Chapter 152: Lady Ye Appears Again

The Pei siblings found a quiet private room in a wine house and invited Lu Xingzhou to sit down inside.

Actually, Lu Xingzhou really wanted to tell Pei Yu, "Help yourself, I can just talk with your sister — the topic can go much deeper than with you…"

Unfortunately, he couldn't say such a thing now. Within the Pei family, the story about Pei Chuyun was that her being a maid back then was fake, that they were merely friends, and that she had only been helping to find relatives… So in front of Pei Yu, he had to put on the air of a gentleman — a friendship pure and clean, with any children to come later.

"So, esteemed brother and sister, what business do you have with me?"

"Brother Lu, no need for such formality. My younger sister has been in your care, and we're all friends here."

Yes, tonight he still wanted to "take care" of her a bit more… Lu Xingzhou glanced at Pei Chuyun, who was putting on an elegant act, and dry-coughed: "The one being polite is Brother Pei. Since you already know Miss Pei and I are friends, let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point."

Pei Yu smiled: "Brother Lu may think I've come because of the matter with the Alchemist, but that's a misunderstanding. I, Pei, am simply pure-hearted and want to be friends with Brother Lu — my younger sister is just the one to make the introduction."

Only now did Pei Chuyun speak, cool and light: "You saved Sheng Yuanyao and killed Ye Wufeng, and my elder brother also owes you a favor, so he asked me to make the introduction. Honestly, I think it's unnecessary — you two already know each other. When you brought me into the Pei family, it was my elder brother who invited you… Making friends now only makes everything before seem fake. Isn't that awkward?"

Pei Yu laughed heartily: "If it was fake before, then admit it. Back then, Brother Lu was a piece against the Huo family; now, Brother Lu is just Brother Lu. Come, your little brother toasts Brother Lu a cup — congratulations on becoming the top scholar."

Lu Xingzhou raised his cup and drank as well: "Brother Pei is open and upright. This friend, I'll make."

Actually, Pei Yu helping his friend Chu Qingchen chase girls was quite the loyal-brother move — a bit of a modern-day bro vibe. It was just that, because of his ambiguous relationship with Sheng Yuanyao, he felt a bit unhappy about it. Of course, in Pei Chuyun's eyes, that was called great satisfaction — she wished Sheng Yuanyao would just get lost.

Pei Yu drank his wine and smiled: "Speaking of which, Brother Lu is a Guest Elder at the Tianxing Sword Sect, right? A Guest Elder comes and goes freely. After your advanced studies at the Alchemist Academy, are you planning to find a post, or return to the Tianxing Sword Sect?"

"That depends entirely on the Sect Master's arrangements, as well as the Tianxing Sword Sect's development over this past year and its future direction."

Pei Yu nodded: "Whether it's the sect's development or finding a post, if Brother Lu has any need of the Pei family, just say the word."

That remark was rather interesting… Even Sheng Qingfeng had a sense of Shen Tang's identity, so Pei Yu couldn't be completely in the dark. This remark almost carried the meaning of being willing to invest in Shen Tang. It might be that Pei Qingyan was signaling this, which is why Pei Chuyun couldn't represent it — only Pei Yu could.

But he could only brush the edges of it, under the banner of making friends — he couldn't let anyone catch him saying something he shouldn't.

Lu Xingzhou, without changing expression: "Then I, Lu, will thank Brother Pei on behalf of the Sect Master in advance. It's quite possible I'll really need Brother Pei's help with some things in the future."

Pei Yu laughed heartily: "Don't mention it. Hmm… Brother Lu, now that you're entering the Alchemist Academy, is there anything you need taken care of? We have plenty of acquaintances inside the Academy."

"Nothing else really…" Lu Xingzhou pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Is there a female teacher called Lady Ye in the Alchemist Academy?"

Ye Tinglan styled herself Lady Ye and traveled incognito — of course she couldn't let the whole world know that Lady Ye was the National Teacher. She trusted only a very few she regarded as "pure and upright ministers," like Meng Li, but she absolutely did not trust the noble families. So the Pei family really didn't know who Lady Ye was.

Pei Yu thought for a moment: "I've vaguely heard of this person… She isn't counted as a teacher of the Alchemist Academy, but I've heard she occasionally gives invited public lectures — extremely rare, and quite mysterious. She must be connected to someone high up in the Academy?"

A visiting expert, then? Lu Xingzhou pressed: "What's her identity? She feels very powerful."

Pei Yu asked, surprised: "Brother Lu has already had an encounter with her?"

"We met once before… Just now when we were looking at the list, Anuo and I arrived late, remember? We ran into her in an alley nearby and chatted for a bit."

"Honestly, your little brother doesn't know. I hadn't paid attention to news about this person before… Should I go back and ask Father, and let Brother Lu know when I have any news?"

"Then many thanks, Brother Pei." Lu Xingzhou sipped his wine, his thoughts drifting back to the scene of encountering Lady Ye in the alley earlier.

She wore a veil, appearing suddenly amid the dusk and evening glow — just like a goddess descending into the mortal world along with the rosy light. That single glance, the tremor of his heart and spirit, had still not fully settled even now.

Her topic was also very direct: "Your level already surpasses the average student of the Alchemist Academy… Finding a suitable master would be more valuable than studying at the Academy."

Lu Xingzhou replied: "That's exactly why I don't have a master. Finding a truly powerful Alchemist willing to teach wholeheartedly is easier said than done. The Alchemist Academy is the most suitable place for my advanced studies."

"It wouldn't be hard for you. Whether you return to the Huo family or have the Pei family and the Demon-Subduing Bureau help, getting a first-rank Alchemist as your master would be easy."

"But that would inevitably leave a factional brand on me, wouldn't it?" Lu Xingzhou asked, puzzled: "I don't know what Lady means by bringing this up. Are you offering to teach me?"

Ye Tinglan said lightly: "I'm just very puzzled — with your level, entering the Alchemist Academy, is it for advanced studies, or for Shen Tang… or perhaps for…"

She paused, then said word by word: "Yama Hall?"

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "It has nothing to do with Yama Hall. Why does Lady think so?"

"You're still in contact with Yama Hall to this day, holding the Image-Recording Mirror they gave you, and you tricked Huo Jin into going to prison. If you want people to think you have nothing to do with Yama Hall, I'm afraid that's a bit difficult."

"Your Majesty doesn't even think so. Why should Lady be so suspicious?"

Ye Tinglan didn't reply to that, thinking to herself that Gu Zhanting only cared about alchemy now… and was inexplicably confident, truly believing Yama Hall couldn't stir up any waves?

After a moment of silence, she still said slowly: "As for teaching you… I think anyone would choose to teach Lu Nuonuo."

Anuo immediately said: "I won't switch masters, old hag!"

Ye Tinglan: "?"

Lu Xingzhou: "…"

Ye Tinglan, who might never have been scolded in her entire life, froze for quite a while before saying: "As for teaching you, it's not out of the question — as long as you prove you're trustworthy… See you at the Alchemist Academy."

After saying that, she vanished on the spot — practically as if she'd been scared off by the scolding.

But clearly, coming to say these guarded words was pointless. If you had more doubts, observing in secret would have been enough — what was the use of blocking someone to say all this? If Lu Xingzhou really were a Yama Hall agent planted in the imperial court, wouldn't this only alert him and make it harder to catch a slip in the future?

Lu Xingzhou thought it over and over without figuring it out. Her appearance was practically as if she had come specifically to express her desire to take Anuo as a disciple — and to that end, she was even willing to teach him, Lu Xingzhou.

But who do you think you are?

It left Lu Xingzhou absent-minded the whole way, only snapping back to reality when the child had already been carried off by Sheng Yuanyao.

Over here, he made small talk with Pei Yu, half-heartedly. Pei Yu himself was only there to make a friend and build a connection, so they didn't have much to talk about. After a few casual exchanges, he rose and took his leave.

Pei Chuyun didn't deliberately stay behind either. She, too, bid farewell with flawless aristocratic grace, which made the observing Pei Yu very satisfied.

He had guessed his sister had some entanglement with Lu Xingzhou, but now it seemed she didn't — a friendship really was nothing much. Lu Xingzhou was still worth befriending.

On the road, he asked his sister: "Lu Xingzhou did you a favor, after all. Weren't you a bit too indifferent? Earlier you were squeezing into the crowd trying to find him."

Pei Chuyun looked blank: "Ah? I squeezed into the crowd to join the fun and watch the list. Who said it was to find him? A favor is a favor, but I still have to consider the Pei family's reputation. An unmarried girl being too close with a man is never a good look…"

The siblings didn't lower their voices at all, and quite a few passersby heard. Pei Yu was greatly pleased: "Truly a daughter of our Pei family."

Pei Yu would never have imagined that the sister who had just been building an image of pure and spotless virtue, barely half a cup of tea's worth of time after returning home to her own little tower, would slip out through the window and vanish.

When she appeared again, it was already in Lu Xingzhou's secret chamber: "Hehe, as expected, Anuo was taken out by that melon girl to play and hasn't come back yet. Is it my turn now?"

Lu Xingzhou had long known she would double back, and with a smile, he pulled her onto his lap: "What, no more indifference, no more avoiding scandal?"

"Isn't this just what you like…" Pei Chuyun bit her lower lip: "I was cold just now, I'm sorry, Young Master. How does Young Master want to punish Ahua?"

Lu Xingzhou gently stroked her red lips: "I heard that the day before yesterday, during our literary exam, you went to the garden with someone and stunned everyone with a tune on the vertical flute?"

"Something like that did happen." Pei Chuyun's eyes shimmered: "Is Young Master unhappy that Ahua didn't play the flute for you? But I didn't bring my flute out…"

"A flute? Just get another one — your Young Master always keeps one on him."

He didn't even need to hint; the little demon girl knew exactly what she was flirting with the moment she started the conversation, yet hearing him so bluntly state his desire made her feel somewhat resentful: "So now, in your eyes, that's all my worth?"

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "Isn't it that in your master's eyes, I have even more worth? Since that's the case, I must make use of that worth..."

Pei Chuyun's expression shifted slightly, and she asked cautiously: "You know?"

"I can guess. With Ah Nuo and me taking the top two spots, your master sees it. It would be strange if she didn't order you to leverage our friendly relationship to push harder; perhaps she has already secretly commanded you to use your primal yin."

Pei Chuyun fell silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "Yes."

But coming to find you truly has nothing to do with her...

Pei Chuyun turned this thought over in her mind, but ultimately didn't say it; he was too clever... Whether he believed her or not didn't depend on words.

"Alright, little girl." Lu Xingzhou rubbed her head: "I've been tested for three days straight and am very weary; now I just want to take a hot bath."

Pei Chuyun felt he seemed to hold no grudge, so she said cheerfully: "I'll go fetch the water for you."

"Do you really think you're my little maid?" Lu Xingzhou grabbed her: "Fetching water isn't needed; since you're a maid, come help Young Master scrub your body?"

(End of this chapter)