Severing Ties

This secret, once revealed, truly left Niu Youdao dumbfounded!

Sect Master? Niu Youdao had never dreamed that simply because Mr. Dongguo had taken him as a disciple in that ruined temple, he had somehow become the Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect?

It took Niu Youdao quite a while to slowly digest this secret, and even then, he found it difficult to believe.

At this moment, many of the things he had failed to understand were finally explained, and many doubts had at last become clear, like clouds parting to reveal the sun.

He finally understood why Tang Susu had tried to kill him the moment she saw him, without even giving him a chance to explain.

He finally understood why he had been placed under house arrest in the Peach Blossom Spring and forbidden from contacting anyone outside. It was because they did not want him to learn about the Shangqing Sect's circumstances or its rules. Otherwise, once he stepped forward, with the sect rules above them, it would be difficult to suppress him.

He finally understood why, one day, they had suddenly summoned him to Shangqing Palace and publicly asked whether he was willing to become the Sect Master. It had been a trap deliberately laid to force him to accept the position.

He finally understood why they had suddenly forced him to marry Tang Yi. Put plainly, it was to give everyone in the Shangqing Sect an explanation, showing that they had not mistreated Niu Youdao. It was also to make Tang Yi's succession to the position of Sect Master more legitimate. The Sect Master had even become his wife—what a perfect justification!

He finally understood why they had not given him, a disciple of the Shangqing Sect, a single scrap of cultivation resources. They had been afraid that, once he rose to prominence, certain things could no longer be kept under wraps.

He finally understood why they had tried to kill him outside the Shangqing Sect. With so many people in the sect watching, and with Niu Youdao having committed no wrong, who would dare kill the man who should have been their Sect Master within the Shangqing Sect? They had pushed him toward Shang Chaozong's side instead. If something unexpected happened to Shang Chaozong's position, that would be perfectly normal.

Niu Youdao also understood why Tang Susu had insisted on killing him. Just as Song Yanqing had said, many people in the Shangqing Sect knew that Tang Yi's position as Sect Master had not been obtained openly and honorably. Who could guarantee that nothing would happen in the future, causing some people to rise up and use this matter against them? Thus, after Tang Yi had secured her position as Sect Master, he had become a hidden danger. Even for the sake of preserving unity within the Shangqing Sect, he had to be eliminated.

"Heh heh! How tragic, how laughable..." Niu Youdao shook his head and sighed softly with a laugh. There was a hint of bitterness in his smile. After all the scheming and deceit, this was what it had come to.

So after all that fuss, he should have been the Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect. The Bronze Mirror Mr. Dongguo had given him did not need to be handed to Tang Mu, nor did it need to be handed to the Shangqing Sect—keeping it himself would have been just as well. If the Shangqing Sect had acted honorably, made him Sect Master, and fully supported him with cultivation resources, he felt he certainly would have cultivated in peace. He would have regarded the Shangqing Sect as his home in this world and done his utmost to repay it. How wonderful would that have been? Why had they needed to turn things into this mess?

Yuan Gang remained silent. He had heard Daoist Master mention some of the circumstances before, but he had never expected such a hidden truth to be buried behind them.

Beneath her veil, Shang Shuqing looked at Niu Youdao with eyes full of sympathy. When she had first met him in the Peach Blossom Spring, she had thought he lived a carefree life. She had never imagined that he had been confined there for so long that he had not even been allowed to take a single step down the mountain.

Shang Chaozong had never expected that the man before him should have been the Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect, that his identity as Sect Master had been forcibly stripped away without his knowledge, and that people had even tried to take his life along the way. The schemes and treachery involved were indeed perilous!

Lan Ruoting let out a soft sigh and said, "I know a little about the Shangqing Sect's rules. There is indeed such a provision. To prevent excessive internal conflict and struggles for power, every Sect Master is appointed by the previous Sect Master. To prevent other old-guard figures from seizing power, there are also sect rules to restrain them. Once someone is promoted to Elder, they lose the chance to meddle in the Sect Master's authority. Unfortunately, there is no absolutely safe method in this world. In the end, someone still found a loophole!"

In any case, the three of them had confirmed that this Niu Youdao truly was Mr. Dongguo's genuine, personally accepted disciple.

"Junior Brother, it has nothing to do with me, truly nothing to do with me! I was only carrying out orders. Junior Brother, save me..."

Song Yanqing had desperately tried to shove the blame away. He lay on the ground, lingering on the brink of death. His external injuries were severe, but his internal injuries were no less so. He had lost too much blood, leaving his face pale and utterly bloodless as he wailed for help.

Several people looked toward Niu Youdao to see how he would handle it. In any case, today's grudge with the Song Family had been forged. Two legs and one arm—Song Yanqing had effectively been crippled. How could the Song Family possibly let this go? Surely Niu Youdao had no way to produce a reason that would make the Song Family stop!

Niu Youdao ignored Song Yanqing's pleas. Leaning on his sword, he slowly turned around and faced away from him.

Yuan Gang walked over at an unhurried pace and crouched down to help Song Yanqing up. Song Yanqing felt as if he had been granted a new life, thinking Yuan Gang meant to save him. Yet before he could voice his thanks, Yuan Gang suddenly pulled the dagger from his thigh. A flash of cold steel cut a spray of blood across Song Yanqing's neck. Then, with both hands, he exerted force. With a crack, he twisted Song Yanqing's neck clean around. His head turned a full circle, its face now pointing backward. His eyes were wide open, giving him the look of someone who had died with grievances unfulfilled.

Shang Chaozong and the others were speechless. They had really dared to butcher a member of the Song Family outright. Did they truly not know how serious the consequences would be? Even keeping him as a hostage would have been better!

The group could tell that this was not the first time Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang had done something like this. Their cooperation was too seamless. Niu Youdao did not even need to make a sound or give any indication—Yuan Gang already knew what to do.

Yuan Gang, whose movements were clean and decisive, wiped the blood from the dagger on Song Yanqing's clothes before sliding it back into the sheath strapped to his thigh.

Still facing away, Niu Youdao quietly instructed, "Interrogate the other two."

Yuan Gang silently nodded once, then turned and strode into the temple to fetch Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo.

"Though the tree yearns for stillness, the wind will not cease!" Niu Youdao said with a trace of melancholy. Leaning on his sword, he walked to the edge of the mountain and gazed across the rolling peaks, his expression grave.

The three people behind him exchanged a glance. Perhaps it was only an illusion, but they all felt that the mature side of Niu Youdao was utterly at odds with his age. Beneath his carefree manner lurked a ruthless side as well, as shown by how he had used his guards. None of the three were fools. What had just happened made it obvious that even the Shangqing Sect probably did not know his true strength. Otherwise, they would not have sent Song Yanqing and the others to their deaths. The Shangqing Sect had kept him confined for years without discovering his depths—this alone spoke volumes.

Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting then entered the temple as well. Dozens of their brothers had died, and there were matters to deal with; they could not simply leave them unattended.

As for Niu Youdao, the culprit who had caused the deaths of dozens of their brothers, once they had confirmed that he truly was Mr. Dongguo's disciple, it was no longer appropriate to pursue the matter, whether they were seething with anger or not, out of consideration for Mr. Dongguo. They had also witnessed his abilities. Even if they pursued it, they would likely find it difficult to do anything to him. For now, they could only set the matter aside.

In the fading sunlight, the evening breeze gently stirred the veil. Shang Shuqing gracefully walked to the edge of the mountain and stood shoulder to shoulder with Niu Youdao. She ventured to ask, "Daoist Master, do you want to return to the Shangqing Sect and reclaim what belongs to you?"

Niu Youdao knew what she meant. It was nothing more than the position of Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect. He rested both hands on the hilt of the sword planted before him and smiled faintly. "There's no need. It's all in the past. I have no intention of returning to the Shangqing Sect."

Shang Shuqing asked in surprise, "You're not going back? You're giving up the position of Sect Master just like that? Is it because of Tang Yi?"

Niu Youdao shrugged. "It has nothing to do with Tang Yi. It was merely a matter of coincidence. What virtue or ability does Niu possess to sit in the position of Sect Master? Besides, the situation is plain to see. Certain things could not have been accomplished by Tang Susu alone. With the sect rules above her, how could Tang Susu cover the sky with one hand? Clearly, she also had the tacit approval of others! Since the entire Shangqing Sect does not want me to be Sect Master, since none of them welcome me, why should I run back to see the looks on their faces? Why should I run back to make things difficult for others and for myself?"

Perhaps it was only her imagination, but Shang Shuqing sensed a trace of bitterness beneath those carefree words. "Daoist Master, you are magnanimous, but what about Tang Yi? She is, after all, the wife you married in a wedding ceremony!"

"Does it matter? None of us wants to see the other again. It's already in the past." A hint of self-mockery curled at the corner of Niu Youdao's mouth.

Shang Shuqing hesitated. She had wanted to ask whether he was planning to leave, but in the end, she could not bring herself to say it. She did not pierce that thin layer of paper between them.

Before long, Yuan Gang returned. He glanced at Shang Shuqing, then stood silently beside Niu Youdao.

Shang Shuqing was perceptive enough to see that the two had something private to discuss, so she took the initiative to find an excuse to leave.

Only after Shang Shuqing had left did Yuan Gang say quietly to Niu Youdao, "Daoist Master, those two have more backbone than Song Yanqing. Their mouths are tight. They confessed to all sorts of other things, but they refused to say a word about the Shangqing Sect. It may take some time to pry their mouths open."

Niu Youdao waved his hand casually. "Forget it. Let them go. Send them back."

Yuan Gang reminded him, "Song Yanqing has a powerful background. It would be safer to silence these two." This was what he had been unwilling to say in front of Shang Shuqing just now.

Niu Youdao understood his meaning. If they sent those two back, they would certainly say that Song Yanqing had fallen at Niu Youdao's hands, bringing the Song Family's revenge down upon him. He shook his head slightly. "So many people saw it. To silence them, we would have to kill everyone here. Besides, everyone knows exactly what the three of them came to the Shangqing Sect to do. Let's deal with the Shangqing Sect's trouble first. Hopefully, the Song Family knows nothing about this, and Tang Susu can bluff her way past them. Bring the two of them here. I have something for them to take back."

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Yuan Gang said no more. He returned to the temple and shoved out Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo, who were bound from head to toe.

When the two saw Song Yanqing's corpse outside, their hearts turned cold, and fear and unease showed clearly on their faces.

Niu Youdao turned around and spoke bluntly. "Please help me deliver a message to the Shangqing Sect. The Shangqing Sect has acted so ruthlessly that I have nothing more to say. Out of consideration for my Master's kindness, I will not resent them. But from this day forth, I sever all ties with the Shangqing Sect. We have no further connection! Tell them to rest easy—I have no interest in the position of Sect Master and will not return to the Shangqing Sect. I hope the Shangqing Sect will not come looking for trouble, and will not force me any further. Otherwise, I will expose every rotten secret of the Shangqing Sect and let the people of the world judge for themselves!" With that, he waved his hand. "Let them go!"