Chapter 431: Even a Cornered Dog Has to Leap the Wall

Tao Yan spoke with such an air of sincere devotion that Feng Ruoyi and Feng Ruojie were both stunned. They turned to stare at him together. This old bastard actually wanted to marry their younger sister?

Feng Lingbo gave Tao Yan a sidelong look or two, inwardly depressed. The man was already so old, yet he still had the nerve to talk about marrying his daughter. An old ox eating tender grass was one thing, but now he wanted to graze in Feng Lingbo's own household? The corner of Nong Changguang's mouth twitched.

He knew that even if Feng Ruonan remarried, she was unlikely to marry this man. Afterward, he very much wanted to repeat Tao Yan's words to Tao Yan's wife and see just how thoroughly the Tao household descended into chaos.

"We'll discuss what comes afterward when it comes." Feng Lingbo pressed the subject down before it dragged them too far off course. They had not even accomplished the deed yet, and already they were discussing whom his daughter would marry afterward. "Shang Chaozong still has more than a dozen personal guards at his side. Every one of them is utterly loyal to him, and all are veterans of the Yingyang and Wulie Guards who have survived countless battles. They cannot be underestimated."

"If we don't act, then so be it. But once we act, we must take them down with the speed of thunder, before anyone can cover their ears. There can be no delay. If we drag things out until Tianyu Sect's people rush back to reinforce them, every one of us will suffer the consequences!"

Those words amounted to a final decision. They were going to act. After another round of secret discussion, the men quickly dispersed, each returning to select capable and absolutely reliable troops. Above everything else, the news could not leak... What was coming had finally come.

Feng Lingbo personally carried an urgent report into the rear residence and found Chen Tingxiu and Feng Entai talking in a pavilion. He presented the report.

"Two Elders, the several hundred men from the three sects are only a few dozen li from Changping City. They'll be here soon."

The two elders read the report in turn. Chen Tingxiu, who was in charge here, rose.

"Junior Brother Feng, remain here and hold the position. I'll go to the south gate and see just how much nerve those three sects really have."

"Good!" Feng Entai nodded.

Before long, Chen Tingxiu led a large group of cultivators away at speed, bounding over the rooftops of the city's houses and heading straight for the south gate. More than half the Tianyu Sect disciples stationed in Changping City went with him. When Feng Lingbo emerged from the rear residence, he saw Peng Yulan waiting beneath an eave and quickly walked over.

He lowered his voice. "Elder Chen has already taken people to the south gate. He took more than half our manpower with him."

Peng Yulan nodded slightly. "Once I draw away the people remaining here, your side has to move quickly. If too much noise breaks out, it won't take long for those at the city gate to return."

"Don't worry," Feng Lingbo said. "I've prepared two thousand men. As long as you can draw the cultivators away, those two thousand will storm the residence and wipe out that handful of people in moments. Nothing will go wrong."

"I'll wait for your signal."

"And I'll wait for yours before I move."

They exchanged those words as they passed one another, then went their separate ways. Upon returning to her own courtyard, Peng Yulan summoned Shounian and instructed him to personally make a trip to invite her daughter, Feng Ruonan, over. Feng Lingbo paced back and forth inside the Government Affairs Hall, his spirit wound tight with excitement. He was nervous. He was exhilarated. He knew perfectly well that everything depended on this one move. Before long, Feng Ruoyi, Feng Ruojie, Tao Yan, and Nong Changguang arrived.

The moment he saw them, Feng Lingbo immediately waved away the formalities and stepped forward.

"Everything ready?"

Nong Changguang replied, "My lord can rest assured. The four of us have each selected five hundred elites. The moment we receive my lord's order, we can rush to the target and relieve the troops currently guarding the area. Once all two thousand men charge in, those few people will have no chance of surviving!"

Feng Lingbo's cold gaze swept over them.

"Remember, once you move, you must move quickly. Otherwise, if Tianyu Sect's disciples return, not only will we lose our opportunity, we'll also be facing enormous trouble ourselves."

"If we succeed, we're safe. If we fail, none of us will have an easy end."

Tao Yan said, "My lord can rest assured. So long as we're given even a little time, failure is impossible. All two thousand picked men are equipped with bows as well. With that many arrows loosed together, how could a mere dozen or twenty men withstand them? And the four of us will personally lead the attack. There will be no mistake!"

Feng Ruoyi and Feng Ruojie both looked grave. Their resolve had been made, but the thought of how they would face their younger sister afterward still left them unable to feel any joy. Yet they also understood that their father was not fighting only for himself. He was fighting for them. He was fighting for the entire Feng family. The arrow was already on the string and had to be loosed. Whether they became kings or defeated bandits would be decided today.

Feng Lingbo nodded. "Very good. Wait for my signal before acting. Do nothing that might reveal the plan or arouse suspicion."

"Yes!"

All four cupped their hands and accepted the order. Not far from the yamen, separated from it by only a quiet alley, stood the residence where Shang Chaozong and the others were confined. Shounian came alone from the yamen's rear gate and presented himself at the door. The moment the gray-haired old steward appeared, Bai Yao materialized almost like a ghost and blocked his path. Even Bai Yao did not dare behave too presumptuously toward this elderly steward. By seniority, Shounian was still Bai Yao's martial uncle.

In his younger years, Shounian had violated sect rules and been expelled. The present sect leader had later placed him with the Feng family so he would not end up reduced to an independent cultivator. That made his present relationship with Tianyu Sect difficult to define. He had been expelled from the sect, yet still remained under its protection. In practice, he was not so different from a Tianyu Sect disciple.

Bai Yao, sword held across his folded arms and face cold, uncrossed his arms and lowered the weapon as a sign of respect.

"What is it?"

Shounian said, "Madam wishes to see the young lady. She asked me to bring her over."

Bai Yao looked back and beckoned. A fellow disciple flashed over. Bai Yao ordered him to invite Feng Ruonan out rather than allow Shounian deeper into the residence. The two waited there facing each other for a while before the disciple returned with Feng Ruonan, who looked somewhat haggard.

Feng Ruonan asked Shounian, "Why does Mother want to see me?"

Shounian smiled. "Madam didn't say. Young Lady will naturally know once you see her."

Feng Ruonan did not think much of it. She had wanted to see someone from the Feng family as well. Unfortunately, everyone in the Feng household had seemed guilty around her lately and had been avoiding her. And so Feng Ruonan followed Shounian away. Bai Yao did not stop her. He had no reason to.

He looked back at Shang Shuqing, who had accompanied Feng Ruonan to the entrance, and gave her a slight nod before turning away and disappearing again. Shang Shuqing, who had stopped some distance back, watched Feng Ruonan leave before returning inside.

These days, she knew that her sister-in-law was the person suffering most, trapped between both sides. Shang Shuqing had stayed with her often to comfort her, afraid Feng Ruonan might be unable to bear it and do something rash. Putting herself in Feng Ruonan's place, Shang Shuqing understood. She was a woman too. If her own natal family treated her this way, she would find it just as difficult to endure. Shang Chaozong and the others in the inner residence had little to do.

Confined here, they could hardly be anything but idle, though worry remained lodged in their hearts. The movement of a large group of cultivators rapidly leaving the nearby residence still attracted their attention. A personal guard keeping watch from an upper floor came down and reported what he had seen. Shang Chaozong and the others gathered together.

Their knowledge of what was happening outside was limited, so they could not draw any firm conclusion. But one thing was certain: for so many cultivators to leave together without caring how shocking the sight might be to ordinary people, something had happened.

Shang Shuqing arrived and informed them, "Elder Brother, Peng Yulan just sent Steward Shounian over. He invited Sister-in-law to see her."

Shang Chaozong gave a cold snort. "She was a Feng to begin with. What's strange about that?"

Lan Ruoting looked helpless. Meng Shanming, seated in his wheelchair, sighed.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort is not a bad person. She merely has something of a man's temperament."

"Her words and actions in the early years often angered Your Highness, but she has gradually changed herself for you. That alone is enough to prove what is in her heart."

"Your Highness, in many matters the Princess Consort has no choice either. No one is suffering more than she is. You should show her some understanding."

Once Meng Shanming spoke, it was like an uncle disciplining his nephew. Shang Chaozong pursed his lips and said nothing further. But in his heart he truly found the situation distasteful. Years ago, when he seized control of Guangyi Commandery, Feng Ruonan had quarreled with him and had even fought him physically. Now the Feng family was moving against him, yet Feng Ruonan had not said a single word...

Several streets away, inside an ordinary small residence, Yuan Gang climbed onto the courtyard wall and watched a large group of cultivators race toward the south gate. His red face had been darkened to a bronze complexion. Without some disguise, his natural coloring was simply too conspicuous. The courtyard gate opened. Yuan Feng entered carrying baskets on a shoulder pole, likewise disguised. Yuan Gang glanced back at him and jumped down from the wall. Yuan Feng shut the gate, set down his load, and hurried over.

"Boss, that group of cultivators just made quite a commotion. Did you see them?"

Yuan Gang nodded as he walked toward the house.

"Judging by the timing, it should be the arrival of the three sects that drew them away."

Inside, Yuan Gang pulled a map from a hollow bamboo pole leaning against the wall and spread it over the table. It was a detailed map of the residences and streets inside Changping City.

Staring at the map, he asked, "Any movement among Feng Lingbo's troops?"

"Nothing obvious yet," Yuan Feng replied. "Boss, do you really think Feng Lingbo will move against His Highness?"

"I don't know," Yuan Gang said. "But Master Dao already made the situation clear. Tianyu Sect does not dare let anything happen to His Highness right now. The person we truly have to guard against is Feng Lingbo, if he becomes a cornered dog desperate enough to leap the wall."

Yuan Feng asked, "With Tianyu Sect here, can Feng Lingbo even find a chance to act?"

"Whether he has a chance or not, watching his troops closely can't be wrong," Yuan Gang said.

"Shang Chaozong is himself a general who dares charge into battle. His martial skill is good, and the personal guards around him are all capable men."

"Without Tianyu Sect participating, even a hundred men might not be able to deal with them easily."

"So if Feng Lingbo does nothing, fine. But if he decides to act, he won't send only a handful of men."

"Tell the brothers to watch his troops closely. The instant anything abnormal happens, report it."

"Understood."

Yuan Feng hesitated, then said, "Boss, only a hundred of us came. Feng Lingbo has a large garrison stationed inside this city alone. If we clash with them and the army surrounds us, we won't have any chance of escaping."

Yuan Gang looked up. "Afraid?"

Yuan Feng smiled bitterly. "Not afraid. It's just genuinely too dangerous. Even if we act, there's no way we can rescue His Highness."

"Did I say we were going to fight them?" Yuan Gang replied. "You're thinking too much. Watch the situation first. I won't send the brothers to do something we already know is impossible."

"Close the gates!"

At the south gate, the defending general shouted from atop the wall. The commoners passing through below were immediately cut off. The soldiers stationed outside rapidly withdrew, and dozens of men heaved against the heavy city gates. With a deep boom, the gates closed. Chen Tingxiu, who had been sitting inside a gate tower, walked out and stood with his hands clasped behind his back before the battlements. A group of Tianyu Sect cultivators appeared behind him. Everyone stared into the distance. Dust was rising from the official road ahead.

Several hundred riders were approaching at speed, the thunder of hoofbeats growing clearer and clearer. The soldiers atop the walls went into full battle readiness. Heavy siege crossbows used for defending the city were hauled into position, cocked, and aimed outward.

[End of Chapter 431]