Chapter 1357

Hu Xiaotian was startled awake by a series of urgent knocks on the door, and Huo Shengnan, leaning in his arms, also woke up at the same time, whispering: "What happened?"

Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brows; although he wasn't pleased to be disturbed from a good dream, he also guessed something urgent must have happened, and Liang Da Zhuang's somewhat guilty voice came from outside: "Young master, something big has happened."

Hu Xiaotian lightly kissed Huo Shengnan's snow‑like lovely shoulder, then asked: "What happened?"

"The Heavenly Fragrance Kingdom's Prince Fu, Yang Longyue, has been assassinated."

"What?" Hu Xiaotian sprang up from bed, causing the quilt on Huo Shengnan's body to slip halfway off; for a moment the room was filled with spring light, but Hu Xiaotian had no mood to enjoy the tempting scenery, shouting: "Get the horse ready, I'm going right away."

Hu Xiaotian quickly got dressed, and Huo Shengnan also rose to put on her clothes; knowing this was no small matter, she quietly reminded Hu Xiaotian to stay calm and prepare to go with him to see.

Yang Longyue had been stabbed, the sword piercing through his chest; fortunately it missed his vital vessels, after Hu Xiaotian examined him he relaxed, had Liang Da Zhuang set down the medicine box, and the father‑daughter duo Fang Zhitang and Fang Fang from Tong Ren Tang had already arrived; Fang Fang had also learned much from Qin Yutong's true teachings and had already given Yang Longyue a hemostatic pill.

Hu Xiaotian had Fang Fang and Huo Shengnan help disinfect the instruments, then personally staunched the bleeding and sutured Yang Longyue.

Yang Longyue watched Hu Xiaotian thread the needle and stitch his chest, eyes wide, lips tightly bitten; though he was quite brave, seeing someone sew his flesh like mending clothes made his scalp tingle, and he dared not breathe.

After finishing the suture, Hu Xiaotian gestured for Fang Fang to come help finish the bandaging, removed his mask, and smiled at Yang Longyue: "Your Highness, fortune favors the virtuous; this sword did not harm your vital organs."

Yang Longyue then cautiously exhaled and said: "Thank you, Sir Hu."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I feel ashamed; the Prince Fu's injury in Dongliang Jun is entirely my negligence. I hope Your Highness will not blame me."

Yang Longyue shook his head: "If it weren't for Sir Hu's men secretly protecting me, I'd probably already be lying dead in the street." Hu Xiaotian had specially assigned Zhan Peng to secretly guard Yang Longyue, yet he never expected something to happen. Yang Longyue's escape from death is not only his own luck but also Hu Xiaotian's; if he had died in Dongliang Jun, Hu Xiaotian would have borne some responsibility, and the Empress Dowager of the Heavenly Fragrance Kingdom conveniently had a reason to shirk blame.

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Your Highness, please rest well. You needn't worry; I've ordered a city‑wide search to try to capture the assassin."

Yang Longxue sighed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Sir Hu, but there's no need to look further; I know who the real culprit behind this is."

Hu Xiaotian comforted him, saying, "Don't think about it for now. I will tighten the security around; Prince Fu, just focus on healing your wounds, and I'll handle everything else."

Yang Longxue nodded weakly and said, "I'm causing trouble for Sir Hu."

Hu Xiaotian went outside, but saw Zhan Peng already there; he gave Zhan Peng a glance. The two went to a secluded spot, and Zhan Peng clasped his fists and said, "Subordinate failed to complete the mission my lord entrusted to me; please punish me, my lord."

Hu Xiaotian calmly said, "Why would I blame you? This isn't something you could control, and Yang Longxue said so too. If you hadn't appeared in time, he probably would have died." He paused and then asked, "Did you get a clear look at the assassin's appearance?"

Zhan Peng replied, "He was dressed in black with his face covered; judging by his move, his martial arts are superior to mine. I scared him off with an arrow; if he had stayed another moment, Prince Fu's life would likely have been in jeopardy."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "Zhan Peng, for now you're in charge here; strictly control everyone's entry and exit, and make sure Prince Fu remains safe."

"Yes!"

Hu Xiaotian, Huo Shengnan, and Weisa left the posthouse together, and just then they met Xiong Tianba, who had returned empty-handed from searching the city for the assassin. Xiong Tianba stepped forward to report that the assassin had not entered or left through the city gates; they had combed every street and lane inside the city but found no trace of the assassin.

After hearing Xiong Tianba's report, Hu Xiaotian thought for a moment and said, "Keep searching, but try not to alarm the townspeople."

Xiong Tianba said, "My lord, just leave this matter to me to handle; you should go rest."

Hu Xiaotian looked toward the eastern sky; fish-belly white had already appeared, and dawn had quietly arrived. He turned to Huo Shengnan and Weisa and asked, "Would you like to go to the riverbank to watch the sunrise?"

Huo Shengnan and Weisa glanced at each other and both laughed. Hu Xiaotian swung onto Xiao Hui's back, while Huo Shengnan had already mounted her reddish-brown horse, and she laughed heroically, "Let's see which of us three reaches the Yong River bank first!"

Weisa giggled, "All right!" The two women spurred their horses and whipped them, charging side by side toward the south gate of Dongliang Jun. Hu Xiaotian smiled as he watched their retreating figures, then patted Xiao Hui, whose ears were still drooping, and said, "Xiao Hui, Xiao Hui, do you know what to do?"

Xiao Hui let out a loud snort, then shook its head.

Hu Xiaotian said, "A good man doesn't fight with women; knowing how to yield is the foundation of family harmony."

Xiao Hui's two long ears suddenly perked up, realizing the race had started; it immediately flung open its four hooves and chased forward, and Hu Xiaotian shouted, "Slow down, slow down!"

Xiong Tianba broke into a big grin, saying, "They say my lord is extraordinarily wise, but this is just that—'a good man doesn't fight with women' is a horse-to-horse competition; all three horses are stallions, so who yields to whom?"

The three horses left the south gate of Dongliang Jun one after another. After Xiao Hui passed the gate, it kept accelerating; in a short while it had already overtaken Weisa, who had been riding neck-and-neck ahead. Xiao Hui let out a proud "hee-haw," then slowed down, waiting for Huo Shengnan and Weisa to gain some distance before speeding up again to chase—truly taking the opponent too lightly.

Hu Xiaotian laughed heartily; this little grey's temperament is really damn annoying.

Huo Shengnan immediately realized the secret and snorted, "Unfair, unfair! Xiao Hui is a rare fine steed; our two horses simply can't match its speed."

Weisa echoed, "Exactly unfair; let's not compete!"

Having reached the riverbank, the three dismounted, loosened the reins, and let the horses graze by the river. Hu Xiaotian walked to the two women, put his left and right arms around their waists, and sat with them on the grassy slope. Looking out, he saw the eastern expanse of the river already lit by the rising sun; as more of the river was revealed, a rose‑red hue spread upstream along the water.

Huo Shengnan and Weisa leaned left and right against his shoulders; as the rose‑colored sunlight bathed their whole bodies, it left behind an exquisitely beautiful silhouette against heaven and earth.

Hu Xiaotian realized that this era also had its own advantages; had he not come to this time, how could he enjoy embracing left and right, basking in the blessings of many beauties? Even rarer was that the two got along so harmoniously. He felt secretly pleased and tightened his grip on their waists.

Huo Shengnan's gaze met Weisa's, and both felt a little embarrassed. Weisa said, "Master, I'll go check whether the horses have left."

Hu Xiaotian knew that deep down she still regarded him as a servant and dared not sit as an equal with Huo Shengnan; he was about to speak when he heard Huo Shengnan say, "It should be him who leaves—those restless paws are disturbing our sisters' view of the scenery."

Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing, reached out and patted their jade buttocks, then sighed softly, "Such is life—what more could one ask for?" He tipped his head back and lay down on the dewy‑soft green grass still dotted with dew, letting the two women rest their heads in the crook of his arms as he gazed up at the pristine, cloud‑less blue sky.

Huo Shengnan glanced at him and said, "Your mood seems much improved."

Hu Xiaotian replied, "With you two by my side, how could my mood be bad?"

Huo Shengnan said, "Sweet nothings."

Weisa said, "As long as the master is happy, that's fine; I thought the Prince Fu affair would affect the master's mood."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Zhan Peng's martial arts are not weak, and his archery is one in a million; according to him, the assassin's skill surpasses his."

Huo Shengnan sat up, full of doubt, and said, "In other words, if the assassin were truly determined to kill Prince Fu, he probably wouldn't have been so fortunate."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I specially examined his wound, and it isn't as serious as it looks; that stab was remarkably precise."

Huo Shengnan asked, "What do you mean? Are you saying Prince Fu staged a self‑inflicted wound as a bitter‑meat ploy?"

Hu Xiaotian plucked a blade of grass, held it in his mouth, clasped his hands behind his head, and said calmly, "He didn't get the answer he wanted from me; using a bitter‑meat scheme to heighten my sense of crisis is quite possible. From the sword that struck him, one can see the opponent's martial arts are high; the precision of his swordsmanship, the accuracy of his judgment, already places him among first‑rate swordsmen..." He paused and added, "Perhaps it was a swordsman—Yang Longxue's master is none other than Southwest Sword Saint Xie Tianyuan."

Huo Shengnan asked, "Do you suspect that last night's assassin was Xie Tianyuan himself?"

Hu Xiaotian replied, "I cannot rule out that possibility."

Huo Shengnan, somewhat puzzled, said, "But if he really staged this bitter‑meat ploy, the cost seems too great; even so, it might not be enough to sway you into allying with him."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Perhaps he discovered that an assassin was tailing him to Dongliang Jun, or perhaps the opponent's martial arts were too formidable, prompting him to adopt this method to seek my protection."

Huo Shengnan sucked in a breath of cold air and said, "If that's the case, this person is indeed deep‑minded."

Weisa said, "This person is so crafty, Master; why not let me test him a little, to see if I can get him to tell the truth?"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled and said, "There's no need for that; Yang Longxue is also making a desperate move—if his situation weren't perilous, who would willingly maim himself? I'd like to see who dares to move against him on my turf!" (To be continued~^~)