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Despite no one speaking in his defense, the atmosphere spoke volumes of their sympathy for Fang Yuan who knelt on the ground.

Tang Luo looked at Fang Yuan, his admiration growing stronger. He admired how Fang Yuan had instantly gained the sympathy of all, including seasoned warriors like Du Wei and Du Ling. However, he disapproved of his desire to be let off so easily.

There was no denying that Fang Yuan was a great liar; his lies a mixture of truth, distortion, and tragedy. Sadly, his prowess promised a great performance, worthy of an award-winning actor, if played out in a different era.

“The dutiful son and mindful brother has acted well, though I have a couple of questions I’d like clarified. If you can clear these doubts, not only will I let you go, I will also send food and people to escort you guys to Chaochang!”

Ignoring Fang Yuan’s dumbstruck expression, Tang Luo asked with a twinkle in his eyes, “First, if your mother entrusted your younger brother to you and asked you to take his ashes back home, why have you not left yet? Why did you wait until the flooding sealed off the mountain to plan your escape? Even if you had to feed your younger brother when you were younger, you both have begun your training. Despite both being Mortal Realm martial artists, you still haven’t left. Are your legs stuck to the soil of Xiling?”

No one laughed at this bit of humor. Fang Yuan was beginning to panic, but Tang Luo stopped him before he could justify himself, and said, “No rush. I’ll ask my second question, and you can answer them together.”

“If you both knew that you were destined to go to Chaochang, why did you become my followers by tying headscarves? You, who raised your younger brother on your own, must have known that becoming a slave would rob you of your freedom, yet you still did it. Ordinary Mortal Realm warriors only become slaves out of desperation, but you two, without any baggage, with the ability to navigate mountains and rivers, could even catch fish from the rapid flood. Choosing to become my followers seems entirely voluntary.”

Abandoning his playful demeanor, Tang Luo sternly asked, “This indicates you felt it was beneficial. So, since you chose this road yourself, don’t you want to change your mind halfway? I hope you can come up with a reasonable explanation, otherwise, I’ll just scatter both your ashes into the flood. Let’s see if they can make it to Chaochang!”

Tang Luo’s words carried a sharp statement rather than a mere question. His menacing voice sent a chill down everyone’s spine. Faced with Tang Luo’s expressionless and intimidating demeanor, Fang Yuan’s heart sank, icy cold like being trapped in an ice cellar.

Most people wouldn’t ponder deeper upon hearing his tale, as it was more comforting to believe in a sentimentally appealing reason. Tang Luo’s doubts, however, were exactly what a cold and detached spectator might question.

This was the first time Fang Yuan felt dread and apprehension for a person. If he initially feared Tang Luo’s lineage, now his terror was directed towards Tang Luo himself.

As Tang Luo pointed out these doubts, many martial artists realized that Fang Yuan’s tearful performance was just that, an act. Du Wei and Du Ling’s eyes now bore killing intent. They felt betrayed, their sympathy was replaced with icy cold intent.

The two brothers were once again at an impasse and no matter how much Fang Yuan racked his brains, he couldn’t find a response to Tang Luo’s questions.

Tang Luo, not waiting for an answer, looked at Fang Yuan’s troubled face, and continued, “If you can’t explain, let me guess.”

“Mortal Realm brothers with astonishing abilities playing humble. Maybe to you, all nobles are fools. But as you’re smart, you must know that even the weakest noble could easily overpower you. So, you’re always well-meaning to everyone, blending into the crowd, keeping your little secrets close to your heart.”

“You must consider yourself clever, moving around in the valley during rationing, collecting rations for three or even five people. Although you’ve tied the bandana representing my followership, you’ve never really considered yourself as one.”

Panicked, Fang Yuan looked at Tang Luo. His deepest, unspeakable aspirations had been brutally exposed, as if he were standing naked in front of everyone.

Tang Luo looked at Fang Yuan’s horrified expression, confirmed his guess was on target and continued, “Choosing to be my follower as you thought it was beneficial. You reasoned that taking more rations won’t matter to me, and amidst one million other followers on Red Cloud Mountain, you assumed I wouldn’t notice. Thus, you collected rations without performing any duties of a follower, enjoying the freedom of a common citizen. However, when you learnt that I was beginning to control and assign idle followers, you panicked. Realizing that your precious freedom was at stake, you hastily planned an escape.”

“You starve, and you wear the bandana to collect relief food. You eat, then you take off the bandana wanting freedom. No need to even speak about being a clan leader, you are far from even being a warrior.” Tang Luo stared into Fang Yuan’s eyes, “I’ve said before, freedom comes at a price. If you really cared about your deceased mother’s wishes, you should have acted like a man and refused the rations meant for the needy, maintained your freedom and stayed. If you had done that, I wouldn’t have stopped you and your brother. But now, you’ve eaten my food while wearing the bandana, I’ll make sure you comprehend that the food of this noble clan isn’t free.”

“Although you fear the noble clans, you enjoy the sensation of challenging their rules with your strength and intelligence. It is like knowing that the noble’s food isn’t good, yet you still feast on it. You appear humble and friendly but underneath you’re immensely arrogant. Each successful scheme of yours reassures that you’re superior. You seem to show no pressure in the face of going against the norms as you believe I can do nothing about you..” Tang Luo sneered, “Am I right?”