Chapter 140: Don't Flirt With Me

Lu Xingzhou did not practice divination, but Yuan Muyu was proficient in it and had even taught A'nuo, so he still understood the concepts.

The Yu Official manages mountains, rivers, and hunting. To hunt deer in the mountains, without the Yu Official's assistance, success would be very difficult. It is not to say the hexagram indicates a calamity, but it is certain to be inauspicious.

What one obtains from the hexagram text is not necessarily "fortune or misfortune" or "whether to act or not," but can also be a hint of what is lacking or guidance on how to proceed.

The hint indicates no Yu Official; either do not act, or if you wish to act, then you must go find a Yu Official.

In fact, Lu Xingzhou has always been looking for a Yu Official... The Sheng family was one, the Pei family was another; he has always been maneuvering to borrow power, otherwise how could he single-handedly deal with the Huo family?

But whether the meaning of this hexagram indicates that the direction of the search is wrong and he has never found the truly suitable one remains unclear. Sheng Qingfeng may not necessarily provide any assistance in dealing with the Huo family, and the Pei family was already opposing the Huo family, so whether he recruits them or not makes little difference; looking at it this way, does it seem he truly needs to find another path?

The most annoying thing about hexagram texts is this: even if the Imperial Diviner herself were here, she might not explain it clearly.

"I still thank the Imperial Diviner for this hexagram; at least it has made me more certain in my heart. I will consider other forms of assistance further." Lu Xingzhou said no more, only smiling: "By the way, why did the Imperial Diviner suddenly cast this hexagram for me? Does she know me?"

"How could she not know you? What is your relationship with her disciple?"

Lu Xingzhou's face turned green: "She wouldn't have found out, would she..."

Sheng Yuanyao: "?"

"Ahem." Lu Xingzhou quickly changed the subject: "This hexagram could also refer to others acting against me; look, Ye Wufeng is just a typical headless fly, asking for trouble."

And Pei Chuyun as well.

Looking at it this way, this hexagram is truly accurate.

Sheng Yuanyao was indeed distracted, smiling: "Anyway, as long as you are certain, that is good. I was just afraid you would blindly seek revenge, and if something happened..."

As she spoke, her voice grew quieter until she finally lowered her head and fell silent.

Lu Xingzhou looked down at her expression, feeling for the first time that Melon Girl had a touch of femininity.

A Melon Girl with femininity was truly quite beautiful... Compared to her previous state of being obsessed with official duties, it had a different flavor, and the contrast was even more beautiful.

Actually, without Pei Chuyun saying it, how could Lu Xingzhou not know that Melon Girl's behavior likely indicated she had fallen for him? But he dared not respond.

Sheng Yuanyao and Pei Chuyun were not the same; the Hehuan Little Demoness could be casual in this regard, but Sheng Yuanyao's status meant she could not settle for momentary pleasure. With Shen Tang standing there, Sheng Yuanyao was destined to hide her feelings in her heart and dare not express them; he, Lu Xingzhou, also dared not flirt recklessly, or trouble would arise.

Anyway, the ripples stirred by this momentary hero saving the beauty have not yet been tested by time, just like the ambiguity caused when Little Bai Mao was temporarily affected by the Charm Technique; it surely cannot last long. Perhaps the next time they meet on the road, it will just be a greeting of "old friend, are you well," and after some time, when Melon Girl's mood has settled, it should be about the same, right?

Thinking this way was quite tragic; after Pei Chuyun returns to her ancestral clan and claims her heritage, her Pei family identity can no longer be casual... It's gone, everything is gone.

"You..." Sheng Yuanyao stepped back half a pace, speaking cautiously: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing." Lu Xingzhou smiled as if casually: "Is it not allowed to look at you because you are beautiful?"

Sheng Yuanyao bit her lower lip: "Don't flirt with me."

Don't you know your words are more flirtatious than anything? Lu Xingzhou wanted to speak but held back; the words at his lips turned into: "Why would I flirt with you? Do I look like a gay man to you?"

"You!" Sheng Yuanyao glared at him angrily, but it quickly turned into a fake smile: "Is that so? Hey, my mother introduced me to a Young Master from the Censorate family again; how about you accompany me on a blind date another day and help me vet him?"

"No need to vet him; I won't match with any of them." Lu Xingzhou spoke seriously: "Next time someone introduces a girl to you, I might be willing to accompany you to take a look."

Sheng Yuanyao kicked up a foot.

Because her back injury made it hard to exert force, the kick was soft and weak; Lu Xingzhou instinctively reached out and caught it.

The air fell silent for a moment. Lu Xingzhou watched helplessly as Sheng Yuanyao's face grew redder and redder, yet he could find no anger in her eyes; instead, there was some shyness: "Hey... let go... m-my back hurts."

Lu Xingzhou quickly let her down and clumsily changed the subject: "Um, may I look at your back?"

Actually, for that kind of back injury, there was really no need to continue seeking a Pill Master. The Sheng family had served as the Demon Suppression Bureau for so long; they were already very skilled in treating such simple external wounds. Moreover, if medicine really needed to be changed, A'nuo would do it; ultimately, clothes would have to be removed...

But Sheng Yuanyao's eyes shifted slightly, and she only lowered her voice to "Hmm": "Then take a look; I feel something is not right."

Now it was Lu Xingzhou who was in a predicament; he had originally just casually changed the subject, but was he really going to look? Take off your clothes to look?

After thinking for a moment, he simply supported her and walked her to the garden pavilion. Looking around, although clearly no one was nearby, Lu Xingzhou still casually set up a concealment array. Sheng Yuanyao just stared fixedly at him, with a smile that was neither here nor there.

You actually dare to come and take off my clothes?

But she saw Lu Xingzhou sitting behind her, extending his palm to press against her injured area.

A water-like spiritual energy spread over, dispersing the blood stasis and nourishing the flesh and blood. It felt like soaking in a spiritual spring, so comfortable that she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

As soon as she made a sound, Sheng Yuanyao immediately covered her mouth, her eyes darting around, only then remembering he had set up an array.

It's over; if people outside hear this sound, isn't it similar to when she heard Shen Tang's voice outside the carriage compartment back then?

"You..." Sheng Yuanyao managed to say: "So you know healing spells? Why didn't you use them on me that day?"

"It is not a spell; it is just Water Spirit power. I rarely summon and project this alone, so I am not used to it myself... I summoned it once during the battle with Ye Wufeng last night, and only then did I start to become familiar with it."

Sheng Yuanyao fell silent, feeling the comfort and slight tingling on her back, her mind becoming somewhat dazed.

Clearly, a hint of romance was rippling in both their hearts, yet both suppressed it, daring not to express even a single boundary-crossing sentiment; this feeling was somewhat oppressive, lacking the ease and freedom of their past interactions.

After a long while, Sheng Yuanyao finally asked calmly: "What is your relationship with Shen Tang, exactly?"

In that instant, she desperately hoped his relationship with Shen Tang was merely like her own just now, that the sound was just a misunderstanding... But Lu Xingzhou's hand paused slightly, and he still answered: "Lovers."

Sheng Yuanyao was completely speechless.

Suddenly, she felt a desire to laugh; what answer had she been hoping for?

If Lu Xingzhou were someone who played with women's feelings, he would have just said "a normal relationship between a Sect Master and a Guest Elder" just now; and then what? Would she have been played with, right?

Fortunately, he was not that kind of person after all.

It was clearly a frankness worthy of praise; so what was there to feel uncomfortable about?

Sheng Yuanyao let out a long sigh, her tense muscles gradually relaxing; suddenly she smiled: "Hey, then do you know what relationship you and I have?"

Lu Xingzhou was stunned: "Friends."

Sheng Yuanyao hummed: "You are the criminal I investigated, full of lies. The first question I asked you, you have only just confessed the truth today."

What was their first question?

"Name?"

"Lu Xingzhou."

Yes, the first question was a lie; today he finally confessed the truth.

Thinking this, Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Then, Commander Sheng, do you want to continue tracking the Huo family case?"

"What devilish scheme are you thinking up now?"

"Let's go, I'll take you to watch the drama."

Sheng Yuanyao immediately became interested: "Where?"

"The Demon Suppression Bureau."

"... That's me taking you to watch the drama; without me, could you even get in?"

"Then I'll take you to a place you don't know about?"

"Where?"

"The Yanluo Hall branch."

Sheng Yuanyao jumped up immediately: "Let's go. I want to see if there are Ox-Head and Horse-Face inside."

"No Ox-Head or Horse-Face, but a little pig is about to walk in, that's the truth."

"I'm the little pig, so what are you?"

"Little Dog, isn't that what Commander Sheng personally named you?"

The two bickered all the way out the door, and that subtle sense of oppression suddenly vanished into thin air.

A'nuo followed behind, opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Did you two forget someone is still here?

You said you were closer to A'nuo than to Lu Xingzhou; liars.

While the two strolled through the garden after the meal, Lady Sheng hid to give the young people a "dating space," but Sheng Qingfeng had no leisure for this; he went to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Huo Lu and the Infant Ghost were only escorted from Menggui City to the capital this morning.

Mainly because Huo Lu was injured too severely; his bones were nearly shattered, his dantian completely destroyed, and even a slight movement could cost him his life. Meng Guan personally escorted them, guarding the carriage carefully all the way, which is why it took so long to reach the capital.

They arrived in the capital in the morning, reported to the Emperor, and the trial began in the afternoon.

Whether the collusion with demonic cultivators was Huo Lu's personal act or the Huo family's act was a serious issue, so Gu Zhanting came personally to attend the trial.

At noon, Huo Xingyuan went to Lu Xingzhou's inn again, but only that vicious little maid chased them away with a broom; Lu Xingzhou and his master were nowhere to be found. That day, he had brought a huge amount of gold and silver to show goodwill, but it was all thrown into the water; helplessly, he had to head to the courtroom first.

Under Sheng Qingfeng's interrogation, the Infant Ghost's residual soul could not hold out at all, responding weakly: "It was indeed Fourth Young Master Huo who asked me to kill Lu Xingzhou."

Sheng Qingfeng pressed on: "Huo Lu had just arrived in Menggui City; how did he know you?"

The Infant Ghost answered weakly: "Originally, that Prefect Shi was a member of the Huo family; I was with his faction, and through him, I made contact with the Huo family..."

Grand Preceptor Huo Liancheng interrupted sternly: "I do not know you at all; do not slander me!"

Saying this, he bowed to Gu Zhanting: "Your Majesty, how can the words of a demonic cultivator be trusted? Moreover, the soul-searching revealed his master is the Saintess of the Union of Joy; obviously, he is slandering the Huo family."

Pei Qingyan twitched the corner of his mouth.

Previously, hearing that the Infant Ghost's backer was the Saintess of the Union of Joy, he felt nothing, but this time his heart was filled with a hundred conflicting emotions.

Old rascal, you want to slander my daughter, do you?

He immediately stepped forward: "Your Majesty, since Grand Preceptor Huo believes the words of a demonic cultivator cannot be trusted, then simply search his soul; it cannot be faked."

Previously, Pei Qingyan also wanted Lu Xingzhou to testify, mainly because he lacked confidence; if the soul-searching truly showed no connection to the Huo family, everything would collapse. But now he was very sure; at the very least, it couldn't be his daughter who did it, otherwise how could she and Lu Xingzhou be together? This confidence had just arrived.

(End of this chapter)