Chapter 65

Lu Xingzhou, when standing, was indeed very tall; pressing down like this, his entire body covered Shen Tang's shoulder, his face drawn extremely close.

He turned to look at Shen Tang, and Shen Tang was just turning to look at him; their faces nearly touched lips.

Shen Tang's heart pounded wildly; she hastily turned her head away and muttered weakly, "Your bones were just reconnected—they're unstable, your flesh and blood are like a pierced corpse puppet, your meridians are a mess—how dare you stand up so carelessly…"

Lu Xingzhou acted as if he hadn't heard, staring blankly at her profile.

Sweat stained her temples, her hair strands slightly disheveled; her face, whether flushed from the heat or from shame, glowed red like an apple—irresistibly alluring.

He could no longer suppress the fluttering in his heart; purely instinctively, he leaned in and gently kissed her.

Shen Tang's eyes widened; the next instant, she threw him backward in a shoulder throw, pinning him back onto his wheelchair, glaring fiercely: "You're not pretending anymore, are you?"

Lu Xingzhou pressed his lips together, his eyes filled with some unreadable emotion; after a long pause, he whispered, "Sorry, I… was too happy, I lost control."

Shen Tang's chest rose and fell as she took several deep breaths, then said coolly, "Have you… thought it through yourself?"

Lu Xingzhou did not answer; his expression flickered between light and shadow.

Shen Tang glared at him, furious to realize she wasn't angry at Lu Xingzhou's ambush—she was angry at herself.

Angry that she hadn't been more furious.

Angry that he had someone in his heart, and still teased and provoked.

The haunting words from little Bai Mao echoed repeatedly in her mind: Shouldn't you strive to become the one in his heart?

But had she prepared herself for this?

Shen Tang didn't even know if she truly liked this man. In truth, they hadn't spent much time together—yet the feeling of mutual aid, mutual redemption, deeply moved her; she found herself wanting to see him, wanting to repay him, willing to give her all to help him… and she didn't mind his small acts of taking liberties.

But such intimacy as just now—she had never imagined it, and felt it shouldn't happen.

Yet seeing him close to Miss Qingli, she couldn't help feeling a pang of sourness.

What was this?

Before their feelings were clear, how could she rashly "strive to become the one in his heart"? And how could she act on it? Could she really just lean in and kiss him? How could it be so casual?

Moreover… even if her father the Emperor didn't want her to inherit the throne, she was still a Princess; he would never wish to see his eldest daughter take a orphan from the demonic path. If she acted rashly now, and he found out, it might bring disaster upon him.

Thinking this, she murmured like a dreamer: "You're not Huo Shang, are you?"

"Yes." Lu Xingzhou sometimes wished to use this identity for his own ends, but he never concealed it from Shen Tang.

Shen Tang whispered, as if murmuring to herself: "What if I wanted you to be?"

Lu Xingzhou paused, then smiled: "If you want me to be, then I am."

He paused again, then whispered softly: "But if it's only for the Huo family's status… it's really unnecessary. Because as for status… I will have my own."

Shen Tang didn't even know why, but felt strangely off, her mind a jumbled mess, wandering aimlessly.

Lu Xingzhou's revelation made her face burn; she scolded, "Why would I care about your status… I just thought it would make things easier for you!"

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Yes."

"You…" Shen Tang kicked his wheelchair in anger: "Don't get carried away—rest properly!"

Lu Xingzhou still complied: "Yes~ Good sister."

Though said in jest, a sultry smile spread across Shen Tang's face; she leaned against his shoulder playfully, her breath warm and sweet: "Sister… hmm, is this how you treat your sister? Kissing your sister's cheek?"

Lu Xingzhou: "…"

Shen Tang lifted one finger, tilting his chin up: "Hey… the person in your heart—could it be your sister?"

Lu Xingzhou's heart leapt; he turned his head away: "What person in my heart? Don't talk nonsense…"

Come to think of it, her current teasing demeanor truly resembled Yuan Muyu from back then…

But over the past two or three years, as Lu Xingzhou grew older, becoming a strikingly handsome man, Yuan Muyu had never shown such behavior again…

Shen Tang studied his evasive expression: "Tsk—is it a female assassin from the Yanluo Palace?"

She knew the Yan Emperor was female. But few in the world had seen the Yan Emperor's true face; she assumed the Yan Emperor must be around her father's age, so she wouldn't think of that, nor would she imagine Lu Xingzhou had the audacity to fancy such a terrifying woman.

So the Yan Emperor was ruled out first.

After much analysis, she kept thinking the person in Lu Xingzhou's heart was likely a female assassin from the Yanluo Palace—perhaps they'd worked together often, and sparks had flown.

Lu Xingzhou found her question both amusing and exasperating; he gently brushed aside her index finger and smiled: "You're imagining things. Female assassins in the Yanluo Palace are subordinates—I wouldn't engage in workplace harassment."

Shen Tang didn't understand the last few words, but grasped the overall meaning: first, he hadn't denied having someone in his heart; second, he clearly didn't like subordinates—he preferred equals or superiors.

So now I'm the Sect Master, and you're the Guest Elder…

Shen Tang's heart skipped again; she could no longer maintain her teasing posture. She straightened up, deliberately ending the ambiguous atmosphere: "Your leg has healed to this point—what remains is rest and recovery. Do you want to return to Huishan to rest, or stay here where the spiritual energy is richer and better for cultivation?"

Lu Xingzhou knew she was too shy to keep up the act, and went along with the change of subject: "The Tianxing Sword Sect is currently in its accumulation phase—its industries are still expanding, and disciple selection isn't something that can be rushed. My presence above won't help much. For now, I'll stay in the cave below, repairing my Soul Banner and stockpiling pills and talismans. But keep a close eye on the Incense Burner Tower's movements—notify me immediately if they make any move."

Seeing he was cooperative, Shen Tang exhaled: "Alright."

Lu Xingzhou summoned Jin Mingxiu from his partially damaged Soul Banner: "I was too busy before to interrogate him—now's a good time."

Jin Mingxiu's soul was vacant, clearly stripped of autonomous consciousness; yet the Ten Thousand Souls Banner still retained much of his memory. Lu Xingzhou lightly pointed a finger at his forehead and asked: "Who is behind you?"

Jin Mingxiu stood motionless, seemingly unable to comprehend the question.

Lu Xingzhou switched tactics: "Which Imperial Prince are you close to?"

Jin Mingxiu answered slowly: "Prince Qi."

Shen Tang's expression changed.

Lu Xingzhou was also stunned by this answer. Prince Qi, Gu Yiheng, was the very man the Emperor had publicly blamed for the Tianxing Sword Sect massacre—deposed to commoner status and confined to his mansion. Everyone had assumed it was a sham; they thought the Emperor himself had orchestrated the massacre, and Gu Yiheng was merely being used as a scapegoat for other crimes.

But if Jin Mingxiu's master was him, then this took on a different meaning.

At the very least, it proved Gu Yiheng had indeed targeted the Tianxing Sword Sect—his infiltration had reached the level of the Sword Peak Chief… or worse, he may have willingly taken the blame for the Emperor.

Being stripped of rank and confined to his mansion didn't mean his political future was over—there was always room for rehabilitation. If he'd been playing along with the Emperor all along, then this "confinement" was merely a strategy of concealment and protection.

But no matter how much Lu Xingzhou pressed Jin Mingxiu, he answered nothing beyond the basics—his rank was too low to know much of the deeper plot.

Seeing Lu Xingzhou's grim expression, Shen Tang shook her head, halting his urge to press further: "Forget it. We just need a general idea—Jin Mingxiu couldn't possibly know the full details."

"Mm." Lu Xingzhou paused, then asked one more question: "How much do you know about the Xiazhou demon incident?"

The result of this casual, unhopeful question was an unexpected answer: "The Xiazhou demon case was never an isolated incident—cases like it are everywhere in the Great Gan. The so-called 'injured' demons were wounded on purpose, to make the city lord think there was an opening, a chance to collude with a tiger for its skin. In reality, the demons were gradually getting familiar with the corruption—either the lord would be caught with some handle and become a demon's mouthpiece, or the lord himself would be eaten by the demon, transformed and replaced."

Transformed and replaced… Shen Tang's heart shook violently. "How do you know all this so clearly?"

A sinister smile spread across Jin Mingxiu's ghostly face: "Because I once helped Prince Qi crack one such case. The prefect of our Lianshan Commandery back then was a demon… But afterward, everything went quiet, the court and the realm acted as if nothing had happened—the prefect simply 'met his end by assassination,' and that was that."

Shen Tang drew a deep breath; her palms were drenched in cold sweat.

No wonder Jin Mingxiu had said they were everywhere.

When you see one cockroach, it means the house is full of them.

And yet, while Jin Mingxiu's ghost could barely retain any other memories, this one was etched in sharp detail—the moment he opened his mouth, whole passages came pouring out. One could tell just how heavy a blow this had dealt to his state of mind back then. A swordsman who had once been sharp and resolute, reduced to what he was now—much of that likely had to do with his entire worldview being overturned.

Shen Tang was silent for a long moment, then sighed: "Give him a clean end… or wipe out his consciousness so he doesn't suffer. Can you do that?"

"I can," Lu Xingzhou said. "When I collect a soul, I never intended to keep the original memories anyway—keeping them only invites trouble, some special condition might cause a rebellion. I only kept his memories so I could question him."

"Mm." Shen Tang showed a faint smile. "Thank you."

"You and I don't need to stand on such ceremony. Your sect has plenty to handle—go back."

Why don't you and I need to say more? Who am I to you? Your elder sister?

In the end, Shen Tang never voiced that question. She turned and fled into the cave dwelling, dove into the pool to go home, not even bothering with the wheelchair.

The sensation of his sneak attack still seemed to linger on her cheek, impossible to wash away even after plunging into the pool.

(End of chapter)