Chapter 116: Pei Yu

A line of people exited the door. At the corner, there was a wine building that was quite tall among the buildings in the capital city.

Sheng Yuan Yao didn't stop her steps and led the way directly past it.

"Hey, hey, hey." Lu Xing Zhou called out strangely to stop her. "Isn't this wine building delicious? Look, the building is quite tall."

"This is called Yan Yu Lou (Smoke Rain Building). It has a total of seven floors and is a famous building in the capital city. Of course, the wine and dishes are delicious, and there are also some rare and exotic items," Sheng Yuan Yao said leisurely. "If you can go up to the top floor, overlook the misty rain, taste wine, and discuss essays, it can be considered a scenic experience."

"Then why not eat at this one?" Pei Chu Yun's heart suddenly stirred upon hearing this. "It sounds very good, eh."

"Because your family's young master is in a wheelchair. Do you really want to carry him up seven floors? Finding a ground-floor private room to eat is enough."

Pei Chu Yun: "...Actually, we can."

It was all this bastard's fault for having a boring flirtatious leg, making it inconvenient for everyone to eat.

Sheng Yuan Yao said: "It's not easy to go up. You need to fight on each floor. Only by defeating the guard on each floor can you go up. So, although there are no private rooms on the top floor, everyone is on one floor enjoying the scenery, and ordinary people don't come and go."

This time, Lu Xing Zhou was somewhat moved. "How high is the highest guard's rank? It shouldn't be one rank per floor, finally reaching rank three, right?"

"No, rank three experts are honored guests wherever they go. How can there be any reason to make things difficult? The last three floors only have rank five practitioners of lower, middle, and upper levels. There isn't even a rank four. The original intention was to screen some young talents to conveniently recruit and cultivate them. If young people have reached rank four, they are often in the front ranks of the New Talent List. Do they still need this wine building to screen them?"

"Does this wine building have a background? Ordinary people can't play such tricks."

"It's the Pei family's," Sheng Yuan Yao said. "Actually, they just say that. For example, if I really want to go up, I don't need to fight... In the end, it's a place that values connections."

As soon as the Pei family was mentioned, Lu Xing Zhou and Pei Chu Yun exchanged glances. "Right here."

"...I don't want to fight, but you do."

"Just for your face?"

Sheng Yuan Yao said irritably: "If you were all my followers, you wouldn't have to. But you are all external guests."

Lu Xing Zhou laughed. "Meaning I can fight, but the two of them don't need to."

Sheng Yuan Yao looked him up and down. "Hey, you just arrived. Are you really going to show off like this?"

"I came to the capital city destined to show off. Don't you still want to watch the show..." Lu Xing Zhou leisurely turned his wheelchair. "Let's go."

"Aiya, Miss Sheng." As soon as they entered the wine building, the shopkeeper came to greet them. "Miss Sheng hasn't been here for a few days."

Sheng Yuan Yao said: "I want to go to the seventh floor. These few are all my followers, and this one in a wheelchair is my little Gou who helps me when I'm idle."

Lu Xing Zhou: "..."

The shopkeeper seemed to smile as he looked at Lu Xing Zhou. "Then follow me."

Even Sheng Yuan Yao was slightly stunned. She had just made a joke, but she didn't expect that they really didn't need to fight? Were the rules of Yan Yu Lou so lax now?

The shopkeeper added a sentence: "This Young Master Lu, just fight the last floor and you can go up. The first few floors are just to screen out some unknown people. Young Master Lu is also a well-known figure on the New Talent List, so there's no need to fight slowly."

Sheng Yuan Yao's face was burning. She said stiffly: "What Lu? I said he's a dog, so he's a dog."

"Okay, okay, okay. Whatever Miss Sheng says he is, he is," the shopkeeper said with a smile as he led the way upstairs. "Mainly because Young Master Pei is entertaining guests upstairs today, I, as a humble servant, cannot act on my own. Otherwise, for Miss Sheng's sake, all the fights would be exempted."

Sheng Yuan Yao's expression changed. "Who did Pei Yu invite?"

"New Talent List seventh, twenty-two years old, rank four upper level, Chu Qing Chen from the Xi Hua Jian Pai (Washing Flower Sword Sect)."

"Not bad." Sheng Yuan Yao's expression was quite happy. "I'll also go and meet him."

Arriving at the stairs, A Nuo was about to carry the wheelchair when Pei Chu Yun helplessly stopped her. "I'll do it."

If she let this child carry it, her role as a maid would be for nothing.

Sheng Yuan Yao watched Pei Chu Yun huff and puff carrying the wheelchair up seven floors, feeling quite amused. This green tea was quite cute...

Lu Xing Zhou just happened to ask: "Hey, why are they all twenty-two years old and rank four upper level, but this Chu Qing Chen is seventh, while Shen Tang is only thirtieth?"

Actually, Shen Tang was already a rank three now, completely crushing this Chu Qing Chen.

Sheng Yuan Yao sighed. "Because your family's Shen Tang broke his leg, how can he really compare with those at the same level?"

Lu Xing Zhou hummed twice. "That's not necessarily true. How can you calculate it like that?"

While speaking, they quickly reached the front of the stairs to the seventh floor, where a middle-aged man was guarding.

The shopkeeper stepped aside. "Does Young Master Lu want to challenge? Mr. Zhang is a rank five upper level, and you are only a rank six middle level. Your body is also inconvenient. If you don't want to challenge, the sixth floor is also not bad."

Lu Xing Zhou said: "Just right for Miss Sheng to take a look, whether being in a wheelchair affects fighting or not."

Sheng Yuan Yao retreated with interest. Pei Chu Yun rolled her eyes, completely too lazy to look.

Generally, rank five cultivators might not even be able to defeat Huo Bi. Huo Bi had probably learned a lot, but he was played like a novice by Lu Xing Zhou, who even had spare energy to scheme to catch her. How could ordinary cultivators play with Lu Xing Zhou?

Moreover, Lu Xing Zhou was no longer the rank six middle level that people knew... Just in the carriage traveling through the mountains and rivers on this road, he quietly broke through to rank six upper level. This small breakthrough, which was a threshold for ordinary people, was almost no threshold for Lu Xing Zhou.

While he was breaking through, he also used the excuse of reaching for something to secretly touch her Pei Chu Yun's hand. She slapped him back, and Lu Xing Zhou was shocked and flew at high speed towards the guard, breaking through just like that...

That Mr. Zhang looked at Lu Xing Zhou with subtle contempt in his eyes. "Young Master Lu is right, you go first."

"Really let me go first?" Lu Xing Zhou smiled faintly. "How can I be so rude."

Mr. Zhang waved his hand. "Originally, the guest goes first."

"Like this, ah, then mister be careful." Lu Xing Zhou clenched his fist like a novice, barely gathering any energy.

Mr. Zhang glanced at it, too lazy to make any defense.

One punch struck out, silent and without a sound.

Mr. Zhang casually blocked it, and with a "bang," he was thrown out and hit the wall.

The wall seemed to have formations reinforcing it, making it very firm. Otherwise, a typical wine building would have collapsed long ago.

"I said earlier to add reinforcement, I wasn't holding back," Lu Xing Zhou withdrew his fist and turned to stare at the gaping shopkeeper. "Can we go up?"

The shopkeeper seemed to wake up from a dream and said with a smile: "Yes, yes."

Laughter came from the stairs. "I see Young Master Lu's strength should not be on the Alchemy Master Vice List. You should have entered the main list of new talents long ago. The intelligence of the Zhen Yao Si (Town Demon Division) is not up to standard, eh."

Sheng Yuan Yao looked very embarrassed. "Hey, the intelligence on Lu Xing Zhou's strength was submitted by me."

"Ha... That means Young Master Lu was hiding his abilities in Xia State."

Lu Xing Zhou looked up and saw a gentle and elegant young master in white clothes bow to him. "He Dong, Pei Yu. I have met Young Master Lu."

Lu Xing Zhou subconsciously wanted to turn his head to look at Pei Chu Yun and try to find similarities in their eyebrows, but he strongly resisted and bowed back. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Brother Pei is only one year older than me, yet you have already broken through to rank four and are ranked twelfth on the New Talent List. This is truly a dragon and phoenix among men. I am somewhat unable to compare."

"The true dragon and phoenix among men should be the one that Young Master Lu assists," Pei Yu made a polite "please" gesture.

Pei Chu Yun carried the wheelchair up the stairs, brushing past Pei Yu as if she didn't care at all.

As Sheng Yuan Yao said, there were no private rooms on the top floor. The spacious floor was empty except for four tables placed in the four corners, each not interfering with the others. There were no walls on the floor, only railings to look out from. The misty rain was hazy, and the scenery of the capital city was all in view, feeling very pleasant.

At this time, only Pei Yu was sitting at one of the four tables. Sheng Yuan Yao brought Lu Xing Zhou and sat at a separate table next to him.

Lu Xing Zhou quietly transmitted a message to Pei Chu Yun: "How, does it feel similar?"

Pei Chu Yun shook her head, unable to distinguish.

After all, men and women were different. Forcibly saying they were similar or not would be a bit preconceived. But Pei Yu was indeed very handsome. Anyway, young masters and ladies of families in this world were almost never ugly. Their genes had been optimized for generations. It was hard to be ugly. What's more, the cultivation world could always improve people's skin quality and temperament.

Sheng Yuan Yao held the menu and ordered dishes. On the other side, Pei Yu said with a smile from his separate table: "I was wondering whether or not to combine tables. None of us have many people."

Lu Xing Zhou laughed. "Young Master Pei and I are too close, I'm afraid it's not very good."

Pei Yu "chi"ed. "That little matter of the Ho family? Even without Young Master Lu, we and the Ho family already look at each other with disgust. What Young Master Lu did for us is truly satisfying. I originally just wanted to invite Young Master Lu for a drink."

Lu Xing Zhou looked at Sheng Yuan Yao, asking for her opinion. Sheng Yuan Yao looked at the menu leisurely and said: "If your Pei family wants to invite guests, you can arrange it another time. Lu Xing Zhou wants to stay in the capital city for a long time, he's not leaving today. This is a welcome and dust-clearing banquet for my old friend's reunion, I don't want to give up the main seat."

So the real reason was that Sheng Yuan Yao didn't want to be too close to the Pei family and was unwilling to get too deeply involved in factional struggles.

Pei Yu also understood, and laughed: "Miss Sheng's little aunt is still so ungiving. It's fine, let's arrange it another time."

Sheng Yuan Yao finished ordering the dishes, handed the menu over, leaned back in her chair, and said to Lu Xing Zhou with a smile: "You still know to ask for my opinion. I thought you were eager to go over and scheme with the Pei family."

Lu Xing Zhou laughed: "You are my friend, they are not."

Sheng Yuan Yao was very satisfied: "All those matters of yours, I just watch the show, don't make me get involved. But for small matters like arranging an identity for your family's green tea, you can find me. Although I'm not considered a leader now, my rank is higher."

"What is your current duty?"

"Catching thieves for public security." Sheng Yuan Yao sighed. "In the capital city, if there are any real strong people or major cases, it won't be our turn. It's basically just some petty thieves and ordinary fights and murder cases... Actually, most of these are the work of Jing Zhao Ya Men (capital magistrate's office) officers. It's very rare for us to do it, it's basically just lying flat and eating."

Lu Xing Zhou laughed: "Look at your attitude. If I let you go out and take charge of one side, you want to return to the capital. If I let you return to the capital and lie flat, you sigh about how useless the military place is. What are you doing?"

Sheng Yuan Yao said: "Other than that, it's okay, but once I'm idle, my family wants to arrange marriages for me, which is so annoying. Now I regret running back..."

Lu Xing Zhou quietly pointed at Pei Yu's side: "I think that one is quite suitable, why don't you marry him?"

"He is already married," Sheng Yuan Yao chuckled. "This kind of family status is too high, it's not my turn."

"Yo heh, do you mean you've actually thought about it?"

"Which person of marriageable age hasn't thought about it?" Sheng Yuan Yao glared at him. "You aren't forced to marry by anyone, what do you understand?"

Lu Xing Zhou was about to say something when footsteps were heard coming up the stairs again.

The crowd subconsciously stopped talking and turned to look. They saw a young man walk in proudly, his gaze sweeping around, resting on Lu Xing Zhou's face for a moment, and then saying faintly: "My father requests Young Master Lu to enter the mansion for a chat."

Lu Xing Zhou ignored him and poured wine, not lifting his head. "Which one is your dad?"

The person who came said proudly: "My father is the Zhen Yuan Hou (Town Far Marquis)."

The entire floor was silent, only the rustling sound of Lu Xing Zhou pouring wine.

Zhen Yuan Hou, Ho Xing Yuan.

This youth was the fifth young master of the Ho family, Ho Jin.

Pei Yu looked at Lu Xing Zhou with interest. Lu Xing Zhou leisurely sipped his wine and said faintly: "I was wondering who was so ill-mannered, disturbing people while they eat. It turns out to be the Ho family, that's not strange..."

Ho Jin's face sank. "This young master personally invites you, which is already giving enough face. Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink the penalty wine."

"You personally invite me? What are you?" Lu Xing Zhou said lazily. "Go back and tell your dad, I feel sick eating the Ho family's rice, I'm not going."

For a while, Ho Jin didn't know how to respond.

He really didn't expect that Lu Xing Zhou wouldn't even give face and would publicly challenge the Ho family as soon as he arrived in the capital city... Was he really not afraid of dying in a dark alley?