Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 454 Restart
The little pig didn't know whether he should be called Yu Yu or Zhou Zhou. In any case, as soon as A Nuo finished speaking, Lu Xingzhou stared at him with his bright green eyes.

The little pig shrank into Ah Nuo's arms in great fear.

Lu Xingzhou found it amusing: "This little pig is probably a bit special. Qinghuang said it had the best talent of the entire pig clan, and it's very likely that it has the bloodline of other ancient beasts. I wonder if its talent is to devour heavenly tribulations or to conceal heavenly secrets... Hmm?"

The little pig stared blankly as his expression shifted from amusement to ecstatic joy: "Whether it's devouring or evading, nurture it, nurture it with the best pills!"

Ah Nuo stuffed the top-grade first-class pill she had just tested into the pig's mouth and said happily, "I've always raised it this way. I thought Master would scold me for being wasteful."

"..." If Lu Xingzhou had seen that top-grade first-class pills were being used to feed pigs, he probably would have felt a pang of heartache. But now he waved his hand and said, "Keep feeding them. If you don't have enough medicinal herbs, just tell your master! Hmm, I have a few first and second-class pills here that are purely for increasing cultivation. I'll give them to you first."

The pig's terrified expression turned into a pleading one, and Anu rubbed its head: "I told you, Master is the best."

The pig nodded.

Lu Xingzhou stuffed all the pills he had collected into A Nuo's arms and got up in a good mood: "I'll go practice too."

Ah Nuo stuck out her tongue behind him: "Master is tied up with worldly affairs, so his exam score might not be as high as mine."

“What’s so mundane? Is marrying your master’s wife a mundane matter?” Lu Xingzhou stopped and turned back with a smile. “Besides, my A’nuo is destined to surpass her master.”

Ah Nuo now understands that the increasing number of his master's wives isn't entirely due to his backflips. His master's sweet talk is getting sweeter and sweeter. Even though he has a lot of trivial matters to attend to and can't study, he still expects his disciple to surpass him.

What kind of person is he?

You mustn't fail to graduate...

Lu Xingzhou returned to his courtyard and began practicing as well. He didn't dare to practice first-grade pills, only second-grade ones, because he would have been easily defeated by A'nuo.

You can't say that to Ah Nuo, you'll lose all face...

Wine and women really do make people so haggard. Starting today, I will abstain from alcohol!
…………

Lu Xingzhou began his seclusion to refine pills, while Jiang Duxu entered the Huo residence and offered incense to the memorial tablets of a group of Huo family sons.

Seeing Huo Zhang, Huo Heng, and Huo Jin all dead, even Jiang Duxu, who was used to seeing all sorts of things, couldn't keep a straight face.

What's most unsettling is that the murderer is enjoying himself just half a street away, and this powerful family of the Grand Tutor hasn't taken any retaliatory action whatsoever.

This further solidified Jiang Duxu's determination to change his collaborator.

Previously, they wanted to marry their granddaughter into the Huo family because they thought the Huo family was powerful enough. Now, they see what a joke the Huo family is. Their sons are all dead and they can't even utter a sound. They're completely controlled by Lu Xingzhou through various means of manipulation and calculation. If they really marry their granddaughter into the Huo family, they might all be killed by Lu Xingzhou along with the Huo family one day.

Oh, judging from their flirtatious glances, they might kill her in another way. Right now, they're just cooperating and don't interact much, so it's fine. But if they were truly adversaries, Jiang Duxu had no doubt that his granddaughter would be the focus of his attack.

In fact, there had been signs of it before... Now that Lu Xingzhou has accomplished what he wanted to do, he has let it go, which is good.

However, despite the change of partners, the old fox knew he couldn't show it directly. He still had to keep negotiating with the Huo family, otherwise, if it were exposed that he had switched sides, he would suffer a severe blow from the emperor.

Therefore, they came specifically to "pay their respects" as a gesture of goodwill.

As he was pondering the thought, Huo Xingyuan came to his side and said in a low voice, "Mr. Jiang, our two families had previously discussed marriage, but because of that scoundrel... Lu Xingzhou said he was in love with Miss Jiang, and as his father, I wanted to help him achieve his goal, so I changed my mind and arranged the marriage for him. Who knew that this man did not cherish it and proposed four women in court, none of whom had anything to do with Miss Jiang... This matter is something that has made my Huo family feel ashamed before you, Mr. Jiang."

Jiang Duxu remained calm: "What does Your Excellency mean by this?"

Huo Xingyuan said, "Since the marriage proposal with Lu Xingzhou has been cancelled, shall our two families bring up the old matter again?"

Jiang Duxu said calmly, "Your family has just encountered trouble, yet you're in such a mood? I admire you."

Huo Xingyuan was somewhat embarrassed, not because he was in the mood for pleasure. In fact, he had long since lost much of his desire for men and women. What he was doing now was for something more fundamental: to have an heir.

In the current situation, even if Lu Xingzhou were to come back and call him "father," he might put on a fake smile, but in his heart, he would wish Lu Xingzhou were dead. He couldn't kill him now; he was the only bloodline left, and there was no other way. Even if father and son turned against each other, he was still a member of the Huo family. After a hundred years, if the ancestral hall didn't enshrine Huo Xingyuan, it would at least enshrine his great-grandfather.

Therefore, he could only suppress his hatred for Lu Xingzhou Chongxiao, grit his teeth and swallow his blood.

But if I can actually create a human, that would be different. At that time, I will use all my strength to kill Lu Xingzhou.

This matter is urgent because Huo Xingyuan knows how rapidly Lu Xingzhou's cultivation has progressed. In just one year, he went from a crippled cripple at the lower third rank to a peerless young second-rank genius, an unparalleled prodigy. If he continues to be given time, reaching the first rank is a certainty, and he might even be able to advance to the super rank. At that point, killing him will be even more difficult.

We must create humans as soon as possible, the sooner the better.

Since the idea of ​​having children has been taken into consideration, besides buying a bunch of concubines to breed more offspring, it's natural to think of the Jiang family, with whom they had previously discussed marriage. They offered the Jiang family to Lu Xingzhou back then, but nothing came of it; shouldn't they bring it up again now?
Jiang Duxu knew what he was thinking, but said coldly, "Although I don't care about complicated etiquette, I know shame and would never wrong my child. Your family has just encountered difficulties, and the Jiang family is already marrying our daughter off. What will others think? Is the Jiang family shameless and eager to curry favor, or are we just using this as a tool for a marriage to bring good luck?"

Huo Xingyuan hurriedly said, "Absolutely not, absolutely not."

“I know that you did not mean that, otherwise you would not be speaking so kindly,” Jiang Duxu said coldly. “But people’s opinions are a fearsome thing, and my Jiang family values ​​its reputation. This matter should not be mentioned again in the short term. We can discuss it again when things have cooled down.”

With such sound reasoning and evidence, Huo Xingyuan found it difficult to say anything and could only sigh, "Mr. Jiang's concerns are valid."

He thought to himself that no matter what, he should go and buy some concubines first. Jiang Duxu was too lazy to say more, so he cupped his hands in farewell and then went directly to see Lu Xingzhou.

It wouldn't matter if the Huo family found out. On the surface, he and Lu Xingzhou had a maritime trade deal to discuss, and it was Huo Zhang, who was the most innocent and sensible person in Huo Xingyuan's mind at the moment, who acted as the matchmaker.

Upon entering, Yang Dechang was already there to greet him. Seeing the old man he had met at the Huo residence gave Jiang Duxu a strange sense of temporal displacement.

"The master instructed that if Mr. Jiang comes to visit, he can go directly to the backyard to see him," Yang Dechang said with a smile, leading the way.

Jiang Duxu asked, "Did Lu Xingzhou know I was coming?"

"Master knows that the Huo family will definitely still discuss marriage, so Mr. Jiang will naturally have to come."

Jiang Duxu chuckled to himself.

Upon arriving at the backyard, Lu Xingzhou began refining pills with great concentration: "Mr. Jiang, please sit for a while. Old Yang will invite you to have some tea. I'll be done soon."

Jiang Duxu then sat down at the stone table to the side and watched Lu Xingzhou refine pills.

This was the first time he had seen Lu Xingzhou "do serious business." How to put it... if it were back in the ancient world, a young man like Lu Xingzhou would really be Jiang Duxu's top choice for a granddaughter's husband. He had reached the second rank at a young age, and his professional skills in alchemy would ensure the safety of his family. It was a pity that he didn't even get a chance to marry his granddaughter when he asked for her hand in court.

While this proves that he and Jiang Yuan were not driven by lust, Jiang Duxu will no longer have the audacity to continue discussing the marriage.

pity.

"Wait a minute..." Jiang Duxu looked at it for a while, then suddenly asked, "What kind of pill is this?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "It's for promoting fertility, the male version."

Jiang Duxu asked with a strange expression, "You used it yourself?"

“Naturally, it’s for Huo Xingyuan. The Huo family has been secretly refining this kind of pill recently, but those suitable for first-grade cultivators are not easy to refine. I’ll lend a hand and refine a few more.”

Jiang Duxu said, "But why does this look to me like a sterilization pill?"

Lu Xingzhou turned to look at him, quite surprised: "Mr. Jiang, you could tell just by sniffing? Ancient techniques are indeed stronger than I imagined."

Jiang Duxu said irritably, "That's because I'm strong."

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

Jiang Duxu said, "You plan to bribe an inside man, replace the pills, and make Huo Xingyuan infertile?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "We have this idea, but we may not implement it. We are mainly considering the bigger picture, not the smaller details. Anyway, we'll prepare the props in advance, just in case they come in handy."

"...So you're really going to tell me this so bluntly? Aren't you afraid I'll tell Huo Xingyuan?"

Lu Xingzhou finally smiled: "The choice has been made. Would I, Lu, doubt Mr. Jiang's wavering on such a matter? Why would I go to such lengths?"

Jiang Duxu felt pleased. He stroked his beard and looked at him for a long time before suddenly asking, "What do you need me to do?"

"There's nothing much to do... but there is one thing. I'll be returning to Xiazhou in a few days to get married. It would be my honor if Mr. Jiang could attend the ceremony."

Jiang Duxu roughly knew what he was worried about, and nodded slightly: "Of course, we are partners."

As they spoke, the alchemy furnace was opened, and the pills were produced.

A sterilization pill, grade two, quality excellent... Jiang Duxu's lips twitched as he read it.

If you throw this pill into the river, it could probably sterilize all the fish in the entire river, but it looks like it promotes reproduction. Unless you deliberately check it, it would be very difficult to detect.

Lu Xingzhou gave the pills directly to Yang Dechang, and then said to Jiang Duxu, "Mr. Jiang, we discussed our cooperation in seizing the Huo family's alchemy furnace last time, but you didn't seem very interested at the time?"

Jiang Duxu said, "Indeed, I'm not very interested. Although it might be a high-grade immortal pill furnace, I don't have much need for it."

"You are able to make judgments based on needs, rather than being greedy for treasures. You have a high level of magnanimity. Please forgive my bluntness that day."

"No need for flattery. Just say what you really want to say."

Lu Xingzhou grinned, revealing his teeth: "Mr. Jiang doesn't want the alchemy furnace, but I do. If you'd like to help me seize it, what price would you ask for? Let's discuss it."

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.: Transitional chapter. Today is my wife's birthday, so I want to express my love: We've known each other for 26 years and been married for 17. Thank you for being there all this time.

(End of this chapter)