Chapter 4

Liang Dazhuang quietly turned his head to look back, quickly closed his small eyes, and inwardly sighed, "Young Master, Young Master, you've fallen ill again!"

As the red-clothed girl was being tormented by Hu Xiaotian, she let out a series of "pu! pu! pu!" sounds, spitting out several mouthfuls of clear water. Due to drinking too much water, the pressure in her abdomen was immense, and the water she spat out was quite forceful, hitting Hu Xiaotian's crotch without exception. The water, heated to 37 degrees Celsius, made Hu Xiaotian's previously cold and wet crotch feel a faint warmth.

After the water was expelled, the next step in the standard rescue procedure was artificial respiration, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Hu Xiaotian had already prepared for this, but when it came time to implement it, he found that the red-clothed girl had already resumed breathing on her own, though weakly. From her current vital signs, it seemed she was not in serious danger. Therefore, Hu Xiaotian did not need to continue with actions that would challenge public morals and shock the onlookers. He was about to gently lay the girl down.

Outside, a series of urgent hoofbeats could be heard. The onlookers quickly scattered, and a group of over twenty warriors led by a black-faced, muscular man in a green brocade robe galloped over. The black-faced man had a square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, a flat nose, and thick lips. Although he was robust, his appearance was extremely ugly. He rode a black stallion and roared, "What the hell! Who dares to snatch my sister? I'll tear them to pieces!"

The group of over twenty, dressed in bright clothes and riding fierce horses, arrived with a menacing air, scaring away the tourists who feared being caught up in the chaos.

Liang Dazhuang, who was well-informed in the capital, immediately recognized the black-faced man as Tang Wenzheng's eldest son, Tang Tieshan. Tang Tieshan was a bully in the capital, relying on his father's power to control the horse market, making huge profits, and maintaining a group of idle thugs who terrorized the market. The horse market was not far from Cuiyun Lake, and he had just heard that his sister had been thrown into the lake by a group of ruffians and then rescued and humiliated. In the horse market area, no one was more of a ruffian than he was. Anyone who dared to bully his sister was asking for trouble, and it was a public insult to the Tang family. Tang Tieshan immediately gathered over twenty of his men, fully armed, and galloped over to rescue his sister.

Seeing Tang Tieshan and his men approaching, Liang Dazhuang's face changed, and he hurriedly warned Hu Xiaotian, "Young Master, things are not good... They're here to cause trouble."

In fact, there was no need for him to say anything; the commotion had already caught Hu Xiaotian's attention.

Hu Fuo also said, "Young Master, get on the horse and go first, we'll cover you..." His loyalty was evident, but his legs were trembling, and his voice was clearly strained. These servants, though physically strong, lacked combat experience and were used to relying on their master's position to bully others. When faced with over twenty men charging at them, they were nearly frightened out of their wits.

Hu Xiaotian looked at the chestnut horse tied to the tree. Even if his riding skills were not great, he knew he couldn't escape from the pursuit of those twenty men. However, Hu Xiaotian was not afraid at all. He looked at the group of menacing warriors and said casually, "Why should we run? Dakan also has laws."

Liang Dazhuang gripped the hilt of his waist knife, mustered his courage, and stepped forward to block the path of Tang Tieshan and his men. He roared, not to scare them but to boost his own courage, "Who are you?"

Tang Tieshan and his black-clothed warriors approached like a dark cloud, and in a moment, they were less than five zhang away from Liang Dazhuang. Tang Tieshan, holding a bronze staff, glared and roared like a thunderclap, making Liang Dazhuang shudder, "I am Tang Tieshan, the invincible champion of the horse market. You blind fools, how dare you snatch my sister!"

Liang Dazhuang inwardly lamented the difficulty of the situation and the lack of consideration from the young master. He moved closer and whispered, "Even the dragon king's temple can be flooded, and family members can fail to recognize each other. Brother Tang, our master is the Minister of Revenue, Hu Daren! Show some respect!" He had to bring up his master's name in a critical moment.

Tang Tieshan saw his sister lying motionless on the grass, with Hu Xiaotian half-naked beside her and her waist belt thrown nearby. He didn't know what this man had done to his sister, and his anger flared. He didn't care about the status of the Minister of Revenue; his father was also a high-ranking official. He spurred his horse, and the black stallion reared up, nearly throwing Tang Tieshan off. He raised his bronze staff and charged at Hu Xiaotian, determined to crush him into a pulp.

The servants, including Liang Dazhuang, were all frightened and hid to the side. In a critical moment, their true nature was revealed; they were all cowards, and none were willing to risk their lives for their master. Servants had principles; they sold their bodies but not their lives!

Hu Xiaotian, however, remained smiling. He had a dagger in his hand, and the sharp blade was lightly pressed against the red-clothed girl's white and tender neck. He smiled and said to Tang Tieshan, "Do you believe I'll cut your sister's throat?"

Tang Tieshan pulled back on the reins in shock, and the black stallion neighed, its hooves rising high, nearly throwing Tang Tieshan off. He was furious but dared not risk his sister's life. He threatened, "If you touch a single hair on my sister, I'll tear you to pieces!"

Hu Xiaotian sighed, "Threaten me? I'm not afraid of death, so why would I be afraid of your threats?" He moved the dagger, cutting a strand of the girl's hair. "A single hair? I'll cut a whole strand."

"You..."

Hu Xiaotian looked at Tang Tieshan coldly, "You may not be very smart, but you need to learn to be more sensible. If your sister dies, it will be because of you, and you'll have a guilty conscience for the rest of your life. Step back now!"

At that moment, the over twenty warriors surrounded Hu Xiaotian and his group.

Hu Xiaotian stood up, holding the dazed red-clothed girl, the dagger pressed against her back. He said with a smile, "All of you get off your horses, or I'll cut your sister's throat right in front of you!" Hu Xiaotian knew he was just bluffing; if the black man and his men charged, he wouldn't actually harm anyone. But he was sure Tang Tieshan wouldn't dare to do it. He never thought he would resort to hostage-taking, but it was the only way to control the situation.

Seeing that Tang Tieshan still didn't dismount, Hu Xiaotian shouted, "Get off your horses! Do you really want to see me dissect your sister right here?"

Tang Tieshan didn't know what "dissect" meant, but he was frightened by Hu Xiaotian's shout. He waved his hand, signaling everyone to dismount. The warriors followed his order and got off their horses.

Hu Xiaotian had his men bring three horses over, handed the red-clothed girl to Liang Dazhuang, and had him continue to hold her hostage with the knife at her neck. Hu Xiaotian then mounted the chestnut horse.

Tang Tieshan said, "Let my sister go!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Let her go? Ha, I'll think about it when I get home." He raised his whip and rode towards the Minister of Revenue's residence, with four servants riding the horses they had taken, holding the red-clothed girl and following behind.

Tang Tieshan, seeing them take his sister away, quickly mounted his horse and led his men in pursuit. The onlookers cheered, and some even followed to watch the spectacle, shouting, "Kidnapping! Kidnapping! The Minister of Revenue's son is kidnapping a girl!"

Hu Xiaotian, hearing the shouts, couldn't help but laugh. Kidnapping a girl, ha, being a wicked young master who kidnaps girls isn't so bad!

Cuiyun Lake was not far from the Minister of Revenue's residence, and Hu Xiaotian and his group knew the way well. Although Tang Tieshan and his men continued to pursue them, they didn't dare to get too close, fearing that Hu Xiaotian might really harm his sister. They only shouted threats and tried to persuade him, but Hu Xiaotian remained unmoved, watching as they took his sister into the Minister of Revenue's residence.

Tang Tieshan led his men to the back gate, which was already tightly closed. The servants inside had bolted the door. Tang Tieshan shouted, "Hu Xiaotian, listen to me! My father is the current Deputy Minister of the Imperial Stables. If you dare to kidnap my sister, he can have you executed with your entire family." He didn't consider that it wasn't easy for his father to see the emperor.

Back at the Minister of Revenue's residence, the servants regained their spirits. Hu Xiaotian had the still dazed red-clothed girl tied up. He had just experienced her fiery and fierce nature, and the whip she had given him still stung.

Hearing Tang Tieshan's continuous curses outside, Hu Xiaotian laughed, "What Deputy Minister of the Imperial Stables? He's just a stable master." He asked Liang Dazhuang, "What rank is the Deputy Minister of the Imperial Stables?"

Liang Dazhuang whispered, "Sixth rank!" Then he added, full of flattery, "Our master is third rank!" His tone was filled with pride.

Hu Xiaotian calculated that his father was third rank, and the difference between the two families was significant. A higher rank could crush the other. His father could easily overpower Tang Tieshan's father with his position.

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