Chapter 1431: Seeing Master Dao Again

Lü Wushuang also lifted her teacup and leisurely added, “So long as you don’t interfere, so long as you don’t deliberately obstruct things, I believe Yuan Gang will agree. A man like him, faced with this situation, would agree even if not for his own sake. That fool has a bit of a self-sacrificing streak. Doing something stupid is perfectly normal for him.”

Niu Youdao raised an eyebrow. “You sound as though you understand him very well.”

“Someone this strange is hard to come by. You don’t need to spend much time with him to see at least a little. I’ve lived for several hundred years, after all. I do have some eye for people. To tell the truth, if I hadn’t trusted his character, I might not have fallen into his trap in the Fifth Domain. He reduced me to this state. How can he not take responsibility? I’ve decided to cling to him.”

“You should understand me too. I stood high above everyone for so many years. Now that I’ve fallen to this point, there is no reason not to fight for the ending I want. He’s a decent man. If I marry him, I’ll feel secure.”

Niu Youdao was almost made to laugh and cry at once. He reminded her, “You’re an intelligent person too. Have you considered his feelings? If he detests you, then even if he marries you, that may not be the ending you want.”

“How many heroes beneath Heaven have I trampled underfoot? Do you really think he is somehow beyond my ability? Don’t worry. This isn’t like other matters. Once we become husband and wife, there won’t be grudges carried overnight. If I can’t even handle him, then calling me intelligent would be mockery.”

“If he wants a virtuous lady, I can become a virtuous lady. If he wants a wanton woman, we’ll be husband and wife, so what does it matter? I can do that too. In short, I’ll make him satisfied. That is not difficult for me.”

“You’re worrying blindly because you’ve thought too much. I’m not afraid, so what are you afraid of? If he marries me, that will be his good fortune. Isn’t that so?”

“As for Feng Guan’er, she does not even qualify to be my rival. There is no need to concern yourself with her. You needn’t interfere in that matter either. I’ll handle my own household affairs and give everyone a satisfactory explanation. I won’t casually let some woman turn the household upside down. At the very least, Yuan Gang will have no objection.”

“And if Yuan Gang himself has no objection, then however I deal with Feng Guan’er, I imagine you won’t have any objection either?”

“...” Niu Youdao actually found himself speechless. It was the first time he had ever met a woman who could talk about such matters like this.

There was nothing to be done. He had never met a woman who had lived for several hundred years in his previous life either. He truly had no idea how someone like this thought about relationships.

Lü Wushuang lifted her eyes slightly and observed his reaction, then continued sipping her tea.

Just then, Guan Fangyi hurried in. Seeing Lü Wushuang present, she immediately stopped and gave Niu Youdao a meaningful look.

Niu Youdao genuinely needed time to digest what Lü Wushuang had said. He therefore told Yun Ji, “Take her down to rest first.”

Before Yun Ji could speak, Lü Wushuang had already risen of her own accord. As she passed Guan Fangyi, she gave a slight nod in greeting, then brushed past and left.

Niu Youdao watched her departing back with a frown. Somehow the situation seemed to have become reversed.

Who was persuading whom?

Only after Lü Wushuang was well away did Guan Fangyi say, “Master Dao, something happened.”

Niu Youdao slowly sipped his tea. “What?”

“The Commandery Princess brought Yin’er here. She says she wants to see Wang Xiao.”

Niu Youdao froze. He immediately lost all interest in his tea and set down the cup with a sigh. “Glutton, glutton. I knew you were unreliable. I just didn’t expect you to sell me out this quickly!”

Guan Fangyi sighed too. Who could disagree? They had been mentally prepared for this and could even call it expected, but she had still never imagined it would happen so fast. Not even half a day had passed. Yin’er truly was hopelessly unreliable.

“What do we do?”

“What else can we do? She already knows. There’s no point hiding any longer. Invite her in.”

Guan Fangyi tested him. “You’re not afraid?”

Niu Youdao immediately snapped, “What would I be afraid of? What do I have to fear? Go. There are some things I wanted to ask her anyway.”

All bravado! Guan Fangyi muttered inwardly. She said nothing more, turned, and left.

She exited the secret chamber through the hidden passage and returned to the courtyard outside.

Under the stars and moon, Shang Shuqing waited anxiously in the courtyard. The moment Guan Fangyi reappeared, she grew even more nervous, palms sweating as she tightly held Yin’er’s hand.

“Commandery Princess, come with me.” Guan Fangyi approached and gestured for her to follow.

Shang Shuqing nodded meekly and came along. Then she discovered they were still heading toward Guan Fangyi’s own courtyard and said weakly, “Sister Hong, I wanted to see Mr. Wang Xiao.”

She meant that she wanted to go to Yun Ji’s side.

Guan Fangyi sighed. “Sister, you are going to see Wang Xiao. He said he would meet you at my place.”

Shang Shuqing immediately fell silent. She was nervous and worried at the same time. What if her judgment was wrong? What if that Wang Xiao was not Master Dao?

Guan Fangyi led the two directly into her room. Then she took out a strip of cloth and smiled at Yin’er. “Yin’er, shall we play a game?”

Yin’er looked at her with open disdain and ignored her.

Guan Fangyi was embarrassed. She could not very well force the glutton, and more importantly, she did not dare use force against her. She could only lean over and whisper in Shang Shuqing’s ear, “Please help me blindfold her.”

Shang Shuqing looked puzzled, as though asking whether that was really necessary.

Guan Fangyi nodded. “Just do as I say, Commandery Princess.”

There was no helping it.

Yin’er was simply too unreliable. If she saw the entrance to the secret passage and learned how to find Niu Youdao, what would happen the next time this impulsive creature with almost no self-control suddenly barged in looking for him?

They could not let this glutton learn the route.

Guan Fangyi had managed affairs for many years. She was hardly incapable of guarding against such an obvious future problem.

Shang Shuqing had no choice but to coax Yin’er. Her words still carried weight with the girl, and she succeeded in blindfolding her without trouble. Holding Yin’er’s hand, she followed Guan Fangyi.

A wall cabinet slid aside, revealing the entrance to a secret passage. After entering, Shang Shuqing discovered that there was another concealed passage hidden within the first.

At last the group entered the secret chamber.

Shang Shuqing saw a man seated behind a desk, calmly drinking tea.

It was Wang Xiao.

Her nervousness intensified.

Then she saw the interior of the chamber. Many maps hung on the walls, including maps of the Sacred Realm she had never seen before.

Guan Fangyi moved away from the two visitors and stood to one side, glancing back and forth. She had no idea what would happen when these two met.

“I hear the Commandery Princess wished to see me?” Niu Youdao rasped, still using Wang Xiao’s voice. Until the final moment, instinct made him want to conceal what could still be concealed.

Shang Shuqing released Yin’er’s hand, lowered herself in a formal curtsy, and said, “Greetings, Sir.”

“No need for ceremony.” Niu Youdao gestured to the seat across from him.

But after hearing another voice and finding her hand released, Yin’er was not nearly so polite. She raised a hand, ripped the blindfold from her eyes, and stared suspiciously at Niu Youdao.

She did not recognize him.

There was no helping that either. When Niu Youdao moved around outside, he could not possibly use Wang Xiao’s face for everything. He wore a different false face now, and he had deliberately altered his voice as well.

Seeing that Yin’er did not recognize him, Shang Shuqing grew somewhat embarrassed.

“Sit.” Wang Xiao gestured again.

Shang Shuqing observed proper etiquette. As a guest, she followed the host’s wishes and sat down opposite him, though she still had no idea how to begin and remained extremely constrained.

Niu Youdao poured tea and set a cup before her, inviting her to drink.

Shang Shuqing bowed slightly in thanks.

“Did the Commandery Princess need something from me?” Niu Youdao asked.

Shang Shuqing lowered her head slightly and said in a muffled voice, “Qing’er has an presumptuous request. I hope Sir will grant it.”

“I’m listening.”

Shang Shuqing raised her head and summoned the courage to look at him. “Forgive Qing’er’s boldness, but could Sir remove the false face and let me see your true appearance?”

Niu Youdao replied calmly, “Is that necessary?”

His opinion no longer mattered.

Yin’er had already run over, seized him, and started trying to tear off his false face.

Shang Shuqing was startled and rebuked her. “Yin’er, don’t be rude!”

Niu Youdao caught Yin’er’s arm with a reverse grip and twisted it behind her, pressing her face-down onto the desk. In her current state, how could Yin’er possibly be his match?

But Yin’er had a temper.

Unable to resist and finding herself bullied, she immediately grew furious. As she struggled, her teeth bared. “Bad person! Bad person...”

The corner of Niu Youdao’s mouth twitched.

Something was wrong.

He could feel Yin’er’s strength increasing rapidly. In other words, he had detected the strange demonic power inside her swiftly forming and growing.

Shang Shuqing rose. “Sir, please don’t lower yourself to her level. Please let her go.”

Niu Youdao glanced at her, then at Guan Fangyi, who was watching the show with an amused smile. He pressed one palm to Yin’er’s body and circulated his art, dissolving the strange demonic power rapidly accumulating inside her.

Pinned against the desk, Yin’er struggled to turn her head. Suddenly she shouted in excitement, “Dao-Dao!”

Shang Shuqing froze instantly, staring blankly at Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao released one hand, caught the edge of his false face, tore it off, and tossed it to Guan Fangyi, revealing his true appearance while continuing to dissolve the strange demonic power inside Yin’er.

Once he had finished, he hauled Yin’er upright and shoved her away. “Go over there.”

Then he raised his eyes.

Shang Shuqing was biting her lower lip hard, staring at him without blinking.

Niu Youdao smiled, sat down, and again gestured toward the seat. “Commandery Princess, sit.”

Shang Shuqing did not obey. She remained standing there.

More precisely, she did not dare make any unnecessary movement. She was afraid she would lose control of her emotions.

“Dao-Dao!” The disobedient Yin’er had already sidled back over and tugged on his clothes.

Forget it.

Niu Youdao ignored her and again invited Shang Shuqing to sit. “Commandery Princess, please don’t blame me. There were too many dangers, too many matters of life and death, and truly too many things I had no choice about. That is why I concealed it.”

Shang Shuqing had bitten her lip painfully enough to regain some composure. Blood had already appeared where her teeth had broken the skin. At last she slowly sat down.

The man opposite her was still as calm and unhurried as ever. Nothing about him seemed to have changed, except that his features had grown more mature. Perhaps that was simply the passing of years.

Her voice caught slightly. “Qing’er understands.”

The smile she forced out was painfully strained.

Niu Youdao said, “There is a reason I agreed to meet the Commandery Princess this time. I have something I need to ask you. Please think carefully and answer me truthfully.”

Shang Shuqing tasted the salty tang of blood from her lip and nodded slightly. “Please ask, Master Dao.”

“What I want to ask is something I already had Hongniang inquire about before. It concerns my master, Dong Guo Haoran, and also the matter of your face. Commandery Princess, think carefully. Did your father, Prince Ning Shang Jianbo, truly leave no clue whatsoever regarding a way to cure your face?”

With something else to focus on, Shang Shuqing finally steadied herself somewhat. Even her voice returned closer to normal, though her ten fingers remained tightly interlaced in her lap.

“Thank you for your concern, Master Dao. Qing’er’s face does not matter.”

Niu Youdao lifted his tea and slowly drank. “The Commandery Princess may not know this, but this matter does not concern only your face. It is connected to another major affair. So please think carefully again.”

[End of Chapter 1431]