Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 121 Today's smile is the most beautiful
Pei Chuyun had been with Lu Xingzhou for a while, and her impression of him was quite surprising.

Previously, due to limited information, she always thought that Lu Xingzhou was already twenty years old this year, and his cultivation was only at the sixth rank. She thought he must have spent a lot of time on the affairs of the Yama Palace and rarely cultivated. Her strength was about the same as other alchemists... This misconception cost her dearly.

It has now been discovered that Lu Xingzhou has almost no free time in his daily life.

Aside from necessary social interactions, he rarely left his house, spending his time either cultivating or studying alchemy—a veritable cultivation fanatic.

His daughter, Anuo, is the same way; she spends most of her time indoors practicing. Acting cute is just a side job; being a mischievous child is her true nature. Even when she's outside, Anuo is actually quite quiet most of the time.

The short journey to Beijing was Pei Chuyun's first time sightseeing, and also Lu Xingzhou and his apprentice's first time together. No one wasted any time on sightseeing.

If we're talking about trivial matters, it might just be that he neglects his duties when chasing girls. But Pei Chuyun knows very well that his so-called chasing girls isn't genuine with her, at least not towards her.

Even those few words I just said, I wonder how much scheming and calculation they contained, and how much sincerity they contained.

Pei Chuyun wanted to laugh a little. She was disappointed last night that he didn't believe her, but in fact, she had never really trusted him either.

We're even now.

To be frank, Pei Chuyun herself wasn't very confident in herself. Maybe she was moved at that moment and willing to make love to him, but what about afterwards? What if she felt the opportunity was too good and wanted to use the Charming Maiden Technique to control him? Pei Chuyun didn't dare to make that guarantee for herself.

His precautions were justified.

Pei Chuyun sighed, got up, put on her clothes, and made a cup of tea for Lu Xingzhou, who was engrossed in alchemy.

Lu Xingzhou was somewhat surprised by her attitude and turned to look at her curiously.

"What are you looking at? If you don't want to drink, then don't." Pei Chuyun rolled her eyes at him and sat down to the side, resting her chin on her hand.

"Drink, Ah Yi's lovingly made tea, why won't you drink it?"

“You…” Pei Chuyun clicked her tongue, “I really don’t know which of your words are sincere and which are false.”

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "Likewise."

Pei Chuyun said sarcastically, "With your composure, you'd actually be quite suited to be a monk."

Lu Xingzhou said sincerely, "This is a two-way street. Your willpower is actually better than mine. How about I become a monk and you stay next door and become a nun?"

"Why should I accompany you? Who are you...?"

"I am your young master, and your maid, Ayi."

Pei Chuyun kicked out, but Lu Xingzhou caught it in the process.

She was wearing the embroidered shoe he had given her.

Lu Xingzhou casually took off his clothes and tossed them aside, holding the little toes in one hand and playing with them while continuing to read his book with the other.

Despite being taken advantage of, Pei Chuyun still couldn't help but laugh: "Didn't Shen Tang ever say that you're not normal...?"

"I thought that for the Holy Maiden of Union, this level was considered low in terms of understanding."

Pei Chuyun moved her small feet, her toes gently tapping against the oars: "Isn't this a bit more high-end?"

Lu Xingzhou's eyes widened: "Witch, I'm studying, don't ruin my cultivation."

Pei Chuyun flicked her big toe: "Don't you know that I'm actually still your enemy? Keeping an enemy by your side is bound to end badly; it will ruin your cultivation."

Lu Xingzhou found it truly amusing: "You really can't stand to see me doing well?"

Pei Chuyun rested her chin on her hand and said, "Anyway, you said that after tonight, we'll be separated. No matter how much I disturb your cultivation, it'll only be for a day, it won't affect anything... How about you come with me to stroll around the capital?"

For some reason, Lu Xingzhou could always find a kind of affectionate, spoiled girlfriend vibe in this guy, and deliberately said, "You made me give up my cultivation to accompany you, so I should give you some reward, right?"

Pei Chuyun bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with seductive allure: "If you're willing... if you're holding it in again tonight, I'll help you release it."

Lu Xingzhou immediately put away the jade slip: "Let's go."

Pei Chuyun chuckled: "Men."

Lu Xingzhou remained silent despite the ridicule.

The reason we can't solve this problem simply is because it requires the other person to take the initiative. You can't just grab her hand or foot and do it yourself; what if she laughs out loud? That would be so awkward. If the little demoness were willing to take the initiative, then even studying cultivation techniques wouldn't be so necessary…

The two greeted Anuo, who happily pushed her wheelchair out the door in a flash.

Pei Chuyun stayed by his side and sighed softly, "Look at you, as his teacher, what have you done to the child?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "You talk as if you and A'nuo have a very good relationship. Do you even know how many fights you've gotten into along the way?"

"One yard owned by a yard!"

Ah Nuo said, "Master didn't restrict me from going out. I just don't go out on my own."

"Hey you brat, I'm defending you! If you never go out, why are you so happy when you do?"

"Because going out on your own is different from going out with your master."

Pei Chuyun was stunned for a moment, then fell silent.

She can go out by herself, so why does she have to ask Lu Xingzhou to accompany her?

Same here. Thinking about it, I suddenly realized that Anuo's round face looked just like a lantern. Pei Chuyun bent down and said seductively, "Anuo, you're still young, so it's best to focus on your cultivation. Why don't you go back? Let your older sister do the hard work of pushing the wheelchair."

Ah Nuo gave her a disdainful look: "Sister, you should go back to the stage and sing..."

Pei Chuyun clenched her fists and gave her a fierce look.

Ah Nuo wasn't afraid of her at all, and with a "humph," she turned her head away.

Although she said she was going out shopping, Pei Chuyun wasn't as interested in shopping as ordinary women. Within the sect, she had abundant resources and could get whatever she wanted. She really had no interest in jewelry, clothes, or anything like that. The only things that could pique her interest were rare and precious materials, but those weren't things she could find through shopping.

As a result, A-Nuo stole the show, rushing to every food stall she saw. Pei Chuyun watched from behind, pouting.

Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but ask, "You were the one who suggested going shopping, how come you seem so indifferent? That time you only bought a book of poems."

"I don't know," Pei Chuyun said softly. "I never feel like I want to go shopping either."

"So what's going on today...?"

Pei Chuyun stared blankly at A Nuo's adorable little figure as she tiptoed and placed the copper coins on the counter, then suddenly smiled and said, "The day you caught me, you said that I was the one who showed you kindness first."

"Ah."

“I thought about it for a long time afterward, but I couldn’t figure out where my kindness came from. I clearly hated you back then…” Pei Chuyun sighed. “After thinking about it, maybe it was because of the way you and A Nuo were happily shopping together that day. That was probably a dream I had been looking forward to since I was a child, but I had never been able to realize it.”

Lu Xingzhou paused for a moment, then nodded.

Actually, I'm similar to Shen Tang; I've lost my father's love, so seeing these kinds of parent-child scenes is especially poignant. Speaking of which, having a cute kid seems like a powerful tool for picking up girls, much like having a cat that can do backflips...

"You envy Anuo, so why don't you do what Anuo does?" Lu Xingzhou smiled gently. "I see you also love sweets and aren't afraid of gaining weight. Just go and buy some and eat them happily... Is it because you've been cultivating for too long and are bound by your identity as a saintess, that you can no longer find happiness?"

Pei Chuyun pointed to herself: "I'm an adult, how can I run around like that?"

"You're just an eighteen-year-old girl, you have the right to run around the streets like that."

"Tch, you make it sound like you're so old." Even as she said this, Pei Chuyun looked around and saw quite a few young girls laughing and playing on the street, loudly calling out to the stall owners, "Boss, boss, I want this!"

Ah Nuo's head popped into the waistbands of the two girls: "I want one too, two strings of candied hawthorns."

Pei Chuyun stormed over, grabbed A Nuo, and demanded, "Why two skewers?"

He then turned to the shop owner and shouted, "Three skewers, please!"

Sure enough, no one on the street thought there was anything wrong with her.

There's no need to put on an air of composure and a faint smile like you would in the sect, nor to act that hypocritical charm when facing enemies.

She was just a young maidservant who came out to have fun with her family, and she had the right to run around the streets.

She could compete with Ah Nuo for food, and she could vie with other girls for priority.

Lu Xingzhou no longer needed anyone to push his wheelchair; he followed behind, paddling himself along, a faint smile always on his face.

Pei Chuyun turned her head and saw it by chance, her face flushed a little, but she snorted and continued to chase after A Nuo: "Little brat, don't run away, this osmanthus cake is mine, you bought the glutinous rice cake, you ate it in one bite and then came to snatch mine, stop right there!"

Ah Nuo ran away clutching the bag, saying, "You can buy more, it's not like we don't have the money..."

"You fatso, how come you don't die from overeating!"

Lu Xingzhou followed behind with a smile, when suddenly a talisman appeared in his hand, but it did not burn.

A talisman for exorcising ghosts.

From an upstairs window, a pair of venomous, sinister eyes disappeared behind the window.

As he rounded the street corner, he came across a patrol team from the Demon Suppression Bureau. Lu Xingzhou wheeled himself past and casually transmitted a message: "Please inform Miss Sheng that Ye Wufeng is indeed still in the capital. We must strengthen our vigilance... If you want to take action, you must contact me. Do not act on your own."

The head of the Demon Suppression Division looked solemn.

Lu Xingzhou continued chasing after his maid and child with a smile.

Ying Shuang is right... It seems that Ye Wufeng and the others really don't dare to touch him. Yan Jun's attitude is hard to predict?

How interesting. Back in the underworld, those people practically wanted me dead, but now that I'm out, they're too scared to move… I even used a talisman to curse him as a ghost, telling him to get lost, and he actually tolerated it. I've been all alone since then…

But that also means he's more likely to take his anger out on others. Hopefully, Gua Mei will take my warning to heart that day and not ignore it, going off to cockfighting, horseback riding, hunting, or anything like that...

Gua Mei should listen to her own advice, but she might not take it seriously enough, after all, this is the capital! She might think she has laid a tight net and is ready to hunt.

But Ye Wufeng is truly dangerous; without sufficient understanding, things could go wrong... Even Lu Xingzhou himself, having not seen him for a year and a half, wasn't sure how much Ye Wufeng had grown, or if his previous understanding was sufficient. Moreover, the Underworld Palace had other people in the capital, and Lu Xingzhou didn't know which ones were Ye Wufeng's men, making it difficult to find them.

Just as I was pondering this, Pei Chuyun and A Nuo ran back, bickering and playing around.

Pei Chuyun grinned and stuffed a candied hawthorn into Lu Xingzhou's mouth: "Hey, don't say we don't remember you."

Lu Xingzhou took a bite, turned his head to look at Pei Chuyun's smiling face, and said with a smile, "Of all the days I've known you, perhaps today is the most beautiful smile you've had."

Perhaps fearing that misusing her powers might injure passersby, the little vixen concealed all her strength, so much so that she actually broke a light sweat from running around aimlessly. Strands of hair were slightly disheveled and stuck to her temples, her cheeks were rosy, and her eyebrows and eyes exuded the youthful charm of a young maid. Her usual alluring and seductive demeanor seemed to exist only in a dream, vanishing in an instant.

(End of this chapter)