Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 96 Your circle is so chaotic
If Lu Xingzhou were to hunt deer, no one would think he was vying for the throne; this divination would be more fitting for Shen Tang.

Of course, if we consider husband and wife as one, then interpreting this hexagram in that way is also fine.

Speaking of Lu Xingzhou alone, Sheng Yuanyao's first reaction was his deep-seated hatred for the Huo family, a hatred so intense that no one could stop him from taking revenge. Her expression turned somewhat grim: "Is the risk high? If we don't give up, will something really go wrong?"

“There are crises and risks, but that doesn’t mean failure is inevitable. Ultimately, it’s up to us to make things happen.” Ye Tinglan glanced at Sheng Yuanyao and chuckled, “Yuanyao… cares about him a lot?”

That's probably because he doesn't care about him as much as your apprentice does.

Sheng Yuanyao thought to herself, but she didn't really think that Dugu Qingli and Lu Xingzhou had any private relationship. She just said cautiously, "After all, they are friends. If there is any danger, we can't just ignore it."

"The reason why there is no guide when you are chasing a deer is simply because you lack a guide. What if you did have one?" Ye Tinglan smiled and said, "The divination is just a direction, giving people a general reference point. It should not be taken as a given fact. There is no predetermined future in the world. The future is all under your feet."

Sheng Yuanyao thought to herself that what you said was as good as nothing, but she dared not argue and could only smile awkwardly: "The Imperial Preceptor's teachings are correct."

Ye Tinglan could easily see that the girl was being disingenuous, but she didn't take it to heart and smiled, "Yuan Yao, are you familiar with this... Lu Xingzhou? Could you tell me about his situation?"

Sheng Yuanyao thought the Imperial Advisor had summoned her to question Shen Tang and Dugu Qingli, but unexpectedly, every sentence mentioned Lu Xingzhou, which made her feel a little strange. After thinking for a moment, she still said truthfully, "Lu Xingzhou acts in a wicked way, but he is actually a righteous person... well, I should say that, at least he is not really bad."

Ye Tinglan smiled: "Even if he slaughtered so many members of the Huo family?"

Sheng Yuanyao was silent for a moment, then changed her perspective and said, "If he were really a bad person, Princess Chaohuang would not have entrusted him with such an important task, and Miss Dugu would not have spent so much time with him."

Actually, part of Ye Tinglan's concern for Lu Xingzhou stemmed from her worry that her naive disciple might be deceived by a man. Although with Qingli's level of cultivation, the possibility was practically zero, a master still had to keep an eye on things. Seeing that Sheng Yuanyao also felt this person wasn't bad, Ye Tinglan felt slightly relieved: "Anything else?"

"He is a formidable strategist. He always has multiple intentions in his actions. It seems like he is only taking one step, but in reality, he has already laid out plans several steps ahead. It is no exaggeration to say that the current state of the Heavenly Sword Sect is largely due to his efforts."

"So the Yama Palace... truly owes its existence to his power," Ye Tinglan murmured to herself.

Sheng Yuanyao was taken aback. She had heard that the Imperial Advisor attached extraordinary importance to the Underworld, and now it seemed that was indeed true; even this could be traced back to the Underworld. So she asked Lu Xingzhou, was it for Shen Tang or for Yuan Muyu?
Ye Tinglan seemed to snap out of her reverie and smiled, "This person seems quite interesting. If I have the chance, I'll meet him in person. Hmm... how is Princess Chaohuang doing? Is she in good health?"

"Everything else is fine, but the leg hasn't been healed yet. I think it's intentional that it's not being treated."

"Hmm." Ye Tinglan fell into thought again and remained silent for a long time.

Sheng Yuanyao hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

Ye Tinglan glanced at her and smiled, "Yuan Yao, is there anything you want to say?"

Sheng Yuanyao mustered her courage: "I would like to ask the Imperial Advisor to help me with a divination."

"Oh? What aspect do you want to calculate?"

"Marriage."

Ye Tinglan smiled and said, "It seems Yuan Yao has reached a certain age; she actually cares about this now."

Sheng Yuanyao sighed. It wasn't because she was getting old; she had never had such thoughts at all. It was just that she had been fooled by a certain brat back then, and she was still feeling uneasy about it to this day. How could she not take the opportunity to ask the top national advisor in this field for peace of mind?
Ye Tinglan wasn't offended and actually did a calculation for her, then laughed and said, "Don't worry, you chose your own marriage... Huh?"

Sheng Yuanyao tensed up: "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Ye Tinglan smiled. "It feels a bit like an arranged marriage, but I don't think Yuan Yao's personality is like that of someone who can accept an arranged marriage, so it's a bit strange. But as I just said, the divination is just a reference, and in the end, it's still up to you."

Sheng Yuanyao breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't so bad to have a bunch of sisters. Arranged marriages were nothing new for families like theirs. If they didn't accept it now, they didn't know what they would think in the future. If they could really choose someone they liked, it would be a pretty good scenario for their future.

As expected, that brat was a liar; he's good for nothing except for his cuddly face.

Her energy instantly returned, and she clasped her hands in a fist salute, saying, "If the Imperial Preceptor has no further instructions, Yuan Yao will take her leave now?"

Ye Tinglan said, "You've only been away for two months, and you've already solved two major cases involving demons. Your abilities and luck are both very strong. Are you really going to stay in the capital and never go out again? It's a real pity."

Sheng Yuanyao pursed her lips, somewhat dejected: "We'll see. Maybe I'll get tired of playing around for a couple of years and want to do something more?"

Ye Tinglan said meaningfully, "This achievement is enough to get you promoted two or three ranks... First, gain some experience in the capital. If you want to do something in the future, feel free to tell me."

Sheng Yuanyao suddenly looked up and met Ye Tinglan's beautiful and profound gaze. Suddenly, she realized something and took a deep breath: "I understand. I will definitely consult the Imperial Advisor when the time comes."

Seeing Sheng Yuanyao's departing figure, Ye Tinglan sighed softly.

How could such an idealistic and sincere girl end up sharing a husband with someone else? It's not quite accurate to say she was a concubine; it seems like she met that man first... The bureaucratic circle is truly chaotic.

My own apprentice is the best; he's aloof and indifferent, so I don't need to worry about him.

…………

If Lu Xingzhou knew about Ye Tinglan's divination, he would probably think it referred to Pei Chuyun.

If we're talking about hunting deer right now, what could be more direct than Pei Chuyun hunting Lu?

But if Yuan Muyu heard this divination, it would probably not only be Lu who would be affected, but even Yu would interpret it as her being a fish, and then become furious.

Therefore, divination was the art of cultivation that Lu Xingzhou disliked learning the most, because the answers were too vague, and most of the time it only caused him unnecessary trouble. Moreover, it couldn't predict his own fate, nor could it predict the fate of opponents with higher cultivation levels, so what was the use... Yuan Muyu learned it very well, and after divining, she found out that there were elixirs in Danxia Mountain, and then what? Ten years have passed and she hasn't found anything.

Ah Nuo found it fun and learned a little bit from Yuan Muyu, but ultimately, because her master didn't think much of it, she never studied it in depth; it was just something she played around with.

Lu Xingzhou still felt that truly understanding oneself and one's enemy was far more meaningful than divination. Having failed to catch Pei Chuyun this time, he immediately summoned his former subordinates: "Give me my money back."

assassin:"?"

"I sent you to keep an eye on Pei Chuyun's movements and you got nothing. That's understandable; I understand that someone of her strength who acts alone is hard to track. But you still don't even have any information about how many escape techniques she knows. Did I just waste my money?"

"Actually, you don't need to give us money... Never mind." The assassin said helplessly, "The escape technique involves survival, and this kind of information is a private matter even within the Joyful Union Sect. We really have no way of knowing it."

"I don't believe that no one in the Joyful Union Sect knows these things. If you try to bribe them, someone will definitely know. Not only the escape technique, but also any other special skills, and what her situation is in the Joyful Union Sect. I need all the information. How much it costs can be reimbursed by me. Just be careful not to get seduced yourself."

The assassin could only say, "We'll try our best."

Shen Tang watched the assassin leave with a stern face, then suddenly stretched out her slender hand: "Hand it over."

"Huh?" Lu Xingzhou was stunned. "What?"

"The shoes." Shen Tang grabbed his collar: "What are you planning to do with that vixen's shoes? Smell them?"

Lu Xingzhou was both amused and exasperated: "No, it's useful. I can only sense her approach if I have her belongings with me. It's a common method used by the Underworld to track her down. What else could I take from her back then, tear her clothes?"

Shen Tang was speechless, and turned her head away angrily: "Did you enjoy touching me?"

Lu Xingzhou finally hugged her: "She's not even as big as yours, what's there to touch..."

"Get lost." Shen Tang pressed down on his large hand, glanced at A Nuo who was squatting to the side eating melon, and quickly changed the subject: "What did you talk to Manager Chen about? I saw you were distracted as soon as you left the Chen family."

At this point, Lu Xingzhou immediately became serious and asked in a low voice, "What are your thoughts if I go to the Imperial Academy of Alchemy in the capital?"

Shen Tang's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widened, and she was speechless for a moment.

The two were deeply in love and truly didn't want to be apart for even a moment. But Shen Tang quickly understood the meaning behind Lu Xingzhou's words.

If he returns from his studies at the Dan Academy, with that official golden aura, he might even have a chance for a proper marriage proposal. At least half of the obstacles that previously prevented him from crossing the threshold could be eliminated.

At least he's taken a significant step towards marrying her openly and honorably.

The Heavenly Sword Sect is now very stable, and everything is waiting for the disciples to make breakthroughs and accumulate experience. Even the alchemy matters that Lu Xingzhou used to be responsible for have been shared by some of the captured alchemists from the Incense Pavilion, so Lu Xingzhou no longer needs to work hard on alchemy alone.

Lu Xingzhou has nothing to do but cultivate in seclusion if he stays here. No matter how you look at it, you should support him in doing what he should be doing, instead of wasting his time in a gentle and loving environment.

But... I'm so reluctant to part with it...

Shen Tang couldn't go with him... Going to other prefectures might be fine, but going to the capital was out of the question, as her father's reaction was unpredictable and would only add unnecessary complications.

Shen Tang was so choked up that she couldn't say anything. She just hugged his waist, buried her head in his arms, and remained motionless for a long time.

Lu Xingzhou patted her head: "It won't be that fast. Chief Chen needs to take control of the county's power first before he can push me forward. I also need to settle down during this time, otherwise it would be ridiculous if I were rejected after going to the capital... The Dan Academy's recruitment is in the summer, right? That's still two or three months away."

Hearing that it would be two or three months and she wouldn't be leaving immediately, Shen Tang felt a little better. She took the initiative to look up and peck him on the cheek: "Then you're not allowed to go anywhere today, you're only allowed to stay with me."

(End of this chapter)