Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 188 Not a Person of This World

Lu Xingzhou's words were, of course, blatant flirting.

If Madam Ye didn't have any other intentions and was genuinely just appreciating talent and taking on disciples to pass on her knowledge, Lu Xingzhou would definitely have respected her greatly and regarded her as his teacher.

But she had ulterior motives from the beginning, so the respect I felt was naturally diminished; it was already good enough that I didn't see her as a potential enemy. It was only because she was clearly a positive person, and her appreciation for talent seemed genuine, that I could still maintain a certain level of respect for her.

But since they're not even going to act anymore and are directly asking about my privacy, how polite can they be?
Ye Tinglan looked at him with a half-smile for a moment: "Do you want some water?"

"Yes."

Ye Tinglan pointed a finger at the table.

A simple cup materializes out of thin air, and then water elements in the air gather and flow into the cup, condensing into half a cup of water.

Ye Tinglan made a "please" gesture.

Lu Xingzhou stood there dumbfounded, while A Nuo clung to the high table with both hands, her head hanging on the table as she stared at the cup, completely stunned.

From nothing comes something, and creation takes shape!

This divine creation seemed to sever the distinction between heaven and man, and the bustling mortal world gradually receded into the distance. The clear spring in the mountains murmured, and the stone gate of the grotto opened with a resounding boom.

"What, not drinking anymore?" Ye Tinglan said calmly, "You think this water is tasteless? Do I have to spit it in?"

"..." Lu Xingzhou raised his glass and drank without saying a word.

This divine power can truly shatter those messy, worldly thoughts, making them feel that nothing is meaningful anymore.

"Sir, how could someone of your stature be so concerned with worldly affairs... What does the Yama Palace have to do with you, sir?" Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but ask.

"Humans dwell in the mortal world, yet they insist on transcending it... Can they truly escape it? It's self-deception." Ye Tinglan smiled. "You couldn't bear to watch demons wreak havoc in Xia Prefecture, so how could I bear to see Yama appear and poison living beings?"

“Well… people have some misunderstandings about Yama, including you, sir. You’re overthinking it.” Lu Xingzhou said cautiously, “At first, Yama was just trying to make money… She said she ran away from home to make something of herself. But she didn’t have any start-up capital. All she had in her ring were some spirit stones, pills, and magic treasures. My personal guess is that she had a fight with her family, disagreed with them, and ran away in anger? So she didn’t pack much, only her personal belongings.”

Ye Tinglan hummed in reverie, "And then become an assassin to earn your first pot of gold?"

"They're not assassins, they kill corrupt officials and wealthy gentry to rob them."

Ye Tinglan: "..."

"This was my suggestion, not her own idea. At that time, I... well, the murderous intent and resentment in my heart were probably much stronger than Yama's." Lu Xingzhou said honestly, "To be honest, that was the fastest way to make money... one heist was worth ten years of legitimate business for others..."

Ye Tinglan raised her hand to slap him, and Lu Xingzhou jumped back, carrying his chair.

Ye Tinglan lowered her hand, somewhat amused and exasperated: "So you mean that the Yama King who is now slaughtering the Nine Provinces was corrupted by you, right?"

“Not entirely, because as soon as I made the suggestion, she was overjoyed and said that we were indeed on the same page. She said that the main point of contention with others was that she believed some things could not be improved unless people were killed off.” As Lu Xingzhou spoke, a nostalgic smile unconsciously appeared on his lips: “It’s just that a ruthless strategist met a vixen, and they hit it off immediately, so they traveled together.”

A deeper meaning appeared in Ye Tinglan's eyes: "And then?"

"Later, after she made her first pot of gold, and it was a really big one, she asked, 'Since you're going to kill people, why not just become an assassin?'" Lu Xingzhou sighed. "At the time, she was carrying me and A Nuo, two little burdens, which was very inconvenient and not suitable for her to be an assassin running around the world. I advised her, 'How many can you kill by yourself? Why not be an organizer? With thousands of assassins under your command, the wind and clouds will change when you go out, and that's the only way to achieve what she wants when she's arguing with people.'"

"How old were you back then? How could she actually do something so ridiculous?"

"The blueprint is good, isn't it... She also said she wasn't very good at organizing, so I said I could try to do it. Anyway, we're young, and we have a chance to try and fail. She said, 'Okay, let's give it a try,' and that's how the Hall of Hell came about..."

Ye Tinglan clenched her fist, holding back for a long time before letting go: "Very good. You are truly a good advisor, Lu Xingzhou."

Lu Xingzhou coughed lightly: "So, if you want to ask why Lord Yan does this job, well, it's because of me, no problem."

Ye Tinglan took a deep breath and asked again, "You named it the Hall of Yama, and she is called Yama, because she kills and takes lives, which fits the image?"

"Of course, if the King of Hell wants someone dead at midnight, who can keep them alive until dawn? That's how you create a sense of superiority and intimidation, isn't it?"

"You're lying," Ye Tinglan said coldly. "Isn't it a gradual process of building up the framework? You spent ten years establishing the reputation of the Yama Palace. The next step was to unite your followers, calling yourselves the Ten Kings of Hell, with your banners sweeping across the land?"

Lu Xingzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, meeting Ye Tinglan's cold gaze for a moment: "So, sir, you care about me so much because you feel that it's not just a matter for the demonic sects, but something that could overthrow the world, is that right?"

"Is not it?"

Lu Xingzhou gently shook his head: "At least until I left, there was still only one Yama King, so what's the point of talking about the Ten Kings of Hell? The so-called 'like-minded' are actually all different paths, so where can we find true like-minded people? We couldn't even achieve 'like-mindedness' with our own Ghost Emperor, so why bother looking for the Ten Kings of Hell outside..."

“The Ten Kings of Hell are not necessarily all from the Great Qian Dynasty; that would be too narrow-minded.” Ye Tinglan lowered her voice. “The Tian Shuang Kingdom already has a second court, is that right? Judge, you are so young, yet you have such a grand vision. I admire you quite a bit.”

This time, Lu Xingzhou was truly shocked.

Not only was he shocked that Madam Ye knew, but he was also surprised that Yuan Muyu had continued to expand her grand strategy over the past year and had already taken a significant step forward. It seemed his departure had truly had no impact on her...

That being said, you say it makes no difference whether I'm there or not, so why are you using my strategy? Why don't you ask Ye Wufeng to help you think of something!

Although a mix of emotions welled up inside him, he remained outwardly composed: "Sir, you're overthinking it... Haven't you heard the saying, 'When a person dies, the policies cease; when a person leaves, the tea grows cold'? I did indeed devise such a strategy before, but there are many in the Underworld who want to eliminate my influence, including the King of Hell himself. Moreover, they're afraid that my departure will reveal the strategy, so how can they still follow the path I set?"

Ye Tinglan pondered for a moment and then agreed.

After all, no one dared to imagine that Yama and this person really had any emotional entanglement, especially since this person was still a child when he followed Yama... According to the analysis of the monarch and his minister, it was naturally not quite right.

"So while they might still be called the Ten Kings of Hell on the surface, their reality is definitely completely different from my initial concept. If anyone uses my initial idea as a blueprint to deal with them, they might end up in a very bad situation. I really don't recommend that you think about these things, lest you get tricked. In the end, I'll say it again... worldly affairs should not be your focus."

As Lu Xingzhou spoke, he suddenly snapped his fingers.

Water elements gathered in the air, droplets condensing into Ye Tinglan's cup, filling the almost empty cup halfway again.

Lu Xingzhou also made a "please" gesture: "That's right."

Ye Tinglan examined the water in the glass with great interest: "What I care about is none of your business."

"Because now, I am not a judge, but a disciple of the master. I still have the responsibility to offer advice."

Ye Tinglan finally smiled. She had wanted to ask some questions, but now she didn't. She picked up her water glass and took a sip.

Lu Xingzhou breathed a sigh of relief.

Ye Tinglan put down his water glass and smoothly continued the conversation, taking the lead in addressing him as a "disciple," completely dispelling the previous question: "Your and A'nuo's alchemy skills far surpass those of your classmates. Staying with them and taking the same courses will be of very little benefit to you. I intend to request the academy to treat you two specially, allowing you to study with me ahead of time and no longer participate in regular courses. What do you think?"

Lu Xingzhou hesitated for a moment.

Ye Tinglan said, "Could it be because of what you said last time, that you wanted to make friends in the academy? What you've done so far is enough to keep them from being hostile to you... Classmates are classmates after all. Even if you don't have much of a relationship, they will naturally become your network in the future."

Lu Xingzhou scratched his head, but it wasn't because of that: "Could I ask you, sir, whether this further study will continue at the academy, or if there are other arrangements?"

"What you lack is someone to guide you, not the collections and resources of the Dan Academy... so it doesn't matter where you are." Ye Tinglan said this with a hint of sarcasm: "What, are you reluctant to part with the young ladies from the noble families of the Imperial Academy next door, or are you reluctant to part with the youthful ponytails of Qingyao Garden?"

Lu Xingzhou could only say, "I have some promises to keep and it's inconvenient for me to leave."

"I'm not asking you to leave now, just to prepare. Since you can leave anywhere, you can stay at the academy too."

Lu Xingzhou breathed a sigh of relief.

Ye Tinglan changed the subject: "But if what you're talking about is dealing with the Huo family... do you think this is something you should be doing while studying at Dan Academy?"

Lu Xingzhou was silent for a moment: "Do as much as you can. There should be a conclusion, instead of it ending abruptly and without a trace."

Ye Tinglan said calmly, "What I see is that you are obsessed with cosmetics... I hope you have a plan, instead of just empty slogans."

"I'm having someone do it secretly, and it will take some time..."

"What did you do?"

"Evidence of Huo Heng's embezzlement and bribery at the Ministry of Works."

"Did they use personnel from the Yama Palace's capital branch?"

"Yes."

Ye Tinglan fell silent for a long time before shaking her head: "The Huo family hired someone to kill you in the Demon Subduing Domain. Qin Yuanzheng was furious, but he could only let it go. Do you think that mere embezzlement and bribery can really have any effect on them? If it exposes your connection with the Yama Palace, it will be detrimental."

Lu Xingzhou's expression was also not good: "But I have no other angle, sir. I... lack more powerful help. The Sheng family is not involved in politics, and although the Pei family can cooperate, they are not strong enough."

Ye Tinglan said, "Embezzlement and bribery are one aspect, but everyone in officialdom does them, including the Pei family... Such things won't cause any waves in the eyes of Gu or His Majesty. They will only be used as a reason for reckoning and as charges against the public after the Huo family falls."

Lu Xingzhou nodded: "Yes."

"But what if the money is embezzled from His Majesty himself?"

"Do you have any leads, sir?"

"Two years ago, His Majesty built an altar in the western suburbs to pray for good health. Huo Heng was in charge of this matter." Ye Tinglan said casually, "Of course, Huo Heng probably wouldn't dare to interfere. Pei Qingyan also kept an eye on it... But there's no harm in keeping an eye on it. It's good to supervise more and encourage each other if there's nothing wrong with it."

Lu Xingzhou stared at the man speechlessly, feeling a real sense of unease.

Is the tone and way of thinking of this worldly official the same person as the celestial being who just appeared?
(End of this chapter)