Chapter 1362

"The Emperor is dead!" Hu Xiaotian's plain sentence shocked Su Yuchi beyond measure; Su Yuchi's first reaction was that Hu Xiaotian was lying to him, but when he met Hu Xiaotian's firm and convinced gaze, he already understood that Hu Xiaotian would not deceive him about such a matter.

Su Yuchi shook his head; although he said nothing, he was desperately denying Hu Xiaotian's statement.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Long Tingzhen didn't rebel; rather, the Yongyang Princess needs a legitimate reason to ascend the throne. Dakang has never had a precedent of a woman taking the throne since its founding. To remove obstacles and win people's trust, she must have a sufficient reason. Long Tingzhen was originally the best heir to the throne; removing him not only clears the path to the throne but also gives everyone a sufficient reason. Unfortunately, I too am seen by them as one of the obstacles to their advance, so they have pinned on me the charge of colluding with Long Tingzhen to plot rebellion."

Su Yuchi murmured: "If the Emperor has passed, why is there no news at all from the imperial palace?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "The timing isn't ripe yet, and the imperial mausoleum hasn't been built. With General Su's connections, you surely know that the current court is entirely under the Yongyang Princess's control."

Su Yuchi, who was aware of this, looked at Hu Xiaotian full of suspicion and said: "Since you already knew this, why not announce it to the world?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The matter has become fact; if I now spread the news of Long Xuan'en's death, Dakang will surely fall into internal strife and conflict, and the common folk will suffer most. The people of Dakang have suffered enough—why would I add fuel to the fire? If it were you, would you do the same?"

Su Yuchi remained silent.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Actually, who becomes Emperor isn't important; if Qiqi were Emperor, she would undoubtedly be far wiser than Long Xuan'en. If I had to choose between the two, I would certainly support her, but unfortunately she treats me as a stepping stone." A hint of helpless smile appeared on his face.

Su Yuchi said: "Usurping the state and plotting rebellion is a grave crime! Everyone deserves to be punished!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "In recent years, Dakang has seen endless struggles over the throne, with you taking turns and me appearing—nothing more than everyone eyeing the throne, all wanting to be that Emperor. Yet in the end, it's the common folk who suffer. General Su, do you know what your duty is? To defend the nation and protect the home, not to guard that Emperor in the capital."

Su Yuchi said: "Sir Hu, just say what you have in mind." He also saw that Hu Xiaotian's true purpose in coming this time was to persuade him, hoping they would stand on a united front.

Hu Xiaotian said: "General Su is a straightforward man; these talks are for the well-being of the people on one side. This autumn's harvest is vital for you, and likewise for me, so I wholeheartedly endorse your proposal, and my side can unconditionally cease fire to ensure a smooth autumn harvest."

Su Yuchi nodded, lifted the cup before him; actually his greatest concern was Hu Xiaotian, as Hu Xiaotian said, if Guo Guangbin of Xingzhou comes to loot during the autumn harvest, it's hard to guarantee Hu Xiaotian won't stab him in the back.

Hu Xiaotian didn't rush to drink, speaking softly: "I simply believe General Su's proposal is not a long-term solution; if we truly want the common folk to escape dire straits, we must think of other ways." Hu Xiaotian didn't make it explicit that he wanted Su Yuchi to join his side, given Su Yuchi's intellect should easily grasp his meaning.

Su Yuchi said: "Regardless of stance, Su thanks Young Master Hu on behalf of the people here." He had already changed his address from "Sir" to "Young Master"; Hu Xiaotian is now a traitor of Dakang, naturally no longer holding office, previously Su Yuchi's "Sir" was merely polite. Now calling him "Young Master" seems a demotion on the surface, but actually it stems from respect for him.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Sir Su, you needn't thank me on behalf of the common folk; in my heart, the common folk's status may be even higher than yours—at least when it comes to choosing between upholding the court or the people, I will certainly choose the latter." Hu Xiaotian drank this cup with him.

Su Yuchi said: "Su has never forgotten to defend the nation and protect the home; without a country there is no home. If Dakang falls, the common folk will become slaves of a fallen nation—what talk of homeland? This Dakang is the Long dynasty's realm; Su will surely vow to defend it unto death."

His words, though spoken with fervor and passion, moved Hu Xiaotian not at all; he merely thought Su Yuchi was being overly pedantic in this regard, but given the times, most loyalists are like this, and it's hard to change their views quickly.

Hu Xiaotian also had no intention of lingering long in Heisha Cheng; since everything had been made clear, all that remained was the four-party talks tomorrow to sign the agreement jointly. Hu Xiaotian rose to take his leave.

Outside Guanlan Lou, Hu Xiaotian and Huo Shengnan mounted their horses, turned back to look; aside from Guanlan Lou still lit, most of Heisha Cheng was already immersed in the vast night. The night did not bring tranquility but evoked a sense of desolation and bleakness; Heisha Cheng and the Dongliang Jun and Wuxing Jun under Hu Xiaotian's rule clearly cannot compare.

Huo Shengnan said: "Did we reach an agreement?"

Hu Xiaotian curled his lips with a faint smile: "Just want to secure this autumn's harvest; we'll talk more later!" The two spurred their horses and left Heisha Cheng.

Racing along the tree-lined avenue to the camp, Hu Xiaotian suddenly raised his right arm, signaling Huo Shengnan to slow the horse; Little Grey's two long ears prick up from alertness.

At the same moment, Huo Shengnan sensed something amiss ahead; she took down her longbow from the saddle, nocked a feathered arrow, drew the bow like a full moon, and aimed at the treetop.

Hu Xiaotian, however, waved his hand to signal her not to act hastily, calling out: "Friends on the road? Since you've come, why not show yourselves?" From the faint breathing around him he judged their number to be over ten, and from the rhythm and frequency he could tell none were anything less than masters.

Thirteen black-clad figures slipped down the tree trunks like wisps of green smoke, blocking their path forward.

Hu Xiaotian gazed at the group with a half-smile, and via voice transmission told Huo Shengnan: "Shengnan, just cover me."

Huo Shengnan nodded; her archery was superb, suited for long-range, while close combat was indeed Hu Xiaotian's forte.

After landing, the thirteen black-clad men immediately formed a goose-formation line and rushed at Hu Xiaotian, clang! clang! clang… thirteen gleaming longswords were drawn one after another, flashing in the dark night.

Hu Xiaotian lightly tapped his waist with his right hand; the saber at his belt let out a dragon's roar-like howl, shooting out of its sheath, carving a gleaming arc before him, while his body leapt from the horse, mid-air he twisted, his right hand already gripping the hilt of the wind-breaking saber, and with the turning motion he slashed straight ahead—right at the leader of the goose formation.

The thirteen sword beams quickly converged, gathering like a canopy at the apex, enveloping the bodies of the thirteen black-clad men; the thirteen sword beams fused together, turning the goose formation into a circular ring, ends joined.

His saber struck the center where the thirteen sword beams converged—boom! —blade aura and sword gleam clashed, sending forth a thunderous roar; the resulting shockwave radiated outward, instantly kicking up sand and stones, vegetation flailing as if hit by a gale, grass flattened, branches swaying.

Hu Xiaotian felt a violent jolt in his arm; he leveraged the rebound to soar upward over three zhang, landing on a horizontal branch suspended in midair, his body rising and falling with the branch's sway, he had not expected the opponent's recoil to be so strong.

Looking down, he saw the thirteen swordsmen shift formation once more: eight half-crouched on the outer ring, their swords pointing outward like rays of sunlight; four stood in the inner ring, their blades held at a forty-five-degree angle pointing to the void; in the center, one man stepped onto the shoulders of the two beside him, his longsword thrust straight upward.

Hu Xiaotian saw their strange movements and realized the thirteen had set up a mysterious sword formation; while none would match him in single combat, the saying many hands make the fire rise held true—their combined formation gave them tenfold, even a hundredfold, fighting strength.

Huo Shengnan seized the moment, drew her bow and nocked an arrow—whoosh! —she shot it at the enemy formation. Hu Xiaotian had passed the Sun-Shooting Classic to her; they had trained together, and her internal energy had increased manifold since before, plus she had grasped the subtlety of the Falling Cherry Palace's archery, now having entered the stage of commanding qi with arrows. The arrow flew at astonishing speed toward the enemy camp; the instant the arrowhead shot forth, the intangible space ahead collapsed, the arrowhead tearing a narrow rift in space, while the energy stored in the arrow shaft continually surged as it traveled; upon nearing the sword formation, the killing power centered on the arrowhead radiated out to a radius of three feet.

The eight outer swordsmen paired their swords, resembling four icy-cold petals blooming around them; sword aura emanated from the petals' edges, while simultaneously the four inner swordsmen rested their sword tips atop those petals, their piercing sword gleam expanding to form an invisible barrier before them.

Huo Shengnan's arrow struck the barrier above—boom! —the arrowhead hit the sword-aura barrier and could advance no further; still, the impact made the sword gleam tremble, and at the instant the sword formation shuddered, the central swordsman, drawing on the violent shock, shot upward like lightning, man and sword as one, his sword light like a comet tearing through space, thrusting straight at Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian silently lamented the sword formation's marvel, yet he also soared down from above, saber thrust straight at the opponent, blade tip meeting sword gleam; with his internal energy, felling the foe should pose no difficulty.

However, the outcome of the changes exceeded Hu Xiaotian's expectations; before the blades could clash, the opponent had already turned and fallen toward the ground, and at the moment of his fall, four beams of light rose from the ground, rushing straight at Hu Xiaotian to stab him. (To be continued~^~)