Chapter 206: Like Fish in Water (Begging for Monthly Votes)

"Deadly warriors?" Shen Tang sounded surprised. "You mean like that Yang Dechang from before? Is there someone pulling strings behind the scenes?"

"Not necessarily that kind, but there could be assassins stealing the chestnuts from the fire. If there is a backer, it is even more likely to be a powerful cultivator from a distant sect... The Incense Tower had a network of connections before; it was just suppressed by the Emperor's decree, and no one dared to step forward. Do the Dongjiang Gang or the Lingyun Gate have no connections at all? Bringing out someone of second grade or even first grade to press down with power isn't too difficult."

Shen Tang's expression grew somewhat grim. She had been misled by the fact that no other family was involved in the previous Incense Tower incident, forgetting that the Incense Tower case was an exception; the Emperor's decree had severed the most powerful external network of connections for a pill-refining sect.

And the pill masters the Incense Tower had cultivated who established themselves in other powers, if any still held a grudge, would now all have turned into hostile forces.

Lu Xingzhou comforted her, "It's not that serious. Although pill masters hold good status within their respective powers, they aren't quite qualified to influence a sect-level war. If the Incense Tower still existed, leveraging them could indeed link together many alliances, but with the Incense Tower gone, such a situation is unlikely. At most, there might be individual... On the contrary, it is the backers who were once on good terms with the Incense Tower and the Dongjiang Gang that are worth watching. Is there any intelligence on this?"

Shen Tang immediately said, "Yes, I'll have someone fetch the data for you."

"Alright." The two exchanged a smile, both recalling the past when, after Gumei obtained the Incense Tower's intelligence data, the Incense Tower's surprise army collapsed in disarray; several of them had since become the backbone of the Tianxing Sword Sect.

Since then, Shen Tang had placed great emphasis on collecting data on others.

"I'm going back to gather everyone for a meeting. Do you want to come?" Shen Tang asked with a playful grin.

"I won't go. I have a letter here, and I'll take this opportunity to visit the new Prefect."

Shen Tang left in high spirits, and before departing, she shot a sharp glare at Lady Ye.

Not letting me meet with Xingzhou?

Can we possibly conduct our important official exchange as Sect Master and Guest Strategist without meeting?

She forgot that if the meeting were truly only for official business, it could be held openly as a public conference, rather than a private rendezvous...

Ye Tinglan, at this moment, was too lazy to care about her foolish look, though his own thoughts were deep.

What a typical scene of a ruler and a trusted prime minister discussing state affairs... Such harmony between ruler and minister is indeed a prerequisite for a power to rise.

Does Gu Zhanting still have someone like this by his side now? He has his own Lu Xingzhou, but he keeps him at a distance and doesn't use him. Towards Pei Qingyan, he actually has intentions of balancing power; towards the Huo family, there is a bit of that sense of harmony, but the Huo family's level is truly limited. Having martial artists as advisors produces only ideas full of violence... Just look at that altar. Whether Gu Zhanting consults Pei Qingyan or his own Imperial Preceptor, such a thing would never be born.

But Shen Tang's behavior isn't due to any kingly magnanimity or skill in accepting advice; it's because she has a love-struck brain and listens to whispers from her pillow!

Once Lu Xingzhou acts recklessly, wouldn't she be nothing but a chaotic demon concubine in a chaotic world?

Ye Tinglan pinched his forehead.

Actually, judging solely by this matter, it really wasn't that Shen Tang had a love-struck brain.

Ye Tinglan found it hard to empathize with the psychological experience of Shen Tang, who, when she was down and out, had almost a mindset of jumping off a cliff to end it all, meeting Lu Xingzhou, and being supported all the way to a soaring rise as a regional hegemon.

It was as if if Lu Xingzhou farted, she would think it was right; she possessed absolute blind trust, which had little to do with whether she was in love or not. Love only ensured the relationship wouldn't drift apart or become guarded; lacking love wouldn't affect her level of trust in Lu Xingzhou's judgment.

Just like what Lu Xingzhou said this time wasn't any kind of original insight.

In fact, Shen Tang herself had vaguely considered these matters, and during the sect meetings over these few days, some people had also proposed similar, albeit rougher, views. There was no need to wait for Lu Xingzhou to bring everything up; not everyone was just eating dry rice.

But whether one thought of it oneself or someone else proposed it, it still belonged to things needing consideration and discussion, whereas what Lu Xingzhou said was a direct final decision; just do it that way.

Rather than calling him a strategist or advisor, he is more like a reassurance needle. Since he said so, it is feasible; Lu Xingzhou will naturally consider all the details on all fronts. If you can't even trust Lu Xingzhou, then you can't trust anyone.

Without a second word, Shen Tang returned to Danxia Mountain to convene a meeting, directly ordering the resumption of the Tianxing Sword Sect's old escort duties, designating the Shen Merchant Family as a trade transit point, and announcing to Xiazhou that they were now accepting cargo.

Previously, most of the pills and flying swords sold to the public were handled by the Dongjiang Gang for sale in Dongjiang Commandery; now, the transactions with the Dongjiang Gang were directly taken back.

Tang Yunzhong and other old ministers were ecstatic.

Although this work wasn't anything high-end, in the hearts of those who cherished the past, it belonged to the category of "ancestral business," carrying emotional attachment. Furthermore, for sword cultivators, this type of work was far more suitable than growing herbs or refining pills; the process of undertaking missions was also their path of cultivation, unlike now where they just cultivated in silence, which always felt like something was missing. Tang Yunzhong immediately took charge of this matter and went straight to work.

Zhang Shaoyou asked with deep meaning, "Planning to tear up the face with the Dongjiang Gang?"

Shen Tang smiled, "This day will come sooner or later."

Zhang Shaoyou also laughed, "True, after all, Elder Lu has returned."

Shen Tang smiled brilliantly, "In the coming days, Hall Master Zhang might have to trouble you with extra effort."

Zhang Shaoyou shook his head and laughed helplessly, "Sect Master has forgotten. Before, when I and Buwang and the others were in the Incense Tower, we were enemies with the Dongjiang Gang, and there were some old grudges. Regarding matters opposing the Dongjiang Gang, we were absolutely the most active."

Shen Tang also realized this point and laughed, "When you were opposing them back then, your cultivation wasn't as good as it is now. Now that you are all much stronger, do you long to beat them up?"

"There is such a thought," Zhang Shaoyou sighed, "but our foundation is far inferior to others. Even if others don't have ancient ancestors in seclusion, they often have friends in the martial world to help. Only ours is ridiculously scarce; our network of connections is all local to Xiazhou, too weak."

Shen Tang smiled faintly, "Who said there isn't one? At least the connection with the new Prefect, the Dongjiang Gang hasn't managed to establish."

Zhang Shaoyou was stunned, "It is said the new Prefect is impervious to flattery or threats. When did the Sect Master quietly establish the connection?"

Shen Tang smiled like a blooming flower, "I have Lu Xingzhou."

Zhang Shaoyou: "..."

This behavior of shamelessly eating soft rice was nothing like the usually decisive and efficient Sect Master; anyone who didn't know might think you were being kept... Oh, speaking of which, a woman eating a man's food, I suppose that isn't called eating soft rice?

At this moment, Lu Xingzhou knocked on the great door of the Prefect's residence.

Since the seat of the prefecture had moved, the one who needed to lead the move was the Prefect and his subordinates. Prefect Zhang Rongzhi had arrived in Xiazhou a few days ago. The former City Lord's residence of Xu Bingkun, after so much time, had been repaired; previously, the new City Lord lived there, but now it had become the Prefect's residence.

In the few days since Zhang Rongzhi arrived, various powers in Xiazhou had swarmed to try and pull connections. However, Zhang Rongzhi had just moved the prefectural seat; with a thousand threads and a pile of broken affairs, where did he have the leisure time to deal with you rural powers? All who sought an audience were given a closed door, unable to even see the person.

Shen Tang was among the first; long before Zhang Rongzhi was in Dongjiang, she had used the connections of Wan Cheng and others from the Town Demon Office to arrange an introduction, but unfortunately, she hadn't managed to pull a particularly good connection, only counting as a familiar face.

Without exposing the Princess's identity, such a sect with no foundation in a remote place indeed held little face before the head of a commandery; having the connection with the Town Demon Office was useless.

Especially since the connection used was Wan Cheng's... Wan Cheng was on the Huo family line, while he, Zhang Rongzhi, was Pei Qingyan's man. If not for the fact that the factional struggle wouldn't extend its blame down to this rural level, he might have punished you.

Against this backdrop, Lu Xingzhou knocked on the great door of the Prefect's residence and handed over an envelope, seemingly a formal call card.

Many people quietly gathered to watch; those who recognized Lu Xingzhou were secretly laughing, thinking he had been out for a few months and didn't understand the situation, and was just another one coming to get a closed door.

The next moment, the main gate swung wide open, and Zhang Rongzhi came out with a face full of smiles, "Haha, the top scholar Lu Xingzhou arrives, bringing glory to my humble dwelling, bringing glory to my humble dwelling. At the beginning of the year, I, Zhang, was also in the capital; unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to meet the top scholar Lu. I never thought that today I would finally make up for this fate."

Zhang Rongzhi affectionately took Lu Xingzhou's arm and walked into the gate with him, arm in arm.

"Bang," the great door closed, leaving the crowd of onlookers dumbfounded.

Why did Lu Xingzhou get the main gate opened wide and walk arm in arm? Is the identity of top scholar of the Pill Academy that awesome?

Ye Tinglan, suspended in the distance, sighed.

What top scholar of the Pill Academy? I, a First Grade Mr. of the Pill Academy, don't even get this treatment.

Zhang Rongzhi isn't stupid; the cloying relationship between Lu Xingzhou and Pei Chuyun was known throughout the entire capital. That aside, the key point was that Pei Qingyan hadn't even broken Lu Xingzhou's legs; what did that mean?

The letter from Pei Qingyan asking him to help Lu Xingzhou had just arrived, and the very next moment Lu Xingzhou arrived at the door holding Meng Guan's private letter; what did that mean?

Ye Tinglan suddenly realized something... Lu Xingzhou's journey to the capital and his admission into the Golden Core Academy were at least eighty percent motivated by Shen Tang. Even his earlier lament about lacking "connections" and such—things Lu Xingzhou himself would never normally care about—was only because he wanted to pave the way for Shen Tang.

This was true harmony between husband and wife, between sovereign and minister; Shen Tang's romantic delusions were worth it, because he was worth it.

Such harmony between sovereign and minister had a special description: like fish in water. But if the fish has already gotten the water, why is it like this?

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PS: Fish begs for monthly votes~

(End of Chapter)