Chapter 1688

Zan Buliu was chatting and laughing happily with a merchant from the Dangyi tribe, when he saw someone walking straight toward him. He looked up and was greatly surprised. Although Hu Xiaotian is now in disguise, he had visited Zan Buliu in Yongdu looking like this, so Zan Buliu was not unfamiliar with this face.

Hu Xiaotian raised his voice and said: "Zan brother, it's been several months since we parted in Yongdu; I never expected to meet again in the frontier. Haha, we really have fate!"

Zan Buliu's expression looked extremely odd; he forced out a faint smile and said, "Prince—" Before he could finish, he met the other's piercing gaze. Zan Buliu gave a hehe laugh, his laughter betraying an indescribable embarrassment. He clasped his hands in a deep bow, and Hu Xiaotian returned the salute, smiling and saying, "Is Prince Yan also with you, Brother Zan?"

Zan Buliu said in a low voice: "I have long had no contact with Prince Yan."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and looked around.

Zan Buliu immediately said: "I came this time to go to Lan Country for business; I happened to pass through the Return to the Ruins, so I came to join the fun, to see if there are any rare goods. I never expected to meet Master Hu here in the frontier."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "If you hadn't said so, I would have thought you came specially to find me."

Zan Buliu gave a dry cough and said: "I heard you are getting married in May; I thought you were busy preparing for the wedding."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "I originally intended to send someone to deliver an invitation to you, but since I met you here, I'll just tell you directly—you must definitely come!"

Zan Buliu nodded repeatedly and said: "Certainly, certainly! I will go straight to your wedding after returning from Lan Country."

At this moment, Zong Tang and a few others also walked over. Zan Buliu knew most of them, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, wondering when Hu Xiaotian had also won over Zong Tang. This person's charm is truly extraordinary. Zan Buliu then invited: "Master Hu, my camp is not far away; if you have time, why not honor us with your presence? Let's drink and catch up."

Hu Xiaotian gladly agreed, gathered everyone, and headed toward Zan Buliu's camp.

He beckoned to Weisa, who rode her horse to his side. Hu Xiaotian sent a voice transmission: "Zan Buliu is an old slippery fellow; I'll look for an opportunity later to control his mind and ask him a few things."

Weisa gave Hu Xiaotian a faint smile, her bearing endless.

Hu Xiaotian gazed at Weisa's blushing little face and her budding chest, his heart heating up, and he sent another voice transmission: "Are you clean tonight?"

Weisa blushed, biting her cherry lips. She gave a soft hum, whipped the horse, and swiftly rode ahead to chase after Tang Qingxuan's footsteps.

Hu Xiaotian chuckled as he watched Weisa's graceful figure; behind him, Zong Tang rode up on his horse and said in a low voice: "Zan Buliu is no ordinary man. His Xinglong Hall spreads across the world, and his power in Da Yong can be counted on one's fingers."

Hu Xiaotian said unhurriedly: "Without background, how could one operate to such an extent?" Since he learned that Zan Buliu and Xue Shengjing were colluding, he gradually understood why Zan Buliu could amass such astonishing wealth, with Prince Yan Xue Shengjing supporting him behind the scenes. Xue Shengjing could not conveniently do certain things, which Zan Buliu could handle on his behalf. This fellow is actually an official-merchant. Now recalling how Zan Buliu dared to secretly conduct business and reap huge profits during the period when Da Yong blockaded Dakang's economy, it is not without reason. Without a sufficiently strong backer, who would dare to pull off such a deception? However, Zan Buliu has never done anything that harmed his own interests. Even if he has concealed something regarding his relationship with Xue Shengjing, it is out of necessity for profit.

Zan Buliu's camp is only three li from the market; the grassland stretches boundlessly like a green sea, dotted with more than twenty tents, and outside the tents there are nearly fifty carts and horses—Zan Buliu's trading group is of considerable size.

Zan Buliu had people light a bonfire on the grassland, slaughter cattle and sheep, and entertain Hu Xiaotian's party.

When the wine was half drunk, Zan Buliu finally said: "Master Hu, what brings you to the Ankh grassland this time?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother Zan, haven't you heard about the recent bandit massacre that occurred here?"

Zan Buliu furrowed his brows and said: "I have heard of it; it is said that a caravan of three hundred people was attacked on the Ankh grassland, everyone was slaughtered to the last, the horse bandits looted all the goods, leaving nearly three hundred headless corpses." He paused, then lowered his voice: "Could that be your caravan?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded.

Only then did Zan Buliu understand why Hu Xiaotian had come here; he sighed and said: "I have traveled this trade route back and forth countless times; even with bandits, they rarely take lives, for thieves have their own code. I suspect this time may not be merely about profit."

Hu Xiaotian said: "It should be revenge."

Zan Buliu said: "What kind of person has the gall to oppose Master Hu?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled narrowly: "There are far too many people who are blind in this world; I have offended many over the years, and those seeking revenge against me are not few." He glanced at Zan Buliu and said: "Finding a trustworthy friend is not easy, but finding a few enemies is much easier."

Zan Buliu sensed there was more to his words, raised his wine cup, only to find it already empty.

Hu Xiaotian gave a glance; Weisa promptly picked up the bronze pot to pour wine for Zan Buliu.

Zan Buliu felt somewhat flattered and startled; his gaze met Weisa's, and he felt her pair of deep-blue eyes were exceptionally clear, yet impossible to see through, stirring from the depths of his heart an irresistible urge to peer through her eyes into her thoughts; for a moment his gaze could not detach from Weisa's eyes.

Actually, as the host, staring at a guest's female companion like this is absolutely impolite; Hu Xiaotian showed no outward sign, while the others, having kept their distance from Hu Xiaotian and Zan Buliu's conversation, were unaware of what was happening here.

Weisa softly said: "Master Zan, why aren't you drinking?"

Zan Buliu murmured: "Drink… drink…" His gaze was unfocused; at that moment his mind was hazy, a blank slate.

Hu Xiaotian sent a voice transmission: "Ask him what his relationship with Xue Shengjing really is."

Weisa nodded and asked softly: "What exactly is your relationship with Prince Yan Xue Shengjing?"

Zan Buliu said: "We have cooperated for many years; all along, I operate in the open while he works in the shadows—he settles court matters for me, and I handle affairs inconvenient for him to appear in."

Hu Xiaotian gave a slight smile; from Zan Buliu's words it was already clear that he had lost his consciousness to Weisa, and everything he said now was not under his brain's control.

Weisa smiled at Hu Xiaotian; since Zan Buliu's willpower is relatively strong, it was better for her to personally control the questioning, and following Hu Xiaotian's words she asked again: "What is your purpose for coming this time?"

Zan Buliu said: "I am acting on the Prince's orders to go to Lan Country to settle some matters for him."

"Where is the Prince now?"

"I don't know; the Prince acts cautiously, I only know he has left Yongdu, but as for exactly where, I am also unclear."

"Who exactly killed Tang Tiehan's cavalry?"

Zan Buliu shook his head: "I don't know."

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but frown; it seems Zan Buliu truly does not know, and his purpose is likely to go to Lan Country, merely happening to pass through this place.

Weisa said: "What are you going to Lan Country to do?"

Zan Buliu said: "The Prince ordered me to find a person."

"What person?"

Zan Buliu said: "Huo Xiaoru!"

Hu Xiaotian's heart was greatly shaken; Huo Xiaoru had actually gone to Lan Country, which was an unexpected gain. He already knew that Xue Shengjing and Huo Xiaoru are indeed father and daughter, yet Huo Xiaoru avoids him in Bohai Country, and he does not know why.

Weisa said: "What are you going to find her for?"

Zan Buliu shook his head and said: "I don't know either; anyway, the Prince gave me an object, saying that if I show it to her, she will understand."

"Where is that object now?"

Zan Buliu took out a jade tablet; looking at its surface, it seemed nothing special, but upon closer inspection, it was etched with numerous dense characters. Hu Xiaotian did not recognize the script, and though Weisa is versed in many ethnic languages, she too could make no sense of it; she shook her head at Hu Xiaotian, indicating she could not read the characters at all.

Hu Xiaotian leaned in for a closer look and felt that the characters on the tablet resembled those on the hilt of a light sword; perhaps Xue Shengjing and Huo Xiaoru could actually communicate using this script, and if so, Huo Xiaoru might already have learned much of the truth, which would explain why she avoids him.

At this moment, Zan Buliu furrowed his brows, evidently struggling against an external force; a person whose mind is controlled by soul‑capturing technique is like entering a dream. Zan Buliu is sharp‑minded and possesses very strong willpower; were it not for Weisa's soul‑capturing technique having reached a certain level, it would also be difficult to control him, and even so, he would resist it in his subconscious.

If Weisa persisted in maintaining control, she could still keep it for a while, but she worried that prolonging it would let him notice, and since the questions she needed to ask had basically been answered, there was no need to continue controlling him; Hu Xiaotian nodded, and Weisa immediately picked up the bronze pot.

Hu Xiaotian deliberately poked Zan Buliu's arm and smiled: "Brother Zan? Brother Zan!"

Zan Buliu woke up as if from a dream, his gaze still fixed on Weisa; Weisa blushed and lowered her head, and Zan Buliu then realized he had acted improperly, coughing embarrassedly twice as he was about to explain.

Hu Xiaotian said to Zan Buliu: "Weisa is my concubine; I have never treated her as a servant."

Zan Buliu's old face flushed red with embarrassment; her words clearly showed displeasure, which was understandable—anyone would be unhappy if someone stared at their woman so blatantly. Zan Buliu hurriedly said, "Astounded like a heavenly being, astounded like a heavenly being, Young Master Hu, what good fortune, what good fortune!" After Hu Xiaotian's interruption, this guy merely thought he had lost composure; he never even considered that just now he had been bewitched by someone.

Hu Xiaotian, however, gave him no pleasant look, rose to his feet and said, "We've eaten and drunk our fill; it's time we took our leave."

Zan Buliu hurriedly tried to detain him, but Hu Xiaotian had already strode away; gazing at the backs of Hu Xiaotian's party, Zan Buliu secretly sighed in his heart that he had indeed lost composure today—though he had seen countless beauties in his life, he had never before been so rude. (To be continued~^~)