Chapter 42: Dragon and Tiger Embrace

Du Gu Qingli fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Did you agree to become Shen Tang's guest minister with the intention of using her connections to one day seek revenge against the Huo family?"

Lu Xingzhou blinked in surprise: "You actually think that?"

Du Gu Qingli said: "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't think of such things… but it's you."

Lu Xingzhou let out a quiet laugh: "You're insensitive when you should be sensitive, yet overly perceptive here… because protecting Shen Tang is your top priority in your instruction set?"

"What's an instruction set?"

"Nothing… The Huo family is now trying to reconcile rather than simply kill her outright—this does indeed relate to Shen Tang. But if I told you that when I decided to help Shen Tang, I never once considered this angle, would you believe me?"

Du Gu Qingli replied seriously: "I believe you."

Lu Xingzhou was stunned again: "Why?"

"No reason. Maybe I just wanted to hear you say it—that's all."

"Would that make you feel better?"

"That would make Shen Tang feel better."

Lu Xingzhou studied her for a long moment, then finally said: "In truth, I have no confidence I can help Shen Tang achieve her goal—her goal is too vast. In this process, tangential complications should not be weighed at all."

Du Gu Qingli nodded.

Lu Xingzhou asked: "Before Yang Dechang arrived, what were you about to say to me?"

Du Gu Qingli answered simply: "Nothing."

She had wanted to ask if he would leave—but now it seemed there was no need to ask.

"Then I have something to say," Lu Xingzhou sneered. "Yang Dechang didn't come here just for me."

Du Gu Qingli blinked: "Why?"

"He must continue investigating the Huo Yu case… That's minor. Now Sheng Yuanyao is acting magistrate, and she's deeply entangled herself—she's sharp enough that Yang Dechang won't uncover anything. The real issue is…" Lu Xingzhou paused, then whispered: "If the imperial family splits into factions over succession, which side is the Huo family on?"

Du Gu Qingli thought carefully, then shook her head: "I don't know about such things."

"On the surface, the Huo family are the Emperor's lone loyalists, favoring no Imperial Prince—seemingly unrelated. But from their concealment of medicinal secrets from the Emperor, it's clear they're securing a backup plan and have secretly backed another prince. Whoever they've chosen won't want to see Shen Tang rise; their overture to me is meant to lull her into complacency, but in truth, they'll soon begin suppressing the Tianxing Sword Sect—and it will start immediately."

Du Gu Qingli's heart tightened. After careful thought, she realized this conclusion held no flaw.

The Huo family is hiding something major from the Emperor—they must be securing a backup plan.

"So although Shen Tang appears to have cleared the gloom and is rising, she will immediately face suppression—not just from the malice of the Imperial Princes, but from Xiazhou's local powers. They don't know who Shen Tang is, but no one wants a powerful sword sect rising right beside them. This mindset is easily exploited by the princes, turning her into a target for all." Lu Xingzhou shook the land deed in his hand: "Now, ten li of farmland, two continuous mountains, a scene of myriad wonders—enough to draw Xiazhou's attention…"

Du Gu Qingli drew in a sharp breath: "They gave you this land deed intending to provoke Xiazhou's people?"

"Of course. Why else would they be so generous… Pretending to reconcile grievances? Pfft."

Du Gu Qingli truly admired these people's cunning—such a simple matter concealed so many hidden meanings. And she admired even more how Lu Xingzhou, while feigning entanglement with Yang Dechang, instantly saw through everything.

"You know this land deed is malicious—so why accept it?"

"Why not take what's offered? Growth is inevitable, and growth must clash with local powers. If you lack even this mental preparation, what's the point of playing this game…" Lu Xingzhou said coolly: "I've wanted the Huo mansion for a long time. Under this temptation, everything is worth it."

Du Gu Qingli said: "I've secretly investigated the Huo mansion—it holds nothing."

"What's the difference between secret investigation and open investigation? No matter how thorough you are, you can't dig three feet deep or connect the entire terrain—including Danxia Mountain—as a whole system. But now the conditions are in place."

The entire terrain…

Du Gu Qingli stood frozen. She had never considered this.

"For the past six months on Danxia Mountain, I've gazed downward daily, sketching the contours in my mind—I've got a rough idea, but it needs verification." Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Now I just wait for Shen Tang to return, to see how her connection with Liu Yan'er unfolds."

Lu Xingzhou said no more, lowering his head to quietly prepare his topical ointment.

The sky gradually turned dusk. The two sat in silence—one mixing medicine, one guarding—without a word.

Du Gu Qingli remained lost in thought. For some reason, she could see her master's shadow in this mere seventh-rank man.

That gaze, surveying the whole picture, as if piercing through the mist of time and space.

And this man was strange—when others were around, he joked endlessly about "goodbye, Bai Mao," but when alone, he never made any teasing remarks. It felt disjointed. She had originally been reluctant to guard him, but now it seemed no burden—he was even more serious than Shen Tang, and somehow, one could sense he had much to teach.

If Lu Xingzhou knew her thoughts, he'd likely tell her: group chats and private chats are different. When the relationship hasn't reached that point, words that are jokes in a group become harassment in private—that wouldn't be good.

In the stillness, long moments passed, until distant A Nuo's laughter echoed as she pushed the wheelchair: "That flower-and-willow man is ridiculous—he actually thinks he's the Danxia Boss, hahaha…"

The wheelchair reached the door, and the laughter abruptly stopped.

A large and a small figure peered inside: in the twilight's afterglow, Lu Xingzhou was absorbed in brewing ointment, the white-haired girl standing quietly beside him—the scene stirred an odd feeling in both their hearts.

Lu Xingzhou didn't look up: "Did it succeed?"

"It did." Shen Tang entered, smiling: "Say she's foolish? She's not. Actually, it was she herself who secretly spread the rumor about selling Danxia Gang—she'd long wanted to shed that flower-and-willow man. We came calling, and it was perfect timing. She only asked for one extra condition—and you predicted even that…"

Lu Xingzhou held back a laugh: "Treatment for venereal disease."

"Yes." Shen Tang grinned: "I gave her the pills I prepared. Without hesitation, she handed over the entire Danxia Gang—including the boss token. All she asked for was a pile of silver notes…"

A Nuo chimed in: "When she left, Bai Chi spotted her and shouted for Danxia Gang members to stop her. Master, guess what happened?"

Lu Xingzhou thought: "I bet Bai Chi got beaten up by Danxia Gang members."

"Haha!" A Nuo laughed. "Exactly. Danxia Gang members had been enjoying the past six months—everything fell apart after he showed up. They already hated him to the bone. Then he put on airs, ordering them to chase after the deputy boss—and nearly got beaten to death."

"As expected—he lives up to his name: Bai Chi." Lu Xingzhou smiled at Shen Tang: "You needed recruits anyway—how are Danxia Gang's people?"

"At least there are plenty." Shen Tang blinked. "We can screen them—excellent ones absorbed, weaker ones placed in the outer sect."

"Then congratulations, Young Lady—no longer will you worry about being too few in number after taking Danxia Mountain."

"And congratulations, Chief Alchemist Lu Xingzhou of Danxia Gang—you now reign over your former domain."

A Nuo huddled in the corner, Du Gu Qingli held her sword, both expressionless. Tomorrow, move the Household Registry Office here—why not just sign a marriage contract right here?

"I'm the master? I'm just a guest minister." Lu Xingzhou chuckled. "Oh, no—I'm the landlord."

Shen Tang huffed: "We don't have to rent this place anymore. Danxia Mountain is mine now—including the portion that used to be yours."

Lu Xingzhou pulled out the Huo mansion land deed: "Then what about this? Including the farmland and the back mountain."

Shen Tang's eyes widened: "How did you get this?"

Lu Xingzhou snorted, voice laced with sarcasm: "I'm Huo Shang…"

Shen Tang's expression was utterly strange. When they had first met, Lu Xingzhou had casually painted a rosy picture, saying it was an excellent direction for expansion. In less than a month, it had actually come true, just like a dream.

Lu Xingzhou set the freshly brewed medicinal paste on the desk to cool, turned his head, and smiled: "The dusk glow — the view is just right. I wonder if the two of you would be interested in touring Danxia with me, looking down upon the land that belongs to us?"

Shen Tang blinked and smiled: "It would be an honor."

Miss Qingli glanced over — A-Nuo was still standing behind Shen Tang's wheelchair. With Lu Xingzhou's talk of the overall terrain on her mind, she didn't think much of it, and casually grabbed the handles of Lu Xingzhou's wheelchair and pushed it outward.

A-Nuo: "?"

Which Bai Mao was it that said she wouldn't fight me for the spot of pushing the wheelchair?

It's only been a few days, and she's already brazenly snatching it right in front of me!

She gazed at her master hopefully, hoping her master would say something, but Lu Xingzhou said nothing, leaning back in his wheelchair with a smile as he went out.

So love really does fade, doesn't it?

A-Nuo pushed Shen Tang out in a daze. Along the way she saw many disciples of the Heaven-Traveling Sword Sect and the Danxia Gang apprentices taken in earlier; seeing the sight of these four people and two wheelchairs, they all smiled, and not a single one noticed that the person pushing the wheelchair wasn't quite right.

A-Nuo was very angry — what kind of people are these, not a shred of perceptiveness!

This place was truly very close to Danxia Mountain, and before long they had returned to the mountains.

Lu Xingzhou pointed at the cliff's edge halfway up the mountain where they had first met: "Back then you were watching the evening glow here — did you notice that the sunset's rosy light was blocked quite a bit by the mountain over there?"

Shen Tang pondered briefly and understood what Lu Xingzhou meant: "You mean these two mountains are of equal height?"

"Not just equal — identical, even the shapes are similar. I observed for a long time before reaching this conclusion." Lu Xingzhou gestured for everyone to keep going up, and when they reached the highest point: "You two should both be able to levitate briefly, right?"

"We can." Shen Tang understood the meaning, slapped the wheelchair's armrest, and shot straight up into the air, hovering high above to look down.

Miss Qingli followed up as well. The two of them looked down for a while, and their hearts shook violently.

The so-called two mountains of equal height were not the twin-breast shape that was the first impression — they were extraordinarily like a yin-yang fish, the form of yin embracing yang!

Even more astonishing, this yin-yang fish also looked extremely like a dragon and a tiger: Danxia Mountain's side was the dragon, and the rear hill of the Huo residence was the tiger shape. The mountain pass where the two met was the dragon-tiger's very heart.

(End of chapter)