Chapter 942: If I'm Going Down, We're All Going Down Together!

Shan Dongxing frowned as well. He too felt that Niu Youdao was going somewhat too far.

Hui Qingping might have been deposed, but she had still once been Empress of Song. Handing a former empress of Song over to a foreign power was something Wu Gongling could never endure the humiliation of doing. And how were all the officials and people of Song supposed to feel about it?

It was practically a public humiliation of Wu Gongling. Shan Dongxing likewise believed he could never agree.

But the practical problem was that Niu Youdao's warning had been perfectly clear: if you refuse, I'll attack you!

Holding the letter, Shan Dongxing tried asking, "Do you think Niu Youdao truly means what he says?"

Wu Gongling sneered disdainfully. "Who cares whether he means it? Does he think the State of Yan belongs to his family? That he can start a war whenever he pleases? I won't bother with him. Let's see what he can do to me."

Shan Dongxing said, "He does have considerable influence in Yan. If he truly takes this seriously, there's no telling what might happen. The war between Yan and Zhao was started by him, and in the end Zhao was destroyed."

Wu Gongling said, "Stop frightening yourself. Times have changed. He's already thrown himself in with Zijin Cave. Xiaoyao Palace and Lingjian Mountain won't simply let him run wild anymore. It's not that I look down on him, but the troops in his hands would have trouble enough crossing Yan territory to reach Song's border, never mind launching an invasion. He opens his mouth and expects to scare people? Does he take me for a three-year-old?"

Shan Dongxing tried asking, "Then we ignore him?"

Wu Gongling fell silent for a moment, then grunted. "Ignore him. Why bother?"

That was what he said, but there was not much confidence behind it.

He had indeed been planning to find an opportunity for Hui Qingping to suffer some "accident" inside the imperial prison. But with this letter arriving, he suddenly had scruples. He no longer quite dared act rashly.

There were things perhaps even he himself did not realize. If Tiannü Sect came forward and threatened him, he might not be afraid at all. Yet faced with Niu Youdao, he genuinely felt a measure of fear.

More precisely, he did not fear Niu Youdao himself. He feared Meng Shanming under Niu Youdao.

And because he feared Meng Shanming, he feared Niu Youdao.

From the day Wu Gongling first joined the army, he had served in the forces under Meng Shanming. Through all the years in which he rose from an ordinary foot soldier, he had lived immersed in Meng Shanming's prestige and grown up beneath its shadow. The sight of Marshal Meng commanding thousands upon thousands, riding forward amid the mountain-roaring, sea-surging cries of the army, had once filled Wu Gongling with yearning.

Later, if Prince Ning had not stopped him, Meng Shanming would nearly have had Wu Gongling killed.

Meng Shanming could be said to have seen him through completely. No matter how many military achievements Wu Gongling accumulated, Meng Shanming kept him pressed down firmly. As long as Meng Shanming remained, Wu Gongling could never rise. The man had loomed over him like a great mountain, nearly suffocating him. That state of affairs had lasted for many years. One could imagine what sort of mentality Wu Gongling had developed toward Meng Shanming.

Among generals who fought on battlefields, who truly submitted to whom? But Meng Shanming left them no choice but to submit. His record, bordering on invincibility, was dazzling.

Then Meng Shanming became crippled. Meng Shanming grew old. Meng Shanming retired. Yan too staggered in storms while its famous generals faded away. Wu Gongling had begun to look around with swelling pride: among all Yan's generals, who was there to fear?

Who could have known that crippled old Meng Shanming would come back out again? He beat Yan's imperial court until it had no temper left, then later chased Wu Gongling into desperate flight. Wu Gongling had not dared engage him in battle at all.

What happened afterward was known beneath Heaven.

Meng Shanming crossed the Dongyu River on a white horse and led his army into Song. With troops fighting from an adverse position, he smashed the ascendant Song forces until they were battered and miserable. He slaughtered cities all along the way, throwing the people of Song into terror.

Luo Zhao, Song's once high-spirited Grand Commander-in-Chief, dimmed from that moment onward. Song had been forced into a humiliating peace.

The instant Meng Shanming left Song territory, he turned his army west against Zhao. At the Battle of Jiao Lake, he annihilated Zhao's elite forces and directly destroyed the State of Zhao, shocking all beneath Heaven!

Faced with this old man who seemed almost incapable of losing a war, Wu Gongling felt like a pearl the size of a grain of rice trying to compete with the radiant moon. He considered himself a capable fighting general, yet against Meng Shanming he simply did not know how the battle ought to be fought.

That fear had sunk into his bones.

And it was not only him. He knew the generals under him who had once served in Meng Shanming's army feared Meng Shanming as well.

Nor was it limited to them. All of Song changed color at the mention of Meng Shanming. He had invaded Song more than once. Even in earlier years, he had already cast a shadow over the hearts of Song's people. Song had tried to wash away that humiliation, only for Meng Shanming to counterattack into its territory again. His brutal method of slaughtering city after city had been terrifying enough; his massacre of hundreds of thousands of elite Song soldiers who had surrendered was even more horrifying...

Wu Gongling feared Meng Shanming.

And Niu Youdao went to Meng Shanming.

Not because Niu Youdao knew of that fear. Niu Youdao had no idea Wu Gongling feared Meng Shanming.

Nor had Niu Youdao intended merely to frighten Wu Gongling with a single letter. He did not believe one letter alone could easily terrify the emperor of a state into submission. Just as the anonymous letter he himself had received had said, real pressure was needed.

Niu Youdao sent word to Shang Chaozong, directly explaining the situation. He wanted to apply pressure to save Hui Qingping and asked Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming to discuss whether some military measure could be taken to pressure Song. They did not necessarily have to fight for real. It would be enough to make Song feel enough pressure that it had no choice but to release her.

Professional matters were better left to professionals. Niu Youdao did not understand the command of armies. Giving foolish orders himself would only expose his weakness and invite ridicule.

Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming discussed the matter immediately. Even Meng Shanming found it somewhat difficult.

The problem was obvious. The territory controlled by the Nanzhou faction was limited. Under Yan's current political situation, it was almost impossible for Nanzhou's forces to cross the territories of other factions and reach the Song border in enough strength to menace it. They would practically have to fight their way across Yan first.

Throwing Yan into internal chaos and getting countless people killed merely to save Hui Qingping would be far too costly. It simply was not worth it.

Meng Shanming did, however, offer one suggestion. If Niu Youdao could persuade Zijin Cave to cooperate, then intimidating Song might still be possible.

The reason was simple. Yan's Bozhou bordered Song, and Bozhou was precisely territory under Zijin Cave, with Elder Qiao Tianguang stationed there.

If they were only creating a threat rather than actually going to war, Meng Shanming needed Bozhou as a point from which to borrow strength.

That left Niu Youdao in a difficult position as well. The possibility of persuading Zijin Cave to cooperate with him in something like this was very small.

A whole group of Zijin Cave's senior figures already had grievances with him, and he had just killed some of their people in Beizhou. One could imagine the situation. If he brought this matter up, not only might they refuse to help, they might even drag their feet on purpose.

Guan Fangyi had personally witnessed parts of the whole process and no longer knew what to say about Niu Youdao. Was it really worth putting this much thought and effort into Hui Qingping? What benefit could there possibly be?

She even sought out Yuan Gang over the matter, hoping he might persuade Niu Youdao.

Yuan Gang's attitude irritated her half to death. He said he approved of Master Dao doing this.

While Niu Youdao was still considering how to solve the problem, Wen Mo'er arrived and said the Sect Leader wanted him to make a trip to the council hall.

"Not going!" Niu Youdao, pacing in the courtyard, threw the words out without hesitation. "Tell them I'm in secluded cultivation and absolutely cannot be disturbed. I've sealed off my six senses, so no one can contact me, and no one dares disturb me lightly either. Otherwise I might suffer qi deviation."

He believed the summons to the council hall was merely a pretext. Two Elders had already come one after another wanting to see him, and he had rejected both with the same excuse.

One would not do, so they sent another, and still no. He was determined to force that old dog Yan Li to come personally. Everyone else could forget about getting a response.

For an Elder, he really was outrageously willful. Wen Mo'er did not know whether to laugh or cry. She explained, "Master Dao, the Sect Leader said it concerns Sacred Realm. He said you're involved, and you need to go over."

"Sacred Realm? And it involves me?" Niu Youdao immediately became alert. "What does Sacred Realm have to do with me?"

Guan Fangyi, standing nearby, was surprised as well. Why would Sacred Realm involve Master Dao? Zijin Cave's submitted list had already been confirmed, and it had nothing to do with their side.

Wen Mo'er shook her head. "I don't know either. I'm only relaying the Sect Leader's words. He said you must go. All the Elders are waiting for you."

"Sacred Realm..." Niu Youdao muttered, considering the matter for a while.

This was not something he could simply indulge his temper over. He would have liked to keep up the act and force Sect Leader Gong Lince to deign to come personally, but after thinking about it, there would be plenty of other chances to be difficult. There was no need to insist on this one.

He waved a hand and said coolly, "Then I'll go take a look."

Even then, he maintained his posture and made no hurry on the way.

He eventually arrived at the council hall at an unhurried pace. The moment he entered, he found every person qualified to sit there looking at him with complicated expressions unlike any they had ever shown him before.

Those looks made Niu Youdao's scalp prickle. His mind spun rapidly through every possibility he could think of and how he should respond.

"Sect Leader, I was at a critical point in secluded cultivation. What was so urgent that you had to see me? I nearly suffered qi deviation." Niu Youdao looked thoroughly exhausted by the ordeal.

Secluded cultivation, my ass! Gong Lince cursed inwardly. It was not as though Wen Mo'er had failed to tell him what was going on.

Still, he did not expose the lie. He only smiled bitterly. "Junior Brother Niu, seeing you even once truly isn't easy!"

Niu Youdao said, "Sect Leader, those words shame me. If you call for me, would I dare refuse to come? See? One summons and here I am." He looked around. "What happened? I don't have any authority to participate in decisions here. Why call me in?"

Gong Lince stared at him and said slowly, "The list of people Zijin Cave is sending to Sacred Realm for tempering has changed."

Niu Youdao's heart leapt into his throat. He listened without speaking.

Gong Lince continued, "Sacred Realm crossed one disciple's name off the list and added yours!"

Niu Youdao's face darkened. He looked left and right. "You're all joking with me, aren't you?"

"No joke. It's true." Gong Lince sighed. "We didn't want to see this happen either, but the message from Misty Pavilion says exactly that. Junior Brother, we called you here because we hope you'll use the remaining time to prepare early."

"What do you mean, Sacred Realm crossed one out and added me? To Sacred Realm, what the hell am I? Am I really worth that kind of special treatment? Spare me this nonsense!" Niu Youdao objected fiercely. His gaze moved from one person to another before finally landing on Yan Li. "I think someone has it in for me and wants me dead. Someone changed the list we submitted behind my back!"

He's suspecting me? Yan Li hurriedly waved both hands. "It has nothing to do with me... No, I mean this truly has nothing to do with any of us. Sacred Realm itself really made the change."

"I don't care who made it. If someone refuses to let me live comfortably, then none of you are going to live comfortably either. I'm sure as hell not going. If I'm going down, we're all going down together!" Niu Youdao threw down the words and bolted. In a flash he shot straight out of the hall and rapidly disappeared into the distance.

"Junior Brother!"

"Junior Brother Niu!"

"Elder Niu!"

The entire group shouted after him, but none managed to stop him. By the time they rushed outside the hall, there was no sign of him.

They were still discussing whether they should all go to the Maolu Annex together and try to persuade him when, not long afterward, a disciple ran over to report.

"Elder Niu has gone to Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion. Elder Zhong sent word asking the Sect Leader and all the Elders to go over."

[End of Chapter 942]