Chapter 13: The Wind Rises

Dugu Qingli wasn't responsible for thinking about these things, nor was she interested. She only needed to ensure Shen Tang's safety. "Will Xu Bingkun do anything detrimental to you?"

"He wants reputation, so he won't be too open about it. At most, he'll subtly incite a few elders."

"Then will entrusting this matter to him cause any problems this time?"

"This also relates to his political achievements, official reputation, and interests... He will definitely handle the matter, but he might secretly allow other families to compete. However, Lu Xingzhou believes we have a first-mover advantage. As long as we immediately use his command to quickly promote the Danyao Si to act, other families may not have time to prepare their goods."

Dugu Qingli nodded and continued pushing the wheelchair towards the Danyao Si.

No danger was good.

Shen Tang looked at her small, serious face, finding it amusing, but as they weren't very close, she couldn't tease her. She could only ask about the main topic. "What have you gained these past few days?"

Dugu Qingli said, "After many probes at the Ho family's old residence, I confirmed there are no treasures beneath, and the spiritual energy is indeed only a remnant from the past. The treasure should be in the current capital Ho family."

"After so many years, the Ho family has this kind of treasure and not a word has leaked out. They hide it really strictly," Shen Tang said with a sarcastic smile, then added, "I don't care about this... Um, how is the investigation into Lu Xingzhou's matter going?"

"He has been like he doesn't exist all these years. I've already used people from the sect to investigate, but there are still no traces of his activity in the world." Dugu Qingli was very serious. "This situation only has one explanation..."

"No traces in itself is a kind of trace," Shen Tang said. "Most likely, he's a member of the demonic path, and a very secretive type of demonic sect."

"Yes."

Shen Tang fell silent.

Dugu Qingli also lowered her head and looked at her without speaking.

Shen Tang's identity truly wasn't as simple as just being the young master of the Tianxing Sword Sect. It involved something major. Honestly, Dugu Qingli didn't quite understand why she would associate with someone of unknown origin like Lu Xingzhou. Was it just because of Master's divination?

Master's divination only said that a wind would rise in Xiachuan, it didn't clearly indicate it would be on Lu Xingzhou's body.

Perhaps it was truly because they were both broken people, and they saw themselves in each other... This was a feeling outsiders couldn't personally experience, moreover, Qingli's emotions were more indifferent compared to ordinary people.

If Master hadn't specifically ordered her to come out and protect Shen Tang, she would still be walking alone with her sword in the glacier until now.

Shen Tang sighed softly, as if talking to herself, "I always feel that someone who can raise a child with such full-hearted tenderness won't be some utterly vicious and evil person."

Dugu Qingli didn't say anything.

Shen Tang changed the topic again. "How is the Danxia Gang recently?"

Dugu Qingli said, "The Danxia Gang is acquiring a medicinal material called Han Ying Cao. I wasn't in Xiachuan the day before yesterday, and I heard that it was suddenly procured on a large scale by someone unknown, causing Han Ying Cao to become scarce. Now the price has skyrocketed."

Shen Tang: "...That was me helping Lu Xingzhou buy it."

Dugu Qingli: "..."

After a pause, Dugu Qingli continued, "Originally, there weren't many places planting Han Ying Cao in Xiachuan. Now that the price is high, the Danxia Gang has decided to plant more themselves. So, after harvesting the mature medicinal materials in the original medicine mountain, they've all changed to planting Han Ying Cao, hoping to make a big fortune after the harvest."

Shen Tang was thoughtful.

Lu Xingzhou seemed to not only want to harm the Danxia Gang but also to be burying other schemes?

The conversation continued all the way. The Danyao Si was already not far ahead, and Shen Tang didn't think about it further. She entered the Danyao Si to negotiate the promotion of the sword talismans.

It must be said that although Qingli was cold, as long as it was a matter assigned to her, she would certainly handle it meticulously and perfectly. With such strength and quality, why hadn't her reputation become known all these years?

............

Old Steward Ho's madness was indeed cured after continuously taking Yang Po Dan for three days.

Sheng Yuan Yao inquired clearly. The murderer was a child with blurred flesh and blood, using extremely standard Ho family sword art. Among them, the essence was something only the Ho family children would know, not even the old steward had received the transmission.

Although it was the essence, it was not complete, exactly the part that Ho Shang learned that year.

All the servants who died that year had bullied Ho Shang, not one less. And the young servants who had just arrived were innocent, so none of them were affected.

That year, Old Steward Ho personally held down Ho Shang's hands, allowing him to be wantonly abused by Young Master Ho. So the murderer also chose to break Old Steward Ho's hand tendons.

How could an old man whose heart disease had not yet recovered withstand this? Looking left and right, no matter how he looked, he saw evil spirits coming to claim his life, and he was directly scared mad.

Sheng Yuan Yao sent the old steward back to the Ho residence, dispatched some subordinates to guard it, and sighed.

This case could be concluded... The murderer was obviously Ho Shang. She didn't know how he had survived that year and hadn't been discovered by the Ho family...

The so-called child with blurred flesh and blood was either Ho Shang's inheritance or Ho Shang himself using techniques like bone shrinking to disguise himself. All she had to do was submit the report to her superiors. Whether or not to arrest Ho Shang was not something she could decide.

After all, that was an internal matter of the Ho family, and not a very glorious one. The Ho family might not be willing to issue an arrest warrant and make this matter known to all.

As early as a few days ago, she had already written a letter to the Ho family. Without accident, the Ho family should already have people on their way at this moment.

Sheng Yuan Yao left the Ho residence and looked at the "Shen Family Business" across the fields, frowning slightly.

If the people from the Ho family only came to investigate the Ho Shang matter, that would be fine. But if they used the name of "searching for and arresting Ho Shang" to bully their neighbors again, and even bully their way into this Shen Family Business...

She thought for a moment, then strode with long legs directly towards the business, and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and the guard looked at Sheng Yuan Yao in her official uniform, puzzled. "Officer, we haven't committed a crime, have we..."

"I'm looking for your landlord Lu Xingzhou, or A'nuo. Are they in?"

"They are master and disciple..." The guard looked strange. "They stay cooped up in the elixir room all day and night, rarely even showing their faces. Are all elixir masters like this?"

Sheng Yuan Yao went directly to the elixir room, but Lu Xingzhou and his disciple were not inside. Sheng Yuan Yao looked around and saw Lu Xingzhou sitting by the window in the adjacent room, reading a book.

From this angle, one couldn't see the wheelchair, only a gentleman like jade, leisurely reading poetry and books, gentle and at ease.

That scene was truly beautiful, capable of being painted.

She walked over and stood outside the window, staring at Lu Xingzhou for a while, then suddenly spoke. "Why didn't you continue being a Taoist?"

Lu Xingzhou didn't lift his head. "I'm so good-looking, it would be too much of a pity to leave home."

The sense of beauty instantly shattered. Sheng Yuan Yao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Aren't you going to invite me in to sit?"

Lu Xingzhou finally lifted his head and glanced at her. "Commander, do you have something? Old Steward Ho's madness should be cured, right?"

"Mm, the case is basically concluded."

"Can I ask about the result?"

"No."

Lu Xingzhou smiled and didn't say anything. In any case, from Sheng Yuan Yao's attitude, she should no longer suspect him, which was enough.

Originally, it wasn't even necessary to drive that old thing mad; it was a waste of time. It was a pity A'nuo, that short and chubby kid, couldn't influence the other party's mind, otherwise, how could it be so easy to mislead them into thinking it was Ho Shang...

Sheng Yuan Yao said, "People from the Ho family will be here soon. You are neighbors, so it's best to avoid them a bit. Don't go out wandering around."

"You just came to remind me of this?"

"Mm."

"Remind me, or remind Shen Tang?"

Sheng Yuan Yao hesitated, then finally said, "Of course I'm reminding you."

Lu Xingzhou looked at her for a while, finally put away the book, bent down to pick up a small basket, and reached out of the window with his hand to her.

Sheng Yuan Yao took it strangely and looked inside. The basket contained dozens of sword talismans. "This is... for purification?"

"These sword talismans should be promoted by the Danyao Si in the next two or three days to purify elixir poison and will be available city-wide. Seeing that you actually took the initiative to remind me to be careful of the Ho family... I'll give you a batch. It's free."

Sheng Yuan Yao "ha"了一声 (a sound): "You money-grubber can still give me things for free?"

Lu Xingzhou laughed. "But I have a request."

Sheng Yuan Yao said exasperatedly, "Say it."

"These are for the officials of the Zhenmo Si. The only request is that when they wear them, don't hide them in their embrace. Just wear them on their chest. They look quite nice, don't they?"

Sheng Yuan Yao picked up a sword talisman and examined it for a while. It was shaped like an ancient, simple sword, and indeed quite good-looking. "Just say it clearly, what are you planning to do?"

Lu Xingzhou grinned. "Just give it a little boost. Although the Danyao Si will promote it, I don't trust their efficiency. Shen Tang and the others are betting on a tight timeline, only about three days. I'm afraid they won't necessarily succeed by then. Once the officials of the Zhenmo Si wear them on their chests and patrol the city, that trend can also quickly pick up."

Sheng Yuan Yao was a bit shocked. "You are helping Shen Tang scheme? And doing business?"

"Why not?"

Sheng Yuan Yao fell silent, not knowing what she was thinking. After a long while, she finally said, "Okay. Anyway, this is a good thing, and it's indeed beneficial to them. Wearing it outside or putting it in their embrace makes no difference."

Lu Xingzhou cupped his hand. "Then I thank Commander very much."

Sheng Yuan Yao said exasperatedly, "You also know you should thank me, aren't you claiming to give me things for free?"

Lu Xingzhou just laughed. "Then how about I give Commander another merit?"

"Just say what you have to say."

"Three days later, Commander can bring people here. You should be able to catch a batch of culprits attempting to assassinate their master, or you can prevent a gang conflict."

Sheng Yuan Yao gnashed her teeth. "Are you sure this is giving me a merit, not helping Shen Tang out?"

"Preventing a gang conflict, preventing a bloody case, just say whether that counts as a merit or not?"

"..." Sheng Yuan Yao was too lazy to say anything else. She carried the basket and flicked her sleeve, leaving.

How strange. This Lu Xingzhou just rented a house, so why was he so considerate of Shen Tang?

Sheng Yuan Yao didn't recognize Shen Tang, but she knew what she had come to Xiachuan for.

Her father's meaningful gaze before her departure was still vivid in her mind: "Yuan Yao, this trip to Xiachuan, pay special attention to a person named Shen Tang. If you can secretly help a bit, remember not to be too obvious."

"Who is she?"

"It's not something you can know. Just go and do it."

Sheng Yuan Yao always felt that the family, knowing her intention to avoid an arranged marriage, could still agree to her going to Xiachuan, quite possibly just for this Shen Tang. But no matter how she investigated, she only knew that Shen Tang was the young master of the Tianxing Sword Sect. On what basis did this identity make her father, one of the four major chief catchers of the Zhenmo Si, care so much?

Lu Xingzhou was already mysterious enough, and now there was an even more mysterious Shen Tang.

Once these two intersected... Sheng Yuan Yao frowned all the way, suddenly having a slightly unsettling feeling, always feeling that mere Xiachuan couldn't contain such winds and clouds.

I just came out to gain experience and watch the drama, how did it become like this?

On a distant rooftop, Dugu Qingli's white hair fluttered. She quietly looked in the direction of Lu Xingzhou's house, her face expressionless, but her heart was also a little surprised.

This man... was he actually truly helping Shen Tang? And he seemed to be considering everything in great detail.

Lu Xingzhou's voice suddenly came from afar. "Qingli girl, let Shen girl come and see me again. Some details need to be arranged clearly."

Dugu Qingli's blue eyes moved slightly.

How did this Lu Xingzhou discover her?