Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 8: The world is like a furnace, inherit my flame

The next morning, Lu Xingzhou went to the Demon Suppression Division on his own.

Sheng Yuanyao went out to greet him. Seeing Lu Xingzhou struggling to move forward with the wheel with his own hands, she stepped forward to help push the door open.

Lu Xingzhou was a little surprised: "Thank you."

"It's just a piece of cake." Sheng Yuanyao asked curiously: "Where's An Nuo? Why are you alone? It's so inconvenient for you..."

"The house is being renovated, and there are a lot of people working on it. Someone has to keep an eye on it."

"You really trust a six-year-old to act alone! Who can she possibly control?"

"If even a high-ranking Taoist cultivator doesn't dare to act alone in Xiazhou City, then I think we should first ask the Xiazhou Demon Suppression Division how they intimidate the local area."

Sheng Yuanyao: “…”

I never noticed that, but it turns out that kid is actually a Taoist cultivator of a certain level?
Her divination...

"Where is the patient you want me to treat?" Lu Xingzhou asked.

Sheng Yuanyao came to his senses and silently pushed his wheelchair through the corridor and into a closed dark room.

As soon as I opened the door, I heard the rustling of chains and a low roar from inside: "Don't look for me... I didn't kill him..."

"Isn't this Old Butler Huo..." Lu Xingzhou glanced at Sheng Yuanyao and said, "You said he was found dead in the house, so you interrogated me for a long time."

Sheng Yuanyao coughed dryly: "That was a lie. He just disappeared at the time and was found later. Can you cure his madness?"

"There are countless experts in the Demon Suppression Division, why do you ask me to heal?"

"Because you treated him from beginning to end."

"After all, you are just testing me." Lu Xingzhou smiled and said no more, rolling the wheel into the house.

Strangely enough, the old butler Huo, who had been roaring the whole time, stopped roaring when he saw Lu Xingzhou come in. He stared blankly at him approaching, as if he trusted him quite a lot.

Lu Xingzhou stretched out two fingers and tapped the old butler Huo's eyebrows. After a while, the old butler Huo's eyelids gradually drooped and he fell asleep.

Sheng Yuanyao watched Lu Xingzhou's operation with great interest and asked, "How is it?"

"Just to calm his mind first." Lu Xingzhou took out the Soul-Nourishing Pill he had refined last night: "Give him this pill for three consecutive days, one pill a day. After three days, his mind and spirit will return to normal."

Sheng Yuanyao asked, "Can you determine the cause of his illness?"

"He was just frightened out of his wits, which is nothing. When he recovers, you can ask him what he saw. Besides, his tendons were cut, and I can't treat that."

Sheng Yuanyao knew that this was difficult to treat. If broken tendons could be easily cured, Lu Xingzhou himself would not have been sitting in a wheelchair for so many years.

In fact, in the world of cultivation, treating this kind of injury is not too difficult as long as there are suitable medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, these herbs are often rare, at least not something that can be easily found among the widely cultivated and sold medicinal herbs in Xiazhou.

To solve this problem, we may have to see what the Huo family will bring from the capital.

While he was thinking, Lu Xingzhou stretched out his big hand and said, "Give me money."

Sheng Yuanyao: “?”

"I gave you three high-quality soul-nourishing pills, plus the medical expenses. Do you think the Demon Suppression Division wants to take them for free?" Apparently, the best product was swallowed by the gold-devouring beast.

Sheng Yuanyao was speechless. This matter was handled by the Demon Suppression Division, so she certainly had no intention of getting it for free. However, Lu Xingzhou's image was completely incompatible with someone who only wanted money. It looked very awkward. "Besides money, don't you have anything else to discuss?"

"You and I are just investigating a case and a suspect. If we don't talk about money, how can we talk about love?" Lu Xingzhou smiled. "But I treated him to wake him up, and also to clear myself of suspicion, so the consultation fee is waived. Just give me the cost price for the medicine."

Sheng Yuanyao had asked Lu Xingzhou to treat her illness just to test him. Now, seeing Butler Huo's reaction to Lu Xingzhou and his attitude, the last bit of doubt in his heart finally dissipated.

She stuffed a banknote in his hand and asked, "Were you taking advantage of my influence that day?"

"Why do you say that?" Lu Xingzhou put away the banknote and said with a smile, "I didn't know that after I came down the mountain, you would treat me as a suspect and drag me to the Demon Suppression Division for questioning. It was not my decision to return to the mountain with me afterwards. I also had no way of knowing when Liu Qingcang would cross the river and how he would use you."

"This is exactly what I'm confused about." Sheng Yuanyao rolled his eyes and suddenly took out an ingot of gold: "If you can solve my confusion, this is yours."

Lu Xingzhou blinked and stared at Yuanbao: "Do you take me for An Nuo?"

"Uh……"

"You are really good at judging people." Lu Xingzhou quickly put the ingots into his pocket, smiling broadly.

Sheng Yuanyao: “…”

"It's actually very simple. Liu Yan'er is a fool and can't keep secrets at all. I knew they were going to meet a powerful alchemist before I left the mountain that day."

"And then?" "Although I didn't know you'd treat me as a suspect when I came down the mountain, since I was being targeted, I knew you'd definitely go up the mountain to investigate further. I just invited you and that was it... Does that count as exploitation? You wanted to investigate the case yourself, and I didn't decide for you. So it was all just a coincidence, but I knew it in my head, so it seemed like it was planned, not that complicated."

In fact, the entire murder case was planned by Lu Xingzhou. He was obviously aware that he would be questioned when he went down the mountain, and he was just waiting to bring Sheng Yuanyao up the mountain.

It's really good from beginning to end.

Sheng Yuanyao didn't know this, and was bored by Lu Xingzhou's words: "That's it..."

Lu Xingzhou turned to look at her expression, finding it rather amusing. As they were talking, they had already made their way out of the alley outside the Demon Suppression Division. A vendor was setting up a stall at the entrance, selling watermelons.

Lu Xingzhou stopped, bought one and handed it to Sheng Yuanyao: "This is for you."

Sheng Yuanyao was stunned: "How do you know I like to eat melons!"

Lu Xingzhou said meaningfully: "I'll eat until you can't eat anymore."

Sheng Yuanyao held the melon and looked at him for a while, then suddenly asked, "How much did you know about Mr. Huo Qi's affairs when you were at Danxia Temple?"

Lu Xingzhou pretended to be stunned. "When Master took me in, Master Huo Qi had already died, so I don't know much about him. But we are neighbors after all, and I have heard Master mention some of him. What does Commander Sheng want to know?"

"Everything, you know."

"Master heard from the Huo family servants who came to burn incense at the temple that the seventh son Huo had a good aptitude for martial arts since childhood, but unfortunately he was not well-received and had few resources, so he probably didn't learn much." Lu Xingzhou touched his chin and recalled, "The so-called equal treatment is just a claim to the outside world. The seventh son Huo was not well fed or clothed, and his treatment was almost like that of a menial servant. I don't know any more details."

"Then do you know why he died?"

"How could I possibly know... Anyway, it's unlikely that he died of illness."

"why?"

"Look, even for someone like me, curing difficult and complicated illnesses isn't that difficult as long as I have the medicine. There are many people in the Huo family who are more skilled than me, and they have all the resources. How could they possibly let their son die so suddenly?"

Sheng Yuanyao nodded, she thought so too.

Lu Xingzhou continued, "I'm just guessing, you can just listen. It's said that Young Master Huo Qi had many bizarre ideas since he was a child, and was dismissed as fanciful, while Young Master Huo was always praised for his composure. The sudden and unexpected sweet potato proposal, like a fairy from outer space, who's more likely to have come up with it? After this proposal, Young Master Huo Qi died suddenly, but Young Master Huo Da was granted a title."

Sheng Yuanyao interrupted: "That's too much speculation. Don't tell anyone about this casually in the future."

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly.

Sheng Yuanyao said this, but based on what he had investigated, he had obviously already made up his mind.

In fact, this conclusion is not wrong. The sweet potato proposal was indeed proposed by Huo Shang, because he was Lu Xingzhou's friend. Lu Xingzhou never thought that when he told his friend this plan, hoping to help him improve his status in the family, it would instead bring disaster to his friend.

As for his own family's misfortune, it had nothing to do with this. He had obtained the treasure by accident, and it was a crime to possess it.

Sheng Yuanyao sighed softly, "Being enemies with the Huo family is like an ant trying to shake a tree. If this person were really alive... wouldn't it be good for him to be alive?"

Lu Xingzhou glanced at her, wondering if she still had some doubts and was pointing at him.

But he still answered: "Everyone has his own meaning in life, otherwise it is better to die."

How could he not know that with his current strength, it would be a pipe dream to want to shake the Huo family?
But if you do nothing, what's the point of living?
Sheng Yuanyao hesitated to speak, then suddenly asked, "Then what is the meaning of your life?"

Lu Xingzhou looked at the ground, his eyes rippling faintly, and he did not respond for a long time.

He had never really asked himself this question before, and when he was suddenly asked, his thoughts began to fluctuate.

Born into a mountain martial arts family, he lived a happy life, believing he would enjoy a life of freedom. However, he faced endless injustice and humiliation, and even the despair of death. With his small body and insufficient training, he was like an ant trying to shake a tree, powerless to reverse the situation.

He had just escaped from the tiger's mouth, but fell into the wolf's den. He was treated as a medicine man for two years and endured untold suffering.

He thought he had found salvation, that he had worked hand in hand with her, toiling away for eight years to help build a massive organization, but he couldn't even get a moment's pause from her. The day he confessed his love was the day he was expelled.

This life is really like rowing a boat on land. No matter how hard you row, it is all in vain.

There is always only Anuo by my side, the only person who will never betray me, we are connected as if by fate.

What is the meaning of living?
Seeking justice? Or just a hearty revenge?

Lu Xingzhou let out a long sigh, looked up at the distant sky, and suddenly asked, "Look at that morning glow, does it look like cinnabar fire?"

"what?"

"If this world is like an alchemy furnace, with you and I roasting inside..." Lu Xingzhou finally answered slowly, "Then the meaning of my life is to eventually replace the alchemy fire under this furnace with my own flame."

Sheng Yuanyao's expression changed a little. She opened her mouth but remained silent for a long time.

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(End of this chapter)