Tu Han limped over, reached out to pat the bundles on the horse's back, and said in a low voice, "Don't eat the rations the sect gave you. They might not be clean! Also, remember this: once you leave here, find a chance to leave the County Princess's party immediately and make your own way somewhere else. Don't come back. The farther away, the better. Until you have the ability to protect yourself, it would be best if you made sure the people from the Shangqing Sect could never find you. And remember this above all: don't mention your relationship as husband and wife with the Sect Master to anyone, or you'll bring disaster upon yourself. Understand? You're a smart man. I'm sure I don't need to say more."
Niu Youdao understood the deeper meaning behind his words and said with a smile, "I can't even truss a chicken. You're telling me to leave on my own—where could I possibly go?"
Tu Han flew into a rage and grabbed him by the collar. His already savage face grew even more ferocious, and even his bushy beard seemed to tremble hair by hair. "Bah! Cut the act. You took advantage of me being drunk and coaxed plenty of information out of me, including asking about doubts in your cultivation. You can't even truss a chicken? You think I don't know you've been cultivating in secret all this time? I don't care where you really came from. Since Martial Uncle Dongguo was willing to accept you as his disciple, I don't want to know anything else."
"So you were pretending to be drunk all along!" Niu Youdao said with a laugh.
"If you don't want to die, do as I say." Tu Han snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Niu Youdao called after him, "What should I do to protect myself if the people from the Shangqing Sect keep watching me?"
Tu Han stopped, then turned back and glanced around before lowering his voice. "If that really happens, find a way to go to Demon Ridge and look for someone named Zhao Xiongge. He's your master's Junior Brother, regarded as a disgrace by the Shangqing Sect. He was expelled from the Shangqing Sect in his early years, but his strength is extraordinary. Once you find him, the Protective Talisman on you will naturally prove your identity. He'll shelter you. With him at your side, the Shangqing Sect won't dare touch you."
"Demon Ridge... Zhao Xiongge..." Niu Youdao repeated the names several times to memorize them, then asked curiously, "I'm not surprised that the Shangqing Sect wants to harm me. But what do you mean by telling me to leave the County Princess's party? Could it be that the County Princess invited me out of seclusion just to harm me?"
Tu Han gave a cold laugh. "Do you really think that because the County Princess has a noble status, following her will let you enjoy glory and riches?"
Niu Youdao had long been suspicious of this, but he merely spread his hands and said, "Isn't that the case? Prince Ning, Shang Jianbo, is the current Grand Marshal and one of the Three Excellencies. He's one of the foremost powers in the Yan Kingdom. If I follow them, could I possibly lack glory and riches?"
Tu Han snorted. "Keep dreaming. Prince Ning died five years ago, around the same time Martial Uncle Dongguo and the previous Sect Master met with disaster. The sect suspects that the deaths of the three may be connected, but it doesn't dare make that known publicly. Besides this daughter, Prince Ning had a son named Shang Chaozong, as you should already know. What you don't know is that while Shang Jianbo was alive, his views were rather extreme and infringed upon the interests of cultivators throughout the land. They say he even incurred the Emperor's displeasure. Although Shang Chaozong inherited the title of prince, it seems he got into some trouble, and the Emperor took the opportunity to strip him of his official post and drive him out of the Capital City. He's being sent to Canglu County because he was driven back to his fief. Let me put it this way: because of Shang Jianbo, his son Shang Chaozong was affected as well. I'm afraid there are people who don't want to let him live."
"Oh!" Niu Youdao understood. "You mean that following him will drag me into his troubles?"
"Now you understand."
"The Shangqing Sect wants me to go die?"
"Do you think I'd bad-mouth my own sect?" Tu Han sneered contemptuously and turned to leave.
"That's it? Don't go! There are so many things I don't understand. Let's talk a little longer."
"Take care of yourself."
Niu Youdao sighed, then said with a smile, "I know you're showing consideration for my master's sake. In any case, Old Tu, thank you for turning a blind eye and taking care of me all these years."
Tu Han instinctively touched his single eye, spat to the side, and said, "Bah. I'm leaving!"
He flashed into the woods, kicked off a tree trunk, and vanished without a trace after a few leaps.
After savoring his words for a moment, Niu Youdao turned to look back along the road, swung onto his horse, and galloped away like a wisp of smoke.
After leaving the forest, he met up with Shang Shuqing and the others waiting outside, and together they galloped into the distance...
Waterfalls plunged down in flying torrents, hanging across the land ahead. The raging current gathered into a river, changing course toward the deep mountains where it ran swift, while in calmer stretches it flowed slowly toward the plains.
On the distant official road, the thunder of hundreds of hooves rolled closer as the riders galloped in. When they reached the shallow riverbank, they all stopped and waited by the roadside.
At the head of the group, craning his neck in anticipation, stood Shang Chaozong beside Lan Ruoting.
After the treatment and recuperation along the way, Shang Chaozong had been through a hard journey, but his complexion had improved considerably. At least his clothes were now presentable rather than tattered. He looked resolute and handsome, full of vigor and bearing the spirit of a true man.
Behind them were nearly five hundred mounted warriors in tight-fitting clothes, each carrying weapons such as swords, bows, and crossbows. More than a hundred fine horses were mixed among them; some were left empty for changing mounts, while others carried supplies.
Once the group stopped, the five hundred riders, radiating a murderous air, quickly spread out to guard the surroundings. Several riders galloped to higher ground to keep watch, their movements practiced and perfectly coordinated.
They had waited nearly half an hour, yet there was still no sign of anyone. Shang Chaozong could not help worrying. "We agreed to meet at dawn. Qing'er couldn't have run into trouble, could she?"
Lan Ruoting said, "That shouldn't happen. No matter what else can be said about the Shangqing Sect, it at least bears the name of an upright and renowned sect. It wouldn't openly harm the County Princess."
Shang Chaozong gazed toward the Shangqing Sect and sighed. "With Mr. Dongguo's passing, I'm afraid the Shangqing Sect will drift farther and farther from the Imperial House."
Lan Ruoting stroked his beard and remained silent for a while. He could hardly say that it was the Imperial House that had first failed the Shangqing Sect. Of course, the Imperial House could not be blamed entirely either; it had been forced into this by the pressure of the cultivation world's forces. After pondering, he said, "To a certain extent, the Shangqing Sect was indeed dragged down by the late King and consequently suppressed by the various sects of the cultivation world, which hastened its decline and reduced it to its current state. Even when the late King was alive and held supreme command over the armies, he struggled to contend with the forces of the cultivation world and protect them. Now that he has passed away, the Shangqing Sect has even lost its final powerful shield. Its circumstances are already extremely difficult. It's understandable that they refuse to send anyone to assist Your Highness, so we can't really blame them."
Shang Chaozong nodded. "I'm not so narrow-minded that I'd resent someone for refusing to help me. If I were, wouldn't that make me a petty villain?" As if he had suddenly thought of something, he turned to look at him. "Sir, there's something I don't understand. You knew the Shangqing Sect wouldn't send a mage to serve as my retainer, so why did you still agree to let Qing'er make this trip?"
Lan Ruoting smiled. "Does Your Highness truly think the little County Princess went there to ask for a retainer?"
Shang Chaozong was astonished. "Wasn't that the reason?"
Lan Ruoting sighed softly, rubbing his chin and shaking his head. "There's something Your Highness doesn't know. In the early years, when the County Princess had just been born, she had no birthmark on her face, but she cried incessantly. Even the finest physicians were helpless. As it happened, Mr. Dongguo came to visit, so the late King asked him to examine the County Princess and see whether she had some hidden illness. After examining her, Mr. Dongguo said she had no hidden illness—she had simply been born with a bitter fate, and that was why she cried."
Shang Chaozong's face was filled with confusion. "Born into the Prince's Palace, a precious daughter of noble blood, clothed in silk and fed on delicacies, with sensible parents—how could she possibly have a bitter fate?"
Lan Ruoting shook his head. "I didn't understand it either at the time. But Mr. Dongguo had studied the profound arts of destiny and fate. He said that judging from the County Princess's Root Bone, she was born a calamity of beauty. Once grown, she would inevitably be peerlessly beautiful. In this chaotic age, how could using her beauty to entertain men not be bitter? The late King immediately begged him to break that fate. Mr. Dongguo said that because the County Princess had been born into the Prince's Palace, even if her life was bitter, it would inevitably be sweet first and bitter afterward. To break it, her fate had to be changed. The late King asked how it could be changed. Mr. Dongguo said that sweet first and bitter afterward could be changed into bitter first and sweet afterward. The late King asked him to carry it out, so Mr. Dongguo cast a spell and planted an ugly birthmark on the County Princess's face. Strangely, the moment the birthmark was planted, the County Princess stopped crying and actually began giggling. The late King was overjoyed and naturally came to believe Mr. Dongguo's words completely. It was merely the County Princess who suffered all these years. Mr. Dongguo had said beforehand that when the opportunity was right, she could come to the Shangqing Sect to find him, and he would restore her true appearance. Yet I'm afraid even Mr. Dongguo himself never calculated that he would pass away before that time came."
Hearing this, Shang Chaozong suddenly understood and said with a smile, "I see. You mean Qing'er intends to bring a sword and make the people of the Shangqing Sect restore her true face."
Lan Ruoting nodded. "The spellcraft came from the same school. Since Mr. Dongguo knew how to do it, the Shangqing Sect should know as well. If the Shangqing Sect is unwilling to send a cultivator to assist, it shouldn't refuse to remove the ugly mark from the County Princess's face. They could take the sword as repayment of the favor, while the County Princess would have her wish fulfilled."
"Shh..." A guard's whistle came from the high slope ahead. Everyone looked over, and the guard signaled toward the Shangqing Sect.
Soon, the faint sound of horse hooves reached them. Shang Chaozong looked out and secretly let out a sigh of relief. They were back.
Six riders came galloping over. The one in the lead wore the familiar Gauze Hat and robes, but the appearance of an additional rider made Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting exchange puzzled looks. Could their guess have been wrong? Had the Shangqing Sect truly sent someone to serve as a retainer?
The six riders sent up splashes of water as they crossed the shallow riverbank and came to a stop after reaching the slope, meeting the group there.
Shang Shuqing reined in her fine horse and said in a clear voice, "Brother, Mr. Lan, I've fulfilled my mission. The mage is here."
Shang Chaozong wore a doubtful expression, while Lan Ruoting's brows furrowed slightly. Both of them scrutinized Niu Youdao, feeling that he was far too young. What kind of magical cultivation could he possibly possess? Having this young man serve as their mage and retainer was practically a joke. They still didn't know who would be protecting whom.
Their first instinct was that the Shangqing Sect was merely being perfunctory, casually sending someone over to make up the numbers and brush them off.
Niu Youdao was silently observing them as well, an innocuous smile perpetually hanging on his face.
"This is my Third Brother, Shang Chaozong. This is my family's teacher, Lan Ruoting." Shang Shuqing introduced the two men to Niu Youdao first.
Niu Youdao cupped his hands and smiled. "Greetings, Your Highness. Greetings, Mr. Lan."
Shang Shuqing then introduced Niu Youdao to the two men in turn. "This is Mr. Dongguo's last disciple, Niu Youdao!"
Before you continue