Chapter 492: Throwing the Embroidered Ball (Part II)

Xi Yan smiled and said, "No wonder you're so pleased, you've made progress! But it's a shame that no matter how good your footwork is, you can't escape my palm."

Hu Xiaotian saw Xi Yan's strange smile, immediately felt something was wrong, suddenly heard a flapping sound, but saw from above the treasure tower a flock of crows like dark clouds pressing down swooping at him, Hu Xiaotian was scared out of his wits, "Damn it," even the most exquisite footwork couldn't dodge so many crows' attacks, Hu Xiaotian covered his head and fled, his steps instantly became chaotic, the Dog-Dodging Eighteen Steps were completely forgotten in an instant.

Crows swarmed from all directions toward Hu Xiaotian, about to strike him, Hu Xiaotian shouted, "Wait! I have something to say!"

His loud shout actually worked; the flock of crows suddenly stopped attacking and turned to fly back toward the tower. Hu Xiaotian broke out in a cold sweat, feeling a light pat on his shoulder, but it was Xi Yan smiling sweetly as she came to his side, giggling, "Catching you isn't that easy."

Hu Xiaotian thought, "You've got guts sending your crow lackeys after me instead of coming yourself? Thinking about it, this Demoness Xi Yan is really formidable—she can command snakes, insects, bats, and crows at will; against opponents she can beat, she fights solo, but against tough ones she summons these helpers. Making an enemy of her is surely asking for big trouble."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Looks like we really have some fate, I never expected to meet you here in Tianbo City."

Xi Yan said, "Hypocrite!"

"Where am I being hypocritical?"

Xi Yan said, "Do you especially not want to see me? Every time you see me appear, you think I'm going to scheme against you and harm you."

Hu Xiaotian hehe laughed, "I'm not afraid of you; I'm afraid of the snakes, insects, and bats by your side."

Xi Yan sighed and said, "You heartless wretch, think carefully—from the moment we first met until now, when have I ever harmed you? And when hasn't it been you who let me down?"

Hu Xiaotian was actually lost for words; after thinking it over, back when he was penniless at the Ring-Color Pavilion in Xiezhou, Xi Yan had someone lend him fifty taels of silver. Later, at the Qingyun auction, Xi Yan showed up, not only not ruining his business but also helping him a great deal. When he and Prince Zhou escorted the Shajia State envoy to Xizhou, it was he and Qin Yutong who together captured Xi Yan. Along the way he several times used harsh tactics against Xi Yan; she feigned death to escape, and it was he who came up with the idea to cremate her corpse. Speaking of it, he really owed her more. Their last meeting was when he fled Xiezhou; given how he treated Xi Yan, even if she killed him it wouldn't be excessive, yet she still let him go. Now he's still alive and well, and she hasn't taken any revenge against him—Wait! Could it be that this Demoness has fallen for him?

Hu Xiaotian gazed at Xi Yan, his face full of confusion.

Xi Yan said, "Are you heartless? Do you feel guilty?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I'm puzzled—since I've let you down several times, why are you still so good to me? Are you sick?"

Xi Yan's eyebrows shot up in anger, "You're the one who's sick!" At that moment, a few people came over carrying lanterns; Xi Yan said, "Let's talk up there!" She grabbed Hu Xiaotian's arm and soared into the air. Hu Xiaotian didn't forget his fur cloak; he lifted his leg and hooked it, seizing the cloak in his hand.

I had thought Xi Yan would take me all the way to the tower top, but who would have guessed that as she swept up to the second level she suddenly let go of my hand; Hu Xiaotian reacted incredibly fast, reaching out to grab the tower's corner eave. With a slight exertion of his body he shot upward again, while Xi Yan stood on the eave corner smiling at him and softly said, "Little bearded one, let's see who reaches the summit first."

Hu Xiaotian secured his cloak, Xi Yan waited quietly, Hu Xiaotian nodded: "Begin!" He employed the Golden Spider Eight Steps, using hands and feet together to climb the tower swiftly as if walking on level ground. Xi Yan's eyes shone; she hadn't expected that after half a year apart Hu Xiaotian's lightness skill had reached such a level—she tapped the eave lightly with her toes, her delicate body spiraling upward like a red whirlwind.

Although Hu Xiaotian's climbing speed was fast, he still lagged behind Xi Yan; sure enough Xi Yan reached the tower top first, standing atop the golden treasure vase at the summit, looking down, she saw Hu Xiaotian only now crawling onto the tower's eaves like a large spider.

Xi Yan giggled, "Not bad, not bad—I still thought you were that helpless weakling who couldn't truss a chicken, but I never imagined you'd master such impressive lightness skill."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Now I'm a eunuch, with nothing weighing me down."

Xi Yan spat, "This shameless bastard doesn't feel ashamed but proud." Hu Xiaotian sat beside the treasure vase; snow already covered the tower top, he looked up and saw Xi Yan standing on the vase, her robes fluttering, resembling a celestial maiden crossing the waves—truly a breathtaking sight.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Enough with the vanity—come down, if you really slip you'll almost certainly fall to your death."

Xi Yan said, "You care about me."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I pity you."

"Pfft! This young lady doesn't need it!" Xi Yan lightly leapt from the treasure vase atop the tower and landed beside Hu Xiaotian, sitting with legs drawn up, arms wrapped around her knees, quietly gazing at the lights of Tianbo City; at that moment Tianbo City sparkled with myriad lights, resembling a magnificent Milky Way.

"Is your butt cold?" In this setting, Hu Xiaotian blurted out a line that killed the mood.

Xi Yan glared at Hu Xiaotian: "Nonsense!"

Hu Xiaotian stood up, took off his fur cloak, and draped it again over Xi Yan's shoulders; Xi Yan accepted it without ceremony.

Hu Xiaotian said, "I really don't understand you women—it's freezing cold, snowing heavily, why do you still wear so little?"

Xi Yan sighed softly and said, "Women adorn themselves to please those they like; I'm doing this just to cheer you up—now you should understand how good I am to you."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "Useless—if it were the past I'd surely have sprayed nosebleed, but now I can't."

"Why can't you?"

Hu Xiaotian glanced around, then leaned close to Xi Yan's ear and whispered mysteriously: "I've lost it down there—I'm a eunuch!"

Upon hearing this, Xi Yan burst into giggles again.

Seeing her reaction, Hu Xiaotian felt a bit gloomy: "I'm a eunuch, and you're still laughing?"

Xi Yan laughed even more happily.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Hey girl, are you a bit simple-minded?"

Xi Yan gave him a sideways glance and said, "You're the simple one!"

"Don't you know what being a eunuch means?"

"Who doesn't know? It's just that the essential part was snipped off—neither man nor woman."

"You know that?"

Xi Yan nodded and said, "That's why it's funny. You've brought this on yourself."

"Uh… no need to be so harsh…"

Xi Yan said, "Actually you don't have to feel inferior—I didn't look down on you, and just now I kindly threw the embroidered ball to you." Saying this she paused, then suddenly reached out and twisted Hu Xiaotian's thigh root hard.

The pain made Hu Xiaotian scream loudly, almost rolling off the tower top: "Damn it. Why are you twisting me?"

Xi Yan said, "I kindly threw the embroidered ball to you, yet you chopped it in half with a blade—do you have any conscience? Are you even human?"

"It's not like that—you hid poison in the embroidered ball to frame me."

Xi Yan snapped, "You saw poison in my embroidered ball with that eye of yours; if you had calmly caught the ball, nothing would have happened, but you scoundrel dared not to catch my ball."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Are you truly ignorant or just pretending? Do you know what the embroidered ball signifies?"

Xi Yan said, "If I didn't know, why would I be throwing it on stage?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Miss, nobody plays around with this sort of thing; if I caught that ball you'd have to marry me, and if it were the past I'd have accepted it—but now I'm a eunuch, I still have some conscience, so I can't accept the ball, lest I ruin your life."

Xi Yan blinked; her long black lashes fluttered once: "That really sounds touching."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Don't get moved—I can't stand seeing a girl cry."

Xi Yan said, "Actually if you had truly caught it, I wouldn't mind marrying you."

Now it was Hu Xiaotian's turn to blink—what's going on? Could it be that Xi Yan really took a liking to me? Thinking back, I seem to have nothing that would catch her eye; logically, killing me would make more sense, yet this Demoness is full of tricks. I still don't know what scheme she's hatching.

Hu Xiaotian said, "I'm a eunuch!"

Xi Yan said, "A eunuch is even better—I don't mind, and though I never planned to marry anyone, I fear people will say I'm unmarriageable, so I wanted to find a nominal husband."

"Really?"

Xi Yan nodded seriously and whispered, "I don't care—you broke my embroidered ball, ruined my happy marriage, so you must compensate me; will you be my fiancé?"

A marriage proposal—Hu Xiaotian actually encountered a beautiful woman taking the initiative to propose. If anyone else encountered such a beautiful woman proposing, they'd surely feel dizzy with happiness, thinking it was blessings cultivated in a past life. But Hu Xiaotian didn't think so; he didn't feel even a hint of happiness. He suspected there was deceit, and Xi Yan harbored ill intentions.

「I am a eunuch... 」

「Xi Yan snapped: 'Enough! Knowing you're a eunuch, there's no need to repeat it over and over. I don't intend to have you carry on the family line; let's just be a nominal couple. What do you think?'」

「"Uh..." Pie doesn't fall from the sky; Hu Xiaotian couldn't believe such good fortune would land on him: "Why must it be me?"」

「Xi Yan said: 'No reason; I just like you. Bottom line, you have to agree whether you want to or not.'」

「Hu Xiaotian said: 'This matter should be mutual, right? Besides, I've always been an obedient child growing up. An engagement like this must first be mentioned to my parents, then a matchmaker should bring the betrothal gifts to your family to propose; otherwise, wouldn't that show insufficient respect for you?'」

「Xi Yan said: 'Making excuses, I say you've ended up like this; besides a mere eunuch, who else would want you apart from me?'」

「"Uh, harsh words hurt."」

A new week has begun; I'm asking for recommendation votes this week. With over seventy thousand favorites, that's not a few. If everyone casts one vote, we can still break onto the recommendation list. Please give strength, please recommend! (To be continued~^~)