Chapter 193: Parting

"I heard you did something big again yesterday evening?" The next day, in the office, Ye Tinglan still crossed his arms and propped up his legs, looking at Lu Xingzhou entering the door with a half-smile.

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Can't do anything else, can't I still beat someone up? How about it, did the Huo family complain? What punishment did the Alchemy Academy give?"

"Suspended for three days."

"And that's good news?"

"... Plus a thousand-character self-criticism, posted at the main gate."

Lu Xingzhou rubbed his chin: "Are they sure they want me to write it? Don't regret it later..."

"No need to write it." Ye Tinglan said grumpily: "Don't I know what kind of nonsense you'd write?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled, showing his neat white teeth: "Mr. still understands me."

Ye Tinglan glanced at him: "So are you now calculating that next time you see a member of the Huo family, you'll beat them up?"

Lu Xingzhou laughed even more happily: "Mr. understands me so well, what should I do if I feel a bit embarrassed..."

"Stop that act. This time Huo Heng was attending the Prince Jin's banquet, he wouldn't bring any shadows or path-protectors. What about next time? A high-grade path-protector hiding on the side, are you going to die for nothing?"

"I will naturally find similar opportunities."

"In similar situations, he will probably bring them too; this time was too painful." There was some amusement in Ye Tinglan's eyes, but knowing he couldn't encourage such reckless matters, he said: "In the end, this kind of thing is just venting anger, the significance isn't that great. You'd better focus on the big picture."

"Mm. How are things in the North?"

"The team heading to the North departed last night. The capital isn't too far from the border, so I think the Huo family won't have much leisure time to trouble you soon."

"The Imperial Preceptor is this efficient?"

"On minor matters, Your Majesty is very willing to put on an air of respecting the Imperial Preceptor's suggestions, so it's easy to get things done." Ye Tinglan calmly took a sip of tea: "The problem now is that you seem to have offended not just the Huo family?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled but didn't answer.

Prince Jin Gu Yicheng... regardless of whether he offended him or not, he was naturally an adversary. Just based on him instigating the Incense Pavilion to suppress Shen Tang, and poaching Jin Mingxiu from the Heavenly Sword Sect, Lu Xingzhou would not get along with him.

Similarly, in Gu Yicheng's heart, Lu Xingzhou was also a natural adversary. If it weren't for the Huo family connection, perhaps Gu Yicheng would have tried to win him over; with the Huo family connection here, they couldn't even be harmonious on the surface. Gu Yicheng had already made a move during the Demon-Subduing Domain trial; wasn't Chen Yu one of his men?

Ye Tinglan said: "With this attitude of yours, you don't care at all that Prince Jin sees you as an enemy?"

"What can he do? He has to put on the appearance of a virtuous prince on the surface, so he can do even less than the Huo family. The Huo family would have to choose a place like the Demon-Subduing Domain to kill me; they wouldn't dare do it openly in the capital. He is the same."

Ye Tinglan said coldly: "Send a high-grade assassin, and you won't even have a chance to cry for help; it will directly become an unsolved case."

"The Huo family wouldn't dare do this because no matter how clean they make it, others can easily pin the suspicion on them. Even if it's not shit, it looks like shit; unless absolutely necessary, there's no need to do this. In their eyes, I'm still not a big enough threat. The same logic applies to Prince Jin, especially since a conflict just arose yesterday; if I were assassinated immediately after, his reputation as a virtuous prince would look bad."

Ye Tinglan shook his head: "Not being a big enough threat is the key. You haven't reached the point where they are willing to go all out to kill you. If it really came to that, they wouldn't care about these trivialities. But actually, this is just a whim of theirs; if they get in a bad mood one day, they could take you out at any time. I still think you should leave the capital, not keep jumping around in front of them and provoking them."

Lu Xingzhou actually agreed with this point. Coming to the capital too early meant not only were there few retaliatory measures available, but he also placed himself in danger at any time and place; it just depended on the other party's whim and whether they were willing to pay a certain price.

Previously, coming to the capital was just for further studies at the Alchemy Academy, but now that he had a mentor, and even the mentor thought he should change locations, the goal of coming to the capital had actually been perfectly achieved. He could indeed transfer with his mentor.

Was he supposed to continue studying here for another year?

But if he was preparing to leave, it seemed he should finish some things first...

Thinking of this, Lu Xingzhou finally spoke: "Mr., back in the Demon-Subduing Domain, there was another third-grade swordsman who ambushed us in the sandstorm. The Alchemy Academy has been investigating for so long, is there any result?"

Ye Tinglan shook his head: "No. Currently, we can only assume it was sent by the Huo family or Prince Jin."

Lu Xingzhou blurted out: "Definitely not."

"Because Chen Yu identified them? That's not necessarily a valid reason. Although Chen Yu is Prince Jin's man, he might not be involved in Prince Jin's core affairs; he might not know what other measures Prince Jin took."

"Incorrect. Because this isn't an event where everyone acted independently, but one with a common goal. If both were subordinates of Prince Jin or the Huo family, why not let them coordinate? Could it be a test for each of them? That makes no sense."

Ye Tinglan's expression became serious: "You are convinced there is a third party?"

"Convinced."

"But on the surface, you haven't offended any other faction."

"Indeed, I haven't."

"So, in the context of your recent conflict with Prince Jin and Huo Heng, if you were suddenly assassinated by this person, wouldn't everyone suspect no third party, but only think it was Prince Jin or the Huo family?"

Lu Xingzhou nodded: "Correct. This is currently the most dangerous time for me."

Ye Tinglan asked curiously: "With that tone, do you already have a judgment? Then why are you so calm?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled apologetically: "Now I'm not fighting alone, am I? I have Mr. on my side."

Ye Tinglan went "Heh," looking him up and down: "You've already counted me in, have you? I'm just your Alchemy mentor; what does that have to do with your personal grudges?"

"Mr. wouldn't want to see your favorite disciple lying dead on the street, would you?"

"Who said I don't want to? I want to very much." Ye Tinglan waved his hand like shooing a fly: "Die sooner, and I can take Lu Nuonuo home." Lu Xingzhou seemed to have completely ignored what she said and continued on his own: "I'll invite someone out to tour the garden and create an opportunity for them. Mr., how about you take people to lie in ambush secretly? Speaking of which, this is also a matter for the Alchemy Academy, not our personal private affair. We can have the Alchemy Academy send people to set up a net."

Ye Tinglan: "... Where to arrange it?"

"How about Qingyao Garden? I'm only familiar with this place."

"Who do you plan to take to tour the garden?"

"Chu Yun. She's strong enough and not easily injured. And... if I'm leaving, the one I should most bid farewell to is Chu Yun."

Ye Tinglan pondered for a moment, feeling it was feasible: "Fine, I'll go tell Qin Yuanzheng."

A'nuo: "..."

Communicating with the old woman indeed requires the master.

Ye Tinglan tapped the table: "Setting up the fishing trap isn't for now. What are you two just standing there stupidly for? Didn't you come for class?"

Lu Xingzhou obediently took out the questions he had prepared last night, sat next to Ye Tinglan, and started asking and answering.

The female Si Sect teacher still exuded a constant fragrance, but at this moment Lu Xingzhou had no mind to experience it. Since leaving the capital was imminent, he had to at least master the written material before leaving to consider it a closed chapter in his heart, so he could continue following his mentor to other trial locations.

"Tour the garden?" At the Imperial Academy, Pei Chu Yun still stood there holding a stack of manuscripts, looking at the visiting Lu Xingzhou with great surprise: "How nice of you, suddenly inviting me to tour the garden."

"Look at what you're saying. Shouldn't I invite you out to play?"

"You didn't even bring A'nuo." Pei Chu Yun stepped back half a pace: "If not for evil, then for theft."

"You guessed right, the former."

Pei Chuyun actually had to turn it over in her mind for a moment before realizing what this rascal was saying; her face flushed red as she glanced furtively left and right, then spat: "We're both people—what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Then shall we find a place with no one around to say it?"

Pei Chuyun nearly laughed out loud: "Fine, fine, fine. Where to? Qingyao Garden again?"

"Mm. I heard the trumpet vines are blooming beautifully now. We haven't gone to see them these past days; we must go take a look."

Pei Chuyun said cheerfully: "Then let's go."

"Don't you have classes this afternoon?"

"I'll skip them. That way my father will think I'm in class; otherwise, how could I go out with you..."

Lu Xingzhou felt he was truly playing the role of the ruffian corrupting an innocent Young Lady to perfection; he could even forget the fact that Pei Chuyun was a Harmony Demoness. Her portrayal of the aloof white flower at the Imperial Academy was simply too spot-on.

"I will be leaving the capital soon, A-Lü." Only after they entered Qingyao Garden and the lake came into view did Lu Xingzhou suddenly say this.

Pei Chuyun's steps halted; she turned to look at Lu Xingzhou's profile, her expression somewhat complex.

The matter between the Sect and the Pei family was clearly a long-term affair; it might take two or three years before it truly escalated into a frenzy. Pei Chuyun never expected Lu Xingzhou to squat by the side and remain her pillar of support; in fact, Lu Xingzhou's strength was insufficient to involve himself in such an affair.

But she never thought the separation would come so quickly.

Nor did she ever think that eighteen years of Harmony Sect education could make parting with a man feel so unpleasant.

Truly inappropriate.

"I don't know if you will blame me..." Lu Xingzhou said in a low voice: "My farewell to you is not truly a garden tour of romance and poetry... I also intend to use this opportunity to draw the snake out of its hole and deal with an enemy."

Pei Chuyun smiled: "I knew long ago you were either treacherous or thieving. But it is still good that you can explain it clearly to me."

"What? Do you think I would hide such a thing from you?"

"That is true." Pei Chuyun said leisurely: "To speak of it, even if our garden tour is mixed with other things, it seems normal. Just as our relationship has never been a true romance of wind, flowers, snow, and moon."

"How is it not? Even if we started with mutual calculations, does that still exist now?"

Pei Chuyun looked up, thought for a moment, and smiled: "To say we started with mutual calculations is not quite accurate; in reality, I was merely your captive... and I still am."

Lu Xingzhou turned to look at her.

Pei Chuyun blinked: "Is it not? Your captive of poetry, your captive of tenderness, and... the pillar of support who stood up for me regardless of the consequences."

Seeing Lu Xingzhou wanted to say something, Pei Chuyun extended her slender finger to cover his lips and said in a low voice: "I gave my body to you; I have no regrets... but Lu Xingzhou, I still want to try whether I can break free from your influence and be my own master. That you can leave for a while suddenly feels good to me; it seems beneficial for me to find myself."

Lu Xingzhou caught her hand and moved it aside: "What if I cannot break free?"

"You know, there are many men who would give their lives for me." Pei Chuyun smiled, her eyes curving: "Let us see if you have the ability to truly capture me, Pei Chuyun, for a lifetime."

(End of this chapter)