Chapter 1221

Li Changxing hearing his son say these words felt somewhat surprised in his heart; he had thought his son only studied behind closed doors, knowing little about other matters, but he hadn't expected his son could see so deeply and far. He whispered: "His Majesty must have unavoidable difficulties."

Li Mingju said: "Unavoidable difficulties? I doubt it. His Majesty has always wanted to eliminate the great threat at heart, but doesn't he realize that family matters need no external help? Using outsiders' strength to settle Bohai State's internal affairs is no different than inviting a wolf into the house; the result will surely be more loss than gain."

Li Changxing was greatly alarmed by his words and snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting, child?" He, feeling a bit startled, flung open the door to look outside, then returned and pushed open the window to scan the surroundings; confirming no one was around, he relaxed. Although he also had some complaints about the present monarch's conduct, he kept these opinions to himself, never daring to voice them before the monarch. The previous Bohai King, Yan Tianzheng, in order to eradicate possible hidden dangers, had initially struck at his two brothers, stirring up a bloody storm in Bohai State; the state's fortune could be said to have suffered a major blow. The current monarch, Yan Dongsheng, is also a figure lacking in domineering presence and responsibility; though he treats his subjects decently, that is hardly a virtue for a ruler.

Li Mingju said: "Father, you needn't be afraid; this is at home, I've ordered the servants not to approach here."

Li Changxing said: "Remember, walls have ears, trouble comes from the mouth."

Li Mingju said: "I've noted it, son; I won't speak recklessly outside."

Li Changxing nodded: "Your matter of going to the Central Plains..."

Li Mingju shook his head firmly: "I won't go! With parents alive, one does not travel far; do you want me to defy the sages' teachings, Father?"

Li Changxing said earnestly: "I'm not asking you to defy the sages' teachings; I merely wish to secure an early retreat for our Li family."

Li Mingju said: "Father, this need not be discussed further; I have a request. Please grant it, Father."

Speak!

I've recently made a friend who is a relative of the Treasure Gathering Studio's manager; I wish to meet the manager, but I don't know if it's convenient...

No way! Li Changxing refused outright.

Li Mingju said: "Just meeting is not allowed?"

Li Changxing said: "His Majesty attaches great importance to the Treasure Gathering Studio affair; evidence already shows the studio is linked to Yuan Tianzhao and Python Flood Island, Mingju. You must absolutely avoid getting involved in this muddy water."

Li Mingju said: "I can stay out of this muddy water, but can you remain detached, Father?"

Li Changxing had no reply.

Hu Xiaotian slipped out of the Li residence under cover of night; when he returned to the Inn, he found Xia Zhangming already back, who laughed: "Manager, where did you go? I've been waiting for you to eat."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Idling is idling; I'll go around gathering some news."

Xia Zhangming said: "How's the harvest?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "Let's eat first, we can chat while we eat!"

Xia Zhangming said: "Let's go to Haiyun Lou. I just passed by there and saw business is booming."

Hu Xiaotian nodded, and the two left the Inn together. Xia Zhangming had the two fine horses he had just bought brought over; though they weren't exceptional thousand-mile steeds, they were still tall, vigorous divine steeds. Hu Xiaotian mounted a black horse, Xia Zhangming rode the other chestnut-red horse, and they rode side by side down the street. Hu Xiaotian couldn't help thinking of his flying eagle: "Zhangming, where do you think those flying eagles have landed?"

Xia Zhangming laughed: "Manager, you needn't worry. They're absolutely fine."

Haiyun Lou is not far from Xianke Lai; it lies at the north and south ends of Tonghai Street, with Haiyun Lou at the northernmost point. Upon arrival, indeed they saw a bustling scene of carriages and horses before the door. Xia Zhangming was thorough; he had already reserved a seat at Haiyun Lou in advance, otherwise coming now they would surely find nothing.

The two went up to a second-floor room and sat. Hu Xiaotian picked up the menu, glanced at it, and casually ordered a few specialties. Xia Zhangming whispered: "Manager, did you notice anyone following us along the way?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded; in fact, he had noticed it as soon as he stepped out of Xianke Lai's main gate. He secretly guessed that those tracking him were likely the several scholars he had set a trap for; they probably resented him, so they tailed him looking for a chance to retaliate. With just those few bookish fools, they could hardly stir up any trouble.

Hu Xiaotian briefly recounted his encounter today to Xia Zhangming; upon hearing the amusing part, Xia Zhangming burst out laughing, remarking that Hu Xiaotian's tactics were truly clever—he himself wouldn't have thought of such a way to mess with people.

Xia Zhangming said: "Today I just went to the market for a round, buying several horses as you instructed and ordering a carriage; the carriage's decoration won't be ready for pickup until the day after tomorrow at the earliest."

Hu Xiaotian raised his cup and drank with him: "No rush, anyway we'll be staying here for a while."

Xia Zhangming whispered: "I also tried to gather news, but the people of Wanghai City are obviously avoiding discussion of the Yuan Tianzhao case; I inquired all day and heard nothing."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Tomorrow I plan to visit the Sea God Temple to seek its abbot; Ma Qingyun once gave me some hints, and that abbot should be one of their planted insiders here."

Xia Zhangming nodded, feeling a bit puzzled as to why Hu Xiaotian didn't invite him along.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Here we'd better split up—I'll be in the open, you in the shadows."

Xia Zhangming said: "But for now we still have no clue; how do you plan to get started, Manager?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "No rush; Yan Tianlu and Hu Zhongyang will also be coming to Wanghai City soon. Once we meet up with them, everything will be easy. What we need to do now is first clarify the situation here, and not fight a battle we're unsure of."

Xia Zhangming nodded: "According to the schedule, Yan Tianlu should already be here, though he certainly won't show himself publicly; given his status, he must have many subordinates in Bohai State, so we may not be able to contact him."

Hu Xiaotian said: "His purpose in coming here is to rescue their second-in-command, Ling Saniang. Ling Saniang has long been hidden in Wanghai City engaged in trade; she is a very prominent figure. As long as we follow this lead to find Ling Saniang's subordinates, we need not worry about failing to locate Yan Tianlu."

The two quickly finished dinner; Hu Xiaotian had Xia Zhangming temporarily move to another Inn, while Xia Zhangming simply stayed at the Listening Tide Inn beside Haiyun Lou. Hu Xiaotian left Haiyun Lou alone, and Xia Zhangming reminded him: "Manager, you still need to be extra careful."

Hu Xiaotian smiled calmly, swung onto his horse, and slowly headed toward Xianke Lai.

Midway, the horse suddenly saw a carriage lurch out from the side, speeding straight at him. Hu Xiaotian reined in his horse, stood proudly in the middle of the street, coldly eyeing the carriage. The driver, a burly man, pulled the two steeds to a halt just a zhang away and bellowed: "Damn it! Don't you have eyes? You dare block my way?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "You speak of virtue, sir, but this street isn't yours—why can you go and I cannot?"

The burly man gave a strange, grating laugh; the carriage curtain stirred, and six sturdy men leapt down from the vehicle, each glaring at Hu Xiaotian like fierce demons. The man also jumped down from the carriage, full of provocation, and said: "Kid, your accent doesn't sound local—you looking for a fight?"

Hu Xiaotian actually nodded and said: "Yes! I'm itching for it! These past couple days the weather's been gloomy, my mood's off, my bones are itchy." He dismounted, tethering his horse to a nearby tree trunk.

"Alright then, old man, I'll loosen your bones!" The burly man lunged forward in a single stride, raising a fist the size of a vinegar jar and slammed it hard at Hu Xiaotian's face.

Hu Xiaotian's body swayed, a phantom flickered, and that man's punch missed entirely. He blinked hard, realizing no one was before him, and Hu Xiaotian's voice came from behind: "Idiot, I'm here!"

The burly man hurriedly turned around, and at the same time his six companions swarmed forward. Hu Xiaotian gave a slight smile, not rushing to strike, and employed the Dog-Dodging Eighteen Steps, weaving among the seven men. They exerted all their strength, throwing punches and kicks in a frenzy, appearing mighty, yet after half a day's effort they couldn't even graze a scrap of Hu Xiaotian's clothing. Finally exhausted, each stood there, bending at the waist or clutching their stomachs; the leader gasped: "You… you've got guts, don't run…"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "If I weren't running, you'd probably all be lying on the ground right now." His hand slowly rested on his sword hilt: "Just a heads‑up—I draw blood whenever I strike."

Several of the burly men were already too exhausted to speak, realizing they faced an absolute master; seeing him ready to draw his sword, they felt a twinge of fear. The leader said: "What's there to fear from a single Healthy Person? Brothers… side… side by side…"

As they were about to rush forward together, a deep voice rang out from the darkness: "Everyone, stop!" Then a middle‑aged scholar in a gray long robe stepped slowly out of the shadows.

Hu Xiaotian withdrew his hand from the sword scabbard; in fact he had long sensed someone hidden in the dark, and this person was likely the mastermind behind the scenes.

The middle‑aged scholar beamed, approached Hu Xiaotian, and clasped his hands: "Sir, my several brothers here are clueless; please forgive any offense."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Indeed they're clueless; if you had come out a moment later, I would have given them a proper lesson."

The middle‑aged scholar laughed heartily, gazing at his several lackeils worn out like dogs, feeling only that these fellows were utterly useless, and said in a low voice: "You lot had better hurry up and apologize to Hu Caidong!"

After the burly men apologized and hurried off, Hu Xiaotian smiled narrowly at the middle‑aged scholar and said: "It seems you know me quite well."

The middle‑aged scholar said: "I am Yu Wan Li, and I have long been operating the Fu Gui Wo in the eastern part of the city."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Fu Gui Wo? Is it a gambling house or a brothel?"

Yu Wan Li smiled: "It's a gambling house, with a side business of lending money for profit." (To be continued~^~)