He Said We Are Trash

Although he choked and his breath was cut off, he quickly circulated his internal energy to suppress it. However, he seemed to cough even more violently, giving the impression that his lungs were about to be expelled.

Niu Youdao coughed and pointed to himself, waving his hands at the group, indicating he was no longer able to continue and could not accompany them. He then left the gathering, still coughing.

He just ran off like that? The group exchanged speechless glances.

Shang Shuqing remained silent. After Yuan Gang mentioned it, she had intended to ask Niu Youdao to play and sing that song. However, he hadn't even given her a chance to speak.

Watching Niu Youdao's departing back, Yuan Gang's mouth twitched. Others might not know, but he understood what Daoist Master was like. He had used coughing as an excuse to escape. Yuan Gang had wanted to trick Daoist Master again, but Daoist Master was Daoist Master. He didn't even need an explanation and just went along with the flow, rolling away!

Failing to trick him, Yuan Gang felt like a petty villain and was also speechless. Without saying anything, and without bidding farewell to the others, he turned and strode away like a stranger, carrying his sword.

Shang Chaozong and the other two reacted shortly after, realizing Niu Youdao had used the opportunity to escape!

Looking at the wine and food on the table, which had been sprayed by Niu Youdao and could no longer be eaten, Lan Ruoting shook his head and said, "The lyrics are indeed good lyrics. Who spoke them is the real question!"

Shang Chaozong snorted, "Do I even need to say whose words are more credible?"

Shang Shuqing gracefully walked to the railing, gazing at the rolling great river under the moonlight. She slowly chanted, "Rolling Yangtze River flows east, waves wash away heroes. Right and wrong, success and failure, all turn to emptiness, green mountains still remain, how many sunsets have been red... What fine lines, green mountains still remain, how many sunsets have been red... Sober, I sit before the flowers, drunk, I sleep beneath the flowers! One is bold and weathered, the other is poetic and pastoral, but both convey a detachment from worldly fame and fortune. It's possible they came from the same person! However, he still refuses to open his heart and deliberately keeps his distance from us. Brother, I fear we cannot keep this person, and he will likely part ways with us sooner or later!"

Shang Chaozong's face showed displeasure. "It's dangerous to follow us. Seeking self-preservation is understandable!"

Lan Ruoting sighed, "Regardless, at least his intention to leave proves one thing: he wasn't sent by an external force with malicious intent!"

Inside the tent, Niu Youdao sat cross-legged on a felt mat in meditation.

The tent flap was lifted, and Yuan Gang entered, asking indifferently, "Was the late-night snack delicious?"

"What could be delicious? Besides steaming, boiling, and roasting, it's still steaming, boiling, and roasting. The cooking methods here are too limited. Once we settle down, this issue needs to be resolved!" As he spoke, Niu Youdao opened his eyes and glanced sideways, saying irritably, "Monkey, you're something else, turning your elbow outwards!"

You have the nerve to say that? Yuan Gang gave him a look of disdain, too lazy to bother with unreliable matters. He placed his precious sword, along with its scabbard, in front of him and sat down on the felt mat spread on the opposite side. "Daoist Master, we're not far from Nanshan Temple. Are you sure someone will make a move against you at Nanshan Temple?"

Niu Youdao immediately put the previous incident out of his mind. Between the two of them, that little matter from earlier was nothing. After a moment's thought, he said, "If Tu Han hadn't warned me, I might not have thought of it. Since Tu Han warned me, and with that fake letter, it's highly likely. If someone is to make a move against me at Nanshan Temple, there are only two possibilities: either people from the Shangqing Sect are hiding at Nanshan Temple to attack me, or someone else intends to attack me at Nanshan Temple."

Yuan Gang asked directly, "What do you plan to do?"

Niu Youdao replied, "Firstly, I'm not tired of living, and I don't want to die yet. The ideal solution would be to make the Shangqing Sect believe they've dealt with me. That way, the Shangqing Sect would no longer have a reason to keep an eye on me, allowing us to leave calmly and buy time to improve our own strength. Then, even if the Shangqing Sect discovers I'm still alive, we'll have the strength to not fear them. This is the most stable approach. Otherwise, if we get entangled with the experts of the Shangqing Sect, it could be very dangerous, and we'd be at a significant disadvantage being unfamiliar with the area. This is also why I've been hesitant to leave this group. Shang Chaozong, however incompetent, is still a Prince. Without a high-ranking official's order, the Shangqing Sect wouldn't dare to openly attack Shang Chaozong's entourage!"

Their years of cooperation were very tacit. At this point, Yuan Gang roughly understood what Niu Youdao intended to do and asked, "Substitute the plum for the peach?"

Niu Youdao nodded. "In this way, the two possibilities at Nanshan Temple mean two outcomes. If people from the Shangqing Sect make a move against me, they'll likely recognize me, and substituting the plum for the peach will be useless. They'll still chase after me. If it's not people from the Shangqing Sect, then we can successfully cross the sea under camouflage!"

Yuan Gang asked, "Specific plan?"

Niu Youdao explained, "We must find someone from these five hundred people, someone whose general appearance is similar to mine. You find a way to disguise him and send him to Nanshan Temple. If it's not people from the Shangqing Sect, they'll definitely attack the imposter carrying the letter with lethal force. Once the person is dead, the killer will think they've succeeded, and Shang Chaozong's entourage will definitely go to find their own people. We can then take the opportunity to quickly disengage. If it is people from the Shangqing Sect, they won't act rashly to avoid alarming them. If you see the person emerge safely, immediately send a distress signal to draw Shang Chaozong's entourage for reinforcement. This will serve to tie up the killers with Shang Chaozong's people, and it will also attract the killers' attention, at least preventing them from knowing our whereabouts immediately, allowing us to escape. In short, regardless of the outcome, we don't need to risk ourselves with these siblings. We leave immediately after starting the fire!"

Yuan Gang nodded. "Understood. I'll handle this. You keep Shang Chaozong and the others stable!"

Niu Youdao sighed and complained, "Didn't I just try to keep them stable? Why are you causing trouble?"

Yuan Gang turned his head, lay down on the felt mat, closed his eyes, and pretended to hear nothing...

The next morning, Yuan Gang brought water and prepared all the water Niu Youdao needed for his morning routine.

While washing up outside the tent, Niu Youdao, looking around, saw people bustling about and turned back to ask, "What's going on?"

Yuan Gang replied, "I overheard a bit. They're going into the mountains to chop wood and build rafts to cross the river."

"Oh!" Niu Youdao looked around.

After washing up, Niu Youdao wandered around. Seeing Shang Chaozong and others pointing at the river on the slope by the riverbank, Niu Youdao proactively went over, "Your Highness, with such a big commotion, are you building rafts to cross the river?"

The few people turned around and greeted him as well. Lan Ruoting smiled and said, "Yes! If it were just people crossing the river, it would be easier. With so many horses, if we don't build a hundred rafts, it won't be convenient."

Niu Youdao looked up and down the river, curiously asking, "Are there no bridges upstream or downstream?"

Lan Ruoting explained, "Master of Dharma, you may not know, but the Prefect of Guangyi Commandery, Feng Lingbo, has amassed troops and is self-important. To prevent the imperial army, he strictly controls all vessels coming and going on the river. As for the bridges over the river, they have either been burned or destroyed. Taking a detour would be too far, so we can only build rafts to cross the river."

"Amassed troops and is self-important?" Niu Youdao walked into the group, gazing at the hazy scenery on the opposite bank. "A mere prefect dares to confront the imperial army. Is this Feng Lingbo very powerful?"

The Shang siblings exchanged glances. They wondered if Niu Youdao was asking a rhetorical question, as he didn't even know this.

Lan Ruoting smiled and stroked his beard, saying, "A single commandery's strength cannot naturally contend with the entire imperial court. However, the current imperial court is facing an invasion by enemy forces, and it is not appropriate to cause internal strife. Moreover, Feng Lingbo does indeed possess some strength. Not only does he have the backing of cultivation sects, but he also commands an army of one hundred thousand elite soldiers. His eldest son, Feng Ruoyi, and his second son, Feng Rujie, are both valiant generals. Even his daughter, Feng Ruonan, is a female general who is no less capable than men. Feng Lingbo has two sons and one daughter serving as generals, and they have repeatedly defeated the imperial armies sent to quell them, forcing the imperial court to appease him for the time being and not push him to outright rebellion. Furthermore, Guangyi Commandery is located in a fertile region with a mild climate and abundant grain, naturally having a large population. This provides Feng Lingbo with ample inherent conditions for independence, thus daring to defy the imperial court amidst internal and external troubles!"

Even a prefect in a lower commandery dares to amass troops and be self-important. It seems the Great Yan Kingdom has significant troubles! Niu Youdao showed a thoughtful expression and muttered, "Feng Ruonan..."

He remembered something. When he first drifted down the river from Xiaomiao Village, he had encountered a female general who had told him to seek refuge in Guangyi Commandery. He recalled that the token she had shot at him was engraved with a phoenix and the character 'Nan'.

Hearing his muttering, Lan Ruoting tentatively asked, "Master of Dharma, do you know Feng Lingbo's daughter, Feng Ruonan?"

"Heh heh!" Niu Youdao chuckled and shook his head.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out at the temporary encampment behind them. Shang Chaozong turned back sharply and shouted, "What's going on?"

Niu Youdao, who had glanced back, saw Yuan Gang surrounded by a group of people and his brow twitched slightly.

The group quickly walked over. Centurion Guan Tie stepped forward to clear the way, and the surrounding crowd parted. Seeing that Yuan Gang was clearly in a confrontation with his own guards, Shang Chaozong shouted again, "What's going on?"

Yuan Gang stood still, motionless, with a blank expression. Chen Shulin, another centurion opposite him, pointed at Yuan Gang with a furious look and said, "Your Highness, he called the people of our Yingyang and Wulie Guards useless!"

The group quickly focused on Yuan Gang. Shang Shuqing secretly found it strange. Yuan Gang was definitely not someone who would cause trouble. Why would he say such a thing?

Shang Chaozong asked, "Brother Yuan, is this true?"

Yuan Gang remained indifferent. "I said it."

This statement further incensed the crowd. The people around him all had angry expressions, and even Shang Chaozong's face darkened. Lan Ruoting and Shang Shuqing exchanged glances.

Niu Youdao, who used his sword as a walking stick everywhere he went, leaned on it with one hand and casually shouted, "Monkey, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Yuan Gang said calmly, "I'm not spouting nonsense. I'm just telling the truth. If anyone disagrees, they can try me!"

The two guards immediately clenched their fists, clearly preparing to give Yuan Gang a good beating.

Shang Chaozong, however, felt a surge of excitement. He had taken a liking to Yuan Gang the moment he first saw him. He trusted his judgment about Yuan Gang's demeanor and had long wanted to test Yuan Gang's abilities. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he couldn't help but shout, "Excellent! Which of you brothers will step out and spar with Brother Yuan!"

"Me!"

"I'll do it!"

"Your Highness, let me!"

A group of men scrambled to volunteer. In the end, it was Centurion Chen Shulin who shouted, silencing the others, and stepped forward himself.