Chapter 1454: 【Majestic Pressure】(Lower)

Qiqi handed him a small booklet she had written herself; Hong Beimo received it with both hands, opened it, felt overjoyed, then closed it and carefully stored it in his bosom, saying, "Thank you, Princess, for your gift."

Qiqi said, "Lately I have been plagued by endless nightmares; strange words constantly flash in my mind, though I have never studied them, I somehow understand their meaning—it seems you were right."

Hong Beimo said, "Your Highness is a heaven‑chosen daughter of destiny, far beyond what ordinary mortals can attain."

Qiqi said, "Back then two people died in that battle; why did the palace only find one skull?"

Hong Beimo said, "Your Highness, I humbly report that I am unaware of this matter."

Qiqi said, "It's not strange that you don't know; there is something you probably still don't know."

Hong Beimo listened respectfully.

"Without those two skulls, even if you completed the imperial mausoleum, it would serve no purpose."

Hong Beimo frowned slightly, secretly thinking that Qiqi had already obtained one skull—could this skull be the key to his success? Since she said so, it must be correct.

Qiqi asked, "Can you retrieve the other skull?"

Hong Beimo replied, "I will certainly do my utmost!"

Qiqi said, "I have had people investigate; the other skull should originally have been buried beneath the Seven‑Treasure Glazed Pagoda."

Hong Beimo exclaimed in astonishment, "The Seven‑Treasure Glazed Pagoda collapsed long ago!"

Qiqi nodded and said, "On the original site of the Seven‑Treasure Glazed Pagoda stands Yilan Palace; Master Hong, you surely are not unfamiliar with that palace?"

Hong Beimo furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, then said, "Yilan Palace? Could it be the former residence of the Grand Princess Long Xuanjiao?"

Qiqi said, "Exactly!"

Hong Beimo said, "Your Highness, do you suspect that she took that skull with her?"

Qiqi said, "When she married, I had not yet been born, but after she entered the Heavenly Fragrance Kingdom she never returned to Dakang to visit her relatives; she seems to harbor resentment toward Dakang."

Hong Beimo said, "At present I have not heard anything of the sort."

Qiqi said, "You surely know about the Heavenly Fragrance Kingdom's recent empire‑wide recruitment of prince consorts, don't you?"

Hong Beimo said, "I am aware of it."

"Since you know, why haven't you reported this to me? As the head of the Heavenly Secret Bureau, are you shirking your duty?" Qiqi's tone suddenly turned stern.

This question put Hong Beimo in a spot; he could not say it was because of Hu Xiaotian. Seeing that you still have lingering feelings for Hu Xiaotian, if I told you he had been selected as the Heavenly Fragrance Kingdom's prince consort, it would affect your mood, and you would think I was deliberately telling you to cause trouble. Such news would soon spread throughout the world—wouldn't you find out anyway even if I didn't tell you? Hong Beimo pondered and then said, "I think this is not a major matter, and Your Highness has already severed ties with Hu Xiaotian. I assumed you did not wish to hear anything about him."

Qiqi silently cursed Hong Beimo as an old fox, always having his reasons, yet if she dwelled on this matter she would appear still to care for Hu Xiaotian. She said calmly, "I have heard a rumor that Hu Buwei once taught Long Xuanjiao to play the zither, and Hu Buwei took the opportunity while traveling to Luosong to open a grain route to flee to the Heavenly Fragrance Kingdom, proving they had an affair. Do you think they might have joined forces to steal that skull?"

Hong Beimo said, "Your Highness is wise; this is very plausible."

Qiqi said, "Hong Beimo."

"Present!"

"The Heavenly Secret Bureau's influence reaches everywhere; you must immediately assign personnel to investigate this matter."

"Yes!"

Qiqi pondered further and then said, "Hu Xiaotian once ventured deep into the Long Ling Shengjing; he knows many of its secrets, so you might consider dividing your forces."

"Understood!"

Qiqi nodded and finally said, "The fifteen million taels needed for the imperial mausoleum can currently only allocate fifty thousand to you. Dakang has finally enjoyed a bountiful year after great hardship; I will not allow the mausoleum's progress to drag down the whole nation. Even if we wait a little longer, I have plenty of time. I can wait."

Hong Beimo secretly sighed; this girl is far more formidable than Long Xuan'en. Before her he remains passive, yet dare not show disrespect. After all, realizing his dream depends entirely on her aid; he can only obey respectfully.

Hu Xiaotian selected twenty elite warriors from his entourage to accompany him westward toward Redwood River; the remaining troops followed Zhao Wusheng back via the water route to Dongliang Jun, letting Zhao Wusheng return for strategic reasons—returning by land through Xichuan would greatly delay the schedule, and Zhao Wusheng, as the backbone of the Yong River Navy, could stabilize morale by going back.

On this journey to Redwood River they gained a guide: Xiao Rou, whom Hu Xiaotian rescued from the pleasure quarters of South Ferry Island; Xiao Rou's hometown is Redwood River, and she knows it well, explaining local customs, geography, and scenery along the way. With her company, Long Xi Yue found everything much easier; the two got along swimmingly and soon called each other sisters.

Three days after leaving Dongliang Jun, they were already near the Sword‑Washing Mountain Villa; at dusk that day they stayed at an inn called Ya Ke Ju in a small town named Yue Er Wan, so named because the town lies beside water and its southeastern side features a crescent‑shaped little lake.

After settling in, Liang Yinghao first examined the inn's location and structure, finding nothing amiss before relaxing; being a former sand bandit, he naturally knew the ropes. Peng Ying and Xia Zhangming also patrolled the surroundings, setting up defenses to ensure absolute safety, for they were in the open while Hu Xiaotian had offended the Beggars' Sect in the Heavenly Fragrance Kingdom, leaving open the possibility that the sect might seek an opportunity to strike him.

The innkeeper came over with a smile, bowed respectfully, and asked, "Which one is Lord Hu?"

Hu Xiaotian stepped forward and said, "Innkeeper, what business do you have with me?"

The innkeeper handed him a slip of paper and said, "Someone asked me to deliver this to you, Lord Hu."

Hu Xiaotian unfolded it—there were no characters, only a small boat drawn, with a crescent moon in the sky. He immediately understood: Ji Feihua had already arrived, and she had arranged to meet him at moonrise tonight at Yue Er Wan.

Hu Xiaotian silently pocketed the slip, smiled, and said, "Thank you, innkeeper." He then quietly entered Long Xi Yue's room, where Long Xi Yue and Xiao Rou were talking; seeing Hu Xiaotian arrive, Xiao Rou hurriedly rose to take her leave.

Hu Xiaotian said, "I have nothing urgent either."

Since the South Ferry Island incident, Xiao Rou has regarded Hu Xiaotian as her lifesaver, holding him in deep reverence; she would not dare disturb his conversation with Long Xi Yue, smiled, and departed promptly.

Hu Xiaotian closed the door gently and whispered, "Xi Yue, I must go out tonight." He did not hide the fact that he intended to go to the Sword‑Washing Mountain Villa.

Long Xi Yue asked, "Are you going alone?"

Hu Xiaotian could not tell her he would be going with Ji Feihua; in her mind Ji Feihua is a treacherous villain plotting to overthrow Dakang, a national enemy not easily reconciled. He said, "In lightness of skill, none of them can match me; tonight I am merely scouting the situation, not rescuing anyone, so going alone is more convenient."

Long Xi Yue nodded, though worried, she also understood that Hu Xiaotian's going to the Sword‑Washing Mountain Villa to save people is inevitable; earlier he had wanted her to return by water to Dongliang Jun for her safety, and although he eventually conceded and let her accompany him, he still felt uneasy about taking her into such life‑or‑death danger, for her presence would only burden him. She said softly, "Then you must be extra careful."

Hu Xiaotian smiled, "Rest assured, the Heavenly Net Elusive Steps I taught you must be practiced well; once you master this footwork, you will be able to protect yourself in the future."

Long Xi Yue laughed charmingly, "I know, but with you protecting me, I have nothing to fear."

Hu Xiaotian reached out and gently caressed her flawless cheek; Long Xi Yue pressed her delicate face against his palm and whispered, "Remember, no matter what danger you encounter, you must always keep in mind—be sure to return safely."

Hu Xiaotian smiled, "I will."

The moon hung over the willow tips like a silver hook slanting across the night sky; silvery moonlight poured down as if woven by immortals, silently shrouding the heavens; objects in the moonlight were hazy and mysterious. Yue Er Wan lay like a reflection of the silver moon in the air, tranquil and at ease, cradled in the earth's embrace; a lone flat‑bottomed boat drifted crookedly, moored at an ancient ferry landing, while Ji Feihua stood at the bow with her back to us, gazing silently at the waning moon in the sky.

Hu Xiaotian arrived at the ferry landing, gazed at her back, yet heard from within the boat Ji Feihua's familiar voice say, "Come aboard!"

Hu Xiaotian gave a light leap onto the small boat; the boat moved without wind, no oars visible, yet it sped across the water entirely propelled by Ji Feihua's internal energy.

Hu Xiaotian lowered his eyes to her feet and clicked his tongue in amazement, saying, "Feihua, you are amazing—but does this not drain your internal energy?"

Ji Feihua smiled faintly, "Going with the current, following the trend, consumes little internal energy; the key is to guide the internal energy correctly, and I will teach you." She explained the method of driving the boat forward; Hu Xiaotian grasped it instantly—his internal energy is naturally strong, and when he took over steering, it surged continuously from his soles outward, making the boat dart like a speedboat, carving a bright white line across the mirror‑smooth surface of Yue Er Wan.

Ji Feihua could not help but laugh, "Are you in a hurry?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "The faster, the more thrilling." Soon they reached the southeastern corner of Yue Er Wan, abandoned the boat, and went ashore.

Ji Feihua pointed toward the southern mountains and said softly, "The Sword‑Washing Mountain Villa lies there."

In the early morning, I uploaded two chapters; you understand the meaning of octopus, with such hard work, can it be worth a monthly ticket! (To be continued... ~^~)