and found that they truly were excellent.

"See? I didn't lie to you. I'm sincerely apologizing." Niu Youdao smiled as he poured wine for him.

After the two raised their cups and drank together, Niu Youdao asked, "I hear the sect is drawing up the list of people going to Sacred Realm?"

Yan Li did not think much of the question. The important point was that he had no idea Niu Youdao had only just learned of it. He grunted an acknowledgment, his chopsticks and mouth both continuing to move.

Niu Youdao asked again, "Have the candidates been decided?"

"Not yet. There is still some time, and they're difficult to choose."

Niu Youdao refilled his wine as though merely curious. "Zijin Cave has so many people. How hard can it be to choose three?"

At this, Yan Li put down his chopsticks and sighed. "Misty Pavilion wants every sect to send outstanding disciples. You know as well as I do that most of a sect's outstanding disciples belong to the various Elder factions that control its resources. Tempering? Some things need no saying; everyone understands. No one knows what might happen, so nobody wants to send disciples from his own faction. But Misty Pavilion specifically demanded each sect's elites. Until the final moment, how could there not be constant pushing, stalling, and wrangling?"

Niu Youdao gave an "Oh." "Then why hide this from me?"

"Hide it from you? Why would we hide it from you?" Yan Li paused, then understood and waved a hand. "No one was hiding it from you. We simply haven't announced it publicly yet because we don't want everyone getting unsettled."

Niu Youdao continued, "You didn't tell me because you aren't planning to put me on the list, are you?"

Yan Li froze again. Then he looked at the table full of delicacies and burst out laughing. He understood now. Pointing at Niu Youdao, he said, "You, you... Brother Niu, you're overthinking it. Whatever else you are, you're still an Elder of Zijin Cave. Even if someone wanted to put you forward, there is no precedent for casually sending a sect Elder off in a matter like this. No one would dare start one. Put your heart back in your stomach. This has nothing to do with you. Just stand aside and enjoy the spectacle."

"Ah, you people are terrible. Of course I was worried." Niu Youdao relaxed and began urging him to drink again.

Yan Li paused and gave him a look. "We're terrible? Leave that aside for now. You really gave me no face at all. We have some friendship between us, don't we? Yet my people—you killed them just like that?"

Niu Youdao said, "At first I didn't know which ones were your people. A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."

Yan Li waved a hand. "I don't want to keep dredging up the past. I only want one assurance from you. I don't care about anyone else's people, but you cannot touch mine again."

Niu Youdao pressed his hand down. "What your people, my people? They were only a few corrupt officials. How do they count as your people? Are they worth getting serious over? I'll put my words right here: investigate my territory as much as you like. If you find any corrupt official there and you have evidence, kill him however you please. I will have absolutely no complaint."

Seeing that Niu Youdao still refused to yield, and having never trusted him much to begin with, Yan Li immediately became wary. "What do you mean by that? You still intend to keep this going? This is how you apologize?"

Niu Youdao said, "Now I've seen just how little ambition Elder Yan has. Is a little money really worth all this?"

Yan Li glared when he still would not relent. "Niu Youdao, don't go too far!"

"That's not what I mean. How am I supposed to know which people are yours and which aren't? Give me a list later. Then everything is easy to discuss. All right?"

Yan Li grunted, picked up his chopsticks, and went back to eating, looking as though that was more like it.

Niu Youdao added, "But I'll say the unpleasant part upfront. You cannot let my name end up on that list for Sacred Realm. If anything looks wrong, you must warn me in advance. If you do something behind my back, don't blame me for turning hostile."

"Ah, you fellow. I already told you it has nothing to do with you. Why won't you believe me? Aren't you being a little too suspicious? Fine, fine. I understand." Yan Li shook his head repeatedly.

Niu Youdao immediately brightened and raised his cup to him.

It was not that he was excessively suspicious. To have reached where he was today, he had no choice but to be careful. Getting capsized in a gutter was all too common. By rights, he should never have needed to enter the Tiandu Secret Realm either, yet somehow he had still been forced into it. Now he had offended quite a few people inside Zijin Cave as well. Who knew what might happen in the end? How could he act as though nothing was wrong and pay no attention?

Some things had to be guarded against.

Not merely guarded against, but treated seriously.

After spending some time laughing and drinking with Yan Li and seeing him off, Niu Youdao immediately summoned Guan Fangyi and Yuan Gang. He ordered them to contact Yucang of Xiaoyue Pavilion, Elder Chao Jing of Myriad Beasts Sect, the Four Seas, and the other relevant parties at once. For the journey to Sacred Realm, they were to do everything possible to ensure reliable people of their own were among those sent.

Prepare before the rain fell, just in case!

...

Han began withdrawing its army from Song territory.

The situation had not yet deteriorated to the point where withdrawal was absolutely unavoidable, but Jin Jue had always favored caution and was exceptionally alert to dangers that might emerge. For this, he had been willing to shoulder all responsibility. He lost his office as Grand Marshal and was directly demoted to commoner, all to force through Han's withdrawal.

When Meng Shanming learned the news, his scheme having failed, he lifted his face to the sky and sighed at the pity of it. If Han and Song had truly been dragged into exhaustion, it was not impossible that Yan might have swallowed both states. That would have eliminated future trouble once and for all. Qin had only recently been restored and its national strength remained weak. This had been precisely the opportunity.

As for Jin Jue being demoted to commoner, Meng Shanming considered that nonsense. So long as Jin Jue retained the emperor's favor, he could return at any moment should trouble arise. A man of Jin Jue's status could be demoted however severely and still never become a commoner in any real sense. He would continue to have a crowd of people protecting him.

Jin Jue, on the road with the withdrawing army, was melancholy as well. He had originally hoped to exploit Song's predicament and make withdrawal conditional on Song ceding several of the prefectures Han had previously occupied along the Han border.

During the negotiations, the moment Song's three major sects heard that Han was willing to withdraw, they secretly breathed sighs of relief and promptly agreed.

Who could have expected Wu Gongling to refuse outright? He insisted that Han return every piece of occupied Song territory and even stirred up the men below him to roar that they would rather die in battle than yield a single inch of land.

Song no longer had the strength to keep fighting. If this dragged on another year or even half a year, with the country already ruined to this degree and supplying the armies becoming so difficult, the entire Song army might starve to death. What battle would there be left to fight then?

Song's three major sects were furious, but they could do nothing about Wu Gongling. Under circumstances like these, they could hardly purge Wu Gongling's entire faction again. If they truly did that, Han would probably be delighted. Forget withdrawing—Han would most likely take advantage of the situation to occupy Song outright.

In the end, Wu Gongling won.

Han's grand strategy had already been set. Withdrawal was inevitable. If Wu Gongling insisted on fighting to the death regardless of cost, Han could not continue entangling itself with Song and draining its own national strength merely for the sake of a few Song prefectures.

The two sides finally reached agreement. Song's army would stop harassing the withdrawal, and Han's forces would retreat completely back into Han territory.

Song's three major sects were naturally overjoyed by the result. So Wu Gongling had been right after all: Han's hard line before the negotiations had been nothing but a bluff.

Throughout the affair, it was not that Song's three major sects had been foolish in the face of Han's pressure. They and Wu Gongling had simply been looking at the situation from different vantage points.

Han's army withdrew. The two states ceased hostilities. At last there was no need to fight anymore, and all Song territory that had fallen to the enemy was recovered. The people of Song, who had endured so much suffering, wept with joy. Wherever the good news reached, cries of "Long live His Majesty!" rang out. For a time, Wu Gongling's prestige throughout Song blazed like the noonday sun, unrivaled by anyone.

Song's three major sects discovered that perhaps they really had chosen the right man when they supported Wu Gongling's rise to the throne.

At the very least, he was stronger than Mu Zhuozhen.

[End of Chapter 913]