Chapter 448

Twelve beggars were bound tightly, awaiting them was harsh interrogation; at this moment the beggars began to fear, after learning that Qiqi was a princess of the Great Dynasty, they finally realized they had stirred up big trouble today—if they knew the other side's background was so great, nobody would dare provoke such a matter.

Qiqi wore a dog‑skin coat, walked up to the group of beggars; the beggars were forced to kneel on the ground, Qiqi glared at them and said: "Speak! Where did you take Hu Xiaotian?"

It wasn't that these people didn't want to speak, but they truly didn't know. As for being stubborn, Zhu Dalì took the lead, shouting loudly: "What if we don't speak? Our Beggar Sect disciples are all iron‑boned and unyielding; we'd rather die than yield!"

Qiqi angrily said: "I'll make you stubborn!" She raised her horsewhip and lashed at Zhu Dalì; after two cracks of the whip, Zhu Dalì still held his neck high and shouted: "If you've got the guts, kill me—losing my head is just a bowl‑sized scar; eighteen years later I'll still be a good man." He showed considerable grit.

Qiqi's anger flared; with a clang she drew a waist blade from a nearby guard's waist, raised it aiming at Zhu Dalì's neck to chop down: "I want to see what kind of tough guy you are…" Just as the blade was about to fall, a familiar voice called from afar: "Spare his life beneath the blade!"

Qiqi's heart jolted; the voice was clearly Hu Xiaotian's. She turned to look, only to see Hu Xiaotian panting as he squeezed through the crowd: "Spare his life… spare his life…"

Seeing Hu Xiaotian safe and sound, Qiqi finally relaxed, casually tossed the waist blade to the guard, and shouted loudly: "Where have you been? You made me worry about you for nothing all this time."

Hu Xiaotian squeezed in, wiping sweat while saying, "It's hard to explain!" He knew Qiqi's character very well; if he had arrived a moment later, Qiqi might really have chopped Zhu Dalì. Hu Xiaotian wasn't worried about Zhu Dalì being killed; he was worried about himself. He had already seen the old beggar's skills; if he killed the old beggar's disciples and feuded with them, future trouble would be great.

Qiqi glared at him and said: "Then we'll talk about it later."

The officer beside her asked for instructions: "Your Highness, how should we handle these beggars?"

Qiqi snorted coldly: "How dare they steal my mount and spout insolence—cut them all down!"

Upon hearing the princess order their execution, the beggars were terrified, each wailing loudly.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Wait!"

Qiqi said: "What's wrong with you? You're always opposing me!"

Hu Xiaotian quietly pulled her aside and whispered: "Give me some face—release them all."

"Release them?" Qiqi could hardly believe her ears.

Hu Xiaotian lowered his voice: "To be frank, they just seized me and then released me, precisely to exchange for these beggars. This bunch of beggars is formidable—they uncovered my identity, even where my parents live. They put out the word that if we dare move against their people, they'll be rude to my parents."

Qiqi scoffed: "Let them try; rest assured, I'll send people to protect your parents. I won't let anything happen to them."

Hu Xiaotian sighed: "Your Highness, King of Hell is easy to see, but little ghosts are hard to deal with, especially during the New Year. There's no need for us to quarrel with these beggars; even if you assign guards to my parents, you can't watch them day and night—there are countless beggars in the world. If we truly provoke them, not even I could handle it, let alone you, Princess—you'd have endless trouble, beating them wouldn't finish, killing them wouldn't end, all day long they'd buzz around us like flies, buzzing incessantly—just think how annoying that would be."

Qiqi pressed her lips, seeming swayed by Hu Xiaotian's words, but in an instant she changed her mind: "They stole my mount and besieged us; if I let them go, where would my dignity be? How could I ever establish authority before the troops thereafter?"

Hu Xiaotian thought, "What authority could a little kid possibly establish?" He lowered his voice: "Your Highness, if a dog bites you, you can't just bite the dog back."

"You!" Qiqi gasped, unable to speak from anger.

Hu Xiaotian earnestly advised: "You are the reigning princess—what status you hold! Why bother with these beggars? Releasing them would only show your magnanimity and broad mind." While speaking, he deliberately glanced at Qiqi's flat chest.

Qiqi felt his gaze was ill‑intentioned and instinctively shrank her chest. It's female nature—regardless of size, one's guard is always up. Hu Xiaotian secretly sighed that in this era most women are traditional; if it were modern society, a man glancing at a woman's chest would normally make her puff out her chest rather than shrink it.

Qiqi said: "Although you put it that way, I just can't swallow letting them go like this."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "The princess doesn't hold grudges against petty folk—just let them go."

Qiqi's eyes filled with suspicion: "Hu Xiaotian, you're going to such lengths to plead for them—could there be some ulterior motive?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "What ulterior motive? I'm just speaking the truth."

Qiqi sneered: "Could it be that you've colluded with these beggars to deliberately harm me today?"

Hu Xiaotian's scalp tingled; "How does this little princess have so many evil thoughts? If I wanted to harm you, why wait until now? At such a young age you're already a schemer—when you grow up, what then?" He gave a wry smile: "Your Highness, don't you forget—today you ordered me to accompany you out of the palace."

Qiqi turned her eyes and said softly: "Releasing them isn't impossible, but you must promise to unconditionally help me do three things."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Fine!" Though he agreed readily, inside he had his own little calculations; a promise is just a fart—I'll help if I can, if not I'll refuse outright.

Seeing Hu Xiaotian agree so readily, Qiqi grew doubtful and whispered: "You must first swear to me that if you ever renege, you'll be cut off from offspring and lineage!"

Hu Xiaotian sucked in a cold breath, thinking, "You're vicious!" But then he realized: for a eunuch such an oath is meaningless—being a eunuch already means no offspring. He nodded: "Okay, I promise you. But you've got to let me know what your conditions are."

Qiqi laughed: "Not now." She turned her gaze to the beggars, landing on the big, dark Zhu Dalì, and her anger flared again. Pointing at Zhu Dalì she said: "Letting the others go is fine, but this big black fellow can't be let off easy—he dared to defy me publicly; unless he kowtows three times before me, I'll never forgive him."

Hu Xiaotian helplessly shook his head, went to Zhu Dalì's side and patted his shoulder; Zhu Dalì glared furiously, like an enraged male lion, wishing he could tear Hu Xiaotian apart on the spot.

Hu Xiaotian smiled, arms around his shoulder, saying: "This brother, you've got a nice build—have you seen that person over there?" He jerked his chin toward the little princess Qiqi.

"How?" Zhu Dalì roared angrily.

Hu Xiaotian sighed: "Brother, anger harms the body; you need to see the situation clearly. Now she agrees to release you, but there's a condition—you must kowtow three loud kowtows to her."

"Dream on— a real man stands tall between heaven and earth; his head may be cut, his blood may flow, but his dignity cannot be lost."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "What dignity? With no head, what's there to talk about dignity?"

"Losing my head is just a bowl‑sized scar; eighteen years later I, Zhu Dalì, will still be a good man."

Hu Xiaotian was torn between laughter and tears; he patted Zhu Dalì's shoulder and said: "If you're really looking for death, I won't stop you—but these days dying isn't that easy. I'll first have your companions cut down." As soon as he spoke, the other beggars began to wail and tear at the earth, crying: "Sir, this has nothing to do with us—it was Zhu Dalì who chased and attacked you; the grudge has a source, go take revenge on him. We're just onlookers; you've grabbed the wrong people."

Zhu Dalì saw those spineless companions and couldn't help but spit.

Hu Xiaotian lowered his voice: "I haven't finished speaking—the more you seek death, the more I'll preserve your life." He leaned close to Zhu Dalì's ear and whispered: "I'll have someone castrate you and make you a eunuch in the palace."

If it were anything else Zhu Dalì wouldn't fear—losing his head is just a bowl‑sized scar—but to have his manhood cut off, living would be worse than death; he turned pale and whispered: "You… a scholar may be killed but not humiliated." His voice lacked the earlier conviction.

Hu Xiaotian lowered his voice: "Castration isn't enough; I'll also have them strip you naked and parade you through the streets to make your name known far and wide."

Zhu Da Li heard Hu Xiaotian finish saying this, sweat covering his head; even though he was bold, he couldn't help but feel shocked and terrified at this moment—he never imagined there could be such a vicious, cruel person in this world. Zhu Da Li tightly shut his eyes, then suddenly bowed toward Qiqi's direction with three bangs—bang bang bang. After kowtowing, he still dared not open his eyes, feeling both ashamed and annoyed, he said: "Just kill me, give me a quick death."

He heard a soft chuckle beside him; Zhu Da Li was drawn in by this pleasant laugh, opening his eyes just a slit, only to see Qiqi smiling at him. That smile was like a spring breeze brushing his face, blowing straight into his innermost heart. Zhu Da Li felt a warm warmth inside, as if slightly tipsy from drink; the earlier embarrassment and annoyance vanished in an instant.

Qiqi waved her hand and said: "Forget it, let them go! This princess won't bother with a bunch of beggars."

Upon her order, Hu Xiaotian hurriedly had someone untie the beggars. After Zhu Da Li got up, he remained dazed and confused, blankly staring at the little princess. Seeing him in a daze, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but give him a push, saying: "Hey, you're already free—why don't you hurry up and leave?"

Zhu Da Li scratched the back of his head and said: "Isn't the princess a girl? How come he's acting like a man?"

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but burst out laughing; this Zhu Da Li is really simple and endearing: "Hurry up and leave, or I'll have someone grab you and crack you!"

Zhu Da Li cupped his fists toward Hu Xiaotian; he wasn't truly stupid, naturally understanding that their escape was all thanks to Hu Xiaotian, and he said in a gruff voice: "Farewell for now; we'll meet again."

After the beggars gained their freedom, they fled for their lives, and in the blink of an eye they had vanished completely.

Qiqi came up beside Hu Xiaotian, bumping his arm with her shoulder: "Don't forget, you just promised me something."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "Don't worry, I'll definitely forget……"

"What?"

"I will definitely not forget." (To be continued~^~)