Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly. Even now, that old fox Xie Jian was still trying to bluff. He said calmly, "Mr. Xie, we both know what is going on. There seems little point in saying such things now."
Embarrassment crossed Xie Jian's face. Indeed, with matters having reached this point, saying such things only made him look shallow. He sighed. "You have already gotten what you wanted. Why come here again? Do you truly intend to hunt every last one of us down?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "I have always admired you, Mr. Xie. Unfortunately, a bright pearl like you has been cast into darkness, leaving you unable to fulfill your ambitions. How could this tiny Ji City ever give you room to show your true abilities?"
Xie Jian smiled bitterly. "I have no lofty ambitions. All I ask is to scrape by in peace. Now that my lord has met his end, I will find somewhere quiet to live in seclusion once I have settled his funeral affairs. Rest assured, I will never oppose you again."
Hu Xiaotian said, "In these troubled times, do you really think you can find the peace you seek?"
Xie Jian said quietly, "As long as I preserve the peace within my heart, the mortal world cannot disturb me."
Hu Xiaotian said, "I simply feel it is a pity. Neither Guo Guangbi nor his son was capable of great things. They were brutal and shortsighted. They once held the advantages of Xingzhou and commanded nearly a hundred thousand men, yet they refused to heed your advice and made one foolish move after another. That was how they ended up fleeing to Ji City, deserted by followers and kin alike, and falling into their present predicament. After Guo Guangbi's death, his subordinates, instead of uniting, rushed to