Chapter 908

The false emperor slowly nodded and said, "We're all serving the Emperor, Sir Hu, why must you speak so harshly?" This guy finally admitted openly that he is not the emperor.

Hu Xiaotian suddenly lifted his foot and kicked that guy in the belly. The kick was so sudden that Chi Feixing had no time to guard; even if he had been prepared, he couldn't dodge it—Hu Xiaotian's kick came too fast. Hu Xiaotian didn't use inner strength, yet even so it was a heavy blow; Chi Feixing clutched his stomach and collapsed to the ground, his face twisted in pain.

Hu Xiaotian grabbed his collar and snarled, "Damn you, you've made me kneel before you so many times; today I won't stop until I beat you into a pig's head."

Chi Feixing trembled, "Sir Hu, please don't… If you injure me, isn't that ruining the Emperor's great affair?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Right then, I'll castrate you and send you to the palace as a eunuch." Having been a eunuch himself, when he wants to scheme against someone, his first thought is to cut off their manhood and send them into the palace.

Chi Feixing turned pale with fright, "We all serve the same master; why must we press each other so hard?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Why didn't you say that earlier? When I kowtowed to you, why didn't you think to be lenient, leave a line of favor so we could meet again later? You've gone and burned all bridges—first you let me suffer alone in Rift Cloud Valley for half a month, then when I finally returned you schemed against me again. What grudge do I have against you?" Hu Xiaotian grew angrier, raised his fist and punched Chi Feixing in the belly.

Chi Feixing had just eased from the pain of that kick when another punch struck him; the pain made his knees buckle and he knelt, right hand clutching his stomach, left hand raised, pleading, "Sir Hu, show mercy… I'm only doing my duty." At this moment Chi Feixing had none of the Emperor's dignity left—just a fawning lapdog.

Hu Xiaotian raised his fist as if to strike again, frightening Chi Feixing into covering his head; a blow elsewhere would just hurt, but if his face were ruined, things would get complicated.

Hu Xiaotian certainly wasn't that stupid; he hooked a finger at Chi Feixing and said, "Tell me. What's your name?"

"I am Chi, given name Feixing!" Chi Feixing saw no need to hide it any longer.

Hu Xiaotian sized up his face and clicked his tongue in admiration, "Impressive! The imitation is lifelike; ordinary people really can't tell."

Chi Feixing gave a wry smile, "In the end I couldn't fool Sir Hu's eyes."

Hu Xiaotian asked, "What exactly are you few doing at Tianlong Temple?"

Chi Feixing said, "His Majesty insisted on coming; Mr. Hong finally persuaded him to abandon the idea, but His Majesty didn't want his subjects to think he had broken his promise. So he devised this win‑win solution: let me act as His Majesty's shadow, the real purpose being to keep His Majesty from suspicion."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I don't blame you for acting as His Majesty's shadow, but why have you repeatedly opposed me?"

Chi Feixing said, "It's not that I want to oppose Sir Hu; it's the Emperor's order."

Hu Xiaotian snorted, "You've got gall. Dare to pin blame on the Emperor."

"How could I dare do such a thing? It really is the Emperor's order."

Hu Xiaotian knew this guy wouldn't tell the truth and couldn't be bothered to press further, lowering his voice: "From now on, let's stay out of each other's way. I won't provoke you; you'd better not provoke me either. If you dare seek trouble for me again, I won't let you off."

Chi Feixing said, "We're all doing this for the Emperor's safety. Earlier I was indeed at fault toward Sir Hu, but Sir Hu has no reason to bear a grudge because of it. You recalled all those Imperial Guard, tightly guarding the Universal Virtue Institute—anyone can see you're putting me under house arrest. If our secret is exposed, it benefits no one."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Clearly I'm protecting you—how did that become house arrest? It's like the saying: a dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing kindness."

Chi Feixing said, "In a little over ten days we'll finish the task; I promise not to do anything that will upset Sir Hu again. Sir Hu, could you consider not interfering in the Universal Virtue Institute's affairs?"

Hu Xiaotian thought, 'This guy is shameless, still trying to bargain with me at this point.' He nodded and said, "Not meddling in the Universal Virtue Institute is fine, but you must issue an order letting me investigate throughout Tianlong Temple and thoroughly look into last night's intruders who sneaked into the institute."

Chi Feixing said, "If I—"

Hu Xiaotian glared at him fiercely; Chi Feixing hurriedly corrected himself, "If I issued such an order, it would surely arouse suspicion from Tianlong Temple, even provoke their vigilance and opposition. Just now Tongyuan obviously suspected we had ulterior motives."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I don't know whether you have an agenda, but I have none. By the way, who told you about Chu Fufeng?"

Chi Feixing gave a bitter smile, "Sir Hu, please don't make things difficult for me."

"You think too highly of yourself!" Hu Xiaotian snorted, "Actually, even if you didn't say it I'd know—it must have been Mr. Hong who told you, right?"

Chi Feixing lowered his head; though he didn't answer, his expression already admitted it.

Hu Xiaotian said, "The things you've told me today—I will verify each with the Emperor when we return. If you dare conceal anything, I will still settle the score with you."

Hu Xiaotian indeed stopped hassling Chi Feixing and his men; after returning he restored the previous defenses, reassigning the protection of the Universal Virtue Institute to Liu Huchan and his crew—he didn't want to waste so many brothers guarding a impostor. Days suddenly grew peaceful. Hu Xiaotian had completed the task Bu Wu assigned him; although he couldn't enter the Sutra Pavilion, he had thoroughly mapped the surrounding terrain and re‑marked that map.

By now the day appointed with Bu Wu had arrived; only three days remained before they would leave Tianlong Temple. Hu Xiaotian had two ways to enter Rift Cloud Valley: sneak in under cover of night, or have the false emperor negotiate with Tianlong Temple.

Although Chi Feixing was just an impostor, the Tianlong Temple monks didn't know that and still gave him face. Upon learning Hu Xiaotian's request, though he suspected the man's motives, he did not refuse; he immediately sent word to the abbot Tongyuan of Tianlong Temple, saying that before departing he still wanted Hu Xiaotian to stand in for the worship of the Longevity Buddha.

Earlier Tongyuan had already ordered Rift Cloud Valley sealed and investigated; after searching for days with no result, he saw no need to make things difficult over this—after all, just three more days and the old emperor would be sent away; whatever his wish, as long as it wasn't excessive, Tongyuan would try to fulfill it.

After Hu Xiaotian left the Universal Virtue Courtyard, Chi Feixing summoned Liu Hu Chan to his room and quietly told him what Hu Xiaotian had asked him to do.

Liu Hu Chan said: "Why does he want to go to the Cleft Cloud Valley again? There must be something fishy."

Chi Feixing gritted his teeth and said: "It seems Old Si and Old Wu have most likely fallen victim to his treachery."

Liu Hu Chan said: "Should I go after him to see what he's up to?"

Chi Feixing shook his head and said: "He has entered the Cleft Cloud Valley several times; this will surely alert the Heavenly Dragon Temple. I believe his every move is under the monks' surveillance—if you go after him, wouldn't you be exposing your whereabouts?"

Liu Hu Chan said: "What should we do, then?"

Chi Feixing said grimly: "Let him do whatever he wants; in any case, I will never let him leave the Heavenly Dragon Temple alive."

Liu Hu Chan whispered: "What do you want to do, Elder Brother?"

Hu Xiaotian's purpose in coming to the Cleft Cloud Valley this time was simply to return that map, but Bu Wu is blind and cannot see the map's contents, so Hu Xiaotian needs to tell him the changes in detail; however, this trip to the Cleft Cloud Valley gives him no reason to stay overnight, and he fears he won't have a chance to explain things to Bu Wu.

Bu Wu's habit has always been to hide by day and move at night, but it's unknown whether he will remember that today Hu Xiaotian intends to return to the Cleft Cloud Valley.

What surprised Hu Xiaotian was that this time the Heavenly Dragon Temple did not make things difficult for him; they merely reminded him to go early and return early, and the novice who escorted him was still the same little monk as before, whose big eyes blinked lively and alert.

Along the way he couldn't help but ask: "Master Hu, do women really eat people?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded.

The little monk said: "No wonder our master told us to stay away from women."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Your master must have suffered at the hands of women, which is why he teaches you this."

The little monk said: "Women are people too; why would they eat people?"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "You're too young; when you grow up, you'll understand why women eat men."

The little monk rubbed his bald head, bewildered, and asked: "Is the outside world very dangerous?"

Hu Xiaotian touched his own head and said: "Compared to the temple, it certainly is."

The little monk said: "Then I'd better stay in the temple for life."

Hu Xiaotian looked at the child with some affection and said softly: "One day you will grow up, you will feel that the Heavenly Dragon Temple is really too small, you will become curious, you will want to go out and see the world, and perhaps you will no longer want to be a monk."

The little monk laughed and said: "I was born to be a monk; besides being a monk, I don't know what else I could do."

Those innocent words stirred Hu Xiaotian's memories of the past, and he said, full of bewilderment: "No one knows what will happen to them tomorrow, nor what they will do; if you never try, you will never know how great your potential is."

"These words of yours are too profound, little monk; I don't understand."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "It's better not to understand; when you grow up, you'll realize that childhood is the most carefree time, and you will long for those days."

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