Chapter 134: Humiliation (Begging for Monthly Tickets)

The two of them dressed neatly, Lu Xingzhou called for A'nuo, and the family of three strolled out the door.

The people of the Demon-Suppression Bureau nervously set up their surveillance.

Originally they had planned to "hire an assassin" to bait Ye Wufeng into killing Pei Yu, and have Pei Yu cooperate in the capture. They hadn't even found anyone yet when they heard Huo Jin had invited Lu Xingzhou to dinner... Well, no need to think it over—first split the manpower and set up surveillance on Lu Xingzhou's side.

But they saw Lu Xingzhou reach the street corner, casually doodle on the wall, and draw a mouse hiding in a gutter, poking its head out. The drawing was quite exquisite—the spot the mouse was peering toward was exactly the brightly lit main street, forming a very artistic contrast.

On the mouse's head he also drew a leaf, bright green.

Lu Xingzhou leaned back to admire it for a moment, quite satisfied: "The artistry is getting better and better—seems the brushwork I picked up from drawing talismans hasn't slipped."

A'nuo said: "Master, why doesn't your mouse have any teeth?"

Pei Chuyun, however, appreciated it greatly: "Isn't that just Wufeng…"

All three of the family smiled in perfect sync, showing their teeth, and a few Demon-Suppression Bureau constables hidden in the shadows also quietly laughed out loud.

It was a pity that the Demon-Suppression Bureau people needed to secretly tail Lu Xingzhou to guard against assassination, so they obviously couldn't just squat by a painting—they had no idea when Ye Wufeng would see this drawing, and they really wanted to see his expression.

In reality, right in a certain civilian residence's attic on the street, without the homeowner even knowing, Ye Wufeng was lurking in the attic watching the family of three leave, his gaze coldly fixed on the painting by the wall, veins popping on his hands.

He had wanted to see Lu Xingzhou protect his family in a panic as he went out, trembling with fear wherever he went... but what he always saw was this kind of breezy nonchalance, which only earned him a face full of mockery and ridicule.

Now the Demon-Suppression Bureau was watching too closely, and he really didn't dare make a move. Having Huo Jin invite Lu Xingzhou was originally both to see Lu Xingzhou's nervous expression and to toy with the Demon-Suppression Bureau, but in the end he gained nothing—only brought humiliation upon himself.

Just like the countless provocations of his own in the Hall of Yama, what he got in return was pretty much the same…

Ye Wufeng took a deep breath and followed from a distance.

The Yanyu Restaurant where Huo Jin was hosting was very close to the inn, and before long Lu Xingzhou had reached the street corner—turning in would put him right there. But Ye Wufeng and the Demon-Suppression Bureau people all watched with their own eyes as Lu Xingzhou passed the street corner without turning at all, walking straight ahead—who knew where he was going.

The Demon-Suppression Bureau people exchanged glances: "He's not going to the banquet—so do we still follow?"

The superior slapped the questioner on the head: "Nonsense, of course we follow! If he really gets assassinated right under our noses, are you going to explain it to Chief Constable Sheng?"

In the time it took to say those two sentences, Lu Xingzhou had already turned into another street beside them and was out of sight.

The Demon-Suppression Bureau people hurried to catch up, took one look, and were stunned—the once-easily-spotted scene of a child pushing a wheelchair was nowhere to be found, and none of the family of three could be located.

"Oh no… Lu Xingzhou actually shook off our protection—what is he trying to do?" The Demon-Suppression Bureau leader's heart chilled: "Split one person to report to Chief Constable Sheng, the rest notify the other teams, expand the search radius, we must find Lu Xingzhou!"

The Demon-Suppression Bureau people all knew Lu Xingzhou had deliberately shaken them off, and Ye Wufeng, trailing from farther back, saw it even more clearly.

Lu Xingzhou had even used a blurring technique… This kind of spell really could make one lose their target in a blink among crowds at night, but Lu Xingzhou should know very well that this trick wouldn't work on a fellow disciple from the Hall of Yama who was familiar with it—he could shake off the Demon-Suppression Bureau, but not Ye Wufeng.

This was an extremely clear signal, its meaning plain: don't worry about the Demon-Suppression Bureau, I've helped you shake them off, come find me.

Ye Wufeng narrowed his eyes, transformed into a shadow, and gave chase.

But he found that Lu Xingzhou's destination was extremely clear—it was the Qingyao Garden from that morning.

The suburban garden at night, with no visitors, and no lantern festival either. The garden was very dark, utterly silent.

The family reached the lakeside, feeling the night wind on their faces. Pei Chuyun said wistfully: "I really must be out of my mind—'when the moon climbs the willow tips, lovers meet at dusk.' Tonight there's not even any moonlight, it's pitch black by the lake and the wind is cold, like a ghostly prison. What decent person comes to a place like this for romance?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "Isn't it just a ghostly place—the Fengdu Underworld, under the King of Yama's rule."

Pei Chuyun stepped back: "What does the Hall of Yama have to do with me? Don't drag me into this."

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "You're my little maid."

Saying so, he reached out and pulled her close, settling Pei Chuyun on his lap: "You want to distance yourself now? Too late."

Pei Chuyun giggled: "There's an assassin lurking, and you still have the mood to hold me."

"No matter how many trash lurk around, they're still trash. Would we be afraid of a cockroach passing by on the floor while making love indoors?"

The voice wasn't loud, but in this quiet lakeside it seemed deafening. Ye Wufeng in the distance nearly ground his teeth to dust.

But then he heard Pei Chuyun laugh: "Cockroaches—when you don't see them, you're not afraid, but when you do see them, it still ruins the mood."

"Exactly right. We don't see the disgusting thing, only it can secretly envy and hate us… Actually, it's always been like this. Back in the Hall of Yama, when I held hands with someone, there was also a cockroach—a mouse with gleaming green eyes—hiding to one side watching. Maybe it has some kind of fetish."

Pei Chuyun's eyes rolled: "Then why don't you beat him up? Can't you win?"

Ye Wufeng secretly sneered "Of course," only to hear Lu Xingzhou say: "That's because I can't be bothered with him. Out of consideration for the Hall of Yama's rule against internal strife, I let it slide."

Ye Wufeng: "?"

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "Stop hiding. Like some clown—even after being cursed out like this, you're still playing turtle. Cultivating to the state you're in, you've really cultivated all the way onto a dog… Don't worry, this is internal Hall of Yama business—you can trust that I won't bring in outsiders. The Demon-Suppression Bureau people have been shaken off for now, haven't they?"

In the darkness, Ye Wufeng finally slowly revealed his form: "Lu Xingzhou, humiliating me like this—do you really think I don't dare kill you?"

Pei Chuyun, sitting on Lu Xingzhou's lap, curiously turned her head to take a look.

Number one of the new talents, huh…

Skinny and wiry, medium build, his complexion had an unnatural pallor from years in the shadows, giving what would otherwise be a fairly handsome face a slightly eerie quality that ruined the impression. That gaze was cruel and sinister—the look commonly seen among the demonic path—but the Maiden Union Sect's aesthetic didn't care for it.

"Of course you dare kill me," Lu Xingzhou was answering: "Especially tonight—although it deviates a bit from what you expected, I did indeed go out at Huo Jin's invitation, and many people can testify… The King of Yama isn't in the capital anyway, so it can still be covered up. You can go back and pin the blame on the Huo family entirely."

"Even so, you still dare to shake off the Demon-Suppression Bureau?" Ye Wufeng couldn't believe his own words as he said them—he had truly watched for a long time, and right now the Demon-Suppression Bureau really hadn't found this place.

At this moment, Lu Xingzhou really only had a maid and a ghost child attendant by his side.

The ghost child attendant was very strong, but Ye Wufeng knew she was no match for him. As for Lu Xingzhou—no matter how good his awareness, his raw strength was right there and couldn't keep up, and he was still a cripple…

The only variable was this maid… Ye Wufeng cautiously glanced at Pei Chuyun. Though the little maid's cultivation wasn't apparent, he still instinctively had a dangerous premonition.

This was also why he had endured the humiliation all along without showing himself.

Lu Xingzhou said calmly: "The matter between you and me is essentially internal Hall of Yama business. Not only is there no reason to bring in the Demon-Suppression Bureau—even if I brought in my maid, you probably wouldn't accept it."

Ye Wufeng laughed in disbelief: "You mean—you and the ghost child attendant are going to duel me within the Hall?"

"Once you challenged me many times, and I didn't bother with you," Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Now I'm formally challenging you—I wonder if you dare to accept?"

Ye Wufeng said: "In that posture of yours, holding a woman on your lap before the fight?"

Lu Xingzhou finally let go of Pei Chuyun, still holding her little hand and giving it a squeeze: "Be good, go watch from the side. It's not appropriate for you to get involved in this."

Pei Chuyun blinked her eyes and retreated to one side with a smile.

She really didn't want to get involved. If she joined the attack, Ye Wufeng would certainly be defeated, but it was hard to say whether they could keep him from escaping. If he got away and went to complain to the King of Yama, the Maiden Union Sect getting involved in the Hall of Yama's internal strife would be very unreasonable—truly inappropriate. Even if they could kill Ye Wufeng, the residual Maiden Union demonic cultivation left on the corpse would be hard to explain.

To put it bluntly, Lu Xingzhou also didn't want traces of the Maiden Union Sect mixed into this matter—colluding with outsiders to kill a former fellow disciple would be hard to explain to the Hall of Yama.

Ye Wufeng also thought of this layer—the Judge simply didn't dare bring in other forces to act. He didn't need to worry about this woman! At most, this woman's existence was to save the Judge's life when he was about to lose!

Thinking of this, Ye Wufeng, who had always been ready to slip away, now truly had some willingness to make a move. In fact, a direct confrontation with Lu Xingzhou was something he had looked forward to for many years. He had never even dared to imagine a day when it would come true, and even now still suspected Lu Xingzhou might be plotting something.

"I know that after you and Ghost Boy left the Yama Hall, you've both improved... It seems you think my improvement hasn't been much, and that you master and disciple together can defeat me head-on." Ye Wufeng took a deep breath and carefully, slowly drew his sword: "Don't say I'm bullying a cripple and a child — how about I let you strike first three moves?"

"Wait a moment." Lu Xingzhou's expression was odd: "What are you thinking? Me and A-Nuo ganging up on you? Just who do you think you are?"

Ye Wufeng frowned: "What trick are you playing now?"

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "Little Ye, have you ever considered that all these years I haven't accepted your challenge to fight not because I can't beat you, but because I don't want to bully you?"

Ye Wufeng stared dumbfounded as A-Nuo obediently retreated far away... Being cursed ten thousand times as a rat or cockroach was not as wounding to him as this small gesture. The ultimate humiliation nearly shattered his reason.

"Lu Xingzhou... you're seeking death!" Sword light flared, tearing through the night, heading straight for Lu Xingzhou's throat!

The thought of slipping away at any moment was completely thrown beyond the nine heavens.

The clouds in the sky suddenly split, and moonlight finally pierced through the firmament, as if this furious sword stroke had cleaved the heavens themselves.

The watching Pei Chuyun, however, knew that an assassin is always most fearsome when his whereabouts are unknown, and his sword is always most threatening when it has yet to be drawn. Ever since he drew his sword openly in this fit of rage, the so-called Soul Reaper of the Yama Hall had been forcibly stripped of his fearsome shadow, no longer holding any mystery.

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PS: Begging for monthly votes, begging for monthly votes~

(End of this chapter)