Chapter 1638: 【Emissary of the Immortals】 (Part 1)

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As expected, Changming Xia didn't disappoint Xiao Tian Hu; he quickly found that Rongxin Jian hadn't gone far, staying at an inn on Donggan Street. This was also Rongxin's cleverness—she worried Hu Xiaotian would send people to look for her, and by ordinary logic she would leave the city in that situation, so she did the opposite, which could cause Hu Xiaotian to misjudge. Moreover, her father had mentioned in his letter that there was still a fetal-hair brush in his study at home, and she needed to find a way to return home to retrieve it.

In fact, Rongxin Jian's mind is in turmoil; she doesn't know what she should do. Although her father left her a human-skin map, according to his letter the map should consist of two sheets, with the other one supposed to be on Empress Dowager Jiang's body. Now Empress Dowager Jiang is dead and buried, so how could she possibly obtain that map? Without it, she cannot exchange it with the Taoist priest Tian Can of Wujì Temple for his help.

After learning of Rongxin Jian's whereabouts, Xiao Tian Hu felt somewhat relieved. He summoned An Zhai to secretly protect Rongxin, while he himself went to the Red Mountain Guild Hall. Hu Xiaotian had many mysteries he wanted explained; only after meeting the Ghost Doctor Fu Luo did he realize that besides extraterrestrial visitors, there are also time travelers like himself in this world, who are quietly using their influence to reshape the world's order.

The human skin on Emperor Jingde and Empress Dowager Jiang holds the key to unlocking the secret. The piece from Emperor Jingde is now in Rongxin Jian's hands; what about the piece from Empress Dowager Jiang? According to Hu Xiaotian, when Xue Daoming fled from Cien Garden he happened to take Empress Dowager Jiang's corpse with him, and he didn't forget to take it—not out of filial piety, but to obtain the skin on her back. Thus, Xue Daoming must know some of these secrets.

According to what Ghost Doctor Fu Luo told me, years ago those extraterrestrial visitors: two were captured and executed by the state of Dakang, while the rest managed to escape. Unable to return to their home planet, they could only survive in this world. Some of them began trying to reproduce, having children with the locals, but the birth rate is extremely low. Still, there are survivors—could these mixed-blood descendants be hiding everywhere?

Ling Jiazi is a Heaven's Chosen One—is Qiqi also one? If only pure bloodline qualifies as a Heaven's Chosen One, then who are Ling Jiazi's parents? And who is Qiqi's father? Why do they look indistinguishable from ordinary people of this world? Could it be that in just a hundred years they have undergone unimaginable evolution, fully adapting to this environment and hiding among mortals?

Ghost Doctor Fu Luo obviously hasn't told me the whole truth. Unlike my accidental arrival in this world, he has a clear purpose—he is a member of the Transcendental Squad. He claims the others are all dead, but could he be concealing the truth? Or perhaps he himself isn't even sure whether his teammates are truly all dead.

Different environments can cause changes in human nature that are hard to estimate; my own temperament is already vastly different from my past life. Hu Xiaotian firmly believes the same kind of change will happen to these people as well. Apart from Ghost Doctor Fu Luo, who still clings to his belief and treats completing the Overcontrol Plan as his duty, if there are other survivors, have they completely abandoned that plan?

Hu Xiaotian feels an unprecedented sense of crisis. For a long time after arriving in this world, he thought he was the only one who stood apart. But as the secret of the Dragon Spirit Victory Realm is revealed, another existing world appears before him—beings from outer space, from another time-space, possessing technology and abilities beyond his comprehension, leaving him with no advantage whatsoever.

People stand at different heights, so they view problems differently. Most people in this world aspire to conquer the world and unify the realm as their grand ambition. But even if they unified the world, facing an invasion by foreign enemies whose technological civilization far surpasses theirs, could they resist? If Hong Beimo truly repaired that spaceship, his goal is probably not as simple as just leaving. When these extraterrestrials return, they might bring an unprecedentedly massive army, and with their scientific-level capabilities they could easily crush this world.

Although Ghost Doctor Fu Luo and I come from the same time-space, the worlds we inhabit are completely different. Hu Xiaotian cannot predict what Earth will look like thirty years after his departure, and he even doubts whether the Transcendental Plan's true purpose is salvation. When he left that world, Earth was already riddled with wounds, facing the danger of resource depletion. If they already possess spacetime travel ability, it's hard to say they wouldn't develop covetous desires for this beautiful world. Among the three, the weakest is undoubtedly this one.

It is this inner sense of crisis that lets Hu Xiaotian realize he has come to love this land from the bottom of his heart. Although his former world was advanced, it does not belong to him; there he busily went with the flow, feeling no fulfillment. The slight ripple his departure caused may have already calmed. Reflecting on it, his past life was like an ant. Here, however, it is completely different—he can use his abilities to write his own history. Hu Xiaotian silently resolves to protect this world, whether the threat comes from extraterrestrials or the Transcendental Squad; anyone who wishes harm upon this world will be his enemy.

Xue Shengjing also felt a little surprised by Hu Xiaotian's visit. Earlier he had sent the Blade Demon FengXingyun to assassinate Yu Chi Chong at the Dragon King Temple, but he didn't expect Hu Xiaotian to appear midway and defeat him. Xue Shengjing was deeply annoyed, yet he could do nothing—first, because the event had already happened; second, he had always kept something back from Hu Xiaotian, never revealing his plans from the start.

Nevertheless, Xue Shengjing showed no displeasure at all and received Hu Xiaotian in the North Viewing Pavilion of the Red Mountain Guild Hall.

The biting cold wind; Xue Shengjing, disguised as the merchant En He of the Yulan Kingdom, wore a brown fur coat, his stature tall and sturdy, sitting in the North Viewing Pavilion like an immovable great mountain.

Hu Xiaotian smiled at Xue Shengjing; after that conversation with Ghost Doctor Fu Luo, he understood many things and gained a deeper insight into this Prince Yan of the Great Yong. Xue Shengjing is certainly one of the most deeply hidden figures in this world. If the prosperity of Great Yong is inseparably linked to those extraterrestrials, then there must be someone in the Great Yong royal family who truly knows the inside story—perhaps the tattooed Emperor Jingde and Empress Dowager Jiang are spokespersons for the extraterrestrials' interests. Hu Xiaotian boldly conjectures that the secrets of the extraterrestrials have been passed down through generations in the Great Yong royal family, and only a few truly know the details; the Xue Shengjing before us is undoubtedly one of them.

Xue Shengjing said, "I thought you, my younger brother, had already left, but I didn't expect you to still be here. What unfinished wish do you still have?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled, "I thought you, elder brother, had long since left this place of right and wrong, yet I find you still at ease in the Red Mountain Guild Hall—such composure is truly admirable."

Xue Shengjing burst out laughing, saying meaningfully, "The more dangerous a place is, the safer it actually is—a principle we both understand."

Hu Xiaotian said, "We both understand this principle, and others will too. Li Chen Zhou, being so shrewd, would certainly think of this—elder brother, aren't you worried he might find out about this place?"

Xue Shengjing glanced at Hu Xiaotian with narrowed, smiling eyes, full of sly gleam.

Hu Xiaotian asked, "Elder brother, have you heard any special news lately?"

Xue Shengjing shook his head: "I keep to myself here, so what news could there be? Oh, right—I did hear something: Li Chen Zhou has released Liu Yu Cheng." He leaned closer to Hu Xiaotian and whispered, "I heard it was because Yu Chi Chong mediated the matter." One of the conditions for their cooperation was Liu Yu Cheng, and that condition no longer exists.

Hu Xiaotian smiled, "I've already heard this from General Yu Chi."

Xue Shengjing nodded, "It seems my information has been too isolated; it turns out you and General Yu Chi have a good relationship."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Huo Shengnan is his adopted daughter, but she is my wife; by rights I should call him father-in-law."

Although Xue Shengjing had long known about this relationship, hearing it still left him feeling a bit resentful—this father-in-law who flies everywhere is truly blessed with good fortune. Thinking of his own daughter Huo Xiaoru, he couldn't help but sneer, "Your father-in-law seems to be one too many."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "I can't help it—I'm soft-hearted and can't bring myself to be utterly ruthless."

Xue Shengjing couldn't help but admire his cheek: "Flirtatiousness is flirtatiousness, leaving affection everywhere is leaving affection everywhere, and yet he shamelessly claims to be soft-hearted." He chuckled, "A young, talented hero like you naturally attracts countless beauties—elder brother, I envy you." Then he shifted tone deliberately: "I heard that Yu Chi Chong, on his way back to Yongdu to mourn, encountered an assassination, allegedly by the Black Hu people. Have you heard about this?"

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed Xue Shengjing's shamelessness—he clearly orchestrated the assassination himself, yet pretends before him that it's none of his business. He nodded, "Not only have I heard about it, I actually witnessed it."

Xue Shengjing hadn't expected him to admit it so readily; his expression showed some surprise: "You mean… you were actually there?"

Hu Xiaotian replied, "Yu Chi Chong is my father-in-law, so of course I must ensure his safety; the one who tried to kill him was the Beggar Gang traitor Shangguan Yun Chong." He deliberately omitted mentioning the Blade Demon FengXingyun's name.

Xue Shengjing feigned surprise: "Really? Shangguan Yun Chong is Li Chen Zhou's man; it must be that Li Chen Zhou wants to seize control of Great Yong's military power, so he decided to eliminate Yu Chi Chong and clear away obstacles."

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