Chapter 1553: [Princess's Killer Move] (Part 2)

No matter how strong one is, it's impossible to control one's emotions well in the face of a major upheaval; even someone as strong as Hu Xiaotian, seeing what lay before him, let out a sorrowful howl because he could not turn the tide, while Long Xi Yue faced death with such composure that even her pupils showed no change, calm and terrifyingly so. Qin Yangming suspected there must be some trick, but what difference did it make? In any case, she could not escape the fate of being killed by him.

When Qin Yangming heard the hiss of something piercing the air, he finally confirmed his guess; out of instinct, he closed his eyes, and the iron rod in his hand shrank back, then he felt a dense shower of steel needles strike his body.

The Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle—although Long Xi Yue was gentle and kind, that did not mean she lacked scheming; the venomous snake had indeed bitten her, but she wore a Black Silkworm Armor underneath, and the snake's fangs could not pierce the armor, so it caused her no harm. Against such a powerful enemy as Qin Yangming, her only chance was to seek victory in danger: she pretended to be poisoned to let Qin Yangming lower his guard, then fired the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle.

Qin Yangming had thought victory was in his grasp, but he never expected the situation to suddenly reverse; the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle is one of the most powerful concealed weapons of the Heaven's Mechanism Bureau, and within a range of three zhang it is hard for a target to escape. Now the distance between him and Long Xi Yue is less than one zhang, so even if he reacted in time, it would already be too late.

Long Xi Yue repeatedly pressed the mechanism of the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle, firing three times in succession and sending over a thousand steel needles into Qin Yangming's body.

Hu Xiaotian caught Tang Qingxuan in one motion and set her on the ground, then lunged at Qin Yangming like a hungry tiger, raising his long blade with both hands and bringing it down upon his back.

Although Qin Yangming had been struck by the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle, he still stood firm; hearing the whoosh of wind behind him, he knew Hu Xiaotian had arrived as reinforcement and raised his iron rod to block upward. Hu Xiaotian's blade carried no sword qi, yet it split the iron rod in two; the edge continued down toward Qin Yangming's head. With a puff! —the rod split, Qin Yangming's face began to shift out of alignment, and then his two halves toppled to either side.

Hu Xiaotian kept slashing, cutting the two snakes that were winding along the ground into several sections.

Boom! Accompanied by an earth‑shaking roar, the courtyard walls around the tofu workshop all collapsed, and the one hundred and eight beggars re‑formed their great array, surrounding the three people in the center.

Hu Xiaotian coldly stared at the gang of beggars and slowly raised his long blade.

Long Xi Yue picked up the blood‑stained green bamboo staff and said softly: "You are all disciples of the Beggar Sect; today's events were entirely due to being misled, and now the chief culprit has been executed. If you turn back from your mistaken path, I will not pursue today's matter; if you persist in delusion, then you will meet the same end as Qin Yangming."

Only then did the beggar disciples notice that Qin Yangming had been cleaved in half by a single blow, their leader slain. They had also just witnessed Hu Xiaotian's single strike that cut down thirty‑six people, an astonishing sight, and they began to hesitate, for the enemy's martial might was beyond imagination, while the green bamboo staff in Long Xi Yue's hand proved she was indeed the sect chief.

From the hesitant expressions of those people, Long Xi Yue already sensed they were swayed. She said softly: "You need not worry that I will hold today's responsibility against you; if you wish to remain in the Beggar Sect, I will treat you equally and without grudge, and if you choose to leave, I will certainly not force you to stay."

The speaker was none other than Lu Sanfan, who was also the organizer of today's assassination.

Originally some had already begun to beat the retreat drum, but upon hearing Lu Sanfan's words they immediately steadied themselves again.

Killer intent once again spread through the air; Hu Xiaotian secretly sighed, realizing he would still have to expend some effort, and he whispered to Long Xi Yue: "You need not intervene."

Just as Hu Xiaotian was preparing to strike, he felt the ground tremble; in the distance a cavalry of a thousand men charged at full speed toward the tofu workshop, their leader being Tang Tiexin, who immediately gathered his troops and rushed to the rescue upon hearing the commotion.

The Sandy Island Horse Ranch was the foundation of Hu Xiaotian's cavalry, a key part of his strategic layout; therefore it was also equipped with considerable defensive strength, otherwise it would have been impossible to muster a thousand‑strong force in such a short time.

Once the beggars entered range, Tang Tiexin ordered a volley of arrows, and a dense rain of arrows shot toward the gang of beggars.

Although the beggars' Dog‑Striking Great Array was formidable, against cavalry ten times their number it was useless; they had wanted to make a desperate all‑out effort earlier because they held a numerical advantage, but now even that slim edge had vanished completely, so they lost the will to fight and fled in panic.

Hu Xiaotian did not give chase; instead he went to Tang Qingxuan's side and lifted her up. Long Xi Yue also hurried over, seeing Tang Qingxuan's pretty face shrouded in black vapor, knowing she had been bitten by a venomous snake and was severely poisoned. Recalling how Tang Qingxuan had just risked her life to save them, a sour feeling rose in her heart and her beautiful eyes grew moist.

Hu Xiaotian thought of something; he went to Qin Yangming's corpse and carefully searched his personal effects, finding in them a roster of core members of the Northern Jiang Beggar Sect Subdivision, but to his disappointment there was no antidote.

After Tang Tiexin routed the beggar disciples, he also went to his sister's side; seeing her already delirious from poison, he was greatly alarmed and hurriedly sent for a doctor.

Although Yan Nujiao had given him some detoxifying pills when they parted, Hu Xiaotian did not carry them on his person; Tang Qingxuan's breath was faint, the snake venom scrambling her consciousness until she began to speak nonsense, and she said: "Don't hate me…… I really regret how I treated you before…… I really regret……"

Hu Xiaotian looked at Tang Qingxuan and felt a pang of sorrow; he was no fool and certainly knew her feelings for him. Long Xi Yue gazed at Hu Xiaotian with glistening eyes, also aware that Tang Qingxuan had always liked him but never dared to show it; if not for the poison, she might never have spoken those words in front of others.

Long Xi Yue seized Tang Qingxuan's hand, and with her other hand she took Hu Xiaotian's big hand, placing Tang Qingxuan's hand in his palm.

Perhaps feeling the warmth of Hu Xiaotian's palm, Tang Qingxuan briefly regained some clarity, opened her beautiful eyes, her gaze already beginning to scatter, and she whispered softly: "I am leaving…… Do you hate me or not?"

Perhaps feeling the warmth in Hu Xiaotian's palm, Tang Qingxuan actually briefly regained some consciousness, opened her beautiful eyes, her gaze already beginning to scatter, and softly said: "I'm leaving… Do you hate me or not?"

Seeing his sister like that, Tang Tiexin was overcome with grief, covered his mouth, and turned away.

Long Xi Yue could not help but begin to sob.

Tang Qingxuan said: "My lord…… I like you……" Knowing her life was about to end, she bravely uttered those words, and even in death she would have no regrets.

Tang Qingxuan said: "My lord… I like you…" Knowing her life was about to end, she only now bravely spoke these words; even if she died, she would have no regrets.

Tang Qingxuan said: "You need not say anything; I understand…… Treat the princess well…… Sister, don't cry……" Her voice grew ever weaker.

Long Xi Yue's tears poured down like a breached river, for in her heart Tang Qingxuan was her best sister, yet now she had to watch her die from poison, powerless to help.

Tang Tiexin bellowed: "Doctor! Quickly fetch a doctor!"

But Hu Xiaotian suddenly thought of something; he drew a dagger, and everyone wondered what he was doing with the blade—did he intend to end Tang Qingxuan's suffering because he could not bear to see her tormented? Hu Xiaotian slit his left wrist, and bright red blood flowed out; he brought the bleeding wrist to Tang Qingxuan's lips, pried open her teeth, and let the warm blood flow into her mouth. In this critical moment, Hu Xiaotian suddenly recalled that he had once swallowed the inner elixir of a Five‑Colored Spider King; since he was immune to all poisons, this proved his blood contained anti‑toxic components, and thinking of the dead horse as a living one, he had no other recourse in the lack of an antidote but to try this method.

Tang Qingxuan had been given a considerable amount of fresh blood, but after drinking Hu Xiaotian's warm blood she actually came to again, and seeing the scene before her she hastily closed her lips, shook her head, and said: "No……"

Everyone also failed to understand Hu Xiaotian's intention, but seeing Tang Qingxuan regain consciousness, they all realized his blood must have an antitoxin effect.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Don't let my blood go to waste; drink it all down."

Tang Qingxuan's heart was overwhelmed with emotion; tears kept falling, she took a few more sips, then shook her head and said: "I really can't drink any more." At this point the black vapor on her face began to fade, and the originally ink‑black wound on her wrist started to lighten, proving that Hu Xiaotian's blood was indeed taking effect.

Long Xi Yue quickly fetched the Golden Trauma Medicine to help Hu Xiaotian staunch the bleeding, then used her own handkerchief to bandage his wound.

After Tang Qingxuan rested a while, she surprisingly felt strength return to her body; having thought she was surely doomed, she never expected Hu Xiaotian to help her turn danger into safety.

When the summoned country doctor finally arrived in a fluster, he was already useless; even if he had come in time he could do nothing, for the snake poison afflicting Tang Qingxuan was beyond the capability of such a rural practitioner.

Hu Xiaotian felt Tang Qingxuan's pulse and found it gradually steadying; he judged there would be no serious trouble, so he decided to return immediately. Although her condition was temporarily stable, there was no guarantee it would not relapse, so he hurried back to Dongliang Jun to give her an antidote later.

At this moment Tang Wen Zheng also rushed over upon hearing the news; having heard his daughter was done for, he had wept bitter tears, but upon seeing that she had actually been rescued, he was overjoyed. Learning that Hu Xiaotian intended to take Tang Qingxuan back to Dongliang Jun for observation, Tang Wen Zheng naturally agreed without hesitation.

Hu Xiaotian did not dare delay; he let Tang Tiexin continue leading the cavalry to search the area for the beggars who had besieged them, while he, Long Xi Yue, and Tang Qingxuan returned together to Dongliang Jun.

The incident in which Hu Xiaotian and Long Xi Yue were ambushed at Sandy Corner Town caused a great uproar; shortly after their return, many subordinates came to visit, and learning that Hu Xiaotian was unharmed they finally put their minds at ease. Seeing that Tang Qingxuan's condition was stable, Hu Xiaotian did not rush to give her an antidote pill, for her body had already reached a balance; administering medicine might disrupt that balance and backfire, so he merely instructed Long Xi Yue and Wei Sa to monitor her condition, and to consider giving her medicine only if there was a relapse.

The incident of Hu Xiaotian and Long Xi Yue being attacked in Sand Corner Town caused a great commotion; as soon as they returned, many subordinates came to visit, and upon learning that Hu Xiaotian was unharmed, they put their minds at ease. Hu Xiaotian saw that Tang Qingxuan's condition was stable and did not rush to give her the antidote pill, for her body had already reached a state of balance; if more medicine were used, it might disrupt this balance, achieving the opposite. He merely instructed Long Xi Yue and Weisa to pay attention to observe her condition, and if there were any changes, it would not be too late to consider giving her medicine.

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