Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 203 High Heels Stepping on Chest (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Lu Xingzhou knew that the Yama Palace had issued a statement severing ties with Ye Wufeng, but he did not know that Ye Wufeng's master, the Western Ghost Emperor Tan Xinhong, had died at the hands of Yuan Muyu. The people in the capital branch did not dare to tell him.

While Yuan Muyu's campaign against the Yin Corpse Sect was ostensibly to avenge Lu Xingzhou, it also served as a pretext for action. Yuan Muyu needed to replenish the Yin Corpse Sect's strength and expand its territory, and conquering the Yin Corpse Sect was an excellent solution.

In fact, subduing the Yin Corpse Sect was a strategic plan Lu Xingzhou had devised years ago. The underworld and the Yin Corpse Sect's background were quite compatible, making them suitable for inclusion. This "fit" was not only in terms of cultivation and "Dao," but also in terms of "sect culture," something rarely considered by people in this world.

However, demonic sects are usually very well hidden and difficult to find, so this plan never came to fruition.

This time, it just so happened that Yuan Muyu went to cause trouble for the Yin Corpse Sect, and unexpectedly, the Eastern Ghost Emperor Ji Wenchuan followed the clues and found out where the sect was. What happened next was just a matter of course.

From this perspective, Lu Xingzhou unexpectedly became a lucky star in the underworld once again. Just by venting his anger, he suddenly achieved a plan that had been shelved in his early years.

Just as Lu Xingzhou, though gone, continues to contribute to the Yama Palace, his influence is evident in everything from the initial planning to the reasons for its implementation.

Lu Xingzhou's feelings are complicated right now.

Following Shen Tang is fine; at least in the short term, there's no connection with the Underworld. But Madam Ye clearly has some past connection with Yuan Muyu, and it's uncertain whether this will lead to conflict in the future.

That would be a real headache.

"Is there anything else besides that?"

Meng Guan said leisurely, "The Heavenly Sword Sect peacefully merged with the Pill Cauldron Gang through a combination of martial arts competitions and acquisitions. They expanded their mountain gate to the western suburbs of Xia Prefecture, no longer just a pattern of two mountains surrounding the area."

Lu Xingzhou was pleasantly surprised.

The Dan Ding Gang is similar to the original Dan Xia Gang; both are gangs that grow and sell medicinal herbs. They are not very strong, but their positions are exactly what the Tian Xing Sword Sect needs.

In Xiazhou, a place primarily focused on medicinal herb cultivation, the Danxia and Lingquan peaks are not the only features; there are also continuous mountain ranges behind them. The Danxia and Lingquan mountains are among the closest to the city, making them somewhat like two gateways.

If the Heavenly Sword Sect wants to expand, it certainly can't expand into the city; the mountains behind it are the only direction, since swords emerge from all the peaks.

While Xia Prefecture may be weak, it's not something you can simply annex or wipe out at will. The Heavenly Sword Sect isn't like the Underworld; righteous actions must adhere to fundamental principles. Otherwise, if they could just wipe out whoever's territory they coveted, the world would be in chaos. The imperial court exists to establish and maintain these rules; those who disregard them are considered demonic.

The Incense Burning Pavilion acted recklessly because they thought they had the Prince of Jin backing them, and when they were wiped out, no one even felt sorry for them.

Expanding and annexing power within the rules must have involved multiple rounds of strategic maneuvering. It wasn't necessary for Lu Xingzhou to come up with all the ideas; it was Shen Tang's own abilities that began to shine.

Seeing Lu Xingzhou enjoying his drink, Meng Guan casually added, "While you were still camping in the mountains, the imperial court passed a resolution officially elevating Xia Prefecture to the status of a prefecture, and Dongjiang Prefecture will become history. Although this isn't exactly a matter of the martial world, I think you'd like to hear about it."

Lu Xingzhou's good mood suddenly plummeted, and his expression changed as he said, "Too early!"

Meng Guan: "..."

Lu Xingzhou rose from his seat and paced back and forth a couple of times: "Since Dongjiang County has brought up this matter, it's clear that the spiritual energy of Xia Prefecture can no longer be hidden from people. Those who are interested will naturally discover that the core of the earth vein changes lies in Danxia Mountain. Tianxing Sword Sect is not strong enough... They have only been quietly making a fortune for half a year, and now they have to face another challenge."

Meng Guan laughed and said, "Isn't it just a good thing that you've gone back? We can fight side by side now, especially since you have a First-Rank general by your side. It's not a bad thing for the sect to have some tests, especially since the current Tianxing Sword Sect is a combination of the Danxia Gang and the Fenxiang Tower, and it needs some wars to strengthen its cohesion."

Lu Xingzhou said helplessly, "Prefect, you are unaware of this... Never mind."

Meng Guan's words were certainly correct. A newly emerging sect like the Heavenly Sword Sect, which rose abruptly, was destined to experience more warfare than other sects, and it did indeed need the baptism of war to achieve cohesion. We were just saying that everyone should follow the rules, and since it wouldn't always be like the Incense Burning Pavilion's planned massacres, regular conflicts weren't difficult to handle.

It's fortunate that I've returned at this time; being able to fight alongside them would be a pleasure, especially with Madam Ye by my side—that's quite a show of power. Even if some demonic cultivators were to cause trouble, they'd basically be easy prey.

But the problem is that this isn't a matter of the martial arts world; the core issue is how Gu Zhanting views it.

Sending Shen Tang to Xia Prefecture before was tantamount to exile. What could one do in a rural area with scarce spiritual energy and barren resources, especially since Shen Tang was crippled? But only half a year has passed, and this so-called rural area has suddenly become a treasure trove of spiritual energy. What does Gu Zhanting think?
Once the emperor feels that Shen Tang's rise has gone too far, repeating the Tianxing Sword Sect's massacre case is utterly unreasonable.

The greatest evil in the world is the rule-maker himself.

Lu Xingzhou immediately lost his mood for drinking and chatting, and cupped his hands, saying, "I wonder if you have any connection with this Prefect of Dongjiang, Prefect Meng?"

Meng Guan asked, "What are you going to do?"

"His Majesty will surely inquire in detail about the spiritual energy situation in Xia Prefecture and Danxia Mountain. I hope that Dongjiang County's reply can downplay the situation as much as possible... Well, it's not about deceiving the Emperor, it's just the art of language, you all understand it better than I do."

Meng Guan laughed: "This prefect is named Zhang Rongzhi. He was my classmate, but this relationship is not as effective as another one."

Lu Xingzhou perked up: "What?"

“He is a former subordinate of Prime Minister Pei. He reported to Prime Minister Pei first about the proposal to change the prefecture seat. If you can get Prime Minister Pei to say a few words to you, it will be much more useful than me.”

Lu Xingzhou immediately wrote a letter: "Please send someone to the Pei residence urgently to give to Miss Chuyun."

Meng Guan leisurely accepted the letter: "These days, even cats can read letters..."

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

Meng Guan also wrote a letter to Lu Xingzhou on the spot: "Please also give a letter to Zhang Rongzhi for me. As classmates, we still need to exchange letters."

Lu Xingzhou accepted it and bowed sincerely, saying, "Thank you, Prefect Meng."

Meng Guan said meaningfully, "Follow Madam Ye through the trials... I'm waiting for your rise to power."

The guesthouse that Meng Guan arranged for Lu Xingzhou and his party had a deeper meaning.

That was the guest courtyard where Lu Xingzhou used to live, the place where Pei Chuyun supposedly kept cats.

Lu Xingzhou didn't know whether to call Meng Guan's perverse sense of humor "sensible" or "overthinking." How could Madam Ye be the same as Pei Chuyun?

He and Ah Nuo tiptoed back, carefully slipping into their room and barely daring to breathe.

Madam Ye was clearly furious when she called him "Mother" in public today; I wonder if she'll be beaten to death.

"Halt!" A cold voice came from Madam Ye's room. The master and apprentice froze, their movements like thieves, and asked helplessly, "What are your orders, sir?"

A giant hand descended from the sky, lifting Anuo up with two fingers. A vine suddenly appeared and lashed out at Anuo's buttocks.

Before they even hit him, Ah Nu burst into tears: "Sir, I was just confused for a moment..."

Lu Xingzhou quickly hugged A Nuo and used his back to shield himself from the blow: "A Nuo was someone I instructed. If you're angry, take it out on me."

Ye Tinglan almost laughed in exasperation: "Do you think you're so noble?"

"No, no, it's what I should do..."

"Even if he was instructed to do it, does that mean he's not wrong? He's to copy the Dan Academy rules a hundred times. It will be checked tomorrow morning!"

Ah Nuo breathed a sigh of relief and whispered in his ear, "That old woman is all bark and no bite."

Lu Xingzhou quietly replied, "Don't be reckless. She'll most likely hear you. I'll take the fall."

He coiled A Nuo into a ball and threw him into the room next door. Then he picked up Lu Xingzhou and carried him directly into Ye Tinglan's room, throwing him to the ground with a "thud".

Lu Xingzhou fell to the ground, in front of him a pair of white cloth shoes, looking somewhat like a Taoist priest's style, serious and solemn, the pure white color adding a touch of innocence to this solemnity. The delicate feet were small and dainty, adding a touch of cuteness to the overall look.

Pure yet alluring. This assessment flashed through Lu Xingzhou's mind when that delicate foot kicked out, knocking him over and then stepping on his chest.

With her legs slightly bent as she stepped on his chest, Ye Tinglan bent down, her right hand resting on her knee with her elbow across her body, looking down at Lu Xingzhou's disheveled state, and said coldly, "Do you know how the last person who tried to ruin my reputation died?"

Lu Xingzhou thought that if the previous person had been stepped on like that, they might have died from nosebleeds.

Fortunately, the time traveler was knowledgeable and experienced, and could withstand it.

He quickly put on an apologetic face: "The child is ignorant, please don't hold it against her, sir."

"Didn't you say you ordered it?"

"I accept the punishment."

Why ruin my reputation?

“Sir…” Lu Xingzhou hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, “People say that the realm of soaring through the clouds is where one can ride the wind and travel to the North Sea in the morning and Cangwu in the evening, how carefree that is. Why are you in so many shackles, sir? You don’t seem like a seeker of immortality at all.”

"What does this have to do with you ruining my reputation?"

“If you could have fewer concerns, we wouldn’t have to endure the elements along the way.”

"Just for this?"

"So that my husband can have an easier life."

Ye Tinglan was stunned for a moment. Even though she knew he was spouting nonsense, she couldn't help but sigh.

She finally stopped, turned around and sat back in her chair, coldly saying, "Get up."

"Ahem." Lu Xingzhou rolled over and peeked at her expression.

With the veil on, many things were obscured. Lu Xingzhou suddenly wanted her to remove the veil, so he said directly, "For example, I really don't understand why you insist on wearing a veil. Why can't you just be yourself?"

Ye Tinglan said coldly, "So that there will be fewer lecherous men like you with your eyes darting around."

It's really just a habit. As the Imperial Advisor, she needs a certain air of mystery, and a young and beautiful face isn't conducive to creating an aura of authority and mystery. On the other hand, Madam Ye's identity doesn't really require a veil to conceal her identity; it's just a matter of habit. Of course, wearing a veil does save a lot of trouble.

Lu Xingzhou told her in a serious tone, "If you're just trying to avoid being coveted by lecherous men, then I can tell you responsibly that wearing a veil will only attract more fantasies. Mystery and the unknown are what's most alluring. You might as well be open and natural."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Today is my special day, uncles, please give me some monthly votes!
(End of this chapter)