Chapter 85: If You Have the Ability, Go Court Miss Qingli

Shen Tang didn't know what was wrong with herself.

Clearly, when they talked at night, she had told him "there must be no scandal"; logically, she should have kept even more distance, especially since the loyalty of Zhang Shaoyou and others accompanying them was not yet fully reliable, making it even more necessary to avoid suspicion in front of them.

Yet, because the two of them continued to pretend to be lame and needed to share the carriage, they were still alone in the small space of the carriage compartment.

That was one thing; being alone was being alone, and they had seen each other before.

But somehow, the face-to-face sitting had turned into sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. Shen Tang thought for a long time about how it started, and finally remembered that she was the one who had leaned over first...

In fact, the cause wasn't Lu Xingzhou provoking her. Lu Xingzhou had been organizing rings all the way, and then stuffed several rings into her hand: "These are spoils from the secret treasury. I kept some useful for myself and A'nuo; the rest belongs to the public treasury of Tianxing Sword Sect."

Shen Tang hadn't even thought about this batch of items, having long assumed they all belonged to Lu Xingzhou... Anyway, they had plenty of spoils too, such as the money vault, spirit stone vault, and basic resource vault of the Incense Burning Pavilion, plus storage rings seized from the opponent's experts, where individual good items might even be stronger than the sect's collection. For what Zhang Shaoyou and others seized themselves, Shen Tang hadn't made them turn them over, assuming whoever seized it kept it.

According to this custom, the secret treasury that Lu Xingzhou and A'nuo secured themselves naturally belonged to Lu Xingzhou.

Yet Lu Xingzhou actually turned most of it over to the public...

Shen Tang was momentarily stunned and didn't take them: "These are spoils from you and A'nuo."

Lu Xingzhou chuckled: "This is what everyone risked their lives for on the front lines; I was just responsible for picking up the scraps. This is public spoils."

Shen Tang's gaze gradually turned to water: "Is it because of me?"

"This is what should be done. I am a member of Tianxing Sword Sect and don't intend to view myself as separate. Theoretically, I would need your approval to take any of it; I skipped that step, kept what I wanted myself, and that is because of you."

Shen Tang felt like laughing; so giving things wasn't due to private affection, but keeping things was.

She bit her lower lip and said in a seductive voice: "Then... does this mean another reward?"

Lu Xingzhou blinked his eyes, his gaze falling on her feet again.

Shen Tang instinctively shrank back, slightly shy and annoyed: "You person, is there something wrong with you..."

We're already at the point of kissing, and you're still thinking about feet...

Is it that you like what you lack? But your feet are healed now!

Lu Xingzhou didn't know why he was so particularly interested in Shen Tang's small feet; perhaps it was the first heartbeat when treating her legs, or was it because his name contains 'boat'?

Thinking that now he could probably demand more, there was no need to just tentatively touch feet, so he deliberately said: "Then, what does the Sect Master my lord wish to bestow upon me?"

Shen Tang half-rose, looking left and right like a thief; the carriage curtain was drawn very tightly. She quickly leaned over and attacked Lu Xingzhou's face: "This is all it's worth..."

Just as she was about to sit back down as if nothing happened, her hand was grabbed, and she was pulled to his side and hugged tight.

"You... don't..." Shen Tang pushed but couldn't push him away, somewhat panicked: "There are so many people outside..."

Lu Xingzhou calmly inserted a set of array flags, surrounding the small carriage compartment: "At least it can block sound."

Shen Tang didn't even have time to refuse before her cherry lips were kissed again.

From slightly struggling to completely closing her eyes and enjoying it, only a second passed.

At this moment, Yuan Muyu was making his "That's impossible" declaration.

After all, there were people outside; even if it could block sound, it was too stimulating. Both hearts pounded wildly, and apart from the kiss, their hands and feet were stiff, daring not to move.

When they separated, Shen Tang's eyes were already full of desire, leaning weakly against his shoulder: "You really are a lecherous thief... how did I get tricked by you..."

Lu Xingzhou gently held her, inhaling the body scent so close: "Why not say I was tricked by Her Highness the Princess..."

Shen Tang raised her voice: "Where did I trick you!"

Lu Xingzhou pulled out a silk scarf with his left hand: "It started from here."

Shen Tang fell silent at once, her pretty face flushed red. Clearly, it was just a silk scarf wrapping medicinal herbs at the time, but now it had completely turned into a token of love, and was being used to tease.

But it was very likely... that what touched Lu Xingzhou's heart was indeed this incident. Before this, Lu Xingzhou clearly had many calculations and uses; after this, there were none anymore.

Seeing her look so vibrant and tempting, Lu Xingzhou's appetite was stirred, and he kissed her again.

In this passion, they forgot there were people outside. Lu Xingzhou's hand almost unconsciously began exploring her soft body.

Shen Tang was startled, nervously pressing down on his palm, and quickly glanced outside.

Just then, the north wind blew, the curtain curled slightly, revealing a crack, and the sidelong glance of Dugu Qingli flashed by outside.

That look was simply indescribable... Shen Tang felt her whole body burning, as if about to explode.

"Ahem." Lu Xingzhou was also a bit embarrassed and carefully moved his hand away.

Shen Tang angrily slapped his hand: "Pushing your luck, pushing your luck! You stinky lecherous thief!"

Lu Xingzhou kept a straight face and said nothing.

After slapping for a while, Shen Tang finally leaned back into his shoulder and said softly: "Regardless of whether it's the right occasion... I cannot respond to you. Xingzhou, do you feel it's unfair?"

Lu Xingzhou hadn't thought of such things and shook his head: "What are you thinking?"

"No, I was thinking of Qingli when I saw her..." Shen Tang hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice: "Don't you like Qingli..."

Lu Xingzhou's eyes widened: "What are you trying to say?"

Shen Tang bit her lower lip, wanting to say something but unable to speak for a long while.

Lu Xingzhou was so smart that he immediately understood her meaning, his expression extremely strange.

The meaning was that she didn't mind him courting Bai Mao, and even secretly encouraged it?

So, is the greatest benefit of traveling to ancient times this? For the first nineteen years, only the downsides were experienced; now are the upsides finally coming?

If thought about carefully, Shen Tang's idea might not be purely expressing generosity; perhaps there was also a subtle political consideration. Qingli is a direct disciple of the Holy Land; if...

It was unknown whether Shen Tang herself had thought this much; seeing Lu Xingzhou's strange expression, she also felt her stance might be too something, and stammered for a while without speaking.

Finally, she sat up angrily: "Anyway, Qingli won't find a man; no matter how much you like her, it's useless! If you have the ability, just make a move; I'd like to see if she can still maintain that ice-face."

Lu Xingzhou twitched his mouth and finally said: "What you need to consider now is how to keep her here, not all this nonsense—if you still want to keep her."

Shen Tang was stunned and fell silent.

Dugu Qingli had already expressed her desire to leave many times before; whether it was related to the accidental intimacy in the secret realm... Anyway, because the battle with the Incense Burning Pavilion was imminent, needing her powerful combat strength and Holy Land background, a bunch of twisted reasons about cultivation breakthroughs were given to keep her forcibly.

Dugu Qingli wasn't a fool. Now that the battle with the Incense Burning Pavilion is over, and in the short term Shen Tang truly has nothing that can endanger her safety, she will propose leaving again at any time; what reason will be used to keep her this time?

Should she really be made to fall in love to temper her heart?

If said directly, Bai Mao might even draw her sword and strike.

Besides, keeping someone here all the time isn't that a bit selfish...? Qingli is an unparalleled swordsman seeking the path of immortality and the sword; why keep dragging her to stay here?

The group returned to Danxia Mountain. Carrying the momentum of wiping out a sect, Shen Tang had a mountain of sect affairs to handle, so Lu Xingzhou did not follow up the mountain, returning instead to the small hut he had built by the pool at the back of the Huo residence.

With a blank expression, Qingli pushed Shen Tang, while Shen Tang stared straight ahead at the mountain path. Shen Tang had specifically sent Zhang Shaoyou and the others up the mountain first, appearing as if she had something to say to Qingli, yet the two remained silent until they were nearly halfway up the mountain without speaking a word.

Finally, Qingli broke the silence first: "You sent them away; what did you want to say to me?"

"Ahem," Shen Tang said. "You... how much did you see just now?"

"I saw things animals wouldn't do."

Shen Tang: "?"

Qingli said, "In all the animals I have seen since childhood, males and females never behaved so strangely. Isn't other people's saliva disgusting?"

"We didn't stick our tongues out... wait, no..." Shen Tang, so angry she lost her train of thought, said, "That's a kiss; both human men and women do it!"

"Is that so?" Qingli said lightly, with an expression that clearly meant she wouldn't believe it no matter what was said.

You guys even wanted to stick your tongues out... Tsk.

Shen Tang was so angry her teeth ached; the slight shame and embarrassment she had felt earlier had long since flown away. She said in a hateful voice, "Someday, sooner or later, you will know whether that is truly disgusting or not... and by then, don't come begging for it yourself!"

Qingli spoke with a tone of pity: "No wonder sword cultivation emphasizes a mind free of distractions. This is why humans must cultivate; I have finally understood. As for some techniques... sigh."

Shen Tang opened her mouth, then opened it again, only to find she had lost the ability to speak, completely at a loss on how to respond to that.

She now deeply regretted sending others away to have such private conversations with this person; she had originally hoped for a few words of encouragement and blessing, but now this best-friend friendship was gone!

Actually, she did not know that Qingli's state of mind was not as indifferent and detached as her expression suggested. Little Bai Mao did not know what that strange feeling in her heart was at the moment she glimpsed it, and aside from a few sarcastic remarks, she seemed to have nothing else to say.

After the sarcasm, seeing Shen Tang so angry she couldn't even speak, Qingli felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction in her heart.

Then, speaking leisurely, she said, "You are holding a sect meeting, so I will not participate. Now I am going to wander and train; you should have nothing left to stop me with, right?"

Shen Tang repeated the same line: "Then go ask Lu Xingzhou."

Qingli still did not understand what her farewell had to do with your man; strangely, she also felt it was appropriate to say something to Lu Xingzhou.

After delivering Shen Tang to the main hall, Qingli departed gracefully and went straight to the back mountain of the Huo residence.

This back mountain may have had a name in earlier years, but having been enclosed by the Huo family as their back mountain for decades, the original name is no longer known to anyone. Now, Lu Xingzhou has given this mountain a name himself: Spirit Spring Mountain, corresponding to the spirit spring on this mountain.

Upon returning, Lu Xingzhou sat by the pool and took out the medicinal herbs and fruits obtained from the secret vault to study.

He felt his leg recovery was still a bit slow; walking was no problem, but whenever he tried to exert force, he always felt something was missing. In this battle, he failed to utilize the information gap of his healed leg to slap faces; he only took down a minor leader, which was quite regrettable... Although he himself had little need for one-on-one combat, having always been merely a planner and supporter, a strategist who does not want to stand up and slap faces is not a good alchemist.

The Incense Tower was at least a pill-refining sect; the medicinal materials specially stored in the secret vault were obviously heavenly treasures of a rare kind, far from ordinary. He wanted to see if they would be beneficial for his leg's recovery and speed it up.

After studying them, he was somewhat surprised.

He could not identify the name of this herb, but analysis showed it was a kind of extremely deadly poison, not suitable for pill refining.

It could be stored for now; perhaps it would be useful later.

The fruit, however, was a good thing; it vigorously enhances one's qi and blood and bestows the power of dragons and elephants. For Wu Xiu, especially body cultivators, it is an excellent treasure.

However, it does not quite suit a sword cultivator like Little Bai Mao or a technique like his own, Lu Xingzhou, which harmonizes yin and yang. It is most suitable for A Nuo; she, disregarding reason, only wants energy. She looks like a tiny little ball, yet her strength is incredibly huge, making her quite suitable for this.

Next is Shen Tang; her fierce and domineering Imperial Extreme Shocking World Scripture has a certain degree of compatibility with this, but it needs to be refined with other things mixed in, otherwise eating it would turn her into Muscle Tang, which would be ridiculous.

Since considering mixing, actually, Lu Xingzhou himself and Qingli could also be considered for use; by using different herb ratios, one could highlight effects in different directions. Then, if there is any remainder, it could be arranged for the newly arrived body cultivator Zhao Guishan; his path is also quite suitable.

However, given Lu Xingzhou's current alchemy level, it would be best to wait until he levels up before refining, otherwise it would be a bit of a waste of good resources.

No wonder the Incense Tower stored these medicinal materials separately without refining them; they were not quite suitable even for their alchemist sect, so they stored them not knowing who to refine them for. But actually, that was very stupid; such things could cultivate several Wu Xiu in different directions; what's the point of hiding them away...

When Qingli arrived, Lu Xingzhou was tying up the fruits and soaking them in the spirit spring. Qingli curiously poked her head to take a look: "What is this?"

"Oh, it increases qi, blood, and strength. Later, we will refine it for everyone to cultivate their bodies. You also need to temper your bones and muscles, so you can use it too."

"Me?" Qingli fell silent for a moment: "You are so smart; you should know I am here to bid farewell. Why are you even considering me? Just use it yourselves."

At this moment, Qingli suddenly understood why she had been unable to truly leave several times.

Because for over ten years, she had trekked alone across glaciers, never cooperating with anyone to face danger together, and no one, after obtaining something, had ever considered "you can use it."

Yet this point had been seen and experienced constantly throughout these two months of life, including right now.

Lu Xingzhou finally turned to look at her and smiled slightly: "Wait a moment; A Nuo is inside the house studying something. I think you will be very interested in it."

————

PS: Another 4k, begging for monthly votes~

(End of this chapter)