Chapter 1432

Murong Feiyan glared at him fiercely.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Don't glare at me; there's no one in the world who understands you better than I do. The fiercer you act toward me on the surface, the more you actually love me in your heart. You may have thought of ignoring me forever, but you've discovered you simply can't forget me."

Murong Feiyan snorted disdainfully, then said: "You talk as if you were the only man left in the world."

"Although there are many men, few suit you; the man who can make you yearn, live or die for him, and bring you joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness is only one— that person is far away yet right before your eyes!"

Murong Feiyan spat, wishing she could hock a loogie onto his face; Hu Xiaotian not only has a thick skin but also an overly high opinion of himself, yet deep down Murong Feiyan cannot deny that what he said is true— she really can't forget him.

Hu Xiaotian said: "What's your take on the Prince Fu assassination?"

Murong Feiyan said: "Maybe it was the gang that kidnapped the king." Her beautiful eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian, filled with suspicion, as if he were the suspect.

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "Everything in this world has a reason— there's no love without cause, no hatred without cause, and certainly no murder without cause. To find the killer, first see who benefits most from his death; ignore superficial appearances, and consider the matter directly, and the true culprit will become clear." He lowered his voice: "You'd better leave this investigation to someone else."

Murong Feiyan's eyes lit up as if she understood something; she nodded and muttered softly: "Who could be as sly as you?"

Hu Xiaotian hehe-laughed: "I've always been slippery; want to feel it?"

Murong Feiyan's brows knit in anger, she said sternly: "You'd better show some self-respect."

Hu Xiaotian whispered: "Don't forget our appointment tonight."

Murong Feiyan gritted her teeth: "I won't go!"

That evening, the one hundred finally selected were all invited by the Honglu Temple to a meal; the temple claimed it was to convey Da Yong's apologies on behalf of Tianxiang State, and that night they would also announce the final date for selecting a prince consort. However, after all this turmoil, most had lost their initial enthusiasm for the consort selection; now everyone's main concern was when Tianxiang State would let them leave freely. First the Tianxiang king was seized, then Prince Fu was assassinated— both events shocked the court and the populace. Those one hundred selected were politically astute; they sensed a storm brewing and none wanted to be dragged into Tianxiang's internal strife, almost all wishing to leave as soon as possible, though present circumstances seemed not to allow immediate departure.

As everyone arrived at the Honglu Temple one after another, a renewed crackdown was launched. A joint force of the capital's garrison and the Phoenix Feather Guard began a targeted search operation.

The true purpose of the banquet set up by the Honglu Temple was to lure the tiger away from the mountain; the palace had just received a tip that the king might be held somewhere, which was not the first time— they'd gotten such rumors before, only to come up empty each time. Yet, following the empress dowager's order, any clue must be pursued to the end, even if it means a wasted trip, and they must leave no stone unturned.

Hu Xiaotian had guessed the banquet's purpose from the start, according to his plan. At this moment the Tianxiang palace should have received the news, and while the banquet was underway, a rescue operation for Yang Longjing was simultaneously launched.

Yesterday this group had been fighting in a chaotic melee, but today they all felt a common enemy. They sensed their situation was dire, eager to leave Piaoxiang City and escape their predicament. Even before the banquet began, they clustered in small groups, whispering anxiously about the circumstances; what had been a relaxed, carefree consort-selection journey had turned grim and tense, and everyone's mood was now heavily affected.

The Prince of Shajia, Heer Dan, said to Hu Xiaotian: "Had I known it would be like this, I wouldn't have come at all—I didn't even see the princess, and instead I've brought shame upon myself! Damn it! What does their king's disappearance have to do with us? Searching our lodgings is bad enough, but they've detained us here— this isn't treating us as guests, it's treating us as suspects! Tianxiang State knows nothing about hospitality!"

Several people nearby nodded, and Xu Mubai sighed: "Having come, we should make the best of it; I believe the truth will eventually surface. Tianxiang State also rules by law, so it won't abandon reason."

The Black Hu Eighth Prince, Wanyan Tianyue, said: "Does he dare? It's just a southern barbarian backwater! If he dares to defy me, my Black Hu Iron Cavalry will sweep south and flatten him!" The bruise on his face remained— from Hu Xiaotian's kick yesterday; thanks to Hu Xiaotian holding back, otherwise a full-force blow might have caved in his skull. Wanyan Tianyue must have been frightened; today he avoids meeting Hu Xiaotian's gaze, as the saying goes, evil spirits fear the fierce. This isn't Black Hu territory; Wanyan Tianyue finally realizes that strength prevails here, and with his current power he can't match Hu Xiaotian, so revenge will have to wait.

Da Yong's Seventh Prince, Xue Daoming, sneered: "Some people spout big talk without fear of biting their tongues! March south? Do you think our northern defenses are mere paper?" The Black Hu and Da Yong are locked in fierce battle, naturally opposed, yet Xue Daoming's remark is sound— Black Hu can't even breach Da Yong's northern frontier, let alone talk of marching south; such boasting only invites ridicule.

Wanyan Tianyue's eyes narrowed, about to erupt, when the Beggar Gang's deputy chief, Guan Yun, interjected: "We're all in the same boat; I think we should unite now, face outward together, and absolutely not fight among ourselves."

The Young Master of Luoying Palace, Tang Jingyu, said: "Guan Gongzi is right; we must not cause internal strife, lest outsiders laugh at us."

Hu Xiaotian, however, sighed: "Maybe the real killer is hiding among us; talking about unity and facing outward— are we supposed to ally with the murderer? If we end up abetting him, we'll gain nothing but blame."

Guan Yun stared coldly at Hu Xiaotian, his hatred for him reaching its peak; he silently resolved that once this matter was settled, he would immediately move against Hu Xiaotian and never let him leave alive.

Tang Jingyu had suffered at Hu Xiaotian's hands and tried to avoid direct confrontation with him.

At this moment, Honglu Temple Minister Wang Qiezhi entered, cupping his hands and saying: "Gentlemen, my apologies for being late; please take your seats quickly."

Everyone took their seats; Tang Jingyu had wanted to sit far from Hu Xiaotian, but unexpectedly he ended up right beside her, leaving her torn between staying or leaving, her vexation causing her brows to knit.

Hu Xiaotian grinned: "You said we should unite and face outward, yet you look displeased, Brother Tang— did I offend you?"

Tang Jingyu gave a dry cough: "Master Hu, you're mistaken; we may not be friends, but we're certainly not enemies." He had opposed Hu Xiaotian repeatedly, yet Hu Xiaotian's strength grew daily while his waned; now he was no match for Hu Xiaotian, and a wise man does not suffer present losses— yielding was his only option.

Hu Xiaotian whispered: "Brother Tang, haven't you heard the news of Prince Fu's assassination?"

Tang Jingyu, not grasping his meaning, replied calmly: "The incident has stirred the whole city; who wouldn't know about it?"

"I went today to the Prince Fu mansion to offer condolences and happened to view his remains— Prince Fu was actually killed by a hidden arrow!" Hu Xiaotian paused deliberately there, his eyes fixed on Tang Jingyu.

Tang Jingyu felt uncomfortable under his gaze; although Hu Xiaotian hadn't accused him, among those present skilled with bows he was the prime suspect— the Archery Palace's unrivaled marksmanship made Hu Xiaotian's suspicion obvious. Tang Jingyu snorted coldly: "I never left my quarters last night."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother Tang, no need to over-explain; I just happened to spot that arrow." He lowered his voice: "I'm certain that arrow came from your Luoying Palace— even though the insignia was worn away, the fletching technique gives it away at a glance."

Tang Jingyu was both startled and angry; Hu Xiaotian was just spouting nonsense— the Prince Fu assassination had nothing to do with him. He glared at Hu Xiaotian: "How dare you slander my innocence!"

Hu Xiaotian said calmly: "I haven't said these things to outsiders; since I can see it, others surely can too, and personally I certainly wouldn't believe it— if it were me, even with murderous intent I wouldn't leave such obvious clues. I believe the arrow has nothing to do with Brother Tang, but the Tianxiang authorities may not see it that way."

Tang Jingyu was half‑believing, half‑doubting Hu Xiaotian's words, secretly wondering whether this fellow was merely trying to intimidate him.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother Tang, you still need to be extra careful!"

At this moment the food and drink were served, and Honglu Temple Minister Wang Qiezhi raised his cup: "Gentlemen, you've traveled far to come here; unfortunately our court has run into some trouble, causing a delay in receiving you. The empress dowager has ordered me to offer you three cups on her behalf to express our apology."

After everyone drank the three cups, Da Yong's Seventh Prince Xue Daoming said: "Minister Wang, your country has encountered this situation; we too find it inconvenient to remain here. We've discussed it and plan to leave Piaoxiang City as soon as possible to return to our respective homelands— what do you think, Minister?"

Most had already lost interest in Tianxiang's prince consort; their gazes turned simultaneously to Wang Qiezhi, and if he agreed to let them go, many would leave this trouble‑ridden place tonight.

Wang Qiezhi smiled: "The empress dowager ordered me to host this banquet tonight precisely to answer your questions and clear up doubts. She said Tianxiang State is a land of trust and will never betray you gentlemen; otherwise, how could it hold its head up in the world? The prince‑consort selection has been set for three days from now— please be patient, and after three days our court will personally see you out of the city."

I've already posted five or six installments; the seventh is still in progress, being revised, and will definitely be posted tonight! I just saw a reader in the comments complain that Zhangyu is stockpiling chapters— Zhangyu here explains that it's not intentional hoarding; last month he indeed hit a bottleneck, only began to pick up output at the start of the month, producing about fifteen thousand characters a day, his fingers have developed calluses, and he cannot simply dump whatever he writes; he must keep a reserve of roughly six thousand characters so he can correct mistakes promptly.

Please also show your understanding— remember that Zhangyu is a writer in his forties, remember that Zhangyu is a part‑time writer, and lastly don't forget to vote, so Zhangyu can withstand this month's pressure and stay on the Monthly Ticket Ranking.

Brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen, Old Zhangyu here offers his respects— thank you all! (To be continued~^~)