Chapter 289

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded. As the saying goes, rarity makes things precious; although Liu Yuzhang spoke simply, that is also the principle.

After bidding farewell to Liu Yuzhang, I had intended to go check the wine cellar, but I unexpectedly ran into the palace maid Baobao face‑to‑face. Since the last time Baobao was stabbed by Wang Desheng, she had not appeared for several days; seeing her spirited appearance, even better than before, I guessed her injuries must have fully healed. Hu Xiaotian secretly thought, this girl's Mo Jade Regenerating Ointment really does seem effective. Although I knew Baobao must have some motive in coming, Hu Xiaotian still greeted her with a smiling face and said, 'Baobao elder sister, why do you have time to come over today?'

Baobao smiled charmingly, her grace boundless, and said in a soft voice: 'Lord Hu, Consort Lin praised the yangmei wine you sent last time without end; the wine has been finished, so Her Highness the Consort has sent me again to ask for some more.'

Hu Xiaotian laughed, 'Sure, sure, I'll have someone bring you to get it.' But in his heart he understood that this girl certainly had an ulterior motive—not the wine.

Baobao fixed her lovely eyes on him and whispered, 'I don't trust anyone else; it's safest if you go yourself.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'But I still have other matters to attend to.'

Baobao said, not without threat, 'Nothing is more important than our affair; you wouldn't want me to spill everything that happened that day, would you?'

Hu Xiaotian chuckled; this palace maid really is a trouble, showing up at his door to threaten him. If he had known it would come to this, he might as well have silenced her right there in the cellar that day. Although he thought so, he also knew Baobao was not easy to deal with; if she hadn't been injured that day, he might not have been able to handle her.

Hu Xiaotian also knew this wasn't a place for conversation, so he took Baobao to the wine cellar. Now the wine cellar area is under Shi Xuedong's full responsibility; seeing Baobao, he couldn't help but his eyes light up, a lecherous look on his face, and Hu Xiaotian felt somewhat puzzled. This fellow had clearly been castrated, yet upon seeing a beautiful woman he still showed such an expression—could it really be that he wasn't completely cut?

Hu Xiaotian had Shi Xuedong guard the wine cellar door and took Baobao inside.

Before Hu Xiaotian could close the door, Baobao had already bolted it from the inside. Hu Xiaotian said, 'A lone man and woman alone in a room—this seems rather inconvenient.'

Baobao covered her cherry lips with her sleeves, as if suppressing a smile; in her heart she clearly did not regard Hu Xiaotian as a man—this little eunuch's way of speaking is really amusing.

Hu Xiaotian lifted the lantern and led her to the deepest level of the wine cellar. Although it had been cleaned up, the suddenly spacious cellar still startled Baobao; due to poor ventilation, the air was thick with wine fumes, intoxicating enough to make one drunk. Baobao covered her fragrant nose and asked, 'What exactly happened here?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'A few days ago someone fought here, smashing many wine barrels, which is why it looks like this.'

Baobao asked, 'Could it be that your good deed has been discovered?' She naturally referred to Hu Xiaotian's killing of Wang Desheng.

Hu Xiaotian coldly stared at her and said, 'Some things are best left in the past; if a person keeps holding onto bad memories, they are destined to have no good outcome.'

Baobao stepped forward, her beautiful eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian, and said, 'You're threatening me?'

'Not at all, just speaking the truth!'

Baobao giggled and said, 'Speaking the truth? When have you ever spoken the truth? You claimed to have given me a chronic poison, so now hand over the antidote.' She extended her right hand; under the lantern light her fair wrist was crystal clear like jade.

Hu Xiaotian hung the lantern on the corridor pillar and smiled, 'Miss Baobao, why don't you consider staying away from the Bureau of Palace Affairs from now on? Let's keep our wells separate.'

Baobao said, 'That day someone was always guarding outside; how did he get into this wine cellar?' After returning, she went over the whole incident from start to finish in detail, and became increasingly convinced that there was something mysterious about the wine cellar. Wang Desheng certainly did not enter through the main gate; the remaining possibilities are two: either he had lain in ambush inside the wine cellar beforehand, or there are other secret passages in the cellar connecting to the outside, and Wang Desheng entered via one of them.

Hu Xiaotian had eavesdropped on Baobao and Lin Yuan's conversation in the Jade Pond, from which he had already guessed some of their background; Baobao is certainly no ordinary palace maid. She and Consort Lin are not in a master‑servant relationship; they address each other as sisters and even share a foster father.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'I don't think I need to answer your question; why have you come to the Bureau of Palace Affairs again and again—who is pulling your strings? Consort Lin?' He shook his head and said, 'Probably not; everything you've done, Consort Lin ought to be unaware of. If she knew these things yet let you act as you please, then your relationship really is not ordinary.'

Baobao's pretty face turned cold: 'What do you mean?'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'If you want something to stay unknown, you must not do it; although I rarely pay attention to your affairs, that doesn't mean you and Consort Lin can hide your actions from my eyes. You appear to be master and servant on the surface, but are you actually sisters behind the scenes?'

Upon hearing this, Baobao's heart turned cold halfway; how could he know such a secret?

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Rest assured, I have no interest in your affairs; I only hope you won't cause me trouble again. It's best for us to coexist peacefully; if we really come to blows, nobody will benefit.'

Baobao said, 'So what if we turn against each other?' As she spoke, she lunged forward, a cold glint flashing in her hand, and thrust a dagger straight at Hu Xiaotian's chest.

Hu Xiaotian was always on guard against her movements; as she attacked, he had already stepped back with his left foot as pivot, rotated his body counter‑clockwise, and in the motion unleashed two consecutive claw strikes.

In terms of internal strength alone, Baobao is certainly no match for Hu Xiaotian, but Hu Xiaotian lacks combat experience; facing her killing move, he quickly shifted from offense to defense and fell into a disadvantage. Yet his speed and power in striking far exceed Baobao's; although he often reacts a beat late, he can still achieve 'strike after the opponent but land first,' neutralizing her assault.

Although Baobao brandished the dagger, she did not truly intend to take Hu Xiaotian's life, so the dagger became a restraint instead. In contrast, Hu Xiaotian's Profound Dark Yin Wind Claw grew ever more proficient; he finally found an opening, grabbed Baobao's shoulder, and with a hiss tore off half of her garment. Baobao let out a startled cry, forgot to stab him, hurriedly covered her chest, and her crystal‑clear shoulder lay bare before Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian raised the half‑piece of clothing in his hand, shook his head, then tossed it to the ground, clearly indicating that Baobao was no match for him.

Baobao clenched her silver teeth, her beautiful eyes flashing with icy killing intent: 'Lecher! I will take your dog's life.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'I'm a eunuch; even if you wanted me to be lecherous, I don't have the ability.'

Baobao's pretty face flushed crimson; ignoring her torn clothes, she tapped the tip of her foot lightly on the ground, her delicate body sprang up like a bird, then swooped down, thrusting the dagger straight at Hu Xiaotian's throat.

Hu Xiaotian dropped to both knees, bent his waist backward, with one hand he held Baobao's wrist, and with the other he grabbed her lantern pants; with a rip, he tore off the entire leg of her right trousers, revealing a long, slender, beautiful leg before him.

Hu Xiaotian gazed at her jade‑like beautiful leg and involuntarily swallowed; it really was extremely tempting.

Baobao was so angry she felt like going mad, yet helpless because her skill was inferior; at this moment she had forgotten her original purpose and rushed forward to fight Hu Xiaotian to the death. Her right hand, however, was firmly gripped by Hu Xiaotian; she raised a pink fist to strike his nose bridge, but Hu Xiaotian's left hand, hooked like a claw, his Profound Dark Yin Wind Claw indeed marvelous, firmly seized her left wrist and pulled hard; Baobao toppled into his embrace, and Hu Xiaotian rolled over, pressing her beneath him.

Baobao, pressed beneath him, felt both shame and anger, and she snapped, 'Get up, or I'll shout!'

Hu Xiaotian replied, 'The soundproofing here is excellent; even if you scream till your throat is raw, no one will hear.'

Baobao suddenly fell silent; she felt something strange between her legs, bit her cherry lips hard, her beautiful eyes widened from fright, and she suddenly realized what it was, about to scream. Hu Xiaotian perceived her intention, lowered his head, and sealed her lips with his own.

Baobao's delicate body shuddered violently; her beautiful eyes shone with a mixture of shame and indignation. She struggled desperately beneath Hu Xiaotian, but the more she struggled, the stronger his reaction became. Baobao seemed to sense this change, terrified and unable to move, tears glistening in her eyes as two crystal drops slid slowly down her cheeks.

Hu Xiaotian withdrew from her lips and whispered, 'You are not allowed to call out; I will release you.'

Baobao nodded.

Hu Xiaotian snatched the dagger from her hand and rose to his feet; this fellow appeared slightly hunched, a posture adopted to conceal some embarrassment, for only thus would he not look conspicuously odd.

Baobao silently crawled up from the ground, lowered her head, and then turned away.

Hu Xiaotian saw her shoulders trembling and guessed she was beginning to sob; this fellow took a step forward and said, 'I…'

Before he could finish, Baobao suddenly turned her head, raised her palm and slapped her own face; Hu Xiaotian, prepared, seized her wrist, then pressed her against the wall, holding the dagger to her flawless throat.

In Baobao's starry eyes there was no trace of anger left, only gentle, alluring light; she parted her cherry lips slightly and said, 'Kill me if you will, you black‑hearted lad, you shameless… false eunuch…' As she spoke, a tempting blush rose on her pretty face, her pose reaching the peak of enchantment.

Thanks to everyone for your support; first I'm sending this chapter, Zhangyu is hard at work writing, soon I'll send the second chapter as an extra update, and I'm asking for monthly tickets!