Chapter 249: Chapter Number Corresponds to an Important Person

Regardless of what Si Han thought in his heart, Lu Xingzhou's proposal was inevitably approved on the spot.

Actually, Ye Tinglan felt they could have had Si Han announce on the spot that Tianyao Holy Land be listed as a holy land of Tianshuang Kingdom; logically, there should be no obstacles, but Lu Xingzhou never brought it up. Since she had handed the conversation over to Lu Xingzhou, she did not interject.

In Tianshuang Kingdom, night falls quickly; the two had spent a long time on the road during the day, and after all that fuss, it was nearly dusk.

Si Han naturally invited the two to stay overnight; Lu Xingzhou did not refuse, but only requested to stay in Shadow Moon City, not within the sect, and even declined to participate in the banquet.

The two walked side by side along the central avenue of Shadow Moon City, lit by lamps everywhere; Lu Xingzhou remained keenly interested in observing the city, not even flirting with the Mr. beside him.

Ye Tinglan should have felt more at ease, yet for some reason she inexplicably felt entirely out of sorts.

After walking a long stretch, she could no longer hold back and spoke: "Why aren't you speaking? Are you thinking about something?"

"Oh," Lu Xingzhou said casually, "I'm observing what kind of template a capital city under such a system would be."

"So what have you observed?"

"The proportion of ordinary people is even smaller; the city has the flavor of a cultivator's market as I imagined, but not thoroughly enough." Lu Xingzhou's gaze fell on a flower house by the street; Ye Tinglan followed his gaze, her face turning iron-green.

"Young Master~ care to play?" A madam at the entrance was soliciting customers; seeing Lu Xingzhou looking with reluctance to leave, she came out smiling to pull people in: "Oh my, Lady, what expression is that? Jealousy is one of the seven grounds for divorce..."

Ye Tinglan looked at Lu Xingzhou expressionlessly; Lu Xingzhou broke out in a cold sweat: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, I wasn't looking at you!"

"Not that I'm saying, Young Master, your honorable wife looks passable, but look at that stern face; do any of our Misses know how to serve people?" The madam had already leaned in close.

Lu Xingzhou immediately broke free, sweating profusely: "This is the first time I've seen someone solicit in front of another man's wife; I don't think your business is that desperate, are there not quite a few customers?"

The madam smiled cheerfully: "But a handsome customer like Young Master is rare indeed; if Young Master is willing to come, I will personally receive you, for free..."

"You wish." Lu Xingzhou grabbed Ye Tinglan and fled in panic.

Ye Tinglan glanced at the hand he was holding, suspecting he did it on purpose, yet did not pull away for a moment, asking coldly: "Why are you running? Were your eyes glued and couldn't look away?"

Lu Xingzhou stopped: "I wasn't looking at that; I was looking at cultivation!"

"Hmm?"

"Even prostitutes are cultivators; the high ones are already at the Seventh Rank! Damn it, was I only at the same level as a prostitute half a year ago?"

Ye Tinglan felt like laughing: "So what? Nowadays in Great Qian, the Chana Hehuan Sect has been suppressed severely; in earlier years when the Demonic Path was rampant, you could also see such brothel female cultivators in Great Qian; those with high cultivation were quite expensive, I heard eight hundred spirit stones per night."

"Diamond-encrusted? How is there a 'turtle man' here too?"

Ye Tinglan: "?"

"Ahem." Lu Xingzhou quickly changed the subject: "Even back then, the Chana Hehuan Sect wasn't this obvious, right? They would hide it somewhat; they wouldn't be so apparent on the surface."

"That's true, so what are you trying to say?"

"I'm thinking, once this state where even prostitutes are cultivators becomes more severe, to the point where there are absolutely no ordinary people left, perhaps there would be no need to consider things like sweet potatoes or grain yields as Great Qian does."

Ye Tinglan shook her head: "Absolutely no ordinary people is unlikely; everyone starts cultivation from being an ordinary person. Unless ordinary people live separately, apart from cultivators, then perhaps there would be no mortals in a cultivator's city. The cities outside our Tianyao Holy Land are exactly like that now, formed only by cultivators coming and going; that so-called cultivator's market you just mentioned is there; why come to Tianshuang Kingdom to see it?"

Lu Xingzhou looked up and thought for a moment: "Could this be the origin of the initial separation between Immortals and Mortals? Only that the separation continues to now, where mortals cultivate and rise again, a cycle like this."

Ye Tinglan frowned slightly, her expression beginning to turn serious.

Lu Xingzhou, however, smiled: "Just expanding on thoughts; don't think too much. After all, even if it truly is so, it means nothing to us."

"Discovering the truth is meaning," Ye Tinglan said earnestly. "Cultivation, in a sense, is for seeking truth and knowledge, exploring the source."

"Not for power and longevity?"

"Most people in the world are like that... I just wanted to see your thoughts." Ye Tinglan paused: "Whenever you arrive at a place, you observe and ponder like this... it aligns with the source of cultivation."

"Why are you interested in my thoughts?"

"You..." Ye Tinglan knew he had started teasing again, secretly resenting herself for initiating conversation with him; if he wanted to observe cities, let him observe! Yet it ended up with him not only pulling and tugging with prostitutes, but also holding her hand and not letting go until now.

Right, why hasn't he let go? Ye Tinglan instantly pulled her hand back.

But since the conversation had reached this point, she couldn't not reply, so she said with a stern face: "I am your instructor; does understanding my disciple's thoughts require any reason?"

"The disciple just learned that Mr. is so responsible." Lu Xingzhou smiled apologetically: "Then as Mr., shouldn't you be responsible for the disciple's three meals? I'm hungry."

Ye Tinglan also recalled that this fellow hadn't eaten for at least three days and three nights; he hadn't yet entered the state of avoiding grains, so hunger was normal; she couldn't help but ask: "Then why did you decline Si Han's banquet invitation just now? Afraid of an ambush?"

"How could that be? With Mr. by my side, it's very safe."

"Then why did you run out?"

"Because such banquets are inevitably hypocritical and boring, full of flattery; how can they compare to the freedom of us teacher and student dining out ourselves?" Lu Xingzhou grabbed Ye Tinglan and walked toward a nearby restaurant: "I know Mr. definitely dislikes that kind of socializing too; we're not of the same sort."

Ye Tinglan thought inwardly that was true, but only realized after being dragged into the restaurant how she had been dragged in again...

By the time she thought to pull away, they were already inside a small private room; Lu Xingzhou naturally let go, and the two sat opposite each other. The waiter followed in, smiling, and handed over the menu: "Guests, please see what you'd like to eat?"

Lu Xingzhou glanced through it, greatly surprised: "There are actually so many exotic beast meats." The waiter paused: "Are the guests from Great Qian?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Tianshuang Kingdom's mountains and wilds are remote; there are many exotic beasts; only people from Great Qian would be so surprised."

Lu Xingzhou casually ordered dishes, smiling as he spoke: "Do many people from Great Qian come over here often?"

"Not really... but a few days ago a girl with white hair came; she left a deep impression."

The waiter didn't know what he had said wrong; why had this man and woman gone silent since that sentence?

Lu Xingzhou coughed twice: "How is that girl?"

"She had a meal here and left; who knows how she is?"

Lu Xingzhou nodded, handed the checked menu to the waiter: "Just these, serve them first... please close the door."

Compared to predecessors who first got together with their disciples and later, for various reasons, got together with their masters, the relationship between Lu Xingzhou and Dugu Qingli was still far from being close; the two truly had no romantic talk, so when dealing with Ye Tinglan, he didn't think much about Dugu Qingli. But ultimately, because of an accidental intimate contact, once this was brought up, awkwardness was inevitable.

It was also that he discovered Mr. Ye's true identity a bit late; if he had known earlier, he probably wouldn't have had any such thoughts.

Similarly, Ye Tinglan had never broken up a disciple and a man, so there was no embarrassment, but likewise, because Qingli and this man were friends, it was also inevitably awkward for her, acting unbecoming of her age, to be holding hands with her disciple's friend.

Ultimately, it's this man's problem; are we of the same generation? What are you chasing? Why not chase Qingli? If you chased Qingli, I could enjoy smashing the pair of lovers; why chase me?

The atmosphere remained stagnant for quite a while; Lu Xingzhou spoke first to break the silence: "That... Qingli said back then she was going on a mission to a very far place; could it be she came to Tianshuang Kingdom?"

Ye Tinglan made an "Mm" sound.

"Your sect has secret methods for mutual communication, right? Should we contact her, to see if we can meet in Tianshuang Kingdom?"

Ye Tinglan shot him an annoyed glare.

Gather for what? Isn't that awkward?

She actually took out a communication jade tally: "Now that you mention it, I recall I need to notify Elder Su Yuan to come and take full charge of matters in Tian Shuang Kingdom."

Just as she finished recounting the events to Su Yuan, another signal came through the jade tally.

Seeing the caller, Ye Tinglan widened her eyes in disbelief, then stole a glance at Lu Xingzhou.

Just then, the waiter brought the dishes. Thinking Ye Tinglan was still communicating with Su Yuan via spiritual sense, Lu Xingzhou didn't disturb her and began eating on his own.

Ye Tinglan connected her spiritual sense to the jade tally like a thief; soon, the voice of her sister, whom she hadn't heard in ten years, came through the tally: "Ye Tinglan! Are you with Lu Xingzhou!"

Even if Ye Tinglan had been beaten to death, she never would have thought that the first time she heard her sister's voice in so many years, it would be this sentence.

Yuan Muyu had just received a report from Ji Wenchuan.

Previously, Su Yuan had conveyed Lu Xingzhou's words to Ji Wenchuan and A Nuo; the two stopped waiting foolishly at the glacier. Ji Wenchuan drove a bone dragon to send A Nuo back to Xiazhou.

On the way, he reasoned he should still organize the news from Frozen Moon Cold River and report it to the Yan Lord. After careful consideration, Ji Wenchuan adopted A Nuo's suggestion, speaking only of the events and omitting any gossip. Yet he dared not deceive the Yan Lord regarding the events, especially concerning Lu Xingzhou's whereabouts, so he cautiously stated that Lu Xingzhou was currently suspected of following the Tian Yao Holy Lord south to Tian Shuang Kingdom, with an unknown purpose.

Yuan Muyu, who had previously ignored all mentions of Liu Yan'er, Shen Tang, Sheng Yuanyao, Pei Chuyun, or anything else, nearly crushed the communication jade tally to pieces at this moment.

Others would pose no threat...

Only a sister who looked very much like herself was hard to say!

Of course, by common sense, someone as rigid and old-maidish as Ye Tinglan would never have any emotional entanglement with Xingzhou; this "following south" likely involved other important matters. Yet the interaction between the two made Yuan Muyu feel as if sitting on pins and needles, unable to remain calm.

On the other end, Ye Tinglan replied leisurely: "Indeed, Lu Xingzhou is this year's Top Graduate of the Great Qian Pill Academy. As the Great Qian National Preceptor, I see potential in this young man and am bringing him along to do some work. Do you have any objections?"

"You..."

"If you are dissatisfied, return to the Tian Yao Holy Land. In the future, I can assign you to such missions as well. How about that?"

Yuan Muyu gritted her teeth: "Why would the Tian Yao Holy Lord personally contact a young man! Are you approaching him not to deal with me?"

"So what?"

"I warn you, if you dare harm a single hair on his head, do not blame me for disregarding our sisterly bond!"

"I am merely educating my younger sister; why would I harm anyone... Besides, he is such a smart person; can he not understand as clearly as you? What exactly are you afraid of?"

Yuan Muyu remained silent for a long while.

Ye Tinglan recalled that this was apparently the first time this rebellious sister had been at a loss before her; not knowing what state of mind she was in, she added another jab: "Oh my, could it be that you fear that after spending time with me, he will betray his former superior, the Yan Lord?"

Yuan Muyu immediately said: "You are overthinking it... He is merely seeing that you look somewhat similar to me and treating you as a substitute... to reminisce about an old acquaintance. Tsk tsk, the great Tian Yao Holy Lord, not ashamed of such a disgrace."

"Look at your shrewish appearance... Fortunately, we are only somewhat similar; if we were entirely alike, it would greatly affect my temperament." Ye Tinglan leisurely severed the communication.

Outside Miao Yin Mountain, many passersby suddenly wondered if an earthquake was occurring.

Inside the mountain belly, sounds of "clang clang clang" smashing and smashing seemed to come through, causing even the mountain body to shake.

(End of this chapter)