Chapter 1091: Parting with a Friend (Middle)

Zhao Wusheng secretly admired him; when it came to decisiveness in action and profundity of methods, Hu Xiaotian undoubtedly surpassed him.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Please trouble Brother Wusheng and Brother Yongfu to handle affairs in Wuxing Jun; I will immediately return to Dongliang Jun. Please have Brother Wusheng allocate thirty warships and five thousand soldiers to go to Xiasha Port; I will have supplies sent there as soon as possible so the troops can survive the harsh winter."

Zhao Wusheng respectfully said: "Sir, your heart is benevolent and you love your soldiers like children; to meet you is our fortune."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "I'm leaving; I will still bring Tang Bohui's corpse back."

Hu Xiaotian lingered in Wuxing Jun for only a brief three hours, yet these three hours proved crucial in turning the tide. When he departed Wuxing Jun, thirty warships accompanied him to Xiasha Port. Upon his return, his first priority was to supply Wuxing Jun; it was foreseeable that allocating half of Dongliang Jun's grain and fodder to Wuxing Jun would inevitably provoke local opposition. Hu Xiaotian knew this would hurt the feelings of Dongliang Jun's populace, but he had no alternative. To win Wuxing Jun's troops over swiftly, he must ensure they lack nothing in food and clothing and give them hope. The hearts of Dongliang Jun's people were not originally with him; in the short term they cannot be made to sincerely support him; appeasement is impossible, only military force can subdue them.

In medicine, one prescribes according to the illness; different patients need different prescriptions. Governing a state is the same: for two cities facing each other across the river, to firmly hold them in one's hand requires different measures. Wuxing Jun can be won over by leniency and persuasion, but Dongliang Jun's populace must be made to fear from the heart, subdued by military force.

The night was deep; sailing against the wind, they would not reach Dongliang Jun until dawn the next day.

Hu Xiaotian stood alone at the bow, watching Wuxing Jun shrink in the distance; a temporary victory meant nothing. The Battle of Yongjiang not only provoked Da Yong's hatred but also angered the Dakang Court. In the days ahead he will face immense pressure from both sides; resolving the crisis is his foremost problem.

Weisa came over with a cloak and softly said: "Master, the wind on the bow is strong; why not go below to rest?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed, turned to let Weisa drape the cloak over him, then turned again as Weisa fastened the sash; gazing into her ice‑blue eyes, he sincerely said: "Thank you!"

Weisa blinked in surprise, looking into Hu Xiaotian's warm eyes, her pretty face flushing: "Serving the master is my duty."

Hu Xiaotian reached out and gently brushed her cheek, chilled by the north wind; Weisa's blush deepened.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Go rest now. I want to walk alone for a while."

Weisa nodded obediently; ice‑snow clever as she was, she sensed that Hu Xiaotian's pressure had not eased despite the victory—though his smile remained bright, his inner burden must be enormous.

After Weisa left, Hu Xiaotian's gaze returned to the dark river; sailing upstream, if you do not advance you retreat. Now only bold forward motion remains, with no turning back. He lifted his head and noticed a figure on the sail behind him, sitting on the crossbeam, leaning against the mast, gazing up at the night sky. He clearly recalled that spot had been empty moments ago; with his current skill, someone had approached him unnoticed, putting him on alert—he did not know whether friend or foe, but if an enemy, their skill could not be ordinary.

The figure slowly turned his head; in the hazy moonlight his features became discernible: sword‑like brows, eyes bright as stars, an expression half‑smile, half‑not. Hu Xiaotian recognized him and froze—he never expected Ji Feihua to appear before him.

Since the collapse of the Tianlong Temple's Wangsheng Well, he had lost track of Ji Feihua; though he knew her abilities made burial in that well impossible, he still worried for her safety. Now, seeing her unharmed before him, the stone in his heart finally fell. He rose into the air, and as he moved to approach Ji Feihua, she rose and soared upward.

Hu Xiaotian tapped lightly on the spot where Ji Feihua had just sat, then rose again; the two arrived at a point one zhang below the mast's top. Ji Feihua clasped her hands behind her back, standing proudly on the crossbeam; Hu Xiaotian stood one zhang behind her, his back against the mast, carefully keeping his balance.

Ji Feihua's robes fluttered as she walked on air, her back to Hu Xiaotian she said: "Not bad, not bad—looks like Bu Wu has passed all his hidden techniques to you."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Congratulations, Sir, on recovering your divine skill; it seems your martial prowess now exceeds former days."

Ji Feihua shook her head, lightly turning on the crossbeam to face him: "After three days apart, one should look anew—you truly astonish me; I was right to cultivate you."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Your kindness in nurturing me, Sir, I shall never forget."

Ji Feihua said: "I am no Sir, and you are not my subordinate; if you still remember our old bond…" He paused, a bitter smile touching his lips: "Just call me elder brother." In fact, when they first met at Tianlong Temple, Ji Feihua had already told Hu Xiaotian to change his address, yet Hu Xiaotian still habitually called him Sir.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Ji elder brother!" He suddenly recalled Zhao Wusheng's sudden assassination of Zhao Dengyun today; Zhao Wusheng had once belonged to Ji Feihua's faction, and Ji Feihua's appearance here could not be coincidental—could Zhao Wusheng's firm resolve to join his side stem from Ji Feihua's behind‑the‑scenes influence?

Ji Feihua said: "We haven't shared a drink in ages."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Ji elder brother, why not come with me to Dongliang Jun? From now on, as brothers we will govern this land together, and we can drink every day."

Ji Feihua chuckled: "Today's wine, today's drunk; tomorrow's worries, tomorrow's sorrows—who knows what the future holds?" He untied the wine gourd from his waist, pulled the stopper, took a few gulps, then tossed the gourd to Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian caught the gourd and drank deeply, exclaiming: "Exhilarating!" A warm heat spread instantly through his limbs and bones, comforting beyond words.

Ji Feihua said: "Defeating Da Yong's thirty‑thousand elite navy with three thousand men—after this battle your fame spreads across the world."

Hu Xiaotian said: "People fear fame, pigs fear fat; if I could choose, I would rather live low‑key, without contention."

Ji Feihua's lips curled with an unfathomable smile: "Some are destined never to lead a tranquil life."

Hu Xiaotian deliberately said: "Ji elder brother is exactly that sort." After speaking, he added: "I am the same; we are of a kind."

Ji Feihua asked: "Were those two thousand beggars sent by your maternal grandfather?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded; Ji Feihua had long known of his bond with Xu Lingkong, so there was no need to conceal it before her.

Ji Feihua said: "He treats you fairly." Taking the wine gourd from Hu Xiaotian's hand, he whispered: "I know what happened to Lady Hu; since tragedy has struck, I hope you can grieve and move on."

Hu Xiaotian asked: "Do you know why my mother died?"

Ji Feihua said: "Your father resides in Tianxiang State; the fifty warships he took with him are the best‑equipped in the Dakang Navy, and the ten thousand sailors under his command are hand‑picked elites worth ten ordinary soldiers each—one could say the Dakang Navy's elite forces were nearly wiped out by your father."

"Did you already know of your father's ties to Tianxiang State?"

Ji Feihua said: "I have heard rumors, but I did not suspect the depth of your father's scheming."

Hu Xiaotian sighed: "And you know of his relationship with Long Xuanjiao?"

Ji Feihua nodded: "A woman capable of making a man abandon wife and child to betray Dakang is certainly no ordinary one."

Hu Xiaotian silently sighed; the tangled affairs, even if Ji Feihua were as cunning as a demon, remain inscrutable—family disgrace should not be aired, so he would not tell Ji Feihua his own shame; he whispered: "Back then you had Wu Rengxing send my mother back to Jinling, and you also delivered a letter to Old Lady Xu—what did that letter actually say?"

Ji Feihua shook his head, turned away, presenting his back to Hu Xiaotian: "I heard that after Lady Hu's passing, the Xu clan of Jinling came to offer no condolences."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I have no further dealings with the Jinling Xu clan; if I ever get a chance to meet them, I will seek justice for my mother."

Ji Feihua asked: "Do you hate the Xu clan?"

Hu Xiaotian did not answer directly, instead saying meaningfully: "You are a descendant of the Chu clan; did Old Lady Xu owe you a favor?"

Ji Feihua sighed: "I thought I had schemed to perfection, yet ended up drawing water with a bamboo basket—now I realize the true master was your maternal grandmother; without her, Chu Yuanhai would never have learned his origins, nor would I." Though he did not outright admit it, his words amounted to acknowledging his Chu lineage.

Hu Xiaotian silently sighed; what hatred could make Old Lady Xu despise the Chu clan so deeply? After Chu Fufeng's death, his descendants still found no peace; Chu Yuanhai was sent by Xu Lingkong to be raised by Old Lady Xu, who intended to conceal his origins and let him live carefree—but she instead deliberately leaked his background, causing Chu Yuanhai to drain Dakang's treasury in a revenge plot, ultimately falling to Long Xuan'en.

Ji Feihua said: "When the Chu clan was exterminated I was only eight; had Old Lady Xu not seen everything beforehand and made preparations, I too would have perished. I always regarded her as my benefactor—without her help I would never have had a chance for revenge—but now I see I was merely her tool." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come and read more.)