Chapter 214

Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan. Also "rooster" etc not names.

... 【60】.

We must ensure we didn't miss any.

Let's produce output.

We'll need to be careful with punctuation and quotes.

We'll output like:

【2】 Murong Feiyan wasn't angry; she smiled sweetly, her smile as bright as the morning rosy clouds. Hu Xiaotian stared at her, dumbfounded. Murong Feiyan felt a bit embarrassed by his lustful gaze, and looking at Weisa's back, she said: "Don't say it, your little female slave is really not bad."

But we need to keep the colon and quotes as in original? The original had Chinese quotes 「」. We can replace with English quotes. It's fine.

We must not add extra explanation.

Let's produce all lines.

We'll go line by line.

【2】 translation as above.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I'm telling you, never have class consciousness; in our household everyone is equal."

Murong Feiyan had long grown tired of his notion of everyone being equal, she snorted and said: "You two chat, I'm leaving."

Hu Xiaotian said: "You have to eat before you leave!"

translation.

translation.

Murong Feiyan gave him a mysterious smile and left without a word.

Qin Yutong kept her promise, indeed sending the test results within the agreed time; Hu Xiaotian invited her into the study. Yet he saw Qin Yutong's delicate brows slightly furrowed, her expression solemn, as she placed the wooden box Hu Xiaotian had earlier given her on the table and whispered: "Sir Hu, where did you get what's inside?"

Hu Xiaotian naturally wouldn't speak frankly; he smiled and said: "Because this involves a case, please excuse me for not being able to disclose it for now."

Qin Yutong didn't feel offended by this; she said softly: "This person died from poison; the poison is called Absolute Cessation Pill. After taking it, one feels no pain and shows no physical abnormality, making it hard to detect even in an autopsy."

translation.

Qin Yutong's clear, beautiful eyes remained fixed on his, carefully catching every subtle change in Hu Xiaotian's expression, she continued: "The Absolute Cessation Pill is a secret concoction exclusive to Mount Sumeru; ordinary people cannot obtain it."

Hu Xiaotian's mind conjured Le Yao's bewitching face, and he felt an indescribable chill. If what Qin Yutong said were true, then Le Yao had clearly lied to him—a colossal lie—and Wan Tingguang, the third son of Wan Boguang, was very likely killed by her hand. Someone capable of hardening their heart to kill cannot be described as weak, helpless, and destitute. Recalling Le Yao's pitiful appearance before him, Hu Xiaotian suddenly felt a sense of being deceived and toyed with. In fact, Le Yao had already shown her true colors several times before him, and Murong Feiyan had long suspected her connection to Wan Tingguang's death, which is why she went to his grave to take samples.

As Le Yao raved with fever, Hu Xiaotian had actually sensed all this, but he refused to admit it; even when Murong Feiyan handed him the evidence, he considered throwing it all away, pretending none of it had happened—yet his curiosity still drove him to uncover the truth.

Qin Yutong said: "Mount Sumeru is renowned as the world's foremost poison master; if this wasn't done by him personally, then it was his disciple."

translation.

Qin Yutong said: "Mount Sumeru has an eccentric temperament; his secret poisons are never passed on, and I have some understanding of him." She gave Hu Xiaotian a meaningful look and said: "I don't know how you're connected to this matter, but out of our acquaintance I must advise you to stay away from this affair and this person."

Hu Xiaotian's heart sank for no reason. Although Qin Yutong didn't give him a warm feeling, he trusted her greatly, feeling she was meticulous in her actions and would never deceive him. He also recalled Xi Yan previously warning him to stay away from Qin Yutong, and he smiled: "Someone has told me the same thing before."

Qin Yutong calmly said: "Is someone urging you to keep your distance from me?"

translation.

Qin Yutong said: "She's right; perhaps you should heed her advice, Sir Hu."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Don't you want to know who she is?"

translation.

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but admire Qin Yutong's wisdom, and he also realized that Qin Yutong and Xi Yan understood each other well; their animosity was not something that developed overnight.

Qin Yutong said: "Do you know her identity?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "She comes from Huan Cai Ge."

Qin Yutong said: "She is from the Wuxian Sect; Huan Cai Ge is merely a part of the sect's vast holdings."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Is she connected to Mount Sumeru?"

Qin Yutong shook her head, her eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian, and said: "Sir Hu, it would be best for you to completely cut ties with her."

Hu Xiaotian sighed and said: "I've never been in contact with her from start to finish; she came to my charity banquet on her own initiative."

Qin Yutong said: "Do you think she really came for you?"

If Hu Xiaotian had initially thought that way, he certainly wouldn't now. He had assumed that the various figures appearing at the charity banquet were all there to give him face, and he had felt a bit smug, but now he realized everyone had an agenda. Prince Zhou came to Qingyun to receive the Shajia envoy; Zhang Qian came here to help the Li Tianheng family understand their true situation; as for Xi Yan, this little demoness of the Wuxian Sect wasn't specially come to collect a debt from him—could her purpose also be related to the Shajia envoy?

Qin Yutong said: "The Wuxian Sect has always plotted to overthrow the court; I think her appearance here is related to that."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Overthrowing the court should be done in the capital; Qingyun is just a tiny county town, and even if some ripples were stirred up here, they wouldn't affect the court."

translation.

Hu Xiaotian said: "How I see it doesn't matter; I'm merely a low-ranking ninth‑grade official, and major court affairs will never fall to someone like me."

Qin Yutong said: "Official rank has grades, and so does character; Sir Hu thinks that not holding a position lets him rest easy and avoid meddling in governance, but he forgets the saying that the rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of every commoner."

Hu Xiaotian smiled narrowly: "I've never had grand ambitions; being able to get by peacefully day after day is enough for me."

"Although the request isn't high, you might not get your wish; if the Shajia envoy encounters trouble in Qingyun's territory, you, as the county magistrate, would likely be hard-pressed to avoid blame."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Miss Qin, on what basis do you conclude that the Shajia envoy will certainly encounter trouble?"

Qin Yutong said: "The Wuxian Sect is likely to use this opportunity to stir up trouble; if the Shajia envoy encounters trouble within Dakang's borders, the Shajia side will certainly demand accountability, and they might even use it as a pretext to launch an eastern expedition."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Miss Qin, you're overthinking; Qingyun has made full preparations—tomorrow we will send a hundred soldiers to escort them along the way, and Prince Zhou's side also has eight palace masters accompanying them. The Shajia entourage numbers over fifty, and it includes brave warriors; I don't believe any clueless ruffian would dare to sneak attack, unless he seeks his own death." Hu Xiaotian was not blindly optimistic; he had considered everything thoroughly, made meticulous arrangements, and judging by the current situation, it should be foolproof.

Qin Yutong said: "You simply don't understand how formidable the Wuxian Sect is!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I've faced them before; those Wuxian Sect folks in Flying Eagle Valley who tried to assassinate me ended up being routed by us—some dead, some fled."

Qin Yutong said: "How could a bunch of low‑level lackeys be compared to that demoness?"

Hu Xiaotian secretly smiled; previously Xi Yan had also called Qin Yutong that way, but he didn't know which of them was the true demoness. He deliberately said: "Miss Qin, you're overthinking; they've actually already left Qingyun."

Qin Yutong said: "Sir Hu, don't be careless; they wouldn't come here for no reason, and the Wuxian Sect's members always see their goals through to the end."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Miss Qin, you make it sound so frightening; according to you, how should I prepare to ensure the Shajia envoy's safety?"

Qin Yutong said: "I've heard that Sir Hu will personally accompany His Highness Prince Zhou to Xiezhou?"

Hu Xiaotian's heart jolted; he had not publicized this matter, and when Prince Zhou told him, no one else was present, and he had not leaked any news—could it be that Zhou's side leaked it? But even if so, how would Qin Yutong know? This woman comes from Xuantian Guan; he had always thought she was just an ordinary female doctor, but now Qin Yutong seems anything but simple. In fact, ever since Xi Yan called her a demoness, Hu Xiaotian realized Qin Yutong is no ordinary person, and looking at the people now surrounding him, none are ordinary either.

Since Xi Yan wasn't here to collect a debt from him, this Qin Yutong must not have appeared in Miao Jiang by chance. Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "Not bad! Miss Qin, your information is truly well‑informed."

Qin Yutong said: "Some things are hardly secrets at all; Sir Hu, would you be willing to let me accompany you?"

Hu Xiaotian never imagined Qin Yutong would make such a request; he stared, mouth agape: "You……"

Qin Yutong said: "I have some ways to deal with that demoness; Sir Hu, even if you don't think of others, you should think of yourself—at least with me by your side, you'll have an extra safeguard."

Hu Xiaotian gazed into Qin Yutong's unfathomable, deep eyes, seeing in them extraordinary calm and strong confidence; he pursed his lips and said: "It's not impossible, but you… like this, it seems somewhat inconvenient."

Qin Yutong said: "Sir Hu, may I borrow your room for a moment?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and pointed to his own room.

Qin Yutong entered Hu Xiaotian's room, closed the door, and not long after emerged a dark‑skinned youth wearing Hu Xiaotian's robes. Hu Xiaotian had never seen this youth's face before; he could swear no one else was hiding in his room, so the only possibility was that this youth was Qin Yutong in disguise. Hu Xiaotian had seen Qin Yutong's face before and still remembered the shocking scar on her cheek, yet this boy's face was smooth and unblemished, despite his darker skin—there was not a trace of a scar.

Hu Xiaotian blinked his eyes hard: "Is it you?"

Fifth watch delivered, please give guaranteed monthly ticket! (To be continued)