Chapter 203: Today's Danxia (Begging for Monthly Tickets)

No matter how you put it, before meeting Shen Tang, Ye Tinglan's veil was smoothly removed, so at least it wouldn't make Shen Tang associate her with the National Preceptor.

But things in this world can never be perfect—if it doesn't spark thoughts of the National Preceptor, then naturally it sparks other thoughts...

The three of them hurried and flew for several days, finally arriving at today's Xiazhou.

Sitting in the wheelchair in mid-air and looking down, one could already see with the naked eye that the spiritual energy had grown dense, no longer the thin and barren state of before.

Although the current spiritual energy couldn't compare to a place like Dream Return City where one could open cave-abode inns within the city, it had already far surpassed neighboring Dongjiang.

The population was visibly beginning to flourish, starting to absorb the populace of surrounding commanderies and counties. Xiazhou itself wasn't small to begin with, just sparsely populated; now it increasingly looked like it would take the shape of a prosperous great commandery.

The imperial court's approval of the Dongjiang commandery seat relocation was easy, but actually executing the move wasn't that fast—it wasn't just the commandery governor moving over and being done with it; it involved changes in many departments.

Among them, the one who felt life was most like a dream was Chen Jinnian. He'd only just moved to Dongjiang to serve as the head of the commandery's Alchemy Bureau for less than half a year, and now he'd moved back again... The office was still in the same place as before, leaving him in a daze wondering if he'd ever been promoted at all.

The wheelchair skimmed over a bustling urban district and arrived at the western outskirts, where the lively, worldly atmosphere of daily life began to thin, yet the crowd hadn't lessened much.

Below was a flourishing sect.

Danxia Mountain bristled with sword Qi; even from far up in the sky one could feel the bone-pickling goosebumps of ten thousand swords.

The mountain had countless disciples—the strong cultivated on their own in their own areas, while new disciples gathered at the martial arts grounds for collective practice, full of vigor.

The mountain no longer grew medicinal herbs; the main herb cultivation site had been moved to the Dongjiang Fenxiang Mountain branch. Additionally, there were stretches of Tian She at the foot of the mountain where apprentices did the planting. That was originally the Huo family's property, now serving as a medicinal garden. The former Huo family residence had been converted into an external pill sales outlet, with many people coming to stock up, a steady stream of carts and horses.

The former Danxia Gang site and the old Shen Family Trading Company location had been turned into a venue for exchanging flying swords and magic treasures; cultivators from the commanderies came and went, and it was nearly replacing the old city's Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

Around the brand-new Heavenly Voyage Sword Sect, the core faction and representative landmark of Xiazhou had already been born.

The wheelchair landed outside the mountain gate. The guard disciples were in white as pure as snow, their sword intent austere; the sword-path sect's uniform style had already been clearly established, and every face now bore the unique austerity and pride of swordsmen—no longer the messy hybrid of Danxia Gang and Fenxiang Tower.

"Shen Tang is very capable." Ye Tinglan observed for a moment and commented: "In just half a year, such a scene... Setting everything else aside, her management ability is very strong."

Lu Xingzhou nodded.

Back when it was still the Shen Family Trading Company, Lu Xingzhou already knew Shen Tang's management ability was strong. The Heavenly Voyage Sword Sect's ragtag bunch of stragglers had been whipped into proper shape by her in just a few short days. He himself had been quite the slacker at the Heavenly Voyage Sword Sect, not needing to do what a Prime Minister did back at Yama Hall—only needing to offer ideas and serve as a military advisor.

On this point alone, Shen Tang was far stronger than Yuan Muyu. Back then, Yuan Muyu only knew how to fight; it was only after a long time that she figured out how to manage things a bit.

"Halt! To enter the mountain you need an invitation card. For routine trade, go to the trading company at the foot of the mountain." The guard disciples blocked the three of them.

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Truly a case of 'pardon me, where do you hail from.'"

The guard disciples were stunned, looking him up and down: "We've been here two or three months and haven't seen you. The Heavenly Voyage Sword Sect has only been established here for half a year in total... wait..."

Someone suddenly realized—the Heavenly Voyage Sword Sect had someone who'd gone out for a few months and come back, and reportedly also brought a child.

"Are you trying to say you're Elder Lu?" The disciples looked suspicious: "The appearance plus having a little dumpling beside you does look rather like it... Don't think you can fool us just because we don't know—Elder Lu uses a wheelchair."

Lu Xingzhou took out the wheelchair he'd just put away.

The disciples all stepped back in unison, and this time their gazes collectively landed on Ye Tinglan's face.

The next moment, someone sped up the mountain: "There's someone claiming to be Elder Lu, and he brought a woman back!"

Ye Tinglan: "?"

"Whoosh"—sword light like a rainbow, streaking down from the mountain peak like lightning.

It stopped urgently before them, the sword light dispersed, revealing Shen Tang's long-unseen face.

She was still sitting in a wheelchair... Her eyes didn't even glance at the peerlessly elegant Ye Tinglan beside her; her beautiful eyes were as if magnetically drawn to Lu Xingzhou's face, gazing up at him fixedly, not blinking for a long time.

Though her face was calm, the rise and fall of her chest betrayed the surging emotion within. The radiant joy of reunion in her eyes, the inexpressible tender glow, seemed ready to spill over.

After a very, very long time, she finally said softly: "So you deigned to come back? I thought you'd be gone for a year."

Lu Xingzhou finally spoke as well: "I was out on a trial... Even without this matter, I would have found a chance to request leave and come back to see you. Could I really stay there a whole year without moving?"

"Hard to say. Wherever you are, you're surrounded by beauties—could you still remember there's someone waiting for you here?"

The disciples retreated once more in horror.

Although they'd heard rumors upon arriving that the Sect Master and Elder Lu probably had "something" going on, seeing this melon in person was still a bit shocking—aren't you two going to show any discretion at all?

How could Shen Tang not know to show discretion? If word reached Gu Zhanting's ears, it wouldn't do her any good. But the surging emotions in her heart were hard to suppress; to expect her to greet him as if nothing had happened, simply and calmly—she couldn't do it...

When the topic of beauties came up, Lu Xingzhou's face flushed a little too. He glanced at the disciples and lowered his voice: "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go up." "Let's go to Mount Lingquan. I've kept it for you." Shen Tang said, her gaze finally falling on Ye Tinglan's face.

She was slightly stunned at first, feeling a vague sense of familiarity but unable to recall where she'd seen her. Deciding not to bother with it, she tore into her first: "As for this beauty here, she can be settled in the guest courtyard first. Going to your residence together would look bad."

Ye Tinglan: "???"

Good on you, Princess—you didn't used to treat me like this!

Without me saving you, the grass on your grave would be three feet tall by now, and you dare tear into me?

Lu Xingzhou broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly said: "Misunderstanding. This is Mr. Ye from the Alchemy Academy, my mentor!"

The fighting spirit on Shen Tang's face froze, quickly turning into an apologetic smile: "Um, hello, Mr...."

Ye Tinglan said coldly: "Can I stay on the mountain? Would it look bad?"

"Of course, of course, what bad influence would there be? Mr. may stay wherever you wish." Though Shen Tang was putting on a show of respect, the little suspicion of a fox spirit in her eyes hadn't faded at all.

Such a young and beautiful mentor... together day after day, traveling and living side by side.

You say you're not one of the beauties? You say Lu Xingzhou truly has no thoughts about you?

Did you think I wasted my time learning royal palace scheming? Like Miss Qingli, am I that naive?

Also, isn't this Mr.'s voice a bit familiar...

But she'd truly had very little interaction with the National Preceptor—just a few words exchanged—so it was hard to match them up. She didn't think about it further, quickly turning her wheelchair toward Mount Lingquan: "Let's settle in first. Mount Lingquan still looks just like it did when you left, not changed at all."

Lu Xingzhou stepped forward directly to push the wheelchair.

All Shen Tang's chaotic feelings flew away, her heart sweet: "You don't need to pretend to use the wheelchair now?"

"Mm, no need. Mr. Ye helped out, and people think she was the one who treated it, giving me a perfectly legitimate excuse. It's just a bit of a shame—the last attempt to trick someone actually failed, and I didn't get to use the fake limp to its fullest in the end."

Hearing Lu Xingzhou's casual, old-married-couple chitchat tone, Shen Tang's heart grew even more delighted, unable to hide her smile: "Did you get into a lot of fights in the capital? Tell me the whole story later."

"Of course. Every last detail, I'll tell you slowly."

"Really every last detail?"

"Would I dare hide anything from you?"

"That's good—first, tell me about Pei Chuyun."

Lu Xingzhou stared blankly: "Do you have spies in the capital?"

"No," Shen Tang's face hardened. "Even the news that you became the Top Graduate reached me through the Pill Bureau, and the Pill Bureau got it from the capital. Such an important result, and you didn't even write me a single letter."

"This…," Lu Xingzhou scratched his head—he wasn't in the habit of writing letters. But given he'd just written a letter asking Meng Guan to deliver it to Pei Chuyun, he couldn't say that. He could only force a smile: "Next time, I promise."

By the way, if you don't have spies, how do you know about Pei Chuyun?

But Shen Tang spoke calmly: "As for Pei Chuyun… I know she's the Young Lady the Pei family just took back, and that you helped them recognize her. Trace the timeline—it's the same little demon girl who broke into the mountain. Why would you help her reclaim her identity? What's your intention? What's your relationship with her? Confess honestly, and you'll suffer less pain."

Lu Xingzhou was awestruck: "I thought you didn't even know her… how did you connect all this? Are you Conan…?"

Shen Tang didn't know who Conan was, but understood the meaning. She sighed softly: "A woman's intuition when catching an affair—that's super-grade."

Her beautiful eyes flicked again toward Ye Lady, who was calmly climbing the mountain beside them.

Take this one, for instance—I refuse to believe there's nothing between you two. I'll set her aside for now, and deal with you later!

The wooden cabin on Mount Lingquan was built by Lu Xingzhou using the Five Ghosts Transport Method. Though crude, it had more than one room—enough to host guests.

Built beside the Spirit Pool, the qi was pleasant; though simple, it held a natural beauty. Ye Ntingyi immediately liked it—it felt far more like a cultivator's abode than any inn on the road. Lu Xingzhou really knew how to handle aesthetics…

Watching Lu Xingzhou and Shen Tang dote on each other all the way, she grew too lazy to care. She went straight into the guest courtyard and sat in meditation without emerging.

So Lu Xingzhou and Shen Tang really were that kind of couple… Well, if they were, fine—but they should've hidden it. Their affection was completely unmistakable. That's not good—if Gu Zhanting finds out, it'll only cause more trouble. I'll have to advise Lu Xingzhou later…

As for tonight, let them enjoy their reunion—no need to disturb them. We'll speak tomorrow.

"Since we've reunited after so long, I'll let you off the hook for now regarding that Mr.," said Shen Tang in the main chamber. She stood up from her wheelchair, wrapped her arms around Lu Xingzhou's waist, and pressed against his chest: "Don't move… let me listen to your heartbeat…"

Lu Xingzhou gently returned the embrace: "What's so special about listening to that?"

"I'm listening to see if you've forgotten me. I'm listening to see if your heart beats as fast as mine does now that you've seen me."

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ps: Still begging for monthly votes—butt ready~

(End of Chapter)