Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 65 Good Sister

When Lu Xingzhou stood up, he was really tall. With this pressure, his whole body was covering Shen Tang's shoulders, with his cheek very close to them.

He turned to look at Shen Tang, and Shen Tang was also turning to look at him, so much so that their lips were almost touching.

Shen Tang's heart was pounding. He turned back hurriedly and whispered reluctantly, "Your bones have just been reconnected and are unstable. Even your flesh and blood are like a stabbed corpse. Your meridians are in a mess. How dare you stand up casually..."

Lu Xingzhou acted as if he didn't hear anything and stared at her profile in a daze.

There were sweat stains on her temples, and the ends of her hair were slightly messy. Her face was red like an apple, perhaps because of the high temperature or shyness, and she was extremely tempting.

He could no longer suppress the throbbing in his heart, and instinctively, he leaned over and kissed her.

Shen Tang's eyes widened, and the next moment he threw him back onto the wheelchair, his eyes wide with anger: "You're not going to pretend anymore, are you?"

Lu Xingzhou pursed his lips, his eyes filled with unknown emotions. After a long pause, he whispered, "Sorry, I... was too happy and got carried away."

Shen Tang's chest heaved. He took several deep breaths before saying calmly, "Have you...thought it through?"

Lu Xingzhou did not answer, his expression flickering.

Shen Tang stared, and was annoyed to find that she was not angry about Lu Xingzhou's sneak attack, but about herself.

I was angry that I wasn't that angry.

It makes me angry that he has someone in his heart and is still trying to provoke others.

The magical words that Little White Hair once said kept echoing in my mind: Shouldn't I try hard to become the person in his heart?
But are you prepared for this?
Shen Tang couldn't even figure out whether she liked this man or not. In reality, they hadn't spent much time together, but the feeling of mutual help and redemption touched her heart. She often missed seeing him, wanted to give back, and was willing to do her best to help him... She wasn't averse to his little attempts to take advantage of her.

But I had never thought about being so intimate as what happened just now, and I felt that it was inappropriate.

But seeing him and Qingli being so close, I couldn't help but feel sour in my heart.

What is this?

How can you rashly "try to become the one he loves" before you understand each other's feelings? How can you implement it? Do you really just go along with it? How can you be so casual?

Besides… even if my father no longer wanted me to succeed him, she was still a princess. He wouldn't want to see his eldest daughter marry an orphan from a demonic background. If I did something rash, it might bring disaster upon him if my father found out.

Thinking of this, he muttered in a dreamy voice, "You're not Huo Shang, are you?"

"Yes." Lu Xingzhou wanted to use this identity to stir up trouble to the outside world, but he did not hide it from Shen Tang.

Shen Tang whispered, as if whispering, "What if I think you are?"

Lu Xingzhou was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "If you think it is, then it is."

After a pause, he whispered, "But if it's for the Huo family's identity, then... it's not necessary. Because identity... I already have it myself."

Shen Tang himself didn't know why. He felt weird and his mind was in a mess and he didn't know what he was thinking.

Being exposed by Lu Xingzhou made her face burn with anger, and she said angrily: "Why do I need your identity... I just thought it would be more convenient for you to act!"

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Yes."

"You..." Shen Tang kicked the wheelchair angrily: "Don't get carried away, take a good rest!"

Lu Xingzhou still responded: "Yes~good sister."

Although it was clearly a joke, Shen Tang had a charming smile on her face. She leaned against his shoulder teasingly, her breath sweet as orchid: "Sister... Haha, is this how you treat your sister? Kiss your sister on the face?"

Lu Xingzhou: "..."

Shen Tang stretched out a finger and lifted his chin: "Hey... the person you're thinking of, isn't that your sister?"

Lu Xingzhou's heart skipped a beat and he turned his head away: "What do you mean by someone in your heart? Don't talk nonsense..."

Not to mention, her flirtatious attitude now really resembles Yuan Muyu back then...

However, in the past two or three years, as Lu Xingzhou grew up and became a handsome man, Yuan Muyu no longer behaved like this...

Shen Tang studied his shimmering expression: "Tsk, is that the female assassin from Yama Palace?"

She did know that Yan Jun was a woman. However, few people in the world had ever seen Yan Jun's true appearance. She figured Yan Jun was probably around the same age as her father, so she wouldn't think that, and certainly wouldn't think Lu Xingzhou was so audacious as to set his eyes on such a terrifying woman. Therefore, she ruled out Yan Jun first.

After analyzing it for a long time, I always feel that the person Lu Xingzhou has in mind is most likely a female assassin in the Yama Palace. After working together for a long time, sparks arose.

Lu Xingzhou was rather amused by her question. He reached out and gently pushed her index finger away, smiling, "You're overthinking it. The female assassin in Yama Palace is a subordinate. I wouldn't resort to workplace harassment."

Shen Tang didn't understand the last few words, but he got the overall meaning. First of all, he really didn't deny that he had someone in his heart. Secondly, this meant that he didn't like subordinates, but preferred people of the same level or higher positions.

Now I am the Sect Master, and you are a guest elder...

Shen Tang's heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and he could no longer maintain his teasing attitude. He stood up straight in anger, intentionally ending the ambiguous atmosphere. "You've healed your leg so well now, and all that's left is to rest and wait for recovery. Do you want to go back up the mountain to rest, or is the spiritual energy more abundant down here, making it easier for you to practice?"

Lu Xingzhou knew she was too thin-skinned to continue her pretense, so he went along with it. "The Tianxing Sword Sect is currently in a period of accumulation, with various industries being rolled out. The disciples' cultivation and selection can't be completed overnight, so my presence up there won't be of much use. For the time being, I'll stay in the cave below to repair my soul flag and stock up on some elixirs and talismans. But you have to keep an eye on the news from the Fenxiang Tower. If they have any movements, please inform me at any time."

Seeing that he was sensible, Shen Tang breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay."

Lu Xingzhou summoned Jin Mingxiu from the half-damaged soul flag: "I was busy before and didn't have time to torture him. Now is a good time to ask him."

Jin Mingxiu's mind was dazed, his consciousness clearly wiped out, but the Ten Thousand Souls Banner still retained many of his memories. Lu Xingzhou pointed a finger at his forehead and asked, "Who's behind you?"

Jin Mingxiu stood there in a daze, seemingly unable to understand what was said.

Lu Xingzhou simply asked, "Which prince are you on good terms with?"

Jin Mingxiu slowly replied, "King of Qi."

Shen Tang's face changed.

Lu Xingzhou was also shocked by this answer. Prince Gu Yiheng of Qi, the very person the Emperor had announced as responsible for the Tianxing Sword Sect tragedy, had been demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in the palace. Initially, no one took it seriously, believing the Tianxing Sword Sect incident was the Emperor's fault and that Gu Yiheng had committed other crimes for which the Emperor had scapegoated him.

But if the prince behind Jin Mingxiu is him, then this matter has a different meaning.

At least it proves that Gu Yiheng does have ideas about the Tianxing Sword Sect, and his infiltration has reached the level of the head of the Jianfeng Hall... It is also possible that he is simply volunteering to take the blame for the emperor.

Being demoted to a commoner and confined to the palace didn't mean his political future was completely lost, as he could still be overturned. If he had always been cooperating with the emperor, then this so-called confinement would have been a form of keeping him in the dark and protecting him.

But no matter how much Lu Xingzhou asked Jin Mingxiu, he was clueless. With Jin Mingxiu's level, it was really difficult for him to know much about what was going on behind the scenes.

Seeing Lu Xingzhou's grim expression, Shen Tang shook his head, stopping him from asking further questions: "Forget it, it's good for us to have a general idea of ​​this kind of thing. Jin Mingxiu can't possibly know too much."

"Hmm." Lu Xingzhou thought for a moment and then continued, "How much do you know about the Xiazhou demon case?"

This casual question, unprepared for the outcome, yielded an unexpected answer: "The Xiazhou demon case isn't a unique case; it's everywhere in Daqian. The so-called injured demons inflict their injuries intentionally, hoping to trick the city lord into thinking they have an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. In reality, they're becoming increasingly accustomed to the erosion, either being exploited and becoming the demon's ambassador, or being devoured by the demon themselves, replaced by a transformed form."

The transformed form took its place... Shen Tang was shocked: "How do you know so clearly?"

A sinister smile appeared on Jin Mingxiu's ghostly face. "Because I once helped the King of Qi solve a case like this. Back then, the governor of Lianshan County was a demon... But afterward, everything was peaceful and nothing happened in the court or the country. The governor was simply 'assassinated'."

Shen Tang took a deep breath, his palms full of cold sweat.

No wonder Jin Mingxiu said they were everywhere.

When you see one cockroach, there are many more in the house.

While Jin Mingxiu's ghost rarely retains other memories, he remembers this incident so vividly that he speaks at length, revealing the multiple impact it had on his mindset at the time. The transformation of a once sharp and resolute swordsman into his current state may have a lot to do with a subversion of his worldview.

Shen Tang was silent for a while, then sighed: "Let him die quickly... or erase his consciousness so he doesn't suffer, okay?"

"Okay." Lu Xingzhou said, "I didn't intend to retain the original soul's memories when I collected it. If something unexpected happened, it might lead to rebellion. I only wanted to retain his memories to question him."

"Yeah." Shen Tang smiled slightly: "Thank you."

"There's no need for us to discuss this. You have a lot of things to do in the sect, so go back."

Why don't you and I need to say more? Who am I to you? My sister?
In the end, Shen Tang didn't ask this question. He turned around and ran into the cave, into the pond, and went home as if he was escaping for his life, without even pushing the wheelchair.

My cheek still seems to retain the touch of his sneak attack, and it cannot be washed away even after diving into the pool of water.

(End of this chapter)