Chapter 198: [Doubting Gods and Ghosts] (Part 1) – Seventh Update

Tonight's developments were completely beyond his expectations; the Black Stone Village chief, the Commandant of Xiezhou, and the Seventeenth Prince of Dakang appeared one after another—figures he had not anticipated. Was this all coincidence or premeditated? Did these people come here just to cheer him on? Hu Xiaotian slowly shook his head; things were certainly not that simple.

Suddenly feeling a gust of wind blow past the back of his head, Hu Xiaotian abruptly turned around, only to see emptiness behind him. Scanning the surroundings, the green bamboo remained still, not a trace of wind in the night sky. Hu Xiaotian looked around, frowning strangely, wondering if his nerves were overreacting.

Hu Xiaotian turned to go back to his room, but felt another gust of wind sweep past the back of his neck. This time, mentally prepared, he turned with more than double the speed of before, yet upon turning he found no one there; the desolate courtyard held only his shadow keeping him company, with not a breath of wind around. As he turned, he felt the surroundings dim considerably, yet it was simply that the lantern had inexplicably gone out.

Although Hu Xiaotian was bold, he couldn't help feeling a chill run down his spine at this moment. 'I say, could I really have seen a ghost?' Impossible—how could ghosts exist in this world? Hu Xiaotian muttered that something was amiss; he abandoned the idea of returning to his room to rest and ran straight for the gate. As he reached out to pull it open, something struck his head, making him grit his teeth in pain. Turning around, with a bang! a jujube hit his forehead squarely, causing stars to flash before his eyes.

At that moment he heard a light laugh from the roof; Hu Xiaotian found the laugh somewhat familiar. Looking up, he saw a red‑clothed girl sitting on the roof ridge, her robes fluttering like a fairy's, a pair of snow‑white bare feet stepping on the tiles, warm and lustrous like smooth jade. Who else could it be but Xi Yan?

Seeing that it was her, Hu Xiaotian's heart instantly settled back into his chest—apparently it wasn't a ghost, just a beautiful woman playing at being mysterious.

Xi Yan's captivating eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian as she hooked her right index finger toward him in an alluring gesture. Though Hu Xiaotian was no lecher, the sight stirred his heart. 'Are you trying to lure me?' he thought, then dismissed it—what ordinary girl could climb so high? He shook his head and hooked his own index finger, signaling her to come down, inwardly thinking, 'How interesting; this long‑distance hook‑up is quite intriguing.'

Xi Yan gave him a white‑eye look, snatched a tile and made as if to throw it at him.

That guy's eyes widened in fright, but fortunately Xi Yan's graceful figure appeared in his view as she looked upward.

Hu Xiaotian spread his arms, 'Since you're unkind, don't blame me for being unjust—I'll drag a cushion down with me even if I fall to my death.' He intended to tackle Xi Yan to the ground, using the petite beauty as a cushion.

... a faint smile appeared on Xi Yan's peerless beautiful face; to Hu Xiaotian her smile seemed inexplicably eerie, and he silently thought, 'Uh‑oh, this girl means no good.'

Then Xi Yan lifted her beautiful leg, her crystal‑white foot soaring up in a perfect split, striking Hu Xiaotian's abdomen with the top of her foot and treating him like a ball. Hu Xiaotian flew up again, this time horizontally, sailing two or three zhang before executing a diving landing that pressed him flat against the eaves in the standard 'Plucking Goose from Flat Sand' posture. He covered his mouth, yet muffled cries of 'wu‑wu‑wu' continued from his nose. Unfortunately the runway was too short; he seemed about to burst out and plummet to the ground when the back of his collar was suddenly seized in a fierce grip by Xi Yan.

Hu Xiaotian's head had already protruded past the eaves; the guy broke out in a cold sweat, his limbs and scalp going numb. After a while he gradually regained sensation, braced his hands on the eave and carefully climbed up. Looking again at Xi Yan, she had returned to her former spot, hands supporting her lovely face, quietly gazing at the full moon in the night sky, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with her.

Walking along the sloping roof was no easy feat, and Hu Xiaotian knew no lightness techniques. He inched his way to the ridge, sat down about a zhang away from Xi Yan, straightened his robes, and only then realized his skin had been scraped in several places during the fall—fortunately nothing serious.

His gaze fell on Xi Yan; he first took in her pretty face, then let his eyes drift downward.

Xi Yan's eyes flickered, her long black lashes drooping, her gaze becoming especially alluring: 'You still haven't had enough of looking at me in the room just now?'

Hu Xiaotian laughed, 'Never tire of looking; beauty is a feast!' He had said the same to other girls before, but there was no falsehood in it—every word came straight from the heart, a sincere truth.

Xi Yan said, 'Your drawing is really not bad; I've never seen anyone render something so excellently with just a charcoal stick.'

Hu Xiaotian replied, 'So‑so, actually my best work isn't portraits.' His gaze fell on Xi Yan's fair, tender feet; he really couldn't fathom why this girl went barefoot—was it to tempt him? This girl's qualities are truly fine; if I ever get the chance to paint a nude of you, you'll see how superb my painting skills are.

Under his somewhat heated stare, Xi Yan showed no discomfort; Hu Xiaotian was clearly not yet at a level where he could threaten her, their relative strengths obvious—each knew clearly who was stronger.

Hu Xiaotian could flirt shamelessly in front of Murong Feiyan because they shared a deep emotional foundation, and he occasionally took liberties with Le Yao, for in her heart he was virtually an omnipotent savior on whom she relied greatly. Yet before Xi Yan, Hu Xiaotian always behaved cautiously; he did not know her, unsure whether she was friend or foe, only aware that Xi Yan was certainly no ordinary courtesan of the Huan Cai Pavilion.

Xi Yan asked, 'Are you perhaps afraid of me?'

Hu Xiaotian hehe‑laughed, 'Not really; we've only just met, so there's some awkwardness, and I'm naturally a bit shy—I always feel that men and women should keep proper distance, so maintaining a gap is appropriate.'

Xi Yan said, 'First meeting breeds unfamiliarity, second breeds familiarity; we aren't seeing each other for the first time, so I suppose I could be said to owe you a little favor.'

Hu Xiaotian assumed she wanted him to repay her silver, and with a grin he said, 'Where do you live? Tomorrow morning I'll send someone to deliver the money I owe you.'

'Let it ride for now! I'm not afraid you'll default on the debt!'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'I don't like owing others; better to pay it back promptly.'

Xi Yan's beautiful eyes flashed with icy light: 'What I've lent out isn't something you can repay just because you want to; whenever I tell you to repay, you must do so!' Her words were spoken with absolute certainty, making Hu Xiaotian's heart prickle—'I say, this girl is rather overbearing.'

... After Xi Yan finished saying that, her lovely eyes turned once more to the hazy night moon: 'Tonight's moonlight is truly beautiful!'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Being able to enjoy the moon together with a lady counts as a kind of fate; from now on, when we meet we'll be friends.' This guy was obviously trying to ingratiate himself.

Xi Yan shook her head: 'I have no friends!' She rose and said, 'Although we aren't friends, we aren't enemies either; in light of our acquaintance, I'll give you a piece of advice.'

Hu Xiaotian nodded repeatedly: 'I'm all ears!'

Xi Yan said, 'You'd best stay away from Qin Yutong, that demoness, lest you get implicated.'

Hu Xiaotian's heart gave a jolt—how did Xi Yan know he knew Qin Yutong? Could this girl have been watching him in the dark? He had thought Qin Yutong was merely a physician at Xuantian Guan, yet Xi Yan labeled her a demoness; what grudge lay between them? Still, Hu Xiaotian had no intention of getting involved in their feud, and he smiled, 'I've only met her once; we're not even friends. As for feelings, it's still better that we two are close.'

Remember what you said today; if someday you dare to join her in harming me, I will certainly not spare you!

Hu Xiaotian said, 'You came all the way from Xiezhou, crossing mountains and ridges to Qingyun, just to tell me this?' He certainly didn't believe it—not a thousand times over.

Xi Yan slowly rose to her feet, barefoot on the roof ridge; a night wind blew in her face, her robes fluttering like a celestial maiden crossing the waves. She turned her head slowly, a hint of smile on her lips, and said, 'Actually I came to kill you!' Having spoken, she leapt forward a step, her crystal‑white foot landing on the ridge, like a flame cast into the deep night.

Hu Xiaotian panicked, jumped up and gave chase: 'Wait…' But looking again, Xi Yan's figure had already vanished into the distance as a red dot, disappearing completely in the blink of an eye.

Hu Xiaotian shook his head; this girl came and left without a trace, but judging by her lightness skill she was surely not inferior to Murong Feiyan, and perhaps even far superior. To kill me? Just because of those thousand taels of silver? I say, I'm not someone who defaults on debts—what right do you have to kill me? Hu Xiaotian really couldn't think of where he had offended her. Standing on the roof and looking around, he could see lights flickering in the east wing; presumably those guards were keeping watch there day and night. The focus of the defense was all there, leaving other places unattended. RS