Are You Tired of Living?

Niu Youdao said in surprise, "The facts are all laid out before you. Could it be that Prefect Feng can't see them?"

Feng Lingbo said coldly, "Stop playing tricks with me. Where are the things on the betrothal gift list? As long as you're willing to hand them over, I can consider marrying my daughter to him."

How could Niu Youdao take such pretty words seriously? If he really handed over the things first, there was no way she would actually marry off her daughter! He immediately pushed back without the slightest weakness, his tone hard as iron. "It's not a matter of considering whether to marry her. She must marry him. Your beloved daughter... our Prince is taking her as his wife!"

Feng Lingbo sneered repeatedly. "What an arrogant tone! Now that you're on my territory, do you think you can hand things over if you want and refuse if you don't?"

Niu Youdao suddenly turned around, waved toward the doorway, and declared with resounding force, "As long as Prefect Feng dares to go outside and loudly announce that Commandery King Yongping has the hundred thousand Crow Generals in his hands, our Prince will immediately present those hundred thousand Crow Generals to you, without taking a single coin. You won't need to threaten us!"

Everyone in the hall froze. The hundred thousand Crow Generals? Did Shang Chaozong have the hundred thousand Crow Generals in his hands? Some people were secretly alarmed. Could this be the "heavy gift" mentioned on the betrothal list?

Feng Lingbo's gaze turned strange. He did not know what Niu Youdao meant by those words, but then again, how had he dared run outside and publicly expose this matter?

Niu Youdao turned back and pressed him aggressively. "Does Prefect Feng dare? Let me ask you—do you dare or not?"

Feng Lingbo still had not quite grasped the situation. "If you don't hand over the things, don't even think about leaving Guangyi Commandery!"

Niu Youdao lightly brushed his sleeve, his face full of disdain. "Since the Prince dared send me here, how could he have made no preparations? So what if I can't leave Guangyi Commandery? As long as Prefect Feng dares act recklessly, someone will expose the matter of the hundred thousand Crow Generals! What do you think will happen to this tiny place then? I doubt I need to spell it out. Forget Great Yan—even Zhao Kingdom to the west will probably be the first to break through Qingshan Commandery and charge into Guangyi Commandery. Can you stop them? Tell me, which of the heroes of the various kingdoms could sit by and watch you succeed?"

Feng Lingbo's expression shifted between light and dark. He understood now that the earlier question of whether he dared was based on the certainty that he would not dare announce this matter to the outside world. He directly set aside the question of whether to detain Shang Chaozong and said in a deep voice, "Since the things were included with the betrothal list, weren't they meant as gifts for me? Without seeing the things on the list, how can I marry my daughter to him?"

Niu Youdao's expression eased. "As for the things... Let's speak frankly in the light of day. There's no need to deceive Prefect Feng, and you can't be deceived anyway. The Prince doesn't yet have those hundred thousand Crow Generals."

"What?" Peng Yulan's eyes flew open. Wasn't this making a fool of her daughter? She could no longer hold back her anger. "You dare add something that doesn't exist to the betrothal list and toy with us?"

Niu Youdao pressed both hands down, signaling for her to calm down. "For now! I said for now. Sooner or later, he'll have them."

Feng Lingbo smiled without warmth. "All talk and no proof, boasting from beginning to end! You dare come here claiming you'll marry my daughter with something you don't even know exists? Do you take us for fools? I think you're tired of living!" A murderous glint had already appeared in his eyes.

"All talk and no proof?" Niu Youdao exclaimed in surprise before asking sharply, "Does Prefect Feng think the current Emperor is a fool? After Prince Ning died, why did the current Emperor suddenly turn against our Prince? With your channels of information, it shouldn't be difficult to learn the truth. Clearly, the current Emperor has long been wary of Prince Ning, who held supreme military power. Clearly, he wanted to uproot Prince Ning's entire line! But why did he imprison our Prince for so many years without killing him? Was it because the current Emperor was softhearted? And why did he suddenly release him? Was it because the current Emperor cherished the blood ties of the imperial family? Why did this happen? Aren't these matters worth deep thought, Prefect?"

As soon as these words fell, most of the people in the hall revealed thoughtful expressions. Peng Yulan fell silent, while Feng Lingbo looked as though he were carefully weighing things over.

Yuan Gang stood there, calm and unruffled, watching Daoist Master stir up the crowd and speak with sweeping force. He seemed not the least bit worried.

Niu Youdao then strode two steps forward until he was in front of Peng Yulan. Pointing outside, he appeared furious as he said, "It isn't that the current Emperor doesn't want to kill our Prince, nor that he is softhearted, nor that he cherishes the blood ties of the imperial family. It is because he knows that Prince Ning left the hundred thousand Crow Generals to our Prince, and he wants to seize control of them!"

He hurried over to Feng Lingbo and continued passionately, "How could our Prince hand them over so easily? He naturally knows that the moment he does, he'll certainly die! Thus, during all those years in the Heavenly Prison, although he was interrogated and tortured day after day, he would rather die than confess! Fortunately, Heaven has eyes. The current Emperor brought disaster upon himself. He purged Prince Ning's former followers, throwing Great Yan into turmoil. Within the kingdom, figures like Prefect Feng raised troops and grew powerful; beyond its borders, frontier general Shao Dengyun led the old enemy, Han Kingdom's army, in an invasion. The surrounding enemy kingdoms watched like tigers waiting to pounce, eager to carve up Great Yan, and even marrying off several princesses for peace could not quell the chaos! With internal troubles and external threats, why did the current Emperor release our Prince from prison? It certainly wasn't out of remorse. It was only because he knew he could not force our Prince to yield, so he sought to lure him out by appearing to release him! Our Prince knew that, with his current strength, if he rashly brought out those hundred thousand Crow Generals, he would merely be making a wedding gown for the current Emperor. After treating Prince Ning's line this way, how could our Prince grant him his wish? With nowhere else to turn, our Prince sought a thread of survival. That was why he would rather offer those hundred thousand Crow Generals to Prefect Feng than let the current Emperor benefit! Why does our Prince want to marry your beloved daughter? Because she is Prefect Feng's cherished pearl and has rendered great service through her campaigns to defend Guangyi Commandery. Once our Prince marries her, after Prefect Feng receives those hundred thousand Crow Generals, he won't turn around and tear down the bridge. At the very least, he won't kill our Prince. At the very least, our Prince can preserve his life! That is the whole cause and effect. Why, Prefect, do you still have doubts? Do you think our Prince is tired of living and deliberately came here to make fools of you? If so, wouldn't that be laughable? Our Prince's sincere desire to marry your beloved daughter is plain for all to see, as clear as the sun and sky. Do you still need to doubt him?"

The speech came in a torrent, rapid yet perfectly ordered, pressing down on the listeners until they almost felt unable to breathe. Yet when they thought it over carefully, it also left them with a sense of sudden enlightenment—as if everything truly did make sense.

The hall fell silent. Just as everyone was pondering and savoring those words, Feng Ruonan's furious shout came from outside. "You vile thief, prepare to die!"

Everyone in the hall turned toward the entrance. They saw Feng Ruonan, clad in armor, charging over with a spear in hand, brimming with killing intent. Only she would dare barrel through the Prefect's Mansion like this. The iron cavalry she had brought had already been stopped outside. Her subordinates would never dare storm into the Prefect's Mansion with weapons and run amok—unless they wanted to rebel.

Feng Ruonan was not merely shouting. She had truly developed murderous intent. To her, using her money to buy betrothal gifts so he could marry her was tantamount to insulting her appearance and implying that she could not find a husband. Worse, he had cheated her out of her money. She had seen people bully others before, but never anyone bully another so outrageously. Her shame and fury were unbearable. Unless she killed Niu Youdao, she could not dispel the hatred in her heart!

She charged into the hall in a blazing rush. Without saying a word, she gave her spear a sharp thrust with a whoosh, sending a fierce gust of wind as the tip drove straight toward Niu Youdao's chest. The force behind the attack was clearly immense. This woman had trained in martial arts for many years.

Feng Lingbo and Peng Yulan watched coldly from the sidelines, seemingly wanting to see just how strong Niu Youdao was.

But Yuan Gang did not let them have their way. He cut across the attack, shifting his feet and flashing in front of Niu Youdao. His body suddenly angled aside, avoiding the spearhead, while one hand seized the shaft just beneath the tip. He halted the thrust in front of him, preventing it from advancing another inch.

"Yah!" Feng Ruonan shouted as she exhaled. Holding the spear with both hands, she leaned forward and poured all her strength into the contest against Yuan Gang. She gritted her silver teeth, her face flushing red.

Yuan Gang held the spear before him, utterly unmoving. He cast her a cold sidelong glance and let her use every ounce of strength she possessed.

Everyone in the hall looked at Yuan Gang with evident astonishment. They all knew that Feng Ruonan had practiced martial arts since childhood and possessed extraordinary natural strength. Most men could not match her. They had also all seen that Yuan Gang was not a cultivator, so they were amazed that someone so young could possess such formidable Hard Qi Cultivation. It was exceedingly rare!

Niu Youdao already knew what to expect. How could Feng Ruonan easily gain the upper hand against someone capable of clashing head-on with Chen Guishuo and the others through sheer brute force without falling behind? Even he had not expected Yuan Gang's Hard Qi Cultivation to become so formidable here.

Feng Lingbo's gaze flickered as he assessed Yuan Gang. This young man could become a fierce general capable of slaughtering his way through a host of enemies on the battlefield. One small detail revealed the whole picture. No wonder Prince Ning had once struck fear into his enemies—the Wulie Guard truly lived up to its reputation!

The reports from his subordinates had not mentioned Yuan Gang's origins, so he mistakenly assumed Yuan Gang had come from the Wulie Guard.

Seeing that his daughter could neither touch Niu Youdao nor gain the slightest advantage, Peng Yulan tilted her head and gave a signal.

An old man with a slightly plump build stood to one side of the hall. Dressed like a servant, with graying hair, he flashed forward and struck the spear shaft with one palm. The shaft slammed into Yuan Gang's chest, jolting him into a staggering retreat.

The old man then seized the long spear from Feng Ruonan's hands in one fluid motion. With one hand, he lightly pressed down on the shoulder of the nearly frenzied Feng Ruonan, forcibly pinning her in place so that she could not break free. His strength was self-evident.

Niu Youdao flashed forward and pressed a palm against Yuan Gang's back, only to discover a hidden force surging through him and driving them both backward. He quickly retreated, planted one foot, and rapidly cast a spell to dispel the force. After taking two more steps back, the two finally steadied themselves and stopped.

Niu Youdao abruptly turned and glared at the old man. The other party had clearly been protecting his own and intended to teach Yuan Gang a lesson. That seemingly casual palm had not been light; the force concealed within it was enough to injure someone. A murderous glint flashed in Niu Youdao's eyes. He said coldly, "Old man, are you tired of living?"

Such a vicious remark appearing out of nowhere made everyone turn to stare.

The old man looked at Yuan Gang with added astonishment. Although he had not used much force in that palm, he had believed it would be enough to shake Yuan Gang until he vomited blood. Who would have thought the result would fall outside his expectations? Most people's Hard Qi Cultivation only tempered their muscles, bones, and skin. Could this man's Hard Qi Cultivation even temper his internal organs?

Yuan Gang slightly raised both arms, dispersing the force that had spread through his body. At last, his roiling internal organs settled down. He slowly exhaled and turned his head to whisper to Niu Youdao, "Daoist Master, I'm fine!"

Niu Youdao immediately put on a smile and said to the old man with a beaming expression, "Old sir, I'll remember this palm. If I get the chance in the future, I'll definitely let you try one of mine as well!"

The old man wore a kindly expression and inclined his body. "This old servant will be waiting."

"Good!" Niu Youdao smiled warmly and nodded slightly. His gaze was deep and intent, as though he had no intention of looking away from the old man's face anytime soon.