Blood will tell (Part two)

Hu Xiaotian feigned terror. "Execute my whole family? Scared! I'm so scared!" The servants behind him burst into laughter. Backing up their master was part of their duty, after all.

Shi Xuedong sneered. "Isn't it a little late to be scared now?"

Hu Xiaotian took a step forward and chuckled. "But if this thing wasn't bestowed on you by His Majesty, and it's just some piece of junk you bought from a street stall, then you're guilty of deceiving the emperor! You've been swindling people under the false pretense of acting on His Majesty's orders and tarnishing his reputation. That crime won't just get your whole family executed-it'll wipe out all nine degrees of your kin!"

Shi Xuedong's expression changed abruptly. The jade pendant was indeed a cheap trinket he had bought from a street stall. He carried it around to bluff and swindle people, and the trick had never failed him. Before meeting Hu Xiaotian, he had never slipped up once. He had never expected to encounter someone today who would see straight through his game.

Hu Xiaotian cast a cold glance at the pack of disreputable friends surrounding Shi Xuedong. "Don't stand so close to him. When they wipe out his nine degrees of kin, they might count you in too!"

With a sudden rustle, his entire pack of cronies backed away, leaving Shi Xuedong facing Hu Xiaotian alone. In times like these, loyalty was worth less than dirt.

Shi Jingde inwardly groaned. This little bastard really dares to say anything! When did His Majesty ever bestow a jade pendant on our family? How could I not know about it? This nephew of mine is nothing but trouble. Now he's met his match. Who exactly is this brat? Doesn't he know how powerful our family is? He quietly asked Murong Feiyan, "Who is he?"

Seeing Shi Xuedong's bluster utterly crushed by Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan was secretly delighted. It seemed her decision to drag Hu Xiaotian into this mess had been absolutely right. When Shi Jingde asked, she naturally dared not conceal anything. Leaning close to his ear, she quietly told him who Hu Xiaotian was.

Only then did Shi Jingde understand. So he was the son of Hu Buwei, the minister of revenue. No wonder the brat was so overbearing.

Shi Xuedong snapped, "Do you know who I am? My father is a third-rank official of the court, Minister of Personnel Shi-"

"Shut up!" Shi Jingde's furious roar cut off his nephew's reckless babbling. At a time like this, invoking his father's name before so many witnesses was stupidity beyond belief. Even if no one else smeared their family's reputation, he was volunteering to slap mud all over its front gate himself. This nephew was an utter fool.

Although his uncle had interrupted Shi Xuedong, Hu Xiaotian had heard enough. Third rank? Fuck! Didn't that Murong chick say his father was fifth rank? A third-rank minister of personnel? Fuck, isn't that Shi Buchui? My father's closest friend!

Only now did Hu Xiaotian realize he had been set up, and the culprit was none other than that Murong chick. Fury surged through him! He glared at Murong Feiyan, but what infuriated him even more was that she refused to so much as glance at him. Was she feeling guilty, or smug? Damn her grandmother! Fuck your uncle! Hu Xiaotian's lungs were about to burst with rage. No, this has nothing to do with her uncle. Every grievance has its culprit, every debt its debtor. Fuck you! I'm not letting this go! You screwed me over, and I've screwed my father over. Haven't we just acted out a real-life "screw your dad over" drama today? If my father finds out, he'll never let me off.

Shi Jingde's face darkened. "Take both of them away!" Matters had reached the point where an audience was no longer needed. If this continued, the trouble would only grow.

Murong Feiyan was not worried about Hu Xiaotian. Given his background, Shi Jingde could not do anything to him. The ones she truly cared about were Fang Zhitang and his daughter. She quietly asked Shi Jingde how he intended to deal with them. Shi Jingde clearly had no patience left for such trifles. Upon learning that Fang Zhitang's life was not in danger, he waved a hand. "Give the father and daughter twenty taels of silver and tell them to keep quiet."

It was not that Shi Jingde did not want to seek justice for his nephew. Rather, after learning the full story of today's incident, he understood that his nephew must have caused it. The boy's antics were growing more outrageous by the day; now he had even started molesting a blind girl. If word got out, he would disgrace the entire Shi family. Ordinarily, Shi Jingde would not have needed to pay twenty taels of silver to settle the matter, but Hu Xiaotian's involvement had made things rather thorny.

Shi Jingde knew about the friendship between Shi Buchui and Hu Buwei. Especially at a time like this, their two families should not come into conflict. He had the two troublesome brats escorted outside. Once they reached a deserted spot, he dismissed everyone else and called the two of them into the Wind and Rain Pavilion.

Shi Jingde sighed. "This is truly a flood washing over the Dragon King's temple-members of the same family failing to recognize one another. If your fathers knew you two were carrying on like this outside, fighting as though only one of you could live, how do you think they would feel?"

Hu Xiaotian hung his head without speaking. Although he utterly despised Shi Xuedong, he had been set up today and used as a weapon by Murong Feiyan. That sense of defeat was impossible to put into words.

Shi Xuedong said nothing either, because he knew he was in the wrong. No one understood what had happened better than he did. Seeing that the blind girl, Fang Fang, was rather pretty, he had devised a little trick. As he passed her, he deliberately bumped into her and tossed his jade pendant onto the ground, shattering it so he could frame her. He simply had not expected what followed. Even as he inwardly cursed his bad luck, Shi Xuedong hated Hu Xiaotian to the core. He was narrow-minded by nature, and Hu Xiaotian had slapped him twice in front of everyone. How could he leave such a monstrous humiliation unavenged? But today was certainly not the time for revenge.

Shi Jingde spoke earnestly. "Your fathers serve at the same court and are the closest of friends. They assist His Majesty, bending their backs and exhausting themselves in his service. Even if you two cannot ease their burdens, you should at least stop stirring up trouble all day and adding to their worries. Fortunately, today's incident hasn't gotten out of hand. I think we should let it end here. As the saying goes, you don't get acquainted until you've traded blows. When you meet again, you'll still be brothers." Shi Jingde had stepped in as the peacemaker.

Hu Xiaotian made no objection. He was well accustomed to being two-faced. Although he despised Shi Xuedong, he had come out ahead in every way today, so he could afford to be particularly magnanimous. Besides, the man acting as referee was Shi Xuedong's own second uncle. By declaring this round a draw, he had already shown Hu Xiaotian plenty of consideration. Hu Xiaotian therefore had no intention of refusing to let the matter rest. A wise man knew which way the wind blew. Shi Xuedong might be a worthless bastard, but appearances still had to be maintained.

Although Shi Xuedong hated Hu Xiaotian to the core, he was, after all, the son of an official. Raised in such a household and steeped in its ways from childhood, he was thoroughly practiced in officialdom's false affection and outward compliance masking inward defiance. He actually managed to force out a smile. "Brother Hu, I truly didn't know you were Uncle Hu's son. How embarrassing, how embarrassing! This really was a flood washing over the Dragon King's temple-our own family failing to recognize one another. For such a misunderstanding to arise, it's my fault. Entirely my fault."

Hu Xiaotian promptly took the offered way out. He stepped forward warmly and clasped Shi Xuedong's hand. "Brother Shi, everything that happened today was my fault. If you're angry with me, give me a good beating. I won't fight back."

Shi Xuedong silently cursed him. Wouldn't a beating let you off far too cheaply? Even killing you wouldn't quell my hatred. Brat, this isn't over between us!

Both brats were hypocrites to the marrow. They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with the utmost warmth, looking as though nothing had happened. Seeing them like this, Shi Jingde felt greatly reassured. After all, enmity was better untangled than knotted tighter. If a serious incident truly erupted, it would benefit neither the Shi family nor the Hu family.

Shi Xuedong said, "Brother Hu, I have a presumptuous request."

Seeing that the fellow still clung to his hand, Hu Xiaotian was just about to pull free when he heard that Shi Xuedong wanted something from him. Wariness immediately stirred in his heart. Has this bastard still not given up? Is he still thinking about that blind girl, Fang Fang? Does he want me to stay out of his business? No! On a matter of principle, I won't yield an inch! Yet his face wore a smile as warm as a spring breeze. "Please go ahead, Brother Shi!"

Shi Xuedong said, "You don't get acquainted until you've traded blows. Although our first meeting was unpleasant, for some reason I don't feel the slightest resentment toward you. Instead, I feel especially close to you. I'd like to become sworn brothers with you. What do you think?"

Hu Xiaotian's head began to throb the moment he heard this. Fuck! Why don't you piss yourself a puddle and take a good look at your reflection? Your reputation is rotten, your morals are rotten, and your name stinks to high heaven. If I become your sworn brother, wouldn't I just be inviting people to smear me too?

Narrow-minded though Shi Xuedong was, his ability to keep up appearances was first-rate. He gazed at Hu Xiaotian with a face full of eager anticipation.

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