Chapter 1204: then title translation, then ===GLOSSARY=== with list of named entities appearing in these lines

Just now Yang Fanxu was grabbing Hu Xiaotian's hand; now he is struggling desperately to break free, but no matter how hard he tries, his hand seems stuck to Hu Xiaotian's body. When outsiders notice something is wrong, Yang Fanxu's internal energy has already been completely drained by Hu Xiaotian's Void Great Technique, and he goes limp, collapsing in a heap before Hu Xiaotian.

Su Yuchi has already realized the situation is wrong; his expression turns unprecedentedly grim: "You are..."

Hu Xiaotian clicks his tongue, gazing at the still-burning house and says: "Really unexpected—I met General Su for the first time and he gave me this big gift, burning my house and frightening me into a cold sweat; fortunately, otherwise my illness couldn't have healed this quickly!" He flicks Yang Fanxu's hand away and strides toward Su Yuchi.

Su Yuchi's pupils contract sharply; the Hu Xiaotian before him and the patient who was just lying in bed feigning illness have undergone a complete transformation—he can't even be sure they are the same person, yet outwardly there is no difference at all. No! Hu Xiaotian should be on Python Flood Island at this time; the journey from Python Flood Island to Dongliang Jun takes at least seven days and nights of sailing. Even if he received the news and rushed day and night, he couldn't possibly make it back in time. He definitely isn't Hu Xiaotian.

One's appearance can be disguised, but one's bearing cannot be imitated. Yang Fanxu is a top-tier expert; he hasn't even seen how the opponent would strike, yet he has already knelt at his feet. How could this be? Even with Su Yuchi's deep scheming, he can't figure out what the reason is.

Su Yuchi remains calm amid danger, quietly gazing at Hu Xiaotian and says: "I, Su, came on the emperor's orders to visit Sir Hu; what does the fire have to do with me?"

Hu Xiaotian smiles and says: "It seems this is my first meeting with General Su; why do you say I'm not Hu Xiaotian? Could it be that I don't even know who I am? Do you need to prove it for me, General Su?"

Su Yuchi chuckles and says: "I've always heard that Sir Hu is talented and imposing in bearing, so seeing that deathly ill man on the bed just now, I simply cannot believe he is the legendary hero. Moreover, Sir Hu refuses to utter a single word to me, so my doubts are quite natural."

Hu Xiaotian laughs and says: "That does sound somewhat reasonable, Weisa!"

"Master!" Weisa comes over to Hu Xiaotian, delighted and lively, her beautiful eyes radiating a different luster. Su Yuchi notices that her expression is completely different from the tense demeanor she had indoors earlier, and he secretly regrets it. He, having lived half a lifetime, never expected to be deceived by a few youngsters.

Hu Xiaotian says: "You still haven't thanked General Su for pleading on your behalf; if it weren't for him, I wouldn't let you off."

Weisa pouts her cherry lips, charming and lovely, and says: "Thank you, General Su."

Hu Xiaotian says: "Liang Da Zhuang, this Doctor Yang seems seriously ill; help him find a room to rest, and later have a doctor give him proper treatment."

"Ai!" Liang Da Zhuang now finally realizes that the person standing before General Su is definitely Hu Xiaotian himself. He is also utterly bewildered, truly unable to fathom when Hu Xiaotian returned, when the impostor was swapped out, and where that impostor has gone now. He glances at the delighted Weisa, secretly thinking. Weisa and Qin Yutong ought to know the inside story; it seems the young master feels closer to them than to himself.

Seeing Liang Da Zhuang approach Yang Fanxu, several of Su Yuchi's subordinates want to step forward to stop him, but Su Yuchi's sharp gaze halts them. Su Yuchi has already realized that the situation has undergone a fundamental reversal—not only Yang Fanxu, but he himself fears he may not be able to protect himself either.

Hu Xiaotian looks at the fire scene and shakes his head; in this short while, the blaze has basically been put out by his subordinates. He makes an inviting gesture toward Su Yuchi: "General Su, this place is burnt to a wreck; let's go to the flower hall to talk."

By this point, Su Yuchi can hardly refuse; the circumstances leave him no choice but to nod. Yet he sees Hu Xiaotian already striding toward the flower hall, dragon-like steps, tiger-like vigor—no trace of sickness remains. Su Yuchi feels a tingling numbness on his scalp; the intelligence he received clearly said Hu Xiaotian had gone to Python Flood Island, and although Hu Xiaotian only spoke a few words, from his speech and bearing this person is eighty to ninety percent surely Hu Xiaotian. Could it be that he deliberately set up a false front, spreading the fake news of going to Python Flood Island? Emperor, emperor, you've really screwed me over!

The person before him is undoubtedly Hu Xiaotian. Upon learning that the Laohuangdi planned to use Yan Tianlu to eliminate him, he immediately realized Dongliang Jun would surely face trouble, so he and Xia Zhangming rushed back day and night. Originally, two Snow Eagles lacked the stamina to carry both of them on such a long flight to return to Dongliang Jun within two days, but with the addition of a flying eagle—which, having been saved multiple times by Hu Xiaotian, had decided to follow him—Hu Xiaotian rode the flying eagle while Xia Zhangming rode a Snow Eagle to lead the way. They made it to Dongliang Jun in just a day and night. Worried that Kangdu might change, Hu Xiaotian had Xia Zhangming go nonstop to Kangdu to explain the conspiracy behind this matter to Yongyang Princess Qiqi. He himself, after landing in Dongliang Jun, entered the city and quietly followed the secret passage back to his bedroom. However, Hu Xiaotian was still a step late; when he finally reached his bedroom, Su Yuchi and Yang Fanxu were already there.

The entrance to the secret passage was right under the bed. Hu Xiaotian hid inside, listening clearly to the movements above. Only after Su Yuchi and the others left did he get a chance to crawl out, but outside a fire suddenly broke out. Hu Xiaotian seized the opportunity to send that shadow warrior out from the passage, creating a scene of real chaos masking the fake.

Even though Su Yuchi is exceptionally wise, he never expected Hu Xiaotian to return to Dongliang Jun within a day and night, completing the swap of real and fake identities in such a short time. Su Yuchi firmly believed the intelligence given by the court, which is why this major mistake occurred; and now he still cannot imagine that the Hu Xiaotian before him is actually a different person, merely thinking the court's information had deviated, that Hu Xiaotian was deliberately setting up a false front, sending out the false news of going to Python Flood Island, while in fact he himself had remained in Dongliang Jun the whole time.

Su Yuchi sighs at the twists of fate, and at the same time deeply admires Hu Xiaotian's acting skills; if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, who could believe that the person who had just been lying on the bed and the one standing before him are the same individual—in fact, they are not even the same person.

Su Yuchi follows Hu Xiaotian to the flower hall and sits down; his few attendants have already been restrained. As a renowned general, Su Yuchi's expression remains calm and unwavering even in adversity. He smiles and says: "Sir Hu's recovery is truly swift!"

Hu Xiaotian laughs and says: "It's just a wind-cold; frightened by this fire, I broke out in a cold sweat and suddenly got better—General Su, you really are my lucky star!"

Su Yuchi chuckles and says: "Don't mention it, don't mention it!"

Hu Xiaotian asks: "Have the 100,000 shi of grain been delivered to General Su yet?"

Su Yuchi smiles and says: "Many thanks for your kindness, Sir Hu."

Hu Xiaotian calmly says: "You don't need to thank me; it was the emperor who ordered me to give you the 100,000 shi of grain. As a subject of Dakang, how could I defy the imperial decree? To be frank, nowadays nobody wants to part with the grain they've painstakingly earned, don't you agree?"

Su Yuchi bursts into a laugh: "Sir Hu, you're really frank!"

Hu Xiaotian says: "I know exactly why General Su has come; given my usual nature, I will certainly return the courtesy."

At that moment, the door was softly knocked, and Weisa entered with a tray bearing tea.

Hu Xiaotian laughs and says: "General Su, please have some tea."

Su Yuchi lifts the teacup in his hand, but he hesitates to bring it to his lips.

Hu Xiaotian says: "General Su, you're not worried that I might have poisoned the tea, are you?"

"How could that be?" Su Yuchi says aloud, but secretly thinks, "What couldn't this brat do?"

Hu Xiaotian says: "General Su, you are skilled in battle and full of strategies—truly a fine general of Dakang; I have always admired you greatly."

Hu Xiaotian said: "General Su is skilled in campaigning and adept in battle, resourceful and full of stratagems; he is indeed a fine general of our Dakang, and I, Xiaotian, have always greatly admired you, Sir."

"So hearing that the emperor has sent General Su to garrison Yunyang, I am overjoyed; with the general stationed there, we can resist the rebel forces of Guo Guangbi of Xingzhou, freeing me from rear worries, so I have unhesitatingly allocated the 100,000 shi of military grain for your use."

Su Yuchi says: "I, Su, also hold Sir Hu's glorious achievements in high esteem; over the past decade or more, Dakang and Da Yong have seen constant friction, yet we have never won a single battle. Sir Hu first defeated Tang Bohsi, then captured Qin Yangming, and seized the strategic eastern granary of Da Yong's grain depot at Dongluo—these accomplishments truly make us soldiers feel ashamed."

Hu Xiaotian says: "A person who overly exposes his sharpness is never a good thing; wholeheartedly serving the state does not necessarily earn others' recognition."

Although Su Yuchi stands opposed to Hu Xiaotian, hearing these words evokes in him a feeling of sympathetic sorrow.

Hu Xiaotian says: "I will forever keep in mind the emperor's grace toward me, and General Su, I fully understand your purpose here. Dakang has fallen to its present state not only because of external threats, but more so due to internal troubles. With a formidable enemy at the gate, we fail to unite in hatred of the foe and advance together; instead, each calculates his own gain. There are many like Li Tianheng and Guo Guangbi—selfish individuals who disregard the greater good—and few who are patriotic, brave enough to shoulder responsibility."

Su Yuchi remains silent; this time he came only in obedience to the emperor's order. He does not know Hu Xiaotian well personally, merely aware that he is a rare youthful talent, and only now does he truly grasp how formidable he is.

Hu Xiaotian says: "Boiling beans with their stalks, the beans weep in the pot; born of the same root, why must we burn each other so urgently?"

A twitch crossed Su Yuchi's lip as Hu Xiaotian's poem drove home like a nail into the depths of his heart. (To be continued~^~)

Su Yuchi's cheek muscles twitched; Hu Xiaotian's poem, like a nail, was driven deep into his innermost heart. (To be continued~^~)