Chapter 1709

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "Everyone has their own aspirations; although I have known Brother Zou for a while, I actually know nothing about him."

Zou Yong said: "When we were in Bohai State, the Prince and I inevitably had some misunderstandings; moreover, back then we each served our own lords—surely the Prince does not still hold those things against me?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Each serving our own lord? I wonder who Brother Zou serves."

Zou Yong sighed and said: "Your Highness, don't blame me—back then I reached a tacit agreement with a prominent figure of Da Yong; I helped him deal with Prince Yan Xue Shengjing, and he promised me benefits, but I never expected this matter to ultimately fail."

Hu Xiaotian actually knew this all too well; he understood that the prominent figure Zou Yong spoke of was none other than Li Shen Zhou, but at the time Zou Yong probably never imagined that Li Shen Zhou would eventually betray Xue Daohong, let alone that Li Shen Zhou would end up with the Grand Princess Xue Lingjun, and Zou Yong gained no benefit from that turmoil in Bohai State.

At that time, the benefit Li Shen Zhou promised Zou Yong was to support him as the new King of Bohai after gaining control of Bohai State's situation; however, that plot was thwarted by the combined efforts of Hu Xiaotian and Yan Tianlu, after which Bohai State and Python Flood Dragon Island also reached an understanding, and Bohai King Yan Dongsheng realized Zou Yong's ambition and gradually distanced himself from him. Li Shen Zhou was busy consolidating his control over Da Yong and eliminating rivals, having no spare capacity for Bohai State's internal affairs, and now Zou Yong is actually quite troubled.

Zou Yong's true identity is actually the young master of Falling Cherry Palace; the palace master Tang Jiu Cheng's eldest son, Tang Jingyu is his brother.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Where have the Shangguan Tianhuo father and son gone now?"

Zou Yong said: "They are in Black Hu!"

Hu Xiaotian looked at Zou Yong with some surprise, not knowing how he could know that.

Zou Yong said: "In order to eliminate Prince Yan and seize power in Da Yong, Li Shen Zhou gathered many martial arts figures; the three most powerful factions among them are the Sword Palace, Falling Cherry Palace, and the Beggar Gang's Northern Branch controlled by the Shangguan Tianhuo father and son."

Hu Xiaotian scoffed; the Shangguan Tianhuo father and son's control over the Beggar Gang's Northern Branch was only a matter of a few short months. After learning their true nature, thanks to the efforts of other senior figures in the Beggar Gang, the Northern Branch has now returned to the fold, and of course this also involved the contributions of Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong. As for the Sword Palace, after Qiu Bai Xu was captured and his fate unknown, Qiu Xian Guang and Li Shen Zhou had already developed a rift, and it is now unlikely they will continue to serve Li Shen Zhou.

Hu Xiaotian's gaze fell on Zou Yong's face; his relationship with Falling Cherry Palace was clear to him—could it be that Zou Yong proactively sought him out because Falling Cherry Palace and Li Shen Zhou have also developed a conflict?

Zou Yong continued: "The Shangguan Tianhuo father and son are actually of Black Hu lineage; their purpose in hiding in the Central Plains was to cause chaos in the martial world and dominate the Beggar Gang, but their aim ultimately failed. Consequently, the Shangguan Tianhuo father and son turned against the Sword Palace, creating turmoil in Da Yong, and they started from within Li Shen Zhou's inner circle, abducting the Sword Palace's young master Qiu Bai Xu."

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but chuckle inwardly; in fact, he himself was the one who first abducted Qiu Bai Xu. However, because he did it covertly, no outsider noticed, and now all the blame falls on the Shangguan Tianhuo father and son. Hu Xiaotian put on an act and said: "The Shangguan Tianhuo father and son are truly hateful."

Zou Yong said: "After Li Shen Zhou realized something was amiss with the Shangguan Tianhuo father and son, he had the Falling Cherry Palace's young master Tang Jingyu step in to help investigate; Tang Jingyu pursued Shangguan Yun Chong all the way, but shortly after entering Black Hu territory he lost trace."

Only then did Hu Xiaotian understand why Zou Yong had come to him—Tang Jingyu had run into trouble. Zou Yong and Tang Jingyu are brothers; as the elder brother he cannot stand idly by, but Hu Xiaotian immediately thought that Zou Yong should first go to Tang Jiu Cheng, his father, and besides, Falling Cherry Palace possesses considerable strength in the martial world.

Zou Yong guessed Hu Xiaotian's confusion and said in a low voice: "The master of Falling Cherry Palace, Tang Jiu Cheng, and Tang Jingyu went together to Black Hu."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "Master Tang has already reached the level of condensing qi into arrows; with him accompanying Tang Jingyu, Brother Zou need not worry."

Zou Yong pressed his lips, slowly shook his head, and said: "Even the old master has gone missing."

Hu Xiaotian widened his eyes in surprise; if Tang Jingyu's disappearance were not surprising, judging solely by martial prowess, Tang Jingyu is still no match for him, but Tang Jiu Cheng is another matter—his martial arts can be compared with those of Bu Wu and Li Yuncong; he is a sect master, so how could he suddenly vanish from the human world? That is too strange.

Zou Yong said: "Li Shen Zhou is extremely ruthless; he turns a deaf ear to this matter." His words revealed his disappointment with Li Shen Zhou.

Hu Xiaotian chuckled and said: "I don't know how I can help Brother Zou." He wasn't intentionally making excuses; rather, with his current influence he still cannot infiltrate Black Hu's territory.

Zou Yong asked: "Your Highness, have you ever heard of Fan Yin Si?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded; the Black Hu State's preceptor Gang Ba La is from Fan Yin Si.

Zou Yong said: "I suspect they are trapped by Fan Yin Si."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Given Old Master Tang's skills, even Fan Yin Si could not trap him."

Zou Yong said: "If he were alone, perhaps there would be no problem, but…" He didn't finish his sentence; actually he meant that if Tang Jingyu were controlled, the old master would very likely be coerced.

Hu Xiaotian didn't understand why Zou Yong would conclude that Tang Jiu Cheng and Tang Jingyu were trapped in Fan Yin Si; he originally had little interest in Falling Cherry Palace's affairs, so Zou Yong seeking his help to rescue people was likely barking up the wrong tree. Hu Xiaotian said: "I know nothing about Fan Yin Si, and besides, I am currently overwhelmed with matters; even if I wanted to help Brother Zou, I am willing but unable."

Zou Yong said: "I have a presumptuous request; may Your Highness please copy a copy of the Void Great Law for me?"

Hu Xiaotian almost thought he had misheard; Zou Yong actually made such an excessive request. In fact, Hu Xiaotian's mastery of the Void Great Law is no longer a secret—after he successively absorbed the inner energy of the Black Corpse and the Northern Marsh Old Monster, this matter has spread throughout the world. Yet Zou Yong is not his friend, nor even an acquaintance; merely relying on the two jade pendants he sent, he expects to obtain the Void Great Law from him? This fellow must be dreaming.

Zou Yong sighed and said: "I know this request is somewhat excessive, but although the Void Great Law is miraculous, it has a fatal flaw—after absorbing too much inner energy, there is a danger of the Dantian Qi Sea bursting; Falling Cherry Palace's Sun-Shooting True Classic can alleviate this deadly danger, and I am willing to exchange it for the Void Great Law with Your Highness." Zou Yong thought he had offered an extremely tempting condition, not expecting that Hu Xiaotian had already obtained the Sun-Shooting True Classic and had mastered it thoroughly.

Zou Yong said: "Your Highness, please don't misunderstand—I have no intention of coveting the Great Law; I only hope Your Highness will personally copy a copy, need not be exact, as long as outsiders cannot see any flaw."

Hu Xiaotian stared at Zou Yong; from his words it seemed Tang Jiu Cheng and his son had run into trouble. He nodded and said, "Like this, I'll write you a copy later, try to meet your demands; as for the Shooting Sun True Scripture, I have no interest and don't want to take advantage of you for free."

Zou Yong stood up, clasped his fists, and gave Hu Xiaotian a deep bow.

After Hu Xiaotian and Zou Yong parted, it was already late at night; he was preparing to return and rest, but as he swung onto his horse he heard a thin, sharp voice: "I'll wait for you at Maple Ford." That voice must be Baobao's.

Hu Xiaotian arrived at Maple Ford, tethered his mount to a tree trunk, looked up, and saw a slender figure sitting on the water's edge platform—Baobao in black nightclothes. She rested her hands on the platform, a pair of **** hovering above the lake, swaying back and forth, her beautiful eyes gazing wistfully at the moonlit, rippling water.

Hu Xiaotian sat beside her and smiled: "At Three More in the midnight, you summoned me here—what scheming do you have against me?"

Baobao's gaze remained fixed on the distant lake as she whispered, "If one day I die, will you grieve for me?"

Baobao's gaze still rested on the distant lake, and she softly said, "If one day I die, will you be sad for me?"

Baobao suddenly turned her pretty face toward him; her beautiful eyes held only crystal tears and disappointment.

Hu Xiaotian reached out an arm to block her fragrant shoulder: "If one day you die, you will surely die happily in my arms; I will let you enjoy all worldly riches and happiness for a lifetime."

Baobao bit her cherry lip and whispered softly, "I want no riches or honor; to spend a lifetime with you is already my greatest happiness."

Hu Xiaotian said, "That's simple—just leave the Heavenly Secrets Bureau; if that old scoundrel Hong Beimo dares to make things difficult for you, I will never forgive him."

Baobao said, "He has been kind to me; I actually owe him a great deal."

Hu Xiaotian had never understood why Baobao remained in the Heavenly Secrets Bureau—could it be only because Hong Beimo is her adoptive father? Recall that Baobao first hid in the palace because she was forced to take the Ten Thousand Insects Bone‑Eroding Pill; could Hong Beimo still be using such means to threaten her? Hu Xiaotian whispered, "You need not fear him; even if he forces you to take poison, I can still cure you."

Baobao giggled, her beautiful eyes full of alluring charm, and coquettishly said, "Do I look like someone being coerced?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "If so, why are you unwilling to leave that old scoundrel?"

Baobao said, "Everyone has their own secrets; aren't you also hiding many things in your heart, and never told me?" She lifted her head, her tempting red lips like a ripe cherry; Hu Xiaotian lowered his head to lightly kiss her lips, intending to go further, but Baobao covered his mouth and said, "Mr. Hong will accompany the Princess this time."

Hu Xiaotian gritted his teeth and said, "He comes at just the right time!" He loathed Hong Beimo intensely and wished to destroy him at once. (To be continued~^~)

Hu Xiaotian gritted his teeth and said: "He came just in time!" He felt intense hostility toward Hong Beimo, wishing he could get rid of him at once. (To be continued~^~)