Chapter 422

Hu Xiaotian said, "Move the stone statue aside a bit, I'm about to be crushed to death. If I die, you'll never know what exactly happened in the Bright Moon Palace..." This sentence clearly struck Li Yuncong's inner weakness; Li Yuncong clasped his hands behind his back, and the stone statue indeed loosened a bit.

Hu Xiaotian took several deep breaths, feeling the suffocation ease considerably, then he said: "Since childhood I've had a habit of liking to dissect animal corpses; later it became dissecting human corpses, in order to study the internal structure of the human body, so I know the internal structure very well, which enables me to draw such an anatomical diagram."

Li Yuncong furrowed his brow; Hu Xiaotian's words indeed had credibility.

Hu Xiaotian said, "You can go ask Quan De'an; that leg of his was cut off by me. What you're talking about... the Myriad Images Diagram..."

"The Heaven-Human Myriad Images Diagram!"

"Are there any omissions in the Heaven-Human Myriad Images Diagram?"

Li Yuncong thought for a moment and said, "The figure depicted in that diagram should be a eunuch."

Hu Xiaotian said, "That's it. Release me, and I can prove that I know absolutely far more than what's shown in that diagram."

Li Yuncong finally began to believe his words, moved the sage statue aside, Hu Xiaotian regained his freedom, stretched his limbs, confident he was unharmed, then went to the writing desk, ground ink, picked up the brush, and drew an anatomical diagram of a man's vital part; an expert could tell at a glance whether it was accurate.

Li Yuncong stared agape; although he didn't have that thing himself, he had once possessed it, and even if he did, his knowledge of internal structure wouldn't be so meticulous and thorough. What Hu Xiaotian drew is absolutely something not found in the Heaven-Human Myriad Images Diagram. Faced with the ironclad fact, Li Yuncong's doubts vanished; Hu Xiaotian is indeed a talent, it seems he didn't lie, otherwise how could he have drawn something not in the Heaven-Human Myriad Images Diagram?

Hu Xiaotian lifted the thing he had drawn and waved it in Li Yuncong's face: "Do you believe me now?"

Li Yuncong chuckled: "Actually, Zajia has never doubted you; we were just trying to scare you."

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed, "Scare your mother!" Just now you burst with killing intent, clearly aiming to put me to death, relentless; now that you realize you've wronged me, you put on this face—are you trying to fool a child? He didn't expose it, instead feigning shock, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, and said: "Just now you really gave me a fright, Eunuch Li. I'm timid; please never play like that again."

Li Yuncong lightly patted his shoulder and said, "Xiaotian, Zajia indeed didn't misjudge you; you're quite capable."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Eunuch Li, your martial arts are truly formidable; Xiaotian doesn't even have the strength to fight back in front of him." He felt somewhat uneasy, not knowing how this Senior Eunuch would react if he knew Hu Xiaotian had made a breakthrough in the Formless Divine Skill. This person's heart is like a snake and scorpion, no less than Quan De'an and Ji Feihua; henceforth he must be extra cautious.

Li Yuncong said, "As long as you obey, Zajia will pass on my lifetime's martial arts without reservation."

Hu Xiaotian knew this old fellow was again painting pies to stave off hunger, throwing out such a tempting condition; surely there was more to come.

As expected, Li Yuncong continued, "You just said that some unknown things happened in the Bright Moon Palace."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "There are some things; I suspect this Talented Person isn't dead at all."

Li Yuncong's expression showed no surprise; he whispered, "Why do you have such an idea?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I was nearby when Ji Feihua treated the Talented Person's injuries. At that time, the Talented Person sat in a bathtub; the cold aura emanating from her turned the hot water into a lump of ice. According to Ji Feihua, an ordinary person would have died long ago."

Li Yuncong nodded and said, "The Ice Soul Asura Palm is Hong Beimo's signature skill; even Zajia doesn't understand this technique." On the surface it's an exclamation, but actually he's clearing himself; you kid don't need to suspect me, the Bright Moon Palace affair has nothing to do with me.

Hu Xiaotian added, "I thought Eunuch Li knew all the martial arts that Hong Beimo knows."

Li Yuncong smiled without speaking.

Hu Xiaotian, from the fact that he possessed the antidote to the Revival Flute and the Ten Thousand Insects Bone-Eroding Pill, could infer that Li Yuncong must be colluding with Hong Beimo; otherwise, how would he be so familiar with Hong Beimo's methods? However, this Senior Eunuch hides his tracks deeply and would never easily leak a word. Hu Xiaotian continued to probe: "Ji Feihua believes that Wen Ya's injury was a setup, someone deliberately designed it to make him expend his internal energy using the Yang Fusion Unbound Skill to save him."

Li Yuncong slowly nodded and said, "This matter is indeed reasonable."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Eunuch Li, do you truly not know what happened that night?"

Li Yuncong said, "Although Zajia doesn't know the exact details, we can guess a few points: Ji Feihua turned the tables, using the Yang Fusion Unbound Skill to treat the Talented Person, then pretended his internal strength was severely depleted, turning the tables again to conceal those who wanted to take the opportunity to eliminate his rival." He rolled his eyes, sinisterly, and said, "That night you left the palace together with Ji Feihua—what happened? You ought to know."

Hu Xiaotian silently sneered, Li Yuncong acted as if nothing had happened, making it hard to say he had no connection to the attack on Ji Feihua that night; this person is deep and scheming, and it's likely he also colluded with Hong Beimo. According to Ji Feihua, the Jielong who attacked him that night was Hong Beimo's most capable aide, Jielong, and the others were former members of the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau. Upon hearing Li Yuncong's question, Hu Xiaotian nodded and then gave a brief account of what happened that evening.

Li Yuncong listened to his finish, his expression turned unusually grave, and he whispered, "You mean Jielong set up an ambush intending to assassinate Ji Feihua?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I heard this person is Hong Beimo's most capable aide."

Li Yuncong said, "Zajia has something puzzling: why did Ji Feihua bring you out when leaving the palace, and why does he trust you so much?"

Hu Xiaotian thought, "You don't understand, neither do I. You're pretending to understand while feigning confusion; I'm truly clueless." He lowered his voice and said, "Did Hong Beimo's assassination of Ji Feihua not happen with your knowledge, sir?"

Li Yuncong glared at him and said, "Zajia has no contact with Hong Beimo."

Hu Xiaotian said, "No, he's loyal to the Retired Emperor, wholeheartedly seeking to support the Retired Emperor's restoration; on this point you two should be like-minded, so why is there no contact?"

Li Yuncong said, "This matter has nothing to do with you."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Since it's nothing to do with me, from now on we'll pretend we don't know each other, and I needn't tell you everything I know."

Li Yuncong laughed heartily and said, "You kid, you're really curious. Fine, even if Zajia has some connection with him, so what? I know nothing about Jielong's assassination of Ji Feihua."

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed Li Yuncong's wickedness; people like him only admit to things if caught red-handed, otherwise they'd never confess. Hu Xiaotian added, "Baobao and Lin Wan are Hong Beimo's adopted daughters; did he have them lurk in the Imperial Palace merely to find the Imperial Palace's secret passage?"

Li Yuncong said, "Zajia and Hong Beimo are not friends; he wouldn't report his actions to me."

Hu Xiaotian said, "When Wen Ya was attacked in the Bright Moon Palace, Baobao was also simultaneously wounded by a dagger; the dagger was coated with Seven Serpents Lethal Powder."

Li Yuncong said, "So what?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "According to Miss Qin of Xuantian Guan, the Seven Serpents Lethal Powder is a poison secretly concocted by Sumeru Heaven."

Li Yuncong, upon hearing the name Sumeru Heaven, couldn't help but startle: "Sumeru Heaven?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "Exactly!"

Li Yuncong slowly rose to his feet and said, "Are you implying to Zajia that Wen Ya is Sumeru Heaven?"

As the saying goes, many words lead to loss; Hu Xiaotian hadn't thought that way. Hearing Li Yuncong say that, Hu Xiaotian broke out in a cold sweat, thinking, "How could that be? Wen Ya should be Le Yao; how could she become Sumeru Heaven? Yet Li Yuncong's remark must have some basis." Hu Xiaotian's mind stirred, and he went along with Li Yuncong's words: "When Ji Feihua treated Wen Ya's injuries, he had already determined she possessed martial arts, and her martial arts were extraordinary. That night in the Bright Moon Palace, Wen Ya was attacked, Baobao was poisoned and wounded, the attackers' appearance wasn't seen at all, and the Imperial Guard Chen Chengqiang was, in a daze, had his neck sliced off; to this day his head has not been found."

Li Yuncong silently gazed at Hu Xiaotian, encouraging him to continue.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Baobao's martial arts are not bad, Chen Chengqiang is even a fourth-rank blade-wielding guard, he is Mu Rongzhan's left and right arm, his martial arts are certainly not ordinary, someone capable of accomplishing both of these things is certainly not a mediocre hand; looking across the imperial palace, there are only a few such people."

Hu Xiaotian looked at Li Yuncong and said: "Ji Feihua should have this ability, but he has no need to do something like lifting a stone to drop it on his own foot; if he wounded Wen Ya, why would he go rescue her? Quan De'an and Wen Chenghuan have a deep relationship, the two jointly planned Wen Ya's entry into the palace, he would be even less likely to do such a thing. Although Hong Beimo has the greatest suspicion in this matter, according to the information Ji Feihua received, Hong Beimo is still in Da Yong."

Li Yuncong sneered: "You suspect the Zajia; just say it outright."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Your suspicions are indeed the greatest; if Wen Ya were eliminated, it would surely further intensify the conflict between Ji Feihua and Quan De'an—when two tigers fight, one must be injured, and you, sir, could conveniently reap the benefits as the fisherman."

Li Yuncong said: "The Zajia haven't done this; now is not the time to turn against them, and moreover, if this matter topples Ji Feihua, the Zajia would gain nothing either."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Later I thought, could this matter have been done by Wen Ya herself? Shout 'catch the thief' while being the thief!"

Li Yuncong said: "Why do you suspect she is Xu Mitian?" After going around in circles, Li Yuncong was finally led around by Hu Xiaotian; Hu Xiaotian never suspected Wen Ya of being Xu Mitian from start to finish, but rather Li Yuncong himself was the one who suspected.

Future updates will try to be consecutive, making the reading more continuous; please give a few rating votes, let's launch an assault toward two diamonds! (To be continued~^~)