Chapter 1258: Do You Know a Woman Called Black Peony?

Niu Youdao looked at the girl and was just about to speak when Shan Hailong raised a hand first and scolded her.

"Grown-ups are talking. This is no place for you to interrupt."

He was not stupid.

He himself was only an outsider living in Tianxing Sect. If someone truly wanted a guide, there was no reason to choose him. The other party had plainly singled him out on purpose.

Shan Xian'er pouted and fell silent.

Shan Hailong cupped his hands toward Xi Haitang. "Sect Leader Xi..."

Xi Haitang raised a hand, signaling that he could go ahead.

At the same time, he gave Niu Youdao a couple of extra looks.

This man had not come here with any intention of idly sightseeing. Moreover, what they were doing was not suitable for too many people to know, and Niu Youdao normally avoided unnecessary contact with unrelated outsiders.

Yet now he had taken the initiative.

What exactly did he mean by it?

It almost seemed as though he deliberately wanted to draw Shan Hailong away alone.

Could there be something unusual about this Shan Hailong?

Xi Haitang did not know Shan Hailong had anything to do with Black Peony.

Back when Niu Youdao had still been too insignificant to attract Xi Haitang's attention, Black Peony had already died. By the time he did begin paying attention to Niu Youdao, there was no reason to go digging into the past of some minor figure who had died long ago.

For that matter, even Chao Jing himself had barely remembered the name of the woman he once toyed with.

Chao Jing had been through far too many women to remember them all. It was only when disaster later struck and Niu Youdao reminded him that he vaguely recalled there might indeed have been such a woman, and that the two of them might have had such a history.

Seeing that Xi Haitang did not object, Shan Hailong asked Niu Youdao, "Where would Mr. Wu like to look around?"

Niu Youdao said, "Let's just walk around these cliff corridors. The scenery seems pleasant enough."

"Please." Shan Hailong extended a hand in invitation, then cupped his hands toward Xi Haitang by way of apology. At the same time, he gestured for his wife not to follow.

Xi Haitang nodded slightly and exchanged a glance with Niu Youdao.

Shan Hailong then accompanied Niu Youdao onward, pointing out the scenery along the way and explaining one place after another.

He had lived in Tianxing Sect for quite some time and had visited this area often enough. Serving as a guide posed no problem.

Of course, what he wanted even more was to discover why the other man had singled him out.

Anyone Xi Haitang treated as an equal could hardly be some insignificant figure.

Naturally, Shan Hailong wanted to draw closer.

For an independent cultivator to have reached his present position had not been easy.

In his early years he had endured hardship and humiliation. Only after marrying Jin Jue's daughter had his fate truly changed.

He understood perfectly well that, in the end, this world still belonged to cultivators.

So long as Jin Jue remained in power, others would show Shan Hailong some consideration because of his father-in-law's authority.

But if Jin Jue were gone, Shan Hailong himself was nothing.

And affairs of officialdom were impossible to predict. One moment one stood east of the river, the next west of it.

Outwardly, Shan Hailong now appeared calm and composed.

But the hardship of his early years had left too deep a mark on him.

He was terrified of suddenly losing everything.

He was terrified of being thrown back into the life he once knew.

That was why, years ago, while Jin Jue was still in office, Shan Hailong had tried to use his father-in-law's influence to join one of the great sects.

Yet the great sects had ignored him.

There were some matters where even Jin Jue's word carried no weight.

Fortune had at least favored Shan Hailong in one respect.

His daughter had unexpectedly been born with an innate foundation for cultivation, and a rather good one at that.

Naturally, he wanted to find her a powerful backer.

Han's three great sects fought over territory and political power. Their struggles were too dangerous.

Tianxing Sect was the safer choice.

At Shan Hailong's suggestion, Jin Jue came forward once again and sent his granddaughter into Tianxing Sect.

Unexpectedly, the girl even became Wen Hua's closed-door disciple.

Later, Shan Hailong benefited from his daughter's favor as well and was allowed to reside inside Tianxing Sect.

He hoped to cultivate good relations with people throughout the sect.

And in truth, he had managed those relationships rather well.

After all, Jin Jue stood behind him.

Tianxing Sect had no secular territory of its own and did not involve itself in such struggles, but its disciples still had dealings in the mortal world.

There were many matters Shan Hailong could help them with.

As a result, quite a few Tianxing Sect disciples were willing to associate with him.

No one objected to his living here long-term.

If anything, many welcomed it.

His wife, in truth, had never been particularly fond of hiding away in these mountains.

But she generally listened to him.

Tianxing Sect had always remained neutral, and other sects did not dare provoke it lightly.

Living here was indeed secure.

For that reason, Jin Jue did not object either.

He even approved of his son-in-law's choice.

With his daughter guaranteed such a path of retreat, Jin Jue himself could focus on his own affairs without worry.

Today, Shan Hailong had heard that Xi Haitang, Sect Leader of Myriad Beasts Sect, had arrived.

He came to pay his respects.

Now he was equally willing to accompany Niu Youdao.

Every choice sprang from the same source.

He did not want to lose what he had.

Put plainly, he wanted to seize every opportunity to become acquainted with more great figures.

As they walked, he continued pointing out the sights.

When they reached a terrace, Niu Youdao took the initiative to step onto it.

Hands clasped behind his back, he gazed into the distance.

"That lake ahead produces a kind of snowfish. They're about the size of a palm, white from head to tail, and quite delicious..."

Shan Hailong was still introducing the distant lakes and mountains when Niu Youdao suddenly interrupted him.

"Mr. Shan."

Shan Hailong stopped speaking and smiled. "What instructions does Sir have?"

Niu Youdao asked directly, "Do you know a woman called Black Peony?"

"..."

Shan Hailong's expression froze.

He looked at him in alarm and uncertainty. "Why does Sir ask?"

Niu Youdao said, "When I heard you give your name just now, it reminded me of a place I once passed through many years ago called Maolu Villa. Have you heard of Maolu Villa?"

Shan Hailong said, "Although I haven't traveled the cultivation world for many years, I've long heard Maolu Villa's great name. Legend says it could influence the situation in the State of Yan. One might call its reputation thunderous."

Niu Youdao said, "When I passed through back then, the master of Maolu Villa, Niu Youdao, warmly invited me to stay."

"At the banquet, I saw a woman beside him. During our idle conversation, I heard her name and found it rather distinctive, so it stayed in my memory."

"When she spoke about her own past, I seem to recall she mentioned you. Jin Jue was brought up as well, so I retained some impression of you."

"So that's how it is." Shan Hailong smiled bitterly. "I fear it was not a favorable impression."

At least he knew himself.

Niu Youdao murmured inwardly, then gave a quiet "Oh." "Why do you say that?"

Shan Hailong sighed. "I won't hide it from Sir. Black Peony was my former wife."

Niu Youdao said, "I seem to remember her saying the same thing. I thought she was a decent woman and had a good impression of her."

"And looking at you, you're an impressive man as well. If the two of you were well matched, why did you separate?"

Shan Hailong said, "Sir's words seem to carry some dissatisfaction. I imagine she told you I abandoned her to cling to wealth and status?"

Niu Youdao said, "Since Jin Jue came up... I think that was roughly what she said."

Shan Hailong sighed. "It's all in the past. If that's what she wanted to say, then let her say it. I don't hate her."

Niu Youdao turned his head to look at him. "What, is there some hidden story?"

Shan Hailong shook his head. "Family disgrace should not be aired in public. I'm ashamed to speak of it. Better not to say."

Niu Youdao asked, "Don't tell me she deceived me?"

Shan Hailong looked puzzled. "Deceived?"

Niu Youdao said, "The reason I remember the matter is that she treated me well at the time."

"After she poured out her grievances, I once promised her that if I ever had the chance to meet you, I would vent some anger for her and teach you a lesson."

"Could it be that she deceived me because she wanted to borrow my hand?"

Those words made Shan Hailong's heart tighten.

So the reason this man had called him aside was to teach him a lesson.

There was a reason Shan Hailong had come to reside here permanently.

It had a great deal to do with Maolu Villa.

When Niu Youdao first recruited Black Peony and the others, Shan Hailong knew nothing of it.

Later, as Niu Youdao's reputation grew, the names Black Peony, Lei Zongkang, Duan Hu, and Wu Sanliang began to be mentioned around him.

Shan Hailong knew every one of them.

Only then did he discover that Black Peony and the others had followed Niu Youdao, and he began paying attention.

At first, it did not matter much.

Black Peony later died anyway.

What Shan Hailong had never expected was how rapidly Niu Youdao would rise.

In the end, Niu Youdao actually gained enough strength to confront the Yan court.

Duan Hu and the others likewise carved out names for themselves in the cultivation world.

Borrowing Niu Youdao's momentum, the authority they wielded was hardly small.

Other people might not know how deep the friendship between Duan Hu and the others and Black Peony had once been.

Shan Hailong did.

He had once been one of their group.

Those three had even hunted him down back then, only to be forced to stop because they could do nothing against Jin Jue's power.

Shan Hailong had also wanted to use Jin Jue's influence to kill them in return and eliminate any future trouble.

But doing so had been inconvenient.

They had once been his brothers.

If he had killed them, he feared what his father-in-law would think of him.

In any case, after discovering that Duan Hu and the other two had risen in status, Shan Hailong had always worried they might move against him.

With Jin Jue around, however, there had been little to fear.

But once Han, Song, and Yan went to war and Jin Jue personally went to the front to command the army, the main protective strength of the Jin household went with him.

Worse, Jin Jue might even clash with the forces of Nanzhou.

Shan Hailong grew increasingly uneasy.

Using the Jin Residence's limited defensive strength as his excuse, he moved into Tianxing Sect.

He had remained here ever since.

He had thought matters might improve now that Niu Youdao was dead.

Who could have expected another unfathomable figure to suddenly appear and say he intended to teach Shan Hailong a lesson?

The very thing that had worried him for so long had finally arrived.

At this moment, Shan Hailong could only smile bitterly. "Whether she deceived Sir or not, I do not know. But I imagine she never told Sir about the ugly things she did herself?"

Niu Youdao asked, "What ugly things?"

Shan Hailong raised his face to the sky and sighed. "Black Peony is already dead. What meaning is there in bringing it up again? I do not wish to insult someone who has passed away."

He knew Black Peony was dead?

Niu Youdao understood immediately.

This man had probably kept watch on Black Peony's side of things.

Pretending ignorance, Niu Youdao asked, "That woman died? I only knew the master of Maolu Villa, Niu Youdao, was dead. How did she die as well?"

Shan Hailong shook his head. "I don't know the details. I only know that she is already dead."

Niu Youdao said, "I had nearly forgotten this whole matter."

"But since she's dead, that makes a promise to the dead even less something I should forget."

"You had better explain these so-called ugly matters clearly."

"Otherwise, don't blame me for being discourteous."

"As for Jin Jue and the like, I truly do not place him in my eyes."

"Do you believe that even if I acted against you here, Wen Hua would not say much?"

Shan Hailong's nerves tightened.

Outwardly, however, he continued shaking his head with a bitter smile.

"Since Sir insists on knowing, I do not wish to leave Sir with a misunderstanding either."

"It is a family disgrace."

"Perhaps those years as independent cultivators were simply too difficult. And it is true that I lacked the ability to give her much..."

"Of course, certain things are not uncommon among female independent cultivators. I had vaguely noticed that her relations with some men were not clean, but I never caught anything directly."

"Then later, I discovered that the woman had been carrying on behind my back with a man of power and status."

"It was precisely because I discovered that sordid affair that I furiously divorced her."

"Afterward, when she saw that I had acquired a little wealth, she came back to demand things from me."

"I ignored her."

"Naturally, she must have hated me for it."

Niu Youdao asked coldly, "This powerful and influential man you're talking about... was it Niu Youdao?"

Shan Hailong shook his head. "As it happens, he was from the same sect as Sect Leader Xi: Chao Jing, an Elder of Myriad Beasts Sect."

"The two of them fooled around together for quite some time. Though I hear Chao Jing is dead now as well."

"As for Niu Youdao..."

"With that woman's wanton nature, do I even need to say what the two of them might have done?"

Watching Shan Hailong speak with that sanctimonious air, tinged with melancholy as though he himself had been the wronged party, Niu Youdao slowly clenched the hand hidden behind his back into a fist.

Then he asked calmly, "I imagine this is also how you speak of her to your present wife?"

[End of Chapter 1258]