Chapter 251: [Such Conditions] (Part 2)

Ande Quan shifted his tone and said, "However, this matter is not without any possibility."

Hu Xiaotian clearly heard his meaning that there was still hope, and hurriedly bowed to Ande Quan, saying, "I hope you will grant this, old sir."

Ande Quan narrowed his eyes, glanced at Hu Xiaotian and said, "Before the Zajia sees the Emperor, I dare not say I have enough confidence; even if I could persuade the Emperor to abandon the idea of exterminating your Hu clan, your father would still inevitably face punishment, as for you..."

Hu Xiaotian said, "As long as you, old sir, can save my entire family's lives, I, Hu Xiaotian, will repay your great kindness with the gesture of tying grass and carrying a ring."

Ande Quan heard him say that, slowly nodded and said, "The Zajia will remember these words. If I save your Hu family, will you willingly do anything for me?"

Hu Xiaotian's heart skipped a beat, yet he did not know what difficult task Ande Quan would have him do. No matter what, for now he could only agree first and speak later; besides Ande Quan, there was no one else who could save the Hu family. He nodded and said, "Yes, I am willing to do anything for you, sir."

Ande Quan let out a strange laugh, his gaze scrutinizing Hu Xiaotian with an inexplicable oddity that made Hu Xiaotian feel a chill. Hu Xiaotian immediately understood Ande Quan's meaning: this old eunuch basically wanted him to follow in his footsteps, to castrate himself and become a eunuch. No matter how he thought, he never expected Ande Quan to make such a demand; for a moment his head was covered in cold sweat. Even if he could save the Hu clan, even if it meant letting him die, he could consider it, but to become a eunuch, Hu Xiaotian hesitated.

Ande Quan stared into his eyes and said, "Are you willing or not?"

"Um..." Hu Xiaotian showed a troubled expression: "Can there be another option?"

Ande Quan said, "If you are willing to enter the palace to atone for your father, I might consider helping you save your parents." Seeing Hu Xiaotian's hesitant expression, Ande Quan sneered, "I won't force you; if you are unwilling, you may simply take this mask and leave the capital."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Does becoming a eunuch require cutting..."

"Yes!" Ande Quan said firmly.

Hu Xiaotian stretched out his sleeve to wipe sweat, but his forehead was already covered in cold sweat.

Ande Quan said, "Actually, being a eunuch has its benefits; you can get close to the Emperor, bask in his grace. If you are capable, becoming the Chief Eunuch of the Inner Palace would have civil and military officials vying to curry favor with you." Ande Quan added meaningfully, "Given your father's crimes, extermination of the nine clans is inevitable; if they really exterminate the nine clans of your Hu family, what descendants would remain?"

Hu Xiaotian still harbored a sliver of hope; he took out the Red Script Iron Certificate and said, "Old sir Ande, this Red Script Iron Certificate was granted to our Hu ancestors by the former emperor."

Ande Quan glanced at the Red Script Iron Certificate in his hand and said, "Do you think relying on this can save your parents' lives? If the Emperor declares it fake, wouldn't your Hu family be guilty of an even greater crime?"

Hu Xiaotian sighed; he knew everything Ande Quan said was true.

Ande Quan reached out and took the Red Script Iron Certificate, lowering his voice: "Will you agree or not?" He was of course referring to entering the palace to become a eunuch.

Hu Xiaotian bit his lip; he had never encountered such a difficult decision in his life. After thinking it over repeatedly, perhaps only this could save the Hu clan; if he did not agree, Ande Quan would certainly not help him save people, so it was better to agree for now and discuss later. Making up his mind, he firmly nodded and said, "I agree."…

Ande Quan smiled and said, "Hu Buwei having a son like you could be considered his fortune." He tidied his sleeves and said, "For now, stay in the Cheng'en Fu; I will think of a way for the Hu family's affairs. On the Emperor's side, I will say you voluntarily atoned for your father, entered the palace after castration to serve the Emperor."

Hu Xiaotian trembled and said, "Really must be castrated?"

Ande Quan said, "Go take a bath; later the Zajia will help you get castrated."

Hu Xiaotian, hearing that Ande Quan would now help him get castrated, was frightened out of his wits, coughed and said, "Old sir, why not wait until you rescue my parents first? If you castrate me and the Emperor still refuses to release my parents, wouldn't I have been castrated for nothing?"

Ande Quan gave a sinister chuckle and said, "Do you still have the qualifications to negotiate terms with me now?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I, Hu Xiaotian, always keep my word; old sir Ande, as long as you rescue my parents, without you lifting a finger, I will castrate myself."

Ande Quan chuckled.

Hu Xiaotian also forced a smile; although he had just agreed to Ande Quan's condition, it was merely a temporary measure. If he were actually castrated, this bastard would be utterly unwilling; being made a eunuch would be worse than being killed outright with a single stroke.

Ande Quan said, "A true man keeps his word; a promise is worth a thousand gold. Since you have agreed to me, you must show some sincerity; regretting now is probably too late." He said in a deep voice, "Come here!"

Four strong and sturdy eunuchs emerged from somewhere; Ande Quan pointed at Hu Xiaotian and said, "Seize him and take him to the castration chamber."

Upon hearing that Ande Quan was serious, Hu Xiaotian was terrified to the point of almost calling out for his mother; he forced a smile and said, "Old sir Ande... since I have already agreed to you, why not let me keep this treasure for a couple more days, at least giving me a chance to hold a farewell ceremony."

Ande Quan's expression now appeared kind and amiable: "Cutting it off will let you see it more clearly; you will have plenty of time later to say goodbye to it."

The four eunuchs closed in on Hu Xiaotian; Hu Xiaotian could not bear to be captured helplessly. At that moment, his only thought was to risk his life to protect his manhood, and he turned and fled toward the courtyard gate.

Ande Quan stroked his bald chin; the smile on his face was indescribably weird.

All four eunuchs were martial arts masters; touching the ground with their toes, they moved like rabbits and hawks, instantly surrounding Hu Xiaotian. Hu Xiaotian raised his fist and struck at the opposite eunuch, who did not dodge; when Hu Xiaotian's fist reached his chest, the chest suddenly caved in, turning Hu Xiaotian's punch into nothing.

The other two eunuchs rushed forward to press down his arms; Hu Xiaotian kicked backward, striking the groin of the eunuch behind him. That eunuch genuinely felt the kick, yet showed no reaction. After all, there is nothing down there, so he fears no kicks from Hu Xiaotian; from this perspective, castration does have its advantages.

The four eunuchs, all martial arts masters, seized Hu Xiaotian's hands and feet, each holding an arm or leg, and lifted him off the ground.

Ande Quan did not forget to instruct, "Do not hurt him!"

Hu Xiaotian wailed, "Officer Ande, you repay kindness with enmity; I once saved your life."

Ande Quan slowly approached Hu Xiaotian, smiling narrowly at his face and said, "If we didn't mention this, it would still be tolerable; the Zajia's fine right leg was cut off by you, and now I am only cutting off such a small thing of yours, which is already lenient on my part. Take him to the castration chamber."

The four eunuchs escorted Hu Xiaotian out of the Cheng'en Fu and headed straight for the castration chamber opposite; Hu Xiaotian screamed in terror, "Help! Help!"

Ande Quan walked leisurely behind him, like someone watching a lamb awaiting slaughter, and said softly, "Shouting until your throat is raw won't help; later you will understand that the benefits of castration are countless. By the way, my surname is Quan, not An."

Hu Xiaotian's limbs were restrained by the four eunuchs, leaving him powerless to resist. Gazing at the ink‑black night sky, a wave of sorrow welled up in his heart: "I said, old man, did I come into this world just to become a eunuch? I still foolishly dreamed of saving the Hu clan, but in the end I couldn't even protect my own manhood, and Hu Xiaotian truly felt despair. If his manhood were cut off, what pleasure could remain in his life?"

Several people walked slowly along Suoyun Lane toward the castration chamber; the old eunuch Quan De'an walked unhurriedly, but suddenly his dim eyes brightened, and he saw two points of cold light shooting like chasing wind and lightning toward his chest from the darkness.

Quan De'an's pupils contracted sharply; his originally hunched waist suddenly straightened, and he waved his right hand in empty space, sending forth an invisible palm force that swept outward, compressing the surrounding air and launching it like waves toward both sides; the swiftly flying feather arrows encountering this great force had their speed suddenly reduced.

Whoosh! A black feather arrow shot out from the right in an arc, bypassing the barrier created by Quan De'an's palm force, then arced from the side toward his throat.

The old eunuch's brows furrowed slightly; he silently praised the fine archery, his bird‑claw‑like left hand snatching the arrow from the air and holding it steady in his palm. Though Quan De'an gripped it, the arrow's force was tremendous; its black tail feathers still vibrated violently, like a desperate fish struggling.

Quan De'an gave a cold snort, swung his right arm, and his long sleeve landed on the stone drum before the gate. Though the stone drum was not large, weighing about three hundred catties, it appeared weightless as it rose lightly into the air, without visible effort from Quan De'an; the stone drum shouted "hu!" as it shot toward the direction where the archer hid, the high‑speed stone drum tearing the night sky with a sound of wind and thunder.

Hu Xiaotian saw the old eunuch's divine might; at that moment he actually forgot to call for help, staring blankly at the direction the stone drum flew. If anyone were struck by that stone drum, wouldn't they be smashed to pieces? From those three feather arrows he vaguely guessed that Zhan Peng might have come to rescue, and he secretly worried for Zhan Peng.

The stone drum struck the wall squarely, letting out a booming roar; the impacted wall collapsed with a crash, bricks and stones flying everywhere, smoke and mist filling the air. From the smoke and dust a black shadow flew out, one hand drawing an arrow, quickly drawing the bow; the bowstring sounded continuously, and a volley like a string of firecrackers shot out seven arrows, every one of them aimed at Quan De'an without exception.

Quan De'an sighed, his long sleeve sweeping like a black cloud, the seven feather arrows sinking into it like stones into the sea. Standing in the wind, Quan De'an was thin and frail, his back slightly hunched, making one worry he might be blown over by a gust; yet when you saw his fierce eyes, you would immediately realize how immense the power hidden within his dry, gaunt frame truly is.

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