The Great Bandit of Journey to the West

Chapter 54 Only 1 can survive.

As soon as Jiang Feng finished speaking, the air in the hall immediately became still.

Everyone looked at Jiang Feng in disbelief, their faces displaying various expressions.

Empress Dugu looked blankly at her, as if to say, "It's clearly a happy ending that all parties can accept, so why are you still making a fuss?"

Yang Jian's face was gloomy. He exchanged a glance with Jizang, and when he saw Jizang shaking his head at him with a serious expression, his face became even more unpleasant.

At this moment, he felt immense resentment towards Yang Guang. What was that bastard son thinking, sending a madman to represent him in Daxing!

The worst part is that this madman is fearless and actually has the ability to drag him down to hell...

Is Yang Guang so eager to rebel and usurp the throne?

"Jiang Feng, what explanation do you want?" Yang Jian took a deep breath and asked in a low voice.

Jiang Feng looked at Xu Ani and Crown Prince Yang Yong, who were kneeling on the ground: "Which of you came up with the idea of ​​plotting against me to deal with Dugu Tuo?"

Xu Ani stared intently at Yang Yong beside her, and seeing his despairing expression, she couldn't help but clench her fists slightly.

She raised her face and looked directly into Jiang Feng's eyes, her gaze resolute, and said, "I did it. I wanted to use you to kill Dugu Tuo."

Jiang Feng asked, "Why did you kill him?"

"Why? Because he never treats me like a human being!"

Xu Ani sneered, her eyes filled with boundless resentment: "I was adopted by Old Madam Guo when I was young. She treated me very well, giving me the best of everything, but she never treated me like a human being."

If I did anything that displeased her, she would punish me. Even something as simple as bowing too low would make me do it hundreds or thousands of times.

In her eyes, I was just a toy, a thing that had to conform to her every whim and be manipulated by her at will!

As she spoke, she seemed to recall some painful past events, gritted her teeth fiercely, and continued her story:

"After Old Madam Guo died, the Guo family bullied me in every way, and I lived in misery every day. It wasn't until Dugu Tuo's mother took me away that I thought I was saved."

"However, after I went to the Dugu family, I learned that they had only accidentally discovered that I could control cat ghosts and wanted to squeeze out my last bit of value."

I went from being a plaything of the Guo family to a tool for the Dugu family's profit, and I still have no freedom, being manipulated and controlled by them!

"We're all human, so why can they control the lives and deaths of others, while I'm just a puppet being manipulated by them?"

"I refuse to accept this! I will kill Dugu Tuo, I will destroy the Guo family, and I will make them pay for what they have done!"

As Xu Ani finished speaking, she shouted almost frantically, as if she wanted to vent all the grievances she had suffered over the years.

Jiang Feng listened quietly to her story and said with a sigh, "If you really killed Dugu Tuo and wiped out the entire Guo family, I might think more highly of you."

But how did you do it?

Your cultivation level has surpassed Dugu Tuo's from the very beginning. If you really want to be free, can the Guo family and Dugu Tuo stop you from leaving?

But what you did was aid and abet evil, teaching Dugu Tuo the art of the Cat Demon and helping him to plunder and kill!

What you truly desire is not revenge, nor even freedom, but power—unparalleled power!

As Jiang Feng spoke, a complex look appeared in his eyes: "You have witnessed the beauty of power, and you want to become like Old Madam Guo and Dugu Tuo, so you flatter them to the extreme and single-mindedly climb up the ranks."

If the Guo family can't give you power, then stay by Dugu Tuo's side. If Dugu Tuo can't fulfill your wishes, then side with the Crown Prince.

If the Crown Prince fails to meet your expectations, you probably wouldn't hesitate to betray him, would you?

Upon hearing this, Xu Ani's face contorted as if she were enduring some unspeakable pain, and she said in a trembling voice, "You're right, the Crown Prince was just a stepping stone for me to ascend to heaven, I used him..."

"Ani!"

Yang Yong shouted, but before he could finish speaking, Xu Ani interrupted him.

"Your Highness, it is I who have wronged you. If there is an afterlife, I will again carry grass and tie it into a ring to repay your kindness."

Xu Ani's face showed a resolute expression, and she quickly made a hand seal with her right hand.

Jiang Feng flicked his right hand, and the Vajra Pestle pierced through her shoulder, pinning her to a pillar in the palace, completely destroying her magical power.

"Ani—"

Yang Yong ran quickly to her side and tried to pull the Vajra Pestle out with both hands, but he couldn't get it out no matter what he did.

"Whether your feelings are genuine or not, let's talk about it later."

Jiang Feng withdrew his gaze from them and looked at Yang Jian, who sat expressionlessly in the main seat: "Your Majesty, Cui Peng and Guo Rong are both your men, aren't they?"

Yang Jian's brow twitched slightly: "Yes, these two are in charge of the palace guards and local military defenses respectively, and they are both my confidants."

Jiang Feng said, "Did you know about the Crown Prince and Xu Ani's scheme from the beginning, that the Empress was killed by the Cat Demon, and that you deliberately had the Cui and Guo families cooperate to guide me to investigate Dugu Tuo?"

Yang Jian's face showed a hint of displeasure. He glanced at the grenade in the man's hand and said helplessly, "I have already given you so much information. If you still cannot find Dugu Tuo, then it is because Yang Guang is incompetent in recognizing people and has chosen the wrong person."

Yang Yong's expression changed drastically, and he looked at Yang Jian in disbelief: "Father, you..."

Yang Jian looked at him with disappointment and sighed, "I thought you already knew about this, and that we, father and son, were tacitly aware of it..."

Yang Jian was born into a powerful family and usurped the throne to establish the Sui Dynasty.

Empress Dugu now wields immense power in the court, and he is often referred to as one of the "Two Saints." The influence of the Dugu clan, his maternal relatives, is unparalleled, making it impossible for him to feel at ease.

Therefore, when Crown Prince Yang Yong wanted to deal with the Dugu family, he secretly offered his assistance.

But no matter how much he planned, he never expected that Yang Guang, that beast, would actually bring Jiang Feng, that madman.

If things aren't explained clearly today, let alone the throne, he might not even be able to save his life...

"Your Majesty, you should really think about what kind of compensation you should give me."

After Jiang Feng finished speaking, he turned to look at Empress Dugu: "You've always known about Dugu Tuoqian's heinous deeds, haven't you?"

Empress Dugu looked at the scene before her, her expression constantly changing. After a long silence, she finally let out a helpless sigh.

"Jiang Feng, I don't know how Erlang explained it to you, but considering our fairly good relationship these past few days, could you do me a favor and let this matter go?"

I raised A-Tu from a young age, and I simply cannot bear to see him die a tragic death.

I know you want to do something for the people, but you're short of money. If you can let him go, I'll give you all of the Dugu family's properties in Jingzhao..."

Jiang Feng looked coldly at Empress Dugu: "We've gotten along very well these past few days, and you've indeed treated me like a son or nephew."

Don't say I'm heartless. I'll take the Dugu family's assets and give him another chance.

"Send Dugu Tuo out of the city now. If he can escape Jingzhao alive, I will no longer care about him!"

After speaking, Jiang Feng looked at the crowd behind him.

"Cui Ying, invite your senior brother Xiao here and have him stop the Dugu clan and the imperial court!"

Ao Ying, go and gather all the shrimp soldiers and crab generals you know in the Dragon Palace, surround the entire Jingzhao, and don't let a single one escape!

Zhang Guo and Da Han Sanzang, you two should contact all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens, lest someone in heaven help him.

Today, only one of me and Dugu Tuo can survive!