Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 398 Stars Fall to Earth
No matter how frantic Pei Chuyun was, the Imperial Preceptor's status and position were undeniable, and she couldn't stop him from summoning Lu Xingzhou.

She could only watch helplessly as Lu Xingzhou left with the Taoist priest. She was furious, but she still had to rush to find servants for Lu Xingzhou.

Otherwise, Sheng Xiaogua's group will pick them all first, and then we'll have nothing left.

The guards have already been chosen as members of Sheng Yuanyao's delegation. If the others are also selected by the Sheng family, then who calls the shots in the Lu family's backyard? They can control everything!

Being under tight surveillance, Sheng Yuanyao was completely unaware of the danger. She had returned home exhausted from her journey and hadn't even had a sip of tea before being summoned to court. Upon arriving home, she simply collapsed and refused to move. On the contrary, Sheng Qingfeng paced back and forth beside her, repeatedly seeming to want to say something but then stopping himself.

"No, Lao Sheng, just say what you want to say." Sheng Yuanyao was so shaken that she had to stop him.

Sheng Qingfeng was so angry that his beard stood on end: "So now that you're a general, you can call me Old Sheng, right?"

"I'll post the dad-style stuff later, let's get down to business first. Your little darling is really exhausted."

"It's leaky anyway," Sheng Qingfeng muttered, then quickly sighed, "Tell me the truth, during the chaos in the Demon Realm, weren't you guys deeply involved, siding with the Dragon Emperor to fight the rebels?"

Sheng Yuanyao was stunned for a moment: "Why would you think that? We didn't just raid the homes of the rebels. We also raided the home of Long Lie, the loyal sycophant of the Dragon Emperor. We didn't show any bias, did we?"

So that's why they raided Long Lie's house in the first place. If Long Lie, whose love letters have spread throughout the Demon Realm, knew about it, I wonder if he'd pull out a tendon and hang himself.

"You can only fool others, including His Majesty... But I'm your father, I know what kind of person you are!" Sheng Qingfeng lowered his voice: "You seem to act recklessly, with a playboy look, but in reality, you have your own sense of propriety. You could even compromise on a situation like Dongjiang in Xia Prefecture, which you find extremely distasteful, so how could you possibly lead a few hundred soldiers to rashly raid the homes of important officials in the Demon Realm in a place like the Demon Capital? Even if you are a playboy yourself, you don't care about the lives of so many people in the delegation? That's not you."

Sheng Yuanyao twitched her lips: "I didn't even know I was so sensible."

After all, I've already ventured into the Dragon Emperor's inner palace, though at a rather painful price.

Sheng Qingfeng ignored her and continued, "You would only do this if you knew you wouldn't be punished. What situation would make you so sure you wouldn't be punished? It's only if you're helping one side and believe they're the winner. The fact is, you haven't been punished at all, and you even brought Chen Yu back... So it goes without saying which side you're on."

Sheng Yuanyao gasped: "If the old emperor had even a fraction of your detective skills, I'd be dead."

"What do you think your father does?" Sheng Qingfeng said helplessly, "If it were anyone else, I would have presented this analysis to His Majesty. An emperor doesn't need to be able to solve cases himself; he just needs to know how to use people who can. Don't underestimate anyone. This time, I was being biased. Do you think someone will be biased for you every time? Besides, His Majesty only did so because he doesn't know you well. After all, your reputation as a playboy is quite widespread, and you don't seem like the kind of person who would do something like this."

Sheng Yuanyao laughed: "Looks like I'll have to go to the casino again tomorrow."

Sheng Qingfeng glanced around, then grabbed a belt: "Don't think that just because you're a general, I can't whip you!"

Sheng Yuanyao quickly smiled apologetically, "No, no, no... Um, what is Father trying to warn me about?"

Sheng Qingfeng hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Actually, even if someone impeaches you for siding with the Dragon Emperor, it's not a big deal. After all, when you're under someone else's thumb, being forced to take sides is generally understandable, and it doesn't mean you've pledged allegiance to the Dragon Emperor."

Sheng Yuanyao slammed her hand on the table: "Of course I will never side with her! I am sworn enemies with the enemy chieftain!"

Sheng Qingfeng nodded with satisfaction: "But there is still a key issue here. The person you are dealing with is actually His Majesty's man. With this, His Majesty's ten-year plan in the Demon Realm has been completely ruined."

Sheng Yuanyao's cheeks twitched. She had seen the secret letter with her own eyes, so of course she knew about this issue. She didn't expect her father to know, and not only did he know, he dared to say it directly.

“You are a general now, not a child anymore.” Sheng Qingfeng’s expression was very serious. “His Majesty will not make this public, and the court and the public will only regard you as meritorious officials. In reality, His Majesty must have some grudges in his heart, but he just won’t show it. Today, the court did not directly give you an official position. At first, I didn’t understand what it meant, but now that I’ve thought about it carefully at home, I think there might be something wrong with this attitude.”

Sheng Yuanyao felt a bit serious: "I'm not a key player, just someone who plays a supporting role. Whether I'm there or not won't change the outcome of this matter. Why is he being so petty?"

"It's hard to say... Heaven's will is unpredictable."

"Now that things are done, how can I continue to put on a good show?"

Sheng Qingfeng hesitated for a moment: "Tomorrow, if you see someone you don't like, go and beat them up in the street. It would be best if you could get convicted and have them take away your official position. That way, he can vent his anger, which would be a good thing."

Sheng Yuanyao was overjoyed.

You just said you'd beat me up if I went to the casino, isn't that the same thing?

"Stop grinning like an idiot." Sheng Qingfeng said angrily, "Did you know that Lu Xingzhou has a mansion now?"

"So what?" Sheng Yuanyao said indifferently, "He even discussed with me on the way, saying that some members of the delegation wanted to retire from the military, and that we could recruit a few to be guards. I gave him the cold shoulder at that time and ignored him."

"Such a good opportunity to plant your own people around him, and you just turn your back on him? Are you really that..." Sheng Qingfeng paused for a moment, then sighed: "Well, ignoring him is fine. It seems you're not prepared for the power struggles within the family. It's not what I thought."

Sheng Yuanyao was stunned for a moment, then suddenly jumped up and rushed out the door: "Mother, recommend a few people for me..."

Sheng Qingfeng: "..."

I thought you didn't want to, but it turns out it's because of the melon.

…………

At the National Observatory, on the Star Gazing Platform, Ye Tinglan, now dressed in the Taoist robes she wore as the Imperial Preceptor, sat alone on the high platform, cross-legged, divining.

As Lu Xingzhou was led off the stage by the Taoist priest, he looked up at the beautiful figure and felt a sense of unreality, as if it were a dream.

This looks so otherworldly, like a celestial being under the night sky, detached from the world.

From any perspective, this is a woman that no one in the world could possibly have, a woman who has no connection whatsoever with the word "love," yet somehow she has grown closer and closer to him... It has to be said that there is a certain destiny between people.

The key to her fate lies in... she used countless aliases to break free from that identity, transforming herself from an immortal into a mortal.

So much so that now when Lu Xingzhou sees her, he has to think for a long time before he knows how to address her in front of other people.

"Master?" Theoretically, only Ye Zhuoyu of the Dan Academy is considered a master. Lu Xingzhou's identity in the Tianyao Holy Land is actually Feng Ziliu's unofficial disciple, not Ye Tinglan's.

Lu Xingzhou climbed the steps and stood not far in front of Ye Tinglan. After hesitating for a long time, he finally managed to say, "Greetings, Imperial Preceptor."

Ye Tinglan opened her eyes.

I don't know if it's just my imagination... but my first impression was one of indifference, like the stars in the sky right now, seemingly sparkling and vibrant, but actually light-years away.

The next moment, a smile appeared in her eyes, making Xingxing seem playful and giving her a human touch again.

"What, you went to Dragon Cliff and came back, you've been gilded, and now you look down on me, so you've become the Imperial Advisor?"

The first words spoken by the Imperial Preceptor sent chills down the spines of the Taoist priests below the stage. They exchanged glances and then simply fled.

This place is no place to stay; if I stay, I don't know if I'll be silenced.

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "I've been using all sorts of different identities, and now I'm confused myself. I don't know what to call myself in front of outsiders."

In truth, both of them knew that at least in front of the people of Tianyao Holy Land, concealing their secrets was already self-deception. Who wouldn't see through their little tricks? Sometimes, Ye Tinglan even wondered what the point of all that self-deception had been.

Time is always the best medicine and the best teacher.

When everything cools down and you look back, you'll find many of the thoughts you had while you were in the thick of it all to be laughable.

Either admit it or refuse it; why all this unnecessary fuss?

But at that time, giving oneself a way out was essential.

"Unless it's a formal occasion at court, you shouldn't address the Imperial Preceptor as such," Ye Tinglan finally said. "Call me 'Master' or 'Madam,' it's up to you."

These words started to get a little flirty, finally making Lu Xingzhou feel a bit like his girlfriend when they were having long phone conversations. For a moment, he almost thought he had been replaced.

He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Can I call you 'Madam' in front of them?"

"Of course." Ye Tinglan said expressionlessly, "I am still Mrs. Ye. Everyone else can call me Mrs. Ye, so why can't you?"

"Then no one else is allowed to call out." Lu Xingzhou stepped forward.

A smile returned to Ye Tinglan's eyes: "You've gotten bolder, haven't you? You were cowering just now."

"Is that timidity?" Lu Xingzhou finally moved closer to her and sat down beside her, casually putting his arm around her shoulder: "It's because you feel that my wife is like a banished immortal, about to ride the wind away at any moment, and you feel a sense of trepidation."

"You are the one who has insulted me the most, and you have no shame in saying such things."

Actually, after such a long separation, Ye Tinglan couldn't help but feel a little awkward and uncomfortable. But as these few words passed, she slowly regained her intimacy and gently leaned on his shoulder, following the strength of his hand: "Xingzhou... I used to think that time flew by, that ten years was just a blink of an eye. Now I realize that time is very slow. Two months is actually so long, so long that seeing you again feels like a lifetime ago, so long that we both feel like strangers."

Lu Xingzhou felt the same way, but he absolutely could not express it at this moment. Instead, he whispered with a chuckle in Lu Xingzhou's ear, "That's because someone has put on a veil again."

That was a double entendre… so Ye Tinglan reciprocated with a double entendre: “This veil was meant to be removed for you…”

When a "mom-like" girlfriend starts flirting, no one else can compete. Lu Xingzhou was so aroused that he couldn't resist, and his lips moved gently to her ear, finally touching her veil.

Instead of pulling downwards, he pulled along her lips, kissing them as he lifted her mask.

Ye Tinglan's breathing became rapid.

The stars in the sky fell to earth in an instant.

(End of this chapter)