Chapter 88

Lu Xingzhou asked with a smile, "Is it the 'green' of red and green?"

Pei Chuyun sneered slightly. Instead of answering him, she changed the word: "The 'zao' of 'zao-fu'."

She thought to herself that this pretty boy, despite looking like a refined young master from a noble family, was likely just a flashy spearhead—a strategist who could only come up with devious ideas but had no real substance. He probably wouldn't even understand this reference to 'zao-fu'.

Lu Xingzhou tapped his fingers on the table and said leisurely, "Fire dragons on the robes, algae patterns on the sashes; you come from an extraordinary background, Miss."

Pei Chuyun was stunned, and her expression shifted slightly.

Lu Xingzhou also thought to himself that the guesses made by Ying Shuang and the others—that her background might be that of a young lady from a great family—actually held some truth. Cultivation texts contained many obscure characters, but they generally wouldn't feature these kinds of terms... these terms referred to cushions for precious jade, pendants, and carved decorative patterns—the kind of "culture" only played with by families of great wealth and status.

Because he was physically inconvenienced and had spent so many years sitting in the Yama Hall without a phone or computer, he had only books for entertainment outside of his cultivation. He had unknowingly read extensively, which was how he knew these things; ordinary cultivators would never bother with such useless trivia.

Could it really be the Pei family... that would be no worse than the Huo family. How could a young lady of the Pei family end up in the Enchantress Joyous Sect?

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Regardless of whose young lady you are, you surely don't want people to know you're traveling alone, so I won't ask further. Come, the ribs here are quite good; have some, Miss."

As he spoke, he actually picked up a new pair of chopsticks and placed a piece of rib for Pei Chuyun, truly showing meticulous consideration.

Pei Chuyun suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and whispered, "Thank you, Young Master."

A-Nuo poked at her bowl with her chopsticks and looked at her Master strangely. *Are you really trying to pick up girls, Master?*

But then she heard Lu Xingzhou smile: "Miss A-Zao, is there anywhere you'd like to visit after the meal? My disciple and I are here for the first time; we could go together."

Pei Chuyun said, "I heard that the Hongfa Temple in Menggui City is magnificent and bustling with pilgrims; I'd like to see it."

"Alright, then let's go to Hongfa Temple."

Pei Chuyun lowered her head to eat.

The atmosphere of the meal was somewhat strange.

Lu Xingzhou was the perfect picture of a refined young master from a decadent world, chatting up a beauty he’d met while traveling. He appeared gentle and elegant on the surface, but in reality, he was shamelessly trying to stick by her side. Even the diners nearby were cursing him under their breath as a scoundrel.

Yet this scoundrel looked the part, was graceful, and frequently came out with witty remarks that made the beauty cover her mouth and laugh.

The diners felt miserable, thinking they lacked both his looks and his culture.

In truth, Pei Chuyun didn't want to laugh at all. Even though some of Lu Xingzhou's jokes were genuinely funny, her mind was entirely occupied with wondering when this would end... her laughter was all an act.

Eating face-to-face like this left no room for physical contact, making it impossible to secretly cast her techniques.

Then again, when she had fallen into his arms earlier to cast a spell, he had consciously blocked it in advance. What about this time?

Pei Chuyun no longer dared to hold onto her previous confidence regarding whether Lu Xingzhou had recognized her. On the surface, it was a chance encounter thousands of miles away, and he was the one who invited her to eat; it shouldn't be linked to the enchantress of the Enchantress Joyous Sect. However, having suffered enough losses, Pei Chuyun couldn't help but feel a bit insecure and decided to spend more time with him before making a move.

If he truly hadn't seen through her and was just flirting with a beauty he met on the road, then she could really make him pay later.

After finally finishing the meal, A-Nuo pushed her Master toward the so-called Hongfa Temple. Pei Chuyun followed leisurely, observing the bustling market, her mood actually much better than before.

When she was tailing them before, she hadn't dared to buy anything, no matter how long they stopped, for fear of losing them the moment she turned her head. Now, it didn't matter; she could look openly and buy whatever she wanted.

Plus, there was a sucker paying for it.

Pei Chuyun stopped at a book stall, her slender fingers gently stroking a poetry collection, lost in thought.

Lu Xingzhou glanced at it; it was just a compilation of poems by contemporary authors. He didn't know what she was thinking about while looking at it.

Logically, the Enchantress Joyous Sect trained its successors in poetry, music, chess, and painting as mandatory courses—these were sharp tools for seducing noble sons and essential for cultivating temperament. So, Pei Chuyun shouldn't have been unable to access these things in the sect; what was there to be lost in thought about?

"Do you like this, Miss A-Zao?"

"Mm." Pei Chuyun came back to her senses and smiled: "I left home without permission, so I haven't seen any new works by contemporary scholars for a long time. I just wanted to take a look."

Lu Xingzhou tossed a piece of broken silver to the stall owner: "Then let's buy it."

Pei Chuyun thanked him and flipped through it casually, her expression ambiguous.

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "What is it? That look on your face—do you think the quality is lacking?"

"It's passable. Anything that can be passed down through the ages always has some merit." Pei Chuyun tucked the poetry collection into her robes: "I'll read it carefully when I rest. Going to Hongfa Temple with you is more important."

Lu Xingzhou turned to look at her graceful figure as she walked ahead and suddenly said, "If your family is an obstacle, you can use a pseudonym; you don't necessarily have to use your real name."

Pei Chuyun's heart skipped a beat. What a perceptive man! He had actually seen through exactly what she wanted at a single glance.

Yes, it wasn't that she couldn't access poetry collections, but that she couldn't leave her own poems in them. Seeing others with inferior poems getting their names published left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She shook her head gently: "It's meaningless. If no one knows it's me, then it isn't me."

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "What do you mean 'no one knows'? At least I know, and A-Nuo knows."

Pei Chuyun smiled and didn't argue.

Lu Xingzhou knew that when scholars used pseudonyms, it was either because they were so famous that everyone knew who the pseudonym belonged to, or because a celebrity wanted to write "unrefined" scripts and didn't want to be identified, like Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng.

If Pei Chuyun wanted to use a pseudonym, it would be closer to the latter; she couldn't let people know who she was. However, Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng didn't want to be known, whereas Pei Chuyun wanted to be known but didn't dare, so the pseudonym became meaningless.

Lu Xingzhou didn't understand why she didn't dare... logically, building a persona as a talented woman admired by the world while secretly being an enchantress of the Joyous Sect sounded like a great setup. Why didn't the Enchantress Joyous Sect do that?

This probably involved some internal issues of the Enchantress Joyous Sect, as well as Pei Chuyun's background—some sort of hesitation?

Then again, who would have guessed that this little enchantress was a literary girl...

After thinking for a moment, he finally said: "What you can do now, even if you don't dare to tell anyone, doesn't mean you won't be able to in the future. When the day comes that it can be revealed, the world will know that this pseudonym belongs to you, and when they see you are as beautiful as a celestial being... I look forward to seeing that scene."

Pei Chuyun smiled: "What 'beautiful as a celestial being'? Young Master, please don't tease me."

Lu Xingzhou said smoothly: "In my heart, you are a celestial being."

These words were extremely ambiguous, but Pei Chuyun was a bit distracted and didn't pay much attention.

She couldn't help but be slightly moved by Lu Xingzhou's proposal. To pick a pseudonym first, to start now? And wait for the day when it could be revealed, to see that scene.

She bit her lower lip and whispered: "If you were to pick a pseudonym for me, what would you call it?"

Lu Xingzhou blinked: "Madam."

"Pah!" Pei Chuyun playfully punched him: "You lecher."

A-Nuo was dumbfounded.

*What are you doing, Master?*

Jing Ge, watching from afar in the shadows, was also dumbfounded.

*Is this what you meant by 'following secretly will surely flush out the demonic cultivator'? By picking up girls along the way?*

"Clang!" The sound of a bell rang out. Lu Xingzhou looked up; the solemn Hongfa Temple had appeared before them.

The square outside the temple was bustling with pilgrims, and the incense was thick. Buddhist chants echoed everywhere, accompanied by the rhythmic tolling of the bell. Although there was a crowd, the atmosphere felt serene and solemn.

The bell signaled the departure of guests. The temple gates swung open, and several senior monks escorted a middle-aged man out, all bowing with palms pressed together: "Safe travels, my lord."

The middle-aged man returned the Buddhist salute: "You are too kind, Masters. Please stay; no need to see me off."

The pilgrims' discussions drifted vaguely into Lu Xingzhou's ears: "That's the Prefect..."

"Yes, who doesn't know the Prefect is a devout Buddhist? He's always doing good deeds."

"Zen Master Yuanhui must have true spiritual attainment to be so respected by the Prefect."

"Don't say that; the incense at Hongfa Temple is extremely efficacious. I came to pray for a child, and my wife was pregnant the month I returned home. I'm here specifically to fulfill my vow."

The pilgrim he was talking to suddenly shut his mouth.

*Pregnant the same month? You can figure that out?*

*It's probably already been two months... Instead of coming here to fulfill your vow, why don't you go fulfill it next door to your home?*

Pei Chuyun finally burst into laughter, and Lu Xingzhou laughed too: "Shall we go in and pay our respects to the Buddha?"

Pei Chuyun rolled her beautiful eyes and asked deliberately: "Are you praying for a child too?"

Lu Xingzhou said softly: "I'm praying for a marriage connection."

Pei Chuyun's pretty face flushed, feeling somewhat shy.

A-Nuo folded her hands, looking a bit troubled.

*They are really good at acting... Tell me, how did you learn to make your face turn red whenever you want? Can you teach me?*

As they spoke, the two passed by the Prefect. A man who looked like an attendant ran over, panting: "My lord, Assistant Prefect Huo has already entered the city."

The Prefect was surprised: "Oh? Didn't the report say he wouldn't arrive until the day after tomorrow? Why so fast?"

"He came in disguise first," the attendant whispered. "It's said that because someone here is impersonating the Huo family, it was reported to Assistant Prefect Huo, and he came specifically to see."

The Prefect chuckled: "To see an impersonator, he needs to come in disguise? I'm afraid it's not an impersonator, but their seventh brother."

The attendant said: "Seems so. I heard that person is in a wheelchair..."

The voice cut off abruptly as the attendant stared straight at the temple entrance.

Over there, a child was pushing a wheelchair into the temple, with a handsome man sitting in it, accompanied by a charming young lady.

The Prefect followed his gaze and suddenly smiled: "Interesting... Go tell Assistant Prefect Huo that the person is here."