Chapter 1558: A Tide Rises

Under Guan Fangyi's watch, for the sake of protecting their safety and keeping their whereabouts absolutely secret, Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming had been cut off from all contact with the outside world.

Even Guan Fangyi herself would not actively contact Niu Youdao unless there was no alternative. She would simply wait for him to contact her side.

The two men therefore knew almost nothing about what was happening outside.

Of course they understood that this was for their own protection. Hearing Niu Youdao's words, they could only nod in acceptance.

At that moment, a woman stepped forward and saluted.

Her clear voice said, "Elder Brother. Uncle Meng."

The instant they heard her voice, both knew it was Shang Shuqing.

Shang Chaozong nodded.

Meng Shanming returned the greeting. "Commandery Princess."

Shang Shuqing wore a false face. Neither man could see her true appearance, so there was no unusual reaction.

She could not help stealing a glance at Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao gave her a faint smile but said nothing.

Seeing that he did not intend for her to reveal her face, and remembering his earlier warning that the matter of the Crow Generals must remain secret for now, Shang Shuqing did not take the initiative either. She quietly stepped aside.

"You've been traveling all this way. You must be tired. Rest first."

Niu Youdao turned and said this to Shang Shuqing and Lü Wushuang.

Lü Wushuang walked aside and dropped directly onto a stack of grain sacks, leaning back against them.

She had wanted somewhere to sit for ages.

How many years had it been since she last rode a horse?

Now she had no cultivation either.

After being jolted this whole journey, she felt as though her skeleton had nearly shaken apart and the crease of her backside had been rubbed raw.

It was mortifying.

Yuan Gang strode in from outside, found a table, sat down, and began writing as he decoded a confidential message that had just arrived.

Once he finished the translation and read it through, he immediately rose and hurried to Niu Youdao, who was chatting with Shang Chaozong and the others.

He handed over the message.

Niu Youdao read it, fell silent for a moment, then said, "Jin Jue is dead."

"What?" Meng Shanming was badly startled.

Niu Youdao passed the message to the two men.

After reading it, Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming were both shocked.

Wu Chang had personally acted and killed nearly all of the Han army's principal commanders.

The two exchanged a glance.

Only now did they fully understand just how necessary Niu Youdao's earlier order for them to hide had been.

Had they remained in place, would either of them still be alive?

"A dignified Sacred Venerable Tianmo reduced to this..." Meng Shanming sighed.

Even though his ruined legs had been Jin Jue's doing, at this moment he still felt the sorrow of the fox when the rabbit dies.

"Ah..." Shang Chaozong sighed as well.

For a man of Jin Jue's stature to die in such a manner felt profoundly unworthy.

"Wu Chang has stopped caring about appearances. Then we don't need to observe any niceties either."

Niu Youdao gave a cold laugh.

He turned, planted his sword before him, and said, "The people left behind by the other Sacred Venerables should start moving as well."

"Send them word. Have them go into Jin and make trouble. Destroy the Jin army's material supply."

"We can't let Wu Chang succeed so easily."

"Tell them this too: whoever refuses to give me face should not blame me for turning hostile. If Wu Chang comes knocking at their doors afterward, they can blame themselves."

"So long as Wu Chang is alive, none of them should expect an easy life!"

Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming quietly exchanged a glance.

Yuan Gang hesitated slightly. "We're nearly ready already. Is there still a need to do this?"

Niu Youdao said, "If you're putting on a show, perform it to the end. If we don't react, Wu Chang may become suspicious."

"Send word to Shao Pingbo. Have him organize this operation."

Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming exchanged another look.

Neither knew when this man had somehow become mixed up with Shao Dengyun's son again.

If the two sides truly could turn hostility into peace, however, they would be glad to see it. Shao Dengyun's standing was still there, after all.

Yuan Gang himself paused. "Him?"

"He's watched enough of the show," Niu Youdao said. "He's done Jin such a great service and played the loyal minister long enough. He can play the traitorous minister for once too. We can't let him take every good role for himself."

"Shao Pingbo understands Jin's situation better than anyone. He should know perfectly well which places to strike."

"He knows what result I want."

"And what about Song and Han? Do they still intend to stand aside and watch?"

"The fire is hot enough now. It's time for them to show where they stand..."

After giving a series of instructions, Yuan Gang understood. He nodded and turned to carry them out.

Guan Fangyi came over with tea she had already checked.

Niu Youdao accepted one cup, but then carried it toward Shang Shuqing, who was sitting off to one side, and held it out to her.

"You must be tired too. Have some water."

Still seated, Shang Shuqing gave a soft acknowledgment and naturally reached out to accept it.

Niu Youdao had treated her this way throughout the journey.

What had once felt unfamiliar was beginning to feel normal.

But the moment the cup reached her hands, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

She quietly glanced to the side.

Sure enough, Meng Shanming and Shang Chaozong were staring as though struck dumb.

Shang Shuqing instantly wished she could find a crack in the floor and disappear into it.

Guilty embarrassment flooded her. Her face burned red beneath the false mask.

Meng Shanming and Shang Chaozong stared.

They knew better than anyone that Shang Shuqing was a woman who observed propriety.

Master Dao had personally served her tea, and she had actually remained seated and accepted it as though this were perfectly natural?

That was not her usual behavior.

Then they looked at Niu Youdao's warm manner toward her.

Not normal.

Far from normal.

What exactly did this mean?

At this point, it was difficult for either man not to suspect there was something going on between the two.

Niu Youdao turned around.

Meng Shanming and Shang Chaozong were seasoned men who had weathered countless campaigns. Their reactions were immediate.

Both looked away at once.

Meng Shanming lowered his head and resumed studying the confidential message in his hand, occasionally stroking his beard.

Shang Chaozong lowered his head as though searching the floor for ants.

Even so, something strange leaked through both men's brows and eyes.

The fact that they looked away at all meant they did not want to spoil anything.

If Qing'er truly had something with Master Dao, and the match could be made real, both men would be ten thousand times willing.

Privately, Qing'er would finally have her wish fulfilled and the question of her lifelong marriage would be settled.

Publicly, if Qing'er became Master Dao's woman, it would be an enormous benefit to the Shang clan and to every force aligned with it.

Several private worries in both men's hearts would disappear as well.

Whether for public or private reasons, it would be a tremendous good thing.

How could they not welcome it?

Without speaking, the two exchanged a quick look.

Both silently prayed that they had not imagined too much.

For the moment, neither had much mind left for anything else, including the outside situation.

From time to time, both began paying attention to the interaction between Niu Youdao and Shang Shuqing.

Niu Youdao noticed their reactions after turning around, but did not care in the slightest.

So what if they knew?

If he had been afraid of them knowing, he would not have behaved this way in front of them.

Better to let them begin getting used to it.

From her seat on the grain sacks, Lü Wushuang had watched the whole scene.

She turned her head away with a faint sneer and muttered, "Sickening."

She had endured enough of this all along the journey.

Her own Monkey was far too rigid a man to do this sort of tender, affectionate thing anywhere and everywhere.

Yun Ji had endured enough along the way too.

But she could see that Shang Shuqing seemed to enjoy the feeling.

Even if the girl was being deceived, she appeared perfectly willing to be deceived.

So Yun Ji stopped saying anything.

All she could do was sigh inwardly.

This girl had been so muddled by sweet words that she no longer knew east from west.

Against an old fox as crafty as Niu Youdao, how could she possibly avoid being handled however he pleased?

Guan Fangyi, teapot still in hand, stood frozen where she was.

She was certain she had missed something again.

A wildfire of gossip blazed up in her heart, and her eyes lit immediately.

She loved exactly this sort of romance and entanglement.

How could she suppress her curiosity?

Slowly she edged toward Yun Ji, bumped her with one elbow, and flicked her eyes in silent inquiry.

Her intention to pry was unmistakable.

Yun Ji turned her head away and simply walked off.

The matter of the Crow Generals was not yet suitable for wider circulation.

How could Guan Fangyi let her escape that easily?

She immediately poured another cup of tea and hurried after her, all solicitous attention.

Meanwhile, Shang Shuqing kept her head lowered.

She could feel the awkward atmosphere around her.

Both hands wrapped around the cup before her mouth, and she did not dare raise her eyes to look at anyone.

...

Jin Jue was dead.

Wu Chang had simply killed him like that.

All beneath Heaven was shaken!

If even a man of Jin Jue's standing could be killed without reason or excuse, at a whim, how could the world not be shocked?

Of course it displayed the terrifying dominance of Sacred Venerable Tianmo.

But at the same time, countless people felt the sorrow of the fox when the rabbit dies.

Rumors and warnings surged at once.

Wu Chang, people said, intended to use Jin's power to sweep across all beneath Heaven.

He meant to destroy Yan, Song, and Han.

He meant to exhaust the strength of the great sects under Heaven, strip away their interests, and rebuild the world order so he alone controlled it.

He meant to kill the senior leadership of the great sects.

He meant to kill the emperors of Song and Han.

He meant to kill the senior military commanders of every state that resisted Jin's army.

The example already lay before everyone's eyes.

The slaughter of Jin Jue and the other commanders, together with Wu Chang's forceful intervention, had completely exposed his intention to use Jin to sweep all beneath Heaven.

Add Zijin Cave's flight into hiding, the Yan commanders' earlier disappearance, and the open calls now coming from sects already in hiding, and the various powers of the realm found it hard not to believe.

Soon the senior figures of every court and every sect began hiding themselves, all afraid they might be killed.

A hidden tide of joint resistance had begun to rise.

Every side waited for the mysterious group that had opposed the Nine Saints to step forward and raise the banner openly...

...

On a mountaintop near the Jin army camp, Wu Chang stood facing the setting sun.

Expressionless.

Indifferent.

He had heard the rumors.

The situation he and the other Sacred Venerables had once tried so hard to avoid had finally appeared.

He heard it all, but he had no interest in explaining anything.

Things had already reached this point.

Someone was obviously stirring wind and waves behind the scenes.

That was entirely expected.

There was no need to explain.

So long as he could force those people out and eliminate them, none of these problems would remain problems.

The people of the world would soon forget everything.

...

At a farmstead outside a small town, Shao Pingbo stood silently beneath the eaves with a letter in hand.

Shao Sansheng waited for a while before asking, "Eldest Young Master, what do we do?"

Shao Pingbo was furious inwardly.

Tongueless Jia actually wanted him to do something like this.

Once he carried it out, he would become an inside traitor planted within Jin itself.

Tongueless Jia could then destroy Shao Pingbo's standing in Jin whenever he pleased.

After a long silence, Shao Pingbo sighed.

"His methods truly are ruthless."

"He's cutting off my road back and forcing me to fall completely onto his side."

Shao Sansheng's expression showed indignation. "He's bullying Eldest Young Master too far. Isn't he afraid you'll expose him?"

"What good would exposing him do now?" Shao Pingbo said. "His people are already hidden."

"If I run to Wu Chang now and expose anything, what value does that have?"

"Why didn't I do it earlier?"

"Of course Wu Chang would be furious."

"That demon is in a foul mood already. Do you want me to go looking for death?"

...

Behind the warehouse was a wooden platform built over the water.

Guan Fangyi paced along it, looking toward a man and woman rowing among the reeds. Every so often she clicked her tongue in amusement.

Niu Youdao had stolen a little leisure from the middle of his work.

In a tiny boat, he personally handled the oars and took Shang Shuqing out onto the water.

Shang Shuqing had not wanted to go.

She was far too shy.

But Niu Youdao had taken a sudden fancy to rowing and forcibly dragged her aboard.

Now she could only sit there, sweetly happy and thoroughly embarrassed.

Unfortunately, they had barely begun enjoying themselves before Yuan Gang appeared on the platform and waved toward them.

The moment Niu Youdao saw him, he knew something urgent had happened.

Otherwise, Monkey would never have interrupted.

He immediately rowed back.

The little boat gradually reached the bank.

After stepping ashore, Niu Youdao reached out a hand.

He did not allow Shang Shuqing to refuse.

He took her hand and pulled her ashore directly.

The shyness she could not hide in her eyes made Guan Fangyi cover her mouth with her round fan, delighted beyond measure.

"What happened?" Niu Youdao asked after turning back.

Yuan Gang glanced at Guan Fangyi.

Then he leaned to Niu Youdao's ear and murmured one sentence.

"Nantian Wufang, the man you summoned, has arrived."

[End of Chapter 1558]