After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

"Mr. Peng,"

His forehead was covered in sweat, but his smile was gentle.

"Please stop pretending to be compassionate and acting like a saint."

"A top brothel madam erecting a precious memorial archway to show concern for the reputation of young ladies? There's really no need for that."

"Damn it! What are you talking about, you dog!" Old Peng had lost two front teeth, his mouth was bloody, and he spoke with a lisp. Upon hearing this, his veins bulged, and he mumbled a string of curses.

"Mr. Peng, if it weren't for your esteemed invitation, Miss Gongsun would be reciting poems and painting at Bailu Academy right now, saying things like 'the sunset is infinitely beautiful,' instead of holding a stick and following behind me, crushing you worthless little fleas."

"You dog! What did you say?!" Upon hearing these blatantly disrespectful words, the people in front were so angry that they jumped up and down in fury!

Feng Yu raised his hand, stopping everyone from talking.

Brother Ning,

His eyes sharpened, and he stared intently at Ning Nan, saying:

"To be honest with you, Feng, it's impossible for you to get us to let you go by holding Master Peng hostage. Master Peng knows his own limitations."

Peng Liangang's face was deathly pale, and his voice was weak, but he still spoke with a stern voice:

"That's right, it's just a matter of dying. I, Peng, have lived for sixty years, I've lived enough, so who am I afraid of?!"

The oil lamp flickered.

The lights flickered.

Everyone praised Peng Liangang's bravery.

The woman from the Huang family, who was closest, chuckled and said, "Well done, old Peng! I respect you as a true man!"

She glanced at the obviously tired young man and a thought struck her. They outnumbered him, so she thought she could scare him and maybe get him to release Old Man Peng.

"You dog!" she roared, her face hardening as she gripped the bamboo chair tightly with both hands and her arms straining.

A "creak, creak, creak" sound came from inside.

With a cry of "Ah—" from the fat woman's mouth!

With a few loud "bangs," the bamboo was actually broken apart by her!

The bamboo section and broken rope shattered and splintered all over the ground!

The crowd cheered loudly.

"Okay, okay!"

"Madam Huang has amazing skills! And incredible arm strength!"

"Kill him! Kill this pretty boy!"

"Lady Huang, go straight for it and tear this pretty boy to shreds!"

The shouts shook a cloud of dust off his head.

The fat woman let out a cold laugh, raised her thigh, and stomped it hard on the square table next to her like a thick iron rod!

"Bang!"

The tabletop broke and collapsed with a crash, prompting loud cheers from the crowd. The noise was so loud that it caused a lot of dust to fall from the top of the cellar.

"Old Peng, go in peace!"

Huang's wife shouted, her face fierce, and took a big step, about to attack Ningnan.

With a flash of his right hand, Ning Nan's blade struck, and Old Man Peng let out a miserable scream as blood splattered everywhere. His right ear was cleanly severed by Ning Nan!

"stop!"

"stop!"

"You little wolf cub!"

Feng Yu and Shen Shou both changed their expressions drastically and quickly spoke up to stop them.

Huang's wife also stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide with shock. What a vicious wolf cub!

Snapped!

Ning Nan slammed the still-twitching bright red ear on the knife's blade onto Huang's wife's face!

Come on!

His face was fierce, and he suddenly roared!

Clang, clang, clang... The few oil lamps in the cellar were startled by the desperate scholar's shout and involuntarily took a step back.

Even with an ear smashed on her face and the stench of blood filling her nostrils, Madam Huang couldn't help but stop in her tracks, her brows twitching several times.

She's starting to have doubts now.

Is this person in front of me really Ning Baixuan?!

Shen Shou's expression was solemn. If the Right Protector hadn't come over in person to identify the person and confirmed that it was Ning Baixuan, he probably would have asked the Right Protector to question Feng Yu about his crime and where he had captured such a scoundrel!

Judging from the bleeding thighs and ankles of Master Peng, and the fact that the opponent had just subconsciously cut off his ear, Yu Dayong and the other two should have already died at the hands of their opponents.

Feng Yu shouted, "Master Huang, step back!" Madam Huang gritted her teeth, her fat face trembling, and finally took a few steps back.

"Brother Ning," Feng Yu stepped forward, his eyes sharpening, "I'll say it again, Brother Ning: escape is impossible. If you're willing to release Master Peng, our sect will still treat you with courtesy. If not..."

He snorted and said, "Our sect doesn't care whether Altar Master Peng lives or dies; we will capture Brother Ning and make him suffer unprecedented physical pain!"

Ning Nan ignored the threat and laughed, "I never intended to run away."

His voice was light, but it made everyone freeze in shock.

Ning Nan raised his head behind him and said, "Brother Feng, the person you want to arrest is me. Give Miss Gongsun a horse and let her go."

Feng Yu was taken aback.

Shen Shou shouted, "What will happen if we don't let you go?"

Ning Nan patted Old Man Peng on the head with his knife again and laughed:

"From now on, every ten breaths, I, Ning, will cut something off Mr. Peng's body. If Mr. Peng unfortunately dies..."

His voice suddenly turned stern.

"I, Ning, will then stab Miss Gongsun to death with one blow, and then fight you all... to the death."

His voice was chilling and cold, like a wolf with blood seeping from between its teeth.

Upon hearing that this person had killed Miss Gongsun first, coupled with the chilling tone of the other party, a coldness rose from the bottom of everyone's hearts.

Gongsun Heng jumped out, placed a gold hairpin around her neck, glared at Feng Yu and his gang of thieves with bloodshot eyes, and stubbornly said:

"I don't need you to do it! I'll end it myself!"

Everyone paused, looking at this seemingly gentle and weak woman who acted ruthlessly and decisively, and couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.

What a spirited woman!

Shen Shou glanced at Feng Yu and saw that Feng Yu's face was ashen. He sighed inwardly, knowing that Feng Yu was, after all, this woman's so-called senior brother. Although he had revealed his whereabouts and could only return north, he still had some affection for him. If he released this woman, he was worried that the Right Protector would suspect him of having ulterior motives and that it would jeopardize important matters of the sect.

Feng Yu is quick-witted but indecisive, and is probably in a dilemma right now.

Shen Shou took an oil lamp.

We'll be leaving soon to meet up with the Right Protector, so what's the harm in releasing this girl?

Moreover, given this scholar's ruthless nature, even if they could capture him, he might just commit suicide. Ning Baixuan's death would further ruin the Right Protector's plans.

With that thought in mind, he stretched the oil lamp forward.

The dim, yellow light illuminated the sweat-drenched half of the desperate scholar's face.

……

……

The light from the oil lamp shone on the red and green glaze of the Kitchen God mask.

He shook his head, his voice low and hoarse.

"Your Highness misunderstands. I did not request Your Highness to abdicate."

Inside the iron fence.

Prince Xin sat calmly on a brocade couch arranged by the other party, and said in a light tone:

"If I were to abdicate, would you, these treacherous ministers, have gone to such lengths and schemes to persuade me to be loyal?"

The Kitchen God's eyes were like lightning as he peered through the iron bars at Prince Xin, who was wearing a beaded curtain.

"I wouldn't call it loyalty, but I certainly offered advice."