Chapter 1198: Neither Crying, Laughing, nor Making a Fuss

Guan Fangyi pleaded, "She only mistook you for someone else. Everyone could see it was a mistake. Telling her the truth wouldn't cause any problem. Are you really going to be this cold-blooded and heartless because of some possibility that almost certainly doesn't exist?"

"We're born human. Even if we cultivate, if everyone became as heartless as you, what meaning would there be in living at all?"

Niu Youdao's voice rang hard and clear. "Then let me tell you what true heartlessness is."

"Once, many people fell right in front of me. Living people died before my eyes. All I could do was watch. I was powerless. I could not save them."

"Does that count as heartless?"

Guan Fangyi tried to yank her wrist free. "I abandoned all the splendor of the Qi capital and followed you because I believed you were actually a man of feeling and loyalty."

"What I hate most in this world are men without feeling or loyalty. If this is what you're really like, then what meaning is there in my following you?"

Niu Youdao said, "I escaped from the Sacred Realm. I'm dead now. No one is looking for me."

"I could easily have taken what I brought out, found somewhere to hide, and lived carefree from then on, alone and without worry."

"What benefit do I gain by risking myself to come back and contact all of you?"

"Who did I come back for?"

Something in Guan Fangyi seemed to snap. She struggled again. "Let go of me! If you won't tell her, I will!"

Niu Youdao actually released her at once and pointed toward the door. "Good! If you want to tell her, I won't stop you. Go right ahead."

"But you should understand what the thing I gave you means."

"Once that is exposed, you, me, her, and everyone outside—including every person from Fufang Garden—can forget about surviving. Those people will not spare a single one of you!"

"Hide? Where can you hide?"

"You know how terrifying the reach of those people is."

"Former Zhao's Chief Steward of the Inner Palace, Zhuge Chi—they're searching for him right now!"

"Do you know how they search once that power is mobilized? I do!"

"They divided every region beneath Heaven into squares like a chessboard and assigned the various powers to search those sections again and again, leaving no gaps whatsoever."

"Even in remote mountains and ancient forests where almost no people go, they secretly mobilized different kinds of demon cultivators to take up stations and monitor assigned areas. The moment anything abnormal is discovered, manpower is rapidly concentrated there!"

"There were many people who had committed crimes in the past and hidden themselves so well that no one could ever find them."

"But this time, because those few people were alarmed, who knows how many were dragged out in passing and secretly executed!"

"Faced with that kind of relentless search, Zhuge Chi may hide for a while, but he cannot hide forever. Sooner or later he'll leave a trace. Sooner or later he'll be found!"

"You want to try your luck?"

"If you're willing, then go ahead and try."

"As long as you're not afraid of watching the people of Fufang Garden die miserably one after another in front of you, then go!"

Guan Fangyi had already reached the door, one hand resting on it.

She bit her lip with pearly teeth and stood there for a long time without opening it.

Yun Ji walked over, took hold of her, and drew her back to one side. "Enough. What's there to quarrel about?"

"Who's quarreling?" Guan Fangyi snapped back at her.

Yun Ji stared. "I'm giving you a way down, and now you're repaying kindness with hostility?"

Guan Fangyi tilted her head toward the door. "Go outside for a moment. I want to speak with him privately."

Yun Ji asked cautiously, "You two aren't going to start fighting, are you?"

"With him?"

"With her?"

After their argument, Guan Fangyi and Niu Youdao spoke almost in unison.

Both could not help looking at each other.

"Ah, just go out first." Guan Fangyi put her hands on Yun Ji and directly pushed her out.

The door shut.

Then Guan Fangyi turned, walked back to Niu Youdao, tugged at his sleeve, and suddenly burst out laughing. "Can't take a joke?"

A joke?

Niu Youdao looked her up and down, then jerked his sleeve away. "Are you sick in the head?"

Guan Fangyi caught his sleeve again and refused to let go. "I'm asking you something serious. How many of those things do you have?"

Niu Youdao had no idea what new performance this woman, whose face changed faster than a turning page, had begun. He looked suspicious. "What things?"

Guan Fangyi said, "The thing you brought back and gave me. The gift! I don't believe you'd give me your only one. How many do you have?"

Niu Youdao said, "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

Guan Fangyi said, "There definitely isn't just one, right?"

Niu Youdao pulled his sleeve out of her hand and refused to answer.

Guan Fangyi sighed. "Here's what I'm thinking. Doesn't that thing reshape the fleshly body?"

"Look at the Commandery Princess's face. And now you happen to feel guilty toward her. Why not make it up to her this way?"

"Think about it. If the Commandery Princess becomes a normal-looking person, she won't have to live so pitifully anymore, right?"

"She served you for so many years. You might as well repay that affection once and for all."

Niu Youdao said, "What guilt do I feel? Are you talking in your sleep?"

"Use something like that just to treat a face?"

"A face that couldn't be cured for all these years suddenly becomes normal—who exactly are you planning to show that to? Have you gotten tired of living?"

"I'm telling you, even if I still have more, every one of those things has to be used where it matters. I will not waste one on a face!"

Guan Fangyi froze.

Thinking it through, she realized he was actually right.

Even if it could cure Shang Shuqing, and even if he had one available, they would not dare let her use it.

Precisely because of that, however, Guan Fangyi became even angrier.

This man was too rational.

So rational she found him hateful.

Grinding her teeth, she said, "Sometimes I really wish I could rape you!"

Then she flung her sleeve and left.

"..."

Niu Youdao was speechless.

Only after quite a while did he finally mutter, "Completely unreasonable!"

Outside the pavilion downstairs, Yun Ji had been pacing back and forth.

She stopped when Guan Fangyi approached. "Finished with the private talk?"

Guan Fangyi looked back toward the upper floor and cursed, "Cold-blooded and heartless!"

Yun Ji said casually, "Yet you're still free to throw a woman's tantrum at him, aren't you?"

"Hmph!" Guan Fangyi twisted her waist and walked away.

...

Outside the Prince's residence, the Fu family's carriage remained parked off to one side.

The Fu household servant had not left. He sat on the carriage shaft eating and drinking. There was even wine.

The people of the Prince's residence had treated him well. Out of regard for the Fu family, someone had specially brought him food and drink.

The sound of hoofbeats approached from far down the road.

Several figures flashed through the air and landed on the rooftops around them.

A rider arrived first and reined in at the gate.

Shang Shuqing jumped down and hurried up the steps, heading straight into the Prince's residence.

Immediately afterward came a rumbling mass of hooves.

Feng Ruonan and the others arrived, dismounted, and hurried toward the residence as well.

As Feng Ruonan quickly climbed the steps, she suddenly stopped and raised a hand to block Fu Junlan, who was following.

"Young Master Fu, I truly apologize for today. The Commandery Princess learned that an old acquaintance had passed away, and her mood is not very good."

Niu Youdao?

The name flashed through Fu Junlan's mind.

He nodded. "I understand. It is entirely understandable. No harm done."

Feng Ruonan smiled. "It's already quite late. You should head home first."

Whatever might happen in the household next was not suitable for Fu Junlan to witness.

"Uh..." Fu Junlan froze.

But there was no room for him to negotiate here.

He could only cup his hands. "Yes. This humble scholar will take his leave first."

Feng Ruonan reminded him, "Young Master Fu, come earlier tomorrow. Perhaps you can help comfort her."

Fu Junlan agreed. "Very well. This humble scholar will certainly come as early as possible tomorrow."

Feng Ruonan gave him an apologetic smile and quickly left.

The front gate returned to quiet.

Fu Junlan went back to his family's carriage.

The servant asked, "Young Master, everyone came rushing back just now. Did something happen?"

"Ah!" Fu Junlan sighed and looked back at the imposing Prince's residence. "Let's go."

The servant hurriedly packed up the food boxes on the carriage shaft, then jogged to one of the guards and returned the Prince's residence's containers.

The carriage rolled slowly along the street.

Inside, Fu Junlan's emotions churned.

Lan Ruoting had told him to arrange a marriage proposal as soon as possible.

He had originally planned to tell his family the moment he returned today.

But after what had happened tonight, he no longer knew whether doing so would be appropriate.

After thinking it over again and again, he decided to come back tomorrow, see how things stood, and only then decide what to do.

...

Inside the Hall of Martial Valor, Shang Shuqing barged straight in and looked at the two men standing before the map.

Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming both turned.

Both immediately saw that something was wrong.

Shang Chaozong walked over. "Qing'er, what's wrong?"

Shang Shuqing asked, "Why did you hide what happened to Master Dao from me?"

At those words, Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming both froze.

They looked at each other.

Shang Chaozong tested the waters. "Qing'er, did you hear some rumor? Rumors cannot all be believed..."

"Prince!"

Feng Ruonan's voice suddenly came from outside.

She hurried in and gave Shang Chaozong a slight shake of her head.

The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy.

Shang Shuqing suddenly gave a bleak smile, turned, and left.

"What happened?" Shang Chaozong asked Feng Ruonan.

"Ah! I don't fully understand it myself yet. It all happened suddenly. Things started feeling wrong from the moment we entered that guest residence..." Feng Ruonan recounted what had happened.

When he heard that Shang Shuqing had mistaken someone for Master Dao the moment she arrived, Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming exchanged looks.

As for everything that followed, the two men were left speechless.

After a period of silence, Shang Chaozong sighed. "Ruonan, you'll have to work hard tonight. Keep a close watch on her."

"Also, ask a female cultivator to stay nearby and watch carefully. Don't let anything happen to her."

"All right." Feng Ruonan answered, cupped her hands toward Meng Shanming, and quickly left.

Immediately afterward, Shang Chaozong summoned Lan Ruoting.

He explained the situation and told Lan Ruoting to make a personal trip to the guest residence where the people of Maolu Annex were staying, find out exactly what had happened, and learn enough for them to respond appropriately.

Some matters involved secrets and could not be entrusted to outsiders who knew nothing.

That meant one of the three men had to make the trip.

Meng Shanming's legs were inconvenient.

So apart from Lan Ruoting, there was no one else suitable for the errand.

After Lan Ruoting hurried away, the two men left in the Hall of Martial Valor no longer had any mood to study military affairs.

They simply waited.

When Lan Ruoting returned, he brought back the truth.

The two men had nothing to say.

Master Dao had disguised himself that thoroughly, yet Shang Shuqing had still recognized him at a glance.

And Master Dao, not knowing Shang Shuqing had never been told of his supposed death, had then accidentally caused the whole disaster.

One coincidence after another had produced the present situation.

That night, Shang Chaozong was deeply troubled.

Who was he supposed to blame?

Blame Niu Youdao?

He did not dare say that aloud.

Early the next morning, the household steward personally came to report to Shang Chaozong.

Shang Shuqing had instructed him to find an auspicious burial site outside the city, select a fine coffin, and locate skilled craftsmen who could build a tomb.

The steward had asked what she intended to do.

Shang Shuqing would not say, and he had not dared question her further.

Build a tomb?

Shang Chaozong immediately grew uneasy.

After causing a situation like this and concealing the truth from her for so long, it would be inappropriate for him to go persuade her himself. That might only make matters worse.

As for Feng Ruonan, after spending the entire night with Shang Shuqing, she had not managed to get a single word out of her.

Shang Chaozong thought it over again and again.

There was only one person in the entire Prince's residence who seemed suitable.

So he personally went to speak with that man first.

...

The sky had only just brightened when Luo Da'an pushed a wheelchair to the door outside Shang Shuqing's room.

Perhaps she heard the sound of the wheels.

The door opened.

Feng Ruonan came out and bent close to Meng Shanming's ear, lowering her voice.

"She hasn't taken a drop of water all night."

"Apart from the instructions she gave the steward, she hasn't said a single word."

"She didn't cry, didn't laugh, didn't make a fuss."

"She just sat there the entire night."

[End of Chapter 1198]