Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 402 General Sheng brutally beats up Vice Minister Huo
Regardless of Huo Qi's thoughts, unless Sheng Yuanyao gives up on her own, he has no choice but to grit his teeth and fight this challenge in the street.

This is, after all, a world of cultivation. Even the civil officials in the court have cultivation within them, with Prime Minister Pei Qingyan being at the pinnacle of the first rank.

People like Lu Xingzhou, who once served in the underworld, are hard to convince. Even if you say you're a clerical worker and useless, people will look down on you from the bottom of their hearts.

Huo Qi has been a third-rank official for over two years, yet a girl who was only a fourth-rank official two months ago has chosen him to come to his door. In front of everyone, if you avoid fighting, the whole capital will say you're a coward tomorrow.

As for the two high-ranking officials fighting in the street, the emperor would definitely be furious. In any case, it was Sheng Yuanyao who started the fight, so she would be the one in the biggest fault.

Huo Qi waved his hand to stop the retainers beside him and said calmly, "Since General Yingyang has such an interest, I, Huo, can only accompany you at the risk of my life. Please."

Even Lu Xingzhou didn't understand what Sheng Yuanyao was doing for a moment, and asked in a low voice, "What's going on?"

Sheng Yuanyao patted his shoulder with a grin: "I'll help you get revenge."

"Why do you need to jump? You'll get caught in the crossfire. I can do it myself... Hey hey hey?" Before she could finish speaking, Sheng Yuanyao had already made her move.

The whip kick swept horizontally, the wind blade as sharp as a knife.

Suddenly, a fierce wind arose, and many of the onlookers nearby had their hats blown off. The lanterns outside the Huo residence creaked, and the plaques swayed.

Huo Qi was taken aback and quickly raised his arms to defend himself.

The leg swept across my arm, causing a stinging pain as if I were being chopped with a knife, while simultaneously sending electric currents through my body, leaving my arm numb and tingling.

Huo Qi sensed something was wrong and immediately launched a second kick straight at the center of the body.

The onlookers found it a feast for the eyes; the female general's heroic and upright figure, and her long, straight legs, made her fight a truly beautiful sight.

Many people here have seen Lu Xingzhou fight, using the same series of flying kicks. At the time, they thought it was elegant and beautiful, but now, looking at it, how can it compare to that of the female general? He's just a roadside nobody.

It might look good to outsiders, but Huo Qi, who was being kicked in a series of kicks, certainly didn't find it appealing.

He even sensed a deadly threat.

Is this really just the beginning of the third rank?

What's with this strange power...? And Sheng Yuanyao's martial arts are wrong too. It's neither a family heirloom of the Sheng family nor a routine from the Demon Suppression Bureau. To outsiders, it looks ordinary, but only those in the thick of it can feel the profound trajectory and landing point, as well as the speed and explosive power that are beyond what one should expect from a cultivator.

The swaying lanterns and the flickering signboard were not the result of her full power; on the contrary, they were merely a slight overflow of her restrained strength.

How could outsiders know how difficult those two legs were to endure!
Superior combat skill?

"Bang!" Huo Qi blocked the kick that was about to hit his chest with his palm. The force of wind and thunder surged, and he couldn't withstand it. He staggered back several steps, and then his heel hooked on the bottom of his own steps, almost falling.

Before I could even regain my balance, a fist was already aimed at my face.

Huo Qi managed to dodge, and then threw a punch at Sheng Yuanyao's abdomen. This was the only time he had found an opportunity to retaliate since they started fighting.

Sheng Yuanyao smiled slightly.

Huo Qi felt a sense of foreboding as his fist lashed out, and a sharp pain shot through the web of his hand.

It turned out that Sheng Yuanyao's punch was just a feint; his real killing move was a knee strike. When he threw the punch, he delivered the tiger's mouth (the space between his thumb and forefinger) to the knee strike, deflecting the punch's force. The knee then struck his lower abdomen without stopping.

Huo Qi subconsciously bent down, almost vomiting with two "hoarse" sounds.

In the heat of battle, how could we let him do that? Without even bending down, a punch landed squarely on his eye socket.

The eldest son of the Huo family was punched in front of his own door, sending him spinning through the air before he landed face-first on the steps with a thud.

Sheng Yuanyao didn't let him off the hook. She strode forward, bent down, and punched him again, saying, "I told you to tie me up!"

Huo Qi: "?"

The second punch: "Let you find servants first."

Huo Qi: "..."

The third punch: "So you can call me uncle."

Huo Qi: "Can I call you Dad?"

What is all this nonsense? I don't understand anything except for hiring a servant! Even if we were to hire a servant, it was Father who did it, not me.

The Huo family retainers on either side seemed to wake from a dream, and rushed forward to separate Sheng Yuanyao: "General Sheng, let's talk this out! The outcome of this duel is already decided, and my young master concedes defeat!"

Seeing that she had won, Sheng Yuanyao clapped her hands and turned to leave, saying, "You're really useless, stop pretending to be dead!"

The onlookers were in a daze.

Is that all?
The eldest son of the Huo family, who had been a third-rank official for two years and was over thirty years old, was brutally beaten in the street by a young woman in her early twenties who had just entered the third rank, and it only took three moves!
Qi Tuizhi once again revealed his signature smile, one of concern not for scarcity but for inequality. You think I have a strong mentality? That's because I've had someone else to play along with on several occasions.

"Brother Qi," Lu Xingzhou's voice came from behind, "Haven't eaten yet? Want to grab something to eat?"

Qi Tuizhi was taken aback, his expression somewhat strange: "I'm practically a jinx now, and the Huo family is rushing to distance themselves from me. You're inviting me to dinner?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "Why not?"

Qi Tuizhi glanced at Pei Chuyun beside Lu Xingzhou, then turned to look at Sheng Yuanyao peeking out from the street corner, and suddenly smiled: "Okay."

Lu Xingzhou thought to himself, "Your mental fortitude is truly remarkable. These guys have all beaten you up, yet you can still eat with them as if nothing happened."

Dinner was at Yanyu Tower, and Miss Pei was the host again.

Qi Tuizhi walked into the place where he had been beaten before, and sat in the seat where he had been beaten before, feeling a deep sense of melancholy.

Lu Xingzhou's family sat around the table, all staring at him like curious children.

Qi Tuizhi remained expressionless: "Why are you all staring at a defeated opponent like that?"

Sheng Yuanyao reached out and touched the pig in A Nuo's arms, as if to see whose skin was thicker.

Qi Tuizhi knew about her performance art and said calmly, "When it comes to inner strength, General Sheng is still a bit stronger... Beating up Minister Huo at the Huo family's gate, not to mention how the Grand Tutor and Marquis Huo will react, just from His Majesty's perspective, General Sheng will probably be in trouble immediately. Yet he's eating here without changing his expression."

"So what?" Sheng Yuanyao was not only unconcerned, but also seemed refreshed, as if she had finally relieved herself of a long-standing constipation. She leisurely picked up a piece of pork rib and ate it with relish: "Am I supposed to starve to death if I don't eat? I'm not going to pack my bags and run away over something like this, am I? The Huo family is a first-class family, but is my Sheng family not first-class?"

Qi Tuizhi: "..."

Seeing Lu Xingzhou, Pei Chuyun, and even a small child eating heartily, seemingly ignoring him, and with the child even feeding the pigs, Qi Tuizhi felt an extremely strange sense of incongruity once again.

You know you come from a first-class family... you're all respectable people, how can you be so casual, it's like you're completely out of step with the atmosphere of the capital.

Actually, all these guys are at the third rank and don't need to eat. Qi Tuizhi, on the other hand, is not at the third rank and is starving. He just sits there without daring to touch his chopsticks.

After holding his breath for a few moments, Qi Tuizhi finally couldn't help but ask, "What brings the county magistrate to me, Qi...?"

Lu Xingzhou wiped his mouth and sighed, "You should eat something, or are you afraid I'll poison you? If you don't eat, we'll beat you up again. This time, Anuo will come."

Qi Tuizhi finally picked up his chopsticks.

“That’s right.” Lu Xingzhou said, “Actually, there’s nothing else… I’ve been in and out of the capital several times, but I haven’t really made any friends my own age. My uncle… uh, Young Master Pei was a good guy, but there’s something awkward about it, you know.”

Qi Tuizhi glanced at Pei Chuyun, feeling embarrassed as well. He had once tried to pursue Pei Chuyun, but ended up getting beaten up.

Of course, that had political implications; it wasn't that he genuinely had any ulterior motives. The eldest daughter of the Pei family was simply beyond his reach; no one in their right mind would even consider such a thing. He had initially forced himself to do it because of the Prince of Jin, but now that the Prince of Jin had fallen from power, there was nothing more to say about the past.

But here's the problem: no one dares to dream of having a legitimate daughter of the Pei family, so how do you dare to have one on each side?
Qi Tuizhi thought for a moment, then sighed: "A swan will not associate with sparrows."

"Let's not talk about such empty words. You, Qi Tuizhi, are no mere sparrows, at least not in your heart." Lu Xingzhou laughed: "How many people in the whole world can be a near-third-rank official in their twenties... Moreover, you are a student of the Imperial Academy, not one of the military examination candidates. You are a true scholar and warrior. I can see the shadow of Prime Minister Pei in you."

Qi Tuizhi hurriedly said, "How dare I compare myself to Prime Minister Pei? Please don't flatter me, County Magistrate..."

Lu Xingzhou tilted his head and looked at him for a long time: "You were so full of vigor before, what happened to you now?"

Qi Tuizhi lowered his head slightly and said nothing.

"Your Lingtian Pavilion is a top-tier sect, even though it's far away on the Immortal Mountain and doesn't get involved in politics. If you, Qi Tuizhi, went back, you would still be a powerful young master who could command the wind and rain. Why are you making yourself suffer like this?" Lu Xingzhou said, "You're betting on the prince and seeking help from the Huo family... What, is Lingtian Pavilion about to collapse?"

"That's not quite it..." Qi Tuizhi said with a wry smile, "It's just that the sect's path has come to an end, and people's hearts are yearning for change. The only super-grade methods in the world are the Tianyao Holy Land and the royal family. Entering the imperial court can be considered a path for the sect to transform, and I had high expectations for it. But after the incident with Prince Jin, let alone the expectation of a meteoric rise, I'm afraid it's questionable whether I can even enter the imperial court."

To say that Prince Jin did anything truly treasonous or disgraceful is an understatement; he simply had various accusations leveled against him, and because of accusations of "filial impiety" and "usurpation," Gu Zhanting was greatly disappointed and gave up on him. Therefore, the actions of Qi Tuizhi and his lackeys were not particularly serious, lacking any substantial criminal charges. At the time, Qi Tuizhi saw the situation was turning against him and fled. Once the storm passed, no one dared to challenge him, and he remained a legitimate student of the Imperial Academy.

It's easy not to antagonize him, but difficult to offer him any support. Now, Qi Tuizhi is met with cold shoulders wherever he goes. This autumn, the Imperial Academy has concluded its curriculum. Normally, a top student like him should already have a decent job, but he hasn't been assigned one yet.

So, in desperation, they went to the Huo family's door.

The Huo family had been very close to Prince Jin. He had dined and drunk with Huo Qi and Huo Heng many times. Taking advantage of their friendship, he braced himself and went to their door. Huo Qi smiled but refused to agree to anything.

Qi Tuizhi was disheartened and wanted to return to the mountain to become the young master, but he was beaten up by Sheng Yuanyao and then invited to dinner by Lu Xingzhou.

Seeing Lu Xingzhou's casual attitude while eating, Qi Tuizhi's heart stirred slightly. Could this person be trying to recruit him?
He tried to say, "After the incident with the Prince of Jin, everyone avoids me like the plague. You don't care if I, the county magistrate, have dinner with you?"

"What do you care about? You've done nothing wrong, so how could you implicate me? Surely no one wants to associate me with Prince Jin... Ordinary people might not know, but surely anyone with a modicum of sense doesn't know that I, Lu Xingzhou, am Princess Chaohuang's person?"

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.: I'm here, please vote for me!
(End of this chapter)