Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 24 Old Department
Shen Tang didn't understand. They were having a happy meal together, and Lu Xingzhou even took the initiative to treat his leg after the meal, so why did he suddenly cut off his leg?

Furthermore, she waited for Liu Qingcang to file a complaint with the city lord regarding the apprentice, but nothing happened. Perhaps Liu Qingcang had realized the futility of this plan and given up.

Obviously, the fierce conflicts in the past few days seemed to have calmed down and entered a development period, but Shen Tang still felt that the atmosphere seemed to be getting more stormy.

Across the farm, the Huo family's old house had been shut up and deserted for some time due to a murder and the lack of a leader. Recently, someone from the main household had returned, and traffic was bustling outside. Countless Xiazhou celebrities came to pay their respects, and every day there was a cacophony of music and bamboo, a bustling atmosphere.

After learning more, it turned out that the person who had returned was the Sixth Young Master of the Huo Family, surrounded by a large number of powerful guards. Shen Tang also followed Lu Xingzhou's instructions and instructed his disciples to stay indoors as much as possible to avoid causing trouble.

Shen Tang also noticed that Lu Xingzhou had temporarily put away the formation that stole spiritual energy from Huo's house before leaving, as if he didn't want to alert the other party.

"He suddenly wanted to treat my leg, is that because of this?" Shen Tang asked Dugu Qingli, "He felt that his spiritual energy was no longer useful, and that the extra rent I paid was a waste?"

Dugu Qingli thought about it for a moment and said, "I think he simply wanted to treat you. You were just a tenant before, so he didn't want to worry too much."

"So what is it now?"

Dugu Qingli thought of the word "mistress" that Sheng Yuanyao mentioned, and pursed his lips without answering.

You all touched my legs anyway.

Shen Tang asked again: "Then why did he leave suddenly?"

Dugu Qingli: "Are you a curious baby?"

Shen Tang: "..."

Dugu Qingli had a blank expression on his face, but felt slightly refreshed.

Shen Tang glared at her angrily for a while and asked, "When Sheng Yuanyao was investigating the Huo family murders, did she list Lu Xingzhou as a suspect?"

Dugu Qingli said, "Yes, the day we first met was when Sheng Yuanyao went to Danxia Mountain to investigate whether Lu Xingzhou had an alibi for the murder."

"The Demon Suppression Division later closed the case but didn't make it public. Do you know the outcome?"

"When you asked me to investigate Lu Xingzhou, I asked about it. The report submitted by Sheng Yuanyao said that the murderer was Huo Shang, the seventh son of the Huo family, who died ten years ago and returned after completing his studies to seek revenge."

At this point, the two looked at each other, the same thought popping up in their minds, and they said in unison: "He is Huo Shang?!"

Shen Tang murmured to himself, "If it's Huo Shang, then that would explain why he has the aura of a young master from an aristocratic family. Even if he wasn't favored in his childhood, he still received an aristocratic family education..."

In fact, Sheng Yuanyao still has this doubt until now, so she said to him that day, "Isn't it good to be alive?" and later reminded him to stay away from the Huo family.

The reason for suspicion was the same: the education people receive early in life can determine their temperament. Lu Xingzhou clearly shouldn't have come from such a poor background. No one would have guessed that he was a student in a modern university, naturally gentle and scholarly. Meanwhile, Lu Xingzhou wasn't just a student; he had held management positions since graduation, making him even more dignified.

The only guess anyone could make was based on Huo Shang's opinion.

Lu Xingzhou had previously felt that Shen Tang and the others didn't resemble the Tianxing Sword Sect. Besides Dugu Qingli's unremarkable style, Shen Tang's temperament was also a major concern. The Tianxing Sword Sect was a sect of swordsmen, yet Shen Tang resembled a young lady from a wealthy family. This difference in temperament was obvious.

You can see how similar this couple is, even the doubts they give to others are the same.

Shen Tang continued, "Based on the interconnected schemes he displayed, if he were Huo Shang, then the Huo family murders were definitely not just about killing a few servants to vent his anger, but rather an attempt to lure the Huo family over for murder... Cutting the tendons in the old housekeeper Huo's hand was also intended to lure the Huo family over with the necessary medicine. These medicines are hard to find, but they're easy for the Huo family to obtain. This is his most convenient solution. He wants to seize the medicine to heal his leg!"

Dugu Qingli was stunned: "Just the two of them, master and disciple, dare to plot against the Huo family?"

"This is his dangerous wall... He doesn't want to implicate you and me." Shen Tang leaned back in his chair, staring out the window in a daze. "I finally understand his retreat. I also understand why he wanted to treat my leg before leaving. He was afraid that if his plan failed, he could leave me a prescription."

Dugu Qingli glanced at her and said, "From your tone... do you want to help him?"

Shen Tang said quietly, "You don't want to?"

Dugu Qingli wanted to say that it had nothing to do with him, but for some reason, he didn't say it in the end. He just said: "My mission is to protect you, and I don't want you to blindly get involved in trouble."

Shen Tang laughed: "In other words, if it's not for the mission, you would be happy to help?"

Dugu Qingli said with a stern face: "The Huo family is not a good family, and Master hates them too."

Shen Tang said leisurely, "Actually, regardless of whether I help him or not, this trouble has already come to us. Since Liu Qingcang is hanging out with Huo Yu, of course he will use Huo Yu to deal with us."

Dugu Qingli nodded: "Yes."

Shen Tang continued, "Tell me, how do the Huo family's troubles compare to my troubles?"

Dugu Qingli blurted out: "Not worth mentioning."

Shen Tang's eyes were deep: "Then why would I be afraid of another insignificant trouble..."

Dugu Qingli pursed his lips and said nothing.

…………

"Master, weren't you planning to use the Tianxing Sword Sect as your thugs? You specifically used that ordinary spiritual energy stealing effect to trick them into renting a room just for this reason."

Lu Xingzhou: "...Can't sweet potatoes stop you talking?" An Nuo sighed, "But what's with you acting like you don't want to implicate them? Even if you wanted to distance yourself from it, it's already too late! Even without you, just considering the feud between Liu Qingcang and the Shen's Trading Company, he would have asked Huo Liu for help in dealing with Shen Tang."

Lu Xingzhou said sullenly, "Huo Liu came here for Huo Shang's matter after all. Liu Qingcang is nothing. How could Huo Liu possibly prioritize his grudge against him? Besides, Liu Qingcang hates me far more than he hates Shen Tang. If he really wants to instigate Huo Liu to deal with someone, he'd go after me first. Now that we're out, the first wave of attacks will surely fall on us. I'll use this opportunity to create something to distract Huo Liu's attention and prevent him from focusing on Shen Tang."

Ah Nuo looked at him strangely: "This will completely overturn your previous plan and put you at the center of the storm."

"I originally had two contingency plans. First, there's no guarantee I can trick someone into becoming my thug. Would I wait for a fool to show up before taking action? Second, using someone else as my thug is never a good idea. They're innocent, and this is my own business."

"Just lie to yourself."

"Hey, little thing, you used to call me sister, but you are my real sister..."

"I used to call you Sister Yu, but I ran away with you."

"..."

Ah Nuo said, "If you don't use any thugs, how can you achieve your goal with just the two of us?"

"Of course there is a way." Lu Xingzhou sneered: "I didn't expect Huo Liu to only have the strength of the sixth rank after so many years and such good resources. It's ridiculous."

Ah Nuo also laughed: "He is indeed a loser."

What are Lu Xingzhou's qualifications? What are Huo Yu's qualifications? Huo Yu is even two years older. Lu Xingzhou, despite all his injuries, was able to cultivate to the seventh rank, but Huo Yu, with all his resources, is only one rank higher... I really don't know where they get the nerve to pretend, and they even call themselves a top-tier family.

Her Anuo is already at the fifth rank, it seems that the dignified head of the Huo family is not as good as Lu Xingzhou in raising children.

"But he has so many treasures, so he must have some powerful magic weapons. We can't underestimate him." Lu Xingzhou tapped the armrest of his chair. "Also, the two followers he brought with him are both fifth-grade..."

Just hearing their strength alone made it clear they were in serious trouble. With two fifth-rank guards, Huo Yu himself being a sixth-rank cultivator and possessing a wealth of treasures, the rest of the guards were no match for the others, with a good number of seventh- and eighth-rank cultivators. Even Liu Qingcang was a fifth-rank cultivator, as was the city lord, Xu Bingkun.

Here is a pitiful fifth-rank child and a seventh-rank cripple.

This is just a young man coming out, but it already makes people feel like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Lu Xingzhou, however, did not look solemn at all. He leisurely rowed his wheelchair out of the corner of the inn and drew a pattern on the wall.

That night, a man in black appeared in the inn like a ghost: "Are you the one who wants to hire the God of Death to take my life?... Eh? Judge, why is it you..."

Anuo was sitting on the windowsill eating sweet potatoes, her little feet swaying as she waved to him.

"Ah, Master Anuo, you are here too..."

Lu Xingzhou said, "Don't... I'm no longer a judge. I'm here as a client to hire your help."

Man in black:"……"

What should I do if my leader becomes a customer? I didn’t hear about this during the training.

"Why, when others hire someone to kill me, you all take the job, but when I hire someone to kill someone else, you become silent?"

The man in black said helplessly, "When Liu Qingcang hired someone to kill you, we didn't even know it was you. After all, there are many people with the same name as you. We really didn't expect that the traitor Liu Qingcang mentioned who had worked for his Danxia Gang for half a year would actually be you. What kind of virtue and ability does Liu Qingcang have? Who is he to deserve your assistance... Who would have thought of this..."

"You won't get promoted if you flatter me now."

"Really not... Anyway, if it was me on the mission, I would have retreated if I saw you..."

"Forget it. I know that those idiots happened to be the ones who went on the mission, so they dared to really attack me. He saw that the situation was not good, and he even tried to lie to me that it was the Lord of Hell who ordered him to live, hoping that I would spare his life."

"Then..." The man in black wiped his sweat: "Sir... Oh no, since Mr. Lu told me the whole story of the failure of this mission, can I, can I report it?"

"No... Of course, I'm not ordering you as a judge, but suggesting it. If my friends knew that you accepted the mission to kill me, you would die a miserable death."

After eight years of hard work, there are certainly not only opponents and competitors in the Yama Hall, but also loyal friends and old subordinates like the man in front of him who still respect him very much.

Lu Xingzhou is not such a failure as a person.

But when Lu Xingzhou said this, the thought that flashed through his mind was... If Yuan Muyu knew, would she kill you?
The man in black sighed, "I understand. Who are you going to kill this time? Liu Qingcang? Let's go back and make a plan. We'll have his head delivered to us within three days."

"Have I ever taught you to do your research before accepting a mission? You acted recklessly before without even checking if they had the same name. Now you don't even know Liu Qingcang is with Huo Yu. Why would you kill him? Are you just trying to get yourself killed?"

"I……"

Lu Xingzhou grew increasingly irritated as he spoke, slapping the armrest and saying, "It's only been less than a year since I left, and the rules of Yama Palace have become so lax? It's a complete mess! How do those people do things? Yuan..."

He stopped talking mid-sentence, his expression unclear.

Does it really make no difference to you whether I'm here or not?

(End of this chapter)