Chapter 90: Pei Chuyun

The little Bai Mao who had just left a handsome declaration stumbled in fright the moment she crawled out of the cave mouth.

Beside her lay a pile of corpses from the Yin Corpse Sect; A'nu pushed Shen Tang, standing expressionless to the side.

So why did the people of the Yin Corpse Sect have to do this? They ran away and came back to deliver themselves... no, it hasn't been that long, how did they catch up? Shen Tang, weren't you in a meeting...

"Who are you calling handsome?" Shen Tang asked.

Dugu Qingli instinctively stepped back.

Shen Tang stared at her dripping-with-beauty red lips for a long while, then asked again: "So, are there some things even animals wouldn't do?"

Dugu Qingli stepped back once more.

Shen Tang asked a third time: "Is the drool disgusting?"

"... Goodbye." Dugu Qingli turned and vanished in a rainbow of light, running faster than the Hehuan Demoness, unable to answer a single question from start to finish.

She felt Shen Tang's three questions were harder to bear than her master's feather duster; her face still burned as if she had been whipped. If she were to forget something in the future, she feared that what she would recall most often in the dead of night would be these three questions.

It felt like being the mistress caught by the wife... but I was the victim of a trap; it wasn't intentional, your man kissed me...

I, Dugu Qingli, did not steal a man!

I just said your man is very handsome!

A'nu didn't care what these women were saying; now that the stinky Bai Mao who pushed the wheelchair was finally gone, she happily looked down into the cave: "Why hasn't Master come out yet?"

Shen Tang looked stern on the surface but felt extremely satisfied; this boomerang came back so quickly... let you look down on the Imperial Extreme Shocking World Scripture.

After watching the stream of light in the sky fade into the distance, she snorted from her nostrils: "You're mourning him, aren't you..."

Lu Xingzhou was indeed mourning the little Bai Mao who had run away right after their intimacy; he didn't know when they would meet again.

The Great Qian is already vast, and there is more than one nation in the world; for a swordsman like the little Bai Mao who travels the world to train, who knows where she will run to next. If fate does not align, perhaps they will never meet again in this lifetime.

To be honest, if he really wanted to force the little Bai Mao to stay, given her robotic thinking pattern, Lu Xingzhou had a hundred ways to coax her into staying, and there might even be a chance to deepen his conquest. But in the end, he didn't do so... as Shen Tang said, forcing someone to stay is selfish.

Now that the Heavenly Sword Sect is stable, her protection mission can be considered successfully completed; she should let the person go pursue their own path of the sword.

He hoped that on some future day, if fate allowed, they might meet again.

But he remained below not entirely because of this; he was still trying to figure out how to stop the magnetic field from spreading. According to the little Bai Mao, long-term exposure to this environment would endanger health and even life, so it certainly couldn't be left unchecked.

After pondering for a long time without getting anywhere, he decided to go to the Demon Suppression Bureau to find Wan Cheng first.

The moment he drove the wheelchair out of the cave, Lu Xingzhou also shuddered, nearly falling back in with both person and chair.

Shen Tang's eerie gaze was simply...

"Lu Xingzhou!" Shen Tang reached out and grabbed his collar: "It was just a tour of a magnetic field? Is this a magnetic field or a brothel!"

Lu Xingzhou raised his hands in surrender: "How did you two get here..."

"If we didn't come, would you be waiting to have a baby inside?" Shen Tang was indignant: "That day in the secret realm's water pool, I should have known... you still said it was just an accident, I believed your ghost story..."

She didn't know why; clearly, not long ago she had told Lu Xingzhou that if he had the ability, he should go chase Qingli, and rationally speaking, the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks; clearly, facing Qingli, she had retaliated with immense satisfaction, wishing to see her even more disheveled. Yet upon seeing Lu Xingzhou, an indescribable feeling suddenly arose in her heart, a mix of sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy, making her nose sting with tears.

Love truly has no logic...

Lu Xingzhou didn't bring up the fact that she had agreed and was now regretting it; he just smiled apologetically: "Actually, this was also an accident..."

"Do you dare say you don't want to?"

Lu Xingzhou paused, then had to say: "I do."

Shen Tang was stunned for a moment and didn't continue speaking.

If he had tried to cover it up or deceive her, she would have been even angrier. Being so open and straightforward made her not know what to say... after all, since they first met, he had never concealed his affection for Qingli.

"Forget it." Shen Tang said eerily: "I just interrogated the people of the Yin Corpse Sect; they said it's the Chana Hehuan Sect?"

"Mm."

"You were once of the same path; do you recognize who it is?"

This woman, though she was flying with jealousy over the little Bai Mao, still meant to seek justice for her best friend.

Lu Xingzhou shook his head: "Among those of the same path, we only occasionally cooperate and meet; we don't see each other very often. Relatively speaking, more people in the same path know me; I often represent the Yanluo Hall to negotiate matters with others, and I have also cooperated with people from the Chana Hehuan Sect... It's not strange that she recognizes me; I really don't recognize her."

Shen Tang pondered for a moment: "She must have just been cultivated out of the mountain, so her experience is insufficient, committing the error of taking things for granted. She always thought the Yanluo Hall Judge was just an intellectual role and suffered a great loss from you. This matter must be taken seriously; since she suffered a great loss, she will eventually take revenge on you."

It turned out she wasn't seeking justice for her best friend; she was afraid her man would get into trouble.

There is no woman in this world who isn't afraid of her own man being targeted by the Chana Hehuan Sect... in matters of men and women, you cannot find another more terrifying opponent.

"I will have the old members of the Yanluo Hall investigate her background." Lu Xingzhou smiled: "But there are some things you don't need to worry too much about."

Shen Tang's willow eyebrows shot up: "What things?"

Lu Xingzhou tilted his head: "The tricks of the Hehuan Sect aren't very effective against me."

"How do you know?" Shen Tang was actually made curious by this: "Even if I trust your self-control... actually, I don't really trust it..."

Lu Xingzhou: "?"

"Ahem." Shen Tang coughed dryly: "Speaking purely of their seductive arts to confuse the heart, can your cultivation withstand it?"

"Yes." Lu Xingzhou didn't want to say more, because in this aspect he really had a treasure; when he originally dealt with the Chana Hehuan Sect, Yuan Muyu had deliberately gotten him a jade pendant specifically to block such things. So his confidence in this aspect was even greater than his confidence in his own self-control.

If he were truly seduced into bed by a Hehuan Sect demoness, he would probably die without even knowing how he died.

So Shen Tang and Yuan Muyu were both worried about the same thing...

He quickly changed the subject: "The Chana Hehuan Sect is targeting Qingli; even if they retaliate now, it will be against me personally. If your identity hasn't been exposed, logically they won't target the Heavenly Sword Sect at the faction level; I know the ways of the demonic path. So you don't need to think too much about this matter; instead, you should figure out how to stop the underground magnetic field from spreading, which will affect the region, and the imperial court must take it seriously. We'll split up; you go find Wan Cheng, and I'll find the old members."

Shen Tang was still somewhat worried: "Be careful when you go out yourself. Look at this time, you just came out and got into a conflict with someone."

Lu Xingzhou asked: "Why did you arrive so quickly?"

Shen Tang turned her head away somewhat embarrassedly: "I went to find you right after the meeting; A'nu said you and Qingli came out, so I..."

Lu Xingzhou's mind flashed with Dugu Qingli's words: "Shen Tang's heart is full of you."

He sighed and said softly: "We see each other every day; there's no rush for a moment... we have a long time."

Shen Tang softly "mm"ed.

"My lord, the purpose of this visit is..." The fifth-rank assassin from the prefecture was a familiar face from before, the one who had assisted in killing the Huo Lei and Huo Ting brothers, and... the one who delivered the demon core fruit.

Seeing Lu Xingzhou approach, the assassin felt extremely uneasy; his first thought was that the fruit matter had been exposed and My Lord had discovered it was sent by the Yan Lord.

In reality, Lu Xingzhou had completely forgotten about it. Although the source of the fruit had been questionable at the time, the item was indeed useful; who had the mind to trace its origins? Besides, it was Shen Tang who had brought it over.

He asked directly: "Has the Chana Hehuan Sect recently produced a direct disciple?"

The assassin paused, then quickly replied: "Yes. She just emerged from the mountain not long ago. They say she is a once-in-a-millennium genius; at merely eighteen, she has already reached the fourth rank. If the Demon Suppression Bureau knew, she might well rank among the top on the next New Talent List."

Lu Xingzhou nodded: "That fits... What is her name?"

"Her name is quite like that of a noble lady; it is Pei Chuyun. It does not match the seductive, flirtatious names typically used by the Chana Hehuan Sect. We suspected she might be a fallen noble lady. Some even conducted covert inquiries into the Pei family, but it has not been long, and there is no further news for now."

"Tsk, how can you say 'fallen'? Do you look down on your own kind?" Lu Xingzhou patted his shoulder: "If you ask me, a noble lady joining the Hehuan Sect is called a Bodhisattva."

The assassin twitched his mouth, feeling that the Judge was somewhat different from before.

Much more cheerful... unlike the one who once silently sat in the gloomy Judge's Hall, appearing to smile while his brows and eyes were filled with darkness.

He cautiously asked: "Did this person offend My Lord?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "I offended her."

The assassin: "..."

"Is there any other information?"

The assassin had little more information and could only offer what he had for reference: "Since the Chana Hehuan Sect's master from two generations ago died at the hands of the Tianyao Holy Land, the sect has declined greatly. For the last two or three generations, no remarkable figures have emerged, and their name has almost vanished from the world. Under these circumstances, a genius has appeared; they must intend to elevate her."

Lu Xingzhou pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "I fear that is not necessarily true."

Assassinating the Tianyao Holy Maiden is of a somewhat high difficulty; that aside, the key is that she acted independently, which is a bit strange. If she were truly a treasure of the sect meant to be elevated, why would she need such heavy merit? Something moderate would suffice... This looks more like she personally wanted to achieve results to suppress others, so upon hearing the Tianyao Holy Maiden was nearby, she hastily planned the operation herself.

Thinking this way, this demoness must hate him to death...

No matter what, even if you are a Bodhisattva, you cannot compare to Little Bai Mao.

After thinking it over, Lu Xingzhou still took out some spirit stones and handed them to the assassin: "This is the commission... Keep an eye on the Chana Hehuan Sect, especially this Pei Chuyun. Notify me immediately of any movement. If you can find out where she is, that would be best..."

The assassin cautiously asked: "Should I report this to the superiors?"

Lu Xingzhou glared at him: "When you usually accept missions to spy on others' intelligence, do you report every single one to the top? Isn't that boring?"

The assassin wanted to speak but held back.

Never mind small spy missions; even assassination missions are not all reported to the top. At most, valuable intelligence is handed over to the superiors for use. But this is your, Lu Xingzhou's, mission... and it involves a woman, a demoness so beautiful she could drain a man dry.

Recalling the cold eyes beneath the Yan Lord's mask, the assassin shivered all over.

"Don't report it." Lu Xingzhou sighed: "The Yan Lord may not wish to hear news of me; don't provoke her annoyance. Besides..."

He smiled slightly: "If my name appears on the New Talent List, won't some others in the Yan Luo Hall come to trouble me?"

The assassin shook his head: "My Lord is overthinking. Actually, they dare not. No one dares to guess what the Yan Lord is truly thinking; what if they think they are flattering him but actually kick the horse's leg?"

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Aren't you afraid? Killing me might be kicking the horse's leg, and associating too closely with me might be too."

The assassin chuckled.

The fruit was given by me; how could I not know? Don't treat you as a 'former' Judge; just continue to treat you as a Judge. It's not that close anyway.

To put it plainly, the Yan Luo Hall has had no new Judge up to now; doesn't that prove something?

Anyone with a bit of sense should be able to judge this, yet the Judge, who is clearly so intelligent, seems unable to see it.

While Lu Xingzhou sought out his old subordinates for inquiries, Pei Chuyun, bent over and limping, entered the backyard of a brothel in the prefecture.

Her clothes had changed; she was no longer wearing the black cloak she had used to disguise herself as a member of the Yin Corpse Sect. Instead, she wore a plain white long dress, which, combined with her current injured state, made her look pitiful and fragile. A single glance from her eyes, filled with unshed tears, could greatly stimulate a man's desire to protect and conquer.

Even members of the Hehuan Sect themselves had to admit that the Holy Maiden was the most favored creation of the heavens in a thousand years, whether in cultivation talent or beauty.

It was broad daylight, yet the front hall of the brothel was already filled with the decadent sounds of wine and flowers. In the backyard, their Hehuan Sect's secret base, many people were also drinking and enjoying themselves.

Seeing Pei Chuyun return limping, a woman laughed and asked: "How did the Holy Maiden get injured?"

Beside the woman walked a burly man with a dazed expression; his eyes were glued to the woman from start to finish, revealing endless attachment.

Pei Chuyun's eyes held some sarcasm. Who knew this man had once been a famous sword cultivator, whose flying sword had swept through three or four prefectures... At this moment, he was no different from a dog.

"Nothing much." Pei Chuyun pretended to be nonchalant as she leaned against the side, lazily pouring herself a cup of wine and taking a light sip: "I went to investigate the so-called Tianyao Holy Maiden who appeared on the streets recently, but I fell into an ambush."

The sounds of laughter and play in the hall suddenly stopped. Everyone exchanged meaningful glances. Finally, the woman laughed softly: "To kill your way out of an ambush by the Tianyao Holy Land, the Holy Maiden has given us face... But our location hasn't been exposed, has it?"

"No."

The woman sighed: "Chuyun, listen to your senior sister's advice. Thoughts of controlling the Tianyao Holy Maiden and the like... just think of them and drop them. Why not change the target to a man? Even if he is ten times stronger than the Tianyao Holy Maiden, the difficulty for us would drop by tenfold. Men, after all..."

Pei Chuyun snorted, about to say something, when the hateful face of Lu Xingzhou suddenly flashed through her mind.

Her wine cup paused between her red lips. She asked softly: "How much do the senior sisters know about Lu Xingzhou, the former Judge of the Yan Luo Hall?"

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PS: Sneak attack 4k~ Begging for monthly tickets~

(End of this chapter)