Chapter 918

Mingjing asked with concern: "Sir Hu, are you alright?"

Hu Xiaotian only just realized that he had been struck heavily by Bu Wu's fist, yet he hadn't died—not because Bu Wu, out of master-disciple affection, had held back, but because Bu Wu's punch had hit his Dantian Qi Sea; Hu Xiaotian's innate defensive reaction had actually neutralized the heavy blow, so he hadn't suffered serious injury. Even so, his Dantian Qi Sea was shaken violently, and his qi and blood surged.

By this time, Bu Wu's two phosphorus fire bombs had already ignited the scriptures, which were blazing fiercely. Mingjing rushed to the corner, picked up a water bucket, and went to fight the fire, because the Cangshu Lou stored countless scriptures and classics, so fire prevention had always been given utmost importance. Every floor of the Cangshuge had water buckets, and there were also dedicated water tanks for storage.

Hu Xiaotian, enduring abdominal pain, also got up to help; the fire's spread was limited, and the flames were quickly extinguished under their joint efforts.

By this time, both of their faces were blackened by smoke and fire; they glanced at each other, and their faces showed relieved expressions.

At this moment, the monks of the Sutra Pavilion rushed forward, hearing Tongyuan's anxious shout to His Majesty.

Hu Xiaotian and Mingjing walked down, only to see the monks gathered around; in the center, Abbot Tongyuan knelt beside the false emperor's corpse, his expression extremely despondent. Yuanchen leaned against the wall, sitting, his face devoid of blood, as pale as paper, and he said in a dim voice: "It seems heaven has ordained that the calamity of Heavenly Dragon Temple cannot be escaped."

Hu Xiaotian pushed through the crowd and walked over; the monks glared at him one by one, clearly taking out their anger on him, thinking that if it weren't for these imperial family members coming to Heavenly Dragon Temple, they wouldn't have invited such great trouble.

Hu Xiaotian approached the false emperor's corpse, looked down, and saw Chifeixing's head smashed to a pulp by Bu Wu's palm—his original features were completely unrecognizable. Tongyuan gazed at Hu Xiaotian and said: "Sir Hu, His Majesty has unfortunately been murdered; I will bear all responsibility alone. Please inform the court of the situation, and be sure not to implicate Heavenly Dragon Temple."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Master Tongyuan, I have something I'd like to say to you privately."

Tongyuan nodded and waved his hand; the surrounding monks left. Mingjing helped Yuanchen to leave, but Hu Xiaotian said: "Mingjing senior brother and Master Yuanchen may stay."

Tongyuan said: "Sir Hu, speak freely." In his view, the calamity befalling Heavenly Dragon Temple this time was impossible to avoid; his expression was low and grim, he had already made the worst preparations, perhaps it was time to dismiss the monastics and arrange post‑affairs before the imperial army arrived.

Hu Xiaotian pointed at the emperor on the ground and said: "Actually, this emperor is an impostor!"

Tongyuan and the two others were stunned by this news for a moment. It was truly a rollercoaster of joy and sorrow; at this moment they had first fallen into hell, then been rescued from hell by Hu Xiaotian's single sentence. If what Hu Xiaotian said were true, Heavenly Dragon Temple might yet escape disaster.

The usually steady and composed Tongyuan's voice trembled with excitement: "Is this really true?"

Hu Xiaotian tore open the corpse's clothes. Chifeixing's chest and abdomen were exposed; the muscles visible were full and firm, showing no signs of old age. Although they did not know who the dead man was, they could determine that the one killed by Bu Wu was certainly not the emperor.

Tongyuan and Yuanchen exchanged a glance, both delighted. They bowed together to Hu Xiaotian, saying: "Thank you, Sir Hu; you are truly a great benefactor of our Heavenly Dragon Temple!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Actually, I only found out recently. Although the dead man isn't the emperor, this matter is no small thing; if mishandled, it could easily bring trouble to Heavenly Dragon Temple."

Tongyuan said: "Please advise me, Sir Hu." The abbot of Heavenly Dragon Temple, faced with reality, had no choice but to lower his head. He realized that this young man before him might be able to help resolve the crisis.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I must rush back to the capital overnight to report this to the emperor; the outcome will still depend on the emperor's final decision."

Tongyuan said: "Thank you for your trouble, Sir Hu." At present, the only recourse is to seek Hu Xiaotian's help; he has no other option.

Hu Xiaotian glanced at Chifeixing's corpse and said: "No one knows the truth of this matter yet; I will leave immediately, striving to see the emperor before dawn. This round trip will likely take considerable time. Abbot, can you guarantee that no news will leak during this period?"

Tongyuan nodded and said: "There will be no problem on Heavenly Dragon Temple's side." Implicitly, he meant that he could not guarantee the behavior of your guards.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Abbot, you must not only ensure the monks don't speak recklessly, but also guarantee that none of the guards speak recklessly, and furthermore not let them leave Heavenly Dragon Temple during this period." With Heavenly Dragon Temple's strength, Tongyuan could easily achieve this.

Tongyuan asked: "When will you be able to return, Sir Hu?" Although he knew he could only rely on Hu Xiaotian's help now, he still felt uneasy, wondering what would happen if Hu Xiaotian encountered new complications after returning. After all, he and Heavenly Dragon Temple did not share a deep bond, and no one could guarantee that Hu Xiaotian would exert himself fully for the temple.

Hu Xiaotian said: "At the latest by noon tomorrow! Please have the abbot prepare a swift horse for me."

Tongyuan said: "Mingjing, accompany Sir Hu on the journey; it will be good to have someone to look out for him along the way."

Yes!

Hu Xiaotian heard Tongyuan's words and secretly thought: "Could it be that the old monk doesn't trust me, which is why he sent Mingjing to supervise me?" Thinking that Mingjing's company wasn't necessarily a bad thing, he wondered what troubles might arise on the way.

Although such a shocking event had occurred inside the Cangshuge, the monks and guards outside were largely unaware. Tongyuan ordered a strict information blockade, so the monks naturally dared not defy his command. Hu Xiaotian briefly instructed the guards to continue holding their post at Heavenly Dragon Temple, then he and Mingjing changed back into guard uniforms, picked two swift horses, and set off toward the Imperial Capital under the stars.

The person Hu Xiaotian needed to see was Qiqi; only she could help him now, and he was unsure of the old emperor's attitude, making it hard to say whether she would stand on his side.

With this five‑colored coiled‑dragon gold tablet, entering and leaving the palace posed no obstacle; in just two hours, Hu Xiaotian and Mingjing reached the palace, at which point the eastern sky had already shown a fish‑belly white, and dawn was about to break.

Hu Xiaotian hurried into Zilan Palace, thinking Qiqi had not yet risen. He asked a palace maid and learned that Qiqi had spent the entire night awake, still reviewing memorials in the study.

Hu Xiaotian sighed inwardly; at such a young age, he did not know what drove Qiqi to care so much about state affairs. He told Mingjing to wait in the garden. He alone strode to the study, saw light still shining from the window, deepened his impression of Qiqi, and gently knocked on the door.

From inside came Qiqi's slightly weary voice: "Who is it?"

"Me!"

Hu Xiaotian's voice surprised Qiqi; she rose and went to the door, opened it, and saw Hu Xiaotian standing outside with a playful smile, bathed in morning light, looking radiant and spirited. He loudly declared: "Your subordinate Hu Xiaotian pays his respects, Your Highness the Princess!" He gave a slight bow, which counted as the salute, since Qiqi had excused him from kneeling.

Qiqi sized up Hu Xiaotian from head to toe. She felt something was off, and finally noticed that his temples were bald; she frowned and said: "Take off your hat and let me see!"

Hu Xiaotian obeyed, removing his hat to reveal a bald head. In the morning sun it gleamed, stimulating Qiqi's bright eyes. She blinked involuntarily, then couldn't help but giggle, her laughter making her sway like a lily in the morning breeze.

Hu Xiaotian somewhat embarrassedly rubbed the back of his head and said: "I originally didn't want to shave my head bald, but the emperor issued an order to do so."

Qiqi said: "How did you come back alone? It seems the emperor's return to the palace is still three days away." Her memory was astonishing; she remembered the old emperor's return date exactly.

Hu Xiaotian clasped his fists and said: "If it weren't for an urgent matter, I wouldn't have dared to come back."

Qiqi said: "Come in and speak."

Hu Xiaotian followed Qiqi behind her to the study, seeing the desk piled high with documents and memorials, he couldn't help but sigh: "This little girl really is diligent!" Qiqi sat at the desk, blew out the candle, yawned, and said: "I didn't realize it was already dawn."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Your Highness, you should know to cherish your body; you are in the prime of youth, and staying up late brings you no benefit."

Qiqi said: "It's only an occasional late night; yesterday's memorials suddenly increased a lot, and if I don't finish reviewing them now, there will be even more to do today."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The princess should learn to delegate."

Qiqi gave him a sideways glance and said: "Who should I delegate to? You went to Heavenly Dragon Temple; looking at the court, who else is there that I can trust?"

Hu Xiaotian felt warmed by her words, although he knew Qiqi might have said that just to flatter him; still, it felt good. He lowered his voice: "I rushed back from Heavenly Dragon Temple overnight; I indeed have urgent matters to report to Your Highness."

Qiqi nodded and said: "Go ahead."

Hu Xiaotian then gave a full account of what had happened at Heavenly Dragon Temple, though of course it could not be the truth; he selected only what was favorable to him and omitted anything unfavorable, not mentioning even the incident the previous night when Bu Wu had seized the false emperor at Heavenly Dragon Temple, since he had promised to help the temple resolve the calamity and saw no need to implicate it.

After hearing this, Qiqi's pretty face instantly clouded over, and she snapped: "What are you saying? The emperor never went to Heavenly Dragon Temple; everything was arranged by Hong Beimo!"

Hu Xiaotian lowered his voice: "It is absolutely certain; during this trip to Heavenly Dragon Temple they had two aims: one was to find some book titled 《Kaiwu of Qiankun》, and the other was to take the opportunity to eliminate me; had I not been alert, I would probably have been killed by them."

The fourth watch is up; Zhangyu has given his all, and the final ranking can only be left to heaven's will. It's not that Zhangyu didn't work hard, nor that the brothers didn't give their all, but our luck was a bit lacking. For us, the June Monthly Ticket battle has already been won; for us, this is merely a beginning, and our stride forward will not stop because of this.

At the critical moment, please everyone check the ticket vault; there might still be a few leaked Monthly Tickets. Please cast them within the validity period—perhaps your vote will decide the final ranking of the Medical Union, perhaps your ticket will let us hold our heads high and achieve final victory! We only ask for one Monthly Ticket! The vote that decides victory or defeat is in your hands! (To be continued~^~)