Feng Ruonan

Supporting his grieving third brother, Song Quan understood his brother's sorrow. His third brother had only one son, Song Yanqing.

"Great Commander, my Song family has wronged you!" Song Jiuming sighed deeply and cupped his hands in a bow towards Wang Heng.

Wang Heng's mind was a mess, but he also knew that the Song family couldn't be blamed. Orders from above were difficult to disobey, and it was the Song family's descendants who had died. The Song family was more heartbroken than he was. Logically, it would be best if that scoundrel Song Yanqing was dead; he had cursed him countless times in his heart, but now that it had actually happened, he didn't know how he would explain it to his daughter.

At this moment, the guards who had followed him probably knew what had happened. One guard said coldly, "Who did it?" Killing intent was clearly evident in his tone.

Hearing this, Wang Heng came back to his senses slightly and asked, "What is this Niu Youdao's background? How dare he kill a disciple of the Song family? Is he tired of living?"

Song Quan, who was supporting his third brother, explained, "A disciple of Dongguo Haoran."

"Dongguo Haoran?" Wang Heng knew of him. When Prince Ning was alive, Dongguo Haoran was the closest cultivator to Prince Ning and was once a prominent figure in the Capital City. He had met him more than once. When Prince Ning was alive and held military power, Wang Heng didn't dare to provoke Dongguo Haoran easily. At this moment, he couldn't help but grit his teeth and say, "So it's this old scoundrel's disciple! I will grind this old scoundrel and his disciple to dust!"

Song Quan said, "Dongguo Haoran has already passed away."

"Dead?" Wang Heng was stunned. With the Shangqing Sect intentionally keeping it a secret, the news of Dongguo Haoran's death had not spread. He came back to his senses and his face turned menacing, "Prince Ning is dead, and the Shangqing Sect still dares to be arrogant? I will flatten the Shangqing Sect!"

Song Jiuming raised his hand and said, "The Shangqing Sect cannot be moved rashly. There are matters being monitored from above. Great Commander, it's best not to act impulsively, otherwise, you'll be asking for trouble."

Wang Heng angrily said, "What could be so important? If something happens, I'll go to His Majesty myself to confess!"

Song Jiuming shook his head, gesturing for him not to ask further, and said, "Great Commander, it's best to listen to me. It's inconvenient for me to say what it is, but I can tell you that if you dare to act rashly, it won't be resolved with a simple confession. His Majesty will definitely not forgive you!"

There were some things he couldn't tell Wang Heng openly. The matter of the hundred thousand Crow Generals was no small matter. The higher-ups had always suspected some connection with the Shangqing Sect and were observing them. If Wang Heng dared to interfere with this matter, he would surely incur the wrath of the higher-ups. Wang Heng wouldn't have enough heads to be chopped off even if he had ten!

"Are we just going to let it go like this?" Wang Heng asked angrily.

Song Jiuming calmly replied, "A killer pays with his life! Let's leave it at that for now. We'll discuss other matters later."

Wang Heng understood. That Niu Youdao could be killed, but it wasn't the right time to act rashly against others. He said with a cold face, "I'll handle this matter."

Song Jiuming immediately warned him sternly, "He is with Shang Chaozong. Shang Chaozong cannot be moved now. Don't mess around."

Wang Heng said, "Lord Ming, don't worry. I'll immediately send a message to Feng Lingbo and have him intercept the person for me. I won't touch Shang Chaozong. I'll just have Feng Lingbo bring that Niu Youdao to the Capital City. I want to personally cut him into a thousand pieces!"

Regarding this, Song Jiuming didn't say anything, implicitly agreeing.

Because he knew clearly that although Feng Lingbo held military power and resisted the Imperial Court, he had not yet rebelled. If someone of Wang Heng's status made a request, capturing a minor cultivator would not be difficult, and Feng Lingbo would not refuse Wang Heng this favor. It should be known that before completely falling out with the Imperial Court, Feng Lingbo still had some people and assets in the Capital City and was not completely cut off from it. It wasn't worth offending Wang Heng for a minor cultivator. If he didn't give face, Wang Heng would definitely find trouble for Feng Lingbo's affairs in the Capital City later.

With his tacit approval, Wang Heng, the rough man, showed a dejected expression and said, "Lord Ming, I want to take Fang'er home to live for a while."

Song Jiuming nodded and sighed, "That's fine! Although Yanqing is gone, this is still her home. If the Wang family needs anything, just say the word. The Song family will spare no effort within our capabilities!" He gave a guarantee, hoping that the other party would not abandon their relationship because of Song Yanqing's death.

Wang Heng nodded and left without even completing the proper courtesies, his mind in turmoil. He truly didn't know how he would break the news to his daughter...

Song Quan personally saw him off. Upon returning, he glanced at his third brother, who was sitting stunned in his chair, and sighed. He thought about how his third brother's wife would cry and make a scene when she found out.

Song Jiuming, who was standing with his hands behind his back facing the door, suddenly snorted, "Tang Susu has quite the nerve. She was forbidden to send people to Shang Chaozong, yet she dared to defy the order!"

Song Quan said, "Father, according to the reported news, Tang Susu might have had ulterior motives. Yanqing was likely used by Tang Susu. Otherwise, why didn't Yanqing report it after Niu Youdao had been away with Shang Chaozong for so long? Yanqing might have also harbored selfish intentions and deliberately concealed it!"

Song Jiuming nodded slightly, understanding the meaning of his words. Wang Heng was not clear about the situation in the Shangqing Sect, but the Song family was fully aware of it. It was no secret that Song Yanqing liked Tang Yi. For Song Yanqing, that prodigal son, to have stayed in the wilderness for so many years, it showed how much he liked Tang Yi. If it weren't for the Song family's pressure, Song Yanqing would probably not have given up. Upon seeing the intelligence report, he had a good idea of what was going on.

He glanced at Song Shu, who was at a loss, and Song Jiuming calmly instructed, "It's inconvenient to move against the Shangqing Sect for now, but that self-righteous old woman should be taught a lesson. Notify the Shangqing Sect and expose this matter!"

"Yes!" Song Quan replied.

Within Guangyi Commandery City, Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang returned to the inn after a trip around the city. The three personal guards they had sent out to gather information had returned and were waiting for them.

They met in a room, and as soon as the door was closed, a guard unfolded a schematic map of Guangyi Commandery City, pointing to the center of the city with its crisscrossing streets. "Daoist Master, this is the Prefect's Mansion of the commandery city, and also Feng Lingbo's official residence. It is heavily guarded, and it is difficult for idle people to approach. The eldest son, Feng Ruoyi, has been leading troops stationed in a strategically important area east of Guangyi Commandery for a long time. The second son, Feng Ruojie, has been leading troops stationed in a strategically important area west of Guangyi Commandery for a long time, which is consistent with the information we have. The daughter, Feng Ruonan, leads troops stationed in the commandery city. According to the information gathered, she generally does not live in the Prefect's Mansion but mostly stays in the barracks near the East City Gate." He pointed to a marked area on the map near the East City Gate.

Niu Youdao observed and remained silent for a moment before asking, "Is Feng Lingbo in the Prefect's Mansion? Is Feng Ruonan in the barracks?"

The guard replied, "I inquired. Merchants near the Prefect's Mansion said they saw Feng Lingbo returning from an inspection outside this morning. People near the East City barracks also saw Feng Ruonan on horseback, shouting orders to a group of soldiers training. They should both be here."

"There's no time to delay, so let's not put it off any longer. Call the brothers together," Niu Youdao called out to Yuan Gang.

Soon, they left the inn, rode their horses straight to the area around the East City Gate, and rented a horse-drawn carriage along the way.

In a corner by the East City Gate, there were no houses for civilians; all of it had been cleared for use as barracks. Outside, an open space was enclosed by a fence, guarded by soldiers, and idle people were not allowed near.

Niu Youdao and his group arrived and were naturally stopped by the guards.

"Please inform General Feng that an old acquaintance, Niu Youdao, has come to visit," Niu Youdao said with a smile to the guard after dismounting. He didn't believe that Qu Wu hadn't reported their arrival along the way, and he assumed Feng Ruonan had heard of him, Niu Youdao.

The guards' attitude towards people was normal. They didn't directly drive them away like commoners, as they were all on horseback and clearly not ordinary people. Someone immediately went to report.

After a short wait, they were allowed to enter, but horses were not permitted. They had to be searched and their weapons temporarily confiscated before they could enter.

Niu Youdao threw his sword to a personal guard and told the others to wait outside, taking only Yuan Gang with him.

A guard led them to the training ground, where a group of soldiers were practicing with swords and spears, their shouts filling the air.

On the reviewing stand, a general in armor stood tall, leaning on his spear, observing the training soldiers.

A deputy general whispered something to him, and the general turned his head, looking at Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang standing at the side of the reviewing stand.

As she turned her head, Niu Youdao, who met her gaze, was stunned. He secretly broke out in a cold sweat. If it weren't for certain features indicating she was a woman, he would have thought she was a man.

This female general was taller and more robust than an ordinary man, with a strong and sturdy build. She probably didn't wear makeup usually, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a piercing gaze. Her demeanor had a touch of masculine refinement.

Niu Youdao strongly suspected that this woman might be the same woman he had seen during his raft trip years ago. Back then, she was travel-worn and sitting on a horse. He couldn't see clearly if she was a woman, but he had heard a woman's voice.

With a wave of her hand on the reviewing stand, the general brought the training to an abrupt halt. The trainees gathered, ran into formation, and were led away by their leader.

Silence returned to the surroundings. After watching the troop depart, the female general slowly turned around. Her spear suddenly flipped in her hand, and with a sweep of her arm, she threw the spear, which whistled through the air towards Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao stood still with a smile. As the spear approached, a large hand shot out from the side, grabbed the spear shaft, and stopped the flying spear.

Yuan Gang grabbed the spear in his hand, swung it, and the spear whistled towards the twenty-meter distant target.

With a snap, the spear pierced the flagpole twenty meters away and got stuck about ten meters up. It would be difficult to retrieve, and it was Yuan Gang's way of expressing his displeasure.

This arm strength, this accuracy, made the female general's eyes light up, and her gaze towards Yuan Gang shone with brilliance. She wasn't inexperienced; she could tell Yuan Gang wasn't a cultivator. When he exerted force, there was no outward release of qi power, no fluttering of clothes, for example. She didn't believe Yuan Gang, so young, could have reached a realm where his aura was completely contained and motionless. Therefore, there was only one possibility: true physical strength!

As soon as Yuan Gang made his move, the curtain behind the command platform shifted, and four people flashed out, landing on either side of the female general. All were dressed in black, carrying swords, and were women. They stared coldly in this direction. Niu Youdao glanced at them and immediately recognized that all four were cultivators. Judging by their speed, the cultivation of two of them was likely beyond his own.

Having cultivators as guards, there was no need to guess; this imposing woman was probably Feng Ruonan.

The female general walked to this side, standing at the edge of the command platform. She looked down at the two of them, her gaze shifting between their faces, and asked, "Which one of you is Niu Youdao?" Her eyes focused primarily on Niu Youdao's face, clearly guessing who the main person was.

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