Chapter 25: Raising Hatred

The man in black lowered his head, then stole another glance at him.

You still say you're just a client? Our rules are loose. Why would a client get angry... and scold me? Can a client even scold me like that...

A'nuo sat to the side, munching on sweet potatoes, and sighed like a little adult.

"Forget it." Lu Xingzhou took a deep breath to calm himself, then said lightly: "Your branch stationed in Xiazhou is simply too weak in power. Submit a request upward and send us an expert."

The man in black asked cautiously: "What deadline? What requirements?"

"Must arrive before nightfall tomorrow. What level can you send?"

"Tomorrow night..." The man in black calculated: "With this timeframe, even if we send someone via communication talisman at maximum speed, the journey won't be short enough. At best, we can only dispatch someone of the fifth grade from the commandery. If we also have to deliberately avoid those people, the number of people who can come becomes even harder to gauge. The only thing we can confirm is one person."

"That's enough. I didn't want someone too high-level to begin with; the higher the level, the easier it is for those people to know I'm here. Fifth grade is perfect and fits this mission well." Lu Xingzhou forced a faint smile and handed over two silver ingots: "This is a deposit... Anything higher, I actually can't afford right now."

The man in black's expression turned very strange: "I cannot accept this money..."

"No, you must accept it."

"That's still way too much..."

"Take the extra money, gather some people, and secretly monitor the Huo family's movements. Once Huo Yu leaves his house, immediately do something for me..."

Sheng Yuanyao stepped into the Huo residence.

She had been working overtime these past two days investigating the demon case, but no leads had been found externally for the time being.

She had also refrained from raising the alarm regarding the suggestion by Miss Qingli to visit the condemned prisoners, planning instead to find a proper excuse to probe quietly. At this moment, Huo Yu had invited her to the Huo residence to discuss the Huo family murder case and the matter of Huo Shang in detail.

Sheng Yuanyao was exhausted from the case investigation and truly did not want to go. Frankly, as a ranked official of the Demon Suppression Bureau, Huo Yu was merely a young master with no official post. Even with a modicum of etiquette, Huo Yu should have come to see her, yet he invited her so arrogantly, which was utterly repulsive.

But unfortunately, her father only held a deputy position, not the seat of the Chief. Only the Chief of the Demon Suppression Bureau is a first-grade high official. To gain the Huo family's full respect, she would need to remove the word "deputy."

To avoid causing trouble for her father, Sheng Yuanyao, despite her repulsion, entered the Huo residence unwillingly.

Upon entering the main hall, she saw a scene of decadent singing and dancing. Huo Yu was hugging a maid and biting her wildly, while another maid beside him peeled grapes and fed them to him whenever there was a gap.

Sheng Yuanyao's face turned as black as a pot bottom.

This was far too disrespectful... Let alone that she was a woman, this could even be considered harassment.

Some people were even thinking of arranging a marriage between her and this scoundrel. Truly disgusting. Fortunately, her father did not wish to get too involved with the Huo family and directly declined politely; otherwise, merely discussing such a matter could become a stain on her record.

An image of Lu Xingzhou inadvertently crossed her mind... If he were Huo Shang, then truly none of the Huo family's sons could compare.

Fortunately, the Huo family was not so brain-dead as to make the Deputy Chief of the Demon Suppression Bureau an enemy for no reason, so Huo Yu truly dared not flirt with her. Glancing at Sheng Yuanyao's blackened face, Huo Yu finally did not go too far. He cleared his throat, let go of the maid in his arms, and straightened his posture: "Young Lady Sheng, please sit. It has been a few months since we last met, hasn't it?"

Sheng Yuanyao adopted a strictly official attitude and sat in a guest seat to the side: "Let's skip the small talk... The details of the case are clearly written in my report, which Young Master Huo should have read."

"Indeed, I have read it." Huo Yu looked at Sheng Yuanyao with a touch of pleasant surprise, thinking inwardly that while this woman was beautiful, her wild, running-around-the-capital demeanor back in the capital had given him no impression. Now that she had become the top official in a small place, wearing a large cloak and resting her hand on the waist sword, her pretty face set sternly, she possessed a dignified aura that inexplicably made her seven or eight times more alluring. It hadn't been that long ago...

"Since you have read it, and the old steward is now fully lucid, asking him would be far more direct than asking me, Young Master. What is it you wish to ask me to come here for?"

Huo Yu barely concealed the desire in his eyes and tried to look serious: "Naturally, I am asking about clues regarding Huo Shang. Young Lady Sheng has investigated for so long; surely you have made some progress?"

Sheng Yuanyao remained expressionless: "I apologize. Yuan Yao's abilities are insufficient; I truly found no clues. That is why I need Young Master Huo to take personal action, is it not?"

Actually, upon hearing this, Sheng Yuanyao was completely baffled as to what Huo Yu was doing.

You, Huo Yu, came to investigate clues about Huo Shang and discovered him, intending to execute him directly. Yet you made such a grand spectacle, letting the whole city know. If Huo Shang was truly hiding here, he would have fled long ago! What exactly are you here for? Just to return home in glory and show off your power? It is completely putting the cart before the horse.

However, what Huo Yu said next shocked Sheng Yuanyao even more: "If I, Huo, step forward and resolve this matter, would it count as a merit for Young Lady Sheng? How would Young Lady Sheng wish to thank me?"

Sheng Yuanyao almost vomited: "This is Young Master Huo's own family grudge. If I do not thank you, will you not investigate? Then please enjoy your food and drink, and return to the capital after your meal."

"I, Huo, have never placed that bastard in my eyes. Back then he was a useless waste; how strong could he possibly be now?" Huo Yu chuckled, then said: "I heard Young Lady Sheng previously investigated a cripple named Lu Xingzhou. Is it possible he is Huo Shang?"

Sheng Yuanyao clearly felt there was still a certain possibility that Lu Xingzhou was indeed Huo Shang, but she answered: "He should not be. I know all the young masters of the Huo family; they all share similar features. This Lu Xingzhou bears no resemblance to any of them, nor does he show even a trace of your father's appearance."

"Could his appearance have been altered? Or concealed by some technique?"

"... His face bears no such traces." Sheng Yuanyao actually wanted to say he was far more handsome than any of you, and that your faces were the ones that had been altered.

Huo Yu sneered: "His mother was a lowly concubine; perhaps he takes after his mother."

Sheng Yuanyao finally could not help but frown: "What is the meaning of Young Master Huo saying these things?"

"Better to kill by mistake than let one escape. Even if he is not him, does that mean we cannot kill him?"

Sheng Yuanyao suddenly stood up and said sternly: "I, Sheng, as the Commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau, will not stand idly by while such indiscriminate killing of innocents occurs!"

"A joke, a joke. Why is Young Lady Sheng so nervous?" Huo Yu smiled and pressed his hand down: "I did not expect Young Lady Sheng to be so upright and heroic now, truly inspiring a new respect. Hmm... it is almost time for a meal. Why not share lunch together?"

Sheng Yuanyao suppressed her nausea: "Yuan Yao still has official duties and will not disturb Young Master Huo further. If there are no other urgent matters, I take my leave."

Watching Sheng Yuanyao stride away, Huo Yu's gaze turned somewhat vicious: "Ungrateful."

Liu Qingcang emerged from behind, smiling apologetically: "How was it? I told you there must be something between Sheng Yuanyao and Lu Xingzhou. I strongly suspect Lu Xingzhou is Huo Shang, and Sheng Yuanyao is covering for him. Otherwise, how could the dignified Commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau, after investigating for so long, find not a single clue? If she herself was assisting in the cover-up, it would make sense."

"A mere seventh-grade Wu Xiu cripple, plus a child who has just entered the ranks?" Huo Yu almost laughed: "It seems Father sending so many guards for me was overkill. Uncle Fu, you go handle it. Just don't kill him. Whether he is truly Huo Shang or not, we must bring him back to confirm, lest the real Huo Shang slip away in the confusion."

The old man standing behind him bowed slightly and soon vanished.

Huo Yu sighed: "Liu Qiang, you are a dignified sixth-grade Wu Xiu, leading a great sect, yet you were brought to this state by a mere cripple? In the face of absolute strength, schemes are useless. If he trapped you, why didn't you kill him?"

Liu Qingcang also sighed: "How I wish I could. But either Sheng Yuanyao obstructed me, or it was Shen Tang. This cripple certainly has great romantic fortune."

"Romantic fortune?" Huo straightened up slightly: "Does that mean Shen Tang is as beautiful as Sheng Yuanyao?"

Liu Qingcang spoke with utter sincerity this time: "She lives up to her name. Like a begonia in full bloom, her elegance is unparalleled... Unfortunately, she is also a cripple."

Huo Yu's eyes lit up, and he suddenly stood up: "The Shen Trading House that occupies your former base?"

Liu Qingcang secretly rejoiced: "Yes, but Young Master must note that there is a woman with white hair and blue eyes by her side. Her cultivation is strange, and her sword path is extremely strong..."

"A woman with white hair and blue eyes?" Huo Yu was actually not interested in this. Frowning, he said: "With such a monstrous appearance and such great strength, how could her name not be known? Her strength must be limited, no matter how great. Sect Leader Liu, you are really getting worse and worse..."

Liu Qingcang thought that Huo Yu should be able to handle it anyway, so he did not offer further warnings, merely smiling apologetically: "Yes, yes, yes. With Young Master taking action, it will surely be an easy capture."

"Then let's go." Huo Yu waved his fan and leisurely walked out: "Let me see that unparalleled cripple."

Huo Yu led his guard squad, and the group crossed the estate, heading straight for the Shen Trading House.

Before they even reached the gate, a subordinate behind them shouted in panic: "Young Master! Young Master! Bad news! The steward has been kidnapped! A blood-red character 'Shang' was left on the wall!"

Huo Yu stopped abruptly, casting an unsettled glance at the Shen Trading House just a stone's throw away, his face shifting between green and white. After a long moment, he gritted his teeth and decided: "Return first. Huo Shang is the priority. The matter of the Shen family can wait."

Inside the merchant house, listening to the subordinate report that Huo Yu had led his crowd and arrived only to be drawn away by other matters, Shen Tang fell silent for a long time, then said in a low voice, "My judgment was correct, wasn't it?"

Du Gu Qingli remained silent.

He had truly attracted Huo Yu's gaze, exposing himself to the eye of the storm, all to avoid dragging them into trouble.

Yet this was not merely avoiding trouble; this was already protection.

His sudden demand to treat his leg had indeed been a form of "settling affairs"; should he fail, the prescription for Shen Tang would remain.

"Keep watch on Huo Yu," Shen Tang said indifferently. "Our time to act will come."

(End of this chapter)