Borrowing a sword

Chapter 182 "Niu Yuanshan, kill yourself!"

Inside, after hearing what the Prince Rui's son said, Niu Yuanshan took out a dagger from his storage token without saying a word.

Immediately afterwards, he began to kill himself without hesitation!
The whole process was very fast.

There wasn't a trace of struggle on the old ox's face.

Only absolute obedience and utmost decisiveness!
Just as the dagger was about to pierce through, Qin Xuanxiao suddenly intervened to stop it.

Although he blocked it, he was almost shaken back by the spiritual energy.

It is obvious that Niu Yuanshan used some of his spiritual power in his suicide, leaving himself no way out and aiming to kill him with one blow!
So much so that his cultivation at the third realm caused Qin Xuanxiao's right hand to tremble uncontrollably after he tried to stop him, forcing him to immediately tuck it into his sleeve.

"Fine, I've suddenly changed my mind," he said calmly, then glanced coldly at Niu Yuanshan without any joy or sorrow.

That's how important people are; to them, the fate of ordinary people seems to be determined by a single thought.

Qin Xuanxiao was indeed simply testing Niu Yuanshan.

He had once witnessed a warrior commit suicide on the spot at his father's command.

The appearance of Chu Huaixu, on the contrary, shook his understanding.

Being somewhat suspicious by nature, he also lost absolute trust in Mu Bingjiu.

Now, he has achieved the result he wanted.

Those in positions of power always like to put on airs and don't worry about others thinking they are testing them, which could lead to alienation.

Because with a single thought he can kill you, or with another he can give you life, it all depends on his own will.

When I say I've changed my mind, that's it.

Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the king.

Moreover, ordinary people may never understand what a subordinate is, or what a suicide squad is.

Qin Xuanxiao was deeply favored by the Emperor of the Moon Kingdom, who even groomed him as the next "Guardian of the Nation." At a young age, he entered the Imperial Mausoleum and obtained a wisp of the Emperor's divine consciousness.

He remembered clearly that His Majesty the Emperor, who was his uncle, patted him gently on the shoulder in front of many people and said something extremely affectionate:
"Though the world is vast, I will take and seize as I please."

Niu Yuanshan, who was kneeling on the ground, raised his head at this moment and looked at His Highness the Crown Prince.

He didn't know what the Crown Prince meant by changing his mind, so his eyes held a hint of inquiry.

Old Niu hadn't even considered how to handle the aftermath of his death as an outer sect steward in the young master's room.

Because he has a clear self-assessment, he understands that this is not something someone like him should be considering.

What death squad members demand is absolute obedience, not this kind of usurpation that considers their lord!
Because when you make these considerations, in the eyes of the Lord you are already considered disobedient.

Qin Xuanxiao sat down again and said, "After thinking about it, I still think that the higher-ups of the Daoist sect probably don't know Huo Dingyi's true identity."

"We don't know yet, at least not for the time being," he said, making his own judgment.

"If they find out someday, it won't be a bad thing for us. It will at least leave a thorn in their hearts."

"Now, Huo Dingyi is still of great use, and no one in the world can touch him!"

"Neither the organization nor the royal family will break ties with him."

After saying that, he glanced at Niu Yuanshan and said, "So, you have to live."

"You will continue to serve as a steward in the Taoist sect."

"Your existence can indirectly confirm Chu Huaixu's stance and attitude."

Niu Yuanshan understood what he was hearing.

His current purpose is to be disposed of.

It remains to be seen whether the Taoist sect or the [organization] will make the first move against him.

Chu Huaixu has clearly not revealed Niu Yuanshan's identity to the higher-ups of the Taoist sect, thus demonstrating his loyalty to the sect.

In Qin Xuanxiao's view, if Xiang Yan and the others already knew Huo Dingyi's identity, then Huo Dingyi would definitely sell Niu Yuanshan out.

This serves two purposes: firstly, to express a stance, and secondly, to address this potential hazard.

But Mu Bingjiu was unharmed at this moment.

Therefore, in the eyes of this prince, if Niu Yuanshan were to be dealt with by the Daoist sect one day, it would mean that Huo Dingyi's background had been exposed and that they had completely broken ties with them.

This is one of the reasons why he continues to live.

What if one day, the [Organization] and the royal family decide to break ties with Chu Huaixu?

In this situation, Niu Yuanshan can be of some use again.

Chu Huaixu's attitude is now in a delicate balance.

If you won't sell to me, then I won't sell to you either, and I'll let you continue to infiltrate the Taoist sect.

But such tacit understanding is actually incredibly fragile.

Niu Yuanshan was perfectly trapped in the middle.

Old Niu had realized that he was almost certainly doomed.

The only difference is which side ultimately wants me dead.

About half an incense stick's time later, Niu Yuanshan walked out of the elegant little courtyard.

He stood outside the courtyard and looked up at the sun in the sky.

Today the sky is clear and the sun is so bright that it's blinding.

But the old ox stared at it for a long time, until his eyes ached.

As a professional spy, he quickly adjusted his emotions, returned to normal, and showed no sign of abnormality on his face.

He glanced in the direction of the bamboo house where Chu Huaixu lived, but in the end, he still walked towards his own home.

Along the way, he encountered many Taoist disciples.

Upon seeing Niu Yuanshan, these outer disciples greeted him respectfully and bowed.

"Steward Niu!"

"Disciple greets Steward Niu."

Almost all the outer disciples showed him respect and affection.

If the outer sect held a poll to rank the deacons' favorability, Old Niu would definitely win. That's just how reputation is.

Just as whenever Chu Huaixu encountered a problem, and Han Shuangjiang was unable to go to the inner sect, her first reaction was often to go to Steward Niu.

Many outer disciples are actually the same.

Steward Niu is always so conscientious and patient in everything he does. His ability to handle internal affairs is first-rate, making him the most practical steward.

He was gentle and kind, and almost no one had ever seen him angry.

If anyone needs his help, he will generally do his best to assist, and he is never arrogant or pretentious.

He had no family, no spiritual partner, and no children.

But he treated every outer disciple as if they were a junior member of his family.

If the outer gate were a school, then he would be the kind of school leader who is very popular and respected by the students.

While no one dared to joke with the other deacons, Old Niu certainly did.

"Steward Niu, would you like an orange? You love oranges, don't you?" An outer disciple who had just returned from shopping said to Old Niu as he ate one.

As usual, Niu Yuanshan smiled and accepted it, saying, "Wang Lingtao, you remember all this? That's so thoughtful of you."

He could call out the name of each disciple directly.

He never accepts valuable gifts from others who try to use them to curry favor.

But in this situation, Lao Niu would never refuse.

Because it represents closeness.

If you give me fruit, I'll just take it. Next time you need something, you'll think of coming to me.

On his way back, he began peeling the orange, then took a segment and put it in his mouth.

The sweet and sour juice bursts and flows in your mouth.

The orange in his hand was clearly not a good one.

It's so sour, so sour!

Why is it so sour?

But after the initial sourness, it also has a hint of sweetness.

He would pause for a moment after eating one slice before eating the next.

He had just finished eating when he walked back to his courtyard.

Niu Yuanshan pushed open the courtyard gate and went straight back to his bedroom.

After sitting down on the futon, he took out the golden mask that symbolized his identity in the [Organization] from his storage token.

Then put it on your face.

They say that if you wear a mask for too long, you won't be able to take it off.

But in reality, there is another mask beneath this golden mask.

A mask that portrays the best steward of the Taoist sect.

After a while, Mu Bingjiu took off the golden mask.

The other mask, Niu Yuanshan couldn't take off.

"How long have I been with the Taoist sect?" He couldn't remember for a moment.

It's been a very, very long time, most of my life.

Niu Yuanshan experienced a lot and grew a lot here.

He has insights into spiritual practice, experience in handling interpersonal relationships, has felt the satisfaction of his own emotions, and has also experienced the thrill of romantic love.

For some reason, at this moment, the image of Mo Qingmei appeared before his eyes, and he remembered that day under the tree, when the usually quiet junior sister Mo had a reckless look on her face as she expressed her feelings to him.

Human nature is inherently selfish.

If Niu Yuanshan only liked her in a general way, then he would choose to become her Daoist partner.

Matters between men and women are always accompanied by a bit of reckless impulse and a moment of pleasure.

But he refused, without even showing any leniency.

This middle-aged man, jokingly referred to as a "willing ox," always does the most tedious work, seemingly never feeling it's hard.

Today, however, he felt inexplicably tired.

After a while, he stood up and opened the jar of Erlang wine that Chu Huaixu had given him for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Niu Yuanshan hadn't finished the drink yet; he originally planned to show it off at the next gathering of the stewards.

Look, the leader of Xuanhuang specially sent me this wine during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

He's just an ordinary person; it's hard not to show off when his nephews and nieces are successful.

At that moment, he took a big gulp.

"Ouch—! I drank too much, it's burning my throat!"

"Chu Huaixu, oh Chu Huaixu!" Niu Yuanshan gave a bitter laugh and continued drinking.

Strangely enough, he didn't express much emotion.

One cup after another, and soon the half-jar of Erlang wine was finished.

Niu Yuanshan was quite drunk.

He got up from the stool, his steps slightly unsteady.

This guy with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes almost tripped and fell.

He walked to the bedside and lay down directly on it.

Soon, he fell into a deep sleep, snoring loudly.

After a while, he turned over in bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and covered himself with it.

It felt as if I could sense the chill of early winter.

(End of this chapter)