Chapter 931

Yang Lingqi felt ashamed inwardly; his conduct today was truly disgraceful to scholars. He had basically filled his stomach, rose, and bowed to Huo Shengnan, saying: "I, Yang Lingqi, have met Brother Feihong."

Huo Shengnan glared at Hu Xiaotian, wondering how she had inexplicably become Huang Feihong, not knowing why he gave her such a weird name. She smiled and said: "Nice to meet you, Elder Brother Yang!" The two exchanged their birthdates; Yang Lingqi and Huo Shengnan are the same year, but his month is later than hers.

At this moment, Liang Da Zhuang also had the bathwater ready and asked Yang Lingqi to come over to bathe and change clothes.

After they left, Huo Shengnan came to Hu Xiaotian's side and whispered: "Who is this Elder Brother Yang?"

Hu Xiaotian recounted to Huo Shengnan how he had met Yang Lingqi, feeling moved: "Elder Brother Yang's life has been full of misfortune; don't look at his current fallen state—he is truly a talented scholar, especially his painting skill, which absolutely qualifies him for the master level."

Huo Shengnan said: "His hand seems to be useless." Yang Lingqi's left hand had been cut off, and his right hand, due to severed tendons, was in a half-disabled state; Huo Shengnan noticed this detail as soon as she entered.

Hu Xiaotian sighed: "Come to think of it, he really is unfortunate; I need to think of a way to heal his right hand."

Huo Shengnan blinked: "His right hand is already like that—can it still be healed?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "It should be improvable; I can perform surgery to clean and re-suture his severed tendons, supplemented with functional training, which should improve his right hand's function."

Huo Shengnan said: "If we can help him, we should do our best."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "How do you feel?"

Huo Shengnan's cheeks flushed; fortunately she was wearing a mask so he didn't see her embarrassment. She bit her lips, looked around, made sure no one was there, and whispered softly: "You're such a jerk, you've made walking painful for me even now."

Hu Xiaotian whispered: "Everything has a first time. Doing it again tonight won't hurt."

Huo Shengnan shook her head: "I'm not going to bother with you."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Don't forget, we seem not to have practiced our cultivation."

Huo Shengnan glared at him: "Swindler! You're nothing but a complete swindler!" While she cursed Hu Xiaotian with her mouth, her heart was warm and full of affection. Recalling how last night, from start to finish, they hadn't even mentioned practicing cultivation, she had muddledly entrusted her body to him; to say she was muddled would be wrong—she felt not the slightest regret.

Hearing footsteps outside, Hu Xiaotian immediately sat up straight and attentive.

After bathing and changing into a blue scholar's robe, Yang Lingqi entered. Though he hadn't undergone a complete transformation, he looked much more refined; no one would associate him with a beggar—truly, a person needs proper attire, just as a Buddha needs gold.

Huo Shengnan smiled at Yang Lingqi, rose and left; Liang Da Zhuang also did not disturb them.

Yang Lingqi returned to sit opposite Hu Xiaotian. He immediately became much more reserved, somewhat embarrassed, and said: "I apologize for my presumptuous visit this time; I hope Sir Hu will forgive any impropriety."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Elder Brother Yang, why be so formal? I really ought to thank you properly—this trip to Yongdu was saved by your painting, which solved a major problem." Actually, Yang Lingqi's painting was good but hadn't helped him much; Hu Xiaotian said this to make Yang Lingqi feel indebted, so he wouldn't be so shy and reserved. Although they hadn't spent much time together, Hu Xiaotian had already discovered that Yang Lingqi was deeply insecure. Such a person needs to quickly find confidence and fully recognize his own worth.

Yang Lingqi said: "I didn't really help at all."

Hu Xiaotian said: "If it weren't for Elder Brother Yang's painting, Prince Yan wouldn't have looked favorably on me, nor would we have become sworn brothers of different surnames. I've faced many difficulties in Yongdu; without this elder brother, it would indeed be troublesome."

Yang Lingqi said: "That's Sir Hu's own fortune; it has nothing to do with me."

Hu Xiaotian had a pot of clear tea served; Yang Lingqi, having filled his stomach, became much more composed—except that he now had only his right hand, which was half-disabled, making even the simple act of lifting a cup of tea extraordinarily difficult.

Hu Xiaotian glanced at Yang Lingqi, lifted his Chazan, took a sip of tea, and asked: "Elder Brother Yang, what are your plans for the future?"

Upon hearing Hu Xiaotian's words, Yang Lingqi's gaze instantly became bewildered, and he whispered: "Without hiding it from Sir Hu, I have no plans; I am now merely a cripple, unable even to do something as simple as setting up a stall to sell calligraphy. Thank you, Sir Hu, for your generous hospitality; this kindness I, Yang Lingqi, will never forget."

Hu Xiaotian, hearing this, knew Yang Lingqi must have misunderstood his meaning; the more desperate and destitute a person is, the more sensitive and fearful of being looked down upon they become, interpreting even ordinary remarks as having special significance.

Hu Xiaotian had wanted to explain, but after thinking, he decided against it and softly asked: "Elder Brother Yang, what is your view on the current situation?"

Yang Lingqi shakily set down his Chazan, furrowed his brows, and said: "I dare not presume to comment on the affairs of the world."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Elder Brother Yang, what are you living for?"

Yang Lingqi's eyes suddenly blazed with anger at Hu Xiaotian's question; Hu Xiaotian naturally understood that Yang Lingqi's hatred and fury stemmed from his unavenged grudge, and the belief sustaining him to survive till now was revenge.

Yang Lingqi's gaze quickly darkened: "Even I don't know what I'm living for!" Having endured hardship in the world, Yang Lingqi's understanding of its cruelty deepened, his hope waned, and he even thought that perhaps revenge in this lifetime was hopeless.

Hu Xiaotian said: "All I once wanted was a stable, peaceful, ordinary life; but later I realized that while it's easy to say, it's not simple to do. In a lifetime, people are mostly controlled by others; to avoid being controlled, one must control others; to master one's destiny, one must first eliminate those who seek to control you."

Yang Lingqi's eyes lit up.

Hu Xiaotian said: "When I was young, I once wanted to lift a brick, but after several attempts I still couldn't; back then I felt that brick was an insurmountable moat for me. When I grew a bit older, I could lift it with one hand—the brick's weight hadn't changed, but I had grown stronger. Many things in life are like that: you don't need to change the opponent; first think of changing yourself. When you become strong enough, the opponent will be fragile."

Yang Lingqi bowed deeply to Hu Xiaotian; with his wisdom he naturally understood what Hu Xiaotian was reminding him of.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Elder Brother Yang, what is your view on the current situation?"—he asked the same question again.

Yang Lingqi slowly rose, gazed toward the door, and whispered softly: "What I, Yang Lingqi, have learned is incomplete, but from my experience and what I've seen, the world is bound to fall into chaos."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Many people say that."

Yang Lingqi said: "The Li clan of Xichuan has allied by marriage with the Shajia, and recently also formed an alliance with Nan Yue. Although the Dakang Court has undergone sudden changes and the retired emperor has retaken the throne, the Li clan of Xichuan will certainly not submit again. The alliance between Da Yong and Dakang has broken; Dakang's surroundings are filled with alarms, and with successive years of disaster, domestic famine persists, refugees fill the wilds—once the mightiest empire, it has now fallen to the point where anyone can bully it."

Hu Xiaotian said: "In your view, does Dakang still have a chance at revival?"

Yang Lingqi nodded: "Yes! For Dakang to revive, it must rely solely on the sea route. Dakang suffers domestic famine, neighboring states impose blockades, and even if Dakang paid any price it could not obtain grain from them. Since food is paramount to the people, if the populace cannot fill their stomachs, Dakang will collapse from within even without foreign invasion. For Dakang, the urgent priority is to open a trade route to transport grain and supplies continuously into the country; only thus can Dakang endure this critical period."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Easy to say, but not easy to accomplish."

Yang Lingqi said: "Whoever helps Dakang overcome this immediate crisis will be Dakang's meritorious servant and will hold Dakang's future destiny in their hands."

Hu Xiaotian's heart jolted; he suddenly sensed that these words had a hidden meaning.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I fear that in the end, all my efforts will merely be making a wedding dress for someone else."

Yang Lingqi said: "If tailored to measure, this wedding dress is made only to fit oneself; anyone else wearing it would not fit."

Hu Xiaotian slowly nodded, intending to ask Yang Lingqi for specifics, when Liang Da Zhuang entered again to report that someone from the palace had come, saying they had come specially to visit because he was ill; after inquiring, they learned the visitor was Li Yuncong.

Hu Xiaotian hadn't had the chance to visit him these past two days; unexpectedly, Li Yuncong had come to his door on his own to check on him. He had Liang Da Zhuang arrange a place for Yang Lingqi to rest, then went himself to the front hall to meet.

Li Yuncong came under the pretense of specially visiting Hu Xiaotian's condition; seeing Hu Xiaotian limp toward the front hall, he rose with a smile and said: "Chief Hu, how have you been?"

Hu Xiaotian now knows this scoundrel's true face; he bears a grudge against Li Yuncong that makes his teeth itch. This old fraud keeps preaching the Formless Divine Skill to him, but in the end it's just the Void Grand Method used to deceive him. Li Yuncong, Li Yuncong—others may not know your deceit, but I do; you've schemed against me, and I will repay you double in the future.

Li Yuncong didn't come empty-handed; he specially brought a box of thousand-year-old ginseng and a box of top-grade imperial swallow's nest. Smiling, he said: "I heard Elder Hu fell seriously ill after returning from Tianlong Temple; the Zajia has been worried sick, came early to check on you, and seeing you're fine, they can relax."

Hu Xiaotian sat beside him, sighed, and said: "Sir Li, who says I'm fine? This time I'm in big trouble!"

Tonight, classmates from out of town came over, we drank until ten and then went home; I've just finished writing a chapter, and today I at least met the minimum quota. People in this world ought to observe some basic courtesies; some things can't be avoided. Although the update is late, I still want to cast a few monthly tickets. I'm drunk and dizzy, so I've thrown propriety out the window—I dare ask for votes on two chapters! Brothers and sisters, please cast your votes for me; I'll surely update more tomorrow! (To be continued~^~)