Chapter 320: Angles (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Lu Xingzhou hadn't yet achieved the treatment of having Pei Qingyan throw open the main gate, but he'd already experienced it here with Sheng Qingfeng.

Seeing Sheng Qingfeng smiling warmly as he came out to greet him, Lu Xingzhou was utterly baffled.

Previously, this father-in-law had clearly shown his resentment toward his daughter and this yellow-haired brat—especially after Guama's grand filial piety stunt, when she took a sick leave on his behalf, his attitude had become even more obvious.

Who could have imagined he'd now come out smiling like this, his old face as bright as a chrysanthemum?

Anuo had been immediately taken off by Lady Sheng to play in the garden—Lady Sheng had always loved Anuo.

Even as he was ushered into the side hall and tea was served, Lu Xingzhou instinctively sat only on the edge of the chair, sensing something was amiss, and asked cautiously: "What does the Chief have to instruct?"

Sheng Qingfeng glanced at him, suppressing his deep resentment toward the yellow-haired brat, yet still forcing a smile: "Young nephew, what brings you back to the capital?"

"Why speak like that, Chief? I'm still a student of the Alchemy Academy."

"Don't lie to me," Sheng Qingfeng lowered his voice. "Others may not know who your mentor, Lady Ye, is—but if I, the Chief of the Demon Suppression Bureau, don't know, I might as well retire and go home!"

Lu Xingzhou thought to himself: you didn't know before—most likely, only after the battle in the sea was reported to the Demon Suppression Bureau did you deduce that Lady Ye was the State Advisor, from my and Anuo's appearance representing the Tianyao Sacred Land.

But that was only speculation; what he wanted was concrete confirmation from my own mouth.

Lu Xingzhou sat up straight and sipped his tea slowly: "Who else could Lady Ye be? She's just a top-tier alchemist from a secluded sect."

"You fucking—" Sheng Qingfeng burst out swearing, then sneered: "Think carefully—there's a difference in how I treat the disciple of the State Advisor versus the disciple of a secluded sect alchemist."

Lu Xingzhou ventured: "Then… should I go out first, and come back in through the side gate?"

The servants standing nearby couldn't help turning away to stifle their laughter; Sheng Qingfeng's face flushed through every color, then he finally sneered: "Fine, I'll let you crawl in through a dog hole."

"Is it really necessary, Chief?" Lu Xingzhou took the initiative, picking up the teapot to refill his cup, smiling apologetically: "Even if I'm not the State Advisor's disciple, I'm still a legitimate Alchemy Academy student—how can the Chief humiliate me so casually?"

Sheng Qingfeng watched him pour tea, waited until he finished, then slowly lifted his cup and took a sip: "If you appear in the capital only as an Alchemy Academy student, you'll be powerless, just as you were months ago."

"That's different—I can swear brotherhood with Acting State Advisor Su Yuan."

"Pfft…" Sheng Qingfeng spat out his tea in a spray.

"Old Sheng…" Lu Xingzhou reached over and patted his back: "Yuanyao and I are bros. Once I swear brotherhood with the State Advisor, Yuanyao becomes his brother too—your status just went up, Chief…"

"Up your ass," Sheng Qingfeng gasped several breaths, swatting his hand away. "You think I'm picking sides? I'm staying out of it!"

"If that's the case, why did you summon me?"

"I sensed you'd cause trouble—I'm warning you in advance, isn't that right?"

"Then rest easy," Lu Xingzhou grinned. "I'm a law-abiding citizen."

"A law-abiding citizen who broke into Yanyu Pavilion and knocked out Huo Heng's teeth right in front of Prince Jin?"

Lu Xingzhou said: "Chief, rest assured—such open acts of violence won't happen again."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Sheng Qingfeng's expression softened slightly, and he lowered his voice again: "I'm not pressuring you—I just don't want you to be caught with evidence because of this. Now that you've appeared in the Eastern Sea, you're not the only one who's guessed who Lady Ye is…"

"Hmm…"

"So now, Your Majesty's view of you is no longer that of a young rising talent… No matter how close you are to the State Advisor—whether you're just an ordinary student, a private disciple, or something even closer—you've become a political link between Princess Chaohuang and the State Advisor. Do you understand this concept?"

"Yeah, I understand."

"So now, you can't act as freely as before. Back then, doing outrageous things was shrugged off as youthful exuberance—people laughed, called you a prodigy, and even enjoyed seeing the Huo family humiliated. Now? Your Majesty dares not touch the State Advisor's people lightly—but if you give him a solid, undeniable violation of the law, he'll have every right to act. He's waiting for you to slip up."

Lu Xingzhou continued obediently refilling his tea: "Understood."

"Of course, it's not as if your situation is worse than before," Sheng Qingfeng said. "As long as you hold the moral high ground, even if you'd killed Huo Heng instead of just knocking out his teeth, Your Majesty couldn't touch you, no matter how furious he was. Back then, you wouldn't dare kill him—but now, if you're in the right, people will defend you."

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Still not enough… If one day, even when I'm in the wrong, someone still defends me—that's when it'll be about right."

"You're dreaming… Princess Chaohuang hasn't ascended the throne yet. Even if she does, hmph—beware of the bow being discarded after the birds are shot. She might be the one who wants you dead, right or wrong."

"... You're really laying on the poison."

Sheng Qingfeng fell silent.