Chapter 118

Hearing this, Sheng Yuanyao blinked in surprise, her eyes lighting up: "So according to you, he's your enemy?"

"Sort of. So what?" Lu Xingzhou smiled. "Bored stiff? Want to earn some merit?"

"Of course!" Sheng Yuanyao tapped her chopsticks on the table. "Do you know, last month he killed someone near the capital—I handled that as my very first case while stationed in the capital? We knew exactly who did it, but couldn't catch him…"

"The Yin Luo Hall doesn't get caught often—no one would blame you."

"Others' cases are others' cases—I care about my reputation, don't I?" Sheng Yuanyao leaned closer, nudging him with her elbow. "Hey, since he's your enemy and you know the Yin Luo Hall's methods inside out, why not help me? Catch him, and you'll benefit."

At this proximity, he could already smell the girl's hair.

Lu Xingzhou glanced at her hopeful expression, fell silent for a moment, then sighed: "Normally, I'd help you with your matter—I'd take on any other opponent without hesitation. But this one's from the Yin Luo Hall. Helping you would be stabbing my old master in the back. Unrighteous."

Sheng Yuanyao tapped the table again: "Don't make me look down on you—he's your enemy, not your former subordinate! If I'm not mistaken, his men once tried to assassinate you, and you're still this cowardly?"

Lu Xingzhou said nothing.

Sheng Yuanyao added: "I bet you're just afraid the Yin Lord will retaliate? I get it—she's that strong, who isn't scared? But don't worry, we won't reveal you helped. The Yin Lord won't come after you."

Lu Xingzhou instinctively replied: "Who said I'm afraid of her?"

Anuo blinked her eyes, lowering her head to eat fish.

Sheng Yuanyao smirked: "Really not afraid?"

Lu Xingzhou snorted, casually picking up a dish: "Fine, you're right. That bastard tried to kill me first—if I don't return the favor, I'll look like a pushover. I'm in."

Sheng Yuanyao leaned even closer, delighted: "We don't even know where he is—so you're saying you have some idea?"

"As long as he's still nearby," Lu Xingzhou said coolly. "I've been in the capital long enough for everyone to know I'm here—he must know too. I have so many enemies; if he kills me, he can frame the Huo family… So the odds he'll come to me himself are high. Just keep watching me—you might get results. By the way…"

"What?"

"You… haven't been chasing him nonstop these days, have you?"

"I've been searching for his whereabouts, but no leads yet. Still, I didn't go out myself every day—I went hunting a few days ago."

Lu Xingzhou set down his chopsticks and stared at her, frowning.

Sheng Yuanyao looked down at herself in confusion—no food had fallen on her: "What?"

"This man has an extremely narrow mind. If you keep hunting him, he'll harbor a grudge against you. And yet you're careless—still daring to go hunting… At first, he might not know if you're truly hunting or luring him—he'd hesitate to act. But after observing a few times and realizing you're truly this reckless, I think he's more likely to kill you than me."

Sheng Yuanyao's eyes widened: "He'd dare?"

"He'd dare," Lu Xingzhou sighed. "This guy's insane. Take how he became the New Talent Number One—who'd think he waited a full month for the then-Number One, Cheng Yuan, found his chance, and struck one fatal blow—just to prove his excellence to the Yin Lord? Cheng Yuan was an official too!"

Sheng Yuanyao: "…"

"He has to consider the Yin Lord's unpredictable reaction if he kills me. But killing you? No such restraint—he could even use it as a way to send me a message, to make me suffer." Lu Xingzhou looked her straight in the eyes, dead serious. "Starting today, you must strengthen your bodyguards. If your family has any Dao-Protecting elders, make sure they never leave your side—not even when you use the latrine."

Sheng Yuanyao's cheeks flushed slightly: "Latrine? How crude."

"Hah…" Lu Xingzhou chuckled. "I've rarely seen Commander Sheng blush—just because of one sentence? Come on, the point is you're in danger—focus on that."

Sheng Yuanyao rolled her eyes: "Fine, fine, I get it."

But the flush on her face never faded.

Heaven knows what she truly latched onto in those words: "make me suffer." She knew Lu Xingzhou meant nothing by it—any friend's death would cause sorrow—but that bastard's peach-blossom eyes looked at her with such heartfelt intensity, it was unbearable. Her heart suddenly leapt, uncontrolled, and still hadn't settled.

It's cheating. Sheng Yuanyao couldn't help wondering—if he really looked at her like that while confessing his feelings, could she even hold up? She wanted to gouge out those damn eyes. I'm not a dog—why are you looking at me like that?

In truth, if he weren't so ridiculously good-looking, none of them would've become friends so easily. Sheng Yuanyao admitted she was a sucker for looks—even Anuo's cute face, even after being tricked out of two taels of silver, she still couldn't help liking her.

By the way… Sheng Yuanyao viciously pinched Anuo's cheek: "You brat, you lied to me about your love divination—this debt's still unpaid!"

Anuo dropped the meat in her mouth, bewildered: "I didn't lie!"

"Then your divination's inaccurate—don't do it again," Sheng Yuanyao said smugly. "I've had the Imperial Diviner check it!"

"Oh…" Anuo shrank her neck, secretly a little resentful. Though she'd only learned the basics of divination, Sheng Yuanyao's divination was so straightforward—Anuo didn't believe she could've gotten it wrong. A question like one plus one equals two—what difference does it make whether a child or a Grand Scholar calculates it?

That so-called Imperial Diviner? A fraud. One day, when she stands face to face, Anuo will divinate her too!

Dinner finally ended; outside, the streets glowed with ten thousand lanterns.

Sheng Yuanyao rose to pay, but Pei Yu smiled and signaled the Shopkeeper to decline: "If you don't accept, Young Lady Sheng will say I, Pei Yu, look down on her."

Sheng Yuanyao nodded, satisfied: "You really understand me."

Pei Yu chuckled and turned to Lu Xingzhou: "Don't forget to come to the Pei family tomorrow."

Lu Xingzhou bowed slightly: "I won't forget."

Pei Yu asked Sheng Yuanyao: "Young Lady Sheng, will you come too?"

"I won't," Sheng Yuanyao sighed. "That's why I hate people like you—you know I won't go, yet you still ask, just to show off your politeness?"

"Hah…" Pei Yu didn't take offense. "My manners are satisfied. How you see it? Doesn't matter."

The group left Yanyu Pavilion. Only then did Sheng Yuanyao quietly ask Lu Xingzhou: "Chu Qingchen is also going after Ye Wufeng—why don't you contact him to team up?"

"Mainly because these young heroes and swordsmen are arrogant—they won't easily follow my orders. It's better for your officials to coordinate."

"I thought you had some other plan. Fine, I'll talk to him. I won't see you off," Sheng Yuanyao waved goodbye. "Watch yourself at night—don't get lost on your maid's belly."

Anuo pushed Lu Xingzhou back to the inn, while Pei Chuyun strolled beside them, murmuring: "Commander Sheng has quite a nice personality."

"Of course—now you finally realize how pointless it is to offend someone for no reason?"

For no reason? Not necessarily. Pei Chuyun muttered inwardly but said nothing.

Lu Xingzhou said: "Pei Yu seems decent enough—at least his manners far surpass the Huo family's. No wonder he's from a thousand-year-old clan."

Pei Chuyun murmured "Mm," clearly distracted.

Lu Xingzhou said: "You didn't say a word during the whole meal—just listened intently. Any insights?"

Pei Chuyun shook her head: "No. They only talked about Jianghu anecdotes and the current status of mutual acquaintances—it seems Pei Yu bonded with them during his two-year journey through the martial world… Nothing relevant to what we're seeking."

"You've disguised yourself, but your overall appearance hasn't changed much. Logically, if there was any connection, Pei Yu should've reacted to your face—but he showed no reaction at all…" Lu Xingzhou mused: "So the likelihood you're connected to the Pei family has decreased significantly."

Pei Chuyun thought the same—and her mood darkened.

Whether she was a Pei family daughter wasn't important—she didn't crave the prestige of a noble clan. But if she wasn't, it meant her origins were completely severed, with no path to trace; and her position within the Chā Nǚ Héhuān Sect grew even more obscure, with no way forward.

Back at the inn, each of them fetched water to bathe.

Pei Chuyun soaked in the bathing tub, idly scrubbing her body, still absent-minded the whole time.

Recalling the feeling of seeing Pei Yu today, she still felt an indescribable closeness, instinctively wanting to listen more to what he said, to look at him a few more times. But Pei Chuyun found it hard to tell whether this feeling truly stemmed from some blood relation, or merely from her own curiosity to uncover the truth.

She didn't even dare tell Lu Xingzhou about this, afraid of disturbing his judgment.

Pei Chuyun stared blankly in a daze, until a knock came from outside the door. She started awake and realized the water had gone cold.

Pei Chuyun hurriedly rose and tidied herself, opened the door, and there stood Lu Xingzhou.

"Something you need?"

"Nothing, just knew you must be in a terrible mood, came to keep you company for a few drinks." Lu Xingzhou looked at her freshly-bathed appearance—her fine hair still damp and loose, her fragrance overwhelming—she looked more alluring than usual.

He unconsciously swallowed, tilted his head slightly: "Didn't know you'd bathe so long… forget it, I'll come back later."

Pei Chuyun smiled charmingly: "You're afraid of this? You've seen every part of me, and now you're playing the gentleman?"

Lu Xingzhou: "……"

"Come in." Pei Chuyun lazily stepped aside: "I've always been the one trying to seduce you into bed—if you see me like this and your beastly nature flares, I'd welcome it."

She said so, yet showed not the slightest intention of flirtation; she sat down by the table in a distracted daze, chin propped on her hand, watching the candlelight.

Lu Xingzhou sat beside her, opened a jar and poured wine: "No need to be so worried. You've made it through all these years—can these two days make a difference? Tomorrow when we go to the Pei family, I'll try to probe around in my questioning."

"Mm…" Pei Chuyun hesitated a moment, then still said: "Lu Xingzhou, what if it really isn't… what do we do…"

Lu Xingzhou said seriously: "Don't worry. I promised to help you with this matter, and I'll see it through to the end. Even if we confirm it's not the Pei family, I'll still keep helping you search afterward."

Pei Chuyun gave a faint smile: "Mm."

In truth she didn't hold out much hope—after all, this matter had no clues at all; no matter how clever you are, Lu Xingzhou, it's of no use.

Lu Xingzhou said: "But regardless of whether it is or not, worrying yourself sick is pointless. If this matter becomes a knot in your heart, it'll be very detrimental to your cultivation in breaking into the upper three grades—you're also seeking a breakthrough at this threshold, aren't you? Otherwise the sect wouldn't let you out for training at this time."

"Yes." Pei Chuyun thought for a moment, then sighed: "I don't know what's wrong with me either. I clearly know obsessing over this is meaningless, yet my heart keeps strangely hung up on it. Even stranger—despite being so preoccupied, I'm actually afraid of you asking tomorrow. What if you ask and it really isn't? How great the disappointment would be then. I'd rather have no answer than risk asking and finding out it isn't."

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Come, let me give you another line of poetry."

Pei Chuyun blinked her eyes.

Lu Xingzhou took paper and brush, wrote a line: "The nearer home, the more timid; I dare not ask the one who comes."

Pei Chuyun read it, and was utterly spellbound.

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Enchantress of the Hehuan, you really shouldn't be so sentimental—you're a true anomaly. Hey, do you think maybe because you're such a literary, sentimental type, your master doesn't dare entrust you with important tasks?"

Pei Chuyun came back to herself, and chided: "You talk as if you understand the Hehuan maidens so well… in the sect there are plenty more sentimental than me. The Hehuan Sect excels at every form of music and performance, the most given to decadent song and dance—it's the most artistic sect in the world, that's what it should be. Artistic people are mostly sentimental."

This somewhat exceeded Lu Xingzhou's understanding: "Isn't it said the Way of Hehuan is desire without emotion? If you're emotionless, how can you be sentimental? Don't you yourselves find that contradictory?"

"The Way of Assassination is even colder and more ruthless, yet I see you're plenty emotional. Don't you find that contradictory either?"

Lu Xingzhou opened his mouth, but had nothing to say in reply.

What he himself cultivated wasn't really the Way of Assassination—perhaps Yuan Muyu was. So his pursuit of her had always been chasing an impossible shadow; in the end, climbing the tree to catch a fish.

Whether the Way of Hehuan is as the world understands it, whether it matches the old impressions from the novels he used to read, that really couldn't be said. One book, one world—who could know what manner of Way this Hehuan maiden actually follows? It's just a pity Pei Chuyun obviously couldn't lay open the core of her cultivation method for him to examine; there was no way to know.

Seeing him drift off, Pei Chuyun smiled charmingly, twisted around and sat in his lap, breathing orchid-scented air by his ear: "Regardless, one poem for one kiss—that's the pact between us. Since you have the poem, naturally I must keep my end…"

She lightly kissed his cheek, then picked up the wine cup and held it to his lips: "Young Master, drink? Shall Ah-Lu feed you?"

Lu Xingzhou lowered his head and drank. Pei Chuyun cooed: "Won't Young Master feed Ah-Lu…"

Lu Xingzhou felt this was exactly like someone stirred by a single line of poetry, or perhaps using it to dispel her tangled thoughts. He didn't overthink it, lowered his head and kissed her red lips directly, then without another word breached the gate, slowly passing the wine over.

Pei Chuyun's chest rose and fell violently as she slowly shared the wine he passed, then fiercely wrapped her arms around his neck. The two's lips and tongues inseparable, they continued their passionate kiss.

The charm-art invasion Lu Xingzhou had been subtly guarding against never happened from start to finish. There was instead a touch of what she naturally emanated, which couldn't be held back, its effect seeming to enhance the mood.

————

PS: 4k, ten-thousand-character goal achieved~

(End of this chapter)