Chapter 207: The King of Fraud

But the engagement ceremony is already in preparation. What’s the point of discussing it now? Even if the sky falls, there’s no way to stop it, unless… Aota was stunned for a moment: "What? Are you willing to die?"

If the prince consort dies, the princess will become a widow, and then I can take advantage of the situation!

Old Wang rolled his eyes. Idiot, what kind of bizarre logic is this?

"Besides death, there are many other solutions," Old Wang said earnestly. "For example, I could suddenly disappear?"

"Then it would still be death?" Aota's eyes gleamed, feeling a bit more of his limited wisdom returning. "Do you need our help, brother?"

"Pig!" Old Wang sighed. "I can go back to Rose, brother!"

The three brothers looked at each other, puzzled for about two or three seconds, then Aota slapped his thigh.

"That’s right! Yes, yes, yes! Oh, you’re so smart!" He looked both surprised and excited, asking with anticipation and excitement: "Brother Wang Feng, thank, thank you! Will, will you leave? Will you really give Zhiyu back to me?"

"Look at what you’re saying…" Old Wang sighed. "Zhiyu is so beautiful, truly the first beauty of Ice Spirit Kingdom. Which man wouldn’t be captivated by her? Besides, Zhiyu has genuine feelings for me, and it’s rare that the king and the elders have also acknowledged me…"

Aota’s eyes bulged immediately. Damn, is he just messing with me?

"But," just as he was about to lose his temper, he heard Wang Feng continue: "Before I came here, I had already heard of the name of the Son of Winter. I’ve admired you from afar for a long time. After coming here and seeing you, I felt your heroic spirit even more. You are a true man among men, and I admire you greatly! Sigh, I don’t have any other strengths, but I am loyal and value brotherhood. What can I do?"

Aota forcibly swallowed the curse that was on the tip of his tongue and said insincerely: "Wang Feng, you’re a good person! I also admire you. If you’re willing to leave Zhiyu, you will be my dearest friend!"

"Cough, cough…" Damn, why does this sound so familiar? Old Wang put on a difficult expression: "You know, I don’t have any background or status. My family has always been poor. To match Zhiyu’s level, sigh, I’ve taken out quite a few high-interest loans…"

"I have money! I’ll give it to you!" Aota gritted his teeth. "Whatever amount you need, no haggling!"

"That’s where I have to criticize you. How can Zhiyu be bought and sold? Besides, it’s not just about money. Do you think I, Wang Feng, lack the courage to stand up for myself and ask my brother for money?" Old Wang continued earnestly: "Moreover, if I become the prince consort, how glorious would that be? Becoming a prince of Ice Spirit Kingdom, second only to the king and above ten thousand others, would money even be an issue!"

Aota's face was filled with shame. "Wang Feng, I was wrong. Whatever you say, I'll do it!"

"It's difficult, sigh... But..."

"Big Brother Wang Feng, don't say 'but'!" Even after drinking for three consecutive days, Dongbuluo's mind was still sharp. Wang Feng's hesitation was clearly waiting for them to say something: "Just tell us directly what it takes for you to leave! As long as it doesn't harm Ice Spirit and Linding, the three of us will do anything!"

*Slap!*

Old Wang slapped his thigh hard. "Our little Dong is indeed clever."

"As the saying goes, life is precious, but love is even more valuable. For the sake of brothers, everything can be sacrificed!" Old Wang said enthusiastically. "I am someone who loves making friends. In our hometown, there's a saying that one would take a knife in the ribs for a friend. The three of you value friendship and righteousness, true heroes and good men. I like this brotherly bond among you!"

The three brothers were stunned, and the room fell silent for five seconds. Finally, Aota reacted: "So, shall we become brothers?"

Badeluo quickly added: "If we become brothers, you can't try to take my big brother's sister-in-law!"

"It's 'sister-in-law'!" Dongbuluo slapped him on the back of the head. "Big Brother Wang Feng is older than all of us; show some respect!"

"Big Brother Wang Feng!" Aota reacted swiftly, his voice trembling with excitement. "From now on, you're our big brother. Rest assured, we'll follow your lead, except for Zhiyu!"

"Second Brother!" Old Wang laughed heartily. "Good, I accept you three as my brothers. For the sake of brothers, not only women and status, but even my life, I'm willing to sacrifice! On the day of the engagement, everyone will be relaxed. Prepare a snow wolf and some provisions for the journey. The more, the better. I'll leave! Even if it means being hunted by Ice Spirit Kingdom, I must help my brother's love!"

Aota was both shocked and delighted, never expecting Wang Feng to be such a man of honor. He felt his life had taken an incredible turn, and he grabbed Wang Feng's hand, shouting: "Big Brother!"

Dongbuluo and Badeluo, who had grown up together with Aota, shared his joy and quickly joined in: "Big Brother! Big Brother!"

"Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother!" Old Wang tightly held their hands, tears welling up in his eyes. "I, Wang Feng, have been alone since childhood, drifting through this world without a companion. I thought I would spend my life in solitude, but today, I've gained three wonderful brothers. I am so happy!"

"Big Brother, rest assured, from now on, you won't be alone with us around!"

"I will definitely bring enough money and food."

"That’s going to be heavy, a regular snow wolf might not be able to carry it, don’t let it give up halfway..."

"No problem! I’ll use my Snow Wolf King!" Aota said boldly. At this moment, he would have been willing to carry Wang Feng himself, no matter how heavy it was: "It can pull anything, no matter how heavy!"

"Second Brother, that’s your most beloved mount, how could I possibly accept that?"

"No worries, once you reach a safe place, just release it and it will find its way back on its own!" Aota said emotionally: "Brother, for me, you were even willing to give up the woman you love the most, what more do I have to sacrifice?"

"Good brother! I knew I could count on you. It’s worth giving my most beautiful and beloved Zhiyu to you, take good care of her..." Old Wang said with satisfaction: "But apart from this, I have another difficulty."

Apart from Badeluo, Aota and Dongbuluo had already anticipated this. Aota's eyes sparkled; as long as Wang Feng's request didn’t harm the two tribes, he was willing to do anything, even if it meant working like an ox or a horse: "Brother, just tell us what you need!"

"It’s the elder," Old Wang sighed. "The elder has always wanted me to marry Zhiyu, and you all know that. For this, he has taken something from our family, the unlit bronze lamp hanging behind him on the wall. You should know about it, right?"

The three of them were stunned. Aota swallowed hard. Despite his excitement, he still had some limits in his mind.

The unlit bronze lamp behind Elder Oscar has been a legend of the Winter Line for nearly two hundred years. Wang Feng is only seventeen or eighteen, yet he dares to say that the lamp belongs to him...

Aota said suspiciously: "Brother, is that really your thing?"

"That indeed belongs to our family, but the story is a long one..." Wang Feng observed their reactions and sighed: "Do you think Zhiyu really likes me? Do you think why the elder is forcing me to marry Zhiyu? It’s all because of that bronze lamp!"

The three of them looked at each other in confusion: "How so?"

"Ah, this is a secret, but since we are brothers, I won’t hide it from you." Old Wang gathered his strength: "Our family and your Ice Spirit lineage have known each other for hundreds of years. Back then, the two families arranged a betrothal, using the bronze lamp as a token. I came here to fulfill that agreement. Although the marriage cannot be, we must still take back our family’s token. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to explain it. The elder is the witness and guardian of this betrothal, and out of respect for tradition, he insists on forcing me to marry Zhiyu to complete the ancestral betrothal..."

"Really? I remember that lamp has been there for a long time, I’ve never heard of this... Oh!" Before Badeluo could finish, Dongbuluo smacked him on the head.

"Dongbuluo, why did you hit me!"

"Are you an idiot? Don't you know that our brother wouldn't lie to us!" He winked, and Aota quickly caught on. It was just a bronze lamp; if they couldn't manage even that, they wouldn't be human!

Aota hurriedly said, "The elder is really getting senile! How can he bring up old debts from hundreds of years ago and use them to ruin Zhiyu's happiness!"

"It ruins Brother's happiness too!" Dongbuluo added.

"Exactly!" Old Wang scolded such behavior: "What kind of era is this, still arranging marriages like this? Zhiyu actually doesn't really like me; she likes you, Aota... It's all because the elder forced her into this marriage contract, making her pretend to be happy in front of everyone while suffering behind closed doors. I feel terrible seeing her like that, which is one of the reasons I decided to leave..."

Aota's mouth dropped open, feeling as though sunlight and a blizzard had descended upon him simultaneously, bringing both light and intense pain. He wished he could fly to Zhiyu's side and take on all her suffering. He cried out, "So, that's how it is! Zhiyu! My Zhiyu! I misunderstood you! I'll go find the elder right now! Even if I have to fight..."

"Calm down, Brother, you need to stay calm." Old Wang patted his shoulder to soothe him: "Don't you know the elder? Once he decides something, can you really change it by going to him?"

"Brother, what should we do then?" Dongbuluo's eyes burned with determination. Aota was madly in love, but he needed to remain clear-headed. Although Wang Feng's words seemed flawless, he felt there was more to the story.

"The key lies in that bronze lamp!" Old Wang spoke earnestly: "You need to find a way to get the lamp and give it to me. Once the token is gone, the marriage contract will be null and void. Without the token, the elder can't force Zhiyu and me to marry. This is the best solution! And as a descendant of the Wang family, I have a duty to return this lost token to the family..."

For Zhiyu, Aota was about to agree immediately, but Dongbuluo quietly tugged at his sleeve. He feigned difficulty and said, "Brother, this might be hard... You know, the bronze lamp is with the elder. How can we possibly take it from him?"

"On the day of the engagement, the elder will leave the ice cave. That will be your chance," Old Wang said with a smile. With one of the three brothers having some sense, things would be easier.

Aota, unable to contain his excitement, pounded his chest and said, "Brother, leave it to me! On the day of the engagement, I'll prepare the snow wolf king and provisions for you. By then, the bronze lamp will definitely be returned to its rightful place!"

Aota's eyes sparkled with renewed hope. This was a dramatic turn of events, a ray of light in the darkness.

That cursed bronze lamp must be returned to its rightful place—there was no question about it.

Such a harmful thing shouldn't remain with the elder. If it did, given the elder's temper, even if Wang Feng fled back to Aurora City, the elder would likely use the lamp to force Zhiyu to chase after him and complete the marriage in Aurora City!

They all looked at each other, and Old Wang, Aota, and Dongbuluo burst into laughter. Beside them, Badeluo laughed foolishly along, as if everything was going to be alright. It seemed the sister-in-law was safe.