Are you tired of living?

Niu Youdao asked in surprise, "The facts are all here, can't the Prefect see them?"

Feng Lingbo said coldly, "Stop playing games with me. Where are the items on the gift list? If you're willing to hand them over, I might consider marrying my daughter to him."

Niu Youdao wouldn't take such pretty words seriously. If he handed over the items first, it would be a miracle if she actually married her daughter! He immediately retorted without showing any weakness, "It's not a consideration to marry, it's a definite marriage! Your beloved daughter... our Prince is set on marrying her!"

Feng Lingbo sneered repeatedly, "What big talk! Now that you're on my territory, do you think you can just hand things over or not as you please?"

Niu Youdao turned around abruptly, waved his hand towards the door, and said with a thud, "As long as the Prefect dares to loudly declare outside that Prince Yongping has a hundred thousand Crow Generals, our Prince will present these hundred thousand Crow Generals immediately, without taking a single cent. You don't need to threaten me!"

Everyone in the hall was stunned. A hundred thousand Crow Generals? Shang Chaozong had a hundred thousand Crow Generals? Some people were secretly alarmed. Could this be the so-called "heavy gift" on the gift list?

Feng Lingbo's gaze was shrewd. He didn't understand what Niu Youdao meant by this. But then again, how dare he come out and expose this matter so openly?

Niu Youdao turned back, asking aggressively, "Does the Prefect dare? I ask, does the Prefect dare or not?"

Feng Lingbo still hadn't quite figured it out. "If you don't hand over the items, you're not leaving Guangyi Commandery!"

Niu Youdao lightly swept his sleeve, his face full of disdain. "Since the Prince dared to send me, how could he not have prepared? What if we can't leave Guangyi Commandery? As long as the Prefect dares to act rashly, someone will leak the news of the hundred thousand Crow Generals! I don't need to tell you what the consequences would be for this tiny place. Don't even mention the Great Yan Kingdom; it's likely that the Zhao Kingdom to the west will be the first to break through Qingshan Commandery and invade Guangyi Commandery. Can the Prefect stop them? Which of the various kingdoms' heroes would sit idly by and let the Prefect succeed?"

Feng Lingbo's expression flickered, and he understood the Prefect's previous question about daring or not. This was a certainty that he wouldn't dare to publicize the matter. He directly set aside the question of whether to detain Shang Chaozong and said solemnly, "Since the items were accompanied by a gift list, weren't they meant for me? If I don't see the items on the gift list, how can I marry my daughter to him?"

Niu Youdao's expression softened. "As for the items, let's be frank. There's no need to deceive the Prefect, nor can we. The Prince doesn't have those hundred thousand Crow Generals at the moment."

"What?" Peng Yulan's eyes widened in anger. Wasn't this making fun of her daughter? She couldn't hold back her temper. "You dare to put something you don't have on the gift list and toy with us?"

Niu Youdao pressed his hands down, signaling her to calm down. "At the moment! I said at the moment. They will have them sooner or later."

Feng Lingbo said with a fake smile, "Empty words and boasts! You dare to come here and claim to marry my daughter with something that might not even exist? Do you think we're fools? I think you're tired of living!" His eyes were already showing a fierce glint.

"Empty words?" Niu Youdao asked in surprise, then retorted decisively, "Does the Prefect think the current Emperor is a fool? After Prince Ning died, why did the current Emperor suddenly attack the Prince? With the Prefect's intelligence network, the truth shouldn't be hard to find. It's clear that the current Emperor has long been wary of Prince Ning, who held military power, and wants to cut off Prince Ning's lineage completely! But why did he imprison the Prince for so many years without killing him? Was the current Emperor soft-hearted? Why was the Prince suddenly released? Was it because the current Emperor remembered the kinship of the imperial bloodline? Why? Shouldn't one or two of these points be worth the Prefect's deep consideration?"

As soon as he said this, most people in the hall showed thoughtful expressions. Peng Yulan was silent, and Feng Lingbo had a look of careful consideration.

Yuan Gang stood there calmly, watching the Daoist Master eloquently debate with a peaceful heart, seemingly not worried at all.

Niu Youdao quickly stepped forward two more paces to Peng Yulan, pointing outwards, seemingly indignant. "It's not that the current Emperor didn't want to kill the Prince, nor was he soft-hearted, nor did he remember the kinship of the imperial bloodline. It's because he knew that Prince Ning had left a hundred thousand Crow Generals to the Prince, and he wanted to control those hundred thousand Crow Generals!"

He then quickly walked to Feng Lingbo and said passionately, "How could the Prince hand them over easily? Naturally, he knew that once he handed them over, he would surely die! Thus, for years, the Prince, trapped in the heavenly prison, endured daily torture and interrogation but would rather die than confess! Fortunately, heaven has eyes. The current Emperor brought it upon himself by purging Prince Ning's former subordinates, causing instability in the Great Yan. Internally, there are those like the Prefect who are powerful and self-important. Externally, border general Shao Dengyun has led the enemy Han Kingdom's army to invade, and surrounding enemy nations are coveting and wanting to carve up Great Yan. Even marrying off several princesses to appease the chaos is difficult for the current Emperor! Under internal and external troubles, why did the current Emperor release the Prince from prison? It's definitely not remorse, but because he knows he can't make the Prince yield, so he's playing a long game! The Prince knows that with his current strength, if he rashly brings out those hundred thousand Crow Generals, he will be paving the way for the current Emperor. How could the Prince let him have his way after being treated like this by the current Emperor? In his desperate situation, the Prince would rather offer those hundred thousand Crow Generals to the Prefect to fight for a sliver of hope, rather than let the current Emperor benefit! Why does the Prince want to marry your daughter? It's only because your daughter is the Prefect's beloved daughter, and she has made contributions in defending Guangyi Commandery. If the Prince marries your daughter, and the Prefect obtains those hundred thousand Crow Generals, he will definitely not cross the bridge and burn it down. At least he won't kill our Prince, at least the Prince can save his life! The cause and effect are nothing more than this. Why is the Prefect still suspicious? Do you think the Prince is tired of living and deliberately playing tricks? If that's the case, isn't it ridiculous! The Prince's sincerity in wanting to marry your daughter is as clear as day, does the Prefect still need to doubt?"

After a rapid-fire speech, spoken quickly but coherently, it left the listeners feeling breathless, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense.

The hall fell silent. Just as everyone was pondering and recalling the previous words, Feng Ruonan's sharp shout came from outside: "You scoundrel, die!"

Everyone in the hall looked outside in unison. They saw Feng Ruonan, clad in armor, charging forward with a long spear, exuding an aura of killing intent. Only she dared to charge so recklessly in the Prefect's mansion. Her accompanying cavalry had already been intercepted outside the mansion. How could the subordinates dare to barge into the Prefect's mansion with weapons? It would be tantamount to rebellion.

Feng Ruonan wasn't just talking; she was genuinely filled with murderous intent. To her, borrowing her money to buy a betrothal gift to marry her was tantamount to insulting her appearance and implying she couldn't get married. Moreover, it was tricking her out of her money. She had seen people bully others, but never anyone bully her like this. Filled with shame and indignation, she felt that she couldn't quell her hatred without killing Niu Youdao!

She rushed into the hall in a hurry. Without a word, she flicked her spear, bringing with it a gust of wind, and thrust it directly at Niu Youdao's chest. It was evident that the woman's attack carried considerable force, indicating she was someone who had practiced martial arts for a long time.

Feng Lingbo and Peng Yulan watched with a detached air, seemingly wanting to gauge Niu Youdao's strength.

However, Yuan Gang did not let their intentions be realized. He lunged forward, shifted his stance, flashed his body, and blocked in front of Niu Youdao. His body suddenly shifted to the side, avoiding the spearhead with his chest, and he grabbed the spearhead from below, stopping the thrusting spear in front of him, preventing it from piercing further.

"Hah!" Feng Ruonan grunted, holding the spear with both hands, her body tensed. She strained with all her might against Yuan Gang, her teeth gritted, her face flushed red.

Yuan Gang held the spear steady in front of him, unmoving, and looked down at her askance, letting her exert all her strength.

Everyone in the hall looked at Yuan Gang with surprise. They all knew that Feng Ruonan had practiced martial arts since childhood and was naturally strong. Most men's strength was far inferior to Feng Ruonan's. Furthermore, they could all see that Yuan Gang was not a cultivator. They were all astonished that Yuan Gang, at such a young age, possessed such formidable Hard Qi Cultivation, which was extremely rare!

Niu Youdao was confident. He wondered, could Feng Ruonan easily gain an advantage over someone who could clash head-on with Chen Guishuo and others with brute force? He himself hadn't expected Yuan Gang's Hard Qi Cultivation to be so powerful here.

Feng Lingbo's gaze flickered as he looked at Yuan Gang, making a judgment. This young man could be a fierce general who fought amidst a thousand troops on the battlefield. From this, one could infer the whole picture. Prince Ning's reputation for striking fear into the enemy's hearts back then was indeed well-deserved by the Wulie Guard!

The report from his subordinates had not mentioned Yuan Gang's origin, so he mistakenly assumed Yuan Gang was from the Wulie Guard.

Seeing that his daughter couldn't even touch Niu Youdao and couldn't gain any advantage, Peng Yulan tilted her head and signaled.

A slightly plump old man, dressed as a servant with graying hair, stood to the side in the hall. He darted out and struck the spear shaft with his palm. The spear shaft hit Yuan Gang's chest, who was holding it, causing Yuan Gang to stagger backward!

The old man then took the spear from Feng Ruonan's hand and lightly placed a hand on the shoulder of the nearly frenzied Feng Ruonan, forcefully pinning her in place so she couldn't break free. His strength was evident.

Niu Youdao flashed out and placed his palm on Yuan Gang's back. He found that a hidden force surged, pushing him back along with Yuan Gang. He quickly retreated, braced his leg against the ground, and rapidly cast a spell to dissipate the force. After retreating two steps, they finally stabilized their bodies and stopped.

Niu Youdao turned his head sharply and stared at the old man. The other party was clearly protecting his own and intended to teach Yuan Gang a lesson. His move was not light. It seemed like a casual palm strike, but the hidden force within it was enough to injure someone. Niu Youdao's eyes suddenly flashed with ferocity, and he said coldly, "Old man, are you tired of living?"

This sudden harsh remark caused everyone to look at him in surprise.

The old man looked at Yuan Gang with a bit more surprise. Although he hadn't used his full strength with that palm strike, he believed he could make Yuan Gang spit blood. Who would have thought that it was unexpected? Most people's Hard Qi Cultivation trained their muscles, bones, and skin. Could this person's Hard Qi Cultivation also train his internal organs?

Yuan Gang slightly adjusted his arms to disperse the internal force. His churning internal organs finally calmed down. He let out a slow breath and said to Niu Youdao in a low voice, "Daoist Master, I'm fine!"

Niu Youdao immediately changed to a smiling face and said to the old man with a smile, "Elder, I've noted this palm strike. If there's a chance in the future, I'll let you try taking one of my palms!"

The old man's expression was kind. He bowed slightly, "This old servant awaits."

"Good!" Niu Youdao said with a smile, nodding slightly. His gaze was profound, as if he didn't want to look away from the other party's face for a while.