Chapter 739: Chapter 740: Provocation

Emperor Muwu said, "In that case, summon Ye Yunfeng."

Si Kouji’s eyelid twitched. ’I’ll have to remember that name,’ he thought silently.

Ye Yunfeng...

From behind him, the sound of firm, nimble footsteps came from outside the hall.

Si Kouji turned to see a tall, well-built youth with sharp, piercing eyes walk in.

’He looks so young. Can he even be sixteen?’

Si Kouji found it incredible.

Before coming here, he had indeed made specific inquiries about the battle at Long City. He only knew that a young officer under Feng Zhang had shot Tuoba Yu and escorted him back to the Capital City.

But he had never imagined the man would be so young!

Tuoba Yu saw Ye Yunfeng as well, and the emotions he had just managed to suppress surged once more!

He clenched his jaw so tightly he could almost taste blood from the effort!

If looks could kill, Ye Yunfeng would have been riddled with holes like a sieve.

Unfortunately for him, they couldn’t.

Ye Yunfeng’s steps were steady and light. He walked forward without a single glance to the side and came to a stop in the center of the hall.

"This general, Ye Yunfeng, greets Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

Tuoba Yu was but three paces away from him.

He stared at Ye Yunfeng like a man possessed, the hatred in his heart nearly consuming him.

"Ye... Ye Yunfeng!"

Ye Yunfeng paused, then tilted his head slightly, giving him a feather-light glance.

Immediately after, a roguish, wild grin spread across the young man’s face.

"Long time no see. It seems you still recognize me?"

Of course Tuoba Yu recognized him!

He would recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes!

"You... you—"

Fury and resentment easily shattered what little rationality Tuoba Yu had left.

All the humiliation and torture he had suffered over the past days flooded his mind!

Tuoba Yu’s eyes were bloodshot, making him look like a vengeful ghost escaped from hell.

"Even... even if I die, I won’t let you go!"

His voice was hoarse, each word laced with a deep hatred that sent a chill down the spine of anyone who heard it.

However, Ye Yunfeng didn’t care at all.

’It’s just the final struggle of a defeated foe. Why should I care?’

He raised an eyebrow and asked, as if out of curiosity,

"What, is my archery so good that you want to learn from me even after you’re dead?"

A sudden snort of laughter erupted from somewhere among the silent court officials, shattering the tense, suffocating atmosphere.

Although the sound was quickly stifled, it still caused many others to cover their mouths and laugh along.

’This Ye Yunfeng seemed so calm and experienced before. Who knew his words could be so vicious the moment he opened his mouth!’

King Yan Nan’s eyes also held a hint of a smile. He deliberately raised his voice to lecture,

"A Feng, how can you be so insolent before His Majesty?"

After saying this, he turned to Si Kouji and the others. "A Feng is still young, so it’s inevitable that he’s a bit mischievous. I’m sure none of you will mind, will you?"

Si Kouji’s face turned ashen, and he trembled with rage.

’Still young?’

’He’s already served on the frontier, killed enemies, and earned merits!’

’How dare King Yan Nan say such a thing!’

’Doesn’t this just make Tuoba Yu seem even more incompetent? He couldn’t even defeat a half-grown boy and was easily toyed with!?’

Tuoba Yu hadn’t expected King Yan Nan to say that either; he was so angry he nearly fainted.

Emperor Muwu raised a hand.

"No matter."

Tuoba Yu struggled to get up. Seeing that he looked like he wanted to say something else, Si Kouji’s heart leaped into his throat again.

’This is not the time to say something he shouldn’t!’

’If he acts impulsively and reveals his identity as Prince Su in public, then this entire trip will have been for nothing!’

Just then, Rong Ke, who was standing to the side, spoke again.

"For Young Master Ye to hit this bandit leader with a single arrow amidst all those troops, he is truly a young hero. It is admirable."

His tone was calm, betraying little of that "admiration."

But Tuoba Yu was once again frozen to the spot.

He subconsciously glanced at Rong Ke as his recent words echoed in his ears.

’Bandit... leader.’

’That is my only identity now!’

Looking at that face, beautiful and bewitching like a woman’s, even just the side profile seemed to exude a cold, somber, and imposing aura.

Tuoba Yu’s heart trembled. His towering rage was extinguished in an instant, leaving only a deep sense of dread.

He truly did not dare to be presumptuous in front of this person.

Right now, that sentence was his final warning.

Tuoba Yu’s heart was filled with bitterness and frustration. Never in his entire life had he suffered such a miserable existence as he had during his time as a captive!

It had all but shattered his dignity completely!

But now, he had no choice but to swallow this bitterness and endure.

Tuoba Yu’s fists were clenched tightly, veins popping on his forehead. His lips moved a few times, but in the end, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I... what’s done is done. I’m willing to accept my loss!"

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, each word seemingly forced from between his clenched teeth.

"Kill me or cut me to pieces... do as you will!"

Observing this scene, Chen Songshi spoke up.

"I’m surprised. This scoundrel actually has some nerve. Now that he’s at death’s door, he’s not afraid at all?"

His words sounded a bit strange.

Ye Yunfeng laughed. "Elder, perhaps you overestimate him. Back in Long City, this scum tried to flee amidst the chaos. Not only did he grab several of his subordinates to use as human shields, but he himself sprinted all the way to the city gate. It was mayhem, yet he somehow managed to run faster than anyone else. If my arrow hadn’t been so timely, I’m afraid he would have torn the gate down and escaped far away!"

These words were even more blunt!

Tuoba Yu’s face suddenly flushed a deep, furious red, almost the color of liver.

"You!"

This was blatant, naked humiliation!

Si Kouji and the others just listened in silence, their expressions extremely grim.

Anyone would find it unbearable to be insulted so viciously to their face, let alone when the target was their master. Ye Yunfeng’s tirade had effectively mocked all of them!

Even Si Kouji, who was accustomed to weathering storms, nearly lost his composure. When he spoke again, his tone was tinged with sarcasm.

"By that logic, then, we truly have this Young Master Ye to thank for the victory at Long City. If he weren’t so brave and skilled in battle, leading the charge, how could all these bandits have been captured so easily?"

His words were meant to stir up trouble. After all, it sounded as if he were attributing all the credit to Ye Yunfeng alone.

With King Yan Nan present, how could he possibly be pleased to hear such a thing?

But what Si Kouji didn’t expect was that upon hearing this, King Yan Nan showed no displeasure at all. Instead, he burst out laughing.

"Lord Si Kou is absolutely right! Previously, this king said that the highest merit in this battle belonged to Ye Si, but many people didn’t believe it. They thought he was just a wet-behind-the-ears brat, how could he shoulder such a heavy responsibility? They must have thought this king was being selfish, heaping all the credit onto this boy. But now that even Lord Si Kou has said so, I imagine no one will have any objections! HAHAHA!"

Si Kouji was stunned.

He looked at King Yan Nan in disbelief, then back at Ye Yunfeng.

’What is going on?’

’King Yan Nan... actually holds this Ye Yunfeng in such high regard!?’

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