Chapter 1068

In the early morning, Hu Xiaotian woke up, finding the bed empty beside him; he put on his clothes and went outside, seeing Huo Shengnan practicing swordplay in the courtyard, the long sword she wielded making the wind and rain unable to penetrate, just as Du Fu's poem says: 'Coming like thunder and lightning, gathering fury; stopping like the river and sea condensing clear light.'

Hu Xiaotian watched from the side, not rushing to disturb her; only after Huo Shengnan finished her sword routine did he begin to clap.

Huo Shengnan showed no change in expression, her heart unmoved; she sheathed her sword, stepped over to Hu Xiaotian's side, and said with a slight shyness, 'You're awake?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'I haven't slept that comfortably in a long time.'

Huo Shengnan whispered angrily, 'You only slept for one hour.' Recalling last night's night of intimacy, she felt so shy she couldn't even look him in the eye.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'I see your internal energy has increased quite a bit.'

Huo Shengnan said, 'Compared to before, it's more than doubled in strength.'

The two exchanged a glance that could be understood but not spoken, appearing rather ambiguous; each understood clearly in their hearts that Huo Shengnan's internal energy could increase so greatly in a short time entirely because of the Shooting the Sun True Classic. This strange cultivation method, during their intimacy, can use a yin-stealing-yang technique to draw Hu Xiaotian's internal energy over for her use, enhancing Huo Shengnan's internal energy while also drawing Hu Xiaotian's ever-expanding internal energy, helping him relieve the pressure on his Dantian Qi Sea; it is truly a win-win. In fact, the internal energy Huo Shengnan draws away is only a small part of Hu Xiaotian's internal energy. The internal energy Hu Xiaotian previously absorbed through the Void Great Law is not stagnant; as his martial arts improve, his own internal energy continues to increase.

Hu Xiaotian asked, 'Does the True Classic record the archery training method of the Falling Cherry Palace?'

Huo Shengnan nodded and said, 'Yes, if the True Classic is cultivated to the seventh level, one can use qi as arrows to kill the enemy invisibly.'

Hu Xiaotian thought to himself, it seems any martial art cultivated to its highest level leads to the same end. He chuckled, eyes narrowed, and said, 'Then let's go back. I'll hurry to give you more internal energy to help you break through the seventh level sooner.'

Huo Shengnan, face flushed, spat angrily, 'Being greedy leads to indigestion; I can't take you anymore.' Knowing Hu Xiaotian's temperament, she had come out early to practice, fearing that this rascal would wake up in the morning and grab her to do that sort of thing. Huo Shengnan considered herself not fragile, but blamed Hu Xiaotian for being too strong in this regard. She whispered, 'You might consider Tang Tiehan's advice.'

Hu Xiaotian understood what she meant, and couldn't help bursting into laughter; he grabbed Huo Shengnan's wrist and said, 'Won't you stay with me once more?'

Huo Shengnan furrowed her brows, feeling somewhat embarrassed as she leaned to his ear and said, 'My period has come.'

Hu Xiaotian let out an 'oh', thinking last night must have been a safe period, but then he reconsidered. He and Huo Shengnan had been intimate many times, yet they had never used any contraception; why had Huo Shengnan never become pregnant? Strange—could it be that I have a problem?

Huo Shengnan said with some relief, 'I was actually worried about that.' She was worried about becoming pregnant with Hu Xiaotian's flesh and blood; the timing now is clearly inappropriate.

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, 'What's there to worry about?'

Huo Shengnan said bashfully, 'I'm worried about becoming pregnant with your flesh and blood.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'What's there to worry about? If you get pregnant, just give birth.' He spoke lightly, but felt some pressure inside; thinking of his strange origins, he wondered whether this offspring might have some genetic defect.

Huo Shengnan bit her cherry lip and said, 'Wait until you settle down over there. I'll come join you, and then we can peacefully have a baby, okay?'

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded.

Settling down! Easy to say, but actually doing it is not that easy. On the day Hu Xiaotian said farewell to Kangdu, he first went to the Yongyang Prince's mansion to bid farewell, only to hear that Qiqi did not reside there. As he prepared to leave, he happened to see Qiqi's carriage returning.

Qiqi had the carriage stop, letting Hu Xiaotian enter. She had been reviewing memorials in the palace last night and only just returned in the morning; she was about to go to the Minister's residence to see Hu Xiaotian off, not expecting he had already arrived.

Qiqi said, 'Leaving so early?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'I originally wanted to slip away quietly, not wanting to draw too much attention, but after thinking it over I felt I should at least tell you.'

Qiqi said, 'Just leaving directly would be fine; it saves the farewell.'

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, 'You're reluctant to let me go?'

Qiqi said, 'What I think doesn't matter; in the end it won't change your mind.' A feeling of reluctance to part welled up in her heart; if she could choose, she would rather not come to see him off. In the past, Hu Xiaotian had left Kangdu many times, but she had never felt this way before. She suddenly realized that since that night's underwater adventure, her feelings for Hu Xiaotian had undergone some change.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Being trapped here only leads to a dead end.'

Qiqi sighed and said, 'I'll see you out of the city.'

Hu Xiaotian smiled, carefully extending his arms to rest on Qiqi's slender fragrant shoulders; Qiqi's delicate body visibly trembled. Hu Xiaotian grew bolder in his behavior, but she did not refuse. After a moment's hesitation, her body leaned into his embrace, closing her eyes as if falling asleep.

The two remained quietly leaning against each other, neither speaking, as the carriage left Kangdu's east gate. Hu Xiaotian released Qiqi and whispered, 'I'm leaving.'

Qiqi nodded; compared to girls her age, she was obviously much stronger. Even at the moment of parting, she kept sufficient composure and said softly, 'Take care on your journey; once you reach Dongliang Jun, don't forget to have someone send word back.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'As for palace affairs, with Quan De'an helping you, you naturally needn't worry; on the Shen Ce Fu side, Huang Feihong is acting as head, a man of both wisdom and courage, whom you can fully trust. I once recommended Yang Lingqi to you; this man is a great talent in governing the state, though he has a disability, he possesses the ability to plan strategies and win victories from afar; for any major issue you cannot handle, you can consult him.'

Qiqi had already been controlling her emotions well, but hearing Hu Xiaotian, before leaving, not forget to make such a meticulous arrangement, keeping all his capable assistants in Kangdu, showed that deep down he indeed cared for her. Her nose felt sour, her eye sockets turned red, she tightly closed her eyes, afraid Hu Xiaotian would see her lose composure.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'After I leave, remember that in everything, forbearance comes first.'

Qiqi nodded, composed herself, rose from Hu Xiaotian's embrace, and sighed softly, 'Rest assured, I understand how to assess the situation; he doesn't even care for the realm and its altars, so how could he care for me, his granddaughter?' Saying this, she smiled and added, 'On the contrary, you need to be more careful; arriving there where you know nothing, you must start from scratch, not only constantly facing threats from Da Yong, but also dealing with pressure from the court.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'The last time I returned from Da Yong and passed through Wuxing Jun, the naval commander Zhao Dengyun wanted to act against me; this time I go there, the first thing I prepare to deal with is him.' Before this northern expedition, Hu Xiaotian already had a clear plan in mind; establishing a foothold in Dongliang Jun is merely the first step; he must control Wuxing Jun to form a situation where the two banks support each other. Zhao Dengyun likely colludes with the Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan, but Zhao Dengyun's nephew Zhao Wusheng is actually a follower of Ji Feihua; from Hu Xiaotian's understanding of Zhao Wusheng, Zhao Wusheng's obedience to Zhao Dengyun is only superficial, and the uncle and nephew probably harbor grudges. He should take advantage of this, quickly seize control of Wuxing Jun; if he can smoothly take command of the Yongjiang navy, it will be like adding wings to a tiger.

Qiqi said, 'Zhao Dengyun holds Wuxing Jun, nominally commanding Dakang's northern 100,000 navy, but in fact he has only about 30,000 troops and just over 300 warships of various sizes, most of them dilapidated; however, eliminating him is no easy task.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Many mouths can melt gold; accumulated slander can destroy bones. I'm just giving you a heads-up: try to spread rumors in advance so the Emperor doubts his loyalty, then later dealing with him will be easy as water flowing into a channel.'

Qiqi nodded and said, 'It seems I no longer need to worry about you; you must already have a full plan.'

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, 'We've been driven to this point—either you kill him or he kills you.' He lifted the carriage curtain to look; they had already reached outside Kangdu's city. He told Qiqi, 'Seeing someone off a thousand miles still requires a parting; go back now. After I pay respects to my mother at Fengyi Shan Zhuang, I will head north today.'

Qiqi gave an affirmative hum, though she felt some reluctance in her heart. Hu Xiaotian reached out and gently stroked her hair, saying softly, 'Rest assured, my life has always been tough; even you can't deal with me, let alone others.'

Qiqi laughed at his words, like rain clearing to sunshine, her pretty face beaming with sunlight.

Hu Xiaotian saw this maiden's charming appearance, his heart stirred; he moved closer to her. Qiqi's pretty face flushed, and Hu Xiaotian stopped when he was an inch from her cheek, lowering his voice to say, 'Your departure is imminent; before we part, won't you give me a gift?' His gaze fixed on her soft lips.

Qiqi's pretty face reddened all the way to the base of her neck; facing Hu Xiaotian, a veteran of love, she had no defense. She bit her cherry lip and whispered, 'Hu Xiaotian, I know what you're after, but…' She closed her eyes, lifted her cherry lip, presenting herself for the taking.

Hu Xiaotian unreservedly pulled her into his embrace, lowered his head to kiss her cherry lip, and his big hand did not forget to knead her delicate body twice. Given Qiqi's intelligence, she likely already saw through his plan to ensnare her with a love net, leaving her unable to free herself; but even if she saw through it, what could she do? Once a woman becomes emotionally involved, she loses reason, all the more so for Qiqi, this inexperienced girl; although she is special, possessing wisdom and maturity beyond her peers, she still has a weakness. Wanting to be a strong woman at such a young age? Hu Xiaotian made up his mind: he must soften the sturdy core of Qiqi's nature and draw out her most feminine side.

Qiqi, made limp by Hu Xiaotian's touching, barely managed to grab his hand that intended to fondle her chest, panting and said, 'If you keep messing around, I'll call for help!'

Hu Xiaotian chuckled and said, 'I'm doing this for your own good; don't you know that rubbing here often can make it much larger?' (To be continued~^~)