Chapter 60: Know Yourself and Know the Enemy

Sheng Yuanyao looked at him strangely: "You ran here specifically just to tell me this?"

Lu Xingzhou said seriously: "This matter... If you need help, maybe you can find me."

"So good?" Sheng Yuanyao was suspicious: "Don't you want to pit me again?"

"Exchange only, mutual help." Lu Xingzhou said frankly: "If there is a foreign sect force that wants to launch a sect-extermination war against the Xiazhou sect, what does the City Lord think?"

Sheng Yuanyao narrowed her eyes.

She knew the hostile relationship between the Burning Incense Tower and the Profound Heaven Sect. She participated in that ceremony herself and saw with her own eyes the Burning Incense Tower guards assassinating Shen Tang. She wrote this whole incident into a report and reported it to the capital, which was an occupational disease of being a commander of the Demon Suppression Division.

It’s just that she didn't know that the Emperor had other reports from other perspectives, and looked at them together with hers.

On this incident alone, her report and the report of the Emperor’s people had different perspectives, but the expression of the incident could be completely corresponded. This matter even made her father praised by the Emperor, saying that he taught his daughter well and was serious and responsible...

But no matter what, Sheng Yuanyao didn't dare to think that the Burning Incense Tower would really dare to go to war with the Profound Heaven Sect.

This was not an ordinary extermination war, this was a sect that the Emperor clearly indicated to "support". How did the Burning Incense Tower dare to do this?

Where did the courage come from?

So much so that Lu Xingzhou said this, Sheng Yuanyao’s first reaction was not to believe it, but looking at Lu Xingzhou’s expression that didn't look like a joke at all, her heart became heavy: "You said this, is there any basis?"

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "City Lord, although I have used you for many things, the events have always been true. When have I ever completely fabricated and lied to you?"

Sheng Yuanyao let go of Anuo and got up to pace and ponder.

The court’s attitude towards sect struggles was very special. Theoretically, it was forbidden. After all, killing was a serious crime in any system.

But in the world of cultivation, some things were very embarrassing, just like Shen Tang "cleaning up the sect" and killing eight elders in her own home before, she, Sheng Yuanyao, couldn't manage it. Those who were killed for provocation at the ceremony, she couldn't manage it either.

Then, could she manage sect wars?

If it broke out in Xiazhou City, she could manage it, which was responsible for the people of Xiazhou City. Liu Qingcang’s attempt to attack the Shen family business was blocked by her.

And if it broke out in those famous mountains and rivers far from towns, the Demon Suppression Division generally wouldn't manage it. This kind of immortal gate was in a sense outside the system.

Now the Profound Heaven Sect was located on Danxia Mountain, which belonged to the suburbs and mountains, rubbing the edge. It was normal to manage it, and no one could say anything if she didn't manage it.

So Lu Xingzhou wanted to "exchange", in exchange for her help.

After a long while, Sheng Yuanyao sighed in a low voice: "Lu Xingzhou... Shen Tang is Princess Zhaohuang..."

Zhaohuang, the unofficial title given to Princess Gu Yitang when she was born, highlighted the love Gu Zhanting had for her when she was a little dumpling. This love might have faded with the birth of the princes one by one, but the fatherly love at that time was not fake.

It was a pity that people’s hearts change.

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "You finally see it?"

"I have already received too many hints. It is already considered dull to see it now." Sheng Yuanyao sighed: "Before I came here to be the commander of the Demon Suppression Division, my father just asked me to secretly help Shen Tang, and didn't even reveal her identity to me. You know what this means..."

"Hmm, want to make an investment, but dare not be open and honest, otherwise it is difficult to avoid being interpreted as standing in line. Your father wouldn't do that."

"Since this is the case, how can I openly lead the crowd to help the Profound Heaven Sect fight a sect war? Even in the name of the City Lord, it is very inappropriate. You are giving me a problem."

"That’s why I said exchange." Lu Xingzhou said: "Besides, you don't need the City Lord to lead the crowd to participate in the war."

"Oh?" Sheng Yuanyao’s expression looked better, and she finally sat back in the chair: "Then how do you want me to take action?"

"Those who come out to attack other people’s mountain gates must not have many alchemists. After all, fighting is not the strength of alchemists. Basically, it is their guardian powerhouses who take action, right."

"Yes. If they really come to attack you, at most there will be a few alchemists leading, and the main body must be their guardians."

"Sect mountain gates often have mountain-protecting formations, which are very dangerous. The Profound Heaven Sect is also an old third-rank sword sect. The killing formation passed down is much sharper than the Burning Incense Tower. Everyone is for a little pill resource, so why risk their lives... I don't believe that every guardian powerhouse is willing to risk their lives to go through fire and water."

Sheng Yuanyao raised her eyebrows: "So?"

"Now they are infiltrating Xiazhou in batches, which just gives me the opportunity to divide and stir up trouble. I only need the Demon Suppression Division’s information about these people, cultivation, background, sect relationships, etc. This is the profession of the Demon Suppression Division."

"You know that they are infiltrating Xiazhou secretly in batches. I don't even know who came, so how can I give you this kind of information?"

"City Lord, you are still investigating the demon case. Searching for clues of demons in the city, screening outsiders, do you still need me to teach you?"

Sheng Yuanyao: "...Then what is your so-called exchange, how to help me?"

"After this matter is over, I will accompany you to the county. Believe me, the demon case must be investigated in the county."

Sheng Yuanyao was silent for a moment and said gloomily: "The Burning Incense Tower is in the mountains outside the county. They sent a large number of guardian powerhouses to attack your mountain gate, so the powerhouses remaining in their own mountain gate will not be many, leaving a group of alchemists there. You go to the county, is it to help me, or to counterattack?"

Lu Xingzhou and Anuo blinked at the same time.

This melon sister has become much more alert...

"Cough." Lu Xingzhou coughed: "I will indeed consider counterattacking the Burning Incense Tower, but the situation may not be as I thought, and it may not necessarily be successful. Even if I go to counterattack the Burning Incense Tower, we are on the same road, and the power of the Profound Heaven Sect will also be used by the City Lord to deal with the demon case together."

Sheng Yuanyao stared at him for a long time before saying slowly: "I have been used by you for some things before, for example, helping you intercept Liu Qingcang last time. It’s not that I don't know, but I have the intention to secretly help Shen Tang. This time is the same. Your so-called helping to investigate demons is like drawing a cake right now. I won't have any expectations. The reason I help you is still to secretly help Shen Tang. You must make these clear to Princess Zhaohuang, don't make it all your credit, and treat me as a fool?"

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Yes, City Lord."

Sheng Yuanyao leaned back on the chair somewhat tiredly: "Your previous style of doing things was quite vicious... Whether as a City Lord or a commander of the Demon Suppression Division, I hope you can restrain yourself a little, don't make a burning mountain, kill the invaders, etc., then when public opinion rises, it will make it very difficult for me."

Lu Xingzhou smiled very simply: "Listen to the City Lord, this time it will definitely be much more peaceful than before."

"Don't call me City Lord anymore. This word comes from your mouth, and it always makes me feel a kind of ironic malice."

"No." Lu Xingzhou put away his smile and answered very seriously: "I call other City Lords, but I really have a bit of ironic malice in my heart, but I don't have it for you. Whether an official is worthy of being a City Lord depends not only on whether he can do government affairs."

Sheng Yuanyao laughed: "Then thank you."

When the position of City Lord and the commander of the Demon Suppression Division are combined, the ruling power over the place is very terrifying.

At the beginning, Huo Yu asked people to search for Lu Xingzhou’s traces. It seemed lively for a day, but in fact, there were many who followed the rules and disobeyed. The Demon Suppression Division did not cooperate at all, and even the government office runners were just going through the motions, and didn't even find a shadow.

And this time, not long after Lu Xingzhou left Sheng Yuanyao’s office, the cavalry of Xiazhou City went out, under the name of investigating the demon case, and screened outsiders on a large scale, very seriously.

This matter itself was the due meaning of letting Sheng Yuanyao concurrently serve as City Lord. It had been so long before it started to make a move, which was already considered very slow. No one in the whole Xiazhou felt strange, and the Burning Incense Tower people who were checked didn't feel anything wrong.

Late at night, a pile of materials was placed on Lu Xingzhou’s desk.

Looking at this large stack of materials, Shen Tang felt a lingering fear. Not to mention anything else, this first proved the correctness of Lu Xingzhou’s judgment. The Burning Incense Tower was really infiltrating Xiazhou in batches, and I don't know when it would launch a thunderous blow.

If they were still planning to pull and pull with the Burning Incense Tower in a conventional hostile way, maybe tomorrow the Profound Heaven Sect mountain gate would be lifted and they wouldn't know what was going on.

"Chang Qing, third-rank alchemist, leader. Great Elder of the Burning Incense Tower."

"Zhu Lianfeng, third-rank Dao cultivator... joined the Burning Incense Tower since the eighth rank, and has been cultivated until now. He is a powerhouse of the Burning Incense Tower itself, the first guardian."

"Zhang Shaoyou, third-rank sword cultivator... originally a loose cultivator, lingered on the road to breaking through the third rank for more than ten years, and then joined the Burning Incense Tower to get a lot of pill assistance, thereby breaking through the third rank. Since then, he has been the second guardian, and resources have been extremely tilted in the Burning Incense Tower. He is a community of interests... " Lu Xingzhou read to here in a low voice, sneering slightly: "Community of interests? Not necessarily."

"Qin Buwang, fourth-rank upper-level Dao cultivator, like Zhang Shaoyou, also hopes to break through with the help of Burning Incense Tower pills, but currently joined the Burning Incense Tower for five years and hasn't broken through yet..."

"Zhao Guishan, fourth-rank upper-level Wu Xiu, body refiner. He is a guardian martial artist hired by spirit stones and pills, and has joined the Burning Incense Tower for two years..."

"Cao Qiang, fourth-rank upper-level Dao cultivator, cultivated by the Burning Incense Tower itself. Originally, he worshipped the Burning Incense Tower to learn alchemy when he was a teenager, but he didn't learn alchemy well, abandoned alchemy and turned to war, becoming a quite strong fire-type practitioner."

"It’s really strong... having money is doing whatever you want." Lu Xingzhou flipped through the materials, sighed: "If it weren't for being from all over the world, all cultivated by themselves, it would be really hard to resist."