After Niu You Dao's explanation, Yuan Gang remained silent.
He knew that Lord Dao was a multifaceted man. He could be both kind and cruel, good and bad. In this sense, he wasn't as principled as Yuan Gang, who clearly distinguished right from wrong. Lord Dao could deceive and speak the truth with equal ease.
Niu You Dao disliked being behind the ruler's palace, adjacent to the Heavenly Jade Sect. He loathed being constantly under someone's thumb, having crucial decisions made right under the Heavenly Jade Sect's nose.
Thus, under the pretext of searching for a suitable place to brew spirits, he sought a location outside and found a mountain valley, to which he relocated.
The mountain valley offered ample space. However, it required modifications and preparation, so he temporarily erected a hut there.
The surroundings here were picturesque: a mountain stream, vibrant flowers and plants, beautiful evening sunsets, and the melodious chirping of birds...
In terms of security, there were no issues either. The Liuxiang Sect, Flowing Clouds Sect, and Subtlety Mountain Sect were all present. High-level masters from these three sects guarded the mountain, while Shang Chao Zong's troops were stationed outside. Thus, it would be quite difficult for any enemy to reach this place.
Far from this spot, beneath a cliff, work was underway. Laborers were digging a channel and expanding a cave. All this was necessary for brewing alcohol. On quiet nights, the sounds of ongoing work occasionally echoed from there.
And on the mountain, a "Little Moon" butterfly fluttered before Niu You Dao. It followed the circulation of his Qi. The butterfly cocoon bought in Zhaixing City had finally hatched. Though the butterfly was still small and fragile, its illumination was quite decent.
Niu You Dao extended his hand, and the butterfly alighted on his fingertip. The butterfly's glow illuminated his face. A silhouette flickered within its two tiny eyes. Staring into them for too long gave one the sensation of being drawn into their abyss.
Standing nearby, Shu Qing felt that Lord Dao resembled this butterfly, glowing in the dark of night. Shu Qing herself didn't know why she had such a feeling. She, too, had moved here to live. She told her brother that she couldn't offer any help in military matters, and it would be better for her to oversee the situation here.
Lan Ruo Ting said nothing regarding this, while Shang Chao Zong deemed the idea sound and consented.
Seeing the butterfly resting on Niu You Dao's fingertip, Yuan Fang looked at the box in his hands. His own butterfly hadn't hatched yet, and he had no idea when it would.
They had acquired their butterflies at the same time, yet they hatched at different rates.
Not far away, on a large hill, Yuan Gang lay with his hands clasped behind his head, gazing at the starry night sky.
He often enjoyed doing this—lying down and staring up at the boundless starry sky. Where his thoughts drifted at such moments remained unknown.
Beneath a tree, leaning against it with legs crossed, sat Lu Sheng Zhong. He, too, quietly observed the starry sky, lost in thought.
Each was alone with their thoughts.
Deep in the night, everyone returned to their quarters. Two maidservants at the foot of the mountain escorted Shu Qing to her own lodging.
Niu You Dao returned to his hut and prepared to put away the butterfly. After all, it emitted a strong light at night, and during the day, these butterflies feared sunlight.
Storing the butterfly was, in principle, simple. A special metal box, designed like a drawer that could be slid into a cabinet, had been made for it. Niu You Dao did just that. He put away the butterfly; it folded its wings and fit into the box, after which he slid it into the cabinet. This drawer also had an opening for feeding the butterfly.
The Thousand Beasts Sect had specifically devised such a mechanism for the butterfly. A substance resembling a small pill is ground down and mixed with water, then a little is poured into the box, forming a drop from which the butterfly absorbs nutrients. One such drop suffices for the butterfly for several days.
The box itself was small; cultivators would fasten it to their belts and wear it like jade pendants. This, too, was a design specifically conceived by the Thousand Beasts Sect.
In short, the Thousand Beasts Sect had thought of everything. They provided for all needs, which was why they were one of the wealthiest sects in all the lands.
"Is something amiss?" Niu You Dao asked, having put away the butterfly, as he looked at Yuan Gang leaning against the door.
Yuan Gang slowly entered and said:
"Regarding the village with the small temple. There are some resourceful lads there. We could invite Da Ban and the others here. I want to give them a chance."
Niu You Dao pondered for a moment and said:
"That's simple, but is it the right thing to do?"
Yuan Gang: "Is this world truly that simple? It would be better to call them and give them a chance."
Niu You Dao: "You know best. Call them. The main thing is that neither they nor you regret it later."
Yuan Gang turned and left. He immediately went to Shu Qing so she could send people...
Several days later, a person arrived from the Wuliangshan Sect, none other than Lu Sheng Zhong's teacher, Chang Zhi Yi. He was one of the sect's five elders, and it was due to his position that Lu Sheng Zhong was able to stay close to Wang Heng.
Wuliangshan did not know what was happening here or if Lu Sheng Zhong was telling the truth.
"Your disciple, you deal with him," the Wuliangshan Sect had said. Thus, Chang Zhi Yi arrived with only a single bodyguard.
"Scoundrel!"
As soon as teacher and disciple met, Chang Zhi Yi immediately began to curse, while Lu Sheng Zhong fell to his knees and tearfully started to explain himself.
Niu You Dao observed all this from a distance and did not interfere.
Once both had calmed down, Lu Sheng Zhong led his teacher to meet Niu You Dao.
He brought him to the kitchen, where drinks and food were already prepared. Chang Zhi Yi couldn't resist the temptation and ate heartily. He also learned about the situation here, and Niu You Dao confirmed Lu Sheng Zhong's words.
In turn, they learned about the Wuliangshan Sect's predicament.
It turned out that the Wuliangshan Sect had been enduring severe hardship all this time. After the events in Cang Wu County, Wang Heng had constantly sought out the Wuliangshan Sect to settle scores. However, they had gone into hiding and had not shown themselves since.
However, they had also heard about Shang Chao Zong's rise and learned of it even before Lu Sheng Zhong did. Shang Chao Zong could take them in, as he also had fallback options. Then Wang Heng would no longer pose a threat to them. Naturally, they desired to come here.
However, they still didn't know the full situation precisely. Chang Zhi Yi alone couldn't answer for the future of the entire sect.
Nevertheless, the Wuliangshan Sect had little choice. Moreover, there was indeed logic in Niu You Dao's words. He directly pointed out a direction for the Wuliangshan Sect.
After this conversation, several days later, more people from the Wuliangshan Sect arrived. And when they had definitively determined that there should be no error, they officially agreed to come here.
Verbal agreement alone did not satisfy Niu You Dao. If he didn't have the sect's high command in his hands, how could he presume to manage them? And Shang Chao Zong was not yet powerful enough to strike down traitors just anywhere.
The Liuxiang Sect and other sects were already here. Therefore, Niu You Dao had no need to fear the Wuliangshan Sect's high command.
When the brewing cave was expanded, laborers began installing equipment to distill alcohol. At this time, the head of the Wuliangshan Sect, Gong Sun Bu, also arrived, bringing with him hundreds of sect disciples. This signified that their sect had definitively accepted Niu You Dao's proposition.
In Qingshan, a complete calm settled. Niu You Dao received guests, including Gong Sun Bu, at a stone table with stone stools. They exchanged greetings. Then, without uttering any superfluous words, Niu You Dao immediately produced a stack of money and placed it before them.
"500,000?"
Gong Sun Bu and the other elders were simply astonished by such a sum. It was truly generous!
One cultivator approached, took the money, counted it, and then nodded to Gong Sun Bu.
Gong Sun Bu asked: "Is this money for the sect or for the task?"
Niu You Dao: "For the sect and for the task, you decide. Each year, you will be given 500,000. If you perform well, you will receive additional rewards. If you fail to carry out your assignments properly, punishment will follow. Later, you will be given a charter so that you understand everything clearly. For now, you need to establish spies in every kingdom to fully understand the kingdom's situation. You must choose utterly trustworthy individuals. Observe them carefully and select them. And do it quickly. In three months, I will review your results. For details, consult Yuan Gang."
Upon seeing so much money, the Wuliangshan Sect immediately settled down. They promptly selected a spot to construct their palace and swiftly set up camp. It wasn't long before a group of Wuliangshan Sect disciples departed from the area.
After a secret conversation with Niu You Dao, Lu Sheng Zhong also covertly left the place and headed to Beizhou to meet Wu San Liang.
Everything was secretly being prepared, while Yuan Gang observed it all from the sidelines. He was preparing for the impending overture, which was soon to begin.
Since their encounter at the village, Yuan Gang had witnessed how Lord Dao virtually orchestrated grand schemes with his bare hands. Now, he had drawn leadership groups to himself and commanded them. If Yuan Gang had been in his place, he certainly wouldn't have been able to achieve this.
As for Niu You Dao, he was temporarily focusing more on liquor production. Later, he transferred this task to Yuan Fang and the monks. He had only trained them, as he simply didn't have enough hands to handle everything himself.
After all, liquor would be their primary financial source. He hadn't chosen the monks by chance, for they were trustworthy and devout individuals. This meant they could keep secrets. Moreover, Yuan Fang was quite the miser. He would only tolerate the recipe for alcohol production being known in his worst nightmares.
Only the monks were permitted to know the method for brewing alcohol.
That cave had three exits, and each exit was controlled by the Liuxiang Sect, Flowing Clouds Sect, and Subtlety Mountain Sect. Two disciples stood guard at each entrance, not moving a single step away.
The three sects took this very seriously, for, as Niu You Dao had stated, the Heavenly Jade Sect alone would have the right to sell the liquor. And if anyone else dared to sell the drink apart from the Heavenly Jade Sect, then the Heavenly Jade Sect would crush these three sects.
The three sects diligently guarded the entrances. They even regarded the monks with caution, ensuring that the monks themselves did not divulge the secret.
No one apart from the monks was permitted to enter the cave. For if anything were to happen, the three sects would be held accountable to the Heavenly Jade Sect.
Furthermore, Shang Chao Zong had sent his own men to guard each entrance. In this way, everyone watched over the entrances and each other.
At the entrance to the cave, just as he had in the kitchen, Yuan Fang had engraved *Southern Mountain Monastery*.