Chapter 40: Far From Empty Talk |
Hearing the subtle hint in his words, Shu Qing seemed to grow worried. She wondered if her brother would suffer a loss from this "slight." So she immediately asked:
"A small slight? I do not know what Lord Dao means by that?"
Lan Ruo Ting also nodded. He, too, was concerned about this.
Niu You Dao calmly replied: "It is nothing of the sort. In truth, the Prince is limited in resources, and I will have to employ various stratagems to achieve our goals. Therefore, I hope that when the time comes, the Prince will understand my intentions and be able to act in concert with me."
Shu Qing said: "As the saying goes, all is fair in war. Lord Dao may certainly resort to various schemes. However, they must not violate divine and human laws, nor should they bring ill repute upon the Prince..."
Niu You Dao interrupted her:
"Do not worry, Princess. Prince, you also need not worry. This Niu guarantees that no harm will come to the Prince's reputation, and nothing will occur that would worsen your position. If I break my word, you may simply deny any involvement with me."
Only then did the few people calm down, but they could barely believe in the success of his scheme. Why would Feng Lin Bo lend them his troops?
The previously silent Lan Ruo Ting said:
"Everything will be fine with the imperial family. Several dozen bodyguards died, and the Prince, being on the mountain, can honor their memory for a few days. There will be nothing wrong with that," Niu You Dao said without hesitation:
"As for the Song family, that matter can be resolved during the journey. I will handle it myself!"
Chao Zong nodded his head:
"I just do not know when Lord Dao wishes to depart? And is there anything that needs to be prepared?"
Niu You Dao: "The matter brooks no delay. We must set off tonight. Furthermore, I request that the Prince provide me with 20 resourceful warriors and some other valuables. For instance: 10,000 gold coins!"
"10,000 gold coins..." Chao Zong and Shu Qing froze. That was no small sum. With that amount, several hundred cavalrymen could be sustained for several years.
The brother and sister exchanged glances. They did not understand why he needed such a sum. If it was to buy cavalry, 10,000 coins would not be enough. And Feng Lin Bo was not so poor as to sell cavalry for that amount.
Lan Ruo Ting gave a bitter smile: "To be frank, Lord Dao, once we reach Cang Wu County, raising 10,000 gold there would be possible. But for now, we would be hard-pressed to even gather a thousand, let alone 10,000."
Niu You Dao waved his hand: "Alright. Money is a trifle. When I reach the county, I will find a way. Just give me 100 gold for emergencies."
The several people exchanged glances. Even if they were to leave, it would be difficult for them to gather 10,000. But how did he intend to get them? Was he going to rob people? Yet, in Kuangai County, no one would allow him to commit robbery like that. Moreover, would he offend Feng Lin Bo there? Those who could offend Feng Lin Bo were not simple folk.
Lan Ruo Ting had initially thought that Lord Dao wanted to take the money and flee. However, Niu You Dao immediately lowered the price to 100 coins. It must be that Lan Ruo Ting, due to his own baseness, was misjudging the motives of noble individuals. Chao Zong looked at him, and Lan Ruo Ting nodded:
"Lord Dao, please wait. I will get the money and find the men for you right away."
Niu You Dao immediately said: "Remember well: remain here, but do not let them know that you are waiting for me."
"Understood!" Lan Ruo Ting cupped his hands and said. Then he went to make all the preparations.
The Shang siblings wondered curiously how Niu You Dao intended to obtain cavalry from Feng Lin Bo. Shu Qing could not hold back and asked anyway:
"Lord Dao, could you tell us your plan?"
Niu You Dao replied with a smile: "The situation is still unclear for now; I will observe as I go. You will know later."
He spoke vaguely once more. Previously, Chao Zong would have worried and suspected him, but the fact that he had revealed their plan indicated that his way of thinking was different. Therefore, he still placed his hopes on him.
Yuan Gang, who had been standing silently, suddenly spoke:
"Lord Dao, those two disciples from the Supreme Purity Sect said that Yuan Fang is a demon."
"Oh?" Niu You Dao was surprised: "A shapeshifter? An evil spirit?"
Chao Zong also added: "Indeed, my subordinates investigated him. He is truly a demon; the real Yuan Fang has already passed away. The one leading the monastery now is a bear cub that was taken in 200 years ago. This bear cub embarked on the path of Dao and has now transformed into Yuan Fang. Thus, the Supreme Purity Sect has no connection to the Southern Mountain Monastery. It was Song Yang Qing who arrived and subdued this bear."
Niu You Dao's eyes sparkled. An evil spirit? Or a shapeshifter? He was quite interested in it. Although he knew that shapeshifters and evil spirits existed in this world, this was his first encounter with them. He had not thought that his horizons could expand so much today. Yuan Gang had also never seen a shapeshifter, so he was very curious. However, they had urgent matters to attend to at the moment, so Niu You Dao said:
"Prince, do not release this shapeshifter. When I return, I will speak with him."
Chao Zong replied with a laugh: "Very well, I will keep him for you!"
After a while, Lan Ruo Ting arrived with a bag of money and brought 20 horsemen.
After discussing the plan once more, Chao Zong and the others also left the monastery. They began to draw attention to themselves. They walked around the monastery, burning sacrificial money to honor the deceased.
Meanwhile, Niu You Dao and Yuan Gang led the 20 horsemen and departed the Southern Mountain under the cover of night.
As Chao Zong performed the ritual, a bodyguard approached him and whispered: "Prince, they have left the mountain."
"Hmm!" the Prince nodded and continued to burn the sacrificial paper, but also looked at Lan Ruo Ting and said: "I do not know if he spoke the truth, and I do not know if he will succeed. I asked, but I did not understand him. He constantly speaks vaguely, which leaves my heart uneasy."
Lan Ruo Ting replied doubtfully:
"This man seems experienced in handling affairs and calculating, not like a young man. However, he seems unwilling for others to know about his abilities. He does not seem to be someone who follows the righteous path. I do not know why Master Dong Guo chose him as a disciple, nor why the Princess believes in him."
Shu Qing:
"From every angle, if he had any issues, he would not have killed Song Yang Qing. Brother, Master Lan, we currently have no choice. If we allow him to try, the damage will be small should he fail."
Chao Zong held the paper he had lit from the brazier and watched it slowly burn away: "We shall see!"
...
In the city, a man walked along the wall. He reached an inn and, raising his head, looked at the signboard. It was none other than Cheng Gui Shuo.
An inn attendant came out to greet him:
"Sir, are you alone?"
Cheng Gui Shuo, ignoring him, pushed him aside and went straight to the counter. There, he saw the innkeeper.
As soon as the innkeeper saw him, he immediately signaled to the attendant not to make a fuss. The attendant was forced to retreat.
It was already late, and the inn was soon to close. On the upper floor, only a table with a few patrons remained. The innkeeper looked around and invited Cheng Gui Shuo to the back of the inn. They entered a quiet room.
As soon as the door closed, the innkeeper looked at Cheng Gui Shuo and asked: "What happened?"
In truth, Cheng Gui Shuo did not know who the innkeeper was, nor even his name. The only thing he knew was that he was a man of the Song family. After all, when they were traveling to the monastery, Song Yang Qing had stayed at this very inn. At that time, Cheng Gui Shuo had noticed that they knew each other. In principle, it was not surprising that the Song family had their own people here.
Although Cheng Gui Shuo and Su Yi Tian were disciples of the Supreme Purity Sect, it seemed they had become more like people of the Song family. And even if the Supreme Purity Sect were to fall, they would not fear the consequences. As for what had happened to Song Yang Qing, Cheng Gui Shuo clearly could not openly report it to the Song family.
"Something has happened," Cheng Gui Shuo sat on a chair and said with a sigh.
The innkeeper furrowed his brows: "What happened?"
Cheng Gui Shuo replied in a grim tone: "My brother Song Yang Qing has perished!"
"Ah!" the innkeeper was almost startled and began to question: "How?"
"We went to the Southern Mountain Monastery..." Cheng Gui Shuo began to narrate everything in detail, and the old innkeeper questioned him thoroughly. Then Cheng Gui Shuo said: "Send the news to the capital and help me get to the sect. I also need to inform them. Give me a horse and a travel permit to change horses at post stations!"
The old innkeeper quickly arranged everything. As soon as Cheng Gui Shuo rode away, the old innkeeper entered another secret room. He took out paper and wrote a report on it. Then, from a basket, he took out a black raptor, to whose wing he tied a note.
This bird is called a *Bird King*. In speed and endurance, it has no equal; it is very powerful. The most astonishing thing is that no matter how far this bird flies, it can always find its own laid egg. Therefore, this bird was used as a messenger bird. However, it is expensive. Although the males of these birds do not possess such abilities, they are worthless and are used purely for breeding.
After tying the letter, the old innkeeper went to another room where no lamp was lit. He opened the window and released the bird. The Bird King, under the cover of night, immediately flew imperceptibly towards the capital.
The next day, Chao Zong and the others also went to their brothers' graves and began performing rituals. As Niu You Dao had said, they were distracting everyone.
As the morning sun descended upon the mountain forest, a bodyguard approached and reported that Niu You Dao had, along the way, deployed the horsemen accompanying him at intervals to allow for unhindered communication between them.
It was simple. If only one person was sent, he would quickly exhaust a horse and would constantly need to change mounts. But this way, the speed of communication between them would be much higher. Clearly, Niu You Dao had thought of this long ago.
Lan Ruo Ting, nodding his head, said:
"Indeed, he is far from engaging in idle boasting. This man is far from simple!"
End of chapter.