You Owe Me Money

Overall, he was a very magnanimous person. He had experienced things like letting insults slide without reacting, but when it came to certain matters, he could be quite petty, like with this current situation. It was perfectly normal for Feng Ruonan to want to kill him and for Yuan Gang to intervene. Yuan Gang's actions were also polite; he merely blocked her without doing anything further. It wasn't unreasonable for this old man to step in and mediate, but it was unnecessary for him to secretly administer poison.

Hearing the other party refer to himself as 'old servant,' it was clear he was a subordinate protecting his young master and stepping up for him. Niu Youdao could understand that sentiment, but he wasn't someone to be trifled with either.

His earlier question about whether the other party was tired of living wasn't idle talk. He could have used the matter of the hundred thousand Crow Generals to force punishment upon the old man, at the very least making him apologize and publicly humiliate him. However, considering the current situation and wanting to avoid further complications, he decided to take a step back. As for an apology, he no longer cared; he'd save that for later!

Just as a brief interlude seemed to be over, Feng Ruonan, who had been struggling with all her might, refused to accept it. She shouted, "Mother, I won't marry! If I marry, I'll marry a truly upright man, not that cowardly rat Shang Chaozong!"

Hearing this, Niu Youdao couldn't stand it. How could he let this woman ruin things? Did she think she could just refuse to marry if she wanted? Since the other party was restrained and couldn't move or bite, he walked up to Feng Ruonan and said with surprise, "General, why do you say that? Can you find a more upright man in this world than my Prince?"

With one sentence, he dismissed all other men in the world, leaving the men present speechless. However, they all knew his words weren't to be taken seriously.

Feng Lingbo's lips twitched, and he muttered inwardly, "It's fine if you want to praise Shang Chaozong, but do you have to belittle everyone else like this?"

Niu Youdao, who even despised such words himself, didn't care about the opinions of other men.

"Nonsense!" Feng Ruonan spat at him rudely, making Peng Yulan a bit embarrassed. Despite being a female general, she was still a woman, and this was her daughter.

Niu Youdao ignored her rudeness, as he wasn't the one marrying her anyway. Instead, he loudly questioned, "General, have you ever met my Prince? How much do you know about him? If you haven't, on what grounds do you call my Prince a cowardly rat who clings to life?"

Feng Ruonan: "Pah! Why would I need to see him? Let him get as far away as possible. It's best if I never see him, or I'll run him through with my spear! And you, you dog thief, you scoundrel who has lost all conscience..." She unleashed a torrent of abuse.

A few curses wouldn't hurt him! Niu Youdao understood her desperate struggle and didn't bother arguing. He suddenly shouted loudly, drowning out Feng Ruonan's clamor, "General, you are too judgmental of my Prince! Do you know what it's like to be imprisoned in the heavenly prison for years? Especially facing torture and interrogation daily, enduring such cruel torture, how many men in this world can remain unyielding and refuse to confess for years? I only know my Prince!"

He looked around and gave everyone a thumbs-up. "To endure hardship without yielding, to have an unbending spirit – that is a true man, a true hero! Facts speak louder than words, and time is the truth, not those so-called heroes!"

He turned back to Feng Ruonan and asked, "General, do you know that outside the capital city gates, the city guard deliberately humiliated him, and my Prince, dragging his emaciated and sick body out of prison, drew his sword and beheaded him in full view of everyone? I ask you, in the capital, how many people would dare to kill a city guard without fearing for their lives? Would you dare, General?" He roared this last question particularly loudly at Feng Ruonan.

He then turned back to the crowd, "Among those present, who dares to do such a thing? If you dare, step forward and show me!" His gaze fixed on Feng Lingbo, "Does Lord Prefect dare?"

These words made Feng Lingbo want to roll his eyes. He wanted to say that Shang Chaozong probably felt confident the current Emperor wouldn't kill him, which is why he dared to do that. However, Niu Youdao turned back and gave Feng Ruonan another thumbs-up, praising, "This is a passionate man, a truly upright and heroic man, not the kind of man you imagine, General. Imagination is useless; the facts are right before your eyes. Why are you ignoring them? Why must you abandon what's close at hand and what's real for fantasy?"

Feng Ruonan was momentarily stunned by his words, unable to process them.

Niu Youdao turned and walked back to Peng Yulan. "My Prince is a hereditary noble. His father, Prince Ning, was renowned throughout the land, and even the current Emperor respects him to some extent. Although he has been stripped of his princely title, he is still a dignified Commandery King. Your daughter marrying my Prince means she will be a proper Princess Consort. How many women in this world can enjoy such illustrious honor? Just by the words 'Son of Prince Ning,' would it disgrace your daughter? These are words from the bottom of my heart; I hope Madam will see clearly!"

Princess Consort? The word flashed through Peng Yulan's mind. She glanced at Feng Lingbo's expression and then waved to the old man, "Take him away and keep him under guard!"

The old man immediately pushed Feng Ruonan's shoulder and walked out. Feng Ruonan, snapping back to reality, found herself unable to move. She turned and shouted loudly, "Mother, I won't marry! I won't marry! This villain is a liar, a liar! How can you believe a liar's words! Mother... Niu Youdao, give me back my money! Give me back my money..."

The person disappeared from sight, but the voice demanding money still echoed. Yuan Gang, whose expression was unchanged, twitched his brows twice.

Peng Yulan also looked a little strange and asked Niu Youdao, "What's this about returning money?"

This question made things awkward. Niu Youdao chuckled and said, "It so happens that my Prince and your daughter are old acquaintances. When we were young, before I joined the Shangqing Sect, I was drifting down the river on my journey and encountered your daughter. She almost shot me dead with an arrow. Later, your daughter bestowed a token upon me, asking me to find her and seek refuge. That... in short, I'm ashamed to say, I was short on cash and borrowed some money from your daughter. I will definitely return it, definitely return it!" He intentionally spoke vaguely.

Peng Yulan suddenly understood. She seemed to have heard about the chance encounter on the river before, but she hadn't heard about borrowing money. She figured a penniless young man wouldn't have borrowed much anyway.

Feng Lingbo spoke up, "Alright, stop with the nonsense and get to the point. If you can't produce the items on the gift list, why should I marry my daughter to Shang Chaozong?"

The fact that he said this indicated he believed in the existence of the hundred thousand Crow Generals.

Niu Youdao pointed to the outside. "The items are located in Cangwu County, within the Prince's fiefdom, Qingshan Commandery. This is the underlying reason why the current Emperor forced the Prince back to Cangwu County!"

Feng Lingbo narrowed his eyes. "If the current Emperor knows the whereabouts, can he wait for me to retrieve it?"

Niu Youdao: "If it were so easy to find, the Prince would have died in the heavenly prison long ago, not be here now. This matter is no small thing. Prince Ning went to great lengths to keep the refinement of this item secret. Even if the Prince went to Cangwu County, he would still have to search for it slowly."

Feng Lingbo: "If even he has to search slowly, then what do I need him for? I'll search for it myself..." Before he could finish, he saw Niu Youdao looking at him with a half-smile. He felt speechless. Niu Youdao had said earlier that he had already made arrangements. If he dared to go find it behind Shang Chaozong's back, they could expose the matter to everyone immediately, and he, Feng Lingbo, wouldn't be able to handle it.

After a moment's thought, he changed his tune. "If I truly agree to this alliance, and my men go to Cangwu County, I'm afraid the current Emperor will immediately react and suspect that I already know this secret!"

Niu Youdao spread his hands. "So what? The internal and external troubles within the Great Yan Kingdom are all his doing. Does he dare to openly fall out with the Prefect now? If he dared, the current Emperor would have eliminated the Prefect long ago. Isn't he afraid of foreign enemies taking advantage of the chaos? He wouldn't dare to make this public. If other countries knew that there was such a thing within the Great Yan Kingdom, the inevitable consequence would be a united attack from all countries, and the Great Yan would perish! And once the current Emperor knows that the Prefect holds this secret, he will be hesitant to act against the Prefect too forcefully. If the Prefect holds this leverage, Guangyi Commandery will be as solid as gold, and at least the imperial court would not dare to attack easily! This is a win-win situation. Prefect, you shouldn't hesitate; make a decision soon!"

Feng Lingbo stroked his chin and pondered.

Peng Yulan poured cold water on his thoughts from the side. "The Son of Prince Ning sounds good, but don't tell me you don't know about Prince Ning's extreme views during his lifetime. All cultivators in the world are dissatisfied with Prince Ning. Where does that leave our Tianyu Sect?"

Niu Youdao immediately became energized and turned around, arguing fiercely. "Madam, you are a remarkable woman, why do you hold such common views? Was Prince Ning foolish? A renowned general who had experienced countless battles, would he easily put himself in a losing position? Even if he had such extreme ideas, do you think Prince Ning would have publicized them under normal circumstances? Others may not know, but my Prince, being involved in the situation, understands the underlying reasons best. Madam, perhaps you should think carefully about the situation at that time. The late Emperor favored Prince Ning greatly, and for many, Prince Ning's succession to the throne was a sure thing. Yet, at this very moment, news emerged that Prince Ning intended to oppose all cultivators in the world. Doesn't that seem suspicious? After the incident, the late Emperor first bore immense pressure, and I suspect Tianyu Sect also applied pressure alongside others. Then, the late Emperor died unexpectedly without any warning. Suddenly, a decree appeared, passing the throne to the current Emperor, completely reversing the situation. In the end, who benefited? Although there is no concrete evidence, anyone with a brain can guess who did this."

He turned and looked around at the few cultivators in the hall, whom Niu Youdao estimated were all from Tianyu Sect. He explained to everyone, "The father's views do not necessarily represent the son's inheritance. Even if people's hearts are treacherous, let's set that aside for now. As long as Tianyu Sect is willing to accept the Commandery King Yongping, and publicly declare that Commandery King Yongping has abandoned his father's views, regardless of whether everyone believes it or not, Tianyu Sect's strength is evident. No one will go to extreme lengths to fight Tianyu Sect over an outdated Commandery King; it wouldn't be worth the effort. The only concern is that the current Emperor might mobilize the cultivation sects within the Yan Kingdom to jointly pressure Tianyu Sect. However, with the 'hundred thousand Crow Generals' leverage in hand, the consequences of revealing it are something the current Emperor cannot bear. I ask you, would the current Emperor dare to pressure Tianyu Sect like this? Therefore, Madam's concerns are actually unfounded!" He flicked his sleeve, appearing truly unconcerned.

He then turned to Feng Lingbo and continued to persuade him, "There is another benefit to this. The Prefect can use this to test whether the matter of the 'hundred thousand Crow Generals' is true. If the current Emperor dares to mobilize his army to attack Guangyi Commandery and pressure Tianyu Sect with various sects, then the matter of the 'hundred thousand Crow Generals' must be fabricated. The Prefect can abandon the Commandery King at any time; even if we kill him, we will have no complaints! If he dares not, I believe I don't need to elaborate on the Emperor's concerns." He then cupped his hands towards the couple. "My Prince's desire to marry your daughter is truly sincere. I hope the Prefect and Madam will grant our wish!"

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