Chapter 1536: If Peace Should Come

It had to be her?

Shang Shuqing was surprised. Light flickered repeatedly in her bright eyes. She had never imagined that she could be so useful in Master Dao's plans.

She had no idea what she would be taking part in, but the thought of working together with Niu Youdao did fill her with anticipation.

Lan Ruoting was surprised as well. He looked at Shang Shuqing, then at Niu Youdao. He could tell that the Commandery Princess plainly knew nothing about the matter. At last he could not help asking, "Master Dao, may I ask what this is about?"

Niu Youdao said, "Don't ask too much. When the time comes for you to know, you'll naturally know. There's something else: do not tell His Highness about this. Maolu Villa's external correspondence is already under surveillance by the Three Sacred Venerables. That means your own communications with His Highness cannot be guaranteed free of infiltration. If too much is said, someone may detect a clue, and the consequences would be disastrous. You don't need to worry about His Highness's side. Hongniang is with him. If anything happens, I'll have Hongniang communicate with him directly."

Hearing that Maolu Villa's external correspondence had already been placed under surveillance by the Three Sacred Venerables made Lan Ruoting's heart pound with fear.

But fear was useless now. Nanzhou had sunk too deeply into this. There was no longer any way to withdraw. They could only follow the Master Dao before him down this road to the very end.

He immediately nodded again and again. "Understood. Master Dao, rest assured."

Niu Youdao said, "What worries me now is your side. If you arrange all this without a military order, will it arouse suspicion? If there's a problem, we need to solve it in advance."

Lan Ruoting said, "On that point, Master Dao can rest easy. I'm currently responsible for procuring supplies for the army at the front. I already hold military orders authorizing me to command the various regions of Yan, and anyone who refuses can be dealt with under military law. So reallocating military supplies from different areas is perfectly normal for me. It won't make anyone suspicious."

Niu Youdao nodded. "Good. Mister Lan, remember this: from this moment on, you have only six days to prepare. Within six days, everything I've instructed must be secretly put in place. Otherwise His Highness's side may suffer enormous losses. Six days from now, remember this above all: the moment the time arrives, immediately take the Princess Consort and the young prince into hiding. Nanzhou Prefectural Capital may run into trouble. Ideally, no one else should know where you've gone."

In truth, more than a day had already passed since the time agreed with Wu Chang. He estimated six days should still be enough.

He continued, "When you return, give me the location where you plan to hide. Then wait for my message. Unless I send someone to tell you the danger has passed, do not show yourselves."

Lan Ruoting's heart beat even harder. "Sir, what could be so serious that even Nanzhou Prefectural Capital may be affected?"

There was no need to explain all the details. Niu Youdao only gave him enough to ensure he treated the matter with the necessary gravity. "The time for the decisive battle with the Three Sacred Venerables has arrived. Victory and defeat should be decided within roughly the next ten days."

Lan Ruoting sucked in a cold breath. Shang Shuqing was equally stunned, and nervousness rose in her heart.

After steadying himself, Lan Ruoting asked again, "Sir, what about everyone else in Nanzhou Prefectural Capital?"

Niu Youdao said, "Mister Lan, we can't look after everyone now. Do you think it's appropriate to let too many people know some of these things? The fewer who know, the better. Other than you, no one else can be told. Do not even tell the Princess Consort. Six days. Have you remembered everything I instructed?"

Lan Ruoting drew a deep breath, thought it over, then repeated the instructions back to him one by one.

After confirming there was no problem, the two guests could not remain long. Niu Youdao walked over and woke Yin'er, who was slumped unconscious in the chair.

The moment Yin'er opened her eyes, anger burst across her face. She shot to her feet, apparently experienced enough by now to know exactly what had happened. Full of grievance, she scolded, "Daodao, bad man, bad—"

Her gaze fell on the food box Niu Youdao had casually opened. Inside was a pile of roasted chicken legs. Her little tongue swept across her lips, and her nostrils flared.

Niu Youdao picked up the box and held it out. "Take it back and eat."

Yin'er immediately hugged it with both arms and broke into a radiant smile. "Daodao."

Niu Youdao tilted his head toward Shang Shuqing.

Shang Shuqing was embarrassed on Yin'er's behalf. The girl was truly disgracing women everywhere. Shang Shuqing hurried over, closed the food box, took Yin'er by the hand, and pulled her away.

Lan Ruoting cupped his hands to Niu Youdao and took his leave.

His expression remained calm as he departed, but inside, waves were crashing like a storm...

...

In the courtyard of the Chancellor's residence in the Song capital, Yuan Cong read the letter in his hand, then rubbed it to powder.

He turned toward Jia Wuqun, who sat beneath a tree in plain green robes, calmly reviewing messages from various places. Yuan Cong walked over, stopped opposite the table, and said, "Sir, I have to leave."

Jia Wuqun looked up. From the way Yuan Cong said "leave," he could tell this was not merely another trip to handle some task. This time, he was truly leaving.

Jia Wuqun rose, walked around the desk, and traced characters across Yuan Cong's back:

Nanzhou has summoned you?

"Yes."

Jia Wuqun wrote:

I knew before that Sir would eventually leave. It seems events have unfolded just as I expected. What must come cannot be avoided.

Yuan Cong was slightly surprised. "Sir already knew they would call me away?" Even he himself had not known. He had no idea how Jia Wuqun could have predicted it.

Jia Wuqun wrote:

Because of the half year of peace. Jin's eastern campaign is imminent, and the calm is about to break. The storm is coming. With Sir's strength, it is only natural that you should go where your abilities can be put to use. A summons from Nanzhou was not difficult to foresee.

Yuan Cong fell silent for a moment, then sighed sincerely. "After spending so long together, I know Sir possesses the talent to bring peace to the realm and order to a state. It is truly a pity for you to remain buried here."

Jia Wuqun wrote:

What in this world can compare with carefree ease? It is only because the age is not peaceful. If peace should come, I, Jia, would gladly take one or two lovely beauties and lose myself among the mountains and waters, never again asking after all the rights and wrongs of the world.

Yuan Cong laughed aloud. "Sir has refined tastes. I yearn for the same."

Jia Wuqun shook his head and wrote:

Don't laugh! This journey may decide the course of all beneath Heaven. It will certainly be extraordinarily dangerous. Fierce wind and sudden rain come quickly and pass quickly. Take great care of yourself, and let us meet again.

Yuan Cong nodded. "These are troubled times. With me gone, Sir must be extremely careful."

Jia Wuqun wrote:

Sir need not worry too much. The Regent wants the State of Song, and if he wishes to take it with less trouble, he still has use for the Chancellor and me. Arrangements will certainly have been made. Both the Chancellor and I will be safe.

His guess was correct.

In the letter Niu Youdao had Yun Ji deliver to Zhao Xiongge, this matter had already been arranged. Zhao Xiongge would contact Elder Su Po of the Shangqing Sect to make the necessary preparations. Six days later, the Shangqing Sect would arrange for Jia Wuqun and Zi Pingxiu to disappear temporarily.

There was no choice but to make such arrangements. Yuan Cong had been exposed. They had to guard against Wu Chang coming here to kill them.

Yuan Cong thought about it and agreed. After so long in contact with Jia Wuqun, he trusted the man's judgment. Since Jia Wuqun remained so calm and certain, there probably would not be a problem.

Yuan Cong then turned and beckoned toward Wei Duo, who was watching the two of them eagerly from nearby.

Wei Duo hurried over.

Yuan Cong asked, "You saw the letter?"

Wei Duo nodded. He had been the one to decipher the confidential letter, so naturally he had read it.

Yuan Cong said, "I'm leaving. Stay here and take good care of Sir."

"Yes." Wei Duo cupped his hands in acknowledgment.

Yuan Cong turned and went inside to pack. In truth, there was little to gather. He merely tucked a few personal items into his sleeves.

When he came out again, he said nothing more to either man. He walked straight out of the courtyard without looking back.

Beneath the falling leaves, Jia Wuqun straightened his clothes, then faced Yuan Cong's departing back and bowed deeply with perfect courtesy, silently seeing him off.

Wei Duo saw this and followed suit.

After spending so long together day and night, none of them was malicious, nor were any of them difficult eccentrics. Some friendship and affection had naturally grown between them.

...

Inside the pavilions of Qiyun Sect, Hei Shi hurried to Wu Chang's side by the railing. "We've intercepted another message from Maolu Villa. They've summoned Yuan Cong from the Chancellor's residence in Song, along with Kunlin Shu, Ao Feng, and Wang Zun from inside the Sacred Realm. All four have been ordered to gather in Nanzhou."

"Wang Zun?" Wu Chang turned. "Who is that?"

Hei Shi said, "He should be Wang Zun, one of Sha Rulai's trusted subordinates."

Wu Chang was surprised. "Sha Rulai himself never had the fortune to share a Wuliang Fruit. How did one of his subordinates emerge?"

At the mention of this, Hei Shi felt bitter.

After seeing the message, he had cursed the thieves who stole the fruit countless times for having eyes but failing to recognize worth. How could every stray cat and dog qualify to receive a Wuliang Fruit? Was Hei Shi really not valuable enough to exploit? Why had they never come to him earlier?

What he failed to consider was that not a single trusted subordinate serving directly at the Nine Saints' sides had ever received a Wuliang Fruit.

It was not that the fruit thieves had been unwilling, but that they had not dared. Those people remained too close to the Nine Saints and would have been far too easy to expose. Even when Sha Rulai had the opportunity, he himself had not dared use one.

Hei Shi naturally did not dare show the bitterness in his heart. Outwardly respectful as ever, he said, "This subordinate checked the Sacred Realm rosters thoroughly. There is only one person named Wang Zun and no second one. It should be the man who served at Sha Rulai's side. For them to summon him out of the Sacred Realm now, he is presumably one of those who received a Wuliang Fruit."

Wu Chang asked, "Besides these four, have they summoned anyone else?"

Hei Shi said, "So far, we haven't seen them contact anyone else."

"They said they would deploy six, yet they haven't contacted Xi Haitang and the others. Looks like the other six are all people whose identities would be too easy to expose." Wu Chang spoke half to himself, his fingers moving as he calculated. "Besides these four, the correspondence we've confirmed during this period also ties them to Xi Haitang, Gong Lince, Yan Zhutian, Wen Hua, Zhuge Chi, and Zhao Xiongge. That's ten already. Two are still missing. Maolu Villa is the center of the whole network. Hiding two people there would be perfectly normal. At this point, working out the rest isn't difficult."

Hei Shi said, "Sacred Venerable sees clearly. There are only so many people inside Maolu Villa. Identifying the targets truly won't be difficult now."

Wu Chang said indifferently, "They haven't summoned any of the others. This time they said six people would come, and four have already been called in. Could the remaining two be the two whose identities we still don't know? I'd like to see exactly what kind of people they are."

For a long time now, a plan for sweeping the entire network into one net afterward had been taking shape in his mind.

His gaze suddenly turned toward the distance, sharp light flashing in his eyes.

Eliminate Lan Daolin and Du Wuxu, then sweep away all these demons and goblins. Peace beneath Heaven. His long-cherished wish would finally be fulfilled!

...

Night had settled over Demon Ridge.

Inside the Demon Palace, Zhao Xiongge finished reading the letter in his hand. His expression grave, he rubbed it to pieces.

He rose and paced the room. At last he went to the window, pushed it open, and looked out over the brilliantly lit cultivation-world marketplace.

He murmured to himself, "At last, it's time to leave!"

From the plan Niu Youdao had written in the letter, he knew the whole of Demon Ridge would descend into chaos within a few days.

...

At Myriad Beasts Sect, Xi Haitang entered the ancestral hall dedicated to the sect's successive generations of masters.

He looked across the rows of spirit tablets and stood gazing at them in silence.

According to Niu Youdao's plan, within a few days the entire Myriad Beasts Sect would launch a killing purge against the Misty Pavilion personnel stationed there.

Once that step was taken, Myriad Beasts Sect would truly have no road back.

Xi Haitang had grown up within Myriad Beasts Sect and was now its Sect Leader. Because of his own selfish desire, he did not know whether he was leading the sect onto a road of no return.

Looking at the ancestral tablets, he could not help feeling ashamed.

[End of Chapter 1536]