Chapter 899

Long Xuan'en said: "The assassin wasn't found, but you lot started internal strife among yourselves. I've long seen that you imperial Guards are resentful. Mr. Hong sent experts from the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau to protect me, also for my safety. Fine, since you want to learn, I'll satisfy your wish, Liangbao—you're all our own people, so when you strike, hold back a bit."

Liangbao, the dark-skinned Guard, clasped his hands and obeyed the order: "I will obey the holy command!"

Hu Xiaotian felt both angry and amused, yet before even comparing, they assumed he'd lose—this fake emperor has such confidence in the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau's experts? Hu Xiaotian said: "Your Majesty means I should also stop at just touching?"

Long Xuan'en's lips curled with a faint, indifferent smile: "Just do your best!" He clearly didn't take Hu Xiaotian seriously.

Hu Xiaotian stepped into the courtyard, where a group of imperial Guards, hearing that the emperor had permitted him to spar with the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau's experts, were all unusually excited. Frankly, these days they'd already grown dissatisfied with those so-called experts, wishing they could give those eight a good thrashing to vent their resentment.

Hu Xiaotian first left the Universal Virtue Hall and summoned all his subordinates to the courtyard; the fifty imperial Guards were of one mind, all hoping Hu Xiaotian would win.

The one originally slated to fight for the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau was Liangbao, but as he was about to enter the courtyard, a sturdy Guard stepped forward and said softly, "Third brother, to kill a chicken you don't need an ox cleaver—let me fight in your stead." The speaker was Fu Pingchuan, one of the eight masters; he was the youngest among them, yet his martial foundation was the most solid, following a hard-and-forceful path, excelling in fists and kicks.

As Fu Pingchuan stepped out, Hu Xiaotian glanced left and right, meaning the other side already had supporters; he wondered if any of his own men would voluntarily step forward to face him. The imperial Guards all knew the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau's experts were no ordinary folk, and each lowered their gaze, none daring to volunteer to fight for Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian's gaze finally settled on Zuo Tang's face; they were closest, and Zuo Tang understood Hu Xiaotian's meaning—if he retreated now, his earlier flattery would be wasted. Since it was merely a martial exchange, not a life‑or‑death fight, he stepped forward and said to Hu Xiaotian: "Commander Sir, soldier meets soldier, general meets general. Let me first shield you."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; he already knew Zuo Tang's skill, and for Zuo Tang to defeat the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau's experts was hardly likely, but letting Zuo Tang fight first was fine—he lost. That amounted to the Bureau openly slapping the imperial Guards' faces, which would better stir their shared hatred of a common foe.

Hu Xiaotian stepped into the crowd to watch, and the little eunuch Yin Zheng came to his side, whispering: "They're experts from the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau's Tiger Squad. Big brother, you must not underestimate them."

Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly, not knowing why Yin Zheng had come over to show friendliness now. Could it be that his Conscience had surfaced again?

Long Xuan'en did not leave the meditation hall; the tall, slim man beside him whispered: "Why agree to their match?"

Long Xuan'en whispered: "It's time to show a bit of strength, to cow these Guards—have you noticed? Someone is stirring them up against you." That person naturally referred to Hu Xiaotian.

That tall, slim man was actually the leader of the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau's Tiger Squad, Liu Huchen; this time he led seven experts to Heavenly Dragon Temple to provide protection, and he could be said to be the backbone of the eight, his martial skill ranking first among them.

Liu Huchen nodded and said: "Good, let's take this opportunity to give them a harsh lesson."

Fu Pingchuan clasped his hands toward Zuo Tang: "Please!"

Zuo Tang returned the salute with a smiling, narrowed gaze: "We're all our own people—we meet through martial arts, the aim is friendly exchange; above all, don't harm the harmony." Having spoken, he stepped forward, driving his right fist at Fu Pingchuan's chest. Knowing his opponent strong, Zuo Tang struck first, his pleasant expression meant to confuse, launching the attack before the other could prepare.

Facing Zuo Tang's sudden attack, Fu Pingchuan remained calm; only when Zuo Tang's right fist was still half a foot from his chest did he extend his hand, left hand slightly open like a tiger's mouth, firmly wrapping Zuo Tang's right fist. Zuo Tang's right hand was seized, his left followed up, striking from below toward Fu Pingchuan's jaw—this hook was his countermove, his true threatening strike.

Fu Pingchuan blocked Zuo Tang's left fist with his right palm, then raised his right knee to strike Zuo Tang's abdomen. He excelled at close combat; his moves weren't flashy but were powerful and practical. Zuo Tang, no ordinary imperial Guard, likewise blocked with his knee, yet it felt like striking hard rock, making him grit his teeth. Fu Pingchuan had already seized Zuo Tang's both hands, then lunged forward into the opening of Zuo Tang's chest, striking his face with his head—a true martial expert can turn every part of his body into a weapon.

Fu Pingchuan's headbutt left Zuo Tang seeing stars, head ringing, two hot streams gushing from his nostrils—actually it was nasal blood blown out by the impact. Before Zuo Tang could regain consciousness, Fu Pingchuan heaved him like a sandbag and slammed him to the ground; Zuo Tang grunted, lying spread‑eagled, losing face in this bout.

Fu Pingchuan lifted his right foot as if to stomp Zuo Tang's face; Zuo Tang, terrified, clutched his head, almost calling for his mother.

Seeing this, the imperial Guards all felt ashamed and embarrassed; they hadn't expected the opponent to be so formidable—even though Zuo Tang was among their best, the gap in strength was enormous.

Hu Xiaotian's reason for letting Zuo Tang fight was precisely to stir the imperial Guards' shared hatred of the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau; seeing Zuo Tang such a pushover, he also secretly sighed—Mu Rongzhan's martial skill is astonishing, yet the hundred imperial Guards he sent this time are really not up to a single blow; could Mu Rongzhan have long known the inside story, even realized this old emperor is a fraud, and therefore held back his elite troops, sending only these showpieces to fill the ranks?

Fu Pingchuan's right foot halted an inch from Zuo Tang's face; a strong gust blasted toward him, making Zuo Tang squeeze his eyes shut—if not for the crowd around and his fear of losing the imperial Guards' dignity, he would have screamed aloud.

Fu Pingchuan contemptuously flicked his pant leg, gazing at the forty or fifty bald onlookers, and scoffed: "Such a pushover. What's there to talk about protecting the Emperor's safety?"

A scholar may be killed but not humiliated; among the imperial Guards there were no lack of iron‑willed men, and three of them rushed forward immediately.

Fu Pingchuan laughed: "Come all together!"

Hu Xiaotian gave a cold snort: "All of you, retreat!" To establish absolute authority, one must possess strength that convinces others, yet displaying strength also needs the right occasion—this sparring arose because of Hu Xiaotian. He first issued the challenge, then let Zuo Tang fight; in fact, before Zuo Tang stepped forward Hu Xiaotian already knew the outcome. Had he fought first, even a victory wouldn't have united the imperial Guards as never before; what Hu Xiaotian wanted was to give them a profound lesson, to awaken their shared hatred of a common foe. After shame comes courage; a victory following defeat is all the more admirable and persuasive, allowing him to firmly establish his unshakable authority among the imperial Guards, and even to use this opportunity to unite everyone's hearts around him. By the time they return to Huangcheng, Mu Rongzhan will likely be shocked.

Fu Pingchuan's gaze turned to Hu Xiaotian, he slowly nodded, then gave a light, contemptuous shake of his head.

Hu Xiaotian took off his wide monk's robe, walked slowly to face Fu Pingchuan, gestured for his men to carry Zuo Tang back. Zuo Tang covered his bleeding nose and said: "Commander Sir, vent my anger for me……"

Fu Pingchuan made a gesture of invitation; Hu Xiaotian remained standing still. Fu Pingchuan smiled: "If Commander Hu intends to stop here, I have no objection." At that moment, Liu Huchen's mental transmission reached his ear: "Strike! Beat him until he's disgraced, show no mercy!"

Fu Pingchuan's brow twitched, his whole body tensing; he planted his right foot, stepped forward with his left leg, and threw a punch at Hu Xiaotian's face. With the chief's order, he became even more unrestrained, aiming to end the fight with a swift, exhilarating victory.

As Fu Pingchuan struck, Hu Xiaotian also stepped forward and threw a punch—this punch looked no different from Zuo Tang's earlier hook, with no fancy technique, but Hu Xiaotian's footwork and punch speed were too fast; though he moved almost simultaneously with Fu Pingchuan, he had already shifted his angle as he stepped, completing the sequence of motions in his strike.

Fu Pingchuan only felt a blur before his eyes, then a solid punch landed squarely on his jaw; he grunted, his body flung backward, slamming into the gate of the meditation hall where the Emperor resided—bang! —the door swung open, and night wind mixed with fine rain drifted inside.

Long Xuan'en and Liu Huchen both looked down and saw Fu Pingchuan bleeding from mouth and nose, lying spread‑eagled in the room, completely incapable of resistance.

Apart from the wind and rain, no other sound could be heard; after a while the imperial Guards burst into thunderous applause, the noise shaking the tranquil night of Heavenly Dragon Temple, soaring straight to the clouds.

Liu Huchen's pupils contracted sharply as he looked outward, only to see Hu Xiaotian standing calmly in the night rain, his expression extreme contempt: "I thought the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau's experts were something special—turns out they're all just fox‑borrowing‑tiger's‑might impostors. No wonder they let assassins sneak into Universal Virtue Hall; why don't you few come up together and give it a try?"

Liangbao stepped out of the crowd, clasped his hands to Hu Xiaotian and said: "Let me learn……" Before he finished, Hu Xiaotian's shadow darted at him like a ghost; Liangbao's heart jolted—he hadn't expected Hu Xiaotian to launch an attack straight away, this guy is utterly unscrupulous.

Liangbao hadn't even braced for combat when he heard a crisp pa! —it was Hu Xiaotian raising his right hand to deliver a loud slap, then swiftly retreating to his original spot, smiling: "If I wanted to kill you, your head would already be on the ground!"

Lately, being overworked has caused me to lose a bit of sleep at night, so I took a nap this afternoon; it's the 27th. Since I've been giving it my all for a month, I can't slip up at the final moment—today's the second update, there should be two more tonight! Let's aim for Four more over the weekend, first pleading for next month's Monthly Ticket. The pursuers are fierce; brothers, only by uniting can we safeguard the second—no, wait, safeguard Zhangyu's second! The Monthly Ticket Operation to Protect the Chrysanthemum begins! (To be continued~^~)