Chapter 1433

Upon hearing his reply, everyone felt somewhat relieved; although they still couldn't leave now, at least they had a definite time.

Shajia's Prince He'erdan spoke up first, he chuckled and said: "Sir Wang, we have no intention of interfering in Tianxiang State's affairs; we understand your predicament, but we cannot be kept here just because you've run into trouble. To say something you may not like to hear, none of us are idle layabouts; staying another day here could delay our important matters—who will compensate our losses? And if something happens, who will bear responsibility?"

Wang Qiezhi chuckled and said: "Your Highness Prince, is three days really too much to wait? During your stay in Piaoxiang City, your safety will naturally be our responsibility."

He'erdan said: "Whether others are willing to wait or not is none of my concern; I simply refuse to wait any longer. No matter how beautiful Princess Yingyue may be, I have no affinity with her—I will leave tomorrow!" His words struck a chord with many, and soon several people echoed him, plunging the scene back into chaos.

Wang Qiezhi's face fell; he forced a smile and said: "All of you young masters are honored guests of Tianxiang State; we will cover all your travel expenses." He had intended to speak kindly, but the crowd laughed at him—indeed, it's no surprise, for who among those seated here lacks a little money?

Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing: "Sir Wang, you're mistaken—do you take us for street‑begging vagabonds?"

Shangguan Yun Chong's expression turned grim; he was certain Hu Xiaotian's remark was aimed at him, his eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian as if he wanted to spit fire.

As the scene descended into chaos, a guard approached Wang Qiezhi, whispered something in his ear, Wang Qiezhi nodded, then pressed his hands down to signal silence. He shouted: "Everyone, hear me out—I will report this immediately to the Empress Dowager and will give you a satisfactory reply by tomorrow at the latest. Please remain calm, let's drink! Drink!" He gestured for the attendants to pour wine.

Since Hu Xiaotian finished his remarks, Tang Jingyu has felt uneasy. If what Hu Xiaotian said is true, he may well run into trouble; although Luoying Palace is famous in the martial world, here its prestige cannot compare with that of these royalty and nobility, and Tang Jingyu also realizes that in this consort‑selection he stands no chance, and now he faces even more complications. Had he known this would happen, he shouldn't have come at all—why invite such trouble?

While Tang Jingyu was in a dazed state, a servant beside him said: "Sir, please have some wine!"

Tang Jingyu just snapped out of his daze, saw Hu Xiaotian already drinking nearby, and raised his cup. He glanced instinctively at the servant, who looked noticeably nervous, sparking suspicion in his heart. He swept his gaze over the wine, then deliberately lifted the cup to sniff under his nose, and saw the servant's expression change dramatically. Tang Jingyu told him: "I can't hold my liquor—please drink this cup for me."

The servant laughed, "How dare I…" but before he could finish, Tang Jingyu grabbed him, pinched his nose, and poured the wine down his throat.

Everyone blinked in surprise. Not knowing why the usually composed Tang Jingyu would commit such a rude act, they saw the servant stagger to his feet, turn and run back, but after just two steps he thudded to the ground.

The sudden incident left everyone stunned, but Hu Xiaotian remained unfazed, calmly sipping his wine. The Sixth Prince of Nanyue, Hong Yingtai, kindly warned him: "Don't drink—there's something wrong with the wine!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "It's fine!"

In fact, most people had already drunk that cup of wine and showed no abnormal reaction—could it be that only Tang Jingyu's cup was tainted?

Wang Qiezhi's gaze turned to Shangguan Yun Chong; he had been watching whether Shangguan would drink the wine, and seeing him do so, he visibly relaxed and shouted: "Seize Shangguan Yun Chong and Tang Jingyu!"

Dozens of guards rushed in from outside the hall, splitting into two groups to charge at the two men.

Events unfolded too quickly for many to react; no one understood why Wang Qiezhi would target these two. Tang Jingyu sighed inwardly, realizing only his and Shangguan's wine had been spiked—Hu Xiaotian had warned him earlier, and indeed it was true: Tianxiang State had framed him as a suspect in the assassination attempt on Prince Fu. Tang Jingyu instantly decided he could not stay and be captured; falling into their hands would bring him no benefit. Hu Xiaotian sent him a mental transmission: "If not now, when else to flee?"

Tang Jingyu flicked the two bamboo chopsticks in his hand; with two soft swishes they pierced the eyes of the two guards lunging at him. He sprang up, leapt over the heads of the guards, and rushed out of the hall—his martial skill made it easy for him to evade these ordinary warriors.

Wang Qiezhi shouted: "Don't panic, everyone—this has nothing to do with you!"

Shangguan Yun Chong, though resourceful, also couldn't fathom why Wang Qiezhi would move against him; he felt he had done nothing to offend Tianxiang State.

Wang Qiezhi looked at Shangguan Yun Chong and said: "Shangguan Yun Chong, why don't you surrender?"

Shangguan Yun Chong furrowed his brow slightly, then saw the guards closing in. He took a deep breath and, with a puff, expelled a mist of wine, using his inner force to vomit out all the wine he had drunk—this cup had also been laced with a knockout drug.

Unlike Tang Jingyu's choice, Shangguan Yun Chong did not rush to flee; he tapped his toes, soared like a great bird, and dove straight at Wang Qiezhi.

Wang Qiezhi had personally seen Shangguan drink the drugged wine, yet he never expected him to force it back out; seeing Shangguan rush at him, he shrank back, ducking under the table in fright.

Shangguan Yun Chong angrily shouted, "Dog official! You dare to harm me!" He struck with a palm toward the wine table where Wang Qiezhi was hiding; a gang wind like a sharp blade, the invisible palm blade had already cut the wine table in half; the wine table fell to both sides, Wang Qiezhi's body was exposed again, frightened he clutched his head and shouted for help.

Shangguan Yun Chong was about to seize Wang Qiezhi to get an explanation, but he felt a fist wind silently coming from behind, its force as mighty as a mountain; he had to temporarily let Wang Qiezhi go, turned and threw a punch forward, with a loud "Peng!" the two fists collided, both combatants' bodies swayed; at the critical moment, the one who relieved Wang Qiezhi's predicament was precisely Hu Xiaotian.

Seeing Hu Xiaotian step forward again to oppose him, Shangguan Yun Chong snorted coldly, his fists rained down like a violent storm upon Hu Xiaotian. Hu Xiaotian responded calmly, as steady as a rock, meeting each move with a counter, blocking Shangguan Yun Chong's path.

Witnessing the scene, everyone stepped aside, minding their own business; seeing the duel between Shangguan Yun Chong and Hu Xiaotian, a clash of equals like dragons and tigers fighting, no one dared to step forward; in terms of martial skill, these two were already the peak among the crowd, the onlookers couldn't even get close, let alone intervene.

Shangguan Yun Chong saw the number of warriors increasing, and he couldn't help feeling anxious; he still couldn't figure out why the State of Xiangxiang was targeting him. Initially he wanted to control Wang Qiezhi, firstly to find out what had happened, secondly to use Wang Qiezhi as a hostage to escape, but his plans were all thwarted by Hu Xiaotian. Moreover, Hu Xiaotian's martial prowess was evenly matched with his, and this fellow right from the start adopted a tactic of head‑on collision with Shangguan Yun Chong, not sparing his internal energy in the clash.

This kind of solid, fierce charging is exactly the most draining way to expend internal energy; Shangguan Yun Chong and Hu Xiaotian exchanged blows for over thirty moves, his internal energy plummeting sharply, while Hu Xiaotian remained like a tireless iron man, his internal energy showing no loss whatsoever. Shangguan Yun Chong gritted his teeth and threatened: "Hu Xiaotian, are you not afraid of wasting your life in vain?"

Hu Xiaotian seemed to be intimidated by his threat, his expression hesitant, his movements slowed; the opportunity slipped away in an instant, and Shangguan Yun Chong seized this rare chance, darting out from Hu Xiaotian's blockade and rushing toward the outside of the hall.

Seeing Shangguan Yun Chong trying to flee, the warriors hurriedly surrounded him; in his eyes they were no more than weeds, he kicked one warrior into the air, then his body soared over the heads of the crowd, just as he was about to burst out of the hall he heard the sound of a blade cutting the air—it was the commander of the Phoenix Feather Guard, Ying Tianhong, swinging a knife at him head‑on.

Shangguan Yun Chong slapped the blade with one hand, his positioning precise; with a "Pa!" he sent the opponent's blade flying to the side, without counterattacking, he seized the moment to swoop past Ying Tianhong's side, and behind him came Ying Tianhong's angry shout: "Release the arrows!"

The bowstrings twanged nonstop behind him; dozens of archers took aim at Shangguan Yun Chong and began shooting, but their arrow‑shooting speed was obviously not as fast as his escape; by the time they released their arrows, Shangguan Yun Chong had already flown beyond their range.

Hu Xiaotian helped up the trembling Wang Qiezhi, who shook like chaff in a sieve; Wang Qiezhi stammered, "Spare my life… spare my life…" This coward, as timid as a mouse, was so frightened that a wet patch appeared under his trousers and he actually urinated on the spot.

Seeing his sorry state, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help a quiet smile; from a single sign he could see the whole picture—if the officials of Xiangxiang were all like Wang Qiezhi, what talk of contending for the world? No wonder they say a starved camel is still bigger than a horse; judging solely by officials' abilities, both Da Yong and Dakang are far superior to the remote Xiangxiang. For Hu Buwei to rely on this to stand and vie for the world is surely a pipe dream. Yet recent events have made Hu Xiaotian revise his earlier view—perhaps Hu Buwei never intended to contend for the world at all, his true aim being the same as Hong Beimo's.

The crowd gathered around and bombarded Wang Qiezhi with questions; no one understood the situation—why had Xiangxiang struck at Shangguan Yun Chong and Tang Jingyu? Although it wasn't aimed at them, they too felt alarmed, and their desire to leave Piaoxiang City grew ever more urgent.

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