Severing Ties

The revelation of this secret truly stunned Niu Youdao!

Sect Master? Niu Youdao never dreamed that simply being taken in as a disciple by Dongguo Haoran in that dilapidated temple would make him the Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect.

This secret took Niu Youdao quite some time to digest, and he still found it hard to believe.

At this moment, many of his confusions were finally cleared up, and many doubts became apparent as if clouds had parted to reveal the sun.

He finally understood why Tang Susu had tried to kill him on sight without giving him a chance to explain.

He finally understood why he had been placed under house arrest in Peach Blossom Spring, forbidden from contacting anyone outside. It was to prevent him from knowing the situation of the Shangqing Sect and its rules. If he had known, and then stepped forward, the Shangqing Sect's rules would have been difficult to use to suppress him.

He finally understood why he had been summoned to Shangqing Palace one day and publicly asked if he wanted to be the Sect Master. It was a deliberate trap to force him not to accept the position.

He finally understood why they had suddenly forced him to go through the wedding ceremony with Tang Yi. Frankly, it was to give the Shangqing Sect a satisfactory explanation, to show that they hadn't mistreated him, Niu Youdao. It was also to make Tang Yi's succession to the Sect Master position more legitimate. If the Sect Master's wife was him, it would be a great talking point.

He finally understood why he, as a disciple of the Shangqing Sect, hadn't been given any cultivation resources. They were afraid that if he rose to power, some truths would come to light.

He finally understood why they had tried to kill him outside the Shangqing Sect. With so many people from the Shangqing Sect watching, and without him, Niu Youdao, having committed any offense, who would dare to kill him, the person who should have been the Sect Master, within the Shangqing Sect? Pushing the blame onto Shang Chaozong, it was perfectly normal for Shang Chaozong's situation to encounter unexpected trouble.

Niu Youdao also understood why Tang Susu insisted on killing him. As Song Yanqing had said, many in the Shangqing Sect knew that Tang Yi's position as Sect Master was not obtained legitimately. Who could guarantee that in the future, some people wouldn't step forward to bring this up? Therefore, after Tang Yi secured her position as Sect Master, he became a hidden danger. Even for the sake of maintaining unity within the Shangqing Sect, he had to be eliminated.

"Heh heh! Pathetic, laughable..." Niu Youdao shook his head and chuckled softly, his smile tinged with bitterness. The schemes and deceptions had led to such a result.

So, after all this, he was supposed to be the Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect. The bronze mirror Dongguo Haoran gave him didn't need to be handed over to Tang Mu or the Shangqing Sect; it was the same if he kept it. If the Shangqing Sect had been upright and allowed him to be the Sect Master, supporting him with all their cultivation resources, he felt he would have cultivated with peace of mind and considered the Shangqing Sect his home in this world. He would have repaid their kindness with all his might. How wonderful that would have been, and why did it have to turn out like this?

Yuan Gang remained silent. He had heard some of the situation from Daoist Master before, but he hadn't expected such a hidden reason behind it all.

Shang Shuqing looked at Niu Youdao from beneath her veil, her bright eyes filled with sympathy. When she first met him in Peach Blossom Spring, she thought he was living a leisurely and carefree life, but she never imagined he had been under long-term house arrest, not even allowed to step down the mountain.

Shang Chaozong also hadn't expected that the person before him was supposed to be the Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect, that his identity as Sect Master had been forcibly stripped away without his knowledge, and that they had even tried to take his life midway. The schemes and deceptions involved were indeed perilous!

Lan Ruoting sighed softly and said, "I'm somewhat familiar with the rules of the Shangqing Sect. There is indeed such a regulation to prevent excessive internal strife and power struggles. The Sect Master has always been designated by the previous Sect Master. To prevent other senior members, such as Elders, from seizing power, there are also rules to check them. Once promoted to Elder, they lose the opportunity to contend for the Sect Master position. Unfortunately, there is no absolute safety in the world, and loopholes were eventually exploited!"

In any case, the three of them had confirmed that this Niu Youdao was indeed a genuine disciple personally accepted by Mr. Dongguo.

"Junior Brother, it has nothing to do with me, truly nothing to do with me. I was just following orders. Junior Brother, save me..."

Song Yanqing, who was desperately shifting the blame, lay on the ground, barely clinging to life. Not only were his external injuries severe, but his internal injuries were equally grave. He had lost a lot of blood, his face was pale and devoid of color, and he moaned for help.

The others looked at Niu Youdao, waiting to see how he would handle the situation. Regardless of anything else, a feud with the Song Family had been forged today. Two thighs and one arm meant Song Yanqing was crippled. How could the Song Family let this go? They probably assumed Niu Youdao had no reason to make the Song Family back down!

Niu Youdao ignored Song Yanqing's pleas. He slowly turned around, leaning on his sword, his back to them.

Yuan Gang walked forward slowly and squatted down to help Song Yanqing. Song Yanqing felt as if he had been granted a great pardon and thought they were going to save him. However, before he could even utter his thanks, Yuan Gang suddenly pulled a dagger from his thigh. A cold glint flashed, and a bloody flower appeared on Song Yanqing's neck. With a surge of strength in both hands, with a snap, he directly twisted Song Yanqing's neck, turning his head completely around. His eyes were wide open, giving the impression of dying with regrets.

Shang Chaozong and the others were speechless. They actually dared to directly kill a member of the Song Family. Did they not realize how serious the consequences would be? Even taking him hostage would have been better!

The group realized that Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang had likely done this sort of thing before; their coordination was too perfect. Niu Youdao didn't even need to say a word or give any indication; Yuan Gang knew what to do.

Yuan Gang, with his clean and efficient movements, wiped the blood off the dagger on Song Yanqing's clothes and sheathed it back into the scabbard on his thigh.

Niu Youdao, still with his back turned, quietly instructed, "Interrogate the other two fellows."

Yuan Gang nodded silently, turned, and strode into the courtyard, calling for Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo.

"The tree desires tranquility, but the wind does not cease!" Niu Youdao sighed with a hint of melancholy, walked to the edge of the mountain, leaning on his sword, and gazed at the undulating mountain ranges, his eyes solemn.

The three behind him exchanged glances. They weren't sure if it was their imagination, but they felt that Niu Youdao's mature demeanor was completely out of sync with his age. Beneath his carefree exterior lay a ruthless side, not to mention his manipulation of his personal guards. None of the three were foolish. What had just happened was clear: they suspected the Shangqing Sect didn't know his true strength, otherwise, they wouldn't have sent Song Yanqing and the others to their deaths. The fact that the Shangqing Sect had kept him confined for years without knowing his capabilities was telling.

Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting also entered the courtyard shortly after. With dozens of their brothers dead, there were matters to attend to; they couldn't just leave them unattended.

As for Niu Youdao, the perpetrator responsible for the deaths of dozens of their brothers, after confirming that he was indeed Mr. Dongguo's disciple, regardless of whether they were frustrated, out of respect for Mr. Dongguo, they couldn't pursue the matter further. They had also witnessed his abilities. Even if they did pursue it, it would be difficult to deal with him. This matter could only be set aside for now.

The setting sun cast its glow, and the evening breeze gently stirred the veils. Shang Shuqing gracefully walked to the edge of the mountain and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Niu Youdao. She tentatively asked, "Does Master want to return to the Shangqing Sect to reclaim what belongs to him?"

Niu Youdao knew what she was referring to, which was nothing less than the position of Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect. He rested both hands on his sword, propping it in front of him, and chuckled faintly, "There's no need. It's all in the past, and I have no intention of returning to the Shangqing Sect."

Shang Shuqing looked surprised. "You're not going back? You're just giving up the position of Sect Master like that? Is it because of Tang Yi?"

Niu Youdao shrugged. "It has nothing to do with Tang Yi. It was all a coincidence. How could I, Niu Youdao, be worthy of holding the position of Sect Master? Moreover, it's obvious that some things couldn't have been done by Tang Susu alone. With the sect rules in place, how could Tang Susu have the final say? Clearly, she had the tacit approval of others! Since the entire Shangqing Sect didn't want me as Sect Master, and they didn't welcome me, why should I go back and face their displeasure, why should I go back to make things difficult for them and for myself?"

Whether it was her imagination or not, Shang Shuqing felt a hint of bitterness in his seemingly carefree words. "Master is magnanimous, but what about Tang Yi? She is, after all, the wife you went through the ceremony with!"

"Does it matter? No one wants to see each other again; it's all in the past!" Niu Youdao's lips curled into a self-mocking smile.

Shang Shuqing wanted to say something but stopped. She wanted to ask if he was planning to leave, but the words remained unspoken, the unspoken truth left unsaid.

Not long after, Yuan Gang returned. He glanced at Shang Shuqing and stood beside Niu Youdao without a word.

Shang Shuqing was perceptive and realized they had private matters to discuss, so she made an excuse and excused herself.

After Shang Shuqing left, Yuan Gang quietly said to Niu Youdao, "Daoist Master, those two have more backbone than Song Yanqing. Their mouths are tough, and they've revealed other miscellaneous information, but they refuse to say anything about the Shangqing Sect. It might take some time to pry their mouths open."

Niu Youdao casually waved his hand. "Forget it, let them go. Release them."

Yuan Gang reminded him, "Song Yanqing has a significant background. It would be better to silence these two." This was what he had been reluctant to say in front of Shang Shuqing earlier.

Niu Youdao understood his meaning. If he let the two go, they would definitely report that Song Yanqing had fallen at his hands, Niu Youdao, and that would provoke retaliation from the Song Family. He shook his head slightly. "So many people saw this. To silence them, we'd have to kill everyone here. Besides, the Shangqing Sect knows perfectly well why the three of them came here. Let's deal with the trouble from the Shangqing Sect first. I hope the Song Family is unaware of this matter and that Tang Susu can deceive them. Bring those two over; I have something for them to relay."

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Yuan Gang said nothing further. He returned to the courtyard and pushed out Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo, who were bound tightly.

Upon seeing Song Yanqing's corpse outside, the two felt a chill in their hearts, their expressions filled with fear and unease.

Niu Youdao turned around and spoke frankly, "Please help me relay a message back to the Shangqing Sect. The Shangqing Sect has done such extreme things, and I have nothing more to say. Out of respect for my master's kindness, I do not resent them. However, from this day forward, I sever all ties with the Shangqing Sect, and we shall have no further connection! They can rest assured, 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 trouble me or force me further. Otherwise, I will expose all of the Shangqing Sect's dirty laundry and let the world judge!" With that, he waved his hand. "Let them go!"

Here's a little push.