Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 123 Do you want to?
According to Pei Qingyan's statement, the Hehuan Sect killed her mother, and she still stayed in the sect for eighteen years, recognizing the enemy as her father.

Pei Chuyun lost all sense of reason for a moment, her mind a complete mess.

Suddenly, her small hand fell into a warm palm. Lu Xingzhou squeezed it without making a sound. Pei Chuyun turned her head and glanced at him. Lu Xingzhou blinked, indicating that she shouldn't panic.

Pei Chuyun felt relieved immediately. Regardless of the specifics, Lu Xingzhou must have his own analysis. Now was not the time to talk; she would discuss it with him properly later.

Thinking of this, he forced a smile and sighed softly, "That's a pity."

Pei Qingyan looked at her with an indescribable kindness in his eyes, as if a kind of long-buried longing was stirring in his heart, but it was not the right occasion and he couldn't express it. Several times, he seemed to want to say something but held back.

Pei Yu looked at his father, then at "Ayi," and his expression began to turn strange.

The invitation was supposed to be to Lu Xingzhou to discuss matters concerning the Huo family, but the focus seems off...

Could it really be the result of my father's past infidelity? His illegitimate daughter has come knocking on our door?
“Ahem.” Pei Yu finally coughed, trying to steer the conversation back on track: “Well, Brother Lu… the matter of Huo Lu’s collusion with the infant ghost will soon be investigated by the authorities, and as a party involved, you may be summoned.”

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "Brother Pei invited me to a family banquet, surely it wasn't just for this? I should say, if there's anything Brother Pei needs me to do, please feel free to speak up."

Pei Yu said, "Brother Lu should know that the matter of Huo Lu can only prevent Huo Lu himself from recovering, but it is not fatal to the Huo family. Even if we know that the collusion with the demonic cultivators may not have been Huo Lu's doing, how did he meet the Infant Ghost when he first arrived in Dream Return City? It is very possible that the Infant Ghost was originally a dog kept by the Huo family, and the Huo family may have kept more than one. We are attacking the Huo family father and son from this angle, but we lack solid evidence. It would be a real pity if it only stopped at Huo Lu."

Lu Xingzhou shook his head: "As for this matter, I cannot provide any concrete evidence that the Huo family raises demonic cultivators. It's not as reliable as searching for the soul of the infant ghost."

"The problem is this: Prefect Meng tried to conduct a shallow search of the infant ghost's soul, but discovered that its master was the Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union, and had nothing to do with the Huo family. Now we don't know whether the Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union is colluding with the Huo family or what, so Prefect Meng doesn't dare to conduct a deeper soul search, fearing that he might destroy it. He's in a dilemma. Prefect Meng sent us a message saying that finding Brother Lu might be of some help."

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

Pei Chuyun's pretty face turned bright red.

Meng Guan must be furious in Meng Gui City. Lu Xingzhou's cat in the house is definitely the Holy Maiden of Joy. Why didn't he ask her more questions back then?

Lu Xingzhou coughed twice: "How about this, once they've escorted them here, let me go see the infant ghost. Maybe I can gain something else."

Pei Yu continued, "Furthermore, the Huo family's mistreatment of their illegitimate son, leading to the death of their own child, would be a heavy blow to the Huo family's reputation if this were made public. Huo Xingyuan should at least be demoted and forced to stay home to reflect on his actions. I wonder what Brother Lu would say..."

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "You want me to step in and complain?"

Pei Yu tried asking, "Brother Lu, do you have any concerns? If you tell us, perhaps we can try to resolve them."

“I have no other concerns,” Lu Xingzhou said calmly. “It’s just that I don’t want to bear the reputation of suing my father as a son. Huo Qi was the one who killed Huo Shang, and every brother and even the evil servants who were routinely humiliated were involved. I can sue them if you want.”

The Pei father and son exchanged a glance, and Pei Qingyan finally spoke up: "People from martial arts sects are not afraid of bearing such a reputation... It seems that Young Master Lu is going to the Dan Academy for further studies because he wants to enter the imperial court?"

Lu Xingzhou said calmly, "It's hard to say what the future holds, but I can't block my own path before I've even chosen one, right?"

Pei Chuyun glanced at Lu Xingzhou, thinking to herself that the Pei family was clearly only using Lu Xingzhou as a pawn, and wouldn't care about his future. That's why Lu Xingzhou wanted to use her background as a stepping stone; if the Pei family owed him a favor, the relationship would be different.

But Lu Xingzhou hasn't continued to bring up the topic of his background. Instead, the conversation has led to a dead end for both of them.

Was it for her?
Pei Yu finally asked, "If the Pei family promises to provide Brother Lu with support in the court in the future, what do you think, Brother Lu?"

Lu Xingzhou shook his head and chuckled: "I am really not a greenhorn... Brother Pei, it seems that you all haven't made up your minds yet. We can talk again when you have."

Pei Yu glanced at his father. Logically, Pei Qingyan should have said something by now, but he remained silent. This left Pei Yu extremely embarrassed; with his father uncooperative, what was he going to do if the charade couldn't continue…

He could only laugh it off: "There's no rush. Come, Brother Lu, try some of our Pei family's home-style cooking. Don't just chat."

The simple meal didn't last long. Soon after, Lu Xingzhou got up to take his leave: "Thank you for your hospitality, Prime Minister Pei. I still need to study the alchemical texts, so I'll head back to the inn now."

Pei Qingyan didn't say anything more, just nodded: "Yu'er, see the guests out."

Pei Yu looked at his father with a puzzled expression as he saw Lu Xingzhou and his party off.

Once outside the courtyard, Pei Yu lowered his voice: "Brother Lu, I have a favor to ask, but I don't know if it's appropriate..."

Lu Xingzhou nodded and said, "Brother Pei, please speak."

Pei Yu glanced at Pei Chuyun: "This Miss Ayi, I wonder if Brother Lu would be willing to part with her?"

Lu Xingzhou raised an eyebrow, and Pei Yu quickly said, "Brother Lu, please don't misunderstand... I noticed that Father seemed a bit distracted tonight, probably because Miss Ayi has stirred up his longing for his deceased friend. As a son, I should share my father's burdens, so I was thinking that if Miss Ayi could enter the Pei household... we would definitely not treat her as an ordinary maid. I wonder if Brother Lu..."

Lu Xingzhou smiled and shook his head: "Brother Pei... Ayi is called a maid, but she is actually my friend. She comes and goes as she pleases, not like merchandise weighed on a counter. So Brother Pei, what I said earlier still holds true. It seems that you all haven't thought things through yet. We can talk about it after you've thought it through."

Pei Yu was taken aback. She really hadn't expected that Lu Xingzhou would refuse such a trivial matter as buying a maid.

The previous refusal to "accuse the father through the son" was already an offense to the Pei family, but ultimately it was justified, and the Pei family, with their magnanimity, wouldn't hold it against him. Any normal person would try to smooth things over by mentioning the maid, but unexpectedly, they refused a second time…

He didn't know what to say for a moment, and after a long while he cupped his hands and said, "Then Brother Lu, take care." A'nuo pushed Lu Xingzhou away, while Pei Chuyun followed beside him with her head down and without saying a word.

"What?" Lu Xingzhou said calmly, "Do you intend to stay at the Pei residence?"

“No…” Pei Chuyun said softly, “I was thinking, wouldn’t it be more useful for you to have me stay at the Pei residence to get some fresh air? Anyway, the Pei family can’t hold me back, and I can leave whenever I want. Why be so abrupt and offend people?”

"Huh?" Lu Xingzhou laughed: "What we want is to figure out your mystery, not to spread rumors about the Pei family. My affairs... do not require you as a bargaining chip."

Pei Chuyun snorted, "The plan from the beginning was clearly to use me as a bargaining chip."

"But I've already said it, not now."

Pei Chuyun pursed her lips and remained silent.

Lu Xingzhou said leisurely, "To put it bluntly, the Pei family doesn't really respect me now. It's all because my suspected identity as Huo Shang is a valuable commodity for them. It's meaningless... You have to earn your own face. If it weren't for your matter, we wouldn't even have eaten this meal today. I knew that unequal negotiations wouldn't yield any results."

Pei Chuyun didn't reply, but A'nuo laughed and said, "But the food at the Pei residence is delicious, it's a freebie."

Lu Xingzhou laughed and said, "That's right, I'll get a free meal."

The capital city was still bustling at night, brightly lit and teeming with people. The three of them set aside their conversation for the time being and strolled happily through the spring night in the capital.

"Bang!" Fireworks shot into the sky in the distance. Pei Chuyun looked up and her eyes gradually became misty.

Lu Xingzhou was asking A Nuo, "Is today the Lantern Festival?"

Ah Nuo shook her head: "The Lantern Festival passed on our way to the capital, and the first month of the lunar calendar is almost over, Master."

“There are actually people setting off fireworks…” Lu Xingzhou looked up at the fireworks for a while, then turned to look at Pei Chuyun’s profile.

The artsy young woman's bewildered expression was far more beautiful than fireworks.

Lu Xingzhou suddenly chuckled: "It feels like these unexpected fireworks are just to prove that they're not as pretty as you."

Pei Chuyun blinked, looked at him with a slightly confused expression, and finally chuckled: "Hey, you should take those sweet words and say them to Shen Tang. They're useless to me."

Lu Xingzhou laughed and said, "Truth is always taken as falsehood."

As they spoke, they had already returned to the inn. The three of them entered the courtyard, closed the gate, and the lights and noise of the outside world were separated from them, making the dark courtyard seem even more secluded.

Pei Chuyun entered the room, lit a candle, and stood by the table, lost in thought.

Lu Xingzhou shrugged off his wheelchair and walked in, putting his arm around her waist: "What are you thinking about?"

Pei Chuyun said, "Can you tell me now about what you hinted at during the meal?"

"If the Joyful Union Sect really killed your mother, why not eliminate the root of the problem? Why keep you alive and let you take the Pei surname? Are you waiting for you to find clues and take revenge in the future? This seems very strange. There must be some other issues behind this, not as simple as Pei Qingyan said..."

Pei Chuyun breathed a slight sigh of relief: "That's what I thought too. This is a bit strange. But... Pei Qingyan's attitude... doesn't seem like he's lying."

"So don't jump to conclusions based on just one side of the story, regardless of whether Pei Qingyan is lying or not. Even if what he said is true, the information he has might not be accurate, since he wasn't there, and he wasn't even the one who carried out the burial. I think if you have the chance, you could try subtly asking your master to compare the two versions of events... Hmm, remember not to ask directly..."

"Am I that stupid?"

"Sometimes, sometimes..."

Pei Chuyun sighed, leaning weakly against him, and said listlessly, "I never thought that what I thought was the most direct clue would turn out to be even more confusing..."

“No matter what’s behind it, Pei Qingyan is most likely really your father. If you’re only after your origins, you’ve already pretty much uncovered the truth, so your trip wasn’t in vain.” Lu Xingzhou said, “However, I also know that you’re investigating your origins not just for the sake of them, but to understand your situation within the Hehuan Sect. This matter isn’t over yet, and I will continue to help you investigate.”

Pei Chuyun smiled lazily: "Of course, it doesn't matter who my father is. He's never raised me for a single day, so why would I care? But... now I really believe you're thinking of me."

Lu Xingzhou kissed her cheek: "What I said was the truth."

"You're still trying to lie to me..."

"Huh? What else did I lie to you about?"

"You want to trick me into bed."

"..."

Pei Chuyun turned around and hugged his neck, smiling as she said, "Tell me, do you want to? If you don't, then it's over."

(End of this chapter)