Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 189 If it's not his fault, is it my sister's fault?

Back in his cave, Lu Xingzhou was still covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.

Ah Nuo looked at him with some worry: "Master... even Mr. Ye thinks that we can uncover the secrets of the Underworld from you. Will others arrest you for this in the future?"

Lu Xingzhou pinched A Nuo's little face: "We are 'traitors' of the Underworld. Unless they are driven to desperation by the Underworld and are grasping at straws, they will normally only try to appease us like Mr. Ye. If you can get me to take the initiative to deal with the Underworld, it will be much more useful than arresting me."

Ah Nuo asked, "So, Mr. Ye only did this for this reason?"

Seeing that Anuo looked a little sad, Lu Xingzhou chuckled: "No."

Ah Nuo's eyes were bright.

"What, you used to call her an old woman, but now you don't want her to get close to you just for other reasons?"

"But she's really beautiful and amazing... That's what immortals are like, right?"

“First Rank…” Lu Xingzhou pondered, “Logically, at their level of cultivation, all their focus should be on breaking through to immortality. Even someone as mundane as Huo Liancheng, after reaching the first rank, handed over most of his affairs to Huo Xingyuan. Huo Xingyuan, after reaching the first rank, also doesn’t like to get involved in affairs, and matters are gradually being transferred to Huo Qi. Not to mention your Sister Yu…”

Ah Nuo glanced at him sideways.

Lu Xingzhou did not avoid the topic of Yuan Muyu any longer, but continued: "Your sister Yu used to love teasing me, but after reaching the first rank, she started to distance herself almost visibly. She spends far more time in seclusion and contemplation than other things, and often stares blankly at the night sky. When discussing serious matters, the topic has gradually shifted from the development of the Yama Palace to a large amount of 'Dao' and 'ancient times,' which are extremely obscure to me. I don't like talking to her about this at all."

Ah Nuo rested her chin on her hand and said, "Is it possible that it's because you've grown up, or that she thought you'd grown up, but who knew you were so incompetent?"

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

Anuo said, "Besides, if this kind of behavior is unique to the first rank, that's not necessarily true... Master, after I reached the fourth rank, I felt that I started to worry about the major hurdle of the third rank, much more so than before... Is it possible that this is something that all those facing major hurdles share?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "That makes sense. When I was stuck at the middle third rank, I was far more anxious than before, and it's obviously even more serious above the first rank. So the question is, how could Madam Ye have the mind to meddle in so many mundane matters..."

Ah Nuo scratched her head, unsure of what to say. After a long pause, she managed to say, "Because she's both beautiful and capable!"

Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but laugh: "You really are captivated by whoever is pretty."

"No! Pei Xiaolü is so pretty, I still want to hit her. She stole my steamed bun!"

“Ha…” Lu Xingzhou picked up A Nuo and went out: “Let’s go to the Yama’s Palace and change the course of their investigation.”

"If Pei Qingyan has been keeping an eye on Huo Heng's altar construction, then Huo Heng definitely wouldn't dare to cause trouble here, right? Is it really going to work?"

"Actually, the real problem with the Huo family is that alchemy furnace, and the cause and effect of this incident is also due to me and them. But we can't use this trump card recklessly right now. Before Gu Zhanting loses his trust in the Huo family, he can't just raid their home because of what you said. Otherwise, he'll be accused of false accusation."

"So you want to undermine trust from other angles first? But what if Huo Heng didn't do it? Are you framing him?"

"Since Madam Ye brought this up specifically, it means that Huo Heng has probably tried to make some money here, and Madam Ye has learned about it. In fact, these people are used to making money, and they do some things so routinely that they don't even realize they are being greedy. They just think it's a common rule, and it may not be intentional. If the Pei family didn't find out about the problem, it's probably because they thought the matter was too small and didn't matter."

"But for us, all we need to do is plant a seed in Gu Zhanting's heart?"

"Yes...tearing apart the seeds of trust step by step."

…………

Back in the temple, Ye Tinglan was also discussing matters with an old man with a white beard.

"Back then, she said we were chasing a futile endeavor and left in anger. I initially thought that since she had been carefully nurtured by the sect since childhood, she hadn't experienced the dangers of the world and had never tasted the struggle for resources on her own. It would be good for her to go out and see the world." Ye Tinglan sighed, "I thought that after a few years of training outside, she would finally realize the merits of the sect. If she truly wanted to reach the first rank, she couldn't rely on herself alone. She would always come back..."

The old man sighed, "Her departure wasn't just as glamorous as it sounds. She also didn't accept you as the sect leader... She didn't respect anyone. At the time, we thought it would be good for this troublemaker to go away for a few years. Once she realized how difficult resources were, she would behave herself... But who knew she would actually build a huge organization and become the sect leader herself, with abundant resources, so breaking through was a piece of cake."

“With her talent, I highly suspect she’s already beyond the first rank.” Ye Tinglan said in a low voice, “The ninth rank is only for ordinary people. The limit of the Radiant Sun is less than a hundred years for a genius. She is undoubtedly a genius among geniuses.”

"Given her reckless nature back then, who could have imagined she could actually develop such an organization?" the old man sighed. "Actually, if she had truly achieved something great, we would have been happy to see it, but she went down the dark path..."

“She picked up a scoundrel, but who knew she’d struck gold.” Ye Tinglan gritted her teeth. “What’s most infuriating is that her decision to walk the demonic path was instigated by that scoundrel. If no one had egged her on, she might not have gone down this path.”

Old man: "..."

Ye Tinglan rubbed her head, feeling a headache coming on: "Now that her business empire is growing bigger, the topic has reverted to the old days, and the family's quarrels have escalated to the point where they're now framing a major conflict. Things are getting much more complicated."

The old man said, "She should be alright. She's not a bad person by nature... The time we tried to capture her and take her back, she showed mercy and only injured her without killing her."

Ye Tinglan sighed: "She is a person with truly firm ideas... When she truly has the means to realize her ideas from back then, we will be among those who should be eliminated even if there are many talented people in power. By then, she probably won't care about this little bit of kinship anymore."

The old man remained silent. "In the end, the bastard who helped her build her power is the real culprit. If she couldn't have succeeded, she would have obediently gone home long ago. There wouldn't have been this." Ye Tinglan said through gritted teeth, "You said that time when we tried to capture her, she showed mercy... It was later confirmed that even that battle was orchestrated by the Judge. Without that bastard, we would have captured her the year before last!"

The old man's lips twitched: "Well, Sect Master, isn't it a bit... a bit... to blame this on a lowly disabled person who just offered advice?"

"I don't blame that quack strategist, so why should I blame my own sister?"

"...Then it's your sister's fault for being more normal."

Ye Tinglan: "?"

The old man coughed dryly: "Anyway, this bastard that the sect leader was talking about now belongs to the sect leader. We've already taken over the decisive factor, so maybe we can even anger her to death."

Ye Tinglan: "...It's not because of that."

"That's not important. What's important is that he'll help you now, not Mu Yu," the old man said. "What's strange is why she let him go back then. Didn't she know how much trouble that would bring her in the future?"

Ye Tinglan pondered for a while, lost in thought: "I guess his departure reminded her of her own departure back then, and she felt a connection. After all, she's not a bad person... It couldn't be because she couldn't bear to leave?"

"That must be impossible!"

"Forget it." Ye Tinglan rubbed her head. "I don't want to have a real conflict with her. If we want to resolve this matter peacefully, we'll probably have to rely on Lu Xingzhou. I'll take charge of this personally. Your usual actions against the Yama Palace should also be suspended for now. Don't let any uncontrollable major conflict occur, lest the damage be irreversible."

"Yes."

"Call Qingli over for me."

The old man took the order and left. Not long after, Dugu Qingli entered: "Master was looking for me?"

"Hmm. There's a mission here. I hadn't decided who to do it, but since you've already broken through to the third rank, it's a good opportunity for you to go and gain experience."

Dugu Qingli cupped her hands and said, "Please give your instructions, Master."

"In the Western Frost Kingdom, there is currently a demonic force colluding with the Yama Palace and plotting to form the Ten Yama Alliance. Go and investigate which force it is and what stage the Ten Yama Alliance has reached. In particular, find out how the alliance with the Yama Palace is conducted, and see if we can find a way to plant a spy... Be very careful, safety first."

Dugu Qingli accepted the order: "Yes."

Then, remembering something, she hesitated: "Go now?"

"Now, of course." Ye Tinglan asked curiously, "What, is there something else you haven't finished?"

"Well, it's nothing." Dugu Qingli scratched her head. "Then I'll go say goodbye to my friends."

"Your friend refers to Lu Xingzhou?"

"Yes."

Since it was so open and aboveboard, Ye Tinglan didn't think much of it: "If nothing unexpected happens, he should be at the altar in the western suburbs right now. You can go there yourself."

Dugu Qingli was taken aback.

How could Master know Lu Xingzhou's whereabouts so well? Has the importance attached to the Yama Palace reached this level that even the former judge is constantly monitoring him?

Ye Tinglan added, "There's something fishy about the western suburban altar. I don't know if he can find out. If he can't, you can give him a hint."

Dugu Qingli was even more puzzled: "What's going on? I don't know anything about it, so how can I give you a hint?"

Ye Tinglan tossed over a small mirror: "This mirror can reveal the intricacies of witchcraft. It's normal for a successor of a holy land to possess some treasures. Coincidentally, this will also be useful to you on your journey to Tianshuang Kingdom."

Do you think it's useful to me, or to Lu Xingzhou?

Dugu Qingli had a thought in her mind, but of course she couldn't think about such things. She honestly put away the mirror and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Master."

After saying that, he didn't linger and calmly turned and left.

It was obvious that after breaking through to the third rank, even with Lu Xingzhou's Fire Element Pill as a foundation, she was still much colder.

After watching his disciple leave, Ye Tinglan stood lost in thought for a long time before muttering to himself, "The Huo family has never been the key... Let's see what you think after you realize the key. Will you think, like your old boss, that killing off countless people is the right path?"

(End of this chapter)