Wu Shao Huang turned his head and looked at his disciple Li Guang:
"Master, why are you looking at me like that?" Li Guang thought to himself.
Chu An Lou himself meant nothing, but the power he represented was not something the Liuxiang Sect would dare to offend. Why did Chu An Lou openly escort the Yan Kingdom's envoy's assassin? What did this mean?
"Inform the sect about this!" Li Guang said in a cold tone.
Xiao Tie replied:
"Master, we already sent a message to the sect an hour ago."
Wu Shao Huang and Li Guang exchanged glances.
"Then we shall wait!" Wu Shao Huang said with a sigh, adding:
"Station people around the Rainbow Inn. As soon as a reply comes from the head, then we will decide how to proceed."
The people of the Liuxiang Sect arrived here agitated, but now they felt as if they had been doused with cold water...
At the inn.
Yuan Gang entered Niu You Dao's room. He saw that the bathroom was locked, meaning Lord Dao was in the bath as usual. He knew Lord Dao's habit. Yuan Gang walked over and knocked rhythmically on the door, indicating it was him.
Then he walked to the window and looked at the scenery unfolding outside. Later, he approached the table, poured himself some tea, and went back to the window. He admired the view while sipping his tea.
Not long after, the bathroom door swung open. Yuan Gang turned his head and froze!
He saw Black Peony, halfway dressed. Her wet hair indicated that she had just taken a bath.
But that girl had a bath in her own room, so why did she come here? Yuan Gang asked:
"Where is Lord Dao?"
"Still in the bath." Black Peony giggled in reply. She enjoyed Yuan Gang's stunned expression.
She didn't like Yuan Gang. More precisely, she disliked that he came here and, without a word, began giving them orders. She had been Lord Dao's most important person for so long, and then he arrived and immediately displaced her from that position.
Of course, she could have come out later, but knowing Yuan Gang had arrived, she decided to emerge at that very moment. In doing so, she wanted to show him that her relationship with Lord Dao was also not simple.
Yuan Gang's stunned expression generally satisfied her.
She walked to the window and, taking a towel, began to dry herself. Then, incidentally, she spoke in a displeased tone:
"And why did you have to come at this moment? You ruined Lord Dao's mood."
There was an insinuation in her words.
Yuan Gang, who had returned to the window, took another sip of tea. He slowly turned his head and assessed Black Peony, then indifferently said:
"With you?"
Hearing the contempt in his words, Black Peony retorted:
"What?"
Yuan Gang: "Boast less. I don't despise you, but even if you stripped naked, he still wouldn't be interested in you."
"... Black Peony was speechless. Although Yuan Gang had spoken unpleasantly, it was the truth.
How many times had she already tried to seduce Niu You Dao? But so far, it had all been in vain, to the point that she had grown disheartened and lost some self-confidence.
Now, Yuan Gang's words knocked the ground from under her feet. At the same time, she became curious why he spoke with such certainty.
"What are you trying to say? Does he have problems in that regard?"
She had long doubted Niu You Dao's virility.
Yuan Gang slowly turned to the window and gazed at the snowy mountains. A gleam shone in his eyes as he slowly uttered:
"High mountains, flowing water, how hard it is to find a kindred spirit. When a friend dies, old sounds are heard no more... And when one is reborn, one still journeys to inaccessible places just for the faint hope of hearing familiar notes again... But you won't understand this!"
Black Peony truly did not understand. What the hell was he talking about?
Not long after, Niu You Dao emerged from the bath, his hair unbound. Looking at Yuan Gang, he said with a smile:
"The bath is good! You should try it." — he walked over and sat down before the mirror.
Black Peony, forgetting herself, went to comb Niu You Dao's hair.
Yuan Gang stood and watched them from the side.
At this moment, Duan Hu knocked, then entered and reported:
"Lord Dao, two people wish to meet you. One says he is Wu Kun, the manager of the Heavenly Jade Sect's shop. And the other is a woman, Gao Mulan, the manager of the Wandong Heavenly Palace's shop."
Yuan Gang had deliberately stationed Duan Hu and Lei Zong Kang at the inn. He had specifically sent Duan Hu to the inn's main hall to keep an eye on everything. Should anything unusual occur, he was to alert everyone. And so, as soon as Duan Hu appeared in the hall, guests soon arrived for Niu You Dao.
Niu You Dao opened his eyes and looked at himself in the mirror. He thought for a moment, then slowly said:
"Bring them in."
"Understood!" Duan Hu immediately left.
Not long after, Wu Kun and Gao Mulan ascended the stairs. They were surprised that Niu You Dao was, in fact, living on such a floor. They knew this floor was not permitted to just anyone. This floor was prepared for the Rainbow Inn's special guests.
And when they entered the room, they saw the classical decor, which truly surpassed that of other rooms. They had come to this inn before, but this was their first time ascending to this floor.
The two people entered and saw the man they were currently looking for sitting before a mirror, with a woman combing his hair from behind. They had indeed seen him when Chu An Lou personally showed him around the city.
Now they wanted to understand the situation in more detail.
Duan Hu reported: "Lord Dao, the guests have arrived."
Niu You Dao narrowed his eyes and looked at the guests in the mirror's reflection:
"I am dressed sloppily; please forgive my lords and ladies."
"It's nothing, nothing." the two people replied.
Niu You Dao: "Shopkeeper Wu Kun, of the Heavenly Jade Sect?"
Wu Kun clasped his hands: "That is correct."
Niu You Dao: "May I ask, how is Bai Yao related to you?"
Wu Kun: "Bai Yao is my fellow disciple-brother."
Niu You Dao nodded. And when his hair was combed, Black Peony stepped aside, her own hair still disheveled. Niu You Dao, in his simple attire, stood up and, clasping his hands, greeted the two guests:
"Please forgive my impropriety."
"It's nothing, nothing." the man and woman smiled.
Niu You Dao motioned for Black Peony to pour tea and invited the guests to the table.
Once they were seated at the table, Niu You Dao said with a smile:
"Shopkeeper Wu Kun has come to me. I understand we have shared business. But to what do I owe the presence of the Wandong Heavenly Palace's shop manager?"
Gao Mulan replied with a smile:
"Indeed, I have also come, just like Shopkeeper Wu Kun."
In truth, she had another objective. She intended to teach Niu You Dao a lesson, to prevent him from causing trouble, or even to kill him if he acted otherwise. However, the situation had now changed, and her attitude had changed accordingly.
Niu You Dao hummed and looked at Wu Kun again:
"To what do I owe Shopkeeper Wu Kun's visit?"
Wu Kun: "There are no specific instructions, generally speaking. I simply received a message from my masters. The Prince received a message from the Yan Kingdom's capital, stating that a message had arrived from Beizhou to the Song Family. This letter says that you will go to the Ice and Snow Palace for the Red Yang Fruit, to cure the Qingzhou ruler's illness. The Song Family has already sent the Liuxiang Sect to kill you. You need to be more careful."
As soon as he said this, Yuan Gang looked at Niu You Dao. How did so many people learn of his plans?
Black Peony was surprised that they had actually come here for the Red Yang Fruit.
She already understood that the warm reception at the Rainbow Inn was related to the portraits in Zhaixing City. But she hadn't thought that Niu You Dao's true objective was the Red Yang Fruit. And when he played with Hao Qin Qin, he had specifically instructed her to use the name he had used to introduce himself in Zhaixing City.
Now she pieced together the logical chain. It turned out he had already planned this back in Zhaixing City. Now she understood that it wasn't inspiration that had struck him then, but rather the dark threads of his scheme. Lord Dao was unbelievably cunning!
Niu You Dao narrowed his eyes and felt a stir in his heart.
The news from the capital was most likely sent by Cheng Gui Shuo.
But he hadn't expected that his objective for coming to the Ice and Snow Palace would be known in Beizhou. Who was it? He had warned Hai Ru Yue many times not to tell the Wandong Heavenly Palace about this. He was concerned that the Wandong Heavenly Palace would, on the contrary, hinder him.
Gao Mulan continued:
"The Wandong Heavenly Palace learned of this from Qingzhou. Qingzhou requested assistance."
Niu You Dao looked at both their faces. Qingzhou most likely learned about it from Shang Chao Zong. Shang Chao Zong had done him a disservice. The Wandong Heavenly Palace, having learned of this, would likely hinder rather than help. After all, the Red Yang Fruit was of greater interest to them than Xiao Tian Cheng himself.
However, Shang Chao Zong had acted out of concern for him.
"Since that is the case, I wonder how many people the two sects sent to help overcome this critical moment?" Niu You Dao asked with a smile, offering tea as he spoke.
Wu Kun: "The Heavenly Jade Sect only controls Kuangai County and Qingshan County. We have few people, and the journey is long. Our people would hardly arrive in time."
Gao Mulan nodded: "Exactly, exactly."
In other words, they were implying they wouldn't help him.
Niu You Dao chuckled to himself and said with a smile:
"Mistress Gao, were you perchance instructed to even interfere with this matter?"
She hadn't thought he could see right through her. This young man was wise beyond his years.
"To help cure the Qingzhou ruler is a benevolent act. How could one possibly interfere here!"
Niu You Dao leaned forward slightly and, looking into her eyes, asked:
"Is that so?"
Gao Mulan: "It is so. Honestly!"
"Good!" Niu You Dao applauded approvingly:
"The Xiao Family, three generations of them, have served the Wandong Heavenly Palace faithfully and loyally. And the Wandong Heavenly Palace keeps its word!"
Gao Mulan smiled: "Of course, it's not even worth mentioning!"
Niu You Dao waved his hand:
"Bring the Four Treasures of the Scholar here!"
Gao Mulan was surprised: "What is that?"
Yuan Gang glanced sidelong at her expression, a slight smile twitching at the corners of his lips.
Black Peony brought the Four Treasures of the Scholar. Niu You Dao stood up, dropped water into the inkstone, and prepared everything.
He handed the brush to Gao Mulan.
Gao Mulan leaned back in her chair and asked cautiously:
"Brother Niu, what do you mean by this?"