Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 90 Pei Chuyun

The little white-haired creature, who had just left a cool declaration, stumbled in fright as soon as it emerged from the hole.

A pile of corpses from the Yin Corpse Sect lay nearby, and A'nuo pushed Shen Tang, who stood expressionless to the side.

So why did those people from the Yin Corpse Sect have to come back after they'd already run away... Wait, it hasn't been that long, how did they catch up with us? Shen Tang, weren't you in a meeting...?

"Who do you think is prettier?" Shen Tang asked.

Dugu Qingli subconsciously took a step back.

Shen Tang stared at her luscious red lips for a long time before asking, "So there are some things that even animals wouldn't do?"

Dugu Qingli took another step back.

Shen Tang asked three times, "Is saliva disgusting?"

"...Goodbye." Dugu Qingli turned and transformed into a rainbow, running faster than the Hehuan Demoness, without being able to answer a single question from beginning to end.

Shen Tang felt that these three questions were harder to bear than her master's feather duster; her face still felt burning hot as if she had been slapped. If she were to say whether she would forget certain things in the future, she would probably recall these three questions most often in the dead of night.

It's like I've been caught cheating by the wife... But I did get caught! It wasn't intentional, it was your man who kissed me...

I, Dugu Qingli, did not steal any man!
I'm just saying your man is very handsome!
Ah Nuo didn't care what these women were saying. The stinky white-haired guy who had been pushing the wheelchair finally left, and Ah Nuo happily looked down at the cave: "Why hasn't Master come out yet?"

Shen Tang may have looked stern, but he was actually quite pleased with his question. That boomerang came back really fast... You'll see how much you despise the Imperial Scripture.

Watching the streak of light disappear into the distance, he finally let out a snort: "Reminiscing, huh..."

Lu Xingzhou was indeed reminiscing about the little white-haired boy who had run away after their intimate moment, and he wondered when they would meet again.

The Great Qian Dynasty is already vast; there are many other nations in the world besides it. Who knows where a swordsman like Little White Hair, who has traversed the world so far, might end up next? If fate allows, we may never meet again in this lifetime.

Honestly, if Lu Xingzhou really wanted to keep the little white-haired girl, given her human-machine thinking, he had a hundred ways to trick her into staying, and might even have had a chance to deepen his pursuit of her. But in the end, he didn't do that... As Shen Tang said, it would be selfish to keep someone indefinitely.

Now that the Heavenly Sword Sect is stable, her mission of protection has been successfully completed, and she should be allowed to pursue her own path of swordsmanship.

I hope we'll meet again someday.

But he wasn't entirely thinking about that while he remained below; he was still trying to figure out how to stop the magnetic field from spreading. According to Little White Hair, being in this environment for a long time would endanger his health and even his life, so it definitely couldn't be left unchecked.

After pondering for a long time without finding a solution, he decided to go to the Demon Suppression Division to find Wan Cheng first.

Just as he leaped out of the cave in his wheelchair, Lu Xingzhou shuddered and almost fell back down, chair and all.

Shen Tang's deep, melancholic gaze was simply...

"Lu Xingzhou!" Shen Tang grabbed his collar. "Weren't we just going to a magnetic field? Is this a magnetic field or a brothel?!"

Lu Xingzhou raised his hands in surrender: "Why are you here..."

"Not coming here to wait for you to have a baby in there?" Shen Tang said bitterly, "I should have known that day at the secret pool... You even said it was just an accident, and I believed your lies..."

She didn't know why, even though she had just told Lu Xingzhou not long ago that he should go after Qingli if he was capable, and rationally speaking, the benefits definitely outweighed the drawbacks; even though she had felt incredibly comfortable responding to Qingli, and even wished she could see her hair disheveled again. But after seeing Lu Xingzhou, the feeling in her heart suddenly became indescribable, a mix of sour, sweet, bitter and spicy emotions welled up all at once, making her nose sting a little.

The word "love" really makes no sense...

Lu Xingzhou didn't bother to explain why you were regretting it now, since you clearly agreed to it; he just smiled apologetically and said, "Actually, it was an accident..."

"Do you dare say you don't want to?"

Lu Xingzhou paused for a moment, then had no choice but to say, "I want to."

Shen Tang paused for a moment, then stopped talking.

He would only make me angrier if he tried to hide or deceive me. He's so open and honest, it's hard to know what to say... After all, he's never hidden his feelings for Qingli since they first met.

"Never mind," Shen Tang said quietly. "I just interrogated the people from the Yin Corpse Sect, and they said it was the Charming Maidens' Joyful Union Sect?"

"Ah."

"You were once a fellow traveler, do you recognize who I am?"

This woman is clearly extremely jealous of Xiaobai Mao, but the implication is that she still wants to stand up for her best friend.

Lu Xingzhou shook his head: "Among those who are on the same path, we only meet occasionally to cooperate. We don't see each other very often. Relatively speaking, more of my fellow practitioners know me. I often represent the Yama Palace to discuss matters with others, and I have also cooperated with the Cha Nu He Huan Sect... It's not surprising that she recognizes me, but I really don't recognize her."

Shen Tang pondered for a moment: "She must have just been trained, so she lacks experience and made a mistake based on assumptions. She always thought that the judge of the underworld was just a strategist, and she suffered a great loss because of you. We need to take this matter seriously. Since she suffered a great loss, she will take revenge on you sooner or later."

It turns out she wasn't standing up for her best friend; she was afraid something would happen to the man.

No woman in this world is unafraid of her man being targeted by the Hehuan Sect... In matters of love and sex, you can't find a more terrifying adversary.

“I will have my former subordinates from the Underworld investigate her background,” Lu Xingzhou smiled. “But there are some things you don’t need to worry about too much.”

Shen Tang raised her eyebrows: "What is it?"

Lu Xingzhou tilted his head: "The tricks of the Hehuan Sect aren't very useful to me."

"How do you know?" Shen Tang asked, somewhat curious. "Even if I trust your composure... I don't really trust it..."

Lu Xingzhou: “?”

"Ahem." Shen Tang coughed dryly: "Just considering their seductive arts and bewitching techniques, can your cultivation withstand them?"

"Yes." Lu Xingzhou didn't want to say more, because he really had a treasure in this area. When he went to deal with the Joyful Union Sect, Yuan Muyu deliberately gave him a jade pendant, specifically to ward off such things. Therefore, his confidence in this area was even greater than his confidence in his own willpower.

If someone were to be seduced into bed by a demoness from the Hehuan Sect, they might not even know how they died.

So Shen Tang and Yuan Muyu are worried about the same thing...

He quickly changed the subject: "The Joyful Union Sect is targeting Qing Li. Even if they retaliate now, it will only be against me personally. If your identity hasn't been exposed, they shouldn't target the Heavenly Sword Sect on a power level. I know how the demonic path operates. So you don't need to think too much about this. Instead, you should think about how to stop the underground magnetic field from spreading. This will affect the local area, and the imperial court must pay attention to it. Let's split up. You go find Wan Cheng, and I'll go find my old subordinates."

Shen Tang was still a little worried: "Be careful when you go out. Look at this time, you got into a conflict with someone as soon as you came out."

Lu Xingzhou asked, "Why did you get here so quickly?" Shen Tang turned her head away somewhat embarrassedly, "I came to find you after the meeting, but A'nuo said you and Qingli came out, so I..."

Lu Xingzhou recalled Dugu Qingli's words, "Shen Tang's heart is full of you."

He sighed and said softly, "We can see each other every day, there's no need to rush... We have plenty of time."

Shen Tang gave a soft "hmm".

…………

"Your Honor, the purpose of this visit is..." The fifth-rank assassin from the prefecture was a familiar face, the one who helped kill the Huo brothers, Huo Lei and Huo Ting, and... the one who delivered the demon core fruit.

Upon seeing Lu Xingzhou approaching, the assassin was filled with trepidation. His first thought was, "What if the fruit has been discovered, and the judge finds out it was a gift from the King of Hell?"
In reality, Lu Xingzhou had completely forgotten about it. Although the source of the fruit was questionable at the time, the fruit was indeed useful. Who had the mind to investigate where it came from? Anyway, it was Shen Tang who brought it over.

He asked directly, "Has the Charming Maidens' Joyful Union Sect recently produced a direct descendant?"

The assassin paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Yes. He just came out of the mountains not long ago, and is said to be a genius that comes along only once in a thousand years. He's already at the fourth rank at the mere eighteenth. If the Demon Suppression Division finds out, he might be one of the top talents on the next list of rising stars."

Lu Xingzhou nodded: "That matches up... What's his name?"

"The name is quite elegant, Pei Chuyun. It doesn't quite match the seductive names that the Charming Maidens' Joyful Union Sect usually uses. We suspected that it might be a fallen noble lady, and someone even went to investigate the Pei family. But it hasn't been long, and there's been no further news for now."

"Tsk, how can you call it degenerate? Do you look down on your fellow practitioners?" Lu Xingzhou patted his shoulder: "If you ask me, a lady from a respectable family becoming a member of the Hehuan Sect is called a Bodhisattva."

The assassin twitched his lips, feeling that the judge was a little different than before.

She's become much more cheerful... unlike before when she silently stood in the gloomy Judge's Hall, appearing to be smiling but actually harboring malice in her eyes.

He asked cautiously, "Has this person offended an official?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "I offended her."

assassin:"……"

"Any other information?"

Information about the assassin was scarce, so we could only offer some suggestions: "Since the previous sect leader of the Charming Maidens' Joyful Union Sect died at the hands of the Heavenly Yao Holy Land, it has declined considerably. In the last two or three generations, no outstanding figures have emerged, and their reputation has almost vanished from the world. Under such circumstances, the emergence of a genius must mean they intend to elevate him to the top."

Lu Xingzhou pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "I'm afraid not."

Assassinating the Holy Maiden of Tianyao is quite difficult, which is one thing, but the fact that it was done independently is a bit strange. If she were truly the sect's precious darling and they were planning to elevate her to a higher position, she wouldn't need such a significant achievement; something more like it would suffice... It seems more like she wanted to make a name for herself to overshadow others, so upon hearing that the Holy Maiden of Tianyao was nearby, she hastily devised her own plan.

Thinking about it this way, this vixen hated herself even more...

There's nothing you can do. No matter how kind of saint you are, you can't compare to Little White Hair.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Xingzhou took out some spirit stones and handed them to the assassin: "This is the commission... Keep an eye on the movements of the Joyful Union Sect, especially this Pei Chuyun. Notify me immediately of any unusual activity. It would be best if you could find out where she is..."

The assassin asked cautiously, "Should we report this?"

Lu Xingzhou glared at him: "Do you usually report all these spying missions you take on to your superiors? Isn't that incredibly boring?"

The assassin hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Let alone small intelligence-gathering missions, even assassination missions don't always report to superiors. At most, valuable intelligence is passed on for use. But this is Lu Xingzhou's mission... and it involves a woman, a stunningly beautiful and seductive woman who can drive men crazy.

The assassin shuddered at the thought of the cold eyes beneath the mask of the King of Hell.

"Don't report it." Lu Xingzhou sighed. "The King of Hell might not want to hear about me. Don't annoy her. Besides..."

He smiled slightly: "Now that my name is on the rookie list, shouldn't some other people in the underworld come looking for trouble with me?"

The assassin shook his head: "My lord, you're overthinking it. They wouldn't dare. No one dares to speculate on what the King of Hell is thinking. What if they think they're flattering him but actually end up blundering him?"

Lu Xingzhou laughed and said, "Aren't you afraid? Killing me might be a slip-up, and getting too close to me might be too."

The assassin chuckled.

The fruits were all given by Lao Tzu, how could Lao Tzu not know? Don't treat yourself as a "former" judge, just continue to treat him as a judge, it won't be that complicated.

To put it bluntly, the fact that there hasn't been a new judge in the Underworld yet proves anything.
Anyone with a modicum of intelligence should be able to figure this out, yet the judge, who is so clever, seems unable to see it.

While Lu Xingzhou was questioning his former subordinates, Pei Chuyun, hunched over, limped into the backyard of a brothel in the county.

She had changed her clothes; instead of the black cloak she wore when impersonating the Yin Corpse Sect, she wore a plain white dress. Combined with her current injured appearance, she looked even more pitiful, her eyes brimming with tears, which greatly aroused men's protective and conquering instincts.

Even members of the Hehuan Sect themselves had to admit that the Holy Maiden was truly the most blessed person in a thousand years, both in terms of her talent for cultivation and her beauty.

Even in broad daylight, the front hall of the brothel was already filled with revelry and debauchery, while in the back courtyard, their secret stronghold of the Hehuan Sect, many people were also drinking and making merry.

Seeing Pei Chuyun limping back, a woman asked with a smile, "How did the Holy Maiden get injured?"

Beside the woman was a burly man with a blank expression, his eyes glued to her the whole time, filled with endless longing.

Pei Chuyun's eyes held a hint of sarcasm. Who knew that this man was once a famous sword cultivator, who could conquer three or four states with his flying sword... but now he was no different from a dog.

"It's nothing." Pei Chuyun leaned back casually, poured herself a glass of wine and took a sip. "I went to investigate the so-called Tianyao Saintess who appeared on the street recently, but I fell into an ambush."

The laughter and merriment in the hall ceased abruptly, and everyone exchanged knowing glances. Finally, the woman chuckled and said, "To be able to break through the ambush of the Tianyao Holy Land, the Holy Maiden has truly brought us honor... But our location hasn't been exposed, has it?"

"No."

The woman sighed, "Chuyun, listen to your senior sister's advice. Thinking about controlling the Heavenly Yao Saintess is pointless... why not choose a different man as your target? Even if he's ten times stronger than the Heavenly Yao Saintess, the difficulty for us will be ten times lower. Men, well..."

Pei Chuyun scoffed, about to say something, when suddenly Lu Xingzhou's hateful face flashed through her mind.

Her wine glass paused for a moment between her red lips, and she asked softly, "How much do you senior sisters know about Lu Xingzhou, the judge before the King of Hell?"

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)