Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 68 The storm is coming
Shen Tang stared blankly at him, feeling that chill again, just like she had felt before.

From the moment he became enemies with the Incense Burning Pavilion, his plan was to use it to expand the high-end power of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Who could have imagined that at the beginning?
Just like that day, on the surface he was devising a strategy to purify the sword talisman and establish himself, but in reality he was plotting to kill Liu Qingcang.

To say that the rapid rise of the Yama Palace in recent years is solely due to the Yama King's influence... Shen Tang absolutely does not believe it now.

Lu Xingzhou continued, "If Fenxianglou uses them, they'll have to worry about being turned on. But if you just reveal your identity, who would dare? Once time has passed and you've cultivated your own strong members who feel a sense of belonging, you can absorb those external hires who are just temporary replacements, and dismiss those who can't. This is the path to becoming a powerful sect that I've prepared for you, paved with the corpses of Fenxianglou."

Shen Tang couldn't help but ask, "Why are you only saying this now?"

“I need to observe whether things are progressing as I expect. If not, then my premature statement would be nothing but empty talk.” Lu Xingzhou sighed, “Sister, do you really think I’m some kind of god who can see hundreds of steps ahead? Being an advisor isn’t easy. If you exaggerate, you’re likely to be proven wrong; if you downplay it, the boss might think you’re useless…”

Shen Tang glanced at him sideways: "You mean by observing the progress of the situation? You don't mean observing the progress of our relationship, and you think that even if you're bragging now, I won't blame you, so you dare to say it?"

Lu Xingzhou stroked his chin: "To be honest... a little."

Look at everyone's condition now! Lu Xingzhou is still being carried on Shen Tang's shoulders and walking slowly!
Shen Tang fell silent, annoyed.

Lu Xingzhou said with a forced smile, "Now everything is as I expected, except for the attitude of Fenxianglou... Is everything going to be this calm? That doesn't make sense..."

Shen Tang said irritably, "There have been changes, but they are somewhat different from what I expected."

"How to say?"

"One of the main characteristics of the Incense Burning Pavilion is its wide network of people. At least 20% to 30% of the forces within a thousand miles are alchemists trained by them. I originally thought that our external gatherings would be difficult. For example, when we wanted to purchase some high-quality steel for sword making, we sent someone to the Dongjiang Gang. We thought that the Dongjiang Gang would not sell to us, but they sold to us very readily."

"Hmm... what about the others?"

"If the Dongjiang Gang was trying to ease tensions because of that ceremony, then it's strange that several other completely unfamiliar businesses also greeted us with smiles. To put it bluntly, it's even strange that Wanbaoge would accept our auction business, since Fenxianglou is a major client of Wanbaoge."

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Someone is helping you...wait...that's not right."

His smile quickly faded, and he muttered to himself, "This favor was a bit problematic."

Shen Tang roughly understood what he meant, but her expression remained unreadable.

Although the Incense Burning Pavilion was stronger than the Heavenly Sword Sect, she wasn't afraid of that. What she feared was being isolated by the group, as a newly formed power would indeed struggle. Therefore, during the grand ceremony, she tried her best to curry favor with the local Xia Prefecture and save face for sects like the East River Gang. As long as the isolation wasn't too severe, there was still hope. But after calculating for a long time, she realized that such isolation didn't exist at all. There was no other explanation than Gu Zhanting's statement.

During the grand ceremony, Fenxianglou openly attempted assassination, which went against the emperor's decree of "support". As long as the emperor loses his temper, others will be quick to sever ties with Fenxianglou.

On the surface, it seems like they're definitely helping.

However, the Incense Burning Pavilion's blatant defiance of orders was not immediately dealt with, leaving the situation ambiguous and open to interpretation. It's unclear whether they wanted to keep the Incense Burning Pavilion around for Shen Tang to hone his skills, or whether deep down they felt it was better to let the Incense Burning Pavilion further suppress the Heavenly Sword Sect.

After all, based on the apparent strength comparison, the newly established Heavenly Sword Sect is no match for the Incense Burning Pavilion; the gap is enormous. Is keeping the Incense Burning Pavilion alive a form of training, or is it a way to kill Shen Tang?

Shen Tang sighed wearily, "In short, the Incense Pavilion probably didn't expect that isolation would be ineffective at first, but now they must have realized it, and may even have concluded that the Emperor actually wants them to fight. As for whether the Emperor really thinks that way... I don't know, and they may not know either."

“They will definitely plan a military attack.” Lu Xingzhou said decisively, “The current calm is just a lull in the wind. In reality, they must have sent strong people to infiltrate Xiazhou in batches. Once they launch their attack, it will be a thunderous strike!”

Sect rivalries rarely erupt into such a direct, all-out war. Lu Xingzhou's original plan was to take a slow, methodical approach, attacking the Incense Pavilion from various angles until it gradually crumbled. Given that most of its powerful members were external hires, Lu Xingzhou could devise numerous angles to target it gradually.

The analysis revealed that the most likely outcome was a thunderous attack. Considering that this situation had changed with the emperor's tacit approval, Lu Xingzhou almost wanted to curse: "Your father is a real bastard..."

Before he could finish speaking, his legs gave way and he almost fell over.

Shen Tang was also distracted, but she immediately realized what was happening and hugged him. Lu Xingzhou instinctively hugged her back.

The way he was pressing down on her was utterly awful; it was like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, ready to rape a girl.

Shen Tang blushed, then simply picked him up and carried him back to the wheelchair. The two looked at each other and smiled wearily.

Now, even huddled together like this, I don't feel much anymore...tsk.

Thinking about it carefully, he realized that they had been walking for quite a while. It was already quite an achievement for Lu Xingzhou's legs, which had just started rehabilitation training, to have walked this far. It was much better than Shen Tang's performance back then.

"Is it because of the power of your two immortal bones?" Shen Tang laughed. "Once you're fully recovered in a few days, no one will ever guess that your strongest magical treasure is these legs that look like they're meant for a wheelchair."

“In a few days… I don’t know if it will be in time.” Lu Xingzhou sighed. “I need to end my seclusion and go out ahead of schedule.”

Shen Tang paused, then asked, "Where are we going?" "To see our City Lord. Sect members from outside have infiltrated Xia Prefecture to launch an attack on Xia Prefecture's forces. This is perfectly within her purview. You can't say I'm setting her up, can you?"

…………

"Oh, what wind blew these two distinguished guests to my humble office?" In the Demon Suppression Division, Sheng Yuanyao sat in the commander's room, sneering as she watched A'nuo push Lu Xingzhou in.

Upon reaching the threshold, Ah Nuo lifted her master, chair and all, and carried him inside.

Sheng Yuanyao, who had been sneering, almost lost her composure upon seeing this posture. She really wanted to laugh, but she held it back: "Don't try to act cute in front of me all day long. I don't know any stingy people who won't even invite you to a meal for a grand ceremony."

Lu Xingzhou chuckled: "Lord City Lord, what are you saying? We clearly delivered the Snow Melting Pill, which is a sixth-grade pill. It's not worth as much as a meal."

Sheng Yuanyao sneered: "That's what you need for your own publicity. Do you really think you're being generous and polite?"

"Okay, okay." Lu Xingzhou took out a small box and handed it to A Nuo: "Go and get your pretty sister a new gift."

Ah Nuo ran over with a fawning smile, but Sheng Yuanyao pressed her head down with one hand: "Don't give me that. Giving that now would be bribery, and I won't accept it."

Ah Nuo asked cautiously, "Then, sister, will you remove your face?"

Sheng Yuanyao pulled her over with great satisfaction and began to rub her face.

Ah Nuo: “…”

"So, what brings you here today?" Sheng Yuanyao looked Lu Xingzhou up and down, asking curiously, "Why do you look so pale? Are you injured?"

This wasn't an injury, but rather the result of being underground for a long time without sunlight. Lu Xingzhou didn't explain this, but just smiled and said, "Why isn't the City Lord in the City Lord's Office? We've been looking for him for ages."

Sheng Yuanyao's role as city lord was quite unique. She never spent a single day in the city lord's office, working entirely at the Demon Suppression Division, where she also served as its commander. She certainly didn't stay in the burned-down city lord's mansion, instead residing in the residence assigned to her by the Demon Suppression Division.

He didn't consider himself a city lord at all.

Sheng Yuanyao said irritably, "You know perfectly well that I was forced into this position as city lord. It's just a consequence of the Xu Bingkun demon case. Nobody wanted to touch this hot potato, so they dumped it on me. Anyway, I've already said that I don't know anything about politics, so do whatever you want."

Lu Xingzhou asked, "So, is there any follow-up to the demon case?"

“No.” Sheng Yuanyao propped her head up wearily. “I’ve been working so hard these past few days, but no matter how I investigate, I can’t find any clues about where this demon came from. It feels like there’s a volcano lying in the ground that could explode at any moment, making it hard for me to eat or sleep.”

"Has the City Lord ever considered that you are more likely to find clues in the City Lord's office than in the Demon Suppression Division?"

Sheng Yuanyao suddenly looked up: "What do you mean?"

"Making you the city lord is an absurd appointment, and I'm sure your father knows that. But why did he agree? He served in the Demon Suppression Division his whole life, so he must have had some vague suspicions... If I'm not mistaken, your father must have hinted at something in his letter to you."

Sheng Yuanyao thought for a while, then frowned and said, "No, he only told me to visit other city lords more often, especially prefects. Isn't that the usual practice in officialdom? What's there to give special instructions for... Anyway, I won't do it even if he gives instructions. Who has the patience to deal with those bureaucrats? They all look righteous on the surface, but their eyes are lecherous. You are much better than them. At least you can look openly and honestly."

Lu Xingzhou: “?”

Ah Nuo: “…”

Her uniform was indeed alluring, and the girlish outfit she wore when she went to eat melons that day also had a kind of contrasting beauty. Lu Xingzhou had indeed been openly watching her the whole time.

Lu Xingzhou, of course, wouldn't argue with her about such nonsense. He sighed and said, "If you want to solve this case, Lord City Lord should indeed go and meet with those colleagues... However, I would advise you, Lord City Lord, that it's best not to continue the investigation."

Sheng Yuanyao glared and said, "Why aren't you investigating if there are demons? They're meant to harm people!"

"Would that put you in danger?"

“I can request support. I have the backing of a nation, not your sect fighting alone.”

Lu Xingzhou remained silent. He wondered if Sheng Qingfeng's purpose in sending his daughter out into the world was similar to the Imperial Advisor's purpose in sending Little White Hair to gain experience—to make his innocent daughter see the harsh realities of the world. She had already learned to be tactful in the face of facts recently; now, he wondered if he would have to teach her to compromise in the face of evil.

Slowly, I will be transformed into someone who looks just like him.

But that was actually a... very unfortunate thing.

(End of this chapter)