Chapter 530

Zhan Peng smiled and nodded: "The road is dark and slippery, Sir Hu, be careful."

Hu Xiaotian quickly walked into the woods; he had no urge to urinate, and after relieving himself three times, he felt no fatigue at all—instead, he felt refreshed and invigorated, his whole body at ease.

Seeing Hu Xiaotian's figure disappear into the thicket, a few soldiers secretly chuckled. One whispered, "Guess whether Sir Hu is squatting or standing right now?" Hearing this, the soldiers laughed together. Zhan Peng frowned, feeling a surge of anger at mocking someone's disability—these soldiers were truly despicable. He snorted coldly: "Nonsense! Keep your eyes peeled; if there's any slip-up, I won't let you off!"

Hu Xiaotian hadn't come out to urinate; his real aim was to draw Zhan Peng's men's attention to cover Xu Mitian's escape. He heard the soldiers' jeers loud and clear, silently cursing, "Damn it, I'm obviously standing to pee—and my range would absolutely blast you bastards."

Suddenly a branch snapped behind him, startling him into a crouch. He looked up to see Xu Mitian's lithe form perched on a branch to the right, her delicate body swaying with the branch, her eyes fixed on him.

Hu Xiaotian then relaxed and stood up again.

Xu Mitian sent a mental message: "Practice the sound-transmission technique I taught you; tomorrow I'll assist you from the side."

Hu Xiaotian nodded, pointed to his head, then narrowed his eyes, signaling Xu Mitian to act as circumstances demanded: if tomorrow's ambush in Peak Forest Ravine targeted him, she could strike deadly; if it aimed at Wen Boyuan, she need only stand aside.

The next morning, Hu Xiaotian woke early. Lingering fragrance remained beside him; recalling last night's passionate entwining with Xu Mitian, he felt great joy—finally avenging the five times she'd tormented him in the underground chamber. Still, a tinge of regret lingered: though Xu Mitian was stunningly beautiful, she lacked allure, her initial performance resembling a lifeless inflatable doll. Yet as they grew accustomed, their third encounter felt far more in sync.

Stepping out of the tent, morning light bathed the camp; Hu Xiaotian stretched and saw Zhou Mo not far away, smiling, "Morning!"

Zhou Mo replied, "It's not early. Everyone's already packed; the princess ordered us not to wake you, to let Sir Hu sleep a bit longer."

Hu Xiaotian nodded, thinking of the pure and lovely Long Xi Yue, a faint guilt stirred. Was last night's tryst adultery? Probably not—this era's views on love and marriage differ from the past; taking multiple wives seems natural.

Approaching Zhou Mo, he lowered his voice: "There's an ambush in Peak Forest Ravine."

Zhou Mo said, "The scout who just returned reported no irregularities in Peak Forest Ravine."

Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brow. "By rights, Xu Mitian has no reason to deceive me. Could the bandits, seeing our mighty force, have abandoned their ambush?" He shifted his waist, adding, "Whatever the case, caution never hurts."

After breakfast, the convoy entered Peak Forest Ravine. Hu Xiaotian rode his little gray, escorting the princess's carriage. Before entering the ravine, Tang Qingxuan also came over to share the princess's carriage, chatting with her inside.

Peak Forest Ravine is a natural yellow-soil forest; years of wind and rain eroded the terrain into countless gullies. Across this seventy-li stretch, ravines crisscross like a master sculptor's work, shaping the land into endless variety—slopes of all forms, ditches of varying depth, loess pillars of differing height—nature's uncanny craftsmanship on full display.

Loess pillars rose like swords or bamboo shoots, straight and towering, piercing the heavens; walking among them, one feels an oppressive weight from deep within.

Some loess slopes, knife-cut, resembled city walls; the winding roads formed a labyrinth. Without a local guide, one easily loses direction here.

Princess Anping lifted the carriage curtain; her beautiful eyes sparkled at the unique scenery. Tang Qingxuan, seeing this far for the first time, exclaimed at the loess pillars, pointing to one beside Hu Xiaotian: "So tall! Like an arrow tower."

Hu Xiaotian followed her gaze—arrow tower? Not quite, it looked much the same. He chuckled at Tang Qingxuan, who, after speaking, suddenly blushed and shrank back; her family bred horses, so she knew equine anatomy well, and her words had conjured the image of a stallion's… endowment.

Princess Long Xi Yue, prompted by Tang Qingxuan's remark, glanced a few more times; when her eyes met Hu Xiaotian's, her cheeks flushed involuntarily, and she hastily lowered the curtain and fled into the carriage.

Hu Xiaotian gave a faint smile, spurred his horse forward, feeling the convoy's pace quicken. He wanted to warn Wen Boyuan's party to slow down, but before he could speak, Wen Boyuan pointed his whip at a loess pillar ahead and said, "Iron Mountain, what does that pillar look like?"

Riding alongside him was precisely Dong Tieshan, who had offended Hu Xiaotian during the night in the pine forest camp.

Dong Tieshan boomed with exaggerated laughter: "Looks like a man's thing!" The soldiers roared with laughter, their gazes all turning to Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian cursed inwardly, "Damn it, what's so funny? Do you really think I lack one? Anger me, and I'll whip it out to scare you senseless!" Though he thought it, such an act was unthinkable; he called out, "General Wen, aren't we moving a bit too fast? The terrain here is complex, the roads winding and hard to discern—better slow down, caution first."

Wen Boyuan said, "Sir Hu, you worry about more and more things—why not swap posts? You handle security, I'll manage food and lodging along the way."

Hu Xiaotian replied, "I don't mind, but I doubt you're up to the task!"

Wen Boyuan laughed, "Indeed, I'm not—some tasks only a eunuch like you can pull off!" The nearby soldiers burst into laughter together.

At that moment, a scout returned to report to Wen Boyuan: "General Wen, no abnormalities within the next ten li; aside from our unit, Peak Forest Ravine is empty."

Wen Boyuan nodded, "Keep scouting!" The scout turned and continued; he was merely one of the twenty scouts sent out, showing Wen Boyuan still exercised caution.

Hu Xiaotian puzzled inwardly, "Something's off—Xu Mitian clearly told me about five hundred ambushers in Peak Forest Ravine, yet the scouts found nothing. Could she be fabricating an excuse to meet me and cultivate together? Given her proud nature, that seems unlikely. Besides, deceiving me would gain her nothing."

Minister of Rites Wu Jing Shan was also drawn by the ravine's unique scenery, riding along while admiring the towering yellow-soil pillars, stroking his beard and nodding, composing fitting verses. Seeing Wu Jing Shan shake his head and sway, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but laugh; Wu Jing Shan, annoyed by the laughter, frowned and asked, "Sir Hu, why are you laughing?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "The scene stirs emotion—as the saying goes, extreme joy brings sorrow; I've reached the depths of grief and thus laughed instead."

Wu Jing Shan puzzled, "Sir Hu, what causes your sorrow?"

Hu Xiaotian sighed, gazing at the pillars: "Seeing these loess columns reminds Zajia of a treasure once owned, never cherished until lost, then regretted beyond remedy. If heaven granted me a second chance, Zajia would guard it with his life, even sacrifice himself without hesitation."

Wu Jing Shan saw Hu Xiaotian's remorseful expression, felt no sympathy, only amusement, nearly laughing out loud. "This eunuch is ridiculous—'stirred by the scene' indeed; look around, these loess pillars are everywhere, truly resembling… well, you know. His sentiment is quite understandable."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Lord Wu seems to be mocking Zajia."

Wu Jing Shan hastily denied, "No, how could I? Sir Hu, there's no need to vex yourself over such things; at my age you'll see they're merely fleeting clouds."

Hu Xiaotian thought, "This old fool spouts hot air while his back's unbent—judging by his frail, aged look, his spirit's willing but his strength's gone." Wu Jing Shan said, "Sir Hu, your talent is vast; beholding this splendid scenery, what brilliant verse will you compose next?" He was an old literary buff, obliged to churn out mediocre poetry every so often to show off his learning, but having been publicly ridiculed by Hu Xiaotian twice at the Misty Water Pavilion, he'd restrained himself considerably; deep down, he still resented the upstart—how could Hu Xiaotian's mere seventeen or eight years of study rival his own erudition?

Hu Xiaotian said, "No stunning verse, but since Lord Wu asks, I'll just dash off a casual poem."

Wu Jing Shan smiled, "I'm all ears."

"Vast forest, scattered stones, few remain. Carrying many offspring, they fall in the fields. Empty halls under heaven lie beneath sheer cliffs. Those who stay may be real; those who scatter are already false. The minister hides deep in the hills; the distant guest first spurs his horse. Secluded play buries moss and lichen; alone he sits beneath the wutong. Having sung of this excursion's purity, I dare not confound refined elegance." Hu Xiaotian needed no thought—he flung out a classical poem straight away, having memorized the Tang Three Hundred; though he couldn't compose, he could still recite, yet this piece he chanted was not a Tang poem but Song dynasty poet Zhou Wenpu's "Stone Lin," which fits the occasion quite well.

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