Chapter 244: 【Selling Oneself to Bury the Father】 (Part 1)

Yo hey! Kind of interesting, you brat, you didn't even bother to ask around—on Clear River Town, anyone who sets up a stall selling goods at the market must give me some silver, yet you dare to ask me for money. I see you're an outsider, you don't know the rules, today I won't blame you. Leave the blade, you can go, I promise not to make things difficult for you.?..

Hu Xiaotian felt vexed: 'Old man, I've been selling blades half a day with no profit—you didn't come earlier, you didn't come later, but you show up just as I'm about to leave, clearly trying to extort me. Do you really think a tiger fallen to the plains gets bullied by dogs?' He glanced at the foe; with Mao San there were four of them. Though Hu Xiaotian's martial skill was lacking, he had received a few pointers from Murong Feiyan, so he still had some chance against these ruffians. Besides, his short blade slices iron like mud; in a real fight he wouldn't fear it. Hu Xiaotian said, 'Sir, everyone has times of distress; under heaven we are all brothers. I hope you gentlemen will show mercy and let a brother pass. If you drive a brother to desperation, nobody will look good.'

Mao San chuckled and said to the few around him: 'Brothers, did you hear that? He's threatening me, eh!'

Hu Xiaotian also laughed along: 'Sir, you outnumber me, I wouldn't dare threaten you—I've always been one to act and speak frankly.' Before his words finished, he raised his left fist and slammed it hard into Mao San's jaw. Hu Xiaotian imagined knocking him out with one punch, but contrary to expectation, Mao San had a big head and thick neck; Hu Xiaotian's full-force blow only made his head tilt back slightly, without knocking him down. Hu Xiaotian reacted swiftly; his second strike followed immediately, his knee viciously striking Mao San's groin. This time it worked—Mao San let out a miserable cry, released Hu Xiaotian's arm, clutched his crotch and sank to the ground. His three companions, seeing this, panicked and rushed forward.

Hu Xiaotian had already broken out, gripping his short blade and sprinting all the way out of the market. In the past he would never have provoked such trouble over a mere short blade; he naturally understood the principle that a hero doesn't suffer immediate loss. But this short blade was now his most valuable possession; he hoped to sell it for silver to raise enough travel funds, buy a horse, and return to the capital as quickly as possible—indeed, this blade had become the key to saving the Hu clan.

While running, the blisters on his soles rubbed raw, causing heart‑piercing pain. Yet when one reaches desperation, endurance becomes extraordinarily strong; Hu Xiaotian's potential was fully unleashed. He shook off the four ruffians at astonishing speed—Mao San and his gang bullied the market here, and their allies were far more than just these three. Before long, his companions came from ahead to flank him. Seeing the road blocked ahead, Hu Xiaotian had no choice but to turn right and flee. After running a short distance to the right came the horse market. The horse market was tiny, only two or three stables. Charging out of the horse market ahead, there was nowhere to hide; he heard Mao San's gang shouting. Hu Xiaotian saw only a child kneeling ahead. On the ground lay a torn mat; he didn't know what was underneath. Not choosing his path, he went to the child's side and whispered, 'Little brother, jianghu emergency!' He lifted the mat and dove underneath. Lying down, he discovered another person beneath the mat. He whispered, 'Excuse me, excuse me…' and lightly patted the other's body, only to find that the person had been dead for a long time. This shock was no small matter; only then did he recall the grass stalk stuck in the child's head—a sign of selling oneself to bury one's father. Hu Xiaotian was so startled he almost jumped up.

At that moment Mao San's gang had caught up, but they heard the child wailing miserably: 'Dad! Mom! You died so horribly……'

Mao San, clutching his sore crotch, arrived here and found Hu Xiaotian missing. He looked at the child and asked, 'Kid, did you see a dark‑skinned man fleeing this way?'…

The child, voice trembling with tears, pleaded: 'Sir, please have pity on me—help me bury my parents, and I will serve you as an ox or horse for the rest of my life.'

Mao San snorted: 'Get lost, damn it—dragging two corpses here makes today feel unlucky; scram far away, or when I see you I'll kill you.' The other ruffians also failed to find Hu Xiaotian, returned disappointed, and Mao San, cursing, turned back, stepped up to the child and kicked the corpse.

Unexpectedly, his action enraged the child, who lunged forward without hesitation: 'You insulted my father—I'll fight you to the death!' He grabbed Mao San's thigh and bit down hard, making Mao San yell 'Ah!' in agony; raising a palm as big as a cattail fan, he slapped the child's face, swelling half of the boy's visage.

Bystanders saw the scene; though they felt sympathy, none dared to speak up, they scattered away, for everyone locally knew Mao San's ferocity and dared not provoke him.

Hearing this, Hu Xiaotian could no longer contain his anger; seeing Mao San's big foot move toward him, he raised his short blade and drove it down fiercely. This blade was the lethal weapon given by Huo Ge—it already cut iron like mud, and with Hu Xiaotian's full swing, blade met flesh, piercing Mao San's foot through and through.

Mao San could not have expected the corpse on the ground to suddenly sit up; he thought it was a fake corpse, and was so terrified his soul fled; his companions were likewise frightened and scattered. Only after realizing it was Hu Xiaotian did they regroup.

Hu Xiaotian had already drawn his short blade, tip pressed to Mao San's neck, and sneered: 'You beast, you dare lay hands on a child—do you have any humanity left?'

Mao San screamed: 'Brothers, get him—cut him down!' Before his words finished, Hu Xiaotian wrapped an arm around his neck and thrust the blade into his shoulder; Mao San howled like a slaughtered pig, now utterly terrified, and trembled: 'Sir… I… Mao San, blind as I am, beg you to show mercy.'

Hu Xiaotian chuckled coldly: 'You know fear now? Too bad it's too late.' He said to the little boy: 'Little brother, come over here.' He feared Mao San's gang might seize the child to use as leverage against him.

Mao San said: 'What do you want…… what exactly do you want?'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'Have your brothers fetch a wagon, right now.'

Mao San hastily waved his hands; the horse market was nearby, and before long the ruffians led a wagon over. Hu Xiaotian told them to lift the corpses onto the wagon, then added: 'Everyone, face the wall and take off your pants!'

The ruffians hesitated a moment, but Hu Xiaotian stabbed another blow into Mao San's shoulder, making him shout in panic: 'Quick… quick, do as the boss says—do you really want to kill me?'

The ruffians took off their pants, Hu Xiaotian had them throw them over one by one; the boy ran over and gathered them all, then Hu Xiaotian had the boy board first, and escorted Mao San and the others onto the wagon.

The boy seized the reins, shouted a cry, and the wagon bolted out of town. After running ten li into the wilderness, Hu Xiaotian finally let Mao San alight; before leaving he made sure to strip the fellow of all his valuables, indeed finding more than ten taels of silver and a gold‑inlaid jade pendant.

Watching Mao San's dwindling figure become a tiny dot in the distance, Hu Xiaotian approached the wagon; the boy lifted his head and looked at him, and both faces broke into a knowing smile.

Hu Xiaotian asked: 'What's your name? How old are you?'

The boy replied: 'I'm Gao Yuan, twelve years old.'

Hu Xiaotian nodded, turned and glanced at the corpse in the wagon: 'Is this your father?' The words struck Gao Yuan's grief; he could not hold back tears: 'Yes, my father was beaten to death.'…

Hu Xiaotian sighed, patted his shoulder, and said: 'Don't cry—we now have silver; when we reach the next town we'll buy a coffin and give your father a proper burial.'

Hu Xiaotian kept his word: at the passing market town he bought a thin coffin to help Gao Yuan bury his father; the seized pendant fetched a fine price at the pawnshop, exchanging for a full seventy taels of silver—a pleasant surprise. Hu Xiaotian split his silver in half, giving Gao Yuan his share to seek out relatives, little expecting that Gao Yuan had no kin left—otherwise he wouldn't have been reduced to selling himself to bury his father.

Because Hu Xiaotian had buried his father, Gao Yuan resolved to follow him for life to repay his great kindness; Hu Xiaotian didn't think the boy owed him anything, but seeing him clever and agile, and pitying his orphaned state, he agreed—after all, the road to Kangdu is long, and a companion to talk with is welcome.

Fact proved Hu Xiaotian's decision exceptionally wise; although Gao Yuan is only twelve, he has been independent since childhood, traveling south and north with his father, gaining even more worldly experience than Hu Xiaotian; this boy is not only smart but diligent, volunteering for any task, and along the way he arranged Hu Xiaotian's food, lodging, and travel so smoothly that it spared Hu Xiaotian much trouble.

Strangely, since Gao Yuan joined him, Hu Xiaotian's journey has gone much smoother; along the way he kept hearing news of the Xichuan rebellion, and from the rumors he could preliminarily conclude that the Eldest Prince Long Yelin had formally ascended the throne, the Retired Emperor Long Xuan'en had abdicated to enjoy his twilight years as a grand elder, whereas the unfortunate Crown Prince Long Yelin Qing had been slapped with a cap accusing him of plotting to usurp the throne and murder the emperor, and was executed in the Grace‑receiving Manor. Li Tianheng's separatist stance amounted to solid proof adding to Long Yelin Qing's rebellion charge.

Although the New Emperor holds power, he has not yet formally ascended the throne; it is said that once he does, a general amnesty will be proclaimed, but before that the Dakang dynasty faces a bloody reshuffle. The Xichuan Li clan's rebellion is not only dissatisfaction with the change of rulers, but also a desperate act of self‑preservation; if Li Tianheng does not rebel, as a steadfast supporter of the former Crown Prince Long Yelin Qing, he will surely become the New Emperor's first target for elimination.