Bet or not bet?

The matter at hand was none other than the hundred thousand Crow Generals.

After hearing the truth, Niu Youdao understood. The Imperial Court originally intended to uproot Prince Ning's influence entirely, and Shang Chaozong was certainly doomed. This Mr. Lan, in order to protect Shang Chaozong, had deliberately spread rumors. Seeing that the Yan Kingdom was facing internal and external troubles and was in a precarious state, he knew the opportune moment had arrived. He then added fuel to the fire, secretly pointing to Cangwu County as the hiding place of the hundred thousand Crow Generals. This was what allowed Shang Chaozong to see the light of day again and leave the prison.

He also understood why the others were unwilling to reveal the truth. If he were a spy sent by the Imperial Court, and they revealed the truth to him, allowing the Imperial Court to know that the hundred thousand Crow Generals were a rumor, the consequences would be unimaginable. Given that so many lives were at stake, it was understandable.

He couldn't help but glance at Shang Shuqing again. It was obvious that the other party had softened their stance at this woman's signal. He found this woman to be quite interesting. With a shift in his thoughts, Niu Youdao asked again, "Mr. Lan wouldn't have pointed to Cangwu County as the hiding place of the hundred thousand Crow Generals for no reason, would he?"

Lan Ruoting offered an explanation: "Cangwu County has treacherous terrain, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It would be convenient for the Prince to establish a foothold there after arriving."

Niu Youdao narrowed his eyes coldly. "Five hundred cavalry can fight adequately on flat ground, but treacherous terrain becomes a weakness for cavalry, rendering them unable to maneuver. Even if Cangwu County's terrain is treacherous, what of it? Can a mere five hundred men defending Cangwu County withstand the Imperial Court's army? Mr. Lan, are you trying to fool me because I am young?"

This remark made Lan Ruoting somewhat awkward. Shang Shuqing quickly spoke up to smooth things over, saying, "When Father King was alive, he still had some old subordinates in hiding, and they were settled in Cangwu County."

Niu Youdao asked, "How many people?"

Shang Shuqing sighed softly, "Although Father King commanded the Yan Kingdom's military forces during his lifetime, as the saying goes, 'when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.' Coupled with the current emperor's forceful purges, there are not many loyal and reliable individuals. Only over a thousand people are waiting for my brother in Cangwu County. Ordinary people wouldn't dare to easily recruit them."

Speaking of this matter, Niu Youdao found it somewhat strange. "I've heard of Prince Ning's reputation. A renowned general on the battlefield wouldn't be a mindless person. Even if he wanted to restore the prosperity of the Wu Dynasty and suppress all cultivators, there would be no need to announce it so openly, offending all cultivators in the world. What was the point?" He left one sentence unsaid: if it weren't for this, how could a dignified Grand Marshal, with a group of powerful cultivators protecting him, be so easily assassinated?

Bringing this up was another matter that caused embarrassment for the few of them. Prince Ning's stance infringed upon the interests of cultivators worldwide, and this Daoist Master was, after all, a cultivator.

Shang Chaozong, who had been silently observing Niu Youdao, slowly said, "This matter is likely not unrelated to the current Emperor."

Niu Youdao responded with an "Oh," and asked, "What do you mean?"

Lan Ruoting sighed, "Cultivators worldwide, various sects and factions, need to support secular representatives to channel benefits to them, which are the so-called cultivation resources. And those representatives are unwilling to remain puppets controlled by others. Thus, they try to win over various sects and factions to mutually restrain and suppress each other, preventing any one from becoming too powerful, lest they face mortal danger at any time. This has formed the current world order. In reality, no imperial court in any country is willing to be controlled by cultivators. Their thoughts are likely similar to Prince Ning's, but no one dares to show it. Prince Ning is not foolish; why would he openly incur the wrath of everyone? This matter, in the final analysis, is due to someone manipulating things behind the scenes. Back then, the late Emperor actually intended to pass the throne to Prince Ning, but suddenly his extreme views were exposed. Under the pressure of various cultivation forces, the late Emperor's stress was unimaginable to outsiders. Ultimately, the late Emperor suddenly passed away under unclear circumstances, followed by an imperial edict passing the throne to the current Emperor. There are too many suspicious details!"

With this explanation, Niu Youdao understood. This was, in essence, a struggle for imperial power.

He had no interest in this matter, merely wanting to understand the situation. Once he knew, he said no more, finding a map of the Yan Kingdom and spreading it on the table.

Shang Chaozong observed with a hint of cold detachment, curious to see what this Daoist Master would do.

Shang Shuqing's gaze, hidden beneath her veil, kept darting towards Niu Youdao, with a hint of anticipation. She remembered Yuan Gang saying before that for your predicament, that Daoist Master is more important than his cultivation. While she doubted this, she didn't completely disbelieve it. Earlier, she had underestimated his cultivation simply because he was young, but when he made his move, it was astonishing, showing a considerable depth of hidden skill. Therefore, she was quite expectant.

On the map, the Yan Kingdom's territory was smaller than other countries. To the east was the Song Kingdom, to the north was the Han Kingdom, to the west was the Zhao Kingdom, and to the south lay the vast ocean. Cangwu County belonged to the Southern Prefecture of the Yan Kingdom, Qingshan Commandery, and was located by the sea. To the east, it was close to Guangyi Commandery, and to the west, it was separated by one county, nearing the Zhao Kingdom.

The Southern Prefecture governed eleven commanderies. Qingshan Commandery and Guangyi Commandery both belonged to the Southern Prefecture. The Prefect of the Prefecture, Zhou Shou Xian, was a trusted minister of the current Emperor of the Yan Kingdom, guarding one side for the current Emperor. He was quite capable and had been suppressing the Prefect of Guangyi Commandery, Feng Lingbo...

After Lan Ruoting finished introducing the surrounding situation of Cangwu County, Niu Youdao pointed to Guangyi Commandery on the map and asked, "Feng Lingbo, with just a single commandery, dares to raise troops and assert his authority. The strength of the cultivation sect behind him must be considerable, right?"

Lan Ruoting stroked his beard and nodded. "Indeed. The sect supporting Feng Lingbo is Tianyu Sect, a renowned major sect in the Yan Kingdom. Feng Lingbo's wife, Peng Yulan, is the daughter of Peng Youzai, the current Sect Master of Tianyu Sect. Feng Lingbo's ability to gain prominence in Guangyi Commandery can be attributed to Peng Yulan, and his downfall will also be due to Peng Yulan."

"Oh! What do you mean by that?" Niu Youdao asked for clarification.

Lan Ruoting explained, "It is precisely because he married Peng Yulan and received strong support from Tianyu Sect that Feng Lingbo dared, and was able to achieve his current status. However, it is also because he married Peng Yulan that other cultivation sects dare not let Feng Lingbo grow too powerful, fearing that if Feng Lingbo gains power, Tianyu Sect will monopolize the benefits. Therefore, they suppress him."

"I see..." Niu Youdao pondered, stroking his chin, and stared at the map for a long time. He slowly said, "What are the Prince's plans after going to Cangwu County?"

Shang Chaozong said word for word, "Daoist Master, this is not a matter of trust or distrust. The questions you are asking are life-and-death matters. If even a whisper leaks out, countless people will lose their heads." The implication was that some things were inconvenient to tell him.

Niu Youdao smiled slightly. If the other party hadn't said anything, he would still have been suspicious. But now that he had, he felt a bit more confident. He pointed his finger at the location of Cangwu County on the map. "A tiny place, even with a thousand reserve troops, what of it? The matter of the hundred thousand Crow Generals can fool the Imperial Court for a while, but not forever. Once the Imperial Court decides to act, the strength you have on hand will be insufficient to resist. Moreover, since the Imperial Court dared to let the Prince come, they must have made preparations in Cangwu County. I presume you already have a backup plan. There are only a few possible escape routes. To the east, the Song Kingdom is too far away, and you have no chance to seek refuge there. To the west, the Zhao Kingdom offers some opportunities, but judging by your displeasure when I discarded the dry rations on the way, it's unlikely you would defect to them. Besides, the Zhao Kingdom might not give you another chance to rise again. So, thinking about it..."

He slid his finger downwards, pointing to the sea area south of Cangwu County, "The only way is to go out to sea! You have been operating in Cangwu County for many years, so you must have a way to escape without attracting attention. Upon reaching Cangwu County, you can assess the situation. If it turns unfavorable, immediately gather your forces and head south to the sea through secret channels! First, ensure your own safety, and then plan for a comeback. Am I correct in my guess?"

As soon as he said this, Shang Chaozong, Lan Ruoting, and Shang Shuqing all showed expressions of shock. Shang Chaozong was unaware of this while in prison, but Lan Ruoting and Shang Shuqing had been secretly planning for a long time to prepare a fallback plan outside the prison. Shang Chaozong only learned of it later. A secret known only to the three of them was unexpectedly revealed by Niu Youdao in a single sentence. If this were to leak out, it would truly cut off their last retreat.

Yuan Gang observed the reactions of the three, estimating that the Daoist Master had guessed correctly.

Niu Youdao's finger then pointed to Guangyi Commandery. "Your Highness, in my opinion, there's no need to rush to Cangwu County for now. It would be better to delay in Guangyi Commandery for a while longer."

Shang Chaozong's attitude instantly changed. He cupped his hands and asked for advice, "I wish to hear your thoughts!"

"If you go to Cangwu County now, there will essentially be no other path left. As the son of Prince Ning, no country would dare to easily shelter you. You would have no choice but to flee south to the sea. This departure is equivalent to abandoning your last foothold in the Yan Kingdom. If you flee, you might be branded a traitor, which would be detrimental to winning the hearts of the Yan Kingdom's people in the future. As long as the Yan Kingdom does not collapse, it is unlikely you will have another chance to return. And who knows if the current Emperor will send people to pursue and kill you at sea?" Niu Youdao pointed to Guangyi Commandery and said, "Feng Lingbo's assertion of authority is your opportunity. You can join forces with Feng Lingbo to resist the Imperial Court!"

Shang Chaozong gave a wry smile. "With the meager strength I possess, Feng Lingbo probably wouldn't even spare me a glance. How could he possibly ally with me? Besides, Tianyu Sect would likely not be pleased to see Feng Lingbo associating with me."

"Your Highness, that is where you are mistaken. Your hard power is somewhat lacking, but you do have some soft power. Relying on the banner of being Prince Ning's son, there is much that can be done." Niu Youdao offered comfort, then revealed a sly smile. "How about I make a bet with Your Highness?"

As soon as he said this, Shang Shuqing and Lan Ruoting exchanged glances. Shang Chaozong responded with an "Oh," and asked with interest, "What is the bet?"

Niu Youdao said with a smile, "I am willing to go to Guangyi Commandery for Your Highness and borrow some troops from Feng Lingbo. This can ensure Your Highness's stable establishment in Cangwu County. What does Your Highness think?"

"..." Shang Chaozong and the other two were completely stunned, as if to say, "Are you dreaming?" Let alone forming an alliance, it would be good if Feng Lingbo didn't drive them away, and they expected him to lend them troops? Wasn't this a colossal joke? Feng Lingbo would have to be a fool.

Among those present, only Yuan Gang remained unfazed.

Shang Shuqing spoke up, "Daoist Master, this matter cannot be joked about."

Niu Youdao waved his hand. "I am only asking if Your Highness will bet or not."

Shang Chaozong decisively replied, "Good! I will bet! What is the stake?"

Niu Youdao pointed at Yuan Gang. "If I cannot borrow troops and have Monkey obey Your Highness's command, then I will have failed. If I can borrow troops, then I fear Your Highness will have to endure a little hardship."

Please give me a little push!