Chapter 1554: One Favor Repaid with Another

He did not pull the clothing all the way open. He exposed only the center of her upper chest.

Niu Youdao stared for a while at the porcelain-white, delicate, smooth skin.

Perfectly flawless.

Nothing unusual.

He even ran his fingers lightly over the spot.

After a long silence, disappointment seemed to enter his eyes.

At last, he carefully drew Shang Shuqing's clothing closed again, meticulously restoring everything to how it had been.

Then he looked at her face once more.

He could not help reaching out and touching it with his fingertips...

Outside, Yuan Gang walked to the room and waited for a while.

When no one emerged, he finally turned and sat down on the steps.

The Three-Roars Saber rested upright before him. Both hands lay high on its hilt, his head lowered between his arms.

At some point, Lü Wushuang came over.

She watched him for a while, glanced at the tightly closed door, then turned and sat on the step beside him.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

Yuan Gang kept his head lowered. "Get some rest. We have to travel tomorrow."

Seeing he did not want to talk, Lü Wushuang did not force him.

There were things she wanted to ask, but she could tell something was wrong with his mood and this was not the time.

She sat quietly beside him for a while before finally rising and leaving.

Not long after she left, the closed door opened.

Yuan Gang lifted his head and looked back.

Niu Youdao stepped outside and saw him waiting there as well.

He closed the door gently, walked down the steps, then came over and sat beside Yuan Gang with one hand on his sword.

Yuan Gang asked, "How was it?"

Niu Youdao said, "This world of gods and ghosts has me completely confused. I don't know anymore whether I'm dreaming or awake."

He paused.

"Monkey, I was wrong."

Yuan Gang did not understand. "Wrong about what?"

Niu Youdao said, "If you're not the person involved, you'll never truly know what that person feels. There were things before where I failed to put myself in your place."

"I'm not you. I couldn't genuinely understand what you felt."

"Now that I'm facing the same kind of situation, I finally do."

"About Feng Guan'er... I was wrong."

Yuan Gang understood.

He was talking about Feng Guan'er resembling Su Zhao.

Because of that resemblance, Yuan Gang had done something foolish for Feng Guan'er and had drawn Niu Youdao's angry rebuke and incomprehension.

Yuan Gang was silent for a moment. "It's different. They looked far too much alike. It was practically as if they'd been carved from the same mold."

Niu Youdao said, "They can't possibly be the same person. They only look alike."

Memory entered Yuan Gang's eyes.

"I still remember when we first met the old monk."

"Sister Yu discussed Buddhism with him. She laughed at people who prayed to gods and Buddhas. She compared them to an ant holding up a grain of sand it believed precious, begging a human being for mercy. She asked the old monk: would the human even see it?"

"Master Dao, you were listening from the side and burst out laughing."

"But the old monk answered, 'If every ant held up a grain of sand, would the human see them then?'"

"You fell silent."

"Sister Yu said, 'If that truly happened, then the ants themselves would have changed their fate. It would not be the work of gods or Buddhas. If every ant possessed such resolve, why would they need to pray to gods and Buddhas? They themselves would be those gods and Buddhas.'"

"The old monk only smiled without answering."

"Sister Yu fell into thought, then said she understood."

"The old monk said she possessed a root of wisdom and gave her a prophetic verse."

"At first, none of us understood what it meant."

"Later, when something happened to Sister Yu, Master Dao, you suddenly understood the prophecy."

"You rushed to find the old monk, only to reach him when he was already about to pass into nirvana."

"You still took seriously what he said before his death about cause and effect, rebirth, and such things, didn't you?"

"Otherwise, how would you and I have ended up here?"

A lost look crossed Niu Youdao's face.

He murmured almost to himself, "Flowers fall on this shore—how do you know flowers have not bloomed on the Other Shore? When flowers bloom on the Other Shore..."

Yuan Gang said, "You took Yuan Fang in and kept giving him chances no matter what he did. Wasn't the old monk part of the reason?"

Niu Youdao said nothing.

In a rare note of melancholy, Yuan Gang sighed. "Whether she's the same person or not, now that you've seen that face, can you pretend you never did?"

"Master Dao, can you still let her go?"

Niu Youdao remained silent...

The next morning, Niu Youdao paced around the courtyard.

When he saw Yun Ji emerge from Shang Shuqing's room, he went over. "She's awake?"

Yun Ji gave a small grunt. "Washing up."

After she left, Niu Youdao looked left and right, then walked to Shang Shuqing's door with his sword in hand and knocked.

Someone opened it.

Yin'er.

The moment she saw him, she pouted and muttered something so softly it seemed intended only for herself.

"Bad man."

Niu Youdao shoved her casually aside and walked straight in.

Shang Shuqing was seated before the dressing table, combing her hair.

She turned.

Seeing it was Niu Youdao, she immediately stood and saluted. "Master Dao."

She looked somewhat flustered.

Her long hair was still loose around her shoulders, which by the standards of her upbringing was hardly proper before a man.

Niu Youdao walked over cheerfully. "Doing your hair?"

Shang Shuqing said awkwardly, "Master Dao, are we about to leave? Qing'er will be ready immediately."

She thought she had delayed everyone.

Niu Youdao smiled. "No rush. It's fine."

Shang Shuqing quickly asked, "Does Master Dao have some instruction?"

Niu Youdao answered something entirely different. "Commandery Princess, it's been a long time since you last combed my hair."

"Ah..."

Shang Shuqing froze.

Then she hurriedly tidied the dressing table and gestured for him to sit, plainly willing to help.

Niu Youdao shook his head. "Next time. You keep going."

Shang Shuqing immediately became awkward.

With a grown man standing beside her, how was she supposed to continue dressing her hair?

Her upbringing did not allow her to preen before a man like this.

Then Niu Youdao added, "Everyone's waiting for you before we set out."

She could hardly ask him to leave.

So Shang Shuqing sat down again in embarrassment and tried to finish quickly, moving the comb through her long hair at speed.

Then she saw Niu Youdao appear behind her in the mirror.

He was staring at her reflection.

Her hands immediately became clumsy.

The more nervous she grew, the more tangled everything became.

Niu Youdao suddenly asked, "Commandery Princess, are you satisfied with how you look now?"

Of course she was satisfied.

Shang Shuqing gave a soft "Mm."

Then her hand froze.

The man behind her had reached out and caught the comb.

Niu Youdao took it from her hand, gathered her long hair, and began combing it for her.

"I'll do it."

Shang Shuqing panicked instantly.

How could she possibly allow that?

She tried to stand, but Niu Youdao pressed one palm to her shoulder and kept her seated.

"Master Dao..."

Niu Youdao cut her off. "You've combed my hair for more than ten years, haven't you? It's only right that I repay a little of the favor."

Shang Shuqing tried to rise again. "That was what Qing'er should have done."

Niu Youdao pressed her back down once more. "I'm about to take you into danger with me. This journey may even be a road with no return. Give me a chance to repay you."

How could she accept repayment from him?

Shang Shuqing tried to rise yet again.

He pressed her down yet again.

She could only sit there and protest, "Master Dao's grace toward my brother and me is greater than we could ever repay. We are the ones indebted to you. Even if we were ground to powder, we could not repay one ten-thousandth of it..."

Niu Youdao interrupted again. "So women really do become willful once they're beautiful. My words don't count anymore."

Shang Shuqing hurriedly said, "Master Dao, Qing'er didn't mean that."

"Then stop refusing."

Shang Shuqing was instantly left without a way out.

Niu Youdao, meanwhile, continued combing her hair at an unhurried pace.

Yin'er came closer, watching curiously.

Seeing Shang Shuqing sitting there as though on pins and needles, Niu Youdao suddenly said, "Commandery Princess, you've combed my hair for more than ten years. Later, I'll comb yours for more than ten years too. One favor repaid with another. What do you think?"

Something about those words felt strange.

Shang Shuqing grew suspicious and naturally tried to refuse. "Master Dao, you're making too much of it. Has Qing'er done something wrong?"

Niu Youdao said, "The Commandery Princess has always known her place. You haven't done anything wrong. What? You think I'm bad at combing hair?"

Shang Shuqing was at a loss. She truly had no idea what game he was playing. "No. Master Dao is a man who handles great affairs. How could you waste yourself on such a trivial thing?"

Niu Youdao kept combing. "Still refusing."

He paused.

"Right. You're beautiful now. Later, suitors will probably come like carp crossing a river, and more than a few of them will be outstanding men. Are you worried that if I keep combing your hair, I'll damage your reputation and make it harder for you to marry?"

Embarrassed, Shang Shuqing said, "Master Dao is joking. Qing'er has no intention of marrying."

Niu Youdao said, "You won't let me comb your hair, and you won't marry. What are we supposed to do, then?"

"How about you simply stay by my side from now on? Be my personal maid and keep combing my hair."

Shang Shuqing answered immediately, "All right."

Niu Youdao said, "His Highness hopes the Commandery Princess will find a good home. What if he refuses?"

Shang Shuqing lowered her voice. "Qing'er's affairs are Qing'er's own decision."

Privately she added: so long as you say the word, Elder Brother would probably be delighted beyond measure.

Niu Youdao continued, "With your appearance now, plus your status, countless men will pursue you. Some of them are bound to be exceptional. If one day you meet a man you like, yet you've already become my personal maid, won't you regret it?"

Shang Shuqing quickly said, "Qing'er absolutely won't regret it."

"Good. Then I'll take you at your word."

Niu Youdao lifted his eyes and looked at her in the mirror.

"You're truly beautiful. How about staying by my side for the rest of your life?"

The meaning hidden in those words made Shang Shuqing's seated body tremble.

Her eyes met his in the mirror.

Then, guilty and uncertain whether she had misunderstood, she quickly lowered her gaze.

Her heartbeat had begun to quicken.

While looking down, she somehow found herself asking in a soft voice, "Am I really beautiful?"

Niu Youdao said, "Beautiful. I like it."

Shang Shuqing's face immediately turned red.

Not the old ghostly flush of the birthmark.

Now the blush was perfectly clear.

She would remember for the rest of her life the feeling of the man behind her slowly combing her hair.

Niu Youdao did not press her any further.

Then Yun Ji stepped through the doorway.

At the sight of the dressing table, she froze.

What was this supposed to mean?

She walked over and stared at Niu Youdao, displeasure plain in her eyes.

It was as though she were saying: I knew something was wrong. Don't you dare go too far.

Niu Youdao had finished anyway.

It was simple enough. He arranged Shang Shuqing's hair in a man's style, then turned and instructed Yun Ji, "Change her into men's clothing and disguise her."

With that, he picked up his sword and left.

Yin'er blocked his path.

She touched her own hair. "Daodao, me too."

She wanted him to comb her hair as well.

Niu Youdao asked, "Do you want your hair combed, or do you want a chicken leg?"

Yin'er immediately grabbed his sleeve, eyes shining. "Chicken leg!"

Niu Youdao said, "Fine. I'll buy you one on the road."

Yin'er nodded repeatedly, released him, and broke into a brilliant smile.

Her expression practically said that Daodao was wonderful.

Niu Youdao strode away.

Yun Ji was left speechless.

She truly did not know what to say about Yin'er.

Wasn't he simply fooling an idiot?

Even if he combed her hair, wouldn't he still have to buy her chicken legs on the road afterward?

[End of Chapter 1554]