Of course, Niu You Dao could have helped the brothers defeat their eldest brother. However, he didn't know them and had never even met them. Why should he risk himself for their sake? Moreover, he knew that if everything went well, Beizhou would fall into their hands.
Niu You Dao pondered and sighed:
"The mother and sons were in the palace and were killed by Shao Ping Bo. This means Shao Ping Bo had deep reach within the palace. He surpassed our imagination, and most likely, Shao Deng Yun's too. Otherwise, Shao Deng Yun would not have allowed him to kill his own sons."
Yuan Fang seemed to understand something, yet he questioned again with doubt:
"They say that after this, Tang Yi came to visit Shao Ping Bo but was refused. She doesn't even know what happened. Has something truly befallen Shao Ping Bo already?"
Niu You Dao waved his hand:
"If Tang Yi didn't see him, then one can conclude that he has been taken into custody. Shao Ping Bo definitely killed his stepmother and brothers. I am 80-90% certain of this. As for why Dachang Mountain hasn't killed him yet, they are most likely awaiting my reaction and the reaction of the Ice and Snow Palace. That's why they've taken him into custody for now! If anything goes wrong, they can immediately hand him over to us."
Yuan Fang: "Lord Dao, you orchestrated all this for Dachang Mountain to kill him, didn't you?"
"Damn, this fellow is cunning and ruthless!" Niu You Dao couldn't help but curse at that moment. Then he sighed and said with a chuckle:
"Truth be told, Dachang Mountain didn't want to kill Shao Ping Bo immediately. They probably didn't want to upset Shao Deng Yun so much. Initially, I didn't understand the relationship between the father and son. But now, it's clear as day. Dachang Mountain wanted to kill Shao Ping Bo, but Shao Ping Bo, at that very moment, immediately killed his stepmother and brothers. That's why Dachang Mountain didn't kill Shao Ping Bo. What does this mean? Why did it all lead to the death of his brothers and stepmother?"
He clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the sky, then sighed and said:
"This is what's most important. Is the death of Ruan Shi and her children unimportant to Dachang Mountain? No. Was Dachang Mountain afraid to kill Shao Ping Bo? They were already preparing to kill Shao Ping Bo, meaning they weren't afraid of him. But why, as soon as Ruan Shi and her children died, did Dachang Mountain not dare to kill Shao Ping Bo?"
Yuan Fang's eyes gleamed.
"After all, Shao Deng Yun isn't their dog!"
Niu You Dao nodded:
"If they kill Shao Ping Bo, how will Shao Deng Yun react to that? It turns out to be simple. Shao Ping Bo is his son! Why weren't they afraid to kill him before? Because Ruan Shi and the others were alive! As soon as they died, Shao Ping Bo secured his own safety."
Yuan Fang understood and uttered:
"Because Shao Deng Yun only has one son left!"
"Precisely! Shao Deng Yun! He now has only one son left. If Dachang Mountain kills him... then who knows how the solitary Shao Deng Yun will act. After all, Shao Deng Yun controls Beizhou; he brings benefits to Dachang Mountain. Without him, chaos will erupt in Beizhou. And two kingdoms are already eyeing Beizhou greedily. Beizhou cannot withstand internal turmoil." Niu You Dao smiled:
"That's why I say this bastard is ruthless. If he hadn't done that, I wouldn't be racking my brains now. To survive, this fellow has 80-90% transferred all control to himself and his father. Now Dachang Mountain won't throw a stone at the rat for fear of breaking the porcelain!"
Yuan Fang sighed:
"To kill his stepmother and his own brothers to survive himself... how heartless must one be!"
Only now did he understand why Lord Dao constantly thought about how to eliminate Shao Ping Bo. This fellow was truly incredibly ruthless and intelligent.
"Lord Dao, since this man has resorted to such methods to survive, he must definitely be eliminated!"
Niu You Dao rolled his eyes:
"And what do you think I'm doing? This man cannot be removed so easily. And I can't do anything yet. He must have realized that I wouldn't dare involve the Ice and Snow Palace. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken such a risk! This man is much smarter than I thought!"
Yuan Fang scratched his bald head and suddenly said:
"Lord Dao, I've thought of something."
Lord Dao looked at him and said with interest:
"Go on, speak. I'm listening carefully."
Yuan Fang said with a smile:
"We need to send people to spread a false rumor that Shao Ping Bo wanted to kill his father and seize power for himself. He only managed to kill his stepmother and brothers! That's why he was arrested! When the command staff and all the soldiers see that Shao Ping Bo is in custody, then... hehehe!"
Niu You Dao shook his head:
"It won't work. Last time, the children's songs didn't sow discord between father and son. On the contrary, the father gave even more power to his son. It must be noted that Shao Deng Yun is a gifted man himself. No wonder Ning Wang Shang Jian Bo valued him so highly. And as long as Shao Deng Yun protects his son, even if the officers come, they won't dare to say anything against Shao Deng Yun's son."
Yuan Fang furrowed his brows: "What a pity. Such a pity..."
Niu You Dao understood what the Monkey wanted. However, he didn't dare to involve the Ice and Snow Palace again. The Ice and Snow Palace had already caused quite a stir in Qingzhou. They say Hai Bing herself came here. That's why nothing is being said about Shao Ping Bo in Beizhou. Otherwise, Shao Ping Bo would have been doomed.
Moreover, Niu You Dao didn't dare to involve the Ice and Snow Palace again. After all, Shao Ping Bo wouldn't stay silent.
If the Ice and Snow Palace were involved again, would they patiently investigate who was telling the truth and who wasn't?
Was the Ice and Snow Palace a toy in the hands of Shao Ping Bo and Niu You Dao? They simply wouldn't bother to investigate; they would eliminate both immediately if they became enraged.
He patted Yuan Fang's shoulder and said:
"It's not that much of a pity. There's also a benefit to this. The Ice and Snow Palace clearly understood that someone was slandering me, yet they did nothing to me. This will be a warning to my enemies: think twice before acting against me. To all who wish for my death or are angry with me. At the very least, the imperial house of the Yan Kingdom won't meddle here for now."
"It seems Shao Ping Bo gave Lord Dao a gift!" Yuan Fang chuckled.
"However, your method has merit. While he can't be taken down yet, even a mosquito is still meat, and it can trouble a man. Why not let this trouble loose on him? There's no need to pay attention to Beizhou; he seems to have a large appetite and won't be limited to just Beizhou. You go to Shang Chao Zong. Have him send people to all kingdoms to spread false rumors."
"Understood!" Yuan Fang nodded, chuckling.
Niu You Dao pointed a finger at him:
"Contact Lu Sheng Zhong. Tell him that while Shao Ping Bo has lost his freedom and cannot use Dachang Mountain's people, he must seize the moment. Now is the time when Shao Ping Bo is at his weakest. Let him, ensuring his maximum safety, take the situation into his own hands. If he cannot kill him, then let him put pressure on Shao Ping Bo, so that Shao Ping Bo finds it difficult to advance further!"
"Understood!" Yuan Fang nodded.
As soon as Yuan Fang left, he immediately sent news to Beizhou, and only then did he rush to the Prince's palace.
After Yuan Fang left the Prince's palace, Shang Chao Zong and Lan Ruo Ting exchanged bewildered glances.
Lan Ruo Ting sighed and said:
"No wonder he surrounded himself with so many sects for protection. It seems he has serious problems with this Shao Ping Bo."
"Ah!" Shang Chao Zong sighed:
"Do as he says."
The two men already knew that a rift had opened up between Niu You Dao and Shao Ping Bo. And now, they had no choice but to follow Lord Dao's instructions...
Beizhou City.
Lu Sheng Zhong gazed at the city gates. He was returning to the city once more!
He had no way to directly contact Niu You Dao, so he could only meet his liaison here.
However, he had already disguised himself well. This time, he was dressed plainly and resembled a woodcutter. He gathered firewood and headed into the city, passing through the streets...
In Beizhou's underground prison, Shao San Sheng carried a wooden box with food and drinks, attracting many greedy glances. He reached Shao Ping Bo's cell.
Shao Ping Bo's cell was, of course, the best and cleanest. Inside, there was a bed, a table, a chair, and the Four Treasures of the Study.
Shao Ping Bo stood before the window, watching the sun's rays penetrate through it.
Shao San Sheng nodded to the jailer who constantly guarded Shao Ping Bo.
The responsible jailer approached and opened the door.
Shao San Sheng entered the cell and began setting out the food and drinks on the table.
"Eldest Young Master, everything outside has stabilized. Please eat."
Shao Ping Bo said mournfully:
"This Niu You Dao surpassed my expectations. If he is not eliminated, he will pose a mortal danger to me!"
Shao San Sheng: "Eldest Young Master, please eat first. Then you can think!"
Shao Ping Bo spoke as if to himself:
"How can I think here? Bad luck. He's currently keeping his head down, and I can't reach him. He dealt me a good blow this time. It proves that he's focused all his efforts on me. And I can't do anything to him yet."
Shao San Sheng sighed. He knew what his master was feeling. What a blow he had endured. His master almost lost his life and resorted to such an act. Killing his own brothers and stepmother. If anyone found out, how would they view his master now? And his master himself was now in prison. How could he not be worried?
However, he comforted him, saying:
"It doesn't mean that Master is weaker than him. It's just that you have different social standings. You have many duties every day, you are constrained by affairs. Few know how much you accomplish daily. But him? A well-fed cultivator. He constantly cultivates, and in his free time, he seeks problems for you. If one compares the two of you in this regard, you have it much harder."
Shao Ping Bo: "No matter what, I must admit that he is a capable man. I can no longer underestimate him, or I will suffer another blow. He is clearly targeting me. He must not be allowed to escape!"
Shao San Sheng: "Master, please eat first! If you don't eat because of him, you will truly lose."
Shao Ping Bo fell silent, then turned and sat at the table. He picked up his chopsticks and said seriously again:
"My imprisonment will have a bad impact on my subordinates. Dachang Mountain does not yet know whether Niu You Dao will use the Ice and Snow Palace. Therefore, Dachang Mountain's cultivators will not obey me. The Supreme Purity Sect's relationship with Niu You Dao is still unclear. This is a time of my weakness. Will Niu You Dao not seize this moment? I need reliable people. Quickly inform Su Zhao; have her bring people here as fast as possible!"