Chapter 1040

Wan Ting Sheng laughed softly, "What's there to fear? My father is visiting my uncle's residence, and my brother went to the Orchid Fragrance Courtyard, where he's been staying for over half a month."

Li Xiangzhi couldn't help but sigh again, saying, "This heartless wretch has had his soul utterly bewitched by that lowly slut."

Hu Xiaotian's heart sank upon hearing that; he realized the Wan family father and son were nowhere nearby. He glanced at Xiong Tianba and Liu Kuohai sneaking over, hastily gestured for them to wait patiently, and listen to what the adulterous couple had to say.

Wan Ting Sheng said, "Your sister-in-law is truly devoted to him."

Li Xiangzhi spat, "That heartless wretch can't compare to you."

Wan Ting Sheng chuckled, "How does he not measure up to me?"

Li Xiangzhi cooed, "Nothing about him compares to you; you have strengths he lacks!" Her lascivious feelings were plain to see.

Wan Ting Sheng leered, "Then sister-in-law, tell me, what strengths do I have?"

Hu Xiaotian silently sighed, the entire Wan family, old and young, are nothing but scum.

Wan Ting Sheng grabbed Li Xiangzhi and pulled her into his embrace, his large hand kneading her chest.

Li Xiangzhi said, "Don't rush; let me put out the lamp first."

Wan Ting Sheng said, "No need to extinguish the lamp; I love seeing your sister-in-law's bare white flesh."

Li Xiangzhi moaned under his kneading, but at the crucial moment she seized his hand and asked, "I heard you're heading to Southern Yue next month?"

Wan Ting Sheng was interrupted by her, nodded, and said, "Exactly! My father sent me to Southern Yue to conduct a major business deal."

Li Xiangzhi said, "Why don't I come with you?"

Wan Ting Sheng said, "Xiangzhi, the timing isn't ripe yet; if my father finds out, it would be worse."

Li Xiangzhi shoved Wan Ting Sheng away, sighed, and said, "Don't think I don't see through your intentions; you Wan family lot are all the type who eat their fill, wipe their mouths, and slip away."

Wan Ting Sheng replied, "Clearly it's you who's feeding off me." He stepped forward and embraced Li Xiangzhi; she cursed him as a deadbeat, but this time she didn't break free. Grasping his hand, she said, "When you go to Southern Yue and pass through Azure Cloud, could you bring my natal brothers along? Let them learn business from you."

Wan Ting Sheng shook his head and said, "No way!"

Li Xiangzhi, angry, shoved him away again, asking, "Why not?"

Wan Ting Sheng said, "Don't you know, sister-in-law? My father and Yan Kui of Heavenly Wolf Mountain have turned into enemies; the passage through Heavenly Wolf Mountain is no longer open, so this time I'm heading to Southern Yue by detouring through southern Xichuan to reopen a trade route."

Li Xiangzhi asked, "Why did they become enemies?"

Wan Ting Sheng said, "It's all because Yan Kui is insatiably greedy, making endless demands. If we agreed to his terms, the Wan family would become his forced laborers, working for him for nothing."

Hu Xiaotian had long suspected Wan Bocheng of colluding with bandits, and now he finally had proof—no wonder the Wan family's operations had always flowed unimpeded through Heavenly Wolf Mountain. He quietly slipped back to Xiong Tianba and Liu Kuohai's side. Liu Kuohai lowered his voice and asked, "Sir, what's the situation?"

Hu Xiaotian sent a mental transmission: "Wan Ting Chang isn't here..." At that moment he suddenly sensed movement on the roof, hastily signaled the two to hide, only to see five black-clad, masked figures appear on the western roof. Each brandished a gleaming saber; the central figure gave a signal, and the five split up, one of them dashing straight toward the east wing where Li Xiangzhi lodged.

Xiong Tianba and Liu Kuohai were bewildered by the scene. Besides the three of them, someone else had infiltrated the Wan residence?

Xiong Tianba, somewhat impatient, said, "Uncle Three, shall we go up too?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said, "Just be patient and watch!"

At that moment a anguished cry came from inside the room. It was clear those five had begun their slaughter.

Hu Xiaotian told the two not to intervene, led them out quietly, and said outside, "Wan Ting Chang is at the Orchid Fragrance Courtyard."

Liu Kuohai, upon hearing the enemy's whereabouts, immediately said, "Sir, let's go kill that bastard right now!"

Hu Xiaotian turned to look toward the Wan manor and saw it already ablaze; the assassins who had infiltrated the Wan residence, after killing, set the estate on fire. Judging by their methods, they must be seasoned bandits, and Hu Xiaotian couldn't help recalling the earlier conversation between Wan Ting Sheng and Li Xiangzhi—could it be that the Heavenly Wolf Mountain horse bandits have tracked them here?

Hu Xiaotian and his two companions went to the Orchid Fragrance Courtyard but did not enter; instead they set an ambush on the route the courtyard must take to reach the Wan residence. As Hu Xiaotian expected, news of the Wan estate fire would soon reach Wan Ting Chang's ears, and sure enough, not long after they took position, they saw Wan Ting Chang mount a carriage from the Orchid Fragrance Courtyard and hurry toward the Wan residence.

In the dark night, the carriage sped south toward Xiezhou City. Hu Xiaotian gave a signal; Xiong Tianba and Liu Kuohai simultaneously tightened the rope, which they had laid across the road. The two draught horses tripped over it, neighing wildly, lost their front hooves, and crashed to the ground with a thud. The carriage, from inertia, flipped over entirely, wheels flying upward as it landed upside down; the coachman was flung aside, and the carriage compartment's Wan Ting Chang was tossed about, bruised and battered, dazed, still not comprehending what had happened, when a strong, powerful hand yanked open the carriage door and dragged him out.

Wan Ting Chang panicked, his voice trembling, "Hero… spare my life… how much money do you want… I'll give it all…"

Pfft! Liu Kuohai spat on his face, then drew a dagger and viciously stabbed it into his chest.

Wan Ting Chang's body twitched a few times, then stilled. Seeing his great enemy finally avenged, Liu Kuohai's tiger eyes welled with hot tears. Hu Xiaotian worried that given time, things could change, and it wouldn't be long before the commotion alerted the city guards; he patted Liu Kuohai on the shoulder, whereupon Liu Kuohai dumped Wan Ting Chang's corpse, turned, and vanished into the night with them. It seems Wan Ting Chang's killing and the Wan estate fire will be blamed on those assassins; likely they are from Heavenly Wolf Mountain, tracking here to avenge Wan Bocheng.

After Hu Xiaotian helped Liu Kuohai achieve his revenge smoothly, the group regrouped at Sanhe Town, crossed Pengyin Mountain, and headed straight for Kangdu. Upon entering Dakang territory, everyone's mood relaxed; they made their way back while enjoying the scenery along the road, but what they saw was mostly displaced refugees, wailing cries filling the wild, and fields lying barren.

Although they encountered no further danger along the way, each person's mood grew unusually heavy from witnessing Dakang's people suffering; they had left in summer, but by the time they reached Kangdu it was deep autumn.

Along the official road outside Kangdu, leaves fell in abundance, appearing from afar like a golden pathway; such a beautiful deep‑autumn scene, yet their hearts were too heavy to appreciate it.

Weisa rode beside Hu Xiaotian on a vermilion horse, seeing his solemn expression and furrowed brows, she asked softly, "Master, Kangdu lies ahead—why do you look unhappy?"

Hu Xiaotian lifted his gaze and, with his eyesight, could already see Kangdu's imposing walls, yet his heart felt no joy. Returning to Kangdu did not mean this mission was over; what awaited him was surely an unprecedented storm. The old emperor had failed to regain Xichuan as he wished, and would surely hatch new plots against him; he wondered whether his father's sea voyage had gone smoothly.

These days Hu Xiaotian has been haunted by the same nightmare: he dreams of his father's fleet encountering storms at sea, and of Murong Feiyan's death‑pale face, her eyes empty. He dare not dwell on it further, then let out a long breath and said, "We're almost there."

Yang Lingqi rode up from behind, lowered his voice, and said, "My lord, are you worried about the emperor's attitude?"

Hu Xiaotian replied, "I have already fulfilled the mission he entrusted to me; even if they seek trouble with me, they'll need a noble pretext."

Yang Lingqi said, "My lord, you should first go see the Yongyang Princess."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; he thought the same. To weather this crisis without wind or waves, Qiqi must step forward—his little fiancée surely does not wish to become a widow so soon.

Ahead, someone galloped toward them on horseback; Hu Xiaotian was the first to recognize the rider as Liang Da Zhuang, and he wondered strangely how this fellow knew of his return—on their way back they had kept a low profile, revealing their exact route to no one.

Liang Da Zhuang rushed up to them, leapt off his horse, and with a thud knelt before Hu Xiaotian's mount, panting, "Young master, you've finally returned… madam… madam… she's done for…"

Hu Xiaotian felt as if struck by a bolt from the blue, unable to process: "What did you say? Say it again."

Liang Da Zhuang, tears streaming, said, "After the young master left, the lady fell ill a few days later, then the old master departed as well; her condition worsened steadily. I sent people to Xichuan with a letter, but somehow they never found the young master. We consulted renowned physicians, yet her state showed no improvement. These past two days it has deteriorated further; if not for waiting for the young master's return, she likely wouldn't have lasted this long. So I've been keeping watch outside the city, awaiting the young master's homecoming—Heaven has eyes, young master you…" Before he could finish, a whirlwind seemed to sweep by—Hu Xiaotian spurred his horse, whipped the little gray, and dashed toward Kangdu City like a gray bolt of lightning.

Hu Xiaotian couldn't believe it—when he left, his mother's condition had been perfectly fine; how could she suddenly fall ill, and so severely? Before his eyes rose the image of his mother's kind face; he recalled her reluctant, sorrowful expression at his departure, and his heart felt as if sliced by a blade. Had he known things would turn out this way, he would never have gone to Xichuan, no matter what. These days he had carried a heavy heart; it seems he had sensed it all along—why was his return so delayed? If he had arrived a few days earlier, how much better it would have been.

Hu Xiaotian galloped all the way back to the Secretary's mansion; even after entering the gate he kept his horse at full speed, startling the servants who scattered aside. Arriving at his parents' courtyard, he leapt from his horse and shouted, "Mother! Mother! Your unworthy son Xiaotian has returned!"

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