Chapter 185: Not of the Mortal World

Lu Xingzhou's words were, of course, a barefaced flirtation.

Originally, if Lady Ye had no ulterior motive and truly just cherished talent, took him as a disciple, and passed on her teachings, then Lu Xingzhou would certainly have respected her deeply and regarded her as his master.

But since she had other intentions from the very start, that respect naturally came with a discount; not treating her as a hypothetical enemy was already generous. It was only because she was clearly a righteous figure, and her appreciation of talent was probably partly genuine, that a certain degree of respect could still be maintained.

But since she wasn't even pretending anymore and had gone straight to asking about private matters, how polite could he still be?

Ye Tinglan looked at him with a half-smile for a while: "You want water?"

"Yes."

Ye Tinglan extended a finger and tapped the tabletop in the air.

A plain cup materialized out of thin air, then water elements in the air gathered, flowing into the cup, condensing into half a cup of water.

Ye Tinglan made a "please" gesture.

Lu Xingzhou stood there dumbfounded. Anuo gripped the tall tabletop with both hands, her head hanging over the edge as she stared at the cup, rooted to the spot like a wooden chicken.

Creating something from nothing, shaping matter out of thin air!

This immortal feat seemed to tear asunder the divide between heaven and man; the bustling mortal world faded into the distance, mountain springs trickled clear, the stone doors of a grotto-heaven swung open with a thunderous rumble.

"What, not drinking?" Ye Tinglan said coolly: "Think the water has no flavor? Need me to spit into it?"

"..." Without a word, Lu Xingzhou raised the cup and drank.

This touch of immortal grace could truly shatter all those messy, worldly attachments, making one feel as though nothing mattered anymore.

"A person of such caliber as Mr. Ye—how can you still care so much about worldly affairs... What does the state of Yama Hall have to do with you, sir?" Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but ask.

"People dwell in the mortal dust, yet speak of transcending it... Can you truly transcend? Self-deception." Ye Tinglan smiled: "When demons and monsters wreak havoc in Xiazhou, you couldn't stand by and watch—so now that Yama emerges to poison the living, how could I stand by and watch?"

"Well... people have some misunderstandings about the Yama Lord, including you, Mr. Ye—your worries are overblown." Lu Xingzhou said cautiously: "At the very beginning, the Yama Lord only wanted to make money... She said she'd run away from home and wanted to build a career. But she didn't have much startup capital—just a few spirit stones, pills, and magic treasures in her ring for personal use. I personally guessed she'd had a quarrel with her family, disagreed on something, and stormed off in anger? So she hadn't packed anything, only what was on her person."

Ye Tinglan, somewhat lost in thought, gave an "mm": "Then became an assassin to earn her first pot of gold?"

"Not an assassin—she killed corrupt officials and local tyrants to rob them."

Ye Tinglan: "..."

"That was my suggestion, not her own idea. At the time, I... well, the killing intent and viciousness in my heart were probably far stronger than the Yama Lord's." Lu Xingzhou said honestly: "Speaking of which, that really was the fastest way to make money... one job could equal ten years of legitimate business for someone else..."

Ye Tinglan raised her palm; Lu Xingzhou grabbed his chair and jumped back.

Ye Tinglan lowered her palm, somewhat caught between laughter and tears: "So what you're saying is, the Yama Lord who now slaughters across the Nine Provinces was led astray by you, is that right?"

"Not entirely, because the moment I brought up this suggestion, she was overjoyed and said we truly saw eye to eye. She said the main disagreement she had with others was that she believed some things couldn't be improved unless heads rolled." As Lu Xingzhou spoke, a reminiscent smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth: "A schemer met a witch, they clicked, and so they traveled together."

A hint of deeper meaning entered Ye Tinglan's eyes: "And then?"

"Then came the first pot of gold—well, that pot was really big. She asked, since we're killing people anyway, why not just become assassins?" Lu Xingzhou sighed: "At the time she was dragging me and Anuo, two burdens, along with her—very inconvenient, not suited for running all over the world as assassins. So I advised her: how many can you kill alone? Why not be an organizer instead? With tens of thousands of assassins under your banner, your appearance would shake the very winds and clouds—only then could you achieve what she'd argued about with others."

"How old were you back then? You talked such nonsense, and she actually went and did it?"

"The blueprint wasn't bad, was it... She also said she wasn't great at organizing. I said I could try my hand at it—we're young, after all, and have room to try and fail. She said let's try, and so Yama Hall came to be..."

Ye Tinglan clenched her fist, held it for a long moment before finally releasing it: "Wonderful. You really are a fine strategist, Lu Xingzhou."

Lu Xingzhou gave a dry cough: "So if Mr. Ye wants to ask why the Yama Lord does this line of work, well, saying it's because of me wouldn't be wrong."

Ye Tinglan took a deep breath and asked again: "You named it Yama Hall, and she styled herself Yama Lord—simply because it fits the imagery of killing and claiming lives?"

"Of course. The King of Hell decrees you die at the third watch—who can keep you till the fifth? The prestige and pressure come right out, don't they?"

"You're lying." Ye Tinglan said coldly: "Surely it wasn't step by step, then a framework? You spent ten years building Yama Hall's reputation, and the next step was to gather like-minded allies, proclaim the Ten Courts of Yama, banners sweeping forth to cover the world?"

Lu Xingzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, meeting Ye Tinglan's cold gaze for a moment: "So Mr. Ye's concern for me is because you think it's not merely a matter of demonic sects, but something that could overturn the world, isn't that right?"

"Isn't it?"

Lu Xingzhou shook his head gently: "At least up to when I left, the Yama Lord was still only one—where would the Ten Courts of Yama come from? The so-called like-minded ones actually each walk their own path; where would true kindred spirits come from? Even the Ghost Emperor under her own banner couldn't see eye to eye with her—where would one go to find Ten Courts of Yama outside..."

"The Ten Courts of Yama need not all be within Daqian—that vision would be too small." Ye Tinglan lowered her voice: "The Heavenly Frost Kingdom already has its Second Court, doesn't it? The Judge, so young, has built ambitions grand enough to impress me, I must say."

This time Lu Xingzhou was truly shocked.

Shocked not only that Lady Ye knew, but also that Yuan Muyu had continued expanding the grand strategy he'd set, over this past year or more, and had already taken an important step. It seemed his leaving truly had no effect on her at all...

But then again—if you say it makes no difference whether I'm here or not, why use my strategy! Why not have Ye Wufeng help you think it through!

Though all sorts of feelings welled up within, his face remained impassive: "Mr. Ye thinks too much... Have you not heard that when a man dies, his policies die; when a man leaves, his tea grows cold? I did indeed set such a strategy before, but there are plenty of people in Yama Hall who want to erase my influence—including the Yama Lord herself. Besides, they'd fear that my leaving might leak the strategy—how could they still follow the path I laid out?"

Ye Tinglan pondered for a moment, then agreed.

After all, no one dared imagine the Yama Lord and this person had any emotional entanglement—especially since when he followed the Yama Lord, he was still a child... Analyzed through the lens of ruler and subject, it naturally didn't quite fit.

"So on the surface they might still call themselves the Ten Courts of Yama, but in reality it must have diverged completely from my original conception. If anyone uses my initial ideas as a blueprint to deal with them, they'll probably die a miserable death. I truly don't recommend Mr. Ye dwell on this, lest you be led into a trap. In the end, as I said before... the ups and downs of the mortal world shouldn't be Mr. Ye's focus."

As Lu Xingzhou spoke, he suddenly snapped his fingers.

Water elements gathered in the air once more, droplets condensing into Ye Tinglan's cup, refilling the nearly empty cup by half.

Lu Xingzhou also made a "please" gesture: "This is the proper way."

Ye Tinglan studied the water in the cup with great interest: "What I concern myself with—is that any of your business?"

"Because right now, I'm not the Judge, but Mr. Ye's disciple. The duty of remonstrance still falls to me."

Ye Tinglan finally showed a faint smile. She had wanted to ask more, but now didn't feel like asking, and truly picked up the cup and took a sip.

Lu Xingzhou let out a breath.

Ye Tinglan set down the cup and, taking his "disciple" address in stride, smoothly continued the conversation—the previous questions dissolved like passing clouds: "Your and Anuo's alchemy skill far surpasses your classmates. Staying with them and attending the same courses does very, very little for you two. I intend to petition the academy to give you two special treatment—advance to study under me directly, no longer participating in ordinary courses. What do you think?"

Lu Xingzhou hesitated.

Ye Tinglan said: "It couldn't be because of what you mentioned last time—wanting to make friends at the academy? What you've done so far, making them not hostile toward you, is already enough... Classmates are still classmates; even without much friendship now, in time they can naturally become part of your network."

Lu Xingzhou scratched his head—of course it wasn't because of that: "May I ask Mr. Ye, would this advanced study continue at the academy, or is there another arrangement?"

"What you lack is someone to guide you, not the Alchemy Academy's collections and resources... so it can be anywhere." Ye Tinglan said, with a hint of mockery: "What is it—can't bear to leave the young lady from the noble family next door at the Imperial Academy, or can't bear to leave the ponytails bouncing with youth at Qingyao Garden?"

Lu Xingzhou could only say: "I made some promises I haven't fulfilled yet—it's inconvenient for me to leave."

"I'm not asking you to leave now, just preparing in advance. Since it can be anywhere, of course the academy works too."

Lu Xingzhou let out a breath.

Ye Tinglan changed the subject: "But if the matter you're referring to is taking down the Huo family… do you really think this is something you can accomplish during your time at the Dan Academy?"

Lu Xingzhou fell silent for a moment: "Do as much as I can. There must be some closure, not just an abrupt, fruitless end."

Ye Tinglan said coolly: "I see you immersed in the world of courtesans… I hope you have a plan, not just empty slogans."

"I'm secretly arranging for others to act, and it requires time…"

"What exactly are you arranging?"

"Evidence of Huo Heng's embezzlement and bribery in the Ministry of Works."

"Using personnel from the Yanluo Palace's Beijing branch?"

"Yes."

Ye Tinglan fell silent for a long while before shaking his head: "The Huo family hired assassins to kill you in the Demon Subjugation Domain. Qin Yuanzheng was furious, yet all he got was a dead end. Do you really think petty embezzlement and bribery will have any real effect on them? If this exposes your continued ties to the Yanluo Palace, it will only harm you."

Lu Xingzhou's expression was also grim: "But I have no other angle, Mr. I… lack stronger allies. The Sheng family stays out of politics. The Pei family can cooperate, but they're not powerful enough."

Ye Tinglan said: "Embezzlement and bribery are an angle, but everyone in the bureaucracy does it—including the Pei family… In the eyes of Gu and Your Majesty, such matters stir no ripples. They'll only be used as grounds for reckoning and public accusations after the Huo family falls."

Lu Xingzhou nodded: "Yes."

"But what if the embezzlement reaches Your Majesty himself?"

"What leads do you have?"

"Two years ago, Your Majesty built an altar in the western suburbs to pray for good health—Huo Heng oversaw the project." Ye Tinglan spoke casually: "Of course, Huo Heng wouldn't dare touch anything there. Pei Qingyan has been watching closely too… but it never hurts to look again. More oversight never hurts—better safe than sorry."

Lu Xingzhou stared at this Mr., feeling a profound dissonance.

Could this worldly bureaucrat's tone and mindset really be the same person as the celestial immortal he had just been?

(End of Chapter)