Chapter 174

Sure enough, he still slapped the table.

Seeing the guests upstairs casting strange glances, Niu Dingtian couldn't help furrowing his brow.

After pondering, Niu Dingtian still intended to first calm down and communicate properly with Yang Tiexin.

Having another man step forward, produce the couple's divorce document, and even demand a signature, damn it?

Regardless of whether the couple's feelings exist, which man wouldn't feel deeply ashamed by such a thing?

A bastard wouldn't even react!

So, Yang Tiexin being so furious, Niu Dingtian expressed understanding; even if the soup almost splashed on his face, he showed no trace of anger.

But communication is communication; we can't let outsiders watch the spectacle here.

Thus, ignoring Yang Tiexin's gaze that seemed ready to devour someone, Niu Dingtian waved at the waiter not far away.

Seeing that, the waiter furtively glanced at Yang Tiexin, then hurried over.

"Sir, what are your orders?"

"Clear the floor."

Niu Dingtian said lightly.

Then he directly pulled a gold ingot from his bosom and tossed it to the waiter.

"Clear the floor?"

The waiter was stunned.

Looking at the gold ingot in his hand, something he hadn't touched in over a decade of work, he instinctively wanted to bite it twice.

After reacting, seeing Niu Dingtian's face seemed somewhat displeased, he hurriedly apologized with a smile: 'This matter still needs the shopkeeper's decision, sir, please wait a moment!'

Having said that, he slipped away downstairs.

"Father, please have a seat,".

After the waiter left, Mu Nianci took out a handkerchief from her bosom, wiped the soup off Yang Tiexin's body, then tried to pull him to sit down, but she couldn't move him no matter what.

Just as she didn't know how to console him, the shopkeeper downstairs had already come over, bowing and scraping.

"Sir, please forgive us, there are still honored guests in the tavern; our small shop truly can't afford to offend them."

After a round of apologies, the shopkeeper returned the gold ingot from his hand to the table, his eyes full of reluctance.

But just as he withdrew his hands, with a clang, Niu Dingtian already flung something onto the table.

"Who says you can't afford to offend? Let him take a look at this first, and then I'll say I'll cover this little shop from now on."

Niu Dingtian knew that someone who could make such a mid-range inn discard a gold ingot was likely a government official.

But people of high status basically wouldn't come to such a place; it's too low-class.

Therefore, those who often frequent this place and yet make the shopkeeper dare not offend are merely ordinary petty officials who like to extort.

Since ancient times, anyone who does business properly has never feared officials who follow the rules.

What truly makes them avoid like snakes and scorpions, not daring to offend, are only those who don't follow the rules, even if the other party is of no rank or status.

Indeed, just as Niu Dingtian thought, after the shopkeeper took the sign, the people in several taverns didn't even dare to glance this way, and slipped out of the inn.

Less than half a quarter-hour later,

The originally noisy and clamorous inn suddenly fell silent; even the extremely angry Yang Tiexin, under Mu Nianci's desperate pulling, sat down.

Yang Tiexin stared blankly at the divorce document on the table, already crumpled into a ball by his grip, saying nothing.

If you can't beat them, you can't beat them; no matter how angrily you shout, what can it do?

After calming down, Yang Tiexin again felt a deep sense of helplessness, just as he had over a decade ago.

Just now, seeing Niu Dingtian slam down the sign, he finally recalled: who else could this person be but the youth leading troops whom he'd met on the mountain path earlier?

"My name is Niu Dingtian, also from Niu Clan Village; I suppose you should know me."

After lifting the wine jug and filling the three cups, Niu Dingtian looked at Yang Tiexin and said lightly.

As long as Yang Tiexin doesn't make a fuss and can listen to him speak, it's already a good start.

"Niu Dingtian?"

Upon hearing it, Yang Tiexin couldn't help muttering; obviously, this name was familiar to him.

The next moment, as if something occurred to him, his dazed gaze turned to Niu Dingtian: 'You are… the Niu Clan Village's Niu Dan'er?'

"It's Niu Dingtian!"

Niu Dingtian said expressionlessly.

Who the hell dares to mention that name in front of him again will have his hands chopped off!

Whether it's Niu Dan'er or Niu Dingtian, at this moment, for Yang Tiexin it no longer matters.

After confirming Niu Dingtian's identity, Yang Tiexin couldn't help but flare up again; he felt a stifling sense of being suddenly betrayed by an acquaintance, and couldn't help clenching his fists and shouting angrily:

"Why? She's your senior sister! She's eight years older than you! Her father taught you your primer! You're a scholar! How dare you do such a thing!"

As he spoke, Yang Tiexin's eyes blazed like fire, and he couldn't help but raise his huge fist, about to smash it into Niu Dingtian's tender, white face.

The more he looked at that face, the more stifled he felt.

"Father, quickly stop!"

Mu Nianci beside him let out a startled cry, quickly rose and clung tightly to Yang Tiexin.

Having listened for a while earlier without understanding the situation, but Mu Nianci realized the two were old acquaintances.

If that punch were to land, nobody would fail to retaliate; at that point, whether her father could survive would still be up in the air.

Finally,

Perhaps due to some remaining rationality, or perhaps Mu Nianci's obstruction took effect; Yang Tiexin's fist did not fall, stopping just two inches before Niu Dingtian's face.

From beginning to end,

Niu Dingtian didn't blink an eye.

He thought, if it really landed on his face, this matter would be easy to settle, only unfortunately it's still off by 3.3 centimeters.

But with such a big fist blocking his view, his eyes felt a bit uncomfortable.

Seeing that Yang Tiexin's fist had no intention of moving forward, Niu Dingtian shifted sideways a bit, then smiled at Mu Nianci, and looking at Yang Tiexin spoke calmly:

"After all, your martial elder sister was abandoned by your own hands, and after she was kidnapped, I personally rescued her."

"Before his death, the master entrusted his martial elder sister to me orally, and there is a letter as proof; I decide everything for her. Moreover, according to Song law, if a husband is missing for three years, his wife may remarry—what could I possibly not do?"

"You..." Yang Tiexin's face flushed with anger.

He involuntarily pointed a finger at Niu Dingtian, hatefully, and for a long time could not utter a word.

This was the first time he had seen someone so shamelessly righteous and thick‑skinned! But after thinking it over, he found nothing to refute.

He felt utterly stifled to the extreme!

Niu Dingtian, seeing this, raised his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp under Yang Tiexin's angry glare, then said:

"Regardless of who is right or wrong, since you learned of your martial elder sister's fate you have only been angry at me, never once asking how she has fared these years, what happened to her, or what suffering she endured."

"Ask yourself honestly: does she truly hold that importance in your heart as you show, or is it merely because of your masculine pride?"

Having said that, Niu Dingtian paused, glanced at Mu Nianci, then fixed his stare on the already dazed Yang Tiexin, delivering another merciless blow:

"If you had at least answered my earlier question straightforwardly, I would feel some guilt toward you. Now it seems you deserve nothing at all."

"Actually, your martial elder sister would not have been kidnapped back then—you know that better than anyone—and I won't bother detailing the specifics."

"But I still want to ask you: knowing full well that the tragedy at Niu Village was brought about by Qiu Chuji, why have you not sought his help all these years to find people?"

"What are you wary of? Is it that pitiful bit of male pride? For its sake you deceive yourself, wearing a strained look as you've searched for over a decade?"

"If it weren't for me, your martial elder sister would still be suffering humiliation on Jin territory; your son would acknowledge a thief as his father, calling another man 'dad' all day long—you…"

"Bang!"

"Enough!"

Just as Niu Dingtian was about to continue his tirade, Mu Nianci across the table slammed her palm on the table, stood up, glared with her beautiful eyes, and shouted:

"You scoundrel, don't bully people too much! Never mind that you stole my foster mother—how could my father tolerate such humiliation from you!"

Am I humiliating?

Am I not stating facts?

Niu Dingtian turned his head to look at Mu Nianci.

Seeing the young lady's indignant, united‑against‑the‑enemy expression, Niu Dingtian suddenly reached up and wiped his face, as if something had splashed onto it.

Mu Nianci's aura suddenly weakened.

She immediately blushed and turned her head away.

"Where is Xi Ruo now? I want to see her, and my son as well."

Yang Tiexin suddenly spoke.

His voice was hoarse, and the color in his eyes grew a shade of deathly ash.

Although he was humiliated in public like this, he could not refute a single point, because each of Niu Dingtian's questions made it hard for him to face his own heart.

This feeling is more painful than killing him!

"Meeting is possible, but not now,"

After thinking, Niu Dingtian mused: "I can first arrange for Yang Kang to come see you, but I cannot guarantee whether he will recognize you."

Hearing this, Yang Tiexin nodded with a numb expression.

Afterward, he suddenly lifted the drink before him and gulped it down in one big mouthful; after a moment of silence, he said hoarsely:

"Could you tell me about their affairs? And also about Guo Jing's wife."

"Since you can locate Xi Ruo and her child, obtaining news of Guo Jing's wife should not be difficult for you."

"'Sure.' Niu Dingtian gave a slight nod."

For this small request, it must still be fulfilled; as long as it isn't about demanding a person from him, anything else can be discussed.

Thus he briefly recounted how he had rescued Bao Shijie, how he had met Li Ping and her child, and how he had passed on martial arts to Yang Kang and Guo Jing.

However, when he mentioned that Li Ping and her child were living peacefully in the desert, Yang Tiexin could not hold back and burst into tears, almost shouting something like 'I am ashamed before my elder brother.'

Seeing this, Niu Dingtian felt a surge of emotion; perhaps this is the difference between him and Yang Tiexin.

Where righteousness calls, I too can stand with my brothers through hardship, but I will never recklessly endanger those I care about for that sake.

After picking up the wine jug and refilling Yang Tiexin's cup, Niu Dingtian said lightly:

"All cause and effect begins with Qiu Chuji, the plot lies with Wanyan Honglie, and the action falls to Duan Tiande. Instead of wasting time playing the daughter, you'd better think about how to take revenge with your own hands."

"Qiu Chuji will die this time on Nine Palaces Mountain; you need not worry about him. Wanyan Honglie is a prince of the Jin State, and with your abilities you cannot kill him. If you are intent, then the weakest of the three, Duan Tiande, is left for you."

Hearing this, Yang Tiexin suddenly lifted his head.

His wrinkled face turned toward Niu Dingtian, his reddened eyes filled with bewilderment and incomprehension, and he could not help but speak hoarsely:

"The hatred for killing one's brother is irreconcilable, but… what does this have to do with Daoist Qiu?"

After saying that, Yang Tiexin still looked at Niu Dingtian with incomprehension, as if even his earlier sorrow had vanished.

What does Qiu Chuji have to do with it?

Hearing this, Niu Dingtian stared blankly, as if asking, 'You ask me what this has to do with Qiu Chuji?'

Seeing Yang Tiexin's utterly sincere expression, not feigned, Niu Dingtian suddenly felt an inexplicable irritation.

He slowly raised his wine cup, took a sip with a 'sizzle' sound, and Niu Dingtian said calmly:

"Do you think Qiu Chuji bringing disaster to Niu Village was wrong?"

Seeing Yang Tiexin stunned and silent, Niu Dingtian paused, then said calmly:

"The source of the calamity was his doing; seeing your martial elder sister stranded in Jin territory, he did not think of returning her to the Song to find you, but instead became a guest at the Jin prince's mansion."

"In that case…"

"Do you still think he's not wrong?"

"Do you still think he shouldn't be killed?"

Having said that, Niu Dingtian stared at Yang Tiexin with a calm expression, and gradually the inn's atmosphere began to become oppressive.

Seeing this, Yang Tiexin's despondent face showed a flicker of hesitation, yet after hesitating for a long time still gave no reply.

The next moment,

"After your damn famous general!"

A single angry curse was heard, and under two incredulous gazes, the previously calm Niu Dingtian suddenly erupted, grabbed the wine cup before him and smashed it straight at Yang Tiexin's head!

The wine cup shattered, and scarlet blood instantly seeped from Yang Tiexin's forehead.

"Pah!"

"Damn his mother, bring shame to the ancestors!"

After another angry shout, Niu Dingtian, without looking back, walked down the stairs.

"Dad!"

Mu Nianci, who realized what happened, instantly lost her rosy complexion, while frantically covering the wound and, with a sobbing voice, shouted angrily downwards:

"Bastard! Stop!"

"Stop!!"

But no matter how Mu Nianci shouted angrily, Niu Dingtian's footsteps showed no hint of pause.

Until he was about to disappear, a plain voice suddenly came from downstairs:

"The inn has already been booked; stay if you like, if you want to see your son, just honestly wait here…"

Hearing that, Mu Nianci, with tearful eyes, wanted to chase after him.

But seeing Dad's forehead wound bleeding nonstop, she could only grit her teeth and rummage through her bundle for the golden ulcer medicine.

Half an hour later.

"He's my dad?"

Yang Kang widened his eyes at Niu Dingtian, his face full of disbelief.

The person beside him had a wrinkled face, a slightly hunched back, a gauze bag wrapped around his head, and his hair had turned quite gray; are you sure he's not my grandfather?

Yang Kang was somewhat doubting life.

But the young women on the side were rather attractive, and Yang Kang couldn't help glancing at them a couple more times.

Niu Dingtian, standing nearby, simply raised his hand and gave him a slap on the head, and said coolly to Yang Tiexin:

"This one here is your father; whether you acknowledge him is your decision, I won't interfere, but the senior uncle still advises you to accept him, giving you a day to consider."

Having said that, he turned and walked down the stairs.

Mu Nianci, seeing this, could only withdraw her hateful gaze, glanced at Yang Kang, then whispered to Yang Tiexin:

"Dad, you two are talking, I'll go down first to buy something."

Having said that, she also went down the stairs. (End of chapter)