Chapter 15: Only Death Is Extravagant

Ling Tui Si, scolded until he lost his composure, couldn't help wondering why Ding Dian hadn't lost all his martial arts, how Feng Yi could have mastered the Divine Illumination Technique in just seven days, and why his character had changed so much that he didn't even recognize him!

Feng Yi never had such a mind before.

All this made him rack his brains, yet he couldn't fathom the mystery; perhaps to survive he had no choice but to make that move? Upon hearing this, the crowd looked at the discomposed Ling Tui Si, offered no rebuttal, and Ding Dian's face flushed with anger—anyone with judgment could see these were indeed true.

He couldn't help feeling increased contempt for Ling Tui Si; after all, as a father, to achieve his goal he actually used his own biological daughter as bait—this is somewhat inhuman!

Furthermore, to achieve his aim, sacrificing his subordinates would be only natural.

What Feng Yi said earlier was certainly not baseless!

Feng Yi had never thought of killing Ling Tui Si now; partly out of self-interest, he hadn't fully mastered the Divine Illumination Technique.

Another point is to first make Ling Tui Si's deeds known to all, step by step shatter his established image in everyone's mind, deal with him; on one hand, to avoid being labeled a subordinate who rebels and is ungrateful; on the other, destroying Ling Tui Si's image is more satisfying than killing him with a single blow, giving him a sense of accomplishment! Know that Ling Tui Si was, in Feng Yi's previous life, an untouchable great figure, equivalent to a top boss of a major city, still a big brother of the underworld.

To make such a figure bow before him, Feng Yi previously wouldn't even dare imagine!

So he enjoyed this process! Feng Yi then shifted his tone: 'Though you may act unjustly, I and Senior Brother Ding cannot. You just need to obey, and I will give you the antidote—why fear so much?'

Ling Tui Si's face lit up at the words; he stared at him for a long time and said solemnly, 'Your reason for making everything public to everyone is to get me to agree to let Shuanghua marry Ding Dian, right?'

Feng Yi smiled slightly and said loudly: 'Not bad! Back then you claimed you approved of Senior Brother Ding and Miss Ling's courtship, yet you deceived the young couple.'

At that time you imprisoned Senior Brother Ding, placed Miss Ling under house arrest, and held their lives in your hands.

Miss Ling begged you not to harm Senior Brother Ding's life, so you forced Miss Ling to swear a poisonous oath: if she ever saw Brother Ding again, her deceased mother would suffer daily torment from evil spirits in the netherworld.

'What?' Ding Dian, unaware of this, seized Ling Tui Si by the collar and snarled, 'You are truly despicable!'

'You don't kill me merely because you want the scripture; Shuanghua wouldn't have to take that poison oath, and you would certainly be reluctant to kill me.'

Ding Dian said this and suddenly couldn't continue; he knew Ling Shuanghua had lost her mother at thirteen, and she held her departed mother in the utmost reverence.

Ling Tui Si forced his daughter to take that oath, turning all his hopes into nothing.

Ling Tui Si said, 'What's the point of saying all this?'

He went on, looking at Feng Yi: 'You really care—you even know this. Did you secretly meet Shuanghua? Did she tell you?'

Feng Yi didn't answer him, saying, 'Senior Brother Ding, please calm down!'

He turned to Ling Tui Si: 'All that happened before was because you held their lives in your hands, controlling everything; but now I am the butcher's block and you the fish—you must, before everyone, agree to let Miss Ling marry Senior Brother Ding, cease the pursuit, and I will give you the antidote.'

Feng Yi knew Ding Dian's downfall stemmed from his desire to obtain Ling Tui Si's approval; otherwise, three years ago, when he and Ling Shuanghua plighted their troth, he could have taken her away.

But the more one loves, the more one cares.

He cares about everything the other cares about! Of course, whether Ding Dian or Ling Shuanghua, in Feng Yi's eyes they seem overly pedantic, yet he knows this is propriety, the binding of reputation on people.

Although such things mean nothing to Feng Yi, they are what people of this era value most.

Moreover, even in modern times, though people's notions have undergone radical change, love between men and women still hopes for parental blessing!

Those who have the courage to elope without parental consent are, by numbers, exceedingly few!

Out of a thousand couples, it's hard to find even one.

So although Feng Yi scolds this pair as 'lovestruck fools,' having promised to help Ding Dian and Ling Shuanghua be together, and with Ding Dian having passed the Divine Illumination Technique to him, he must find a way to fulfill his promise! Keeping a gentleman's agreement is one's duty, regardless of his opinion of the matter. The two locked eyes; Ling Tui Si pondered for a moment, then roared angrily, 'Old man, if I don't want this life, what will you do?'

Feng Yi smiled arrogantly and said slowly, 'Ling Chief, you are what sort of person? I know you better than you know yourself; if you truly refuse, I and Brother Ding will just walk away!'

Everyone was stunned.

Ling Tui Si's eyes, however, flashed with a hint of solemnity.

Only he understood Feng Yi's implication: although you are many, if we want to leave, no one can stop us.

But your life, Ling Tui Si...

Not even mentioning the 'Broken Tendons and Rotting Bones Pill,' just with Feng Yi in the dark and him in the light, the saying goes: not fearing thieves stealing, but fearing thieves eyeing you! Even though Ling Tui Si is deep‑minded, at this moment he dare not even think of it; instantly his face turned ashen, his whole body trembled, his upper and lower teeth kept clacking, making a clanking sound.

This is not only the fear of death, but also great distress.

The source of the difficulty is not his deep love for his daughter, nor reluctance to part with Ling Shuanghua.

Rather, it is his stature—how could he, under coercion in front of everyone, agree to this? Isn't that selling his daughter for survival?

Then what would he become? How would others view him?

Anyone who does evil first looks at the environment; even a murder‑obsessed human demon would not dare act in certain settings.

Because he thinks, 'I want to do evil yet escape punishment, avoiding consequences!'

If only Feng Yi and Ling Tui Si were present, given Ling Tui Si's nature, he would agree without hesitation.

But with all his subordinates present, uttering those three words 'I agree' is impossible!

Yet he does not want to die, so he is naturally torn.

If Ling Tui Si were truly a hero who regards death as homecoming, Feng Yi's every means would be useless and he would not be troubled.

He would only need to order a volley of arrows, not bother about his own life, need not mention adjusting archers or closing gates, etc.; Feng Yi and Ding Dian could only flee in disarray.

Obviously, Ling Tui Si is not such a person.

His such arrangements instead let Feng Yi see his fierce exterior but weak interior!

So Feng Yi has him figured out! Feng Yi watched Ling Tui Si's torn expression, smiling, thinking: 'That day you made me feel the taste of a sword hanging at the neck; today I used a filth pill to repay you. I want to see whether you choose life or reputation! No matter what you pick, it will be utter ruin of body and reputation!'

In Feng Yi's view, a swift death is not a punishment for someone like Ling Tui Si, but rather a great relief.

It is the ultimate indulgence!

Dead, and all is settled! That's far too cheap!

To deal with such a heinous, nature‑destroying thing, you must make him lose what he cares about most, let him silently feel the fear and helplessness of awaiting death! Finally, when he chooses to resign himself, give him a hint of hope, then dash it, plunging him into despair.

Then let him die in despair.

Only relentless torment of his heart constitutes true retribution!

Moreover, the most important point is that Ling Tui Si cannot die today! If he did, everything would spiral out of control.

Whether it's these constables and the Longsha Gang, or Ling Shuanghua, this is not what Feng Yi wants.

He still hasn't finished learning part of the Divine Illumination Scripture!

In the end, it must fall on Ling Shuanghua.

By this point, Ling Tui Si also understood Feng Yi's ruthlessness.

Ling Tui Si is excessively arrogant, always judging others by himself; he only thought that he had taken the Broken Tendons and Rotting Bones Pill, and also realized that no matter what he chose, the reputation he had built over half his life was also ruined.

The position of Jingzhou prefect is likely lost; he also has no chance to find the Liancheng treasure he has longed for his whole life.

Ling Tui Si's complexion turned ashen, making him look feeble and old, as if his spirit had vanished; he let out a long sigh and said, "You mean well, but what are you doing this for?"

In Ling Tui Si's eyes, everyone is moved by profit, but Feng Yi's terms benefit only Ding Dian, not himself seeking gain, which is truly hard to believe.

Feng Yi said calmly: "Our Longsha Gang has relied on your prefectural title in Jingzhou City to dominate for years; over the years we have taken who knows how much ill-gotten wealth from the people, yet you are still not satisfied."

Moreover, as a prefect, you disregard human life, defy heaven and reason; killing you would surely earn applause from many!

I, Feng Yi, feel no psychological burden at all!

But what you said is not bad; I lost my father at eight, and over these thirteen years I have received many favors from you, so I also do not want to push things to extremes; today I only seek a proper resolution in all aspects, not failing in my human duty—that would be enough.

As long as you agree to my terms, letting me repay Ding Shixiong's kindness in teaching me martial arts, I and he will owe nothing to each other.

As for you, if you are not resentful of today's encounter and want to kill me, we will each display our abilities; if I am the loser, even if you hack me to death, no one will blame you!

But if you want me to become a man who goes back on his word, then I will no longer bother with talk of gratitude and righteousness—you figure it out yourself!

Everyone hearing this was moved; no one expected Feng Yi to be so noble and upright, actually not seeking any benefit for himself, yet some people felt great doubt, finding it unbelievable.

Ding Dian, however, gave Feng Yi a thumbs-up and praised, "What a man!"

Feng Yi emerged from prison with disheveled hair and tattered clothes, looking like a beggar; people could not see his features clearly, but now his image is becoming increasingly clear.

Merely, through the gaps in his hair, his pupils emitted flashes of light, like an endless abyss, filled with a merciless, chilling intent.

Moreover, his words were not only reasonable and well-founded, but the content was also explosive.

Everyone was curious and wanted to see how Ling Tui Si, such a great figure, would choose between his life and reputation; all held their breath, no one daring to speak, and the atmosphere's gravity surpassed even the earlier shouting and hacking, making it all the more heart-pounding.

Just then, a cold, eerie voice suddenly interjected: "Yeah, it's time to think it over properly!"

Following the sound, they saw a woman in a yellow robe walking over; in the moonlight she seemed to emit a faint glow, her face delicate and lovely, her phoenix eyes filled with sorrow, pitiful and charming, exquisitely beautiful beyond words, stirring the heart.

Behind her followed a man whose face was ashen and withered like tree bark, contrasting with the woman's beauty and appearing especially ugly and frightening—this was Ling Tui Si's master, Xia Sandao, who held a blade to Ling Shuanghua's neck and escorted her forward.

This sight struck Ding Dian like a thunderbolt; his tiger eyes brimmed with tears as he trembled, "Shuanghua."

Feng Yi could not help but silently praise, "Good," for it praised Ling Shuanghua's beauty and noted she was not disfigured—indeed good.

Such beauty in a woman is rare to behold, pleasing to the eye; to destroy it would be almost a waste of heavenly gifts. Yet this woman is indeed the source of sin, no wonder she makes Ding Dian a lovesick sycophant.

Ling Shuanghua's hair was disheveled, showing she had been seized by Xia Sandao while asleep; upon seeing Ling Tui Si, she stared blankly, but soon her gaze fell on Ding Dian, and she could not help but beam with joy, tears welling, calling, "Brother Dian!"

At that moment they seemed to have thousands of words to say, yet neither could utter anything else, merely shedding endless hot tears while calling each other's titles.

However, when Ding Dian saw the silver light flashing on Ling Shuanghua's neck, his surprise turned to a sudden coldness, and he immediately lunged forward.

Then Xia Sandao shouted sternly: "Don't move!"

Having pulled Ling Shuanghua back, he barked, "If you dare step forward again, I'll make her lose her head!" Tightening his blade, a red line appeared on her snow-white neck.

Ling Shuanghua, however, was not afraid at all; instead she smiled and said, "Brother Dian, as long as you're safe, I'm happy."

Ding Dian, who deeply loved Ling Shuanghua, could not act against the rat for fear of damaging the vessel; he could only suppress his urge, not daring to advance, suppressing his heartbeat, and coldly said, "Old dog Xia, what do you want?"

Ling Tui Si also shouted indignantly, "Master Xia, what are you doing? Release my daughter at once!"

Whether his feelings are genuine or feigned, at present he appears wholly concerned for his daughter, heedless of his own safety.

The officials of the Jingzhou prefecture and the Longsha Gang members alike did not expect Xia Sandao to actually subdue Ling Shuanghua; they were puzzled, yet they still gripped their weapons and spears, surrounding Xia Sandao and Ling Shuanghua.

Xia Sandao seemed not to have heard Ling Tui Si's words, giving Ding Dian a heh-heh smile and said, "Ding Dian, you ask what I want to do? You should ask your good junior brother about that."

Ding Dian stared, then turned his head to look at Feng Yi.

Feng Yi's brows and eyes were icy cold as he stared at Xia Sandao and snorted, "I said, in such an important occasion, where is your lackey? Turns out you actually went after Miss Ling's idea!"

But Prefect Ling, greedy and corrupt, using his daughter is somewhat understandable; you, however, are merely a lackey, abducting his daughter—do you think you'll still be alive afterward?

Xia Sandao gave a bleak smile and said gloomily, "Do you know what it feels like to have your son killed?"

His voice was full of resentment, bearing immense hatred.

Feng Yi smiled at him and said, "Don't you see that Prefect Ling doesn't even regard his daughter's life and death? You've followed him long enough; you should emulate him! I merely received some instruction from Brother Xia, so I momentarily slipped—why should you take it to heart?"

Bullshit!

Xia Sandao's face twitched, ferocious as a ghost, and he shouted fiercely, "Ding Dian, if you want your beloved to live, kill Feng Yi at once!"

(End of chapter)