Chapter 697: with translation of chapter title

PS: Check out the exclusive behind-the-scenes story of Medical Unification, hear your more suggestions for the novel, follow the network public account (add friends on WeChat, add public account, input qdread), quietly tell me!

Fortunately, there is someone who can keep him company; aside from that, dispelling loneliness is also a good thing. Hu Xiaotian said, "Zan Buliu, do you know the theme of the Crown Prince's banquet tonight?"

Zan Buliu said, "It should be to introduce everyone to get to know each other; in the future, when I go to Dakang for business, I hope Sir Hu will take good care of me."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "That's natural; Zan Buliu, whenever you go to Kangdu, you must look for me."

Zan Buliu said, "Sir Hu, you look like a straightforward person; to speak of it, my Xinglong firm's business spreads across north, south, east, and west; Dakang also has many branches, but in Kangdu we have not yet established a branch; I am preparing to accomplish this this year."

Hu Xiaotian thought, this merchant is indeed profit-driven, never straying from his trade in three sentences. He laughed, "Zan Buliu, when you come to Kangdu you must definitely come find me; perhaps I can offer you some conveniences." He said it offhand. Few take courtly talk at a banquet seriously; what is said here is forgotten there.

At this moment, Crown Prince Xue Daohong and Black Hu Fourth Prince Wanyan Chixiong arrived together; seeing them walk side by side, chatting happily, anyone could tell they got along well; however, given their status, putting on a show is not difficult.

Since Xue Daohong and Wanyan Chixiong entered the banquet hall, everyone rose to greet them.

Xue Daohong smiled and nodded, greeting each person in turn; upon reaching Hu Xiaotian, he also laughed, "Sir Hu, you came too; I was worried you wouldn't come."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Being invited by the Crown Prince is my honor."

Xue Daohong said, "I originally had no intention of inviting you, but the Fourth Prince especially insisted on having you present." This amounted to a slap in the face.

Fortunately, Hu Xiaotian is thick-skinned. He laughed, "Then I really ought to thank the Fourth Prince." He inwardly cursed Xue Daohong's shamelessness; I haven't offended you in any way, yet you repeatedly oppose me—what is your motive?

Wanyan Chixiong gave a cold snort, his eyes flashing with a chilling light: "Glad you came."

Hu Xiaotian mentally cursed the pair; Xue Daohong is really underhanded. I seem to have done nothing to offend you; these few meetings, that grandson almost always makes me embarrassed—what does "I hadn't planned to invite you" mean? Are you Wanyan Chixiong's trained lapdog? He tells you to do something and you do it; he tells you to eat shit and you do it? Hu Xiaotian understood: human warmth and worldly sentiments shift; for now, Wanyan Chixiong's utility in Xue Daohong's eyes far exceeds my own.

After everyone was seated, Xue Daohong smiled and said, "I, the prince, am constantly busy with state affairs; it's rare to have leisure to host a banquet for you all. Some of you are my old friends, some are new acquaintances I've just made. I have long wanted this opportunity to gather everyone together, introduce you to each other, so we can look after one another in the future. Unfortunately, recent events have been many, so I kept postponing until today. I hope you won't take offense."

The crowd muttered, "The Crown Prince is really too polite."

Xue Daohong laughed, "It's not politeness; it's a sincere apology. As the host, I have indeed been remiss; I will use this cup of wine to make amends to everyone."

Everyone raised their cups in response.

After three cups, Xue Daohong clapped his hands; from behind the screen came the sound of strings and bamboo—it was the musical troupe invited by the Ningxiang Lodge to liven things up.

Everyone also toasted each other; Hu Xiaotian nearby found Zan Buliu, and the two drank two cups together.

However, Black Hu Fourth Prince Wanyan Chixiong stood up holding his wine cup and proclaimed loudly, "Today I, borrowing the Crown Prince's banquet, offer a cup to all of you." Without waiting for a response, he already drank it down as a sign of respect, then showed his empty cup.

Everyone looked to Xue Daohong; Xue Daohong lifted the cup before him and drank. Since the Crown Prince gave face to this Hu person, they naturally could not refuse, so each person drank this cup of toast.

Wanyan Chixiong said, "In the past, Da Yong and Dakang indeed had some unpleasantness, but this time I came to Yongdu with sincere friendly intent; before coming, my father the Khan specifically instructed me to secure friendship and negotiations between the two states, turn foes into friends, hoping that Black Hu and Da Yong would never again see war; I brought one hundred thirty-two brothers after a long journey to Yongdu, grateful for the Da Yong emperor's favor, thanking Crown Prince Your Highness for the warm hospitality, yet recent events have left me, Wanyan Chixiong, grief-stricken." As he spoke, his gaze coldly fixed on Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian glanced at him with a half-smile, "Grief-stricken? Death would be better; do you really intend to blame everything on me? Do you think I'm easy to bully?"

Seeing Hu Xiaotian's beaming smile, Wanyan Chixiong wished he could rush over and smash that hateful face with a punch; he suppressed his inner anger and said, "Recently, some incidents have targeted our Black Hu envoy; our brothers have suffered successive ambushes, and nine have already been killed. I, Wanyan Chixiong, am a foreigner unfamiliar with local affairs; I do not know whom I have offended. You are all well-connected figures; taking advantage of this opportunity, I dare to ask everyone for help to find out who is secretly targeting me." After saying this, he gave Hu Xiaotian a fierce glare.

Hu Xiaotian acted as if he didn't exist, focusing on the fine wine and dishes before him; I'll leave once I'm full, too lazy to bother with you, lest it spoil my appetite.

Li Chen Zhou said, "Fourth Prince Your Highness, please calm your anger; we have already launched an investigation into the successive killings of the Black Hu envoy members, but everything takes time; I hope you will have more patience, believing that it won't be long before the clouds part and the moon shines."

Wanyan Chixiong said, "Patience? Who knows how many more brothers will die pointlessly if we continue like this; how can you expect me to rest easy?"

General Dong said, "This matter probably isn't that complicated, right? The Black Hu envoy members were killed in succession; it's either Black Hu's enemies or yours, Fourth Prince's enemies—just find the enemy and you'll know who did it."

Xue Daohong coughed, glanced at General Dong, obviously displeased; Black Hu's greatest enemy is naturally Da Yong, but that was in the past; now both sides seek alliance, so Da Yong naturally has no reason to move against the Black Hu envoy. Even if the two sides were at war, they would not mistreat each other's envoys.

Wanyan Chixiong said, "General Dong, that makes sense!"

A cold voice said, "I don't think this is necessarily simple; the alliance between Da Yong and Black Hu is a world-shaking matter; surely someone does not want to see this peace come about, so they interfere from within, sabotaging the two nations' alliance."

Everyone looked toward the speaker, who turned out to be Sword Palace junior sect leader Qiu Mu Bai. After looking at him, everyone's gazes unconsciously turned to Hu Xiaotian. Aside from Wanyan Chixiong, the only outsider present was Hu Xiaotian, meaning the most likely culprit is Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed, Qiu Mu Bai is truly worthless; if I hadn't provoked you, you should have just burned incense, yet now you're dragging the blame onto me. What about Sword Palace disciples? Your Sword Palace forefather is now nothing but a pile of bones.

Wanyan Chixiong nodded and said, "Master Qiu, that sounds quite reasonable; who exactly wants to sabotage the Da Yong–Black Hu alliance?" His gaze burned as he fixed it on Hu Xiaotian.

Zan Buliu, sitting beside Hu Xiaotian, felt somewhat uneasy; he had thought it was just an ordinary banquet, but as events unfolded he realized nothing was simple—tonight was actually a Hongmen banquet. Judging from the current situation, the target is clearly Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian slowly set down his cup, his smile unchanged: "What Master Qiu said is indeed quite reasonable! How did I not think of that? Initially I escorted Princess Anping from Kangdu to Yongdu for her wedding with over seven hundred people; along the way we suffered repeated ambushes and assassinations. By the time we reached Yongdu, our envoy had dwindled to just thirty-odd. I used to think it was mere coincidence, but now it seems someone has been meddling behind the scenes, someone wants to sabotage the marriage alliance between Da Yong and Dakang, Fourth Prince. Who do you think most wants to destroy that alliance?"

Wanyan Chixiong's face turned ashen; Hu Xiaotian's question was clearly aimed at him, obviously suspecting him; he gave a cold snort and said, "How would I know?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "It seems we've both run into trouble; even Da Yong isn't peaceful."

Xue Daohong's expression changed; Hu Xiaotian really is bold, actually turning around to direct sarcasm at me as well. Xue Daohong said, "Rest assured, gentlemen, for any incident occurring within Da Yong's territory, we will take full responsibility."

General Dong said, "I've heard that Sir Hu's subordinate Xiong Tianba knocked out the Black Hu warrior Lahan with a single punch, making him vomit blood; is that true?" He brought up the wrong topic—this matter not only pushed Hu Xiaotian back into the spotlight but also embarrassed Wanyan Chixiong.

Hu Xiaotian realized General Dong wasn't just a brawny simpleton; this kid is also quite nasty.

Qiu Mu Bai said, "Sir Hu and the Fourth Prince actually have such a grudge between them."

At this point Hu Xiaotian could no longer tolerate Qiu Mu Bai, especially recalling that our side had unintentionally helped Sword Palace before; if it weren't for Zhou Mo picking up the wooden token, it would be Sword Palace now in trouble. Hu Xiaotian said, "My grievances with the Fourth Prince have already been aired; it's not a big deal. Grudges should be resolved, not perpetuated; there is no enmity in this world that cannot be reconciled. I've heard that Sword Palace's founder Lin Bai Tao once went to Black Hu to assassinate, only to die later under siege by several Black Hu masters. Compared to the feud between Sword Palace and Black Hu, what is my dispute with the Fourth Prince? Since you can now sit together and drink in harmony, I and the Fourth Prince can certainly be friends."

Hu Xiaotian's remarks were extremely venomous; the hatred between Sword Palace and Black Hu runs deep and cannot be easily resolved. Today Xue Daohong summoned Qiu Mu Bai and Wanyan Chixiong together, actually intending to resolve their enmity. Hu Xiaotian's scornful remarks about their old grudge made Qiu Mu Bai's handsome face flush with shame and anger. In fact, his words just now were not meant to defend Black Hu; his true aim was to redirect the blame, distancing himself, yet by clearing his own name he effectively pushed Hu Xiaotian into a predicament. And Hu Xiaotian is not so easily provoked—you say I'm suspect? Your suspicion is even greater than mine; if we're talking about hatred toward Black Hu, who could surpass your Sword Palace?

Extra chapter uploaded, thanks to the Cool Alliance for the boost, thanks to all who supported and rewarded Zhangyu. (A great activity like a pie falling from the sky, cool smartphones await you! Follow~click/public account (add friends on WeChat, add public account, input qdread), join now! Everyone gets a prize; immediately follow the qdread WeChat public account!) (To be continued~^~)