Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 78 The Change at the Banquet
"Where is Lu Xingzhou?" Outside the prefectural governor's mansion, Sheng Yuanyao looked at the empty carriage, her face dark. "He said he came to help me, but he just wanted to sneak in with my caravan, didn't he? I even specially prepared a carriage for these two cripples! If it weren't for them holding us back, we would have arrived long ago on horseback!"

In fact, after reaching the middle third rank, Daoist cultivators can already control some flying magical artifacts, but these artifacts are quite rare and generally unavailable for purchase. For martial cultivators, controlling a sword is even more troublesome, at least Sheng Yuanyao doesn't know how.

Sheng Yuanyao sometimes doubted that Lu Xingzhou's wheelchair could fly, but she hadn't seen him fly yet, so she wasn't sure.

That scoundrel who seemed to be able to fly slowed everyone down by riding in a carriage, and then disappeared without a trace! Sheng Yuanyao was so angry that she wanted to go back to Xiazhou and put up a seal on the Tianxing Sword Sect.

"Forget it, we're visiting the prefect, we've already sent the invitation, and we're already here..." Sheng Yuanyao said irritably, "Let's go in, we're not waiting."

Just as she was about to lead the group inside, she saw a man in official robes from the Demon Suppression Bureau running towards her from the street corner. Sheng Yuanyao turned her head and saw an unfamiliar face. Upon closer inspection, she noticed traces of a human skin mask. The mask had been concealed with magic, making it difficult to see the true face through it.

Sheng Yuanyao stared wide-eyed as the newcomer whispered, "It's me."

Sheng Yuanyao also transmitted her voice: "Your foot..."

"Being able to stand and walk will make you less effective in combat," Lu Xingzhou said. "What kind of thing is it to bring a cripple from another sect to the prefect's banquet? Of course, we have to cover it up. At the same time, it's also to cover up the fact that I can stand up. I, a wheelchair-bound person, will be plotting against people in the future... Lord City Lord, please don't leak this information."

Sheng Yuanyao was both annoyed and amused: "Then why did you let me know?"

A slight smile appeared in Lu Xingzhou's eyes: "I, Lu Xingzhou, enjoy scheming against people, but not my friends."

Sheng Yuanyao tilted her head and looked at his masked, ugly face, and scoffed, "It's really not easy to be a friend to someone like you."

That being said, I feel much better now.

She was used by him from the very first day they met, and now she can actually hear him call her a "friend"... and it's clearly not just empty talk. He actually revealed such an important secret as his leg being healed to her, just so he could accompany her to the banquet.

Even though she knew Lu Xingzhou's motives weren't entirely innocent, Sheng Yuanyao still felt a sense of "it's not easy" and, with her ponytail tossing and head held high, entered the prefectural governor's mansion: "Go in. By the way, where's A'nuo?"

“How can a child be here? He should go to Shen Tang’s place.” Lu Xingzhou followed half a step behind her, speaking in a low voice, “Powerful demons are very good at concealing their demonic aura so that they are not detected. Do you have any special preparations for this?”

Sheng Yuanyao kept her eyes straight ahead: "I carry a treasure that can sense demonic energy with me. As long as it's not a high-ranking demon, it shouldn't be able to escape the treasure's reaction."

"What if it really is a top-tier rank three?"

"If it deliberately hides, that's troublesome... but if it gets angry or fights, even the slightest trace of its demonic aura should be detectable. Speaking of which, if there really is a top-tier demon of the third rank, why would it come to such a desolate place? Even the prefect is only a fourth-rank."

"Who knows? A fourth-rank demon isn't weak either, but it still hides in that small place called Xiazhou. The city lord is only a fifth-rank... no, the current city lord is a sixth-rank."

Sheng Yuanyao: "...I'm about to break through!"

"Congratulations." Lu Xingzhou said, somewhat surprised. Sheng Yuanyao was not yet twenty, the same age as him. A sixth-grade upper-level cultivation was quite good; she could make it onto the new talent list without much trouble. If she broke through to the fifth grade, she would definitely secure a high position on the new talent list. He hadn't realized this girl had such good cultivation talent… much better than that good-for-nothing Huo Yu.

While he may not be as exceptionally talented as Little White Hair, who broke through to the fourth rank at eighteen, Little White Hair is a direct descendant of a sacred land, one of only a handful of such peerless geniuses on the entire continent. Generally speaking, being qualified for the Rising Star Ranking already signifies being one in ten thousand; that's precisely the purpose of the Rising Star Ranking.

In the course of a few casual words, they had already passed through the outer courtyard and arrived at the main hall of the prefectural governor's mansion.

Prefect Hao Jingchuan, along with some other officials, was already waiting inside. Sheng Yuanyao had sent a visiting card in advance, and Hao Jingchuan treated her with extremely high courtesy, not as an ordinary subordinate official, given her status as the city lord of Xia Prefecture and the daughter of the Sheng family.

Upon seeing Sheng Yuanyao lead her entourage in, Hao Jingchuan clapped his hands and laughed, "I've long heard of Chief Constable Sheng's daughter's heroic bearing, and seeing her today confirms it."

Sheng Yuanyao clasped her hands in a salute: "I originally intended to visit Prefect Hao when I took office as the city lord, but various matters delayed my visit until now... Prefect, please forgive me."

"Not too late, not too late." Hao Jingchuan laughed heartily. "It's mealtime, let's go straight to the table and talk while we eat."

Sheng Yuanyao didn't stand on ceremony and cupped her hands, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble Prefect Hao."

The banquet was divided into several tables, one inside and one outside. Sheng Yuanyao's subordinates from the Demon Suppression Division sat in the outer hall, where they were accompanied by officials from the Prefectural Governor's Office. Sheng Yuanyao only brought one "confidant" to sit at the same table with the county officials.

Hao Jingchuan looked at Lu Xingzhou's deadpan face and asked with a smile, "And this gentleman is...?"

"Oh, this is my trusted subordinate general, surnamed Gou. You can just call him Xiao Gou, Your Excellency." Sheng Yuanyao introduced him in a serious tone.

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

Gua Mei, I'll remember you.

Hao Jingchuan, of course, wouldn't call for Xiao Gou, and chuckled, "Captain Gou is also a young and promising talent." Look at how eloquent this prefect is. Lu Xingzhou smiled modestly, "I dare not accept such praise."

Soon, servants brought out the dishes. Hao Jingchuan didn't waste any time and asked directly, "Lord Sheng, is your visit purely for your new post, or is there some other official business to discuss?"

Sheng Yuanyao smiled and offered a toast: "The main purpose is to visit the Prefect. My father also asked me to report to you and offer some guidance... Of course, there are also some minor official matters for which I hope to receive your assistance."

Hao Jingchuan laughed heartily and clinked glasses with him, saying, "Of course, of course."

After the two finished their drinks, Hao Jingchuan smiled and said, "I wonder what official business it is? Lord Sheng, please speak freely. Everyone here is a very experienced colleague from the prefecture... Look, to your right is Prefect Mu, who is extremely skilled in government affairs."

Prefect Mu Feng sat to Sheng Yuanyao's right and smiled politely: "City Lord Sheng, please feel free to ask if you have anything to say."

Sheng Yuanyao smiled slightly: "Then I will say it... As you all know, there is the case of Xu Bingkun raising demons in Xiazhou. These days I have been mainly investigating the clues of where this demon came from."

In truth, everyone in the county already knew that this guy wasn't here to discuss government affairs; this was probably the topic he was referring to. Hao Jingchuan's smile remained unchanged: "Demons roaming in from outside are nothing unusual. City Lord Sheng, there's no need to get too hung up on this; otherwise, how much work would we get done..."

Sheng Yuanyao shook her head: "Even if they came from elsewhere, we should still find out their origin. If they are new demons born within the Great Qian Dynasty, we need to trace their source, find out where they were born and why they were born there, and deal with them in time to prevent new demons from being born in the future."

The atmosphere at the table became somewhat cold. Lu Xingzhou coldly observed everyone's expressions and quietly sipped his wine.

Sheng Yuanyao received no response and continued, "Assuming it was a northern demon clan that infiltrated, we must also determine where they infiltrated from and what weaknesses exist in the defenses there, so as to make timely repairs to prevent future invasions. What may seem like a wandering demon is actually quite significant. Your Excellency the Prefect has been in charge of this area for a long time and is very experienced; you must have something to teach me."

The room fell silent; the previously smiling officials now looked somewhat stiff.

Sheng Yuanyao's words, though seemingly polite, were tantamount to accusing the prefect of being a lazy and incompetent official, neglecting such an important matter and even advising those who wanted to intervene to stop getting bogged down in trivialities. It was practically a direct insult...

Lu Xingzhou sighed inwardly. In fact, even many people in Xiazhou didn't quite understand why Sheng Yuanyao was so fixated on a demon. Wouldn't it have been enough to close the case? But Gua Mei's sense of responsibility was far beyond what ordinary, mediocre officials could comprehend.

Hao Jingchuan forced a stiff laugh for a moment, then put down his wine glass and sighed, "The Sheng family has a tiger daughter... it's a blessing for the Great Qian Dynasty. So, Lord Sheng, you've come here to ask the county magistrate to cooperate in investigating this case?"

"To be honest," Sheng Yuanyao said, secretly holding a piece of jade in her left hand, "I have obtained some clues and I think that the demon may have come from the county."

As soon as she finished speaking, the jade stone trembled slightly, as if a small pointer was gently scraping in her palm, pointing towards... the Prefectural Magistrate Mu Feng sitting to her right.

That's the deputy to the prefect, the number two!

Lu Xingzhou wasn't lying; the demon case was indeed coming to the county to be investigated! Just that one sentence was enough to shake the demon and cause it to reveal its demonic aura.

It turns out that he is such a high-ranking person, whose official rank is higher than mine... Judging from the level of demonic energy, he is about the fifth rank.

With Lu Xingzhou sitting to his left and the demon Mu Feng to his right, the positions weren't ideal for a pincer attack... Should he devise a surprise attack now or wait until later?

Just as she was pondering this, her left hand was gently pinched. It was Lu Xingzhou signaling her not to act rashly. Sheng Yuanyao suppressed her temper, while Hao Jingchuan's face darkened: "City Lord Sheng is young and impetuous; you can't say such things carelessly. What do you mean by 'demons come from the county'?"

Even if you said it was from the mountains outside the prefecture, that would be better. What does it mean to say it came from the prefecture? If this gets out, he, as the prefect, will bear a heavy responsibility.

Just as Sheng Yuanyao was about to speak, Lu Xingzhou suddenly stood up, smiling as he raised a wine pot: "Our city lord is young and his words are not so precise. Please forgive him, Prefect... Come, let me toast all the officials of the prefecture on behalf of the city lord. Please forgive us, please forgive us..."

As he spoke, he picked up the wine pot and left his seat, passing Sheng Yuanyao, and went to the head of the table with a forced smile to offer a toast.

As she passed Mu Feng, she seemed to have tripped on a stool and accidentally fell onto him. Mu Feng instinctively steadied her, saying, "Hey, Mr. Gou, be careful..."

Lu Xingzhou casually grabbed his arm, and a tarsal nail silently pierced Mu Feng's elbow.

The cultivation technique may have dissipated, but the items are still there.

Mu Feng hissed, and before he could react, a flash of light appeared on his left, and Sheng Yuanyao's waist knife was already slashing towards his neck.

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.

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(End of this chapter)