Chapter 1555: They've Rebelled

There was no reasoning this through with Yin'er, of course. Her mind simply could not make that turn. The more anyone tried to explain, the more confused she would probably become.

When Yun Ji turned around, she froze again.

Shang Shuqing was still seated before the dressing table, one hand touching the hair Niu Youdao had arranged for her. She was crying, tears slipping down her face in silence.

"Ah." Yun Ji sighed softly. She walked behind her, rested both hands on her shoulders, and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "A face changes from ugly to beautiful, and his attitude changes this much along with it. You're happy, but you're hurt too, aren't you? It leaves a bitter taste in your heart."

Shang Shuqing shook her head. "Master Dao isn't someone who judges people by appearance."

Yun Ji sighed. "Don't be foolish. You know perfectly well his attitude changed because your appearance changed. He is judging by appearance, and that's exactly why you're upset. You may even be wondering whether he's doing this because of those hundred thousand Crow Generals, whether he's trying to placate you and use you."

Shang Shuqing shook her head again. "No."

"No? Then why are you crying?" Yun Ji said. "Everyone knows you like him, but he can't bully people this way, especially not a woman. One matter is one matter. Yes, I admit he's capable, and yes, he calls the shots around here, but on this matter I'm standing with you. You don't need to be afraid of him. I refuse to believe he's so unreasonable that he won't even listen when so many people are watching."

She bent closer over Shang Shuqing's shoulder and pointed at the woman in the mirror. "Commandery Princess, look at us now. You're beautiful as flowers and jade. You could take your pick of the good men beneath Heaven. There's no reason to wrong yourself. Don't worry about his side. Later I'll find Hongniang and the others. We'll all go reason with him together and tell him to get lost."

Shang Shuqing immediately caught her hand and shook her head. "Don't."

"What do you mean, don't? Even I can't stand watching this. Are you really going to let him push you around however he pleases? Don't worry. For all his faults, he's still a man who listens to reason."

"Don't." Shang Shuqing's voice broke into a sob. Tears poured down her face, her delicate shoulders trembling. "I'm willing."

That sorrowful "I'm willing" left Yun Ji speechless...

Yin'er never got the chicken leg she wanted. Instead, she was knocked unconscious again. An extra chest had even been prepared especially for her. Wrapped in a quilt, she was stuffed inside while Shang Shuqing watched, wanting to object but stopping herself because this was Niu Youdao's arrangement.

Fifty wagons prepared in the city arrived, together with their drivers and a small escort.

The chests at the villa began to be loaded as well, roughly ten to a wagon, each load lashed securely with rope.

When Shang Shuqing emerged disguised as a man, Niu Youdao saw from her reddened eyes that she had been crying. Finding an opportunity, he asked Yun Ji, "She cried? What happened?"

The subject immediately brought Yun Ji's displeasure back. "You hold all the power and influence, and now you choose where to put your chopsticks by looking at the face in front of you. One moment you want a bite, the next you don't, and you're asking me what happened? I should be asking you. What exactly do you mean? You could have any sort of woman you wanted. Why pick on her alone and torment her half to death?"

Niu Youdao said, "You're sounding more and more like Hongniang. Enough. We won't talk about this now. You should know which matters are more important. If you survive this time, we can discuss it afterward."

"You..." Yun Ji choked on her words. "Fine, important matters. I was about to ask you something anyway. How long will this journey take? Don't you think you told everyone to withdraw too early? His Highness has pulled back, but what about that enormous army? If Wu Chang goes there, I'm afraid the losses could be severe."

What she meant was obvious: why not wait until everything on this side was ready and in position before letting Wu Chang realize something was wrong?

She had wanted to ask this for some time. But she had assumed Niu Youdao must have his reasons, and feared that asking would only expose her own stupidity. Now she simply took the opportunity to say it.

Niu Youdao gave her a sidelong glance. "Running is what makes it look normal. If Wu Chang finds no one, he'll keep looking. Only then will he feel secure enough to keep charging ahead. Only then will he walk into the net of his own accord."

With that, he turned and left.

Yun Ji stood there blankly. It took her a while to work through the logic.

By then, Niu Youdao had already reached Shang Shuqing. "To avoid attracting attention, we'll be riding hard over a long distance this time. Can you endure it?"

Shang Shuqing forced a smile. "Qing'er has spent long stretches being jolted around on horseback before. It's fine. I can manage."

Niu Youdao asked, "Were you crying?"

Shang Shuqing shook her head slightly, but her gaze dodged his. She was plainly too guilty to get the lie out properly.

Niu Youdao said, "Some things are complicated, and I don't know how to explain them to you. But it isn't what you're thinking. If we can get through what lies ahead, I'll find a chance to give you an explanation that satisfies you."

"Right now there are too many things weighing on my mind, and the situation we're facing is extremely dangerous. I have no energy to spare for romantic entanglements. It has been this way ever since I came down from Shangqing Sect. For more than ten years, I haven't relaxed for a single day. But this time should bring things to an end."

"The Commandery Princess is someone who understands the larger picture. I believe you can understand me. Give me a little more time, all right?"

Shang Shuqing nodded repeatedly.

In truth, she did not fully understand what he meant. It was more a matter of accepting whatever he said. After what had happened that morning when he arranged her hair, and now hearing him speak to her this way, she felt any grievance she had suffered was worth it.

Yuan Gang strode over. "Master Dao, everything is ready. We can set out."

Niu Youdao asked, "What about the people in the villa?"

"We drove them all into the secret passage and have them under control. Duan Hu and the others should arrive soon. They'll take over when they get here."

Niu Youdao said, "Set out!"

Yuan Gang immediately went to pass down the order.

Niu Youdao turned back to Shang Shuqing. "Let's go."

"Mm." Shang Shuqing followed beside him.

When they reached the horses, Niu Youdao pulled one over and personally held the reins and stirrup for her.

Shang Shuqing felt she could not possibly accept such treatment and hurriedly waved him off, indicating she could mount by herself.

Niu Youdao did not bother arguing. With a touch of overbearing force, he simply caught her by the arm in front of everyone and lifted her into the saddle, almost as though openly declaring his claim.

Shang Shuqing immediately became self-conscious and stole nervous glances at everyone around them.

Sure enough, the others were looking at her strangely.

She felt flustered, yet somewhere beneath it was a small, inexplicable sweetness, a quiet sense of happiness.

Niu Youdao handed her the reins, then swung onto another horse himself and gestured for the group to move.

The wagons descended from the mountain, reached the official road, and thundered away under escort...

At the new site of the Imperial Academy in Jin's new capital, Shao Pingbo was making an inspection when Shao Sansheng called him aside.

After hearing the report, Shao Pingbo drew in a sharp breath. "Lan Daolin and Du Wuxu are both dead? Has it been confirmed?"

Shao Sansheng said, "The moment this old servant heard the rumors outside, I used the excuse of delivering something to pay Chief Steward Tao a visit and made some discreet inquiries. Chief Steward Tao said it was true. He told us not to spread it ourselves. Let the outside world say whatever it wants; we should keep our mouths shut so we don't invite trouble."

"What methods. What ability. What speed. Two of them killed in one stroke!" Shao Pingbo exclaimed.

How could he not be impressed? The dead men were no ordinary people. They were two Sacred Venerables who had stood above all beneath Heaven.

Then he immediately asked, "What about Wu Chang?"

"Wu Chang is fine. It happened at Qiyun Sect, and quite a few people there witnessed it with their own eyes. Judging from the scene, Lan Daolin and Du Wuxu probably died in a trap laid jointly by Wu Chang and that group of Nascent Soul cultivators from Jia Wuqun's side. The strange thing is that after Lan Daolin and Du Wuxu were killed, Wu Chang actually let that group of Nascent Soul cultivators escape."

Shao Pingbo clasped his hands behind his back and narrowed his eyes in thought. "They joined forces? Wu Chang is bargaining with a tiger for its hide. Soon. He should be next."

Shao Sansheng said, "Two more dead. Eldest Young Master's judgment was correct. Looks like these Three Saints really were no match for Tongueless Jia."

Shao Pingbo gazed into the distance. "The result is about to reveal itself. This day has finally come!"

By then, news of Lan Daolin's and Du Wuxu's deaths was already spreading rapidly across all beneath Heaven...

At Qiyun Sect, Hei Shi approached in hurried steps.

Before he could speak, Wu Chang, standing at the edge of a cliff, turned first and asked, "Still no news from Nanzhou Prefectural Capital?"

The personnel monitoring this area and the surroundings of Maolu Villa seemed to have lost contact.

Ordinarily they maintained regular communication, but a sudden gap had appeared. No further messages were coming through.

Wu Chang had already begun to sense that something was wrong.

Could it simply be because those people had not yet returned and Maolu Villa had made no outside contact for them to intercept?

That was why he had become intensely concerned with the situation there.

Hei Shi hesitated, fear churning inside him. But he could not avoid reporting it. At last he steeled himself and said, "We've received word."

Wu Chang saw his expression and said heavily, "Why are you hemming and hawing?"

Hei Shi said fearfully, "Sacred Venerable, Nanzhou Prefectural Capital suddenly launched a purge. They surrounded and eliminated most of our people hidden around the area. Those few who escaped by luck reached a nearby All-Under-Heaven Money House and borrowed its communication channel to send word back. And there's more..."

Wu Chang's anger flared. "Speak!"

"Reports have been arriving one after another. Ling Sect, Tianxing Sect, and Myriad Beasts Sect all rebelled at almost the same time. They killed the Misty Pavilion personnel stationed with them and disappeared into hiding. The Demonic Sect rebelled too. They killed the Sacred Land's people, and now no one knows where they've gone."

Wu Chang caught Hei Shi by the front of his robe. "Why didn't you report this earlier?"

"The matter was too serious. This subordinate feared the first report might be mistaken and wanted to confirm it. Then similar reports began arriving from the other places as well. Only then did this subordinate become certain it couldn't be some misunderstanding. It may be... it may be..."

May be, my ass.

Wu Chang shoved him away, vanished with a whoosh, and shot toward the distant sky.

Watching him disappear, Hei Shi remained badly shaken. He raised a sleeve to wipe cold sweat from his forehead and muttered, "A trap. We were used. All of it was a trap. Everything was a trap. What ruthless methods. Lan Daolin and Du Wuxu are dead. Next..."

A chill ran through him.

He looked up at the sky and felt that Heaven truly was about to change.

When he turned, he saw the pavilion that had been destroyed and suddenly remembered what that man had told him that day:

Today I'll leave you with one promise. If someday you find yourself with nowhere left to go, find the Heaven-Swallowing Ring and bring it to us. We'll leave you a road to survival.

When Hei Shi first heard those words, he had treated them almost as a joke. He knew Wu Chang had already grasped the other side's foundations and intended to eliminate that group afterward.

Now, however, it was hard to say who would be eliminating whom.

"Heaven-Swallowing Ring..." Hei Shi muttered.

He immediately shut his mouth.

The realization that such a thought had even entered his mind made his heart pound. He looked around nervously, almost afraid someone might have overheard.

But inwardly, he was already turning the question over.

Where might the Heaven-Swallowing Ring be hidden?

[End of Chapter 1555]