Chapter 30: Did He Say We're Trash??? |
Niu You Dao coughed even harder. He felt as if he was about to spit out his lungs.
Coughing, Niu You Dao pointed at himself and waved his hand, signaling that he couldn't play musical instruments. Still coughing, he then left.
He just left like that? Several people exchanged glances, speechless.
Shang Shu Qing remained silent. She had originally wanted to ask him to play the guqin, but Niu You Dao hadn't given her a chance.
Watching Niu You Dao's retreating figure, Yuan Gang curled his lips. He had intended to set Lord Dao up, but Lord Dao was indeed Lord Dao. He always knew how to extricate himself from any situation at the right moment. So, without a word, he too bade farewell to everyone, picked up his saber, and followed Niu You Dao.
Chao Zong and the others only then realized that Niu You Dao had used such a pretense to escape them!
Looking at the ruined food on the table, which was certainly no longer edible, Lan Ruo Ting shook his head and said:
— The poem is truly good. But who composed it?!
Chao Zong said in a cold tone: "Who among them do you think is telling the truth?"
— "The turbulent waves of the great river may wash away heroism. The forests and mountains remain here, as before. Sobering before the flowers, falling asleep beneath them, he thus passed his days, now drunk, now sober. Flowers withered and bloomed." Both poems are excellent. Perhaps they came from the same person. However, he still wishes to keep his distance from us. Brother, this man does not seem to intend to stay with us. I fear that sooner or later, he will leave us!
Chao Zong was also displeased: "It's dangerous to stay with us. His actions are understandable for self-preservation."
Lan Ruo Ting sighed and said, "At least we've learned that they harbor no ill intentions against us!"
Inside the tent, Niu You Dao sat cross-legged on the felt.
The curtain parted, and Yuan Gang entered.
He asked, "Is there anything to eat?"
— Fried, boiled, steamed—it’s hard to find anything like that here. Wait until the situation stabilizes, then we’ll sort it out! — Saying this, Niu You Dao shot him a sidelong glance and said irritably:
— Monkey, how could you take their side!
— How can you say that? — Yuan Gang looked scornfully at Niu You Dao. He didn't even want to argue about it. He demonstratively sheathed his saber, turned around, and sat cross-legged in front of Niu You Dao:
— Lord Dao, the South Mountain Monastery is close now. Are you sure they will attack you there?
Niu You Dao also cast aside his anger. After all, they didn't need to argue about what had happened, and he immediately said:
— First, I need to stay alive. I don't want to die here. Moreover, I need to make the Supreme Purity Sect believe I'm dead and let me go. Then I'll have time to cultivate and increase my strength. If they know I'm alive, they won't let me go. With our current strength, we can't oppose them. So, it's best if the Supreme Purity Sect thinks I've perished. The masters of the Supreme Purity Sect are powerful, and the sect's network is vast. We are new here and know little, which is why we don't leave the prince. The prince is a prince, after all. And the Supreme Purity Sect wouldn't dare attack us in his presence!
The two men had worked together for many years, and Yuan Gang seemed to understand what Niu You Dao wanted to say:
— A plum tree dies for a peach tree?
Niu You Dao nodded: "Exactly. There might be two outcomes at the South Mountain Monastery. If someone from the Supreme Purity Sect attacks me, they are 80% likely to identify me. In that case, the 'plum for peach' method won't work. But if it's not someone from the Supreme Purity Sect, then we can indeed substitute a plum for a peach!"
Yuan Gang asked, "More specifically?"
Niu You Dao: "We need to find someone among these 500 people who resembles me and send him to the South Mountain Monastery. If the assassin doesn't recognize me, they'll kill him. And when Chao Zong comes looking for his man, that's when we'll leave them."
"If there's someone from the Supreme Purity Sect there, they won't kill the messenger. And when you see that soldier emerge alive, give the SOS signal. Shang Chao Zong's people will definitely notice it and head to apprehend the perpetrator. That's when we'll leave them. One way or another, accompanying the brother and sister is dangerous. When the fire breaks out, we must leave them immediately!"
Yuan Gang nodded: "Understood. Then I'll handle this, and you calm Shang Chao Zong and the others."
Niu You Dao sighed: "And what was I just trying to do? And you just threw that out..."
Yuan Gang turned, lay down on the felt, closed his eyes, and stopped listening to him...
The next day, Yuan Gang got up and began walking around the tent. He fetched water for Niu You Dao to wash.
Outside the tent, Niu You Dao brushed his teeth and washed his face. Then he noticed riders scurrying back and forth. He immediately asked, "What happened?"
Yuan Gang: "They say they're felling trees to cross the river."
— Oh — Niu You Dao looked around and continued washing. After finishing, Niu You Dao walked through the camp and noticed Chao Zong and the others by the riverbank. They were waving at him. Niu You Dao had no choice but to approach them.
— Prince, do you intend to tie rafts and cross the river? — Niu You Dao greeted them.
Lan Ruo Ting smiled and said, "Indeed! If it were just people, that would be fine. But there are so many horses here, which makes it a bit inconvenient."
Niu You Dao looked at the river and asked curiously:
— Isn't there a bridge? A bridge should be more convenient.
Lan Ruo Ting:
— Master doesn't know. The ruler of Kuangai County, Feng Lin Bo, maintains his own army and ignores imperial orders, thus controlling all the boats. He has already burned the bridges to prevent a sudden attack. So, we are left with no choice but to tie rafts together and cross the river that way.
— Maintains an army and disobeys the emperor? — Niu You Dao walked among them and looked at the opposite bank.
— A mere regional official dares to defy imperial troops? Is this Feng Lin Bo truly powerful?
Chao Zong and Shu Qing exchanged glances. They didn't know if Niu You Dao genuinely didn't know or was just pretending.
Lan Ruo Ting smiled and said, "One county against an entire empire certainly won't work. However, the imperial court is currently pressured by enemy states, so internal unrest is ill-timed. And Feng Lin Bo does indeed possess strength. He has cultivator sects supporting him, and a hundred-thousand-strong army at that. What's more, a well-trained army. His eldest son, Feng Ru Yi, and his second son, Feng Ru Jie, are brave commanders skilled in warfare. Even his daughter, Feng Ru Nan, wears a headscarf and is no less courageous than a man. Feng Lin Bo's children have crushed the imperial army several times, forcing the imperial court to retreat from its intentions for a while. Besides, Kuangai County is in a favorable location. The climate here is warm and humid. Everything flourishes, and the population naturally increases. Feng Lin Bo lacks nothing here, which is why he can currently resist imperial troops!"
— This official can maintain his own army and resist imperial troops. It seems the turmoil in the Yan Kingdom is quite significant! — Niu You Dao mused, muttering under his breath, "Feng Ru Nan..."
He recalled an incident, when he had just left the temple and was about to travel by raft to the Supreme Purity Sect. That female commander. She had told him to come to Kuangai County. And on her arrow, the tag was indeed engraved with a phoenix and the character "Nan".
Hearing Niu You Dao's whisper, Lan Ruo Ting asked with interest:
— Master seems to be acquainted with Feng Lin Bo's daughter?
— Cough, cough — Niu You Dao smiled and shook his head.
Just then, a commotion erupted in the rear. Chao Zong immediately turned and shouted, "What's happening?"
Niu You Dao then saw Yuan Gang surrounded by a crowd of people, which immediately made him frown.
Several people quickly went there. Centurion Guan Tie led the way, and everyone parted before him. Seeing Yuan Gang standing opposite his bodyguards, Chao Zong asked again, "What's going on?"
Yuan Gang stood still, unmoving. He had a stony expression. Opposite him, another centurion, Cheng Shu Lin, pointed at Yuan Gang and angrily said:
— Prince! He said the Yinyang and Wuli Guards are trash!
Several people immediately glared at Yuan Gang. Shu Qing was surprised; Yuan Gang didn't do things without reason. Why would he say such a thing?
Chao Zong: "Brother Yuan, is that true?"
Yuan Gang replied indifferently, "It's not nonsense. It's the truth. Anyone who disagrees can test it!"
The prince's two bodyguards immediately showed their eagerness to give Yuan Gang a beating.
Chao Zong waved his hand and looked at Yuan Gang. He had long observed Yuan Gang's temperament and understood that this man had self-belief that was not unfounded, so he had long wanted to test him. And now, the moment had presented itself. So, he shouted:
— Good. Which of you brothers wants to test Brother Yuan!?
— Me!
— I'll go!
— Prince, allow me!
Immediately, a crowd of people volunteered to fight Yuan Gang. In the end, Cheng Shu Lin suppressed everyone with his voice and stepped forward to fight.