Chapter 380

A weak groan came from behind the curtains: "Little beard…… is that you……?"

Hu Xiaotian recognized Wen Ya's voice; without hesitation he took three steps at a stride and rushed in. Wen Ya lay on the floor, one hand weakly reaching toward him. Hu Xiaotian hurried to her side, first propping up the overturned candlestand on the table and lighting it, then lifted Wen Ya from the ground—only to see her face deathly pale, her delicate body trembling incessantly, her breath filled with chill, her hair and eyelashes coated with white frost, her teeth chattering nonstop to the point she could not speak.

Hu Xiaotian took her soft hand, feeling it icy cold, and looked around, calling: "Baobao? Baobao, where are you?"

Wen Ya could not speak, her eyes glancing toward the northeast corner of the chamber. Hu Xiaotian lifted her and placed her on a long bench, then searched the room; soon he found Baobao behind a screen in the northeast corner—Baobao also lay in a pool of blood, a dagger embedded in her right leg.

Hu Xiaotian lifted Baobao from the blood, felt her neck pulse, discovered her heartbeat still present, and was shocked, shouting: "Quick, someone… help…!"

Outside the door came noisy footsteps—clearly many people had rushed over upon hearing the news.

Hu Xiaotian held Baobao's delicate body and whispered: "Baobao! Baobao! Wake up, wake up…" No matter how he called, Baobao remained unconscious, oblivious to everything around her.

More than ten palace guards rushed into the Moonlight Palace bearing torches, instantly lighting the place. Seeing the scene before them, those guards were also terrified and at a loss. The Moonlight Palace was awash in blood, and no one knew what had happened.

Chen Chengqiang

Hu Xiaotian paid no mind to the onlookers. Using his medical knowledge, he performed CPR on Baobao. After about the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, Baobao finally came to amid a series of coughs. At that moment someone said: "The Talented Person is done for, the Talented Person is done for."

Only then did Hu Xiaotian recall that Wen Ya's condition was also dire. He rose to check on her and saw her wrapped in two thick quilts, still shivering violently, her face deathly pale, her lips purplish. A faint frost had already settled on her skin. Though he had seen all kinds of ailments, he had never encountered a case like Wen Ya's. Since her status differed from that of the little palace maid Baobao, with so many guards present he could not openly examine her injuries.

After receiving the report, the Imperial Medical Office personnel arrived promptly; this time it was not just Qin Yutong alone, but also her two fellow disciples, presumably having heard of the grave situation and worrying that one person could not handle it.

Arriving together with Qin Yutong was the commander of the guards, Mu Rongzhan. The sight before them moved even the seasoned Mu Rongzhan. He gave a glance, and his subordinate guards quickly closed in around Hu Xiaotian, clearly marking him as the prime suspect.

Mu Rongzhan's gray-white pupils locked onto Hu Xiaotian's eyes as he said in a sinister tone, "Lord Hu, may we step aside to talk?" This head of the palace guards still gave Hu Xiaotian a modicum of courtesy.

Hu Xiaotian held Baobao, his gaze turning to Qin Yutong, who remained silent. She approached him slowly, silently took Baobao from him, felt her pulse, frowned slightly, pondered a moment, and said: "Rest assured, she should be out of mortal danger."

Hearing that, Hu Xiaotian relaxed a little; Qin Yutong was the favored disciple of the Xuantian Guan's head, her medical skill superb, so if she said there was no problem, there likely wasn't.

Mu Rongzhan had already led the way out of the palace, and Hu Xiaotian followed his steps outside. It was past midnight; the night sky, as dark as black velvet, was studded with stars. The cold starlight illuminated Dakang's imperial palace, yet Hu Xiaotian's heart felt darker than ever, for he knew what Mu Rongzhan wanted to ask.

Mu Rongzhan closed his eyes; his white lashes trembled lightly in the night breeze, like a pair of pallid butterfly wings. His bloodless, pale hands were clasped behind his back; at all times his posture retained an exaggerated straightness, his chin slightly lifted, as if meditating or listening to the surroundings. His gray-white ears were thin, almost translucent, devoid of any bodily warmth. Mu Rongzhan did not rush to question, and Hu Xiaotian had no intention of speaking first, so the two remained silent for a time.

Behind them came a series of footsteps, their rhythm and force precisely controlled. Though Mu Rongzhan's subordinates included many experts, only one had earned his full trust: this person was his fourth-rank blade-bearing guard, Qi Daine.

If there were no important discovery, Qi Daine would not have come at this moment to disturb Mu Rongzhan; upon reaching his side, he clasped his fists in greeting.

Kangdu

Qi Daine said: "The corpse's head has not been found, but the identity has been ascertained." He paused, glanced at Hu Xiaotian, then added: "Chen Chengqiang!"

Hu Xiaotian's heart jolted; he never imagined the deceased would be Chen Chengqiang, a third-rank blade-bearing guard of exceptional martial skill, who had died inside the Moonlight Palace—this was truly bizarre and uncanny.

Mu Rongzhan suddenly opened his eyes; two bolts of lightning shot from his gray pupils through the night, striking Hu Xiaotian's face.

Imperial Guard

Mu Rongzhan waved his hand, whereupon Qi Daine withdrew, and Mu Rongzhan said: "Lord Hu, could you give me an explanation?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Tonight I went to the Imperial Kitchen Bureau's cattle and sheep shed, where Lord Zhang Dequan invited me for a drink to congratulate me on receiving the Coiled Dragon Gold Medal bestowed by the Emperor. When I returned, I found things as they are."

Third-rank Blade Guard

"Commander Mu, you need not suspect me; I merely arrived a step ahead of you. At that time I saw a black-clad figure standing on the ridge of the Moonlight Palace; we locked eyes for a moment before he leapt away."

Emperor

Hu Xiaotian thought, shook his head then nodded, saying: "If the Talented Person and Baobao are unharmed, they can vouch for me."

Chief Strategist

"No, believe it or not, aside from that black-clad person, I know no more than you do."

Imperial Physician

Ice Soul Asura Palm

Mu Rongzhan drew a deep breath and said: "The Talented Person was struck by the Ice Soul Asura Palm; in the present world, only Hong Beimo possesses such power."

Clear Heart Jade Liquid Pill

Mu Rongzhan narrowed his eyes, killing intent stark: "I don't care who he is; whoever killed my people, even if I chase them to the ends of the earth, I will make them pay with their lives." A bleak killing aura quietly spread; Hu Xiaotian, standing beside Mu Rongzhan, felt a chill run down his spine and involuntarily shivered.

Hu Xiaotian did not know Hong Beimo, and he could not fathom why Hong Beimo had rushed to attack Wen Ya, nor why Hong Beimo had struck Baobao with poison; as far as he knew, Baobao was still Hong Beimo's adopted daughter.

Returning to the Bright Moon Palace, Baobao's wound had already been treated; she lay in bed, while a fellow disciple of Qin Yutong was attending to her, and Wen Ya was not there; after inquiring, they learned that Qin Yutong had taken Wen Ya to the inner chambers to heal her injuries.

Hu Xiaotian sat down beside Baobao; Baobao had just awakened a moment ago, but soon fell asleep again.

Hu Xiaotian touched her forehead, feeling it slightly warm; he thought she had a fever, but with others around it was inconvenient to examine Baobao's injury, so he whispered: "How is she doing?"

From behind came Qin Yutong's voice: "She's been poisoned; the dagger that stabbed her was coated with snake venom, whose components I cannot yet decipher, but I have already used Clear Heart Jade Fluid Pill to protect her heart meridian, so for now there is no problem."

Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brows, a dagger with poison? Given Hong Beimo's status and martial prowess, even if he wanted to eliminate Baobao, there would be no need to resort to poison; it seems overkill unless he intended to deliberately leave a flaw to conceal his tracks, but if that were truly the case, why would he use his own unique Ice Soul Asura Palm against Wen Ya? Tonight's events are truly baffling, Hu Xiaotian really can't make sense of it. Fortunately, Wen Ya and Baobao are temporarily safe from mortal danger, and moreover, no one suspects that he himself was the attacker.

Thinking of Wen Ya, Hu Xiaotian involuntarily began to worry again, and he whispered to Qin Yutong: "How is the Talented Person faring?"

Qin Yutong sighed and said: "Her condition seems somewhat more serious."

Hu Xiaotian exclaimed in shock: "How?"

Qin Yutong said: "She was injured by the Ice Soul Asura Palm; if my master were in Kangdu, he ought to be able to handle it, but my master has gone out to visit friends, and even I don't know his whereabouts now."

"If that's what you say, isn't the Talented Person in danger?"

Qin Yutong said: "That's not necessarily so; in this world all things mutually generate and overcome, and what can overcome the Ice Soul Asura Palm is the Yang Fusion Infinite Skill; according to what I know, there is someone in this palace who cultivates this skill, but I don't know whether they are willing to step forward and save her."

Hu Xiaotian asked in a low voice: "Who?"

"Lord Eunuch Ji!"

If it weren't for Ji Feihua's midnight summons, Hu Xiaotian would not dare to go see him at such a time; although he greatly wished to implore Ji Feihua to act and heal Wen Ya, he also knew that Ji Feihua hated Wen Ya to the point of wishing her dead, so persuading him to intervene would likely be a futile fantasy.

Ji Feihua sought him out as well because of the incident at the Bright Moon Palace; although Mu Rongzhan had tightly sealed off news, any stir within the imperial palace was still hard to escape Ji Feihua's ears.

When Hu Xiaotian arrived at the residence of Ji Feihua in the Directorate of Palace Servants, it was already the second watch; following Li Yan, he came to Ji Feihua's door, knocked lightly, gained permission, and then pushed the door open to enter.

Candlelight flickered red; Ji Feihua sat cross-legged beside a small table in a red robe, holding a memorial and reviewing it silently, while many more memorials piled on the table; Hu Xiaotian glanced at it, then quickly lowered his head, secretly thinking that Ji Feihua's power was indeed growing, as the emperor had actually entrusted him with the authority to review all memorials—whether this stemmed from favor or fear, he wondered.

In the new year, I ask for monthly tickets, I ask for red packets, I implore everyone to cast all their monthly tickets for Zhangyu! (To be continued~^~)