Chapter 21: The Human-Machine Little White Hair

Just as he was pondering, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind: "You've made quite a mess!"

Lu Xingzhou turned his head and saw Sheng Yuanyao emerge from the street corner, her eyes sparkling: "The incident with the Danxia Gang today was your doing, wasn't it? Are you even human?"

Lu Xingzhou was somewhat speechless; your expression and your tone don't quite match...

"Commander Sheng, you don't seem responsible for such matters... Besides, scheming about these things isn't a crime, so how am I not human?"

"Where do you look human? You have the power to make me protect your lover at midnight, but when there's excitement, you leave me out and won't let me watch?" Sheng Yuanyao grabbed his collar: "Tell me the whole story of this incident clearly! If you eat alone again, I'll arrest you for inciting a riot!"

Shen Tang was not his lover...

The white-haired girl opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again.

Hard to say.

"Actually, I do have something I want to discuss with Commander Sheng." Lu Xingzhou looked at the street and pointed to a tea house: "Shall we go in and sit?"

Sheng Yuanyao looked at him skeptically and took half a step back: "What do you want to use me for this time?"

The poor kid has developed a trauma response...

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "This time it's really... a bit of a demon affair."

Sheng Yuanyao's expression turned fierce; she snatched the wheelchair handle from Dugu Qingli's grip and pushed it into the tea house at lightning speed.

Dugu Qingli: "..."

She felt she could walk... but a demon affair... Dugu Qingli thought for a moment and still followed inside.

Seeing Lu Xingzhou and Sheng Yuanyao sitting opposite each other in a small private booth, she went in and stood beside Lu Xingzhou.

Both Sheng Yuanyao and Lu Xingzhou looked at her strangely; Lu Xingzhou asked in surprise: "Why aren't you sitting?"

Dugu Qingli said seriously: "You didn't invite me for tea; I followed in myself to hear about the demon affair."

Lu Xingzhou paused, his expression strange.

So she really is a human-machine.

"Then I invite you now; please sit."

Dugu Qingli sat down, her back straight as a sword.

The atmosphere was actually silent for several breaths until the waiter came in with tea and broke the silence.

"Ahem." Lu Xingzhou coughed dryly, took the teapot from the waiter's hand: "We'll do it ourselves; go out and please close the door."

Watching the waiter leave, Lu Xingzhou quickly threw out several spirit stones and set up a sealing array.

Seeing his posture, Sheng Yuanyao's expression grew even more serious; she finally asked: "What situation is so mysterious? I haven't heard of any demons in Xiazhou."

Lu Xingzhou leisurely poured tea for both of them: "Demons aren't always present; this one must be newly arrived, or perhaps was seriously injured before and hid here to recover, only appearing recently..."

"Then how do you know?"

Lu Xingzhou dared not say it was from searching residual souls in the Ten Thousand Souls Banner... If he really said that, with an official and a righteous human-machine on the other side, they would likely draw their swords and hold them to his neck simultaneously. Most critically, his Ten Thousand Souls Banner was still weak, insufficient to fully restrain souls; A'nuo had specifically searched last night but could find almost no memories, so very little information could be obtained.

He pondered for a moment and could only say: "That day, the City Lord sent death warriors into the merchant house, and we killed them. During the fight, we discovered they carried some demonic energy; what I can confirm is that the time they were contaminated absolutely did not exceed one day, so it definitely wasn't brought back from elsewhere."

Sheng Yuanyao was horrified and dared not believe it: "Related to the City Lord? Do you know how serious this matter is? You can't just make things up!"

Lu Xingzhou sipped his tea and said calmly: "Although I often lie... I wouldn't lie about something like this."

"Then... then could it be that the City Lord sent them to slay demons and they just returned..."

"The possibility is quite small, because these people were very weak... And regarding official matters, you know: if the City Lord discovered a demon, he would certainly inform your Demon Suppression Bureau; how could you possibly remain completely unaware? If they accidentally slew a demon, or even just repelled it, the City Lord would surely treat this as a major political achievement and proclaim it everywhere, not keep it so silent."

Sheng Yuanyao fell silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Yes. The only possibility is that these people had contact with demons... What other information do you know?"

"I glimpsed a few memories... It seemed they were delivering something to someone, very vague. The location wasn't in the mountains or wilderness; it looked more like indoors. That's all."

Sheng Yuanyao took a deep breath: "Delivering something... If a demon was injured and they were delivering medicine for treatment, that would be slightly better. If they were delivering food..."

Upon hearing this, even Dugu Qingli's eyes, which never changed, flickered slightly.

A demon's food is highly likely to be blood.

If the City Lord was helping a demon obtain blood, this would be a major case.

Lu Xingzhou said: "I suggest Commander Sheng pursue two lines of inquiry simultaneously: on one hand, secretly send people to watch the City Lord's residence to see if they sent anyone anywhere, and investigate where those people went in recent days; on the other hand, investigate whether there are any missing persons cases in the city, whether humans or livestock."

"Hmm." Sheng Yuanyao, not even in the mood to drink her tea, suddenly stood up and was about to leave.

"Wait." Dugu Qingli said softly: "There is one more place we can check..."

"Where?"

"The death row prisoners." Dugu Qingli said seriously: "There have been similar cases before."

Sheng Yuanyao studied her for a moment, nodded, and strode away.

Lu Xingzhou also glanced at Dugu Qingli, then continued pouring tea for her: "Such cases wouldn't circulate externally; for instance, although I consider my information quite rich, I've never heard of these. Miss Qingli, where are you from?"

Dugu Qingli looked at him seriously: "I am not your subordinate, nor your friend."

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Then let's start being friends now; what conditions are needed?"

"I don't need friends; that is a meaningless concept."

"Doesn't Shen Tang count?"

"She is merely my protected person, nothing more."

"I don't think so." Lu Xingzhou smiled leisurely: "You have already cooperated together; that makes you comrades-in-arms, and comrades-in-arms are a type of friend, even more intimate than ordinary friends. For example, that night if you couldn't defeat those people, Shen Tang would definitely have stepped in to help you; therefore, you are already friends."

Dugu Qingli thought for a moment and replied: "Although it differs somewhat from my understanding of friendship, perhaps it could barely count. But even so, I do not wish to be friends with you."

"Why?"

"Because you always look at me for no reason." Dugu Qingli said expressionlessly: "No one likes to interact much with someone who treats them like a monster."

Lu Xingzhou paused, pointing at his own nose: "You think I always look at you because I treat you like a monster?"

"What else? I wouldn't flatter myself; you've said so too."

Lu Xingzhou was at a loss for words, half laughing: "Although looking at you indeed has nothing to do with that, it's absolutely not treating you like a monster... Hmm, let me put it this way: if you walk in the mountains and see a particularly beautiful patch of flowers, wouldn't you look at it a couple more times?"

"I wouldn't; it's meaningless."

"..."

"But I can understand others behaving this way."

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "Then so be it... In my eyes, you are that particularly beautiful flower."

Miss Qingli, expressionless: "But A'nuo said the one you look at with that expression is a dog."

Lu Xingzhou spat out his entire mouthful of tea, unable to figure out how to respond for a long time.

The first attempt at getting close to the little Bai Mao ended in failure.

Failure was failure, yet the little Bai Mao still quietly pushed the wheelchair to take him back to the Shen Trading House. No sooner had they entered the main gate than they saw A'nuo standing in the courtyard with over twenty uneasy youths, while Shen Tang sat in the wheelchair watching silently.

"These are all disciples my master brought up; they are all my junior brothers!" A'nuo patted her small chest so hard it shook the sky: "They are all very skilled at alchemy! Sister, didn't you want to find people to refine pills before? Why not take them in? Is that okay?"

In truth, apprentices were not formal disciples; most of the time they were no different from hired hands. How could a direct disciple like A'nuo rush to claim junior brothers? Clearly, she was only trying to boost their status, fearing Shen Tang would not accept them.

But her performance was too clumsy. Shen Tang found her appearance truly amusing: "You are young; shouldn't you be calling them senior brothers?"

"The one who enters first is the elder!" A'nuo grew anxious, viciously grabbing a youth beside her: "Speak! Are you a senior brother or a junior brother!"

The youth smiled apologetically: "Of course I am a junior brother, Grand Senior Sister A'nuo."

A'nuo put her hands on her hips: "This title must be formal! You must call her Grand Senior Sister Lu; my name is Lu Nuomituanzi!"

The youths all laughed, speaking in unison: "Grand Senior Sister Lu."

A'nuo was extremely happy.

Yet although the youths were laughing, worry could not be hidden in their brows and eyes. It was easy to recklessly trap Liu Qingcang in one go, but the aftermath would obviously bring extremely fierce retaliation.

Everyone's apprentice contracts were all held in Liu Qingcang's hands; those were extremely harsh slave contracts... Even if Shen Tang hid everyone and stood firm against the Danxia Gang, most of them had parents and family. What if they were retaliated against? Should they all be taken in? Shen Tang herself lived in a rented house; could she receive so many families? Or should they live separately, letting Lu Xingzhou take them in himself?

Lu Xingzhou, who had just arrived at the gate, also quietly watched Shen Tang's back, seeing how she would decide.

But then Shen Tang laughed: "I once told your master that we lack alchemy talent, which is biased; we simply need to establish this system. Even if we do not engage in this business, cultivating our own alchemists is essential. It would be even better if your master were willing to join... If he refuses to join, so be it. With so many of you experienced hands right here, how could I possibly not take you? Uncle Zhong!"

Tang Yunzhong quickly hurried over: "Sect Master."

"Take some people and help receive all the families of these brothers, so everyone will have no further worries."

Tang Yunzhong whispered a reminder: "Sect Master, this will make us irreconcilable enemies with the Danxia Gang."

"We are already enemies; do you still expect to shake hands and make peace?" Shen Tang said indifferently: "Having been wiped out once, have you lost your sword bones?"

Tang Yunzhong straightened his back: "Of course not; it is merely that this subordinate needs to lay out the pros and cons for the Sect Master, awaiting the Sect Master's decision."

"Remember, what we seek is not merely to establish a foothold, but a revival. Even if they were only willing to follow Lu Xingzhou, I would still dig them over. How much more so when I choose for myself; there is no need to choose at all." Shen Tang smiled slightly: "Go receive them; delay may bring change."

(End of this chapter)