Xue Shengjing said, "Liu Changsheng has already been killed by Li Chenzhou. There's no longer any point in your staying in Great Yong. Brother, why not leave as soon as possible, before you draw fire upon yourself?" He sounded as though he truly had Hu Xiaotian's interests at heart.
Hu Xiaotian heard the hidden meaning in his words and said softly, "Liu Changsheng may be dead, but Liu Yucheng is still alive. I bear some responsibility for the predicament they ended up in. As long as there's a thread of hope, I'll help him to the end."
Xue Shengjing said, "Your loyalty truly reaches the clouds, brother. You'd take blades through both sides for a friend, even if it meant venturing into danger."
Hu Xiaotian said, "I feel the same way about you, Big Brother. Ever since I heard something had happened to you, food had no flavor and I couldn't sleep peacefully. I tried every means I could to find out where you were. Now I can finally set my mind at ease."
Xue Shengjing said, "You truly are a good brother to me. Adversity reveals true friendship. I thought no one cared whether I lived or died anymore." Their words were warm, but hypocrisy seeped through them. Both knew perfectly well how deep their sworn brotherhood ran: it was nothing more than an alliance of interests.
Hu Xiaotian said, "Rest assured, Big Brother. Your affairs are my affairs. We're sworn brothers who bowed eight times together, so of course we should share hardship. Besides, for Xiaoru's sake alone, I have to help you."
Xue Shengjing had actually felt somewhat moved, but only when he heard the last part did he realize how wrong those words sounded. So it was still for his daughter's sake. *Hu Xiaotian, oh, Hu