Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 439 Forbidden Spell: Since We're Here

If Anuo had told Sheng Yuanyao about the storybook she had read, this tragedy most likely wouldn't have happened.

Unfortunately, Ah Nuo didn't have it.

With half her clothes stripped off, her fair skin trembling, she stared blankly at Pei Chuyun, who had suddenly "caught her in the act": "You... weren't you at the banquet...?"

Pei Chuyun sneered: "If I didn't attend the Night Banquet, how would I catch the dog? Oh, you're quite fair-skinned."

Sheng Yuanyao was both embarrassed and angry, and quickly covered her chest: "You're trying to bait me!"

"What kind of fishing is this? Whether I'm at a banquet or staying at home, is that a reason for you to act like a dog?"

"No!" Sheng Yuanyao, being from the Demon Suppression Division, suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "You weren't trying to lure me in at all. You wanted to cheat on me, but you were just a step too late, so you're making it up that you came to catch me in the act!"

Holy crap? Pei Chuyun was caught off guard and her thoughts were exposed. She was shocked. Why was this goofball suddenly not so goofy?
Of course, he would never admit it outwardly: "Don't try to turn the tables on me! Tell me, we've caught you red-handed, what are you going to do now? Bark like a dog, shall we?"

Sheng Yuanyao had no idea what to do. Should she really bark like a dog?
Just as I was about to say, "Honey, say something," my husband spoke first: "Well, I've set up a lot of formations in the house, it's unlikely I wouldn't know if someone broke in... Don't tell me you used your teleportation technique here..."

Pei Chuyun's eyes darted around: "So what if it is?"

She originally intended to have an affair, but upon realizing something was amiss outside, she changed her plan to catch him in the act. Having failed three times in her attempts to capture the wheelchair-bound man and ended up being caught herself, the little vixen knew exactly how cautious Lu Xingzhou was. A hasty attempt to catch him in the act would surely be discovered, so she teleported away.

Lu Xingzhou was furious: "Your secret technique has such a long cooldown, it's meant to save your life! And you use it for this kind of pointless thing."

Pei Chuyun said, "So what? I've been in the capital for so long and haven't been in any danger."

"Are you sure there's no danger?" Lu Xingzhou said angrily, "I was worried about your safety, so I sent you a message. You said you were aware of the situation, but were you really this aware?"

Pei Chuyun's righteous indignation turned into guilt, and she took a half step back: "Forget it, I'm not talking to you. Anyway, this rascal is going to bark like a dog for me tomorrow."

After saying that, he turned around and tried to run away through the window.

As soon as I turned around, my acupoints on my back were pressed.

Pei Chuyun: "?"

"Since you're already here, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Lu Xingzhou picked her up and carried her back to the bed.

Pei Chuyun: "??"

Sheng Yuanyao, still trembling and holding herself, didn't even realize that the man had already stripped Pei Chuyun naked.

This time, the two are the same.

Sheng Yuanyao's sense of shame suddenly disappeared, and she felt much more relaxed. On the contrary, she found Pei Chuyun's grief and indignation expression increasingly amusing.

That seems to make sense. If we can drag her into this, she won't need to bark like a dog tomorrow...

Just as she was thinking this, Pei Chuyun's expression changed from grief and indignation to a dazed look. The man's skillful advances made her unable to resist, and soon she was panting slightly, whispering, "Release my pressure points..."

The person who would find it harder to accept being with another woman was actually Sheng Yuanyao, not Pei Chuyun. The Hehuan demoness didn't care about that. Lu Xingzhou released her pressure points, and Pei Chuyun's snow-white arms wrapped around him, embracing the man and kissing him loudly.

Sheng Yuanyao was left standing to the side, somewhat dumbfounded.

Who am I? Where am I? How come you've ended up usurping my place and now you're all comfortable with it?

Just as a hint of jealousy was rising, Lu Xingzhou hugged her again.

Sheng Yuanyao was in a daze, not knowing what she was thinking. Should she be happy that Lu Xingzhou chose her first, or should she feel a little ashamed? Her mind was hazy, and she fell down next to Pei Chuyun with his strength.

Pei Chuyun leaned to the side, propping her rosy cheeks up as she watched, and found it quite amusing.

This Sheng Yuanyao, who always looks like a dashing young boy, turns out to be so alluring when aroused.

Look at that slightly bewildered look, yet she's already unconsciously starting to moan; she must be burning up.

Wow, that's a great figure. He even has abs. What a crude martial arts practitioner.

"No, no..." Sheng Yuanyao suddenly realized for some reason: "She's watching..."

Lu Xingzhou pulled Pei Chuyun close and kissed her: "Don't worry, I'll cover her up right now..."

Pei Chuyun: "..."

Sheng Yuanyao: “…”

It wasn't until the two of them were piled on top of each other that the image of their two fathers' ashen faces flashed through their minds.

Or perhaps they had foresight.

…………

On this festive day, Lu Xingzhou was enjoying the traditional game of "Double Happiness" for the first time, while Huo Qi, the eldest son of the Huo family, was drinking to drown his sorrows.

Originally, his position as heir apparent wasn't a sure thing; it was a fait accompli. None of his younger brothers, including the second son Huo Zhang, had any chance of competing for the position. To be eligible for heir apparent, he would have to commit a serious offense and be deposed. No matter how outstanding Huo Zhang was, it wouldn't work, especially since Huo Zhang wasn't particularly outstanding.

But this changed as Lu Xingzhou's status rose day by day.

The emperor had already taken into account Lu Xingzhou's overwhelming advantage, directly bestowing upon him a title and ensuring he wouldn't vie for the heirship, seemingly a safe course of action. However, he hadn't anticipated that Lu Xingzhou, with his limited talent, would become so influential, and his standing in his father's eyes was growing ever stronger.

Even if the father knew that it was a waste of time to get Lu Xingzhou to acknowledge his ancestors, he would at least hope that Lu Xingzhou could reconcile with their next generation.

For Huo Qi, reconciliation was impossible.

Because Huo Shang was killed by his own hands.

Although it was just meant to teach this reckless creature a lesson, who knew he would be so fragile and die so easily...

Oh wait, he didn't die, but now he's coming to claim his life.

Huo Qi's biggest regret now is that he simply threw Huo Shang's body into the mountains back then, without scattering the ashes, otherwise none of this mess would have happened today.

The current situation is that as long as Huo Qi is the heir apparent, Lu Xingzhou has absolutely no chance of reconciling with the Huo family, regardless of the generation. Ironically, Huo Zhang and Lu Xingzhou have a good relationship; they conspired together before, and later went to the northern frontier together to provide aid. Huo Zhang even successfully secured support for his father, greatly increasing his standing in his father's eyes.

When Lu Xingzhou became the Chief of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, he made it clear that only if Huo Zhang was in charge could the Huo family bypass the embargo list.

Huo Qi had no idea what his father was thinking, but his heart sank.

Given this trend, changing the crown prince is not impossible.

The fight at today's family dinner was deliberately provoked by Huo Qi, who wanted to see his father's reaction.

The reaction disappointed Huo Qi, so his father punished both sides equally and didn't even send Huo Zhang to the northern frontier.

Officially, it's said that Huo Zhang still has a lot of work to do and he's being urged to finish it as soon as possible... But is that really a big deal? The Huo family has accumulated a lot of capital over the years, and they have resources and connections everywhere. They don't necessarily need the business in the northern frontier. Giving up this part temporarily isn't a big deal.

The reason they were unwilling to give up was probably not just about the small amount of profit, but also because they didn't want to sever ties with Lu Xingzhou.

This situation is extremely strange. It seems that Father really has the idea of ​​changing the heir, even if it's just a subconscious thought.

But Huo Qi had no solution to this situation.

The real opponent isn't Huo Zhang or his father, it's Lu Xingzhou... If you can't suppress Lu Xingzhou's momentum, then don't mention anything else.

But what can suppress Lu Xingzhou's power? Even His Majesty can't suppress him so easily. Lu Xingzhou is now directly connected to the Imperial Advisor and the Pei Sheng families, his influence is at its zenith, and His Majesty would have to think twice before taking action against him. What can Huo Qi do against someone like that?

"Why is the eldest young master drinking alone here?"

Huo Qi turned his head with slightly drunken eyes and saw the Huo family elder, Yang Dechang, sitting down next to him with a bottle of wine and a plate of peanuts. He said with a smile, "It's the winter solstice and heavy snow. Drinking alone is no fun. Would you like me to join you for a few drinks?"

Yang Dechang rose from a martial arts guard to a respected elder, having watched almost every young master grow up. Although Huo Qi felt that he was just a servant and didn't respect him much, he wasn't on guard.

Seeing Yang Dechang come to drink with him, Huo Qi sighed: "Uncle Yang is still the most righteous. Unlike some people, who all think that I, Huo Qi, have lost power... Look at those snobbish people."

Edward Yang had a bellyful of grievances he didn't even know how to express. What do you mean by "others look down on others"? You clearly look like you're in a terrible mood and about to kill someone. Who in their right mind would dare to mess with you? If I weren't burdened with the important task of being the Seventh Prince, I wouldn't have stepped in at this time…

But he smiled and said, "It's human nature to curry favor with the powerful. The Second Young Master is quite influential now..."

Huo Qi nearly crushed his wine glass: "You also think the second son is powerful? Powerful my ass! He's not even in charge of the mere trade in the northern frontier. His power is less than when he was a general!"

"But the Second Young Master has been reinstated to his military post, though he doesn't have a good position yet... I heard that the Marquis is preparing to advise His Majesty that the most important thing in the Northern Frontier right now is the border market. Once the Second Young Master has accumulated experience in this area, he will strongly recommend that the Second Young Master replace Xiang An."

Xiang An is now the commander of the Demon-Repelling Pass.

If Huo Zhang were to take this position, his official rank would be higher than Huo Qi's.

Who is the heir apparent?
Huo Qi's eyes were bloodshot from the alcohol as he stared intently at Yang Dechang: "Uncle Yang, did you come here specifically to say this to mock me?"

Yang Dechang sighed softly, "I just feel sorry for the Crown Prince... He has worked diligently for so many years and has done nothing wrong..."

These words truly struck a chord with Huo Qi, who gritted his teeth and said, "I've finally figured it out. Everyone's only concerned with their own interests; there's no room for sentimentality."

Edward Yang sighed with regret, but only offered a toast.

Huo Qi drank another glass and said drunkenly, "But Uncle Yang, what can I do? I can't beat Lu Xingzhou..."

Edward Yang was taken aback: "Why fight with Lu Xingzhou?"

Huo Qi said, "Isn't it essentially about his influence?"

Yang Dechang's expression was strange: "If Lu Xingzhou is unwilling to return to the clan, then no matter what, he's just an outsider. The real person you're competing with is the Second Young Master... As long as you can prevent the Second Young Master from competing, then Lu Xingzhou will have immense influence. Why would he want to come down to the competition himself?"

Huo Qi paused, his eyes flickering between light and shadow.

(End of this chapter)