Chapter 4

Liang Da Zhuang quietly turned back and took a glance, hurriedly closed his eyes, inwardly sighed, Young master, young master, the foolish illness has acted up again!

The red-clad girl was tossed about by Hu Xiaotian, Pff! Pff! Pff! She continuously spat out several mouthfuls of clear water, because drinking too much water caused excessive abdominal pressure, the sprayed water was also forceful, without exception striking Hu Xiaotian's crotch, after all it was water heated to thirty-seven degrees body temperature, Hu Xiaotian's ice-cold, soaked trousers instantly felt a faint warmth inside.

After controlling the water, the standard rescue procedure is artificial respiration, mouth-to-mouth; Hu Xiaotian had already prepared for this, but when it came time to actually implement it, he found the red-clad girl had already resumed spontaneous breathing, although weak, judging from her current vital signs there should be no serious problem, so Hu Xiaotian also had no need to continue doing something that would challenge conventional notions and shock the onlookers; he was about to gently lay the girl down.

Suddenly the sound of horse hooves thundered outside, the crowd scattered, and they saw a dark‑skinned, powerfully built man in a green brocade robe leading more than twenty warriors charging forward. He had a square face, thick eyebrows shaped like the number eight, bull‑like eyes, a flattened nose, and full lips. Though his body was sturdy, his visage was grotesquely ugly. He rode a black horse and bellowed, "Wa ya ya ya! I'll curse his eight generations of ancestors! Whoever dares to seize my sister will be torn limb from limb!"

A group of more than twenty, their garments bright and horses angry, their momentum fierce, wherever they went, passersby scattered in fear, dreading they could not avoid them.

Liang Da Zhuang, also considered well-informed in the capital, immediately recognized the black-faced sturdy man as Tang Tiehan, eldest son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport, Tang Wen Zheng; Tang Tiehan is a local bully in the capital, relying on his father's slight influence, he secretly controls the capital's horse market trade, reaping exorbitant profits, daily keeping a gang of idle thugs, bullying the market and committing many misdeeds; the capital's horse market is not far from Cuiyun Lake, and he had just heard the news that his sister had been thrown into the lake by a gang of ruffians and then fished out and humiliated; speaking of ruffians, who in the horse market vicinity dares to be more ruffian than him? Whoever dares to bully his sister is basically seeking death, that is, openly slapping the Tang family's face. Tang Tiehan immediately gathered more than twenty of his men, fully armed, and galloped forth to rescue his sister.

Liang Da Zhuang saw Tang Tiehan leading his men approach, his face instantly changed, he hurriedly warned Hu Xiaotian: "Young master, things are bad…… they've come looking for trouble."

Actually, there was no need for him to say it; Hu Xiaotian had already seen the commotion.

Hu Fu also said: "Young master, you mount first and ride ahead, we servants will hold the rear……" he said with utmost loyalty, but actually his legs were shaking like sifting chaff, his voice obviously quavering. These attendants, though physically strong, lacked much combat experience, merely relying on their master's official position to swagger about; if it came to fighting, superiority of numbers could still work, but seeing the enemy suddenly rush over with more than twenty men, they were almost scared out of their wits.

Hu Xiaotian glanced at the reddish-brown horse tethered to the tree; even if his horsemanship were not skilled, even if it were proficient, he could not possibly escape smoothly from the pursuit of those twenty men; yet Hu Xiaotian felt no fear at all, looking at those murderous warriors, he simply said lightly: "Why should we flee? Dakang also has law."

Liang Da Zhuang gripped the hilt of his waist sword, mustered his courage and stepped forward to block the path of Tang Tiehan's men, then let out a loud shout; this shout was not meant to intimidate the opponent but to bolster his own courage: "Ha! Who goes there?"

Tang Tiehan led those black-clad warriors like a dark cloud pressing upon the border; in an instant they arrived within less than five zhang of Liang Da Zhuang; Tang Tiehan held a refined copper staff in his hand, his strange eyes rolled, he let out a roar like a thunderclap from flat ground, making Liang Da Zhuang shudder: "I am Tang Tiehan, unbeaten in the horse market, fuck your grandfather, you blind fool, dare to abduct my sister!"

Liang Da Zhuang secretly groaned, today's matter was truly thorny, this young master really lacked sense. Liang Da Zhuang stepped forward, lowered his voice: "A flood drowned the Dragon King's temple, one family does not recognize another, Tang elder brother, our family's elder sir is the Minister of Revenue, Hu Sir! Show some respect!" At the critical moment he had no choice but to bring out his master's title.

Tang Tiehan saw his sister lying motionless on the grass, Hu Xiaotian half-naked beside her, the sister's waistband also tossed not far away; not knowing what this bastard had done to his sister that was utterly heinous, his heart flared with anger, never mind what the Minister's son, your father is an official, our family's elder is also a court-appointed official, damn! Upon hearing that this attendant-dressed fatty dared to call himself brother, his anger flared even more, is this not bullying the old man?

Thinking this through, Tang Tiehan threw caution to the wind, he lifted the reins, the black steed reared and lunged at Liang Da Zhuang's chest, frightening Liang Da Zhuang to hastily dodge aside. Tang Tiehan raised his refined copper staff and roared as he charged at Hu Xiaotian, seeming intent on smashing Hu Xiaotian into pulp with a single blow.

Including Liang Da Zhuang, all the attendants fled in fright to the side; only at the critical moment did the true nature of these servants reveal itself—each timid as a mouse, none willing to shield their master from the staff. The attendants also had principles: they would sell their service but not their lives.

Yet Hu Xiaotian still smiled narrowly, a dagger had somehow appeared in his hand, its sharp edge lightly touching the snow-white, tender neck of the red-clad girl; then he smiled narrowly at Tang Tiehan and said: "Believe it or not, I'll cut your sister's throat with one stroke!"

Tang Tiehan was frightened and jerked the reins hard; the black steed let out a long neigh, its hooves lifted high, nearly overturning his burly body from the saddle. He was furious, his eyes nearly bursting, yet due to the predicament of protecting the precious while fearing the coarse, he dared not risk his sister's life, and threatened: "If you dare to move a single hair of my sister, I will definitely tear you apart limb from limb!"

Hu Xiaotian sighed and said: "Threaten me? I'm not afraid of death, still afraid of your mother's fucking threats?" He moved the dagger in his hand, actually cutting off a lock of the girl's long hair; a single pubic hair? I'll just cut a lock of your hair directly.

"You……"

Hu Xiaotian coldly stared at Tang Tiehan and said: "Although you're not very smart, you ought to learn to be a bit more honest; if your sister dies, it will be you who drove her to death, I fear your conscience will never be at ease in this lifetime; hurry up and step back a bit!"

At this moment the more than twenty warriors also came up, surrounding Hu Xiaotian's group completely.

Hu Xiaotian held the dazed red-clad girl and rose to his feet, placing the dagger against her back, smiling with hidden intent he said: "Everyone dismount, or I'll snap your sister's neck right before your eyes!" Hu Xiaotian understood he was merely making threats; if this black-haired man led his men in a rush, he could not actually cause bodily harm, but he had calculated that Tang Tiehan would not dare do so; unexpectedly, the law-abiding himself had ended up taking hostages, and in the present situation only this method could control the overall situation.

Seeing Tang Tiehan still showing no intention to dismount, Hu Xiaotian shouted sternly: "Dismount! Do you really want to watch this young master perform a live dissection?"

Tang Tiehan did not know what a live dissection was, but he was also frightened by Hu Xiaotian's shout, hastily waved his hand, signaling everyone to dismount; upon his order, the warriors all dismounted.

Hu Xiaotian had his men bring three horses over, handed the red-clad girl to Liang Da Zhuang, instructing him to continue the hostage-taking by holding a blade to her neck, while he himself mounted the reddish-brown horse.

Tang Tiehan said: "Release my sister!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Release her? Heh, let me think about it when I get home." He raised his whip, urged his mount toward the Minister's residence, while four attendants rode the seized steeds, closely following Hu Xiaotian with the red-clad girl in tow as they fled.

Seeing them actually flee with his sister, Tang Tiehan hastily mounted his horse and led the crowd in hot pursuit behind them. The onlookers all raised a clamor, some even strained to follow on foot to watch the spectacle; for a moment the noise was deafening, only hearing someone shout: "Abducting a bride…… abducting a bride…… the Minister of Revenue's son is forcibly taking a civilian woman……"

Hu Xiaotian heard the crowd's shouts, inwardly he could not help but rejoice; abducting a civilian woman, hah, being a wicked young master who abducts civilians isn't so bad!

Cuiyun Lake is not far from the Minister's residence to begin with; Hu Xiaotian's party proceeded with ease, although Tang Tiehan's group continued to pursue, they dared not get too close, fearing to provoke Hu Xiaotian lest he truly slit his sister's throat with a blade, so they only shouted threats and intimidation from behind, trying soft persuasion and deception, using every trick, yet Hu Xiaotian remained unmoved, watching helplessly as they escorted his sister into the Minister's residence.

Tang Tiehan led his men to the rear gate, which was tightly shut; several attendants from inside slid the door bolt into place; Tang Tiehan shouted: "Hu Xiaotian, listen up, my father is the current Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport; if you dare to abduct my sister, as long as he submits an impeachment before the Emperor, he will surely have your entire clan executed and your heads displayed." This fellow did not consider that, given his father's rank, gaining an audience with the Emperor is not that easy.

Upon returning to the Minister's residence, the attendants immediately regained their vigor; Hu Xiaotian had them bind the still-dazed red-clad girl; this girl's fiery fierceness he had just witnessed, a little vixen, even the whip he had just lashed her with still burned painfully.

Hearing Tang Tiehan's incessant cursing outside, Hu Xiaotian laughed: "What Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport, isn't that just a stable boy?" He asked Liang Da Zhuang: "What rank is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport?"

Liang Da Zhuang whispered: "Rank six, upper grade!" Then he added, full of flattery, in a low voice: "My lord is rank three, upper grade!" His words were full of pride.

Hu Xiaotian calculated on his fingers, his father is rank three, upper grade; the difference between the two families is certainly not a trifle, a higher official rank crushes the lower, my father, relying on his position, can crush yours to dust in minutes.