Chapter 940: Add Niu Youdao of Zijin Cave!

Zi Pingxiu remained silent for a long time. At last he stroked his beard, pinched it between his fingers, and said decisively, "Those caught in the game cannot see as clearly as those watching from outside. Good! I'll follow your advice."

For the Chancellor of a state to begin preparing another road of retreat was no small matter. It was a major strategic choice.

That Zi Pingxiu would obey Jia Wuqun even in a decision of such importance reflected not only trust in one of his own people, but also the recognition Jia Wuqun's abilities had earned over the years.

Jia Wuqun nodded. His eyes flickered. Then he dipped his brush in ink and wrote another sentence for Zi Pingxiu to read.

"Hui Qingping will certainly die!"

Zi Pingxiu hesitated. "Sir means His Majesty still intends to kill Hui Qingping?"

Jia Wuqun nodded and wrote his prediction: "The present ruler is ruthless and vicious. If an opportunity arises, how could the bond between husband and wife restrain him? He will certainly strike to kill. He has only hesitated for now because I used the matter of 'fratricide' to warn him. In time, Hui Qingping will certainly commit suicide in prison, and naturally her death will have nothing to do with the present ruler!"

Zi Pingxiu understood his meaning. Wu Gongling wanted Hui Qingping dead but did not want to stain himself with it, so naturally he would arrange for Hui Qingping to meet with an "accident." The best outcome would be for Hui Qingping herself to lose the will to live and commit suicide. After thinking it through, Zi Pingxiu sighed. "As long as he doesn't make matters too ugly right now, that's enough. Later, no one will care about something like this anyway. Sir has raised the matter again. Don't tell me you still intend to save her?"

He knew Jia Wuqun was not a man who wasted words. Ever since Misty Pavilion had cut out his tongue, speaking was difficult and writing was troublesome as well, making him even less inclined to say anything unnecessary.

After years of dealing with him, Zi Pingxiu suspected Jia Wuqun had another purpose in paying attention to what became of Hui Qingping, which was why he asked.

Jia Wuqun wrote a question in return: "I don't intend to save her. But does someone else?"

Zi Pingxiu froze, then asked suspiciously, "Hui Qingping is alone now, abandoned by everyone. Even His Majesty no longer wants to protect her. Who could still want to save her? Tiannü Sect? She betrayed Tiannü Sect. Seeing her reduced to this state, they're probably applauding. Not killing her themselves would already be mercy. Why would they save her? Song's three major sects probably don't want another cultivation faction around His Majesty. Tongxian Pavilion may be close to His Majesty, but its own position is awkward. It probably won't interfere too deeply in this either, and has no reason to protect her. As for the civil and military officials, she never built any serious ties with us and has no real interests intertwined with anyone. Once this affair passes, there would be no reason for any of them to insist on saving her. As for this old man, preserving her life for now is already the limit of what I can do. I won't ask for more! Whether she has some other relationships in the cultivation world, I wouldn't know."

Jia Wuqun wrote: "She may look abandoned by everyone, but the Chancellor has not counted every one of her ties. She still has a sworn younger brother!"

At the mention of that sworn brother, Zi Pingxiu reacted instantly and blurted, "Niu Youdao? You mean that Niu Youdao you've been watching so closely all this time?"

Jia Wuqun nodded.

Zi Pingxiu was not entirely convinced. "Niu Youdao is now an Elder of Zijin Cave in Yan and holds considerable status. His influence truly isn't ordinary. But his sworn bond with Hui Qingping was made rather casually. Would he really protect her? Would he spend that much effort on Hui Qingping? Is it worth it? This concerns two states. It isn't as though he can save her merely because he says so."

Jia Wuqun put brush to board.

"Behind the winds and clouds beneath Heaven, in the end it is still cultivators who steer events. The countless common people are all chess pieces. Niu Youdao is no ordinary man. He holds considerable power, and his mind contains designs of rare brilliance. He may wish for stillness, but the wind will not cease. How could he remain beneath others for long? If the winds and clouds rise and you count all those caught within them, this man will certainly not be absent! Shao Pingbo is an outstanding talent of his generation. He governed Beizhou, yet failed to read Heaven's timing; now he has gone to Jin and busies himself to no avail. The Chancellor should take warning from him!"

He pointed his brush at his own mouth, indicating that his tongue had been lost precisely because he had provoked that group of cultivators.

"It seems Sir has truly spent considerable effort studying this Niu Youdao." Zi Pingxiu sighed as though something had dawned on him, though uncertainty remained on his face. "Sir means we should cultivate good relations with him?"

Jia Wuqun wrote: "Given the Chancellor's position, if signs of private association were exposed, Song would not tolerate it and disaster would surely follow. But you can form a bond of goodwill!"

Zi Pingxiu hesitated. "Hui Qingping? Sir is certain he'll save Hui Qingping?"

Jia Wuqun shook his head to show that even he could not guarantee it. Then he wrote of another matter.

"During the war to destroy Zhao, at the shore of Jiaohu, he risked himself to save the Prince. That danger was no performance. He is a man willing to sacrifice himself for righteousness! The Shang clan therefore rallied its great army to resist Yan's three major sects, repaying him with loyalty!"

Zi Pingxiu pondered. "Sir means Niu Youdao may value his sworn bond with Hui Qingping enough to intervene?"

Jia Wuqun wrote: "Treat this as another test of his character, so we may better weigh a road of retreat for the Zi household. If he truly is a righteous man, we can keep him in reserve for the future. Should calamity strike one day, would it not be better to cast our lot with a righteous man than with someone heartless and faithless? It may preserve the Zi household for longer."

Zi Pingxiu felt a complicated mix of emotions. This man truly paid little regard to the doctrine of ruler and minister. Earlier, Jia Wuqun had encouraged him to maneuver others into overthrowing Mu Zhuozhen. Now he wanted him to prepare yet another road for defecting to someone else in the future. Apart from preserving the Zi household, Jia Wuqun seemed to care about very little.

Stroking his beard, Zi Pingxiu considered the matter. "What Sir says certainly has reason, but this old man truly has no way to rescue Hui Qingping for him. I am powerless."

Jia Wuqun wrote: "The Chancellor need not act. A single letter of warning will suffice."

Zi Pingxiu wavered. "If I leave him a written letter, won't I be putting evidence into his hands?"

Jia Wuqun wrote: "Do not sign it. Do not mention where it came from. Only give the warning. The Chancellor need only remember the contents of the letter so they can be verified one day. If he values loyalty enough to protect Hui Qingping, then the Chancellor will have done enough to form a bond of goodwill with him. If the winds and clouds are about to rise, then thunder is soon to follow. There is no harm in preparing more roads of retreat."

"Oh!" Zi Pingxiu nodded repeatedly. He understood now. If they handled it this way, he truly would bear no risk, and it was indeed worth trying. He rose. "I've taken Sir's words to heart. If there is nothing else you wish to remind me of, I'll arrange it at once."

Jia Wuqun shook his head, indicating there was nothing more.

As Zi Pingxiu prepared to leave, he added, "Right. Sir likes river shrimp. I specifically had the steward find some fresh live ones. I'll have them sent over shortly."

Jia Wuqun smiled bitterly and wrote four words: "No tongue, no taste!"

"Ah!" Zi Pingxiu let out a long sigh of regret. He knew Jia Wuqun could no longer taste food properly. Another pleasure had been stripped from his life. With such a tasteless existence, why would he care about all those rigid doctrines of ruler and minister?

...

Sacred Realm. Just as its name suggested, it was a place of extraordinary beauty. With few people and little trace of human alteration, its natural splendor remained largely untouched.

Daluo Sacred Land, residence of Luo Qiu, one of the nine supreme experts beneath Heaven, seemed like a land of immortals.

At a pavilion atop a high cliff, Sha Rulai stood by the railing and gazed into the distance. Every so often, his eyes drifted toward the people moving in and out below the mountain.

A graceful woman in light gauze came along the covered walkway from the far end of the pavilion. She was strikingly beautiful. She stopped beside Sha Rulai and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. It was Luo Qiu's daughter, Luo Fangfei.

Luo Qiu's early years had been difficult, and he had wanted no burdens. After attaining his later status, he seemed to lose all interest in having children and devoted himself more fully to pursuing the Great Dao. Later, for reasons no one knew, Luo Qiu had a woman bear him this daughter. That woman was said to have been extraordinarily beautiful. It was also said that Luo Qiu later killed her with his own hands.

Luo Qiu had only this one daughter. Luo Fangfei had never heard the story that her father had killed her mother. There were things perhaps everyone knew except the person most directly concerned.

Luo Fangfei was also Sha Rulai's present wife, and the stepmother of Sha Rulai's daughter, Sha Huanli, City Lord of Star-Plucking City.

After Sha Rulai's first wife disappeared, he married Luo Fangfei. In a sense, the two had not been together for very many years. Through this marriage, Sha Huanli also became Luo Qiu's granddaughter.

Even without that relationship, Sha Huanli ordinarily would not have had too difficult a life. Her father was, after all, a disciple of Luo Qiu, one of the nine supreme experts beneath Heaven.

Sha Huanli herself seemed to have little interest in Daluo Sacred Land. After leaving, she rarely returned and lived in Star-Plucking City for long stretches.

For Luo Qiu's daughter to marry Sha Rulai, who had already been married once, made it obvious how much she liked him. One only had to look at the way she gazed at him now, her bright eyes soft with affection.

"Senior Brother, what are you looking at?" she asked.

Sha Rulai was not especially handsome. But matters between people were impossible to explain. Many could not understand why Luo Fangfei, of all people, had set her heart on Sha Rulai.

"Nothing in particular." Sha Rulai lifted his chin slightly toward the people coming and going below. "There suddenly seem to be more people moving through that area."

Luo Fangfei said, "It's because of the Sacred Realm tempering. They're coming here, after all. No one dares be careless. The people on the lists submitted by the various sects are being verified again. Senior Brother, you've finished handing over everything at Tiandu Peak, haven't you?"

Control of Misty Pavilion rotated. Daluo Sacred Land's term in charge of Misty Pavilion had already ended, and people under another supreme expert had taken over.

Sha Rulai gave a quiet acknowledgment. The mention of Tiandu Peak and the lists submitted by the sects seemed to remind him of something. He asked, "You're overseeing this matter, aren't you? Which three people did Zijin Cave of Yan submit?"

Luo Fangfei hesitated. "I truly didn't pay attention to that." Although she was responsible for the matter, naturally there were subordinates handling many of the details. She could hardly personally remember so many names. Puzzled, she asked, "Senior Brother, why do you care about Zijin Cave?"

Sha Rulai said, "I remembered someone I once paid attention to. He's rather interesting. I heard he joined Zijin Cave later on. Since he only joined them halfway through, I wonder whether Zijin Cave might squeeze him out by sending him here. If he comes, I'd like to take the opportunity to observe him again at close range."

Anyone capable of drawing her Senior Brother's attention immediately interested Luo Fangfei. "Who?"

Sha Rulai said, "You spend most of your time in Sacred Realm, so perhaps you haven't heard of him. His name is Niu Youdao."

Luo Fangfei laughed. "How could I not have heard of the man Senior Brother forced into taking first place in the Tiandu Secret Realm? I heard he even painted a portrait of Huanli years ago..."

The first sentence was harmless enough. The second made Sha Rulai whip his head around and stare at her coldly. Slowly he asked, "You've been monitoring Huanli?"

Luo Fangfei knew she had misspoken and hurriedly explained, "Senior Brother, don't misunderstand. I was only concerned about Huanli. I meant nothing else."

Whether Sha Rulai accepted the explanation was impossible to tell. Expressionless, he turned and left.

Luo Fangfei watched him go, her gaze complicated.

Feelings were complicated to begin with. Even if her father was Luo Qiu, he could not dictate what emotions should exist between two people.

After collecting herself, Luo Fangfei turned back to the railing and looked down at the people below. Remembering what her Senior Brother had just said, she suddenly leapt from the pavilion and drifted directly down to the administrative building below.

She entered and held out a hand to the person in charge. "Give me the list for the Sacred Realm tempering."

The list was naturally presented to her with utmost respect.

She found the three names submitted by Zijin Cave and looked them over. Then she tossed the list back onto the table. "Niu Youdao of Zijin Cave. Add him!"

"This..." The official in charge gave a helpless smile. "Pavilion Master, that won't do. The rule is three people from each sect. Add one more and Zijin Cave will have four. There's no way to account for that."

Away from Sha Rulai, Luo Fangfei's expression had already become cold. "Don't you know how to adapt? Cross one name out and replace it with Niu Youdao."

The official said, "Pavilion Master, Niu Youdao, from what I know, is an Elder of Zijin Cave. Is it appropriate to add him? And changing the list means notifying the other eight sides as well. I'm afraid it will be somewhat troublesome."

Luo Fangfei said, "If he's capable of becoming an Elder, doesn't that make him one of the elite sect disciples required by the rules? There's nothing inappropriate about it. Just do as I say. You don't need to explain anything. I'll handle the explanation myself. If Zijin Cave has objections, tell them to come find me."

"Yes!" The official could only obey, while thinking that Zijin Cave would have to be mad to come looking for trouble with her.

[End of Chapter 940]