The terrifying atmosphere frightened Yuan Fang so much that he hid behind Niu You Dao, not daring to show his head.
“What does the Princess intend to do?” Niu You Dao asked calmly.
Feng Ru Nan took a step, crossing the threshold. “You wish to know what I intend to do?”
Niu You Dao: “Are you really going to kill me, your go-between?”
“Go-between?” Feng Ru Nan recalled how he had borrowed money from her, deeply shaming her. Barely suppressing her rage, she calmly said, “Do you think I wouldn’t dare?”
Niu You Dao: “I believe the Princess would not dare. Otherwise, you would have to consider the Prince. Regardless of anything, the Prince is still your husband.”
Feng Ru Nan placed her hand on the hilt of the sword hanging at her waist and, glaring askance at him, said, “First, I’ll kill the go-between, then the Prince. What then?”
Niu You Dao was astonished by her madness, while Yuan Fang trembled all over. Yuan Gang slowly shifted, moving to a more advantageous position.
Feng Ru Nan, pointing a finger at Yuan Fang, said, “If you don’t hand him over, you’ll die!”
Niu You Dao looked at Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Chu, standing beside her, all holding swords.
“The Prince instructed us. If you wish to do anything, first go to the Prince. There’s no need to unleash your wrath upon subordinates. Otherwise, I will not agree!”
After their words, the sound of footsteps once again echoed.
Feng Ru Nan had caused such a commotion that Chao Zong and others rushed over.
“What is it?” Chao Zong shouted. Lan Ruo Ting, Shu Qing, and others hurried in behind him.
Niu You Dao looked at them and calmly explained, “The Princess doesn’t know right from wrong and wishes to take my subordinate!” As he spoke, he pointed at the person standing behind him.
Chao Zong turned and displeased, asked Feng Ru Nan, “What are you plotting?”
Feng Ru Nan drew her sword and said, “Make him hand him over to me!”
Chao Zong angrily: “What if he doesn’t?”
Hearing this, Niu You Dao immediately approved of Chao Zong’s reaction. In such a situation, he didn’t bother discerning who was right; he immediately moved to protect his own people.
“If you don’t, we’ll see!” Feng Ru Nan pointed her sword at him. She, too, was enraged. Images from that night flashed before her eyes. How could he be so shameless?
“Princess, don’t make a fuss!” Bai Yao’s voice resonated from outside. “Are you all gathered here to kill each other?”
Although he wasn’t visible, Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Chu immediately grew uneasy. His voice clearly held more sway over them than Feng Ru Nan’s, so they promptly moved aside. Only Weng Li and Weng Xing remained near Feng Ru Nan.
At that moment, Bai Yao appeared in the doorway, sword in hand. He once again spoke loudly, “Princess!”
“We’ll see!” Feng Ru Nan said, pointing at Chao Zong, then turned and left.
Lan Ruo Ting immediately bowed with cupped hands to Bai Yao, expressing gratitude.
Bai Yao cast an indifferent glance at everyone present, then slowly departed.
Niu You Dao turned and said to Yuan Fang:
“For now, stay by my side. If anyone wishes to harm you, let them harm me first!”
Yuan Fang nodded. He himself had no particular desire to leave anywhere at that moment.
Lan Ruo Ting stepped forward and, cupping his hands, asked, “Lord Dao, what exactly is going on?”
Niu You Dao, pointing at Yuan Fang, said, “This fellow picked up some bad habits in the monastery. So, when the Prince was having his wedding night, he inadvertently slipped something into the food to ensure the Prince’s success that night!”
Sooner or later, everyone would find out anyway, so there was no point in concealing it any longer.
Yuan Fang quietly bowed his head, cursing inwardly: *What does 'inadvertently' even mean?* Yet, under the current circumstances, he couldn’t say anything to Niu You Dao, who was currently his only protector. So, he had no choice but to admit his guilt.
Chao Zong immediately flared up: “Scoundrel!” He flicked his sleeve and walked away.
Lan Ruo Ting and Shu Qing exchanged glances. They, of course, understood. Although Niu You Dao had shifted all the blame onto Yuan Fang, he was the primary instigator in this matter.
Lan Ruo Ting smiled bitterly and said, “Under the current circumstances, I implore Lord Dao to be more patient. There’s no need to escalate these conflicts.”
Niu You Dao replied with a smile, “Sir Lan, don’t worry. What is necessary, I will endure; what is not, I will not endure.”
Lan Ruo Ting was speechless. What he said, or didn’t say, what difference did it make? So, he merely shook his head and departed as well.
After they left, it grew quiet for a moment. However, Yuan Fang decided he would follow Niu You Dao wherever he went.
However, not long after, a monk rushed in and, flustered, said, “Abbot, it’s bad! The Princess has seized two of our men...”
He explained a little, and Yuan Fang immediately understood everything. These two monks were precisely the ones he had taken with him for Chao Zong’s affair.
Yuan Fang immediately began to plead with Niu You Dao, “Lord Dao, please save them. These two monks were with me and helped me slip the medicine to the Princess. If they say anything, I’m finished!”
In truth, he knew it wouldn’t be easy to make his monks talk. However, he couldn’t simply watch his people, who had followed him, suffer like this.
Niu You Dao understood him. They had tried to seize Yuan Fang but failed. Now they wanted to legitimately apprehend Yuan Fang. This Feng Ru Nan had shown her stance and apparently wouldn’t yield. Therefore, she needed to prove Yuan Fang’s guilt.
Yuan Gang, standing by the window, suddenly leaned out and leaped down from the second floor.
Niu You Dao quickly rushed to the window and looked forward. He saw Yuan Gang swiftly approach someone.
Weng Xing, who had just finished relaying orders to the riders outside the post station and was returning, was startled. Yuan Gang rushed up to her and immediately grabbed her neck, then pressed a dagger to it.
Weng Xing, terrified, stammered:
“You... what do you want to do?”
Niu You Dao and Yuan Fang also jumped down and approached.
Yuan Gang’s actions attracted the attention of quite a few people. Even Bai Yao rose up on the rooftop.
As soon as Niu You Dao reached Yuan Gang, he turned his head to the monks and asked, “Where are the captured monks?”
That monk pointed to a tent and said, “In that tent.”
Niu You Dao, raising his sword, headed there. Yuan Gang, holding Weng Xing, also led her along. This served as a warning to the others that any wrong move and Weng Xing would be killed.
At this time, Chao Zong and others rushed over. Seeing the situation, they asked, “What happened?”
Niu You Dao paid them no mind. This man couldn’t even control his own woman, and now he was asking what happened.
Lan Ruo Ting could only sigh heavily. Everything had barely settled down, and now something else had happened.
Yuan Fang waved his hand, and a crowd of monks also rushed over.
Stirred by the commotion, Feng Ru Nan emerged from her tent and, seeing the situation, angrily declared, “How dare you seize my person? Release her!”
Niu You Dao stopped, holding his sword before him: “No problem, I’ll release her. But you release my people first.”
Hearing this, Chao Zong and the others understood what had happened. Chao Zong gradually began to fume.
*This woman is insane.*
Feng Ru Nan angrily said, “This is no place for negotiation. I tell you, release her, or don’t blame me!”
Niu You Dao said nothing. He simply raised his head slightly.
“Slap! Slap! Slap...” A crisp sound echoed.
Yuan Gang grabbed Weng Xing by the arm, and with his other hand, delivered several slaps right in front of the crowd. So hard that blood gushed from her nose and mouth. The poor girl burst into tears.
Feng Ru Nan’s eyes widened as she stared at Weng Xing. This wasn’t just beating Weng Xing; it was also a blatant slap to Feng Ru Nan’s own face. She immediately told two of her people to bring out the monks. When they were led out, their beaten faces were clearly visible. After this, Feng Ru Nan furiously said, “Release her quickly, or I’ll kill them!”
Her subordinates immediately pressed knives to the monks’ bellies. However, the monks dared not utter a word.
Niu You Dao remained silent. Yuan Gang, without hesitation, twisted Weng Xing’s arm, causing a sharp crack. He had dislocated her arm.
“Ahhh!” Weng Xing shrieked in pain before the crowd. Behind Feng Ru Nan, Weng Li paled. Chao Zong and the others only now realized how ruthless Yuan Gang could be!
Feng Ru Nan angrily shouted, “Are you tired of living?”
Yuan Gang immediately released her arm and grabbed Weng Xing’s other forearm.
“Stop!” Bai Yao, standing on the rooftop, shouted loudly.
Niu You Dao slightly lifted his chin, and Yuan Gang immediately halted. However, he instantly held the dagger back to Weng Xing’s neck to keep the others at bay.
At this moment, Feng Ru Nan and her people, and Chao Zong and his people on the other side, stood facing each other.
Bai Yao swiftly flashed, appearing between the two sides. He said in a cold tone,
“Everyone, quickly release your people!”
Feng Ru Nan gnashed her teeth. Bai Yao had commanded her, and she dared not ignore him.
Feng Ru Nan, pointing at Niu You Dao, angrily said:
“Bastard, first return my debt!”
“Since Senior Bai has spoken, I will say no more. I trust Senior Bai!” Niu You Dao waved his hand. “Release her!”
The tension gradually diffused. Bai Yao looked at Yuan Gang.
Yuan Gang withdrew the dagger and pushed Weng Xing away.
Weng Xing staggered towards her people. Someone rushed over and caught her.
Bai Yao also looked at Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Chu. They no longer paid attention to Feng Ru Nan and likewise pushed the two monks forward.
Niu You Dao looked at the two and noticed that nothing serious had happened to them. He then said,
“Since the Princess has mentioned a debt, and with Senior Bai present, I wish to clarify things to ensure that henceforth, neither side escalates the situation nor disrupts our peaceful relations. I wonder what Senior Bai thinks of this?”