Chapter 1270: What Kind of Nonsense Is This?

Yuan Gang's reason for going was simple.

He had made a mistake back then, and he intended to take responsibility for it. In his view, Feng Guan'er's present situation had something to do with him.

What angered Niu Youdao even more was that Yuan Gang had actually written in the letter that Niu Youdao did not need to concern himself with the matter. It was Yuan Gang's own affair, and he would handle it himself.

Clearly, he also knew Niu Youdao needed to remain hidden for the time being and could not afford to expose the slightest trace of himself.

"Bastard! Throwing away his life over a woman!"

Niu Youdao slapped the letter onto the table, furious.

There were not many people capable of making him this angry.

Yuan Gang was one of them.

The problem was that whenever Yuan Gang's stubborn streak turned foolish, Niu Youdao truly had no way to deal with him.

Guan Fangyi snorted from the side. "What's wrong with doing it for a woman? That's what you call a real man. What kind of man is a man who doesn't know how to protect a woman?"

"Whatever else you say about Monkey, I admire him for this."

"Protect her? With what?" Niu Youdao pointed at her nose and cursed. "And you still have the face to talk? What were you doing? He'd been gone an entire day before anyone noticed?"

Guan Fangyi's eyes immediately widened. "His legs grow on his own body. Can I control where he goes? You know perfectly well he never listens to me."

"Besides, you're the one who forces me to cultivate every day. I was shut away cultivating. How was I supposed to know when he left?"

"He even hid it from you. Was he supposed to come say goodbye to me first?"

Niu Youdao laughed from sheer anger. "Hongniang, I'm forcing you to cultivate? What, are you cultivating on my behalf?"

"If you don't want to cultivate, fine. Give the fruit back. I'll give it to someone else!"

"Don't!" Guan Fangyi instantly broke into a beaming smile and pressed his pointing hand down. "Look at you. Something happens and you immediately lose your temper."

"It's already happened. We just need to handle it properly."

"Don't worry. The moment I found out, I had Wuliang Mountain's people in the Song capital keep an eye on him."

Niu Youdao said, "What the hell is Wuliang Mountain going to accomplish by watching him?"

Guan Fangyi said, "What are you afraid of? Don't you have people in the Song capital?"

"Send Jia Wuqun a message and it'll be done. With the Chancellor's residence behind him, what could happen in the Song capital that he couldn't settle?"

Niu Youdao said, "You think Jia Wuqun is suitable for openly stepping forward to help Monkey?"

"Are you afraid people don't know Jia Wuqun has ties to Nanzhou?"

Guan Fangyi said, "Then how about I make the trip personally?"

Niu Youdao paced back and forth for a while.

Then he suddenly waved a hand. "Forget it! Since he's determined to court death, let him die."

Guan Fangyi stared. "You're serious? You can really bring yourself to wash your hands of Monkey?"

Niu Youdao asked, "Can you control a monkey born to climb trees? What am I supposed to do—kill him, or put a chain around his neck?"

Guan Fangyi still looked unconvinced. She tested him. "You're really not going to interfere?"

Niu Youdao fell briefly silent, then sighed.

"There probably won't be any major problem."

"On the surface, Monkey is still one of the Prince's men. If anything happens, the Song side won't dare act recklessly."

"Monkey doesn't have any particular feud with Song either."

"Have Wuliang Mountain keep watching him. If anything unusual happens, report it immediately."

"Tch. Knife mouth, tofu heart."

Guan Fangyi twisted away with a look of disdain.

"Not one of you gives me any peace!" Niu Youdao cursed at her swaying back.

...

In the Song capital, outside a secluded courtyard, Yuan Gang walked step by step toward the main gate with the Three-Roars Saber strapped across his back.

Just like his temperament, his approach was fierce and direct.

He simply showed himself openly and came straight to the place where Feng Guan'er was being held.

"Who are you?"

Two soldiers at the gate blocked him.

A cultivator in Lingxiao Pavilion robes immediately appeared just inside the entrance and glanced outside.

Yuan Gang raised a hand, pointed at the cultivator, and said in a deep voice, "You. Come here."

The cultivator froze.

Then he slowly walked over and stood on the steps by the gate, looking down at Yuan Gang.

"Red-face, looking for me?"

Yuan Gang said, "I'm here to see Feng Guan'er. Trouble you to pass along a message. Tell her an old friend has come to visit."

The cultivator did not know whether to laugh or get angry.

But Yuan Gang's bearing was unusual enough that he asked, "She has plenty of old friends. She doesn't meet just anyone. You should at least give your name."

Yuan Gang said, "Yuan Gang, Maolu Villa, Nanzhou, State of Yan."

"Tell her that if she refuses to see me, I'll make the matter public."

"You're that Yuan Gang under Niu Youdao?" The cultivator was surprised.

"That's me."

The cultivator looked puzzled. "How do you know Feng Guan'er?"

"That has nothing to do with you. Go report it."

The cultivator looked him up and down for a while, then threw out one sentence.

"Wait here."

He turned and left.

Before long, the same cultivator appeared inside the courtyard again and called out, "Let him in."

The guards at the gate stepped aside.

After Yuan Gang entered, however, the cultivator demanded to search him.

Once the search was finished, he looked surprised.

"You're not a cultivator?"

"No."

The cultivator was speechless.

He thought to himself, If you're not a cultivator, what were you acting so arrogant for just now?

He had heard there was someone called Yuan Gang under Niu Youdao, but he did not know the details and had never heard that Yuan Gang was not a cultivator.

"Follow me."

The cultivator led him into the rear courtyard.

Inside a pavilion there stood a familiar figure, her appearance unchanged.

Feng Guan'er remained graceful and beautiful, exquisite as jade.

She stood waiting for him.

Seeing Yuan Gang again, her mind flashed back to that unbearable night.

Shame rose in her until she could barely endure it.

She had not wanted to see him in the first place, but he had threatened to make the matter public.

Man and woman faced each other in silence.

The cultivator beside them broke it.

"Hand over the saber first."

Yuan Gang looked at him and showed no intention of surrendering it.

Feng Guan'er spoke instead. "Senior Brother, it's fine."

She raised a hand slightly, signaling that they should be given some room to talk privately.

The cultivator gave an "Oh."

"Then be careful."

He looked at Yuan Gang a couple more times before leaving and stopped some distance away to keep watch.

Once no one else was nearby, Feng Guan'er asked, "Why have you come?"

Yuan Gang said, "I heard you've been put under house arrest. Why are they holding you?"

Feng Guan'er said, "That has nothing to do with you. If you came for this, then please leave. You and I have nothing to discuss."

Yuan Gang was direct. "Come with me. I'll take you away."

Was he trying to rekindle what had happened between them?

Shame and anger appeared on Feng Guan'er's face.

"There is nothing between you and me anymore. Please leave. If you don't, I'll call them over and have you escorted out."

Yuan Gang said, "If you've run into some difficulty, tell me. I'll think of a way to solve it for you."

"No need. My own affairs, I..."

Feng Guan'er stopped halfway through the sentence.

Something seemed to occur to her.

She asked, "I heard that Yucang, who now holds power in Qin, used to have a fairly good relationship with Niu Youdao. Is that true?"

Yuan Gang said, "I wouldn't call it much of a relationship. They used each other, that's all."

"What? Did Yucang cause you to be put under house arrest?"

"If that's the case, I'll help you settle it."

"No."

Feng Guan'er stepped out of the pavilion.

But once she drew closer to Yuan Gang, she again caught the familiar scent of his body from her memory.

She bit her lower lip lightly and forced herself to cast aside the distracting thoughts.

"Two Supreme Generals of Qin attacked Xiping Pass and failed. Both were executed one after the other."

"Now Luo Zhao has been ordered to attack."

"I hear the battle is going badly."

"I'm afraid he'll follow the same path."

"If it really reaches that point, could you speak to Yucang and ask him not to make things difficult for Luo Zhao?"

Yuan Gang said, "I heard you and Luo Zhao are already divorced. Why are you still worrying about him?"

Feng Guan'er bit her lip.

"I was the one who did wrong."

"I was the one who failed him."

"I owe him."

"Now he's facing a calamity of life and death. I have to help him once."

Yuan Gang said, "Sorry. This concerns Qin's survival. Yucang won't listen to me. I can't help you."

Feng Guan'er said, "If you can help him survive this crisis, I'll go with you."

Yuan Gang fell silent.

At last, he nodded.

"Fine. I'll help you. Come with me."

"Now?" Feng Guan'er froze. She had not expected him to be this direct.

Yuan Gang asked, "Is there a problem?"

Feng Guan'er said, "They won't let me leave so easily. Are you planning to kill your way out with me?"

"Even if you can fight your way out of here, can you fight your way out of the capital? Can you fight your way out of Song?"

"And I can't go with you now anyway."

"First accomplish what you promised. Once you've fulfilled that promise, then we can talk about you taking me away."

Yuan Gang nodded. "Fine. Wait for my message."

With that, he turned to leave.

That easily?

Feng Guan'er stared, then hurriedly called, "Wait."

Yuan Gang stopped and turned around. "Anything else?"

Feng Guan'er hesitated. "Aren't you afraid I'll go back on my word?"

Yuan Gang said, "No. I owe you. I came here to solve your trouble for you."

For some reason, Feng Guan'er felt a wave of emotion in her heart.

She stared at him and said, "They won't let me leave easily. If I can't get out, that can't count as me breaking my word."

Yuan Gang asked, "Once it's done, do you want to stay here, or do you want to leave with me?"

Feng Guan'er watched him for a moment. "I have to help Luo Zhao through this crisis first. Only then can I leave with you."

Yuan Gang said, "Understood."

"Stay here and don't worry."

"Once the matter is settled, I'll find someone capable of getting you out and ask for help."

"I won't let you be put in danger."

"You'll definitely be able to leave this place."

"Wait for my message."

With that, he turned and walked away.

Feng Guan'er could only stare after him in silence.

...

One day later, Yuan Gang returned to Nanzhou and stood before Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao sat behind the desk, leafing through something in his hands as though he could not see him.

Guan Fangyi stood off to the side, gently waving her round fan and watching the show.

Yuan Gang spoke first.

"Master Dao, help me with something."

Niu Youdao gave a disdainful snort without looking up.

"Grandpa Monkey can do whatever he wants. Why would you need my help?"

"That's too big a joke. I can't afford such an honor."

Yuan Gang said, "I dare take Feng Guan'er and fight our way out of Song."

"But I'm afraid she could be killed in the process."

"I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Help me get her out safely."

"What kind of nonsense is this? What the hell are you talking about?"

Niu Youdao finally looked up.

Yuan Gang said, "Lingxiao Pavilion has her under house arrest. I want to take her away."

Niu Youdao asked, "What use could she possibly be to anyone? Why would Lingxiao Pavilion put her under house arrest?"

Yuan Gang said, "I don't know."

Niu Youdao's expression turned suspicious. "You don't know? Didn't you meet her?"

"I asked. She didn't say."

"..."

Niu Youdao stared at him, completely baffled.

"Then what the hell did you go there for?"

"You don't know anything. You don't even know what she's involved in, and now you're asking me to fish her out?"

"That isn't how you normally handle things."

Yuan Gang said, "She's different. If she doesn't want to say, I won't press her."

Guan Fangyi burst into a muffled laugh.

Niu Youdao looked utterly puzzled.

"What exactly is going on here?"

"Why are you taking her away?"

"Did she ask you to get her out?"

Yuan Gang said, "She's willing to leave, so I'll take her with me."

"But she wants to repay what she owes Luo Zhao before she goes."

"I'll handle Luo Zhao's matter."

"As for getting her out safely, I'll have to trouble Master Dao."

After saying that, he bowed slightly, turned, and started walking away, as though utterly certain Niu Youdao would help him.

"Luo Zhao?"

"Has your brain filled with water?"

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

"What matter involving Luo Zhao are you going to handle?"

"Stop! Get your ass back here!"

Niu Youdao threw down what he was holding and stood up.

Yuan Gang stopped with his back still turned.

Guan Fangyi's bright eyes flickered as she stared at his back.

[End of Chapter 1270]