Everyone waited in the main hall for a short while before the Prince's Mansion guards soon brought in a man and a woman.
The man was none other than Guo Jing.
His face was pale, his clothes tattered, and he looked utterly haggard—like a beggar through and through. His time in prison had not been easy. Although Sha Tongtian had held back out of caution, Guo Jing had still suffered plenty. Going hungry from one meal to the next had become routine.
Compared to Guo Jing, the young woman's treatment had been far better. She was clean from head to toe, her spirits high and complexion rosy. Rather than someone who had been captured, she looked more like an honored guest.
Ouyang Ke treated her politely and said gently, "Miss Huang, please come with us later."
Faced with this hypocritical lecher, Huang Rong felt nothing but disgust. She sneered, "Ouyang Ke, you poisoned me and abducted me here. If my father finds out, he'll make sure you die horribly."
Ouyang Ke chuckled. "Miss Huang exaggerates. I merely worried about your safety while you were traveling alone, so I took this measure and brought you to the Prince's Mansion. I trust Island Master Huang will understand my good intentions."
"Rest assured, I've already written to my uncle. Before Island Master Huang finds you, my uncle Ouyang Feng will arrive here first to await him. Then I will formally propose marriage to you."
"Pah!" Huang Rong wrinkled her delicate nose in disdain. "You want me to marry you? Keep dreaming! When the time comes, I'll have my father kill you."
Ouyang Ke stopped arguing. If not for the soft hedgehog armor she wore—and his fear of offending Huang Yaoshi—he would have dealt with this little girl long ago.
Wanyan Honglie overheard their exchange and turned to Ouyang Ke with a frown. "This young lady's background doesn't seem ordinary."
Ouyang Ke cupped his hands. "Your Highness, Miss Huang is the only daughter of Huang Yaoshi, Island Master of Peach Blossom Island. Her status is indeed extraordinary."
Wanyan Honglie said nothing, only fixed Ouyang Ke with a long look.
Understanding immediately, Ouyang Ke smiled. "Your Highness need not worry about angering Island Master Huang. My uncle is a grandmaster on par with him. If my proposal succeeds, the Prince's Mansion may gain two grandmaster-level experts as guests."
Wanyan Honglie burst into laughter. "Then I'll congratulate Young Master Ouyang in advance."
The other experts looked at Ouyang Ke with envy. Some people were simply born winners. No matter the era, nothing beat having a powerful father.
Soon after, at Wanyan Honglie's command, large numbers of Jin soldiers began assembling outside the Prince's Mansion. Even the city guards of Yanjing were mobilized.
In the blink of an eye, nearly ten thousand Jin soldiers formed up.
Seeing this, Wanyan Kang wanted to say something, but the look on his father's face told him the decision was already made.
Though Wanyan Honglie treated Wanyan Kang as his own son, he still doubted that anyone alive could so easily defeat a military formation of nearly a thousand Jin soldiers. Even a grandmaster might not manage such a feat.
He believed his son had simply been frightened out of his wits.
Still, if the other party truly was a peerless expert, it would be best not to provoke him if possible. However—
If neither of these two were the scholar's friend, Wanyan Honglie couldn't guarantee the man wouldn't vent his anger on the Prince's Mansion. A clash seemed inevitable, so preparations had to be made.
He wanted to see just how formidable this scholar, spoken of so fearfully by Wanyan Kang, truly was.
Escorted by the massive army, the group set off toward Chu Yang's location.
Huang Rong and Guo Jing were surrounded by Jin soldiers. Unsure where they were being taken, neither dared act rashly. Annoyed, Huang Rong glanced at the tall, simple-looking fellow beside her and tilted her head, whispering, "Hey, big guy, how did you end up being dragged into the Prince's Mansion?"
Guo Jing replied dully, "They framed me for murder."
Huang Rong's interest was instantly piqued. She bared her small tiger teeth and asked excitedly, "Murder? Who did you kill?"
"I didn't kill anyone," Guo Jing said angrily, recounting everything from his encounter with Hou Tonghai and the Yellow River Four Ghosts, to their fierce fight, to how Chu Yang had been inadvertently dragged in, killed Hou Tonghai and the others, and then framed him.
Perhaps because he'd been bottling it up for too long, Guo Jing's usually slow mind suddenly worked flawlessly. He told it all in one smooth breath, without a single stumble.
After hearing it, Huang Rong frowned. The man really was unlucky. But then she thought that the pitiable often had their own faults.
She said, "What that man did to frame you was indeed despicable. But have you considered this—if he truly were an ordinary, powerless person, wouldn't he have died already in the chaos between you and your enemies?"
Guo Jing lowered his head and remained silent for a long while.
Huang Rong found this honest fool rather interesting. She patted his shoulder and grinned. "Since we're sharing adversity now, I guess we can count as half-friends. If I ever run into that guy again, I'll definitely help you kick his butt."
When Huang Rong smiled—skin like jade, bright eyes and white teeth—she looked like a fairy stepping out of a painting. Guo Jing found himself staring without realizing it.
That gaze reminded Huang Rong of Ouyang Ke. She frowned slightly, turned away, and stopped paying attention to him, instead admiring the scenery along the street as if she weren't being escorted at all.
Walking alongside Wanyan Honglie, Ouyang Ke noticed the two chatting and laughing. Jealous flames flared in his heart, his expression turning dark.
Guo Jing irritated him no matter how he looked at him.
As the army passed through, the streets were deserted. Every household had its doors tightly shut. Adults hid behind the doors, peering out through cracks at the Jin soldiers.
Children were dragged into inner rooms, mouths covered, afraid to make a sound.
In ancient times, soldiers and bandits were separated by little more than a single thought.
After passing through several streets, they could vaguely see the martial arts arena set up for the marriage tournament.
At that moment, Guo Jing suddenly became agitated. He spotted a familiar figure—the very person who had caused his imprisonment.
He pointed ahead and turned to Huang Rong. "Miss Huang, that's the guy I told you about!"
Huang Rong stood on tiptoe and looked. The figure she'd longed for filled her vision, and her face immediately showed disbelief—followed by uncontrollable joy. Memories of her recent hardships welled up, tears gathering in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Guo Jing was still saying foolishly, "Miss Huang, didn't you say you'd help me kick—"
Huang Rong abruptly turned, glaring fiercely at Guo Jing and startling him. Without another word, she kicked him squarely in the backside.
"You shameless liar who turns black into white!"
Guo Jing went flying and landed on the ground, eyes full of confusion. He couldn't understand how someone who'd just called him half a friend could change so suddenly.
That kick had landed on his own butt…
Guo Jing felt utterly wronged, on the verge of tears.
His masters had been right—women's minds were the most complicated things in the world.
Seeing Guo Jing get kicked, Ouyang Ke, who had been jealous moments before, couldn't help clapping in delight and laughing loudly. "Well kicked, Miss Huang! I also think this kid looks suspicious."
Huang Rong sneered. "Just wait. You're next."
Ouyang Ke: "…"
Wanyan Honglie scanned the area, searching for Bao Xiruo.
The next second, his eyes nearly burst from their sockets.
He saw Bao Xiruo.
She was pressed intimately against a middle-aged man, gently wiping the dirt from his face with a silk handkerchief.
Bao Xiruo's face overflowed with happiness—an expression Wanyan Honglie had never seen in eighteen years.
The shocking scene made Wanyan Honglie tremble violently, nearly falling from his horse.
"Father!"Wanyan Kang quickly supported him.
"I'm fine."Wanyan Honglie took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Wanyan Kang looked at his father in suspicion, only to see his eyes bloodshot, like a man-eating beast.
He was shocked.
"Your Highness, is that the Princess Consort?"Ouyang Ke glanced from afar, saw the same scene, and pointed forward in disbelief.
Wanyan Kang followed his gaze and immediately exploded in rage. "That damned bastard! How dare he humiliate my mother like this!"
Cursing as he went, Wanyan Kang used lightness skill and charged toward Yang Tiexin, so furious that he completely forgot Chu Yang even existed.
Chu Yang calmly stretched out a foot and tripped the charging Wanyan Kang. The latter went flying, rolling and tumbling until he landed right in front of Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo.
On both knees.
It looked like a dutiful son kneeling to wish his father a happy birthday.
Chu Yang nodded. "Pretty filial kid."
Yang Tiexin was also flustered. He hurried to help Wanyan Kang up, muttering, "Though we haven't seen each other in eighteen years, your filial heart truly comforts this father."
Wanyan Kang flew into a rage. He pulled a dagger from his robes and stabbed straight at Yang Tiexin's chest.
In a flash, Chu Yang used wandless magic and cast the Summoning Charm on the dagger. The blade flew from Wanyan Kang's hand and clattered onto the ground.
Wanyan Kang stared at his empty hand, suddenly questioning the meaning of life.
Seeing his son attempt to stab him, Yang Tiexin cried out in heartbreak, "Kang'er, I'm your father!"
Wanyan Kang snarled, veins bulging. "I'm your grandfather!"
"So… different generations?" Chu Yang turned to Mu Nianci, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Your family tree's pretty messy."
Mu Nianci: "…"
Bao Xiruo stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Wanyan Kang, tears blurring her eyes as she said softly,"Kang'er… he really is your father."
Hearing his mother say this with her own lips, Wanyan Kang felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. His entire body froze in place.
Watching the wife and child he had raised for eighteen years preparing to slap a huge, metaphorical green hat onto his head, Wanyan Honglie could no longer sit still.
He immediately ordered large numbers of Jin soldiers to surround Chu Yang and the others tightly, cutting off whatever Bao Xiruo was about to say next.
Chu Yang looked at the Jin soldiers around him. This scene had played out not even half an incense stick ago—eerily familiar.
"Sure enough," Chu Yang shook his head helplessly,"the only lesson humanity ever learns from history is that humanity never learns any lessons from history."
Unlike Wanyan Kang, Wanyan Honglie did not rashly order an attack. Surrounded by a group of martial experts, he rode his horse forward to face Chu Yang.
Guo Jing and Huang Rong were also brought over.
"Presumably, you are the expert Kang'er spoke of," Wanyan Honglie said from atop his tall horse. "Today, I'll give you some face. You used my wife and son as leverage, and I won't argue with you over it. I've brought the person you wanted—so I ask that you also give me some face."
His tone was polite enough, but cold to the bone.
Ouyang Ke shoved Guo Jing out of the crowd first.
Seeing him, Chu Yang was a little surprised. He hadn't expected this guy to be locked up in the Zhao Prince's Manor, much less that they'd meet again here.
Acquaintance or not, Chu Yang had no intention of saving him from disaster. He shook his head."Not him."
Ouyang Ke's expression tightened, and he instinctively looked toward Huang Rong.
A trace of hesitation flashed across Wanyan Honglie's face.
Ever since Ouyang Ke had explained Huang Rong's background, Wanyan Honglie had grown increasingly reluctant to hand her over.
If things went the way Ouyang Ke claimed, with Western Venom Ouyang Feng and Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi becoming in-laws and both serving the Zhao Prince's Manor, that would benefit him immensely.
"Why not take another careful look?" Wanyan Honglie said hypocritically. "Aside from him, there are no other outsiders in my Zhao Prince's Manor."
Chu Yang smiled gently, one hand behind his back, the other resting at his abdomen."Why don't you think a little harder yourself, Prince Zhao? If you truly can't produce a second person… then I'm afraid you won't be walking out of this street today."
The moment those words fell, the atmosphere between both sides turned murderous.
Being threatened so openly, even Wanyan Honglie—known for his composure—felt his blood boil.
Meanwhile, Huang Rong, standing among the crowd, had no idea Chu Yang was actually here for her. She stared blankly at the former schoolteacher standing alone against thousands of troops, his presence completely unyielding.
"So Xiao Chu is actually a top-tier expert?" she fumed inwardly."Hiding something this big from me—when we get back, I'll make him pay!"
Jealousy surged as she clenched her small fists in anger.
At that moment—
"Impudent madman, show some respect!"
Peng Lianhu and Sha Tongtian leapt into the air simultaneously, attacking Chu Yang!
They simply refused to believe that Chu Yang was as terrifying as Wanyan Kang described.
Peng Lianhu wielded a pair of iron judge's pens, while Sha Tongtian carried a jet-black iron oar. Neither weapon was common, making them instantly recognizable.
The two attacked together—one striking at Chu Yang's lower body with the pens, the other sweeping the iron oar toward his neck.
"Two murderers calling themselves 'Thousand-Hand Butcher' and 'Ghost Gate Dragon King'—really just gold trim on a chamber pot," Chu Yang sneered.
His Observation Haki had already predicted their attack paths. He casually reached out, seized both the iron oar and the judge's pens, and with a slight squeeze snapped them in half.
Then, with a kick each, he sent both men flying back beneath Wanyan Honglie's horse.
Peng Lianhu and Sha Tongtian's breastbones shattered. They spat blood, barely breathing.
In a single exchange, two of the Zhao Prince's so-called Five Great Experts were beaten into critical condition.
Wanyan Honglie's heart pounded violently as he looked at their dying forms.
He really was a top-tier expert!
Taking a deep breath, Wanyan Honglie cupped his hands and asked,"May I ask your honored name?"
Chu Yang replied indifferently,"My surname is Chu."
Wanyan Honglie wracked his brain, trying to recall any famous young martial expert surnamed Chu—but came up empty.
Someone this young and this strong could not possibly be unknown… yet he found no match.
Eager for talent, Wanyan Honglie lowered his posture even further. He dismounted, ignoring his guards' attempts to stop him, stepped out of the military formation, and asked loudly,"May I ask where Mister Chu currently serves?"
Chu Yang smacked his lips and answered nonsense without blinking."The 358th Regiment."
"Huh?"Wanyan Honglie was completely baffled—he'd never heard of any 358th Regiment.
Huang Rong immediately realized Chu Yang was teasing the Jin prince. Unable to hold it in, she burst out laughing. Her clear laughter rang out sharply amid the silent army.
Chu Yang heard it.
He was certain now—that was Xiao Huang's voice.
He had told her the Bright Sword joke back when he lived in the Southern Song town, and she especially loved the line "When enemies meet on a narrow road, the brave prevail."
Knowing Xiao Huang was here, Chu Yang finally relaxed. He'd been worried about making such a huge scene only to come up empty-handed.
"Prince Zhao," Chu Yang said lazily, "you keep insisting there's no second outsider in your manor—but just now, I clearly heard my friend laugh."
"You're a dignified prince, already at your age, and you're still lying?"
Chu Yang looked at Wanyan Honglie with open disdain.
Wanyan Honglie coughed twice, knowing he was in the wrong, and could only gesture to Ouyang Ke to release Huang Rong.
Ouyang Ke felt uneasy as well.
He was confident he could defeat the other four great experts—but he absolutely couldn't do what Chu Yang had just done: crushing Peng Lianhu and Sha Tongtian in a single exchange while facing two opponents.
With Lingzhi Shangren and Liang Ziweng already dead, only he remained of the original Five Great Experts.
In city combat, military formations couldn't use their full strength.
Without expert support, with terrain and momentum on Chu Yang's side, Ouyang Ke genuinely suspected that Chu Yang could withstand the Jin army head-on.
"For now, retreat. Once Uncle arrives, let him deal with this scholar," Ouyang Ke calculated silently.
While he was still scheming, Huang Rong had already stepped out of the formation. Even if he reacted, he wouldn't dare stop her.
Chu Yang waited for a moment—expecting the familiar little beggar from his memories—but instead saw a graceful, lively, stunningly beautiful young girl walk toward him.
She looked… oddly familiar.
"Holy crap."
Chu Yang sucked in a sharp breath, then angrily pointed at Wanyan Honglie and started cursing him out:
"You old bastard, you're really twisted! Making my bro cross-dress like this—what the hell is wrong with you?! Brother, I'm sorry, I came too late. They didn't do anything weird to you, did they…?"
In front of so many Jin soldiers, Wanyan Honglie was suddenly scolded out of nowhere.
Humiliated to the extreme, his face flushed red, and he nearly suffered a stroke on the spot.
Huang Rong stomped her foot in anger, regretting deeply that she had joked around with Chu Yang before. He had already, deep down, decided she was a boy with a different orientation.
The key problem was that Chu Yang had seen far too many boys online who looked prettier than girls when dressed up, so he instinctively classified her as a cross-dressing guy.
"I'm a woman!" Huang Rong shouted, both embarrassed and furious.
"I said I don't discriminate…" Chu Yang froze for a moment, then asked blankly, "Do you mean on a biological level, or a psychological level?"
Only Huang Rong understood what he meant. Her face burned bright red as she ground her teeth and said, "Biological."
Now it was Chu Yang's turn to be caught completely off guard.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to ease the awkward atmosphere.
Just a moment ago he'd been calling her "brother," and now that brother had suddenly turned into a sister—this was way too abrupt.
Chu Yang felt like this plot was oddly familiar… hadn't he seen something like this before?
Huang Rong walked to the middle of the road and shoved Guo Jing, whispering, "What are you standing around for? Come with me! Do you still want to go back to the Zhao Prince's Manor dungeon?"
Only then did Guo Jing, still dazed, follow Huang Rong over to Chu Yang.
Despite still being angry, Huang Rong naturally leaned close to Chu Yang. Chu Yang, however, quietly shifted a small step to the side.
Huang Rong noticed immediately. Her cute little face instantly turned ferocious as she snapped, "Xiao Chu, what do you mean by that?!"
Chu Yang glanced at her and said awkwardly, "You're too close. I'm not used to it."
Huang Rong ground her teeth. "Back in the Southern Song, you put your arm around my shoulders, messed up my hair, pinched my face, hooked my neck, patted my—now you say you're not used to it?"
Chu Yang said righteously, "That was different. Back then, you were my bro."
Huang Rong stared at him coldly. "And now?"
Chu Yang replied sincerely, "Now we're good sisters!"
Huang Rong's gaze turned murderous as she scanned him from head to toe.
Chu Yang coughed and slapped his own right hand with his left, scolding it, "Serves you right for being handsy. Look what trouble you caused."
Huang Rong sighed. She suddenly felt a headache coming on.
"By the way," Chu Yang said, pointing at the stunned Guo Jing, "why did you bring this thing back?"
"Ouyang Ke's look at Guo Jing just now wasn't right. That guy would definitely be in trouble if he went back. Might as well save his life—consider it building some karma for you," Huang Rong replied.
Guo Jing?
Chu Yang looked at the fool who had almost gotten him killed in shock.
He was actually Guo Jing?!
"How can he possibly be—"
Chu Yang was about to retort, but then it hit him: Guo Jing really was an idiot.
Huang Rong thought Chu Yang was still angry and immediately switched to an adorable smile, speaking sweetly, "Aiya, Brother Xiao Chu, I know this idiot caused you trouble, but with your skills, dealing with Hou Tonghai and the Yellow River Four Ghosts was child's play, wasn't it?"
"Why don't you just be the bigger person…"
Chu Yang waved his hand quickly. "No, wait—let me sort this out."
Guo Jing, Hou Tonghai, the Yellow River Four Ghosts, and a cross-dressing Xiao Huang… the plot was getting more and more familiar.
Chu Yang hesitated and asked, "What's your full name?"
Huang Rong tilted her head. "Huang Rong. Didn't I tell you?"
Chu Yang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Rising from a near-death shock, he suddenly realized—
So Guo Jing was me all along!
Damn it. He had actually hijacked Guo Jing's role. Back when he watched the TV series, he always thought Guo Jing was an idiot—how could he mistake such a beautiful girl for a brother?
Turns out the idiot baton had now been passed to him…
While Chu Yang and Huang Rong chatted away animatedly, they completely left Wanyan Honglie hanging in front of nearly ten thousand Jin soldiers, making the latter extremely awkward.
Wanyan Honglie had no choice but to interrupt, "Mister Chu, I've already handed over the person you wanted. May I now have my wife and son returned?"
Chu Yang nodded. "Don't worry, Prince Zhao. I'm a man of my word. No problem."
Behind him, Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo trembled violently.
Their faces turned deathly pale as they stared at Chu Yang in disbelief.
Mu Nianci glared at Chu Yang in fury.
Her adoptive parents had risked their lives to stay and help him, and this was the outcome?
She clenched her teeth and cursed, "You shameless villain!"
That immediately set Huang Rong off. She bared her little tiger teeth and snapped, "Who are you calling shameless? Say that again and I'll sew your mouth shut!"
Mu Nianci snorted coldly and ignored her.
Huang Rong narrowed her eyes and looked Mu Nianci up and down.
A grudge seemed to form between the two women at that very moment.
On the other side—
Hearing Chu Yang's confirmation, Wanyan Honglie was overjoyed. He laughed loudly. "Mister Chu truly is a hero. A promise once spoken is worth a thousand horses."
Chu Yang nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Huang Rong with a grin. "This old geezer may be twisted, but his eye for people isn't bad."
Wanyan Honglie: "..."
Huang Rong whispered, "Don't forget his 'gold-rimmed chamber pot' experts."
Chu Yang immediately wiped the smile off his face and shook his head. "Then pretend I didn't say that."
Wanyan Honglie's lips twitched, his breathing growing ragged.
If he didn't leave soon, he was going to be infuriated to death by this man surnamed Chu.
And that girl surnamed Huang!
"Xiruo, quickly bring Kang'er back. I'll pretend today never happened!" Wanyan Honglie pleaded urgently, desperate to salvage his wife.
But—
Bao Xiruo shook her head firmly.
At this moment, she still didn't know that the massacre at Ox Village eighteen years ago had been orchestrated by Wanyan Honglie himself. In her heart, she still felt some guilt toward him.
After all, over these eighteen years, Wanyan Honglie had doted on her endlessly, never taken a concubine, and even after learning that Wanyan Kang was not his biological son, he still treated him as his own, granting him every luxury.
Materially and emotionally, Wanyan Honglie had not failed the mother and son.
Thus, Bao Xiruo's eyes were filled with apology as she slowly shook her head. "Your Highness, you've always known that the one I carried in my heart was my husband who died eighteen years ago. That's why you built an Ox Village inside the Zhao Prince's Manor."
"Now that I know my husband did not die, I must leave with him. I hope Your Highness can fulfill this wish for us as husband and wife."
Every word was like a knife stabbing straight into Wanyan Honglie's heart.
His eyes bulged in rage. "What makes you so sure he's your husband? Yang Tiexin died eighteen years ago!"
Bao Xiruo replied firmly, her expression sorrowful, "He is my husband. I recognize every part of him!"
The rage surged so violently that Wanyan Honglie spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed backward. Ouyang Ke reacted quickly and caught him.
Chu Yang looked at Bao Xiruo in astonishment. "She's ruthless."
At that moment, the finally rebooted Wanyan Kang came back to his senses. He stood up and grabbed Bao Xiruo's arm, saying coldly:
"I am the Jin Kingdom's Little Prince. My father is Prince Zhao, Wanyan Honglie. I don't recognize any Yang Tiexin, and my name is not Yang Kang."
His tone grew even colder. "Mother, you must have been deceived by this man. Someone who died eighteen years ago—how could he suddenly appear alive and well?"
Bao Xiruo stared at her son in disbelief. The Wanyan Kang before her felt utterly like a stranger.
Wanyan Kang continued talking, completely unaware of his mother's expression—
Until a loud slap landed squarely on his face.
Pa!!!
Wanyan Kang clutched his cheek, staring at his mother in shock. In eighteen years, she had never struck him so heavily.
Yang Tiexin and Wanyan Honglie were equally stunned. Both of them knew Bao Xiruo's temperament well—if she hadn't been furious to the extreme, she would never have done this.
That slap silenced Wanyan Kang completely.
At the same time, Bao Xiruo stepped forward several paces, her gaze fixed straight on Wanyan Honglie.
"Prince Zhao, for the kindness you've shown me over these eighteen years, Bao Xiruo has nothing with which to repay you. But if you try to tear my husband and me apart, I would rather die than submit!"
Wanyan Honglie's eyes darkened as he said coldly, "My patience is limited. If you continue like this, everyone here will be buried with you!"
Chu Yang replied with clear displeasure, "Everyone?"
Wanyan Honglie's eyelid twitched violently.
Damn it.
He'd forgotten that this calamity was still here.
An awkward, forced smile appeared at the corner of Wanyan Honglie's mouth. "Mister Chu is naturally not included. However, since you have already found your… confidante, might you leave now? What follows is my family business."
The words confidante caused a faint blush to spread across Huang Rong's fair little face.
Chu Yang chuckled. "Tsk tsk, is walking slowly a crime?"
Wanyan Honglie felt as though his heart was about to seize up. He decided to stop paying attention to Chu Yang altogether and directly ordered the Jin soldiers to surround Yang Tiexin.
The soldiers surged forward like a flood—but when they reached Chu Yang, they instinctively detoured around him, as if encountering a reef.
"Kang'er, so what if you're not my biological son? As long as I acknowledge you as my son for even one day, you will forever be the Jin Kingdom's Little Prince—Wanyan Kang!"
Wanyan Honglie mounted his horse and shouted loudly, "Kang'er, bring your mother back!"
Wanyan Kang's body trembled, light reigniting in his eyes. In truth, what struck him hardest wasn't becoming Yang Tiexin's son—it was the possibility of no longer being Wanyan Honglie's son.
As more and more Jin soldiers closed in, Yang Tiexin gripped his spear and shielded his wife and daughter behind him.
"Kang'er!"
Yang Tiexin shouted desperately, trying to awaken Wanyan Kang's conscience.
Instead, that shout only inflamed Wanyan Kang's rage, and he attacked directly.
A father-and-son battle instantly unfolded.
Bao Xiruo watched in agony.
In terms of martial skill, Yang Tiexin was no match for Wanyan Kang at all.
This time, Chu Yang did not intervene, but Guo Jing beside him was itching to move.
"What are you doing?" Chu Yang shot him a look.
"Brother Chu… this Uncle Yang may be an old friend of my parents. I can't just stand by and watch."
Slow as he was, Guo Jing still remembered what his mother Li Ping had told him about the Guo–Yang families, and his journey from Mongolia to the Central Plains had also been to fulfill his duel with Wanyan Kang.
Chu Yang nodded. "Then go. If something happens to you, I'll collect your body."
Guo Jing cupped his fists. "Thank you, Brother Chu!"
Chu Yang froze.
…He's thanking me for that?
Guo Jing leapt forward to fight Wanyan Kang, but since he never drank the snake blood, his martial arts were still the same old level. Forget helping—after just a few exchanges, he was beaten until he spat blood.
Huang Rong leaned close to Chu Yang and whispered, "Xiao Chu, when exactly are you going to step in? If you keep playing around, something really bad will happen."
Chu Yang asked curiously, "Why are you so sure I'll step in?"
Huang Rong snorted. "Oh please. Who around here doesn't know you, Chu the Great Benevolent? You've fed every beggar in the city until they're fat and happy…"
Chu Yang replied, "Kindness and principles are two different things. My principle is that once you give your word, you can't go back on it."
As he spoke, Yang Tiexin and Guo Jing were both subdued by Wanyan Kang, though neither was mortally wounded.
At the critical moment, Wanyan Kang still couldn't bring himself to kill the man who might be his biological father.
Bao Xiruo let out a breath of relief.
But in the next instant, Wanyan Kang grabbed her arm and forcibly dragged her toward Wanyan Honglie.
Yang Tiexin's hoarse shouts and Bao Xiruo's tearful resistance failed to soften Wanyan Kang's heart of stone.
Just as Wanyan Honglie smugly prepared to take Bao Xiruo away, Chu Yang suddenly spoke:
"Prince Zhao, may I ask—are our previous arrangements now fully settled?"
Wanyan Honglie laughed loudly. "I have taken my wife and son. Our agreement has naturally been fulfilled—completely settled."
Huang Rong seemed to have guessed what Chu Yang was about to say and suddenly burst into giggles.
"Since we're completely settled, then what I do next has nothing to do with our previous agreement," Chu Yang said with a faint smile.
A bad premonition rose in Wanyan Honglie's heart.
Chu Yang brushed his sleeves, looking refined and courteous, then calmly spoke:
"Robbery! Hand over your wife and child!"
A dignified Jin Kingdom prince being toyed with again and again by a nameless scholar—no matter how well Wanyan Honglie understood patience and compromise, he was utterly humiliated at this moment.
Enough was enough!
"I sought talent and respected you as a capable man—that's why I yielded time and again. Have you forgotten? This is Yanjing City. This is Jin territory!"
With a furious shout, Wanyan Honglie ordered the Jin soldiers to surge forward, surrounding Chu Yang and the others so tightly that not even water could seep through.
Unlike before, this time the troops were no longer all melee soldiers. Many archers were stationed at the rear, while the front consisted of shieldbearers and spearmen—the most common battlefield formation.
So many Jin soldiers instantly made Huang Rong, who had been laughing just moments earlier, tense up. She tightly clutched Chu Yang's arm and whispered, "Xiao Chu, are you really confident you can handle this?"
Chu Yang rolled his eyes. "Now you're scared? Just now you were the one laughing the loudest."
Huang Rong puffed out her cheeks and glared at him in displeasure.
Yang Tiexin, Mu Nianci, and Guo Jing all moved to Chu Yang's side at once.
Seeing all the targets gathered together, Wanyan Honglie did not send in the melee troops to test Chu Yang's strength. Instead, he decisively gave the order:
"Loose arrows!"
A trace of admiration flashed in Chu Yang's eyes. This man truly was a battle-hardened warlord—leaving no openings and choosing the safest way to end the fight.
All the archers released at once.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
A black curtain of arrows fell like rain.
At this sight, Bao Xiruo had already fainted on Wanyan Honglie's horse, crying herself unconscious.
Wanyan Kang mounted his horse but kept his head lowered, not daring to look at where the arrows would land. From the corner of his eye, he stole glances at Yang Tiexin, his hands trembling on the reins, his face pale.
The whistling of arrows cutting through the air rang clearly in Huang Rong's ears. Even if she wanted to flee with lightness kung fu now, it was too late. She could only close her eyes, her hand gripping Chu Yang's clothes even tighter.
Yang Tiexin, Mu Nianci, and Guo Jing all wore expressions of despair, their bodies trembling involuntarily.
Yang Tiexin cast one final, affectionate glance at Bao Xiruo.
Everyone believed Chu Yang and the others were doomed.
At the critical moment, Wanyan Honglie suddenly saw Chu Yang bring his palms together and give a light clap.
In an instant, thick tree trunks and twisting vines burst up from the ground.
They formed a solid defensive barrier, blocking the rain of arrows completely.
Not a single person was harmed.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the expressions on Yang Tiexin and the others shifted from despair to wild joy!
At the same time, Wanyan Honglie and nearly ten thousand elite Jin soldiers all wore the same expression—utter terror.
Wanyan Honglie shouted, "This isn't martial arts—this is sorcery! This man… is a demon!"
Wanyan Kang was so frightened his soul nearly left his body. He tumbled off his horse and crashed heavily to the ground.
Ouyang Ke's face was deathly pale, his legs weak. Any thought of having his uncle Ouyang Feng seek revenge vanished completely.
Revenge my ass!
All he wanted now was to run—and never encounter Chu Yang again in his life!
The unknown was the most terrifying thing of all. To ancient people, witnessing such godlike power was an almost devastating blow to their psyche.
Most of the Jin soldiers instantly lost the will to fight, unconsciously retreating step by step, their eyes filled with awe as they looked at Chu Yang.
Whether the scholar before them was a demon or an immortal didn't matter.
Either way, he was not human.
And if he wasn't human, how could mere flesh and blood ever win?
That was the true thought in the minds of most of the Jin soldiers.
Chu Yang glanced at Huang Rong, who was clinging to him with all her might, and couldn't help teasing, "Wake up, open your eyes—we've arrived in the underworld."
At the word underworld, Huang Rong turned pale with fright and hurriedly opened her eyes. "So fast? Why didn't I feel anything?"
Chu Yang asked curiously, "What kind of feeling were you expecting? Ten thousand arrows piercing your heart?"
Just hearing those words made Huang Rong's scalp tingle.
She suddenly imagined her body riddled with countless thumb-sized holes.
Her lips trembled, tears streaming down her face. "I'm only fifteen… there are so many fun things, tasty things, beautiful things I haven't experienced yet…"
Chu Yang patted her head and comforted her. "It's fine. Just be careful in your next life."
Huang Rong completely broke down and burst into loud sobs.
Chu Yang laughed until he could barely breathe.
"Huang girl, Brother Chu is just joking. We're not dead," Guo Jing leaned in and explained earnestly.
"Huh?"
Huang Rong stopped crying and looked around, finally realizing she had been tricked by Chu Yang. She had been so tense that she fell right for it.
Proud of her own cleverness, she never imagined she'd one day be fooled so badly by such a clumsy trick.
She immediately shot Chu Yang an indignant glare.
Not wanting to provoke her further, Chu Yang turned away first and slowly walked toward Wanyan Honglie.
With every step he took, the army before him retreated in unison.
Wanyan Honglie knew retreating like this couldn't continue forever. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Mister Chu, the conflict between us stems entirely from your… confidante. But she wasn't abducted into my manor by me. Every debt has its owner—why press me so relentlessly?"
Ouyang Ke cursed inwardly. It was obvious Wanyan Honglie was trying to push all the blame onto him and let him take the fall.
Without hesitation, he leapt up and sprinted across the rooftops using lightness kung fu.
"Brother Chu, stop him! He poisoned me—I'm still carrying it!" Huang Rong shouted anxiously.
If it were an ordinary poison, she could have cured it herself. But Ouyang Ke had used poison carefully concocted by Ouyang Feng—the antidote existed only with him.
Hearing this, Chu Yang also took off.
Ouyang Ke's lightness kung fu was superb, personally taught by Ouyang Feng, and even Wanyan Honglie had praised it.
But compared to Chu Yang, he was as slow as a drifting hot-air balloon.
Chu Yang shot past him with a whoosh, like a fighter jet with the throttle wide open.
"What the hell just flew past me?" Ouyang Ke muttered blankly.
Before he could react, Chu Yang kicked him off the rooftop. When he hit the ground, everyone nearby heard the clear sound of bones cracking.
The intense pain from his waist nearly knocked Ouyang Ke unconscious.
Gradually, his lower body went numb.
Huang Rong walked over and shouted, "Ouyang Ke, hand over the antidote!"
Ouyang Ke dared not delay. He hurriedly fumbled out a bottle of pills and handed it to Huang Rong.
Huang Rong took the pills—and in the very next second, she viciously kicked Ouyang Ke in the waist.
"I told you I'd give you a kick!"
(End of Chapter)