Feng Ruonan

Supporting his grief-stricken third younger brother, Song Quan could understand the sorrow in his heart. His third younger brother had only one son, Song Yanqing.

"Grand Commander, my Song Family has let you down!" Song Jiuming let out a long sigh, then clasped his hands and bowed to Wang Heng.

Wang Heng's thoughts were a tangled mess, but he also knew the Song Family could not be blamed for this. An imperial order was impossible to defy, and the one who had died was a descendant of the Song Family. The Song Family was suffering even more than he was. Strictly speaking, it would have been best if that bastard Song Yanqing had died. He had cursed him in his heart more than once. But now that this had really happened, he did not know how he was supposed to explain it to his daughter when he went back.

The guards who had come with him had probably also realized what had happened. One of them said coldly, "Who did it?" A clear killing intent surfaced in his voice.

Hearing this, Wang Heng somewhat recovered his senses and asked, "What is this Niu Youdao's background? He actually dared to kill a Song Family disciple. Is he tired of living?"

Song Quan, who was supporting his third younger brother, explained, "He is Dongguo Haoran's disciple."

"Dongguo Haoran?" Wang Heng knew of this man. When Prince Ning was alive, Dongguo Haoran had been the cultivator closest to him. He had once been a renowned figure in the Capital City, and Wang Heng had seen him more than once. With Prince Ning holding military power back then, Wang Heng had not dared provoke Dongguo Haoran lightly. Now he ground his teeth and said, "So he is that old bandit's disciple. I will surely stab that old bandit and his disciple to pieces and scatter their ashes!"

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

"Dead?" Wang Heng was stunned. With Shangqing Sect deliberately keeping it secret, news of Dongguo Haoran's death had not actually spread far. Coming back to himself, he again revealed a ferocious expression. "Prince Ning is dead, yet Shangqing Sect still dares act so arrogantly? I will flatten Shangqing Sect!"

Song Jiuming raised a hand. "Shangqing Sect cannot be touched recklessly. There are people above watching this matter. Grand Commander, you had best not act rashly, or you will only bring trouble upon yourself."

Wang Heng said angrily, "What could possibly happen? If anything does, I will go before His Majesty and plead guilty myself!"

Song Jiuming shook his head, signaling that Wang Heng should not ask further. "You had best listen to me, Grand Commander. I cannot tell you what is going on, but I can tell you this: if you dare act rashly, it will not be settled by a simple plea for forgiveness. His Majesty will certainly not spare you!"

There were things he could not openly tell Wang Heng. The matter of the hundred thousand Crow Generals was no small issue. The people above had always suspected that it was connected to Shangqing Sect and were currently observing the situation. If Wang Heng dared ruin this matter, he would surely incur their fury. Even if Wang Heng had ten heads, it would not be enough to chop off!

"Could it be that we just let this go?" Wang Heng demanded with furious eyes.

Song Jiuming said calmly, "The killer must pay with his life! Let things stand for now. We will discuss the rest later."

Wang Heng understood. That Niu Youdao could be killed, but it was not yet time to act recklessly against the others. With a cold face, he said, "I will resolve this matter."

Song Jiuming immediately warned him sternly, "He is beside Shang Chaozong. Shang Chaozong cannot be touched right now. Do not act recklessly."

"Honored Sir, rest assured. I will immediately send word to Feng Lingbo and have him intercept the man for me. I will not touch Shang Chaozong. I will only have Feng Lingbo bring that Niu Youdao to the Capital City. I will personally cut him into a thousand pieces!"

Song Jiuming did not respond to this, which amounted to tacit approval.

He knew very well that although Feng Lingbo had relied on his troops to resist the Imperial Court, he had not yet rebelled. With someone of Wang Heng's status making the request, capturing a minor cultivator would not be difficult. Feng Lingbo would not refuse Wang Heng this bit of face. One had to know that before completely falling out with the Imperial Court, Feng Lingbo still had some people and businesses in the Capital City. He was not entirely cut off from it. It was not worth offending Wang Heng over a minor cultivator. If he refused to show Wang Heng this consideration, Wang Heng would certainly make trouble for Feng Lingbo's affairs in the Capital City afterward.

Having gained his tacit approval, the rough-looking Wang Heng revealed a gloomy expression and said, "Honored Sir, I want to take Fang'er home and let her stay there for a while."

Song Jiuming nodded and sighed. "That would be good. Although Yanqing is gone, this is still her home. If the Wang Family needs anything, just speak up. So long as it is within our ability, the Song Family will spare no effort!" He was making a guarantee, hoping the other party would not abandon the relationship between the two families because of Song Yanqing's death.

Wang Heng nodded, did not even complete the proper formalities, and turned to leave. His thoughts were in complete disarray. He truly did not know how to tell his daughter about this...

Song Quan personally saw him out. When he returned, he glanced at his third younger brother sitting blankly in a chair and let out a soft sigh. Once the wife of his third brother learned what had happened, who knew what kind of crying and wailing would follow?

With his hands behind his back, Song Jiuming was facing the door when he suddenly gave a cold snort. "Tang Susu is quite bold. Shangqing Sect forbade her from sending people to Shang Chaozong, yet she actually dared to act against orders!"

"Father, judging from the reports we received, Tang Susu likely has ulterior motives. Yanqing was probably used by Tang Susu. Otherwise, why did Yanqing fail to report it after Niu Youdao had followed Shang Chaozong away for so long? Yanqing must have been hiding selfish motives as well and deliberately concealed it!"

Song Jiuming nodded slightly, understanding what he meant. Wang Heng was not clear about Shangqing Sect's situation, but the Song Family had grasped it completely. It was no secret that Song Yanqing liked Tang Yi. The fact that Song Yanqing, that wastrel, had been willing to wait alone in the wilderness for so many years showed how much he loved Tang Yi. If the Song Family had not pressured him, Song Yanqing likely would not have been willing to give up. The moment they saw the secret report, they had probably understood the situation.

Glancing at Song Shu, who had lost his wits, Song Jiuming calmly instructed, "The Upper Clear Sect is inconvenient to deal with for now, but it's time to show that self-important old hag a thing or two. Notify the Upper Clear Sect and expose this matter!"

"Yes!" Song Quan replied.

After making a round inside Guangyi Commandery City, Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang returned to the inn. The three personal guards they had sent out to gather information had already returned and were waiting for them.

They met in a room. Once the door was shut, one of the personal guards spread out a rough map of Guangyi Commandery City and pointed to the city center, where the streets crisscrossed. "Master Dao, this is the commandery governor's residence. It's also Feng Lingbo's permanent official residence. Heavy troops guard the perimeter, making it difficult for outsiders to approach. His eldest son, Feng Ruoyi, has long led troops stationed at a strategic location east of Guangyi Commandery. His second son, Feng Ruojié, has long led troops stationed at a strategic location west of Guangyi Commandery, which matches the information we've always had. His daughter, Feng Ruonan, leads the troops guarding the commandery city. According to the information we gathered, she usually doesn't stay at the governor's residence. Most of the time, she's in the military camp around the eastern main gate." As he spoke, he tapped a marked location near the eastern city gate on the map.

Niu Youdao observed him in silence for a while before asking, "Is Feng Lingbo in the governor's residence? Is Feng Ruonan in the military camp?"

The personal guard replied, "We asked around. Merchants near the governor's residence said they saw Feng Lingbo return from an inspection outside just this morning. People near the eastern military camp also saw Feng Ruonan riding around and shouting as she trained a group of soldiers. They should both be there."

"There's no time to lose, then. Don't delay any longer. Call the brothers together." Niu Youdao called out to Yuan Gang.

Soon, the group left the inn and rode straight toward the area around the eastern city gate. Along the way, they also rented a carriage.

At a corner beside the eastern city gate, there were no buildings for civilians. The entire area had been cleared and turned into military grounds. A vacant lot outside was enclosed by a fence, with soldiers standing guard. Idle civilians were forbidden to approach.

When Niu Youdao's group arrived, the guards naturally shouted for them to stop and blocked their way.

"Sorry for the trouble, but please inform General Feng that an old acquaintance, Niu Youdao, has come to visit." Niu Youdao dismounted and smiled at the guards as he spoke. He refused to believe that Qu Wu's people, who had been watching them the whole way, had not sent word here. Feng Ruonan had surely heard of him, Niu Youdao.

Judging people by their bearing was the common way of the world. The guards did not simply treat them like ordinary commoners and drive them away. After all, every one of them was mounted, and it was obvious at a glance that they were no ordinary people. Someone immediately went to report their arrival.

It was not long before they were allowed through. However, their horses were not permitted inside, and they had to be searched and surrender their weapons before they could enter.

Niu Youdao tossed his sword to a personal guard and told the others to wait outside. He brought only Yuan Gang inside.

A guard led the way, taking the two of them into the drill field. A group of soldiers were waving swords and spears as they trained, their shouts ringing out in waves.

On the command platform stood a tall, heavily armored general. She held a spear planted against the ground and surveyed the soldiers drilling below.

The deputy general beside her muttered something in her ear. Only then did the general turn around and look at Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang standing to one side beneath the command platform.

When she turned to look, Niu Youdao met her gaze and froze. He secretly broke into a sweat. If he had not noticed certain features that revealed she was a woman, he would have taken her for a man.

This female general was even taller and more imposing than most men, with a powerful, broad-shouldered build. She clearly did not usually wear rouge or powder. Her thick brows and large eyes were striking, her eyes bright and spirited. Her gaze was sharp and aggressive, while her bearing possessed a trace of delicate refinement unlike that of a man.

Niu Youdao strongly suspected that this woman was the one he had seen back when he had drifted down the river on a bamboo raft. At the time, she had been travel-worn and sitting on horseback, making it impossible to tell whether she was a woman. He had only recognized from her voice that she was female.

The female general waved a hand from the command platform. The din of training stopped at once. The soldiers gathered together, ran into formation, and were then led away by their commander.

The surroundings fell quiet again. After watching the formation depart, the female general slowly turned around. The spear in her hand suddenly flipped over. With a sweep of her powerful arm, she hurled it forward. With a whoosh, the long spear shot toward Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao stood there motionless with a smile on his face. When the spear neared him, a large hand shot out from the side and seized the shaft, stopping the incoming spear dead.

Yuan Gang caught the long spear and swung it around. It howled toward a spot twenty meters away.

With a crack, the long spear pierced straight through the flagpole twenty meters away and lodged at a height of roughly ten meters. It would probably be rather difficult to retrieve. This was also Yuan Gang's way of expressing his displeasure.

Such arm strength and such precision made the female general's eyes light up. Brilliant color flashed in her gaze as she looked at Yuan Gang. She was no inexperienced person; she could tell that Yuan Gang was not a cultivator. When he exerted his strength, there was no external surge of power—his clothes did not even flutter. She did not believe that someone so young could have reached the realm where his aura was completely restrained and not a breath stirred. That left only one possibility: it was genuine physical strength!

The moment Yuan Gang made his move, the curtain behind the command platform stirred. Four figures flashed out in an instant and landed to either side of the female general. All dressed in black and carrying swords on their backs, they were all women, and they stared coldly in this direction. Niu Youdao only glanced at them before seeing that all four were cultivators. Judging by their speed, the cultivation of at least two of them was probably beyond his own.

With cultivators serving as her guards, there was no need to think too hard. This formidable woman was most likely Feng Ruonan.

The female general walked over, stopped at the edge of the command platform, and looked down at the two men from above. Her gaze moved between their faces as she asked, "Which one of you is Niu Youdao?" Her eyes remained focused on Niu Youdao's face, clearly having already guessed who the principal figure was.