Chapter 91

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "I am indeed Hu Xiaotian, a junior. I came to Xichuan and passed through Xiezhou, hearing that Uncle Zhou is here, so I specially came to pay my respects." He was also making things up as he went along; if he knew Zhou Ruiyuan was in Xiezhou, he would have avoided it at all costs.

The middle-aged beautiful woman smiled and said, "My brother and your father served in the same court and were always close friends. Although my brother has resigned and returned to his hometown, he has never forgotten his old friend, Hu Daren, these past three years!"

Hu Xiaotian thought to himself, "If one remembers, there must be a response. The Zhou family's response must be revenge." He pondered, "This Zhou Ruiyuan's sister is no ordinary person. Given her position, she couldn't possibly be unaware of the old grudge between Zhou Ruiyuan and my father. To speak so tactfully to the son of her enemy, hiding her sharpness, is no easy feat. Such a woman appears gentle but is actually as hard as iron. I must be on guard. Although Zhou Ruiyuan has been demoted to a commoner, Xichuan is still his hometown. The Zhou family might still bear a grudge over my father's past actions and take this opportunity to seek revenge on me."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "I often hear my father mention Uncle Zhou. He often says that if it weren't for some unforeseen circumstances, our two families would have already become one." Hu Xiaotian was not a good-natured person. If you play tricks with me, I'll play tricks back, and make it clear that it wasn't our Hu family who wronged your Zhou family first, but your Zhou family who wronged us first.

The middle-aged beautiful woman smiled and nodded. Indeed, it was the Zhou family who broke off the engagement first, but at that time, it was said that Hu Buwei's son was a deaf and mute fool. The Hu Xiaotian before her, however, was eloquent and sharp from head to toe, showing no signs of foolishness. The middle-aged beautiful woman said, "Nephew, my brother is traveling in Beichuan and won't be back for a while."

Hu Xiaotian sighed, appearing quite regretful, "What a coincidence."

The middle-aged beautiful woman smiled and said, "As long as you are in Xichuan, we will have the chance to meet. Don't you think so?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded. By this time, the skin on his left hand had returned to normal, and he felt no discomfort. His breathing and pulse were completely normal, indicating that the antidote given by Qiqi had not been tampered with. Hu Xiaotian thought, "This Zhou family is not a place to stay for long. The longer I stay, the more trouble I might encounter." He stood up to take his leave, "Aunt Zhou, I have important matters to attend to, so I must go now!"

The middle-aged beautiful woman did not try to retain him. Just before leaving, Hu Xiaotian stopped and said, "The coiled dragon jade pendant is a gift from an old gentleman. Please, Aunt Zhou, return it to me." Hu Xiaotian was not a miser, but that didn't mean he treated money like dirt. What's mine is mine, and I will take it with me. Besides, from Xiezhou to Qingyun County, he and Murong Feiyun had no money at all. They couldn't walk there on an empty stomach. The coiled dragon jade pendant, a gift from the old eunuch An Dequan, could be pawned for some silver in a pinch.

The middle-aged beautiful woman glanced at Qiqi, who nodded. This little girl had finally done something fair. With her testimony, the middle-aged beautiful woman did not tamper with the jade pendant and returned it to Hu Xiaotian without hesitation.

Hu Xiaotian didn't say much. He didn't want to get involved with these people, especially Qiqi, who had a very unusual background. It was best to clear the relationship as soon as possible and get as far away as possible.

Qiqi, however, showed a hint of reluctance, "Brother Hu, Sister Murong, I will miss you both!"

Murong Feiyun smiled, but Hu Xiaotian left without looking back, "Miss us? I'll be grateful if you don't cause trouble!"

Outside the door, Hu Xiaotian took out his water pouch, drank a few sips, and rinsed his mouth repeatedly until the water was gone. He wiped his lips and sighed, "What a stench! If only I could buy a pack of gum."

"Chewing gum?" Murong Feiyun was confused by the new term.

Hu Xiaotian realized he had spoken out of turn and explained with a smile, "It's like sesame candy!"

Murong Feiyun understood, "There's a stand at the corner. I saw it earlier."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and spread his hands, "Unfortunately, we don't have a single copper coin between us."

Murong Feiyun, hearing this, also became worried and said, "This is indeed a problem. Losing our travel money is one thing, but losing the official seal and documents is another. Even if we reach Qingyun County, how can we gain anyone's trust?"

Murong Feiyun's concern was valid, but given the situation, they had to accept reality. Hu Xiaotian smiled, "When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a path. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten out. A ninth-rank official is nothing to lose."

Murong Feiyun said, "Not serving is defying the imperial command. Since we have received the emperor's grace, everything we do must be worthy of the current emperor. I think we should go to the Xiezhou Prefecture first, explain our situation, and see how to resolve it."

Hu Xiaotian originally planned to go to the pawnshop to pawn the coiled dragon jade pendant and get some silver for travel expenses. But hearing Murong Feiyun's suggestion, he thought it made sense. They were in such a dire situation that there was no need to hide their identities. Losing the official seal and documents might mean they would have to return home, but he wasn't worried about the court's punishment. With his father's support, nothing serious would happen.

The two of them found their way to the Xiezhou Prefecture, but being unfamiliar with the area, they ended up in the most famous red-light district of Xiezhou. As dusk approached, red lights were lit at every door, and the sounds of women's soft and alluring voices could be heard everywhere. Lavishly decorated carriages passed by them one after another.

Hu Xiaotian felt that Xiezhou was a prosperous and bustling place. He looked around with wide eyes, occasionally seeing women standing at the doors, waving and making alluring gestures. This was the first time he had seen such a large-scale scene, and he couldn't help but smile.

Murong Feiyun, who was used to such scenes, knew where they were. She frowned and urged, "Let's go!" Seeing Hu Xiaotian's shameless smile, she knew he was up to no good.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Are you worried I'll go in? Don't worry, I might have the heart, but I don't have the money."

Murong Feiyun said, "What you want to do is your own business. I don't care."

Just then, they saw a crowd gathering ahead, with occasional shouts and screams. The two of them bypassed the crowd, as they were in Xiezhou and had their own troubles, so they had no interest in getting involved.

As they passed by the crowd, they heard a voice cry out, "You actually hit me! Do you know who my master is... Ow... the Ministry of Revenue... Ow..."

Murong Feiyun and Hu Xiaotian exchanged glances, both showing surprise. The voice belonged to Liang Dazhuang. They never expected to find him here, and even more surprisingly, he was being beaten.

Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyun hurriedly pushed through the crowd. Murong Feiyun, with her martial arts skills, moved faster, pushing aside two people and seeing a burly man with a thick wooden stick about to hit a fat man on the ground, who was already bruised and swollen. Murong Feiyun quickly rushed forward, grabbed the end of the stick with her right hand, and shouted, "Stop!"

The burly man tried to pull the stick from her hand but found it as if it were rooted. He used all his strength, but the stick didn't budge. His face turned red, and his neck veins bulged. Murong Feiyun coldly hummed and suddenly let go. The burly man, due to the force of his pull, stumbled backward and fell to the ground, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.

By this time, Hu Xiaotian had helped the beaten-up Liang Dazhuang, who looked like a pig's head, to his feet. If it weren't for his voice, even his own father might not recognize him.

Liang Dazhuang, with a pained expression, saw Hu Xiaotian and tears welled up in his eyes, "Young Master... they... they hit me..."

From the door, five more burly men rushed out, each holding a stick, looking fierce. Behind them was a heavily made-up, flamboyantly dressed, and extremely vulgar fat woman. She held a handkerchief, pointed at Liang Dazhuang with her short, thick finger, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Beat him hard! Do you know what kind of place my Huancailou is? You dare to eat and drink for free and even try to play with my girls for free? I will skin you alive and cut off your manhood!"