Chapter 1260

Xue Lingjun hadn't expected it, nor had Hu Xiaotian. Although they still hadn't seen who the assassin was, he could tell the attacker came from the Falling Cherry Palace; he seized Xue Lingjun and sprang into the air, remaining vigilant of his surroundings even while aloft, when a feathered arrow suddenly shot toward Xue Lingjun.

Hu Xiaotian drew his Wind‑Slashing Blade and swung at the feathered arrow. With a clang, a surge of force traveled along the arrow to the blade; Hu Xiaotian used the arrow's momentum to land on the roof, looked up, and saw a white‑clad figure already drifting away in the distance.

Hu Xiaotian did not give chase; Xue Lingjun's face had turned ashen, and she trembled as she asked, "Who was that?"

Hu Xiaotian said coldly, "People of the Falling Cherry Palace — I didn't expect them to be so impatient." Confident that there were no more ambushes nearby, he then brought Xue Lingjun back to the ground, only to see that all three of the Golden Scale Guards were already dead.

Xue Lingjun snapped, "I will certainly seek justice from them."

Hu Xiaotian said, "In this world there is simply no such thing as justice." The ones who came to assassinate them were probably not Tang Jiu Cheng; given Tang Jiu Cheng's archery skill, he would surely not have withdrawn so quickly.

Zou Yong heard the news that Tang Jingyu had assaulted Xue Lingjun in front of the palace gates, and he was utterly shocked. He snapped, "Jingyu, how can you be so reckless? What place is the palace? And Hu Xiaotian is by Xue Lingjun's side — how could you possibly get your way? How could they just let it go?"

Tang Jingyu said, "Elder brother, don't let others' ambitions crush your own spirit. Even if I can't kill Hu Xiaotian and Xue Lingjun, I'll at least give them a lesson. They plotted to drag you into wrongdoing; if we show no reaction, they'll only grow bolder and more arrogant."

Zou Yong gave a wry smile. "Jingyu, what does killing a few Golden Scale Guards matter? They wouldn't care at all. Don't forget, the Grand Princess Yan Dongqing is still in their hands. If we provoke them, who knows what they might do."

Tang Jingyu scoffed, "What are you afraid of? That they wiped out the Variegated Gate? How could the Variegated Gate's strength even compare to our Falling Cherry Palace?"

Zou Yong said, "Jingyu, you must never underestimate the enemy. We are not facing a single faction now — Hu Xiaotian, the Python Flood Island, and Xue Lingjun have joined forces, while we have lost the aid of the Variegated Gate. This shift in strength is far from optimistic."

Tang Jingyu sighed inwardly, thinking his elder brother had finally become afraid. He reassured Zou Yong, "Don't forget, Li Chen Zhou stands on our side; he represents the will of the Da Yong emperor. Xue Lingjun is merely a grand princess of Da Yong. Would she dare oppose the emperor?"

Zou Yong had no reply — not because Tang Jingyu had convinced him, but because he simply could not agree with Tang Jingyu's thinking. Ever since Xue Lingjun and Grand Princess Yan Dongqing were kidnapped, the situation began to shift; the enemy's counterstrike was both decisive and effective. Xue Lingjun disappeared, Kou Zisheng was killed, hostages were exchanged, a feint to the east while striking west. They first eliminated the Old Monster of Bei Ze, then proceeded steadily and methodically. Everything unfolded in an orderly fashion, yet the balance of power between the two sides changed imperceptibly.

What made Zou Yong feel even more uncertain was the attitude of the Bohai Sea King. The Bohai Sea King had initially been determined to deal with Yuan Tianzhao and thoroughly investigate the Treasure Hoard Pavilion, but now he seemed to have forgotten the matter entirely. If they lost his support, things would surely become much more complicated. He had already explained to Li Chen Zhou the relationship between the Treasure Hoard Pavilion and the Yanxi Hall; as for how Li Chen Zhou would play this card and what effect it could have, Zou Yong had no confidence whatsoever. In fact, the mistake was not his alone — originally they held the advantage, but ever since Hu Dafu appeared, the situation favorable to them was gradually turned upside down by the opposition, and what looked like a winning hand was turning into a losing one. Li Chen Zhou remained in the background throughout, playing no significant role in this process.

Zou Yong sighed, "Li Chen Zhou is too deep‑cunning and overly cautious; if it weren't for his pursuit of excessive perfection, perhaps the situation wouldn't have deteriorated to this point."

Tang Jingyu said, "Since it's come to this, we might as well go all out — ask Father to take action and eliminate Hu Xiaotian, this nuisance!" Tang Jingyu and Hu Xiaotian had clashed several times; he had formed a complete assessment of Hu Xiaotian's martial ability and knew that on his own he could hardly defeat Hu Xiaotian, while Hu Xiaotian had twice rescued Li Mingju and Xue Lingjun from his grasp. In a direct confrontation, he might well end up defeated by Hu Xiaotian.

Zou Yong said, "Jingyu, you must never act rashly; I will discuss the matter with Father on his side, and you must not presume to ask him to intervene."

Tang Jingyu said, "Elder brother, I'm doing all this for your sake!"

At that moment a sound of footsteps came from outside the door — it was a servant reporting that the Da Yong merchant Hu Dafu had arrived.

Upon hearing that Hu Dafu had arrived, Tang Jingyu gritted his teeth and snarled, "He comes at just the right time — I'll look for a chance to shoot him dead with an arrow!" Though his words were fierce, he also knew that even if he struck secretly he might not secure a sure victory, and exposing his connection with Zou Yong would only cause more trouble.

Zou Yong gave him a look, signaling Tang Jingyu to step aside temporarily, then went alone to the front hall to meet Hu Xiaotian. He had anticipated that Hu Xiaotian's visit this time was surely related to the assassination attempt before the palace. The last time Hu Xiaotian had forcefully entered the Jingwater Estate, his formidable martial prowess still left a vivid impression; had his father not been present then, Zou Yong felt certain he would have suffered a loss. Now his father was absent from the Jingwater Estate, yet Hu Xiaotian had come again, and the purpose of this visit was likely to confront him over the incident, leaving Zou Yong somewhat uneasy.

Hu Xiaotian appeared calm on the surface, not coming with an aggressive aura to demand redress. Seeing Zou Yong enter, he curled the corner of his mouth into a faint smile: "Good day, Young Master Zou. I hope my unannounced visit does not disturb you."

Zou Yong, too, remained composed, smiling: "Mr. Hu Dafu's presence graces my humble abode and brings it glory; I am truly delighted."

Hu Xiaotian replied calmly, "I hope that is truly what you feel in your heart."

Zou Yong chuckled, "Does Mr. Hu Dafu doubt my sincerity?" He sat beside Hu Xiaotian and called out, "Serve tea!"

"No need!" Hu Xiaotian said. "I've come only to say a few words; I'll leave right after, so there's no need for you to go to any trouble, Young Master Zou."

Zou Yong glanced at Hu Xiaotian and asked, "I don't know what advice Mr. Hu Dafu has for me."

Hu Xiaotian placed the three blood‑stained feathered arrows on the tea table. Zou Yong glanced at them and saw that none bore any mark of the Falling Cherry Palace. Although Tang Jingyu was somewhat impulsive, he usually acted with caution and would never leave obvious traces for investigators to follow. Zou Yong deliberately asked, "Mr. Hu Dafu, what do you mean by this?"

"Nothing special," Hu Xiaotian said. "I just wanted you to help return these items to their rightful owner."

Zou Yong frowned. "That's not right, Mr. Hu Dafu — I've never seen such feathered arrows before, nor do I know anyone who uses them!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled. "I've always thought you were a perceptive person, Young Master Zou — with someone like you there's no need to beat around the bush. Just now, when I and the Grand Princess were leaving the palace, we were ambushed and three of the Golden Scale Guards were struck down."

Zou Yong said nothing, merely staring at Hu Xiaotian. He was right — a perceptive person speaks plainly.

Hu Xiaotian said, "I came this time to protect the Grand Princess; the lives or deaths of others are none of my concern. The last time I came to the Jingwater Estate to request someone and ended up clashing with you, Young Master Zou, the fault was mine for being rude — yet you also killed one of my Golden Scale Guards and have never given an explanation. Now you have added three more lives to the tally!" Saying this, Hu Xiaotian coldly fixed his gaze on Zou Yong, his sharp eyes like a pair of flying knives aimed at his pupils.

Zou Yong asked, "Mr. Hu Dafu, on what basis do you conclude that the deaths of these three are connected to me?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Many things in the world need no proof, especially when one intends to kill. I can roughly guess your purpose, Young Master Zou, and whatever you plan to do is unrelated to me — as long as it doesn't harm my interests, I would rather turn a blind eye. But once you infringe upon my interests…" He then handed a letter to Zou Yong.

Zou Yong took the letter, opened it, and saw the handwriting was intimately familiar — unmistakably that of Grand Princess Yan Dongqing. The contents shocked him to the core: it laid out in crystal‑clear detail how they had become lovers, how he had been brought into the palace and presented to the Empress Dowager, even specifying exactly where they had ** were specially marked. Zou Yong broke out in a cold sweat. "Yan Dongqing, Yan Dongqing, you foolish woman!" he thought. "To have this spilled out so completely — if it became known, it would be a staggering scandal that would shake the Bohai Sea Kingdom, and my own head would surely not be spared." Gripping the letter, he was momentarily speechless, his heart churning. He finally realized what a formidable opponent he faced: if she wished, she could not only ruin his reputation and destroy him, but also wipe out the fruits of years of his painstaking effort.

After finally managing to calm his inner turmoil, Zou Yong, in Hu Xiaotian's presence, tore up the letter and said calmly, "Mr. Hu Dafu's scheme against me shows considerable forethought, but if the emperor learns the truth that the Grand Princess was captured, you would hardly escape unscathed."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Each to his own!" He gazed at the torn letter in Zou Yong's hand and added, "This sort of thing certainly isn't limited to a single copy."

Zou Yong stood his ground, "Do you really think the emperor would believe it?"

Hu Xiaotian replied, "If you truly want to know, I could have the Grand Princess send another letter to the Bohai Sea King to see how he reacts."

Zou Yong swallowed, then gave a hollow chuckle.

Hu Xiaotian also laughed.

Zou Yong said, "Serve tea!"

Hu Xiaotian this time did not refuse; waiting for the servant to bring the tea, he lifted the teacup, sniffed its aroma, and seemingly offhandedly said, "Li Chen Zhou can't give you anything; Yan Dongsheng doesn't have the gall to offend Prince Yan, nor would he dare to act against the Grand Princess — at most he can remain neutral. You think you can use him to achieve your goal, but there's hardly any chance of that." (To be continued~^~)