Chapter 1515: Avenge the Blood Feud

When the three men came before Niu Youdao and reported that Xiaoyue Pavilion had been successfully annihilated, he merely nodded to show that he knew.

And he truly did know. He had received the news as well; the message was still lying on his desk, freshly read.

Seeing how unmoved he was, Shang Chaozong, who had arrived with a trace of excitement, quickly calmed down as well. "Master Dao, it isn't suitable to send the Shang Mirror by Goldenwing. I'm afraid something might happen to it along the way, and flying mounts are now controlled by Misty Pavilion..."

"Yun Ji will contact Your Highness later. Have Luo Da'an informed of the rendezvous arrangements. I'll send someone to collect it."

Shang Chaozong nodded. "All right." He glanced at Yun Ji, who stood beside Niu Youdao.

Yun Ji gave him a slight nod, indicating that she would contact him afterward.

Niu Youdao said, "I've already begun making arrangements concerning the Regency. I expect there should be news within half a month. Your Highness only needs to wait for good tidings." With that, he extended a hand, plainly inviting them to leave.

Shang Chaozong, Meng Shanming, and Lan Ruoting exchanged looks. All three were somewhat surprised. They could sense that Master Dao seemed in rather low spirits today.

They could only take their leave. Lan Ruoting turned Meng Shanming's wheelchair around.

Before they had gone more than a few steps, Niu Youdao suddenly spoke again. "Your Highness, it was Xiaoyue Pavilion that murdered your father, Prince Ning."

All three stopped at once. Shang Chaozong turned, his eyes widening slightly. Lan Ruoting wheeled Meng Shanming back around as well, and all three stared at Niu Youdao in stunned silence.

Yun Ji gave Niu Youdao a somewhat surprised look. At least, she had never seen any intelligence concerning this. She had no idea how Niu Youdao knew.

Lan Ruoting was visibly stirred. "Master Dao, have you finally uncovered the truth behind that disaster all those years ago?" His own teacher, Luo Shaofu, had died in that calamity as well.

They had spent years unable to uncover the truth. Now that they might finally learn it, all three could hardly remain calm.

Niu Youdao said evenly, "You could say I've pieced together the broad outline. Prince Ning himself was killed personally by Yucang, the former Pavilion Master of Xiaoyue Pavilion. Prince Ning died by Yucang's own hand. Emperor Shang Jianxiong of Yan was stirring trouble behind the scenes as well. Yucang led a group from Xiaoyue Pavilion in the assassination, while Shang Jianxiong sent Wang Heng, one of the four Grand Commanders responsible for the capital region, to lead troops in an ambush. Afterward, every soldier under Wang Heng's command was silenced. Princess Consort Ning, Your Highness's elder brother, and Luo Shaofu all died in that calamity. Sacred Venerable Tianmo, Wu Chang, also had a hand behind it. Dong Guo Haoran, Tang Mu, and the disciples who later met disaster were pursued and killed by Wu Chang's men."

The three could scarcely calm their emotions. They had pursued the truth bitterly for so many years.

Only after a long while did Meng Shanming ask, "Master Dao, Sacred Venerable Tianmo also took part in persecuting Prince Ning?"

"The whole affair was actually set in motion by Wu Chang from behind the scenes."

Shang Chaozong asked in grief, "Why would the exalted Sacred Venerable Tianmo have held such a grudge against my father?"

His father, mother, and elder brother had all been killed, while he himself had been cast into the imperial prison and subjected to endless torment. How could he not feel grief and fury?

Niu Youdao said, "Your Highness is thinking too much. Prince Ning wasn't important enough for Wu Chang to deliberately single him out. Wu Chang merely took advantage of the conflicts among several sides and pushed the boat with the current. He used the information he possessed about each party, then dangled the Shang Mirror as bait and triggered that catastrophe. The affair was very complicated. It wasn't simply that Shang Jianxiong feared Prince Ning. At the time, Prince Ning, Luo Shaofu, my master Dong Guo Haoran, and Tang Mu, Sect Leader of the Shangqing Sect, were all killed one after another within roughly the same period. There was a reason for that. Prince Ning's group hadn't exactly been sitting quietly behind the scenes either. They too were secretly making moves. In some matters, there really isn't a clear right or wrong. Everyone drawn into it had interests of their own. Those interests simply converged in the same place. There are some things I still can't tell you. Knowing too much would do you no good. It's enough that you know who the killers were. Knowing more would be useless anyway. Anything involving Wu Chang is beyond your ability to deal with, so leave it to me and don't ask further. When the time comes for you to know, I'll tell you."

There truly were things he could not reveal. He could hardly tell them that Wu Chang had set this whole chain of events in motion because of the Demon Canon and because he had been targeting Zhao Xiongge.

And Zhao Xiongge himself had been used by Prince Ning and the others. Prince Ning's side had obtained from Zhao Xiongge the secret method for refining Crow Generals and produced a hundred thousand Crow Generals. That matter likewise could not yet be revealed to them.

Since he had put it that way, the three men, grief written across their faces, could only remain silent.

Niu Youdao continued, "I'm telling you this because annihilating Xiaoyue Pavilion is bound to shake all under Heaven and will have no small effect on Nanzhou. The world needs an explanation for what happened. Otherwise, all Three Great Sects of Yan will become wary of Your Highness."

Shang Chaozong and the other two exchanged looks and understood. Xiaoyue Pavilion had been destroyed to avenge Prince Ning, to avenge the family blood feud. It was vengeance and redress. That was the explanation they would give all under Heaven.

"I understand." Shang Chaozong nodded.

Niu Youdao sighed. "Shang Jianxiong is one of the men who murdered your family. Whether you want to replace him now and take revenge, or continue with this plan of becoming Regent, weigh it yourselves. Once you've decided, inform Yun Ji as soon as possible. That will make it easier to communicate with the Three Great Sects and easier for Yanjing to prepare."

"All right!" Shang Chaozong agreed. Niu Youdao waved a hand, and the three cupped their hands and took their leave.

Once they were gone, Niu Youdao leaned back in his chair, slowly closed his eyes, and looked somewhat desolate.

Yun Ji could see it too. After wiping out Xiaoyue Pavilion, his mood had fallen. She did not know whether it was because a single word from him had cost more than six thousand lives.

But what needed coordinating still had to be coordinated. Later, Yun Ji openly showed herself again and made another trip to Shang Chaozong's side, arranging how the Shang Mirror would be collected.

She also brought back Shang Chaozong's decision. His side had not lost its reason and rushed to kill Shang Jianxiong. For the sake of the larger situation, they had decided to delay proclaiming an emperor and make Shang Chaozong Regent first.

Once supreme power was in their hands, Shang Jianxiong would be in their grasp. Whether he lived or died would then depend on a single thought from them.

...

The annihilation of Xiaoyue Pavilion was far too great a disturbance to conceal. Since secrecy was impossible, there was no further need for it.

As expected, once the news spread, all under Heaven was shaken. Its impact on the various forces of the cultivation world was especially enormous.

This was Xiaoyue Pavilion, after all. In less than two hours, a secular army had slaughtered it clean.

Once such a precedent existed, once someone had taken the lead, what cultivation sect could remain unwary? Many began looking at the secular armies under their own control a little differently.

As for Luo Da'an, he truly became famous beneath Heaven this time. Whether in the secular world or the cultivation world, everyone now knew the man who had personally commanded the army that eradicated Xiaoyue Pavilion.

"What? Shang Chaozong annihilated Xiaoyue Pavilion in one stroke?"

Inside his study, Shao Pingbo shot to his feet, shock and suspicion flashing repeatedly through his eyes.

Shao Sansheng nodded. "There are bound to be a few small fish and shrimp that slipped through the net, but from now on they'll probably have to bury their identities as Xiaoyue Pavilion members deep. Given Shang Chaozong's attitude, I doubt any of those stragglers will dare show themselves again."

That was not what Shao Pingbo found strange. He paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "Why would Shang Chaozong do this? He lured Xiaoyue Pavilion away from Jin just for this massacre? The repercussions are enormous! Isn't he afraid of making the Three Great Sects of Yan wary of him? Wiping them out root and branch like this looks more like venting hatred!" He abruptly stopped, narrowed his eyes, and slowly spoke one name. "Niu Youdao!"

Shao Sansheng stared. "Niu Youdao?"

Shao Pingbo's face darkened. "I've never heard of any deep blood feud between Shang Chaozong and Xiaoyue Pavilion. There was no reason for him to do something this costly for so little gain. Thinking through everyone in Nanzhou, there is only one person, and only that man has enough influence to make Shang Chaozong do something like this..." He remembered what had happened years ago in Qi. Xiaoyue Pavilion had hunted Niu Youdao, and Su Zhao had been involved. How could Shao Pingbo not know about it? Gritting his teeth, he said, "My earlier suspicion was right. Niu Youdao isn't dead!"

Shao Sansheng hesitated. "Didn't Niu Youdao reconcile with Xiaoyue Pavilion afterward? The two sides cooperated quite happily. He even called Yucang brother, and he was a great help when the State of Qin was founded."

"Help?" Shao Pingbo whirled around. "I think he simply didn't dare act rashly. Xiaoyue Pavilion was hidden in the shadows back then. Even if he eliminated Yucang in the open, what would that accomplish? He couldn't touch them recklessly. Otherwise the whole of Xiaoyue Pavilion would cling to Maolu Villa like maggots to bone, and Maolu Villa would never know peace again! Given his way of doing things, he has always preferred letting out a long line to catch the big fish. If he wanted to deal with Xiaoyue Pavilion, the safest method would be to make Xiaoyue Pavilion emerge into the open, then wait for a chance to sweep them all into one net!"

Shao Sansheng felt rather helpless. Whenever anything even brushed against Niu Youdao, the old obsession immediately seized his young master and made him suspicious of everything. Even the Sacred Realm had confirmed that Niu Youdao was dead. Where was another Niu Youdao supposed to come from? He immediately reminded him, "Young Master, Xiaoyue Pavilion did act against Niu Youdao before, but what kind of blood feud could be so deep that Niu Youdao would massacre the whole pavilion over it?"

Shao Pingbo stopped. Suspicion lingered on his face. This was something he could not quite explain either. Yet for some reason, he still could not keep himself from thinking of Niu Youdao. Looking at the methods before and after this affair as a whole, they simply felt like Niu Youdao's style.

He muttered, "Could there be some inside story here that we don't know?"

Shao Sansheng smiled bitterly. Was he determined to drag Niu Youdao into the matter no matter how forced the connection became? Never mind. Let him think it over slowly. As Chief Steward, Shao Sansheng still had plenty of matters to handle, so he took his leave.

Not long afterward, however, he hurried back into the study with a message in hand. "Young Master, there's no need to guess anymore. This has nothing to do with Niu Youdao. The real reason has come out. Shang Chaozong's side publicly announced why they acted. Xiaoyue Pavilion was the culprit that murdered Prince Ning, Shang Jianbo, all those years ago. They say Xiaoyue Pavilion did it together with Emperor Shang Jianxiong of Yan. In other words, Shang Chaozong struck so ruthlessly to avenge the blood feud!"

Shao Pingbo snatched the message and read it. Afterward, realizing he had overthought matters again, he murmured blankly, "That was the reason? Shang Chaozong has his sights on all of Yan. How could he lose his composure like this?"

Shao Sansheng sighed. "Young Master worries too much. The Sacred Realm has already proved it. Niu Youdao is truly, unquestionably dead."

Shao Pingbo fell silent. His gaze dropped back to the contents of the paper. "Shang Jianxiong may be in trouble."

Shao Sansheng was doubtful. "Surely Shang Chaozong can't march an army straight to Yanjing?"

Shao Pingbo slowly said, "It would be one thing to name Xiaoyue Pavilion as the culprit. But Shang Jianxiong is still Emperor of Yan, and he still has the backing of Xiaoyao Palace and Lingjian Mountain. Even if Shang Chaozong knew Shang Jianxiong was also responsible, there was no need to expose it in such haste. Announcing it publicly like this is openly accusing Shang Jianxiong of being the enemy who murdered his father. He has torn away all pretense! At a time like this, in circumstances like these, to break openly with him must mean Shang Chaozong intends something!"

[End of Chapter 1515]