Chapter 69

Sheng Yuanyao looked at him strangely: "You came all the way here just to tell me this?"

Lu Xingzhou said seriously: "This matter… if you need help, perhaps you can turn to me."

"So generous?" Sheng Yuanyao frowned. "Are you trying to trick me again?"

"It's an exchange—mutual aid," Lu Xingzhou said calmly. "If an outside sect intends to launch a genocidal war against the Xiazhouzong Sect, what does the city lord think?"

Sheng Yuanyao narrowed her eyes.

She knew of the enmity between the Incense Tower and the Tianxing Sword Sect. She had personally attended that grand ceremony and witnessed the Incense Tower guards attempt to assassinate Shen Tang; she had submitted a full report on the entire incident to the capital, as was her duty as a member of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

She didn't know the Emperor had another report, one with a different perspective, which he reviewed alongside hers.

On this single event, her report and the Emperor's agent's report differed in perspective but perfectly aligned in factual description—this had even earned her father praise from the Emperor, who commended him for raising a diligent and responsible daughter…

But Sheng Yuanyao could never have imagined that the Incense Tower would truly dare to launch a full-scale war against the Tianxing Sword Sect.

This wasn't an ordinary genocidal war—it was a sect the Emperor had explicitly "supported." How could the Incense Tower dare?

Where did they get the nerve?

So when Lu Xingzhou said this, Sheng Yuanyao's first reaction was disbelief—but seeing his expression was utterly serious, her heart grew grave: "Do you have proof for this?"

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "City Lord, though I've used you for many things, every event I've told you about was real. When have I ever completely fabricated a lie to deceive you?"

Sheng Yuanyao released An Nuo, stood up, and paced thoughtfully.

The imperial court's stance toward sect conflicts was peculiar. Officially, it was forbidden—after all, murder was a grave crime under any system.

But in a world of cultivation, some things were awkward: just as Shen Tang had "cleaned house" at her own residence by killing eight elders, Sheng Yuanyao had no authority to intervene. Nor could she intervene when someone was killed for provocation during the grand ceremony.

So could she intervene in a sect war?

If it erupted within Xiazhoucheng, she could intervene—that was her duty to the city's people. When Liu Qingcang tried to attack the Shen family's trading house, she had blocked him.

But if the battle occurred far from the city, on some remote mountain or river, the Zhenmo Bureau generally wouldn't interfere—these immortal sects were, in a sense, outside the system.

The Tianxing Sword Sect now sat on Danxia Mountain, just beyond the city's outskirts. She could intervene, and no one could fault her; she could ignore it, and no one could blame her.

So Lu Xingzhou was offering an "exchange"—her aid in return.

After a long silence, Sheng Yuanyao sighed softly: "Lu Xingzhou… Shen Tang is the Chaohuang Princess, isn't she?"

Chaohuang was an informal title given to Princess Gu Yitang at birth, reflecting Gu Zhanting's affection for her when she was still a little bundle—this affection, perhaps, faded later as more imperial princes were born, but during that brief time, his paternal love was genuine.

Alas, human hearts change easily.

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "You finally figured it out?"

"I've received too many hints already—only now realizing this makes me foolish," Sheng Yuanyao sighed. "When I came here as Zhenmo Bureau commander, my father only told me to secretly assist Shen Tang—he didn't even reveal her identity to me. You understand what that means, don't you?"

"Yes. He wanted to make an investment, but dared not do it openly—otherwise it would be seen as taking sides, and your father would never risk that."

"If so, how can I openly lead forces to aid the Tianxing Sword Sect in a sect war? Even using my title as city lord would be highly inappropriate—you're putting me in a difficult position."

"That's why I said it's an exchange," Lu Xingzhou said. "Also, I don't need the city lord to lead troops into battle."

"Oh?" Sheng Yuanyao's expression lightened slightly; she sat back down. "Then what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Those who launch attacks on other sects' mountains won't have many alchemists—combat isn't their strength. The main force will be their guardian elders, correct?"

"Correct. If they truly come to attack you, there might be a few alchemists leading, but the core will be their guardian elders."

"Sect mountains usually have powerful protective arrays—extremely dangerous. The Tianxing Sword Sect is an old third-grade sword sect; its inherited killing arrays are far sharper than the Incense Tower's. Everyone's just after alchemy resources—why risk their lives? I don't believe every guardian elder is willing to die for this."

Sheng Yuanyao raised an eyebrow: "So?"

"They're infiltrating Xiazhoucheng in batches—perfect for me to sow discord. All I need from the Zhenmo Bureau is intelligence on these people: their cultivation, backgrounds, internal sect relationships—this is your specialty, isn't it?"

"You already know they're infiltrating in batches—how can I give you such intelligence if I don't even know who's arrived?"

"City Lord, you're still investigating the demon case—searching for demon traces, screening outsiders. Do you really need me to teach you?"

Sheng Yuanyao: "…Then what exactly is your side of the exchange?"

"After this matter is settled, I'll accompany you to the prefecture. Believe me—the demon case must be investigated in the prefecture."

Sheng Yuanyao fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly: "The Incense Tower's mountain is outside the prefecture. They've sent many guardian elders to attack your sect's mountain—so their own mountain won't have many strong cultivators left, just a group of alchemists. You're going to the prefecture… to help me, or to counterattack?"

Lu Xingzhou and An Nuo blinked simultaneously.

This girl's become awfully sharp…

"Ahem." Lu Xingzhou cleared his throat. "I will consider counterattacking the Incense Tower, but the situation may not unfold as I hope—it may not succeed. Even if I do go to counterattack the Incense Tower, our paths will still coincide—Tianxing Sword Sect's strength will serve the city lord as well, jointly handling the demon case."

Sheng Yuanyao stared at him for a long while, then slowly said: "I've been used by you before—for instance, helping you intercept Liu Qingcang. I wasn't blind to it; I simply chose to secretly assist Shen Tang. This time is the same: your promise to help investigate the demon case is like a painted cake—I won't expect anything from it. I'm helping you only to secretly aid Shen Tang. You must make this clear to the Chaohuang Princess—don't take all the credit and treat me like a fool."

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Yes, City Lord."

Sheng Yuanyao leaned back wearily in her chair: "Your past methods were ruthless… whether as city lord or Zhenmo Bureau commander, I hope you'll show some restraint—don't set the mountains ablaze and slaughter every invader. If that happens and public opinion turns, I'll be in a terrible position."

Lu Xingzhou smiled plainly: "I'll follow your orders—this time will be far more peaceful than before."

"Don't call me 'City Lord'—when you say it, it always sounds sarcastic and malicious."

"It's not," Lu Xingzhou said, his smile fading, his tone serious. "When I call others 'City Lord,' I do feel sarcasm and malice—but not toward you. Whether an official deserves to be a city lord isn't just about administrative skill."

Sheng Yuanyao smiled: "Then thank you."

When the position of city lord and Zhenmo Bureau commander are combined, control over the region becomes terrifying.

Earlier, Huo Yu had ordered a search for Lu Xingzhou's whereabouts—it seemed lively for a day, but most were insincere; the Zhenmo Bureau refused to cooperate, even the government office Runners went through the motions and found no trace.

Yet just after Lu Xingzhou left Sheng Yuanyao's office, Xiazhou's Imperial Guards were dispatched in all directions, under the pretext of investigating the demon case, rigorously screening all outsiders.

This was precisely the expected duty of someone holding both positions—taking this long to act was already slow, and no one in Xiazhou found it strange; even the Incense Tower members under investigation felt nothing amiss.

By midnight, a pile of documents lay on Lu Xingzhou's desk.

Looking at the thick stack, Shen Tang felt a chill of relief. This alone proved Lu Xingzhou's judgment correct—the Incense Tower was indeed infiltrating Xiazhoucheng in batches, ready to unleash a Thunder Strike at any moment.

If they'd continued to dawdle, treating the Incense Tower with conventional hostility, they might wake up tomorrow to find the Tianxing Sword Sect's mountain destroyed without understanding how.

"Chang Qing, third-grade alchemist, team leader. Senior Elder of the Incense Tower."

"Zhu Lianfeng, third-grade Dao cultivator… joined the Incense Tower at the eighth-rank level and has been nurtured ever since—he's one of the Incense Tower's own strong ones, their first guardian."

"Zhang Shaoyou, third-grade sword cultivator… formerly a lone cultivator, stuck for over a decade trying to break through to third grade, then joined the Incense Tower and received massive alchemy support to finally break through. He became the second guardian, heavily favored by the Incense Tower's resources—a true community of shared interests…" Lu Xingzhou murmured here, then gave a faint cold smile: "Community of shared interests? Not necessarily."

"Qin Buwang, fourth-rank upper-tier Dao cultivator, like Zhang Shaoyou, also seeks to break through using the Incense Tower's pills, but after five years in the Incense Tower, he has yet to break through..."

"Zhao Guishan, fourth-rank upper-tier Martial cultivator, a body-refiner. Hired as a guard master with spirit stones and pills, he has been with the Incense Tower for two years..."

"Cao Qiang, fourth-rank upper-tier Dao cultivator, cultivated internally by the Incense Tower. Originally, as a boy, he joined the Incense Tower to learn pill refinement, but failed at it; he abandoned pills and turned to combat, becoming a formidable fire cultivator."

"Truly powerful... Money really does let you do whatever you want." Lu Xingzhou flipped through another stack of documents and sighed: "If they weren't all from far and wide, but all internally cultivated, it would be truly hard to withstand."

(End of Chapter)