Night had already fallen by the time he returned to the palace. The more Hu Xiaotian thought about it, the stranger it seemed. The old beggar certainly had not gone to the Eunuch Cemetery by chance, and teaching him those two martial arts must have been deliberate. Though his looks were passable, he was hardly a martial prodigy with extraordinary bones, a commanding presence, and talent found in one man out of ten thousand. There was no reason the old man simply had to pass his skills on to him. If it was merely because he had eaten the offerings, that explanation was far too strained. There had to be another reason behind it. Unless the old beggar told him, Hu Xiaotian would never find the answer. One thing was certain, though: he had not come out the loser in this affair. Well, he had suffered a small loss-the old beggar had actually kissed him several times with that greasy, filthy mouth. Even thinking about it made him feel a little sick.
When Hu Xiaotian returned to the Palace Gardens Bureau, he met Xiao Zhuozi coming toward him with a lantern before he even reached the entrance. At the sight of him, Xiao Zhuozi cried in delighted relief, "My lord, you're finally back! His Majesty felt unwell and summoned you to Xuanwei Palace. We've been looking everywhere for you, frantic enough to burst into flames!"
"When did this happen?" Hu Xiaotian asked.
"An hour ago. Eunuch Yin, who attends His Majesty, came in person to deliver the message."
After a moment's thought, Hu Xiaotian knew it had to be Yin Zheng. Just last night, he had asked him to arrange an audience with the emperor. He had not expected the fellow to work so efficiently and settle it so quickly.