Chapter 770: Seeking Mercy at the Door (Part 2)

Xue Shengjing said: "It's fine, it's fine, just some superficial wounds; brother, why did you specially come all this way?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Elder brother, when we became sworn brothers we said we would live and die together; you're wounded, how could I not come to see you?" His face put on an expression of shared feeling, concern spilling over. His sworn brotherhood with Xue Shengjing had been one of mutual use from the start, lacking deep friendship.

Xue Shengjing said: "Thanks, brother!" He feigned warmth, taking Hu Xiaotian's hand and leading him to sit at the table, ordering someone to hurry and brew tea.

Hu Xiaotian took a sip of tea and said: "Elder brother, I came this time specially to inquire about your wound, and incidentally to check it for you, to see if I can be of any help."

Xue Shengjing said: "It's not a serious injury, just a slight scrape; don't listen to outside rumors."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Outside it's already a storm throughout the city; elder brother, I'm really worried sick."

Xue Shengjing secretly sneered: "Concern? I don't know what kind of person you are; would you worry about my life? You probably have another motive for coming today."

Hu Xiaotian leaned forward and lowered his voice: "Elder brother, I heard it was Huo Xiaoru who wounded you?" He chose his words carefully, saying only wounded, not assassinated.

Xue Shengjing gave no change in expression: "Brother, what else have you heard?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I also heard that something was lost from the prince's manor last night!"

Xue Shengjing's eyes narrowed; it seemed no secret could be kept under heaven, despite his special warning, last night's affair still leaked out. He sighed: "Good news stays home, bad news travels far; rumors are fearsome, rumors are fearsome!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Elder brother, why would Huo Xiaoru do such a thing?"

Xue Shengjing rolled his eyelids, glanced at Hu Xiaotian and said: "Brother, you seem quite concerned about her affairs!" His tone already held some displeasure.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Don't blame me, elder brother; I've known Huo Xiaoru for a long time. In my impression she's just an ordinary dance girl, powerless to truss a chicken, with a very gentle nature; I don't know why she would suddenly do such a thing..."

Xue Shengjing gave a heavy snort. Coldly staring at Hu Xiaotian he said: "Brother, you didn't come today just to visit me, did you?"

Seeing signs of his turning hostile, Hu Xiaotian hastily put on a smiling face: "Elder brother, don't be angry; I certainly came to visit you, but..." He sighed: "I won't hide it from you, elder brother; I indeed came this time to see Huo Xiaoru."

Xue Shengjing sneered: "You want to see Huo Xiaoru?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If you disagree, elder brother, then forget it; I just can't understand why she would do this. Given my knowledge of her, she shouldn't be that sort of person."

Xue Shengjing said: "You're not interceding for her?"

Hu Xiaotian gave a wry smile: "I'm no fool; this favor is too weighty for me to ask." He faintly sensed something amiss from Xue Shengjing's current demeanor; he likely wouldn't allow him to meet Huo Xiaoru, let alone plead for her.

Xue Shengjing sighed at this moment: "I, too, can't figure it out, brother. Since you know her, as an elder brother I cannot deny you this face; very well, go see her. By the way, tell her that if she reveals the mastermind behind this, I might spare her life." He gave Hu Xiaotian a meaningful glance as he spoke.

Hu Xiaotian felt a chill under his gaze; he never expected Xue Shengjing to so readily agree to let him meet Huo Xiaoru. Given this man's usual temperament, he shouldn't be so reasonable; perhaps he intends to drag him into trouble via Huo Xiaoru? After thinking again, there didn't seem much chance of that, and now he had no choice but to grit his teeth and press on.

Romantic entanglements are a major taboo for those seeking great deeds, but Hu Xiaotian never intended to achieve anything grand upon arriving in this world; he thought being born into wealth and bearing the title of an official's son would let him coast through life comfortably. Yet reality forced him into this era's tumultuous tide—should he go with the flow or struggle against it? From his initial passivity he has shown increasing initiative, not from ambition but simply for the simple, plain goal of staying alive.

Yet staying alive is no easy task; Huo Xiaoru endured humiliation and bore burdens for twenty years, her sole sustaining belief being revenge. But when she finally realized that the person she constantly wanted to kill was actually her own biological father, she understood how cruel a joke fate had played on her. Huo Xiaoru cannot determine the truth of everything Xue Shengjing says, yet she has begun to believe that this Prince Yan of Da Yong is indeed her father. Though she cannot accept it, facts remain facts.

The sound of the lock rattling startled Huo Xiaoru from her reverie; her mood at that moment could be described as all hopes dashed. The years-long belief that had sustained and driven her collapsed completely—what would she do now? Her gaze fixed on the door, Huo Xiaoru's pretty face instantly filled with an incredulous expression; she never imagined Hu Xiaotian would appear before her. She bit her cherry lips, the pain letting her realize that what lay before her was no illusion.

Hu Xiaotian said to Tie Zheng, who accompanied him: "Trouble, Manager Tie, I'd like to speak with her alone for a few words."

Tie Zheng nodded, expressionlessly turned and left, pulling the door shut behind him.

Hu Xiaotian listened closely; Tie Zheng hadn't gone far, just outside the door. Given his martial arts cultivation, the voices inside should not escape his ears; besides, there were two faint breaths. Hu Xiaotian determined the direction: this Leaning Cloud Pavilion appears to have many of Prince Yan's spies installed; Xue Shengjing indeed isn't at ease letting him meet Huo Xiaoru, having sent someone to monitor his every move.

Hu Xiaotian's gaze fell on Huo Xiaoru's pretty face; after not seeing each other for years, their circumstances had undergone an earth-shaking change. Looking at her pallid, paper-white visage, Hu Xiaotian felt a pang of sourness, wondering what torment she had endured this night.

Huo Xiaoru gazed at Hu Xiaotian, doing her best to stay calm, yet for some reason her eye sockets reddened against her will.

Hu Xiaotian stepped before her, reached out to gently lift the stray hairs from her forehead, and whispered: "Are you alright?"

Hearing Hu Xiaotian's warm voice, Huo Xiaoru's tears could no longer be held back, silently sliding down her flawless jade-like pretty face; she clenched her cherry lips and shook her head. In fact she had long known of Hu Xiaotian's arrival in Yongdu, and had even thought of meeting him once, but she understood her purpose in coming to Yongdu: to teach song and dance as a cover, spending months there awaiting Prince Yan Xue Shengjing's return to find a chance for revenge. She had supposed she and Hu Xiaotian were destined to pass each other by in life, yet never expected that under these circumstances he would actually appear before her.

Huo Xiaoru nodded, revealing a tearful smile.

Hu Xiaotian used voice transmission: "Our every move is under outside surveillance, Xiaoru; I don't know whether Prince Yan will grant me this favor, but our only plan now is to take a risk."

Huo Xiaoru shook her head firmly: "My current plight is entirely my own doing; sir, you need not concern yourself with me."

Hu Xiaotian continued via voice transmission: "Later I'll tell Xue Shengjing that we once had a private affair in Kangdu; if he asks you, you need not deny it, just admit it."

Two blushes rose on Huo Xiaoru's pretty face; he really is here to save me, yet he doesn't know my relationship with Xue Shengjing; saying such a lie would make me terribly embarrassed.

Huo Xiaoru said: "Sir, you've come to see me; I'm already grateful to tears, you needn't do anything for me."

Hu Xiaotian stopped her from speaking with his gaze, then used voice transmission: "Remember, never admit you wanted to assassinate him; just say that at the time you didn't know who was speaking in your ear, and then you fell into a dazed unconsciousness."

Huo Xiaoru blinked in puzzlement; Hu Xiaotian said: "There actually exists a soul-confusing art in this world." In fact Hu Xiaotian had no good plan to save Huo Xiaoru; just now, upon seeing Commander Dong Tianjiang, he suddenly recalled that the night's huji music had made Dong Tianjiang and those Tiger Standard Battalion officers lose their minds, prompting him to devise this far-fetched method.

Huo Xiaoru said: "Lord Hu, you need not intercede for me..." She actually understood that even if Hu Xiaotian didn't intervene, this biological father, Prince Yan Xue Shengjing, could hardly harm her; yet this secret made it hard for her to speak.

Hu Xiaotian via voice transmission: "Call me 'husband'!"

Huo Xiaoru's heart startled, then she grasped Hu Xiaotian's intent; she bit her cherry lips, her expression becoming extremely bashful. Although she didn't want Hu Xiaotian to interfere, his arrival still moved her deeply—true feelings revealed in adversity; in times of trouble others would shy away, but only Hu Xiaotian dared come to the Prince Yan's manor to plead for her, letting her call him husband—not to take advantage verbally, but deliberately so that those watching in the dark would hear, showing he would spare nothing for her rescue.

Huo Xiaoru's beautiful eyes glistened with tears as she gazed at Hu Xiaotian, her cherry lips parting, several times almost speaking then stopping.

At this moment Hu Xiaotian suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips. Huo Xiaoru's hands and feet were bound, she could not evade; his kiss landed squarely on her cherry lips, her delicate body trembling as if struck by electricity. Hu Xiaotian merely gave a dragonfly‑touch kiss, then immediately withdrew.

Huo Xiaoru trembled and said: "Husband!" After uttering those two words, tears streamed down her pretty face like a burst river.

In the southeast corner of the room's wall there is a hidden peephole; Prince Yan Xue Shengjing observes everything inside through it. When he saw Hu Xiaotian walk over and kiss Huo Xiaoru, he was so startled his jaw almost dropped; then hearing Huo Xiaoru call Hu Xiaotian "husband," his feelings were truly like thunder rolling. This guy is a eunuch! How could a daughter call a eunuch husband? What's more vexing is that Hu Xiaotian is his sworn brother through eight bows; Ruoxin is his niece! Beast! (To be continued~^~)