Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 114 Wasn't I right?

Since Pei Chuyun needs to adapt to the role in advance, Lu Xingzhou naturally needs to do his best in his performance as well.

As they drew closer to the capital, Lu Xingzhou stopped climbing mountains to enjoy the scenery and returned to doing what a cripple should do: he hired a carriage and, with his maids and servants, leisurely made his way to the capital from inside the carriage.

"Huo Lu will most likely be taken back to the capital. Once he goes back, it will be exposed that you are not a cripple. What's the point of pretending anymore?"

Pei Chuyun leaned back in the carriage, leisurely peeling an orange, but not for the "young master." She comfortably popped a segment into her own mouth, while simultaneously making sarcastic remarks about the young master.

"Is this how you act as a maid? You eat the oranges yourself?" Lu Xingzhou leaned against the carriage, pondering a jade slip in his hand, without looking up.

"You're still putting on an act in the carriage?" Pei Chuyun said disdainfully. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You just want to use acting as an excuse to get a maid for free. Do I look like such a cheap person?"

“Everything in this world comes at a price,” Lu Xingzhou replied casually. “What benefits do I get from helping you investigate your background? If it weren’t for the fact that I could earn a maid to take care of me during my studies, why would I take on this task?”

Pei Chuyun said, "Isn't it because you also want to use this matter to build a good relationship with the Pei family?"

"I suppose so, but nobody knows how this will turn out. Maybe you have absolutely no connection to the Pei family. What benefit would I get? The only one who would benefit is you, whose identity has been confirmed. Whether you're a member of the Pei family or not, having it confirmed will put your mind at ease, right?"

Pei Chuyun was speechless.

Lu Xingzhou pointed to his mouth: "Ah~"

Pei Chuyun angrily shoved a segment of orange into her mouth: "I'll choke you to death."

Lu Xingzhou ate the orange with satisfaction and said leisurely, "As for pretending to be a cripple, I don't want the emperor to think I'm a cripple right now, it would be detrimental to my marriage and career. So I will definitely find an opportunity to completely get rid of this persona while I'm in the capital."

"So what are you pretending for now?"

"My wheelchair has so many functions, I'm reluctant to throw it away anytime soon... I'll keep up this charade as long as I can, who knows, some idiot might come and give it to me. That feeling of suddenly getting a kick to the groin is really satisfying."

"Smack!" Pei Chuyun crushed the orange.

Ah Nuo was also hiding in a corner, secretly eating oranges, while carefully watching her, afraid that the little demoness would go berserk and hit her master.

In fact, from the moment Pei Chuyun asked Lu Xingzhou for help in investigating her background, she was completely under Lu Xingzhou's control and dared not retaliate.

Pei Chuyun gritted her teeth for a while, then said with a sour face, "So what kind of bad thing are you plotting now with this jade slip?"

"Please, I need to figure out my own cultivation method, I need to practice, okay?" Lu Xingzhou said helplessly, "Stop talking so much, eat your oranges."

Pei Chuyun was taken aback: "If you're someone who cultivates even while riding in a carriage, why are you only at the middle sixth rank so far?"

“Because my broken leg was real. If I weren’t someone who cultivated even while riding in a carriage, I probably wouldn’t even be at the seventh rank now.” Lu Xingzhou smiled. “Do you know what I was doing when you were living in the cave next to mine… I was practicing with A’nuo.”

Pei Chuyun remained silent.

Lu Xingzhou's mind was still focused on the jade slip: "When I asked you about dual cultivation techniques before, I wasn't joking. My technique emphasizes the balance of Yin and Yang, which I haven't studied in depth before, so I'm finding it quite tiring to figure out some concepts now. Shen Tang is in a similar situation... and you happen to be an expert in this area, so I'd like to ask you for some advice."

Pei Chuyun hesitated for a moment: "You said everything in this world comes at a price. I can offer my experience and advice, but you have to write me poems. And at most, I can help you analyze some common concepts; don't expect anything from the core secrets."

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "That's enough. I'm not interested in the core secrets of the Charming Maidens' Union Sect."

Sensing Lu Xingzhou's disdain for her own cultivation technique, Pei Chuyun snorted twice and leisurely stuffed a segment of orange into her mouth: "I've changed my mind. I'll only tell you if you beg me."

"Ah Yi, do you want to know the full poem from yesterday?"

Pei Chuyun abruptly stopped herself from putting the orange in her mouth and quickly shoved it into Lu Xingzhou's mouth, forcing a smile as she said, "I want some."

Lu Xingzhou pointed to his shoulder: "Give it a squeeze."

"Fine, don't talk then, just go to hell!"

On the official road, the carriage bounced a few times with a clattering sound before falling silent again.

A strange conversation began to drift in, intermittently: "A light chill creeps up the small building, the morning gloom is as unruly as late autumn..."

"Yin and Yang are the foundation of the Dao. They are the Qi of cold and heat, life and death, movement and stillness. The clear, floating, round, moving, bright Yang is the opposite, while the turbid, sinking, square, still, dark Yin is the opposite..."

"A tranquil scene of misty smoke and flowing water, a secluded painting..."

"Yang cannot exist alone; it depends on Yin to be formed. Yin cannot exist on its own; it needs Yang to be born."

"Floating blossoms drift freely, light as a dream; endless drizzle falls, fine as sorrow. A precious curtain hangs idly on a small silver hook."

"With each ebb and flow, with each emptiness and fullness, the two energies combine, and all things take shape..."

"You guys have such amazing knowledge of the Great Dao, how come you ended up with the 'Charming Maidens in Harmony' cultivation?" "None of your business. If you don't want it, there are plenty of others who will."

…………

While Lu Xingzhou was enjoying his travels and studying, the case of the demonic cultivator in Menggui County was finally concluded after many days of trial by Prefect Meng Guan. The shocking case of the demonic cultivator killing infants finally became known throughout the world.

The demonic infant ghost, posing as the Buddhist abbot Yuan Hui, has been hiding in Hongfa Temple for many years. A large number of early skeletons were also unearthed in the temple, which were identified as the remains of women who had been sexually exploited by the infant ghost in their early years.

In recent years, the skeletons have all been those of infants, used for cultivating a kind of "evil infant" demonic art, the so-called "formation of a nascent soul".

The concept of "Nascent Soul" does exist in ancient texts, but the methods have long been lost. Those with knowledge understand that "Nascent Soul" was merely a method of cultivation in ancient times; at that stage, it wasn't necessarily required to form a Nascent Soul. The ancients placed more emphasis on illuminating the Bright Hall, the so-called "Radiant Sun." At this stage, the Yin Spirit is released outwards, appearing only as a small, wandering figure; you could also be a round, small ghost.

The infant ghost's cultivation has not even reached the stage where it can attempt to form an infant. Forcibly forming one using evil magic is not the right path of cultivation for itself, and it is even more inhumane to others.

For the sake of so many infants, a mere temple was far too conspicuous. The "infant ghosts," through various means such as bribery or teaching evil methods of immortality, lured local officials and other powerful families into a criminal network. The Qian family, in particular, acted with excessive arrogance, which was discovered by the victims, thus initiating the entire affair.

The former prefectural magistrate colluded with the infant ghost to suppress the case and was beheaded by Jing Ge, the former commander of the Demon Suppression Division. Huo Lu, the fourth young master of the Huo family, filled the vacancy. He had just arrived in Dream City and had not yet officially taken office when, due to a personal conflict with Lu Xingzhou, he brazenly ordered the infant ghost and another female demon cultivator to assassinate Lu Xingzhou, witnessed by thousands on the long street.

It was during this battle that the infant ghost was exposed, captured by Meng Guan, and excavated a large number of skeletons as evidence of the crime, finally bringing the case to light.

Along with the case files, Meng Guan also sent a memorial to the capital, expressing his fury at the ravages suffered by the people of the prefecture and impeaching Grand Tutor Huo Liancheng: "Huo Lu colluded with demonic cultivators and showed no respect for the law. If this was an individual act, it was the Grand Tutor's negligence in disciplining him, a fault in managing the family; if this is the Huo family's tradition, what is Grand Tutor Huo's intention? Huo Lu became familiar with the infant ghost upon his arrival; when did they meet? May I ask if the Grand Tutor knows?"

The impeachment memorial exploded like a nuclear bomb in the capital, shaking the entire officialdom and plunging the city into a solemn atmosphere.

Gu Zhanting slammed his fist on the table in fury and declared, "Take Huo Lu and his party to the capital. I will interrogate them personally!"

Along with this case, the name Lu Xingzhou also came to the public's attention.

Many people were secretly amazed. This was quite interesting; wherever Lu Xingzhou went, there was a case involving demons or demonic cultivators. In previous cases, his presence was still somewhat vague, but this case was significant, clearly exposed because the infant ghost assassinated Lu Xingzhou in the street.

Why is the infant ghost so stupid? There's more to this than meets the eye. It seems like Lu Xingzhou deliberately lured it out by using himself as bait... Since Lu Xingzhou is the main character in this case, what about the previous two?

What's even more interesting is that Huo family members were involved in several of these cases. Last time, Huo Yu died at the hands of demons; this time, Huo Lu colluded with demonic cultivators. Regardless of which is the true nature of the Huo family, the underlying result is that the Huo family members all suffer greatly…

It is said that Lu Xingzhou is Huo Shang...

Those who discussed the matter exchanged strange glances.

It can be basically concluded that even Huo Yu died at Lu Xingzhou's hands that time... This is an open revenge, no more acting!

Even after Gu Zhanting declared he would personally interrogate him, he asked those around him, "Is Lu Xingzhou a guest retainer that Yi Tang recruited in Xia Prefecture? I remember seeing him on the list of rising stars; he's a pretty good alchemist."

"Yes, Your Majesty. It is said that when the princess first arrived in Xiazhou, she rented a house from Lu Xingzhou to settle in, and that's how they met."

"Hmm... what's he going to Dream City for?"

"He was the one recommended by Dongjiang County for the Imperial Academy of Alchemy. He must have been on his way to the capital to take the exam and was passing through Menggui City."

"Hmm..." Gu Zhanting became interested: "He's going to Beijing?"

"Yes."

"Tell Dan Academy that I will personally attend this assessment."

Outside the city, Sheng Yuanyao returned from hunting, carrying a wild boar on horseback.

Upon reaching the city gate, they heard a group of people chatting idly, and vaguely heard the name "Lu Xingzhou." Sheng Yuanyao's ears perked up, and she immediately leaned closer: "What gossip? What gossip?"

After a brief remark from someone nearby, Sheng Yuanyao's expression turned strange: "Huo Si bumped into him again? Tsk, I think it's best for the Huo family members not to go out. With Lu Xingzhou watching outside, the Huo family is too dangerous..."

"Well, Lu Xingzhou is coming to Beijing soon. We're all looking forward to seeing what kind of sparks will fly between him and the Huo family."

Sheng Yuanyao blinked a few times, her mood inexplicably improving: "Today, I'm treating everyone, let's divide this pig up!"

At Danxia Mountain, Shen Tang sighed, "I knew Huo Lu wouldn't be a problem for him... But what's with this demonic cultivator in the news? Why was she only mentioned briefly? Was she captured or escaped? Something's not right..."

South, Miaoyin Mountain.

Yuan Muyu slightly raised her head and looked down at her subordinates: "I was right before, wasn't I? Xingzhou won't stay in Xiazhou for long. It's heading to Menggui City now, isn't it?"

The subordinate wiped his sweat: "Your Majesty's wisdom is boundless; I admire you greatly."

(End of this chapter)