Chapter 139: Destined by Heaven

Lu Xingzhou was eating at the Sheng family's, and this time the treatment was far better than the last.

Last time, the Sheng couple had darkened faces, looking at him from start to finish as if he were a ghost fire with yellow hair.

This time, the yellow hair was still yellow hair, but it carried a touch of gold.

In fact, the favor of killing Ye Wufeng was not as great as saving a life the previous time, but any parents hope to see their daughter's man be capable; the heavy-weight achievement of striking down the number one new talent clearly added a layer of dazzling light to Lu Xingzhou.

Not to mention that Sheng Qingfeng, through the autopsy, had a good idea in his heart that Lu Xingzhou's disability was mostly faked.

Not a disabled person! That made all the difference!

Look at the daughter, ignoring that her injuries weren't even healed yet, hugging that girl tightly, how affectionate!

"Um... Xingzhou..." Sheng Qingfeng said with a smile: "I heard the assessment time for the Alchemy Academy has been moved up; do you have confidence?"

Getting a Golden Body for further studies at the Alchemy Academy would make this yellow-haired fellow completely golden-haired; the only issue was his unclear relationship with the Princess. Apart from that, he was simply an ideal son-in-law candidate. Old Sheng at this moment wished Lu Xingzhou would explain that he and Shen Tang were merely pure colleagues.

"It should be fine." Lu Xingzhou felt somewhat ashamed: "I have indeed been distracted too much these days; in the time ahead, I will also devote myself more deeply to studying."

"If there are any difficulties, just speak up." Sheng Qingfeng very kindly served him a chopstick of pork: "Huo Lu has already been escorted to the capital by dawn today. Regarding this matter, does the Huo family very much hope you, as the involved party, would clear Huo Lu's name? In fact, the interrogation of this matter has nothing to do with you, the victim; you can conveniently use studying as an excuse to hide, never show your face, let the Huo family expect nothing, and let the Pei family not try to use you as a pawn."

"Coincidentally, I was thinking the same." Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Then I will trouble my uncle to cover for me on this."

"No problem. Why not just cancel your inn room directly? Let the Huo family want to find you and suddenly discover they can't, leaving them dumbfounded." Sheng Qingfeng smiled: "Just stay here for these days; no one will be able to disturb you."

Lady Sheng glanced at her husband.

This wasn't about creating opportunities for the daughter... This "no one will be able to disturb" sounded more like it included her, Sheng Yuanyao.

Keep her right under the eyelids; that little rascal can't do anything.

Look at the stinky girl's face turning red; she probably wouldn't think that her father's move, which seemed like an assist, was actually the opposite.

"Uh..." Lu Xingzhou said: "If I stay at my uncle's house, will it damage Young Lady Sheng's reputation?"

"Tsk..." Sheng Qingfeng glanced at him sideways: "You keep saying you are close friends, yet you call her 'Young Lady Sheng' every time, acting so estranged it's not like friends at all."

Lu Xingzhou could only say: "Mm... concerned about Yuanyao's reputation."

Sheng Yuanyao pinched A Nuo's face, her heart pounding wildly.

"What reputation? I'm not dead yet; who can imagine anything wrong if you stay here?" Sheng Qingfeng waved his hand with great momentum: "Just follow your own opinion; don't worry about anything else."

Lu Xingzhou thought for a moment, then still shook his head: "It's not quite right; if my uncle could provide a secret place for secluded cultivation, that would be even better."

Sheng Qingfeng squinted and looked at Lu Xingzhou for a long while; his proposal was certainly not that appropriate, actually wanting to test what feelings Lu Xingzhou had for his daughter, but this look truly revealed a clear and noble heart with no such thoughts.

Old Sheng didn't know whether he should sigh in relief or feel a bit regretful; he stroked his beard and thought for a long time before saying: "Fine, I'll find a place for you."

"Then many thanks to my uncle." Lu Xingzhou added: "Mm... regarding the Ye Wufeng incident, do I need to give an explanation?"

Officially speaking, killing someone in the capital fell under his jurisdiction; even if he killed a criminal, since he wasn't an official figure, procedurally at least a "deposition" was required. Sheng Qingfeng nodded: "If you say it yourself, it's easy; originally I hesitated to bring this up to you, worried you might be unhappy, thinking we were repaying kindness with ingratitude."

"It's just work procedure; you have to understand." Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Besides, I was doing this under the arrangement of Deputy Chief Huo, so I must report in detail."

"?" Sheng Qingfeng blinked several times before realizing this young son-in-law was giving him credit!

The old Head Seat was over three hundred years old and had served as Head Seat for nearly a century. Now his lifespan was nearing its end; he wanted to retire and return to secluded cultivation to seek a breakthrough and extend his life.

Because the old Head Seat was a bit arrogant due to his age and didn't care much for the Emperor—strongmen of the top three grades had long lifespans, easily over a hundred or two hundred years, and a first-grade strongman could easily hold a position for a hundred years, which was unfavorable to the Emperor's authority. Therefore, in recent years the Emperor had been pushing for "official rejuvenation"; whether it was Huo Xingyuan or Pei Qingyan, though they looked several decades older, in this era they were actually considered "young backbone."

The New Talent List emerged under this background; before Gu Zhating ascended the throne, there was only the Hero List; the New Talent List and various sub-lists were additionally established by Gu Zhating. In this single aspect, Gu Zhating had great merit in promoting and encouraging the young strongmen of this world.

He, Sheng Qingfeng, was also promoted and appointed by the Emperor under this background, surpassing several old guys to become the First Deputy of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

But youth has its disadvantages; the cultivation time is set here, always lacking a bit of breath. He, Sheng Qingfeng, because he was always stuck at second grade, might not be stable in competing for the Head Seat position. The Demon Suppression Bureau was a very critical combat department; without a first-grade expert, the Head Seat could not suppress the demons and monsters, nor even suppress the arrogant soldiers and fierce generals under his command.

But from another angle, every first-grade expert had their own powerful background, either from famous great sects or top pillars of aristocratic families, making them unsuitable for work like the Demon Suppression Bureau which relatively required independence. It was hard to find a first-grade direct subordinate personally cultivated by Gu Zhating...

So he, Sheng Qingfeng, still had a chance to rise to power; at least he might secure a "Acting Head Seat," and if he could break through to first grade during the acting period, it would be secure.

Under this background, the merit Lu Xingzhou handed over on a platter was extremely precious.

And it could also exchange for a huge favor from the Wanhua Sword Sect—Chu Qingchen died at Ye Wufeng's hand; he, Sheng Qingfeng, planned and executed revenge that very night; the Wanhua Sword Sect would feel grateful for this favor.

"You..." Sheng Qingfeng suppressed his joy in his heart and said in a low voice: "Originally the Wanhua Sword Sect would feel grateful for your favor; by doing this, the favor becomes mine."

"But I gained my uncle's favor." Lu Xingzhou raised his cup: "This is ten thousand times more valuable than the Wanhua Sword Sect."

The look in Sheng Qingfeng's eyes when he looked at Lu Xingzhou was as if he were looking at a son.

Damn it, whether you and the Princess really have that relationship or not, if not, I suggest you and Yuanyao get married right here and now; you are too reliable.

"Old Sheng likes you more and more." After the meal, Sheng Yuanyao smiled and led Lu Xingzhou to stroll through her family's back garden: "I have never seen him treat any young person this way; that look in his eyes, tsk..."

Lu Xingzhou didn't pretend here anymore; he pushed away the wheelchair and walked with Sheng Yuanyao: "Sincerity for sincerity."

Sheng Yuanyao said: "What sincerity are you exchanging? He doesn't like men!"

Lu Xingzhou turned to look at her; Sheng Yuanyao's face turned slightly red as she turned her head away.

Melon Sister had been recovering at home these past two days; including the previous garden tour, neither was wearing the official uniform of the Demon Suppression Bureau; they dressed very casually. But today she seemed to have dressed up specially; a beautiful long dress, plain blue and elegant; just looking at the fabric showed it was much more expensive than what she usually wore casually. The waist was tied high, making her waist look even slimmer and her legs longer, reminding one of her dashing and wild appearance when wearing her official uniform.

It seemed... she even drew her eyebrows?

Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but say: "The day you went on that blind date, you weren't even as pretty as today."

"What do you call that a blind date?" Sheng Yuanyao rolled her eyes at him: "You know perfectly well that was just to cope."

"Why would I know?" Lu Xingzhou humphed: "That Chu Qingchen wasn't bad-looking either; he was a young new talent with a famous reputation."

A Nuo's words flashed through Sheng Yuanyao's mind: "Master is even angrier that you went on a blind date with someone." She couldn't help but blurt out: "Hey, are you jealous?"

Lu Xingzhou said: "Anyway, someone said they don't know what I have that she likes; what's the point of me being jealous or not?"

Sheng Yuanyao wanted to laugh a bit but didn't press him on whether he was jealous; this topic seemed impossible to probe deeply.

The two walked quietly in the afternoon garden; Sheng Yuanyao suddenly felt something was strange.

That's right, he was walking.

Sheng Yuanyao secretly glanced at him; she didn't expect this fellow to be so tall after standing up. She was already tall, yet he was still half a head taller than her, making him look even more like a jade tree, handsome and extraordinary. Just stealing a glance like this could make one's heart race wildly.

"Um..." Sheng Yuanyao swallowed, saying with some difficulty: "When did your legs get better? You won't even let me eat the melon; do you have any loyalty?"

Clearly, she had seen it in Dongjiang already; was Melon Sister's brain made of paste now? Lu Xingzhou said helplessly: "If I didn't have loyalty, would I have run to fight Ye Wufeng to the death?"

"Then..." Sheng Yuanyao held back for a moment, then finally couldn't help but ask: "Others might think you are Huo Shang; I know it's mostly not. So now, can you tell me, who exactly are you, what is your real name? Will you let me eat the melon now?"

He had known before but never asked. Given Sheng Yuanyao's love for gossip, it was truly painful for her to hold back.

Back then, their relationship wasn't close enough; "friendship loyalty" alone wasn't sufficient to pry into such a core secret.

Now... theoretically, their relationship hadn't changed much, yet for some reason, he felt he could ask...

He had even killed for him...

And he came to the house for a second meal. Do you really not know why I dressed up? Because in my heart, this is a blind date! Since it's a blind date, how can I not even know the other person's real name?

Indeed, Lu Xingzhou did not hide it from her and answered quite naturally: "The surname Huo is real. Huo is a common surname in Xiazhou, especially around Danxia Mountain. My given name is a single character, Qing, the Qing that comes from the blue. Just you know; do not tell anyone, including your father... Hmm, in fact, I am now only called Lu Xingzhou. Wherever I go, that is my name; it is not a fake name. Huo Qing is at most a former name..."

Sheng Yuanyao stopped walking.

Lu Xingzhou asked in surprise: "What's wrong?"

Sheng Yuanyao pressed her lips together, thinking of Chu Qingchen's words about building a connection. She had the character Yao, he had the character Qing, which perfectly matched Qingyao Garden, as if there was some fate. But this Qing was not that Qing; it could only be considered a forced connection.

It turned out the true Qing was right here.

Qingyao Garden, the place where he saved her life, the place where he helped her kill her enemies, where it began, and where it concluded.

So this was the true destiny ordained by heaven.

The romantic cells deep within the woman's bones suddenly surged. Looking at the handsome face of the man before her, she was so stunned she could not speak.

Meeting Lu Xingzhou's increasingly strange gaze, Sheng Yuanyao suddenly turned her head, flustered, and casually made up an excuse: "Nothing... I just remembered you are going to take revenge on the Huo family, and I'm worried for you."

"You should know my revenge is not as intense as originally imagined; it is a slow simmer over a low fire. Don't worry."

"But..." Sheng Yuanyao thought for a moment: "The Imperial Diviner cast a hexagram for you, saying 'Hunting the deer without a guide'."

————

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

(End of this chapter)