Chapter 543

Hu Xiaotian said: "Show mercy where you can; no one is born wishing to be a thief. Better to give them a chance to reform."

Xu Mitian said: "Womanly compassion, those people are all utterly wicked scoundrels; letting them go merely lets them create more killing karma, thinking they are doing good, but actually it backfires."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Of course we can't just let them go so easily. Aren't you the number one poison master under heaven? Making them obedient and compliant isn't easy; there should be a chronic poison to control them, right? If they obey, give them the antidote regularly; if they don't, let them suffer their fate."

Xu Mitian looked at Hu Xiaotian's sinister expression, only then realizing what he intended to do, nodded and said: "I said you weren't that kind-hearted."

Hu Xiaotian hehe laughed: "Sister, rest assured, I have not a shred of ill intent toward you."

Xu Mitian said: "Because you don't dare."

Hu Xiaotian plucked up courage, stretched out his arm and wrapped it around Xu Mitian's fragrant shoulders, saying: "I don't dare, and I'm unwilling to let go."

Xu Mitian's pretty face was cold as ice: "Let go of your claws; if you dare be rude again, believe it or not I'll chop off this dog's paw of yours."

Hu Xiaotian hurriedly took his hand off her shoulder; Xu Mitian's mood changes quickly, provoke her and she might really do that; to her, his pair of hands are worth far less than her little treasure.

Xu Mitian said: "I won't waste medicine on these trash; if you want to save them, you go yourself." She then shook off Hu Xiaotian and left on her own.

Hu Xiaotian couldn't keep up with Xu Mitian's steps, so he turned back and went outside; those hundreds of bandits were still slumped there, each looking extremely panicked. Although Hu Xiaotian hadn't obtained the drug to control them from Xu Mitian's hand, he still had his own method. He cleared his throat and addressed the bandits: "The poison you have been afflicted with is called the Nine Revolutions Cycle. What is the Nine Revolutions Cycle? As the name suggests. After being poisoned, you won't die immediately, but if I don't give you the antidote, you will suffer nine bouts in your lifetime, starting with once a year, then every six months, then every three months, and then increasingly frequent."

Those bandits had just been terrified by Xu Mitian to the point of losing their souls; hearing Hu Xiaotian say this, they didn't even bother to discern whether it was true or false, each desperately begging, only pleading for their lives to be spared, even if they would later serve Hu Xiaotian as ox and horse.

Hu Xiaotian said: "According to my sister's opinion, we should kill you all, leaving none."

The bandits screamed in terror, begging for mercy without cease.

Hu Xiaotian deliberately put on a tone: "Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life; I really can't bear to kill so many of you, so I decided to let you off." After having mixed in the palace for so long, this guy's skill at lying became ever more adept.

Upon hearing they could spare their lives, the bandits were overjoyed one by one. They vied to express loyalty, willing to do anything as long as Hu Xiaotian spared their lives.

Hu Xiaotian selected from the bandits a leader named Liang Yinghao, whose speech and handling of affairs were also quite clever. Liang Yinghao's martial arts were also among the outstanding few in this band of bandits. He was quite perceptive; after regaining freedom of movement, he led Hu Xiaotian into the lair, and the previously lost dowry turned out to be not missing a single item.

Liang Yinghao accompanied with a smile: "Sir, where do you come from? Where are you headed?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You dare to rob us without even knowing this?"

Liang Yinghao said: "Don't blame me, Sir, we received word beforehand that a fat sheep would pass through Fenglin Valley, so we got greedy. Sir, what kind of divine beings are you? To have such a grand entourage."

Hu Xiaotian's heart skipped a beat; it seems there is still someone behind the scenes directing, but we can't get much truth from these bandits. He sighed and said: "Being a thief also requires vision; our mission is to escort Princess Anping to Da Yong for her marriage, and what you robbed is the princess's dowry."

Upon hearing this, the bandits were shocked and turned pale; robbing the princess's dowry is a crime of exterminating the family, and even if they fled to the ends of the earth, the court would not spare them. Liang Yinghao regretted repeatedly: "If we had known this beforehand, we would never have dared to waylay and rob."

Hu Xiaotian said: "It's already done; saying this now is utterly useless."

Liang Yinghao lifted his sleeve to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead: "We will from now on swear death-defying loyalty to you, Sir, and will not hesitate to go through fire and water for you."

Hu Xiaotian hehe smirked: "Those who know the times are outstanding; as long as you are loyal to me, you will surely rise high and prosper, and promotion and wealth will soon follow."

Liang Yinghao gave a glance, and the bandits all knelt down: "We swear death-defying loyalty to you, Sir; if we harbor any treacherous intent, may heaven strike us with thunder and lightning and we shall not die a good death."

Hu Xiaotian satisfiedly nodded and said: "All rise; knowing one's faults and being able to correct them is the greatest good; in short, rest assured in serving me, I will not mistreat you in the future."

Hu Xiaotian had them lead the way, helping to send out the two carts of dowry that had been robbed earlier; without these bandits guiding him, Hu Xiaotian would certainly not have found it so easy to walk out of this labyrinthine underground cavern.

After exiting the cavern, seeing the outside still pitch black, Liang Yinghao pointed to the southeast direction: "Sir, your camp lies that way."

Hu Xiaotian saw his hesitant expression, obviously somewhat afraid, and smiled: "Don't be afraid; I said you'll be fine, so nothing will happen; come with me, you can't expect me to carry all this dowry alone, can you?"

Liang Yinghao said: "Sir, today we wounded many of your brothers; I fear others may not think as you do."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "Never mind, you stay here for now; when I return from Yongdu, I'll get in touch with you."

Liang Yinghao lifted his head to look at the night sky; there was no moon, not a single star; he said softly: "It looks like there will be a dust storm tomorrow; Sir, you should lead the team to pass through Fenglin Valley as soon as possible."

Hu Xiaotian said: "This Fenglin Valley is like a maze; without a guide, it's not so easy to get out."

Liang Yinghao bit his lip, mustered his courage, and said: "In that case, I'll go with you, Sir."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "That's perfect." He discovered that Liang Yinghao not only had perceptiveness but also some courage, proving his judgment of people was still quite accurate.

The sentry on duty saw two figures in the distance holding torches approaching, and hurriedly shouted a warning. Several warriors guarding the high platform all drew their bows and nocked arrows, and would immediately release upon confirming the newcomers were enemies.

Hu Xiaotian shouted loudly: "All halt, it's me! I'm back!"

The warriors simply couldn't believe their eyes; by the torchlight they made out that the comer was undoubtedly Hu Xiaotian; Hu Xiaotian waved the torch with one hand and shouted: "It's me returning, I've retrieved all of the princess's dowry."

At this moment, people began to emerge from the camp; Wen Boyuan came forward first to face Hu Xiaotian, angrily demanding: "Where have you been?"

Hu Xiaotian replied testily: "What right do you have to demand an explanation from me?"

The Tang family brothers also heard the news and rushed over; hearing that Hu Xiaotian had recovered the dowry, they were overjoyed; Hu Xiaotian had them organize a few people to go move things.

This time Hu Xiaotian could be said to have shone on all sides; alone, he actually managed to recover the lost dowry.

Wen Boyuan naturally knew Hu Xiaotian couldn't possibly accomplish such a task alone; his gaze turned coldly toward Liang Yinghao, and based on his intuition he felt the problem most likely lay with this person. Liang Yinghao, intimidated by Wen Boyuan's gaze full of killing intent, involuntarily lowered his head, and Wen Boyuan said solemnly: "Who are you?"

Liang Yinghao looked to Hu Xiaotian for help; Hu Xiaotian said: "He's my man, the guide I found."

Wen Boyuan said: "This person is sneaky and suspicious; nine times out of ten he's a bandit from the Hunshui Gang."

Hu Xiaotian laughed heartily: "So what if he is? So what if he isn't? Do I need to explain myself to you?"

(no names)

Hu Xiaotian stepped closer, his eyes blazing as he fixed Wen Boyuan with a stare: "The Emperor tasked you with ensuring the safety of the marriage escort; what have you done all along the way? Aside from losing troops and generals, you have repeatedly disturbed the princess, lost the dowry, practiced nepotism, relied on your many subordinates to throw your weight around and eliminate dissidents. Now I have recovered the lost dowry, yet you give me endless trouble and constantly question the guide I found—what exactly is your motive?"

Wen Boyuan angrily said: "Looking for the dowry isn't something shameful; why did you sneak away secretly? Why did you cover up people's eyes and ears? With so much dowry, how could you have retrieved it all by yourself? Don't think everyone else is a fool."

Wu Jing Shan at this time also heard the news and rushed over; before arriving he had already anticipated that Hu Xiaotian and Wen Boyuan would inevitably have another dispute; events indeed unfolded as he expected, it seems these two are now irreconcilably opposed, but hearing that the dowry had been recovered, Wu Jing Shan was also greatly relieved; he quietly pulled Wen Boyuan aside and whispered: "General Wen, why bother to get to the bottom of things; as long as the dowry is recovered, that's fine."

Wen Boyuan said: "Sir Wu, it's not that I want to get to the bottom of things; rather, there is something fishy about this, and we must get to the bottom of it."

Wu Jing Shan hehe laughed: "Something fishy? Perhaps General Wen is being overly suspicious; Sir Hu Xiaotian has painstakingly recovered the dowry—in my view, it's a good thing, a great thing; I will certainly report this to the Emperor and have him bestow rich rewards upon him." These words already clearly reveal his displeasure toward Wen Boyuan.

Wen Boyuan's face darkened; he naturally could notice Wu Jing Shan's recent changes, slowly nodded and said: "Sir Wu, since you say that, I, as a subordinate, also shouldn't say more, but for the princess's safety we still need to be extra cautious." His gaze turned toward the distant Liang Yinghao as he said: "You suddenly recovered the dowry, and suddenly found a guide; Sir Wu, do you think just relying on those two can transport all that dowry here?"

Wu Jing Shan stroked his beard and laughed: "Sometimes, why bother about the process; as long as the result is good, that's enough." His mental scales have already, without his realizing it, leaned toward Hu Xiaotian's side.

Extra chapter delivered, still one Monthly Ticket short of eighty; hope some brother can chip in to make up this one, Zhangyu thanks in advance! (To be continued~^~)