Chapter 566: Dragged Away

The soldiers' noses were twisted from Xue Tong's jumping-and-foot-stomping tirade; before they could react, he had already walked a few steps up to his face.

The distance between them instantly shrank until their noses were almost touching.

Kang An stared, dumbfounded.

This divine doctor's temper is really huge! Looks like he's already being gentle with me.

Xiao Ningyuan held back a laugh and stepped forward to pull Xue Tong away, but Xue Tong shoved him aside with one hand.

Xue Tong's voice grew louder, almost able to shake the mud bricks off the palace walls: "If you don't go in and call him out for me, I'll stab you blind with a needle!"

He reached into his robe: "Tell you, I do have needles! Want to see? I'll oblige you!" His fingers had already touched the needle case.

The soldier's face turned liver-colored, he waved his hand: "Come! Drag this old man away!"

Seven or eight soldiers swarmed over with a clatter, lifting Xue Tong straight up.

Xue Tong refused to comply, waving his hands nonstop, kicking off the ground to fly up, his mouth never ceasing: "Let go! I'm the lifesaver of your king! Dare you lay hands on me?"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi frowned, both looking at Xiao Ningxun: "Third Young Master?"

Xiao Ningxun's face darkened.

Now like this, any further explanation would surely be useless.

But if we resort to force, seeing King Wei Chi Ming in the palace would be even less possible.

Tuan Tuan's eyes widened: "Even if Master scolded you, you shouldn't treat him like this!"

Who told you not to go in and ask while holding the jade pendant?

She tugged at Xiao Ningxun's sleeve: "Third Brother, hold me!"

Xiao Ningxun's heart moved; he bent down and scooped her into his arms.

Tuan Tuan untied the embroidered pouch at her waist, reached in, and pulled out a dull gray feather.

She lay in her brother's arms and whispered: "Little birds, hurry up and come! If we don't go in, you won't leave!"

She thought a moment, then quickly added: "No pooping on our heads, okay!"

Having said that, she loosened her little hand; a faint light flashed, and the feather vanished.

The next moment.

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

Goo! Goo! Goo!

Countless birds flew in from all directions, densely covering the sun.

Sparrows, crows, doves… a black mass, they filled the sky over the palace, circling nonstop, their cries shaking the heavens.

Tuan Tuan wrapped her arms around her brother's neck and shouted crisply: "Release my master!"

"If you don't let us in, they won't leave!"

The soldiers halted, all looking up.

Xue Tong took the opportunity to struggle to the ground: "Hmph! Let you be rude to me!"

He quickly walked to Tuan Tuan's side: "Good disciple, was this you?"

Tuan Tuan nodded vigorously: "Yeah, I won't let them bully Master!"

"Good disciple!" Xue Tong exclaimed triumphantly, pointing at the birds filling the sky and shouting at the soldiers: "See? This is your retribution for disrespecting this old man!"

Tuan Tuan quickly added: "Exactly! Exactly!"

Everyone: "……"

Kang An walked up beside Xiao Ningxun, tugged at Tuan Tuan's hem, and asked: "Tuan Tuan, did you summon these birds?"

Tuan Tuan gave him a sly smile, and Kang An's eyes widened instantly.

Tuan Tuan is really amazing! She must be a little immortal!

The soldiers looked up; in the distance, countless even larger dark shapes were speeding closer.

Soon, nearly a hundred eagles and hawks swooped down in circles, their wingspans stretching half a person's length.

The soldiers were both startled and afraid, raising their weapons and continually waving them at the bird flocks in the sky.

"Where did all these birds come from?"

"Hurry and drive them away!"

"Too many! Get lost!"

As a crow flew over a soldier's head, it lifted its rear, and with a 'puff', a splash of white bird droppings streamed down his forehead.

More soldiers rushed out of the palace, joining those at the gate in desperately driving off the bird flocks.

But the birds kept coming in greater numbers, layer upon layer, blocking out the sky.

Several fierce eagles and hawks swooped down, snatching the headscarves off several soldiers with a single claw; their hair scattered instantly, then they were chased and pecked relentlessly by a few crows.

Soon the soldiers fell into chaos, rolling on the ground, clutching their heads and scurrying like rats, chased by hawks across the courtyard—a complete mess.

Finally, someone scrambled and crawled into the palace.

Moments later, hurried footsteps sounded from inside the palace gate.

A tall figure emerged, followed by a retinue of attendants, striding swiftly from deep within the palace.

He was about forty, wearing a luxurious vermilion robe, a gold crown studded with gems, a curved blade at his waist, and bore an extraordinary presence.

He was none other than the king of Yutian Kingdom, Wei Chi Ming.

Two attendants held up a lofty canopy, shading his head.

He stood at the palace gate, looked up at the black mass of birds overhead, then down at the feathers and droppings covering the ground.

Seeing the king arrive, the soldiers hurried to their feet, but the bird flocks still pursued them.

Thus, they could only barely stand, one hand shielding their heads, the other still waving to drive the birds away.

The soldier at the gate whom Xue Tong had pointed at and yelled at raised his hand and said: "It's them! We begged to see the king, but since they wouldn't let us in, I don't know where we summoned all these birds from!"

The remaining soldiers all chimed in:

"Yeah! Great King!"

"These Central Plains people must know sorcery!"

Wei Chi Ming furrowed his brow, looked ahead, and saw a group of people standing silently, spotless, not a single feather on them.

An old man with white hair and beard, his face full of anger, stood at the front, hands on his hips, glaring angrily, still cursing nonstop.

"You bunch of dog-eyed, lowly little rabbit bastards!"

Beside the old man, a young man cradled a delicately carved jade-like little girl, who blinked her big eyes at him.

Old Valley Master Xue? How did he get here? His temper is still the same after all these years.

Wei Chi Ming fell silent for an instant, then quickly stepped forward, walked up to Xue Tong, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed slightly: "I didn't expect the Old Valley Master to come in person; I am late, please calm your anger."

All the soldiers stared wide-eyed; could this old man truly be an old friend of the Great King?

Xue Tong raised his hand, pointing at the soldier who had argued with him: "You came just in time!"

"It's him! He insulted me, old man, and had people drag me away! He claimed the Jade Pendant you gave me is something of unknown origin."

Wei Chi Ming's face instantly darkened.

He turned his head, his gaze falling on the soldier's face.

The soldier's legs gave way, and with a "plop" he knelt down, his lips trembling, unable to utter a plea for mercy before the words could come out.

Wei Chi Ming calmly said: "Drag him away, cut out his tongue, exile him to Onion Ridge."