Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 104 Huo Lu
Before the solemn Buddha statue, Pei Chuyun clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, as if making a wish. Then, she seemingly bowed devoutly and offered incense.

After offering incense, he took the divination cup from the incense table and threw it on the ground.

The divination cup landed on the ground, one upright and one inverted, representing yin and yang in pairs, signifying that her wish would be fulfilled. Pei Chuyun looked quite pleased.

Lu Xingzhou watched from the side with a strange expression.

You, a cultivator seeking to ascend to the heavens, are engaging in this folk divination method of tossing divination blocks? Look at how others perform divination; how do you do it?

Not as good as Anuo.

"What did the young lady wish for?" Lu Xingzhou finally couldn't help but ask.

Pei Chuyun glanced at him, her face seemingly flushed, and lowered her head, saying softly, "I won't say it, or it won't work."

The wish she made was, of course, whether she could win over this man… Pei Chuyun knew that this kind of folk divination was inaccurate; she was just seeking psychological comfort. Besides, she didn't believe in Buddhism at all, and her piety was all an act. But the result was always a yin or yang, which made her happy.

For some reason, she found Lu Xingzhou much more agreeable at this moment. She thought to herself, "When I really turn you into my dog, I'll just treat you better and not torture or take revenge on you. At most, I'll kick you and shave your head."

“Since you’re already here, young master, why don’t you offer incense and pay your respects to Buddha?” Pei Chuyun asked.

Lu Xingzhou laughed and said, "I have difficulty walking, so I can't kneel."

Pei Chuyun twitched her lips and turned her head away.

Yes, yes, you have difficulty walking, but you're very good at kicking people.

A voice came from behind: "If you have difficulty walking, why not ask Abbot Yuanhui to take a look? The abbot is renowned for his healing and saving lives."

Lu Xingzhou turned his head and saw a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight standing at the entrance of the hall. He had an indifferent expression and his gaze swept up and down, which was somewhat rude.

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "Fourth Young Master still cares about me?"

Huo Lu's expression changed instantly.

He came privately, naturally wanting to verify for himself whether this person was Huo Shang. If the other person didn't recognize him at all, it would be a complete joke. But the other person recognized him immediately, instantly raising the probability of it being Huo Shang to the brink of disaster.

Lu Xingzhou doesn't look like Huo Shang, but in the world of cultivation, changing one's appearance isn't a complicated matter. No wonder Yang Dechang returned to the Huo family and solemnly stated that this person should be Huo Shang.

This scoundrel dared to shout it out in public; he was quite cunning. Hongfa Temple was teeming with tourists, and the Buddha hall was packed with people. Even if Huo Lu harbored murderous intent, he couldn't do anything in public. How could one openly discuss fratricide? Instead, one had to maintain a facade of brotherly harmony in front of outsiders.

Huo Lu took a deep breath and said calmly, "After all, we're still surnamed Huo, aren't we?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "That's right."

Of course, his surname is Huo. In fact, according to his father's notes, he is indeed from the same clan branch. According to the timeline of the Maha Secret Realm, it has only been a hundred years, and the family branching occurred even later. So, everyone's blood relationship is quite close. It's possible that he was a descendant of Grand Tutor Huo's previous generation, or even Grand Tutor Huo's own generation.

They're definitely cousins; calling him "Fourth Brother" wouldn't be wrong.

But when the two faced each other, the atmosphere had nothing to do with brotherhood; both of them were filled with murderous intent.

Huo Lu thought for a moment, then decided to treat him as if he were his long-lost brother in front of outsiders, and said, "When are you going home to visit? For a minor problem like my legs, my family can always find a way. There's no future for me wandering around like this."

"The Heavenly Sword Sect is quite nice." Lu Xingzhou smiled kindly, "If we weren't in the Heavenly Sword Sect, Fourth Brother probably wouldn't be so polite."

Huo Lu was reminded that Shen Tang was Princess Chaohuang, and Lu Xingzhou was now a close advisor to the princess, perhaps even a lover... He couldn't afford to openly confront her then, and his expression darkened further. He took a deep breath and lowered his voice: "What exactly are you planning to do?"

"What can I do?" Lu Xingzhou chuckled. "Sixth Brother went to charge at the demons and got killed. Does Fourth Brother blame me for not stopping him?"

Huo Lu's eyes were gloomy.

Lu Xingzhou added, "But you guys are quite interesting. There are demons in Xiazhou, so Sixth Brother runs to the demons. There was just a case of demon cultivators in Menggui City, so Fourth Brother ran to Menggui City. Be careful, don't repeat Sixth Brother's mistakes, or I won't say I didn't try to stop you."

Huo Lu said coldly, "Likewise, demonic cultivators are ruthless, so you'd better be careful. You're surrounded by children and women, do you want me to send some guards for you?"

"Fourth Brother, you're too kind." Lu Xingzhou smiled, his eyes crinkling. "I came here to see what demonic cultivators look like. The Huo family is always eager to help others and is always willing to risk their lives to get close to demons. How can I fall behind? Besides, my sect is a righteous sect, and it is our duty to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path."

"With your crippled... cough." Huo Lu smiled faintly, "Since you have this intention, of course it's good. I'm sure Father will be very happy to know."

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "Then I wish your father a life full of smiles."

Huo Lu asked casually, "Do you have a place to stay? Would you like to stay with me?"

"I checked out of the inn I stayed at earlier." Lu Xingzhou glanced at the sky outside the hall, which was nearing dusk, and said with a smile, "I often hear that scholars and poets stay overnight in temples to enjoy the moonlight over the mountain temple and listen to the midnight bell. It is very elegant, and I long for it. If Hongfa Temple still has guest rooms, I would like to stay there tonight."

A monk standing nearby, already somewhat intimidated by the barbed words of the "brothers," quickly replied upon hearing this, "There is a guest quarters, Seventh Young Master, if you wish..."

"No." Lu Xingzhou waved his hand and laughed, "My mother only gave birth to me."

The monk was somewhat embarrassed, but Huo Lu said calmly, "My younger brother has been mischievous since childhood and doesn't know any manners. Please don't take offense, Master." Lu Xingzhou didn't argue, but chuckled and said, "Would you please lead the way, Master?"

The monk hurriedly said, "Please come with me."

Ah Nuo pushed the wheelchair away, and Lu Xingzhou turned around and smiled, "Fourth Brother, would you like to come sit down and have a vegetarian meal together?"

Huo Lu laughed and said, "I have something to do, so I won't go. When you're out and about, be careful and don't provoke people you shouldn't."

"Thank you for the reminder, Fourth Brother." Lu Xingzhou turned around, and his wheelchair disappeared behind the hall.

An old man beside Huo Lu whispered, "Young Master, it seems this really is the Seventh Young Master. There's no reason for others to treat him like this..."

Huo Lu's smile vanished, replaced by a murderous glint in his eyes: "Even if he really is that bastard, do you really think we wouldn't dare to kill him?"

The old man advised in a low voice, "It's not appropriate... With so many people listening, if he suddenly dies, the Huo family's reputation will be ruined. Moreover, he is currently quite trusted by Princess Chaohuang, and the princess may well rise to power in the future. If we really break off relations like this, it will be very disadvantageous."

Therefore, the Huo family attempted to suppress Shen Tang's rise to power, but to no avail. Instead, they gained the Incense Burning Pavilion for nothing, allowing the Heavenly Sword Sect to grow even stronger. The political situation became even more unpredictable, and no one dared to take any risks.

Huo Lu said coldly, "Who said we killed him ourselves? Didn't he just say in public that he wanted to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path... He overestimated himself and died at the hands of demonic cultivators. What does that have to do with us?"

The old man's heart stirred slightly, and he nodded, saying, "Young master is becoming more and more mature. He truly deserves to be a prefectural magistrate."

Lu Xingzhou entered the guest courtyard and sat there watching the sunset over the mountain temple, remaining silent for a long time.

Pei Chuyun sat on the stone table in the courtyard, her chin resting on her hand, while A'nuo brewed tea in front of her. She found the scene of this elegant young man sitting in his wheelchair, looking at the sunset over the mountain temple with a young servant brewing tea beside him, to be quite poetic.

The distant sound of temple bells adds a beautiful accompaniment to this picturesque scene.

Just as I was thinking this, I heard Lu Xingzhou say, "Does the young lady have a poem?"

Pei Chuyun's heart skipped a beat, thinking to herself that this man was truly strange. When Shen Tang was with him, wouldn't she feel a sweet warmth, like they were soulmates? But as an enemy, all she felt was chilling coldness…

If Shen Tang knew what she was thinking, she would probably tell her that when they didn't get together, Shen Tang also felt a chill in her heart several times.

But there's really nothing to be ashamed of. Whether friend or foe, they are essentially true friends.

She composed herself and gave an awkward laugh: "How can one immediately recognize a poem?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "I do have a poem. Would you like to hear it, young lady?"

Pei Chuyun was very curious: "I would like to hear your masterpiece, young master."

Looking at the setting sun on the horizon, Lu Xingzhou said in a low voice, "Why does the setting sun approach dusk? Does it not know that there are still souls in the mortal world who have not yet been summoned?"

Pei Chuyun was stunned for a moment, then looked at him silently without saying anything more.

Lu Xingzhou turned around and smiled, "What's wrong, young lady? Do you think my skills aren't good enough?"

Pei Chuyun sighed: "No... Young Master has many things on his mind..."

As for the quality... well, whether it's good or bad, it certainly exceeded Pei Chuyun's expectations. But there was something in that sentence that resonated with Pei Chuyun, and she became lost in thought.

Unbeknownst to many, there are still souls in the human world that have not yet been summoned.

Lu Xingzhou turned his wheelchair back, and A Nuo's tea was already brewed. Lu Xingzhou raised the pot and filled a cup for all three of them: "Who doesn't have worries? Isn't the young lady also full of worries?"

Pei Chuyun did not answer.

Everyone's heart is set on revenge, except that my enemies include you.

Lu Xingzhou then said, "After you've had this tea, please go to the courtyard next door. I've already spoken with the monk in charge of the guest."

Pei Chuyun smiled and said, "I know that you asked for two courtyards, young master... but I am quite curious, young master, you have been so attentive all the way, wasn't it all for tonight? Why did you suddenly become such a gentleman?"

"Hey, why? It'll be awkward if I say it out loud, won't it?" Lu Xingzhou chuckled casually. "You've probably already figured it out, I have enemies. The daytime outing with you, drinking tea and discussing poetry, has already added some nice memories to my trip. I can't drag you into the dangers to come, so let's leave it at that. If fate allows, we can continue in the future."

Pei Chuyun gave him a deep look, raised her teacup and offered a toast instead of wine: "What you say is true, young master. It is also a pleasant memory for me of my visit to Menggui City."

The two drank the tea in one gulp. Pei Chuyun put down her teacup and turned to leave, saying, "Young master, if you want to continue this relationship, you'd better be careful, or you might die here."

Lu Xingzhou laughed and said, "What if I were alive?"

Pei Chuyun turned around and smiled: "Then let's see what you can do."

(End of this chapter)