Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 193: Raped again...

Not only did Anuo find the scene beautiful, but Lu Xingzhou himself also found it surprisingly harmonious.

The two were so close that they could almost turn their heads and rip off her veil... The faint fragrance wafted into their noses, and before they knew it, their hearts were filled with desire.

They had just had a disagreement not long ago, but this gentleman really doesn't mind at all.

Actually, I had this kind of tutoring-like relationship with Yuan Muyu a long time ago... The only slight difference was that back then, Yuan Muyu would always sneak up and tease me after teaching me only a few words, making a sudden turn of her head, her nose brushing against my cheek, etc... So a proper lesson would turn into something very romantic.

Now, Mr. Ye is serious, dignified, and intellectual, with no distracting thoughts whatsoever; the only distracting thought is himself.

"Hmm?" Ye Tinglan seemed to sense something: "You understood everything so quickly before, why are you asking me to repeat myself now?"

Lu Xingzhou quickly composed himself: "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."

Ye Tinglan turned her head and looked at him suspiciously.

As he turned his head, the veil fluttered gently, brushing against Lu Xingzhou's nose.

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

It was only then that Ye Tinglan realized that the two of them were getting a little too close. She had always only had one obedient and aloof female disciple, but she had forgotten that it would be a little inconvenient with a male disciple... She didn't say anything, just waved her hand like she was shooing away a fly: "Since you're tired, go back and rest. We'll talk about it next time."

Lu Xingzhou said, "Sir is not often in his office, so where can I find him on other days?"

"Since I'm in charge of taking care of you, I'll come every day for the time being. We'll talk about it when we decide to move to another place."

"Yes."

Ye Tinglan was silent for a moment, then said, "I tricked you about the altar, so let me give you another piece of information."

Lu Xingzhou glanced at her but did not answer.

Ye Tinglan continued, "The northern demons are invading again. It was originally just a small skirmish, like raiding for supplies, but for some reason, the regional commander didn't take any precautions, leaving the border town completely undefended. As a result, a small demon raiding party unexpectedly took over the entire town."

Lu Xingzhou listened as if to a historical anecdote: "Wasn't it a deliberate collusion?"

"It's really not."

"Such a big matter, and no one in the court knows about it yet?"

"Because the commander-in-chief is named Huo Zhang, and the Marquis of Zhenyuan, Huo Xingyuan, who is in charge of the northern region, is his biological father. Huo Zhang has realized that he made a mistake and is now trying to take back the city while pretending that nothing happened. He sent troops out last night, and we still don't know the outcome."

Lu Xingzhou: "...It would be hilarious if we got beaten up in return."

"Huo Zhang has been a seasoned general on the battlefield for many years, he shouldn't be that bad..." Ye Tinglan said leisurely, "Now that you know about this, how will you use it?"

"The most likely reason for his unexpected loss of the city this time is that he was secretly trading with the demon race and mistakenly thought that the group of demons raiding the valley were his people. He didn't pay attention to them, but... that's when things went wrong. That's the only explanation," Lu Xingzhou said. "This matter is not like the altar matter, which can be exposed, but it's best to find a way. If we expose it directly, Huo Xingyuan will make a false accusation, and the emperor will send people to investigate. If he actually gets it back, it will really be a false accusation."

Ye Tinglan smiled: "What's your idea?"

"This mainly depends on what the demon race thinks. If the demon race has no intention of keeping this city and withdraws directly, he can easily take it back; but if the demon race really intends to occupy it and quickly sends a few powerful figures to oversee it, he really won't be able to take it back." Lu Xingzhou stroked his chin: "This matter can be big or small. If it's big, it might escalate into a major war."

This world lacks a Great Wall, and even the most formidable mountain passes aren't particularly strong, making border regions vulnerable to invasion. However, powerful individuals can provide rapid aerial support, and cities are heavily guarded, making it generally difficult to capture one. But this also means that once captured, reclaiming it won't be easy either.

If Huo Zhang wanted to defend, the opponent could simply send a first-grade demon to guard the area, leaving Huo Zhang dumbfounded.

Even if they didn't want to defend, it wouldn't be difficult to delay Huo Zhang for a few days. Because Huo Zhang most likely wouldn't dare to mobilize a large army, only his own subordinates, making it difficult to even besiege the city.

"Why should we sue..." Lu Xingzhou thought for a moment and said, "The soldiers in the north have worked hard, so it's only natural to send someone with some rewards and condolences."

"It's a common occurrence. Usually, a palace eunuch would be sent to do it."

"It's time for the Pei family to make their move. Have them mention the rewards and condolences. On the surface, they'll go to another defense zone, unrelated to Huo Zhang's side. But in reality, they'll take the eunuchs straight to Huo Zhang's side on the way, saying that to give Lord Huo face, they should go to the second young master Huo's side first. This shouldn't be too difficult."

Ye Tinglan smiled and said, "It's not difficult. However, the Pei family's suggestion might raise suspicion. It would be better if the Grand Preceptor mentioned it casually. I will go and tell her. We can also send cultivators from the National Temple to bestow blessings together."

Lu Xingzhou quickly replied, "Then thank you, sir."

"Why thank me... This is your personal grudge, but isn't it also a matter of national importance?" Ye Tinglan stood up, glanced down at Lu Xingzhou who was still sitting there obediently, let out a cold snort with an ambiguous meaning, and turned to leave.

It's as if it's saying, "Didn't you say you didn't want my help? Now you're thanking me so obsequiously."

Lu Xingzhou felt like he'd been stepped on again...

"Master, Master?" Anuo waved her little hand beside her. "Everyone's gone, and you're still spacing out?"

"My chest hurts."

Ah Nuo: “?”

“Let’s go find Chu Yun and talk to her about what the Pei family can do about this.” Lu Xingzhou’s mood improved. “As expected, some people are different. I could never get this kind of information on my own.” A Nu followed him toward the Imperial Academy. “How could a teacher at the Alchemy Academy know about such a confidential event? Huo Zhang deliberately concealed it, so neither the Emperor nor the Imperial Preceptor would know.”

"Within Huo Zhang's forces, other forces would likely be excluded, making it difficult to obtain information about him. However, the alchemists accompanying the army might come from the Alchemy Academy."

Ah Nuo suddenly realized.

In fact, the Imperial Preceptor Ye Tinglan was completely unaware of this news; it was Madam Ye, a teacher at the Alchemy Academy, who knew about it. This explains why Ye Tinglan has maintained contact with the Alchemy Academy over the years and has even made a point of visiting as a guest professor.

The Alchemy Academy is an important training ground for alchemists in the empire, and its influence permeates many aspects of various forces. She must exert a certain influence, not only by building connections and reputation, but also by secretly recruiting some people who are worth recruiting.

This time, it was a secret report from an alchemist she had secretly gathered that she felt was too outrageous.

Thanks to the Tianyao Holy Land, the emperor is too wary and can't do many things. In theory, the Imperial Advisor shouldn't meddle in court affairs. Madam Ye's identity, on the contrary, allows her to extend her reach quite a bit.

So she was very tired.

In recent years, the most important "prey" that these tentacles have attached themselves to may be Lu Xingzhou...

Lu Xingzhou, in a good mood, led A Nuo to the Imperial Academy. The academy had already let out for the day, and the students were heading home in twos and threes, creating a bustling scene.

Lu Xingzhou spotted Pei Chuyun, the little white-clad girl, holding a stack of manuscripts at a glance.

Having just lost her virginity, Pei Chuyun felt a little guilty and decided to pretend at home for a few days. So, she went straight home after school today and didn't plan to go out for a tryst tonight.

As a result, even going home in peace, she was stopped by someone: "Miss Pei..."

Pei Chuyun glared at Qi Tuizhi with displeasure: "Are you still not done? Didn't I beat you enough last time?"

"Miss, you misunderstand. I am here on someone's behalf to invite you to the banquet."

"Who?"

"Young Master Huo the Third".

"He invited me to a banquet?" Pei Chuyun almost burst out laughing. "Is he trying to fulfill his promise of love to the roast pig's head?"

"I don't know the specifics; I'm just passing on a message. Yes, it's in the misty rain..."

Before he could finish speaking, someone grabbed his shoulder: "Brother Qi..."

Qi Tuizhi turned his head and saw Lu Xingzhou standing to the side with a smile: "It seems that my previous behavior wasn't obvious enough... So today, with so many people here, I'll be more explicit: I am in love with Miss Pei, so please keep your distance, everyone else. It wouldn't be good if I got jealous and caused something unsightly..."

Pei Chuyun immediately smiled, but then realized that her reaction was not quite right, so she quickly straightened her face and said, "I'm not anyone to you, why are you meddling in my business?"

Lu Xingzhou laughed and said, "I am not anyone to Miss for the time being, but I can make those who want to become anyone to Miss unable to even think about it."

Qi Tuizhi finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Lu Xingzhou, do you not know who you are? How many princes and nobles are there in the Imperial Academy? Is this a place where you can spout nonsense?"

"But nowadays, even princes and nobles give him a lot of face. Only Brother Qi, who is neither a prince nor a noble, doesn't give him that much face... So what is it that he relies on? Is he the number one new talent?"

When the topic turned to the rookie number one, the sarcasm was palpable, and people around them were snickering.

Qi Tuizhi, the rookie who was defeated by the second and third place teams in turn, is now almost a sarcastic term in people's mouths, and everyone mentions him with a strange smile.

Qi Tuizhi himself was particularly averse to hearing this, and ordinary people would never dare to mention these four words in front of him, as mentioning them was like lighting a powder keg.

At this moment, his expression darkened immediately: "But unfortunately, it was the direct descendant of Tianyao and the eldest daughter of the Pei family who defeated me, not you, sir."

I also need to emphasize Dugu Qingli and Pei Chuyun's backgrounds to make my failure seem more understandable.

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "I really don't have much status, and I feel a little ashamed to even pursue Miss Pei... Well, I just wanted to borrow something from Brother Qi to bolster my status."

Qi Tuizhi coldly replied, "What?"

Lu Xingzhou bowed with great poise: "Your Excellency is the number one rising star."

The crowd erupted in cheers.

This is the third time Qi Tuizhi has been challenged in just a few days!
As he said, both Dugu Qingli and Pei Chuyun have impressive backgrounds, so their failures can at least save face.

But Lu Xingzhou didn't.

As everyone knows, Lu Xingzhou is an abandoned son of the Huo family. He is now just a guest elder of a third-rank sect. His status is not only lower than that of most people in the Imperial Academy, but also lower than the average level in the capital. He is just an orphan and a country bumpkin.

If Qi Tuizhi loses this challenge again, he might as well commit suicide...

(End of this chapter)