Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 81 Broken Dream
Snow night.

Having just solved a sensational case, Sheng Yuanyao was too lazy to even participate in the follow-up discussions and returned to Xiazhou overnight in the snow.

He arrived full of vigor, galloping on horseback; he left leading his horse on foot, his face grim.

Behind her followed a group of Xia Zhou Demon Suppression Division subordinates, each bearing their own injuries, who all remained silent as they watched her retreating figure.

Regardless of how this matter is ultimately classified, everyone's contribution will be significant, and it seems they will all be promoted. But in reality, most of them knew almost nothing about this incident, fighting blindly and getting injured, only realizing the truth at the very end, as if it were a windfall.

Then I also learned that this young female commander, who had a dream in her heart, had almost completely shattered it.

Lu Xingzhou accompanied her as they strolled along the official road outside the city, as if they were taking a walk together after a meal.

It wasn't until they were several miles outside the city that Sheng Yuanyao finally spoke: "Are your feet alright after walking for so long? I noticed you tried not to move at all while you were fighting."

"Walking is fine now, but I should try to walk as slowly as possible... In a battle, unless forced to that point, I should stay still if possible."

Sheng Yuanyao nodded: "No matter what, thank you this time."

I did not achieve the result you wanted.

"...That's not your problem. What you did has long exceeded the scope of being an assistant; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you were in charge." Sheng Yuanyao thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "You did the same thing with Shen Tang... Is this your usual style of doing things?"

Lu Xingzhou hadn't thought about this issue in detail. After being asked, he reflected on himself for a moment and nodded, saying, "Yes, I seem to be like that all the time."

Sheng Yuanyao laughed and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you're too assertive, that you act like a boss even when you're in a supporting role, and that they need to find a way to limit you?"

Lu Xingzhou paused, fell silent, looked down at his legs, and after a long while said, "As long as Shen Tang doesn't know how."

Sheng Yuanyao scoffed and said leisurely, "Then I'll wait and see."

Lu Xingzhou did not reply.

The two strolled quietly for a while before Sheng Yuanyao spoke in a low voice about the main topic: "When you said that the clues should be found in the prefecture, I agreed with you. I thought that the reason I couldn't find any clues about the demons in Xia Prefecture was probably because someone in the prefecture was covering it up. So when you said that, I immediately decided to come to the prefecture to take a look... But even so, I never doubted the prefect, not only because it was too terrifying, but also because he had a very good reputation."

Lu Xingzhou understood what she meant. Hao Jingchuan's reputation as an official was indeed excellent; there had never been any talk of corruption, bullying, or oppression. Moreover, many of his policies had contributed to the prosperity of Dongjiang County, making him a truly good official. This was a world of difference compared to the Huo family's reputation in Xiazhou back then, far surpassing even Xu Bingkun's reputation.

Without evidence, you can't even conclude that he must be secretly feeding on blood just because he's a demon... It's highly unlikely, because large-scale blood feeding would hardly escape the suspicion of the Dongjiang County Demon Suppression Division, and it couldn't have been kept secret for so many years.

Of course, being this good doesn't mean he's a good villain. This large-scale infiltration only proves he's deeply scheming and doesn't want to be ousted for making any mistakes. He might even be aiming for a promotion, where he could accomplish even more.

Sheng Yuanyao laughed self-deprecatingly: "Now I can't tell whether all the local officials are human or demon... Look, when a demon case comes out, the demon wants to cover it up, and the human wants to cover it up too. How ridiculous."

It's one thing for demons to want to hide it, but it's precisely because humans also want to hide it, and this is a common belief, that the girl's dream was completely shattered.

Sheng Yuanyao continued, "I can't even tell whether they should be better as humans or demons. Hao Jingchuan is a better official than many bureaucrats."

"There's no need to elaborate on that," Lu Xingzhou finally replied. "No matter what demons do now, their ultimate goal is to eat you and me. Even when I was in the Yama's Palace, in my most demonic state of mind, I never intended to have any dealings with demons, because we have fundamental differences... The Yama King is the same; he kills demons like slaughtering dogs. If the demonic path is like this, how can you, a member of the imperial court, still think about this?"

"Yeah, I know, it's just a casual remark." Sheng Yuanyao stretched: "Sigh... Anyway, it's so boring... They find out cases, but they don't dare to investigate, and they don't even dare to talk about them. What's the point of doing this job? I guess it'll get better when I climb higher up, but even my father can't. I don't know if I'll ever be able to climb halfway up to my father in this lifetime. It's better to go back to being a good-for-nothing son of a high-ranking official, and harass women."

Lu Xingzhou said, "This is an environmental issue, and it doesn't depend on your Sheng family. There's no need for internal strife."

"Anyway, I really don't want to stay in the local areas anymore. I'm afraid that every time I go to a new place, I won't be able to resist digging up all this dirt... You know me, I'm too curious, and sooner or later I'll cause trouble." Sheng Yuanyao turned to him and smiled: "In the future, Xiazhou will lose one of your useful assistants. I don't know who the next city lord and the commander of the Demon Suppression Division will be. You'll have to figure that out yourself. Hmm... I believe it won't be a problem for you, Young Master Huo."

Sheng Yuanyao was already quite certain that Lu Xingzhou was not Huo Shang, but she also knew that he was leading people to think that way, so she decided to help him solidify the claim: "I see that Wan Cheng is listening to you now, and his support will be in the county, so there's no need for Xia Prefecture to do anything. When I return to the capital, do you need me to help you solidify your identity as Huo Shang?"

"Ambiguity is fine. Because if the real Huo Shang were alive, he wouldn't be willing to acknowledge this bloodline. The more ambiguous it is, the more real it seems. For me, even if I wanted to use this identity, it would be disgusting for me to say I'm a member of the Huo family. Ambiguity would make me feel a bit better... although it's also self-deception and meaningless."

"Anything that makes me feel a little more comfortable is meaningful, but right now it's quite difficult for me to even feel a little more comfortable." Lu Xingzhou: "..."

Sheng Yuanyao smiled and said, "Are you moving in this direction because it benefits Princess Chaohuang?"

Lu Xingzhou said frankly, "Well... partly. The other part is that this identity is indeed useful for my revenge."

Sheng Yuanyao pouted. Lu Xingzhou treated Shen Tang so well that it made her, who was often used, feel inexplicably jealous. But upon reflection, she realized there was nothing to be jealous of. He was her lover, and what was she? Did he really think that the dignified commander of the Demon Suppression Division wouldn't hear anything about groping in the carriage?

However, now that we know Shen Tang is a princess, perhaps we can change the term "parasite" to "male concubine."

But then Lu Xingzhou said, "Have you ever considered that this could also be a way to resolve your own inner conflict?"

Sheng Yuanyao paused for a moment.

Lu Xingzhou's words were clear: the current emperor was unreliable, and the other princes were equally questionable; Shen Tang, on the other hand, might be much better in this regard. If Sheng Yuanyao still hoped that the Demon Suppression Division could do what it was supposed to do, then her Sheng family should choose Shen Tang.

Sheng Yuanyao stared at his profile: "Is this the meaning of you coming out to see me off? Just to tell me this?"

Lu Xingzhou shook his head: "No, it's just that my friend was in a bad mood, so I accompanied him for a walk. These things were just casually mentioned. In fact, you can't change your family's inclinations, so telling you this is not of much use."

Sheng Yuanyao looked at him for a long time, then smiled slightly: "Judging from your choice of Huo Shang's identity, you definitely won't stay in Xiazhou forever. Sooner or later you'll use this identity to cause trouble in the capital. Or you might as well go to the capital with Shen Tang, that would be even more fun... Remember to call me if there's any gossip then, lest you get caught by me for doing something demonic."

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "Definitely."

"This trip out of the capital was quite unpleasant, but making you a friend isn't a bad deal." Sheng Yuanyao mounted her horse, turned around and smiled, "Tell Anuo not to lose weight too soon, I want to rub her chubby face again next time. I'm off."

The horse galloped away, disappearing into the distance in an instant. The subordinates of the Xia Prefecture Demon Suppression Division hurriedly followed. Lu Xingzhou did not see them off any further, watching the fiery red cloak vanish into the night before slowly turning back to the city.

Ah Nuo ran over carrying a wheelchair: "Master, no one is following us."

"That's good. It seems I was overthinking it." Lu Xingzhou sat back in his wheelchair, looking somewhat tired. He took off his mask and smiled, "Sheng Yuanyao likes you very much."

"Of course, Anuo is the cutest." Anuo pushed her wheelchair back as fast as she could: "Anyway, it's no use liking her, I'm not going to rub her."

"How's it going over there?"

"With Sister Qingli and Yang Dechang there, they can't hide this demon no matter what they want to do, so it's just like that. Next, they should start a big investigation, so that Sister Yao can at least get what she's been longing for done."

“She’s not really interested in investigating a demon in Dongjiang County… Never mind.” Lu Xingzhou didn’t say anything more, and instead asked, “What are the opinions of those present regarding Hao Jingchuan’s last shout about the Fenxiang Tower’s rebellion?”

"They all know that the old man is a demon, so of course they didn't say anything. Right now, their minds aren't on these things."

“I was worried they might use this as an excuse to preemptively shut down Fenxianglou, and then we wouldn’t even have a drop of soup.” Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: “Now it’s perfect. With Hao Jingchuan’s shout, no one will speak up for him no matter how much we humiliate Fenxianglou.”

As they were talking, the wheelchair arrived at a fork in the road in the suburbs, where Shen Tang and the others were already waiting.

Also present were a group of powerful figures, including Shi Tielong from the Dongjiang Gang.

Upon seeing Lu Xingzhou arrive, Shi Tielong's expression became extremely solemn. He wasn't entirely clear on the details of the battle at the Prefect's Mansion, but the Prefect's words, "Fenxianglou has rebelled," had already spread like wildfire, and he knew that things had succeeded. Not only was the attack successful, but no one would even speak up for Fenxianglou afterward.

"The timing is perfect, the location is ideal, and the people are supportive." Lu Xingzhou glanced into the darkness, as if talking to someone: "Don't worry, after tonight, Fenxiang Tower will be unable to say anything."

Yang Dechang smiled bitterly in the darkness. He knew that he had been tricked by Lu Xingzhou again tonight, and he didn't know how to explain his relationship with Shen Tang to his superiors.

However, upon closer examination, Lu Xingzhou's performance in this round was incredibly impressive. It seemed that apart from being a cripple and lagging behind in cultivation, none of the other brothers in the Huo family could compare to him.

What if he solves the problem?
(End of this chapter)