Chapter 156: The Chief and the Editor-in-Chief

In reality, once Sheng Yuanyao and Lu Xingzhou entered the guest quarters, they didn't do anything—Sheng Yuanyao would rather die than give herself away like some Hehuan enchantress.

Pei Chuyun was completely projecting.

The two simply went into the kitchen, took the prepared ingredients, and lit the fire themselves to cook a meal.

It's a spring outing—how could they not have a picnic?

Although cooking indoors isn't exactly "wild," it was still a rare experience for this pair.

Lu Xingzhou used a spell to start the fire, turned to look at Sheng Yuanyao smiling as she washed the vegetables, and his heart softened a little.

Melon Girl arranged things pretty thoroughly today… she really did want to spend a proper day as a couple here at this place of fate.

Lu Xingzhou knew what Melon Girl was thinking, and could even guess that the three characters "Qing Yao Garden" had expanded in her heart from a life-saving fate into something more.

His Qing, her Yao.

In fact, over all these years, only today—spring outing, picking grass to tie into cords, lighting a fire to cook—had he done the things Huo Qing did as a child, things he never did again after becoming Lu Xingzhou.

Sheng Yuanyao felt pierced by a sword from beyond the heavens—wasn't Lu Xingzhou's heart the same?

"Let me do it." Seeing Sheng Yuanyao about to put the washed vegetables into the pot, Lu Xingzhou stood up, nudged her aside, and said, "If you cook, I'm afraid I'll be poisoned to death."

"Oh-ho, I can't cook, but Judge Lu can?" Sheng Yuanyao, her spatula taken, didn't snatch it back, feeling a little expectant.

Lu Xingzhou smiled—in this life he really hadn't cooked before, but in his past life he had.

His skills were rusty, he wasn't used to the utensils… no matter, no one was expecting anything fancy anyway, just eating for the joy of it.

Seeing him actually stir-fry quite convincingly, Sheng Yuanyao laughed with her eyes curved, and voluntarily went to the stove to tend the fire.

The fire crackled. Sheng Yuanyao propped her chin and watched him humming a little tune while cooking, her mind drifting off to the ninth heaven.

Actually… if we could really stay good friends, good buddies forever, that seemed pretty nice too…

"What are you spacing out for?" Lu Xingzhou brought the dishes to the table, smiling. "Come taste them first—one dish at a time."

Sheng Yuanyao scampered over like a frolicking little puppy.

Outside the window, one big and one small pressed close, peeking in with two pairs of eyes blinking.

"Your master is cooking for someone else, and you didn't even want a bite?" Pei Chuyun whispered.

"Because it's definitely going to taste awful." Normally gluttonous Anuo this time didn't waver at all: "Who in this world knows Master better than me? I've never seen him cook. I bet Sister Yao's going to get a stomachache."

Pei Chuyun tucked away that little craving, and whispered: "I thought your master was such a lecher, he'd be eating tofu, but he didn't really eat any. Does holding hands count? The kiss was delivered by that cheap woman herself, and he didn't take the chance to go further. Why does it look to me like these two are getting more and more like bros—don't tell me it's really just friendship between them?"

Anuo looked at her with contempt: "You haven't read enough storybooks, have you?"

"What?"

"The most dangerous species in storybooks—one is called a male bestie, the other a female bro. Their lethality against the official spouse rivals a super-grade demonic cultivator. I suggest adding them to the required curriculum of the Enchantress Hehuan Sect—stop with the old trick of mooching food and drink, that's outdated."

"What on earth have you actually learned following your master all these years!"

Anuo didn't answer, pulled out two sweet potatoes, and handed one to Pei Chuyun: "Make do and fill your stomach…"

Pei Chuyun's face was blank.

She had thought those two would roll into bed today, which was why she came to catch them in the act and enjoy the show—but this was it? So she ran out today and spent the whole day feeding mosquitoes—what was the point, a sweet potato?

Fortunately, though, they wouldn't need to watch much longer.

…………

"Chief Sheng! Congratulations, congratulations!" The eunuch delivering the edict solemnly pressed the imperial decree into Sheng Qingfeng's hands, smiling: "Please do look after us well in the future, Chief Sheng."

While Sheng Yuanyao was being bros with a man, cooking together at the stove all lovey-dovey, her young lord's rank was also being elevated.

Sheng Qingfeng was officially promoted to Chief of the Demon-Subduing Bureau. Given the importance of the Great Qian Demon-Subduing Bureau, this was not merely a first-grade official, but a powerful one holding significant military force.

"Not at all, not at all. I should be the one asking Eunuch Hai for more support." Sheng Qingfeng showed no sign of self-satisfaction, and quite smoothly slipped a fine jade to the edict-bearing eunuch.

"Easy talk." Eunuch Hai was very pleased with Sheng Qingfeng's savvy, and laughed: "Your Majesty says Chief Sheng's proposal to change the Great Qian Heroes List to once every three months is a reasonable reform. His Majesty also wants to see the first new list under the new Chief as soon as possible."

Sheng Qingfeng secretly felt that His Majesty now attached unexpectedly great importance to Lu Xingzhou, including Lu Nuonuo.

However, the placement of these two on the Alchemist Subsidiary List was easy enough—directly bumping Daoist Xuan Qing from third in the Rising Stars list would do, since that was a clear, tested comparison, and anyone would have to accept it. As for whether they could take first or second, well, they were both in the Alchemy Academy anyway, with chances to compete, so they could be ranked in the next issue.

But the main Rising Stars list was truly a headache.

Master and disciple had killed Ye Wufeng together, so they couldn't directly replace Ye Wufeng's first place; only the original second, the direct disciple prodigy of Lingtian Pavilion, Qi Tuizhi, could fill the first slot. But how to rank the Lu family's master and disciple was truly brain-wracking.

Currently, Lu Xingzhou's revealed hard cultivation was fifth-grade lower stage. For the Rising Stars list, that was barely mid-to-lower level—sitting at the same table as his own daughter Sheng Xiaogua.

Of course, hard cultivation wasn't the only criterion—everyone valued real combat more. But Lu Xingzhou had never had a one-on-one duel with any other rising star, nor even many public battles, making him impossible to evaluate. No matter where he was placed up front, the other rising stars bumped down would be unconvinced, and would only offend people on his behalf, harming Lu Xingzhou.

That kind of casual bumping-and-ranking was the chaotic, trouble-inciting nonsense ranking; the Demon-Subduing Bureau's original intent for the Rising Stars list was motivation, so one must be cautious.

But if Lu Xingzhou were really placed in mid-to-lower, the Demon-Subduing Bureau would be mocked as blind.

An even more tragic point: Lu Nuonuo's cultivation had clearly reached fourth-grade lower, a full major grade above her own master. If the disciple ranked higher than the master on the list, did Lu Xingzhou still want his face?

Sheng Qingfeng convened the publication department for a long discussion, but no one had a good idea.

Finally, a subordinate simply suggested: "Why doesn't the Chief just ask Lu Xingzhou directly? If he's not afraid of offending people, then place him forward—put him in the slot vacated by Chu Qingchen. As for whether Lu Nuonuo should be on the list, we'd probably have to ask the master and disciple themselves. After all, a child like that on two lists, and ranked so high on both, would be a bit too eye-catching. And it would be easy to guess she's the Ghost Child, which isn't a good thing… Lu Xingzhou might want to keep it hidden."

Sheng Qingfeng glanced at his subordinate: "When has the Demon-Subduing Bureau ever asked the parties involved about ranking? Is hiding or not something they get to decide?"

Though it was a refusal, the tone was quite amicable… the subordinates exchanged glances, and someone said: "Then we could ask Director Sheng. Director Sheng is on very close terms with the parties involved, and should know their thoughts better than we do—she can represent them to some extent."

Sheng Qingfeng's face was blank: "How can Director Sheng represent the parties involved? How does she represent them? Could this Chief also represent them then!"

No one spoke.

Sheng Qingfeng kept a straight face: "But asking first is fine. Send someone to invite Director Sheng to the meeting."

Someone said cautiously: "Director Sheng took personal leave today."

Sheng Qingfeng felt a bit embarrassed—as a father, he had to learn his daughter's whereabouts from someone else: "How did I not know she had anything important? What's the reason for the personal leave?"

The subordinate's voice was barely audible: "G-going to the garden with the party involved."

Sheng Qingfeng: ""

He wasn't angry about taking leave for this trivial matter—he was angry that you actually dared to use that reason officially! Do you think you're being open and upright?!

Sheng Qingfeng felt his subordinates' gazes burning on his face like fire, their implication of "your daughter has been swept away by a yellow-haired brat" scorching the newly-appointed Chief Sheng's face to a beet-purple.

The first arrest warrant issued by the new Head of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau: "Who approved this leave! Someone! Go bring Sheng Yuanyao back to me!"

Sheng Yuanyao was dragged back while still at the dinner table.

When the Demon-Suppressing Bureau officers coughed awkwardly as they entered, Sheng Yuanyao's cheeks were stuffed full of food, she stared blankly at the newcomers, and still held a bowl of rice in her hands.

Fortunately, everyone had been trained not to laugh, otherwise they would surely have burst out laughing on the spot: "Um, Director Sheng, your personal leave has been rejected by the Head; please return to your post."

Sheng Yuanyao struggled to swallow the food in her mouth and muttered softly: "The Head hasn't managed affairs for so long; why come now to meddle in my trivial matters? I wish his daughter gets caught while eating, and that he goes out with a man and gives up halfway!"

Everyone nodded earnestly: "You are right."

Although Sheng Yuanyao felt displeased, she harbored little regret. She had actually had enough fun today; if she stayed after the meal, she might instead face the awkwardness of whether to take a midday nap together, and she hadn't decided yet... Being pulled away by "official business" actually provided a sufficient reason to end things, so she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

So she stood up, patted Lu Xingzhou's shoulder, and said: "Today, this Young Lady had a wonderful time; next time I'll grant you another... uh..."

As soon as she casually said "grant you," she remembered the "grant" from that previous kiss; Sheng Yuanyao's face began to flush red again, her gaze wandering: "Let's talk about it next time."

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "Today was also rough... if there is a next time, I will also provide Young Lady Sheng with a more refined experience."

Everyone thought he was talking about cooking; who knew why, when talking about cooking, Young Lady Sheng's face turned so red it seemed ready to drip water?

The way she ran off in a rush, her ponytail even... wait, what did you use to tie your ponytail?

Sheng Qingfeng walked around his daughter inside the conference room, circling her again and again; finally, his gaze fixed on the grass ring used to tie her ponytail, staring at it for at least half an incense stick's worth of time.

The entire conference room was deathly silent; everyone kept their eyes straight ahead.

"The Head is you?" Sheng Yuanyao asked.

Sheng Qingfeng did not answer; he said faintly: "Effective immediately, Director Sheng Yuanyao of the Public Security Division is transferred to the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Publications Division, responsible for the compilation of the Great Qian Heroes List."

"Wait, Old Sheng, don't you know how much education I have? You want me to do clerical work?"

"The Intelligence Department will provide full assistance, offering reference materials on the various deeds of the figures on the list."

Sheng Yuanyao: "I'll do it."

Sheng Qingfeng wore an expression of "I knew it all along," saying: "Then Editor Sheng, for the new phase of the Rising Stars List, how do you think Master Lu Xingzhou and his disciple should be ranked?"

Sheng Yuanyao said directly: "Just replace Chu Qingchen's position; what is there to rank?"

"He is only at the Lower Fifth Grade; isn't such a high position too dazzling and likely to invite jealousy? When public opinion sways, will he be able to handle it all?"

"A mere Rising Stars List is simply not a place for him to stay; if he can even glance at these so-called rising stars, I will admit defeat."

Seeing the self-evident, spirited expression on his daughter's face, Sheng Qingfeng ground his teeth: "You are very familiar with him, then?"

Sheng Yuanyao sensed a warning of danger and stepped back half a pace warily.

Sheng Qingfeng swept his sleeve and left: "After the shift ends, go to the family ancestral hall and copy the family rules one hundred times; if you miss a single character, you are not allowed to eat!"

(End of this chapter)