Chapter 3, Inversion of Black and White (Part 2)

Tang Tiehan and Tang Tiecheng also approached, and to be honest, neither of these two boys are particularly clever. Tang Tiehan spoke in a rough voice: "Father, that lecherous scoundrel Hu Xiaotian actually forced my sister; we cannot let him off the hook!"

The more than one hundred brothers they brought, under his instigation, suddenly regained their confidence and shouted in unison: "Kill the lecher, avenge Miss Tang!" The sound of over one hundred voices raised together was extraordinary, and it could surely be heard clearly within a radius of one mile.

Tang Wenzheng sat in Hu Buwei's carriage, his heart ablaze with anxiety. Although the carriage was already moving swiftly, he still wished he could sprout wings and fly directly to the Ministry of Personnel to rescue his beloved daughter. On his way to find Hu Buwei, he had learned that his two sons had already gone to the Ministry of Personnel to save her. Tang Wenzheng sent someone to stop his sons from causing any trouble while he personally sought out Hu Buwei. In his heart, Tang Wenzheng wished he could kill Hu Buwei's foolish son, but after all, they were both officials in the same court, and Hu Buwei was the Minister of Revenue, holding a rank far superior to his own. Deep down, he had many reservations. At that moment, Tang Wenzheng did not even dare to think too much; what if his precious daughter were to be defiled by Hu Buwei's foolish son? How would he handle such a situation?

Hu Buwei, upon seeing the chaotic scene before him, first located his precious son amidst the crowd. Seeing that he was unharmed, he immediately felt relieved and let out a cold snort from his nostrils, saying, "Nonsense!" Although his voice was not loud, it was full of vigor, and as soon as he spoke, he had already captured the attention of everyone present.

In a moment, the crowd surged with emotions, and the situation seemed to be spiraling out of control. Although Hu Tianxiong possessed formidable martial skills, he found it difficult to contend against multiple opponents. The servants of the Ministry of Personnel, sensing the unfavorable situation, were so frightened that they did not know where to hide.

Tang Wenzheng heard it clearly and was immediately taken aback, his heart secretly calling it bad. Could it be that his daughter had already fallen victim to the wicked hands of a scoundrel? Oh dear, if anything were to happen to my daughter Qingxuan, I, Tang Wenzheng, would risk my life and fortune to seek justice from you, Hu Buwei

Murong Feiyan saw the Minister of Revenue approaching and hurriedly lowered her head, bent her waist, and walked quickly to greet him. This is known as approaching to pay respects. When she reached a distance of about seven feet from Hu Buwei, she placed her hands on her chest, slightly bowed her head, made a slight movement with her hands, and slightly bent her knees. This is referred to as a woman's bow. She was merely an eighth-rank guard with a sword, yet she had to observe all the proper etiquette in front of a third-rank official of the current dynasty.

Although Hu Buwei had dispatched his personal guard Hu Tianxiong to proceed first, he appeared calm on the surface, yet he felt quite anxious inside. Regarding his son Hu Xiaotian's intelligence, Hu Buwei was still uncertain. Even though his son miraculously regained his sanity and suddenly began to speak six months ago, Hu Buwei always felt that this situation was peculiar, making it difficult to say whether his son's condition might relapse. Therefore, when he heard Tang Wenzheng mention this matter today, his first reaction was that his son might have relapsed.

Kill the lecher and avenge Miss Tang

Hu Buwei completely ignored her explanation and walked past her, clearly not considering a mere constable from the Jingzhao Prefecture worthy of his attention. His gaze fixed on his precious son, Hu Xiaotian, and in an instant, his expression turned fierce as he shouted: "You wretched child, I will settle the score with you later!" If it were an ordinary person, they would likely ask what was going on. However, Hu Buwei would not make such a mistake. Everything he saw indicated that the reasoning was mostly on the side of the Tang family, and he had no intention of revealing the truth in front of so many people. If he were to confirm in front of this crowd that his son had forcibly taken a commoner woman, the situation would only become more unfavorable. If they were to pursue the matter, he would undoubtedly find himself in an extremely passive position, unable to extricate himself from the predicament.

In this situation, Hu Xiaotian surprisingly showed no signs of fear, still wearing a smiling expression on his face. He nodded and said, "Captain Murong is right; impulsiveness is the devil. Dakang has its own laws and regulations, and the authorities will determine what is right and what is wrong!"

Initially, Hu Xiaotian was filled with gratitude for this fellow's timely rescue. However, upon seeing his demeanor and hearing his overwhelming sense of superiority, as if he were afraid others wouldn't know it was Hu Tianxiong who saved him, I couldn't help but exclaim, can't you just stop showing off?

The comparison between the peacock and the cormorant clearly shows that the former is more sophisticated and elegant. As for the gem on the cap, Hu Buwei's ruby is at least four times larger than Tang Wenzheng's small sapphire. As the saying goes, "People die comparing themselves to others, and goods are discarded when compared." When a third-rank official and a sixth-rank official stand side by side, the difference becomes immediately apparent. In terms of stature, Tang Wenzheng stands at eight feet tall, over 1.8 meters. Hu Buwei has an average build, barely reaching seven feet. However, Hu Buwei wears official boots with a thick sole of at least seven centimeters, which significantly enhances his height. Coupled with his imposing presence, even without anger, standing next to Tang Wenzheng, it can be said that in every aspect, he completely overshadows Tang Wenzheng, who appears rather shabby in comparison.

Tang Qingxuan did not care who he was; all she could think about was killing Hu Xiaotian. She wanted to charge forward, but was caught by Murong Feiyan. This time, Murong Feiyan had learned her lesson. Tang Qingxuan was blinded by rage, and there was no telling whether she might turn her aggression towards herself. So, she simply embraced Tang Qingxuan from behind and whispered, "Qingxuan, don't make a scene"

Hu Xiaotian observed every move of Murong Feiyan and realized that the etiquette of Dakang was not much different from that of ancient Huaxia. His knowledge of classical Chinese literature was quite profound, and as he watched their gestures and actions, he unconsciously began to make comparisons.

Murong Feiyan, upon witnessing the scene before her, felt not disappointment but rather a deep sense of relief. Hu Tianxiong's intervention could be said to have pulled everyone back from a tremendous predicament. Although her long sword was not an extraordinary weapon, it was crafted from high-quality steel, making it significantly stronger than ordinary blades. Tang Qingxuan had practiced martial arts since childhood, and her arm strength was exceptional. Coupled with her furious and forceful throw, the power was formidable. If that sword were to strike Hu Xiaotian, he would not only be gravely injured but might also face death. Her long sword, while not a peerless divine weapon, was still made of superior steel, far surpassing common swords. Tang Qingxuan's martial training from a young age endowed her with remarkable strength, and her furious throw added to the sword's lethal potential. If that sword were to pierce Hu Xiaotian, he would not survive without severe injuries.

Hu Buwei gave a slight nod, his expression gentle as he said, "I never expected that the domestic affairs of the Hu and Tang families would actually disturb the Jingzhao Prefecture!" Hu Buwei, being cunning and shrewd, did not reprimand the young female captain before him, yet his casual remark highlighted two key points. First, he characterized today's conflict as a domestic matter, implying that the intervention of the Jingzhao Prefecture under this premise meant meddling in others' affairs.

Hu Buwei frowned slightly upon hearing the insolent remarks of the young man. He did not say much and walked slowly towards Hu Xiaotian

Hu Buwei was startled by the shout; he had only this one precious son, who had been foolish and simple for sixteen years, unable to even speak a word. It was only half a year since the boy had just begun to regain his senses, yet he had caused such a calamity. What Hu Buwei was most worried about now was not the extent of the trouble his son had caused, but rather whether his son was safe and sound.

When the Tang siblings and their more than one hundred friends were preparing to swiftly punish Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan realized the situation was critical. She tightly embraced Tang Qingxuan and loudly said: "Everyone, listen to me. Hu Xiaotian is lawless and commits crimes; the authorities will punish him. You must not act impulsively." On the surface, she was preventing the Tang siblings from protecting Hu Xiaotian, but in reality, she was thinking of the Tang family. After all, Murong Feiyan held a position in the government and had some understanding of the complexities involved.

Murong Feiyan glared at him fiercely, cursing inwardly. This debauched scion is truly shameless to the extreme. Having done such a brazen thing, he now has the audacity to speak such words. You dare to invoke national laws, which is a clear case of knowing the law and yet breaking it

Hu Tianxiong is the foremost martial artist of the Ministry of Rites. His arrival immediately altered the situation on the scene. He suddenly stomped his right foot on the white jade lotus pillar of the railing and then soared into the air. Although his flying posture was not as graceful and ethereal as that of Tang Qingxuan and Murong Feiyan, his somersault was still high and airy. In mid-air, he performed a forward flip with a twist, and by the time he landed, he was already protecting Hu Xiaotian. In his hand, he wielded a waist knife, creating a dazzling display of cold light in front of him. With one hand, he lifted his outer robe, and with the other, he held the waist knife horizontally in front of him, the blade facing outward, presenting a typical heroic entrance. He puffed out his chest and, with full vigor, declared: "Halt! Bold rodents, with me, Hu Tianxiong, present, who dares to harm my young master!"

At this moment, Hu Xiaotian had already seen his father's figure appear at the entrance of the courtyard, accompanied by a stout and dark-skinned middle-aged man. Both were dressed in official robes, and the differences could be discerned from their attire. Hu Buwei's chest emblem was a peacock, with a ruby adorning the top of his cap, connected above by carved coral. Tang Wenzheng held the rank of a sixth-grade official, with a heron emblem on his chest, a small sapphire on the top of his cap, and a shell ornament above.

Tang Qingxuan saw her father coming and her eyes turned red. She twisted her delicate body to break free from Murong Feiyan's embrace, called out "Father," and then rushed over, throwing herself into her father's arms. In an instant, tears streamed down like rain. Usually strong-willed and tough, she rarely cried in front of others, but today, after being humiliated by Hu Xiaotian, her heart was filled with extreme grievance. Upon seeing her father arrive, all her grievances and sorrows surged to the surface, and her tears flowed uncontrollably like a torrential downpour.

When the two individuals arrived outside the main gate of the Minister's residence, they happened to hear the thunderous sounds of battle cries echoing through the skies

Tang Qingxuan struggled for a moment but could not break free. At this time, her two elder brothers, Tang Tiehan and Tang Tiecheng, rushed over. Upon seeing that their sister had been successfully rescued, the two brothers immediately lost all restraint. Tang Tiecheng shouted, "Brothers, charge! Kill this lecher and avenge my sister!"

Tang Wenzheng saw his daughter crying so sadly that his eyes involuntarily turned red. He said softly, "My dear daughter, do not cry; for any major issue, your father will take charge for you!" As he spoke these words, he cast a cold glance at Hu Buwei, making his meaning very clear: your son Hu Buwei has done something wrong, and today I will definitely seek justice!

Tang Wenzheng's concern was for his own daughter. Seeing both his son and daughter standing there safe and sound, he felt a deep sense of relief and shouted, "Stop it right now!" His voice indeed had an effect. After all, those who were about to take action were all members of the Tang family. Upon seeing the elder arrive, the Tang siblings immediately calmed down. Tang Wenzheng held significant authority in the household; with the head of the family present, any major trouble would have to be addressed according to the father's handling.

Murong Feiyan respectfully said: "I, Murong Feiyan, the guard under Lord Hong of the Jingzhao Prefecture, pay my respects to Lord Hu!"

Lord Hu ... ...