Chapter 22: Huo Yu

"Sect Master Shen is not honorable," Lu Xingzhou's voice came from outside the door. "How can you openly poach my people like this?"

Shen Tang turned her head to look at Du Gu Qingli, who was being pushed into the room in a wheelchair. She sighed, "But I feel that from the moment you met, you wanted to poach my people, and you were already in the process."

Who was Shen Tang talking about? She didn't seem to be talking about Lu Xingzhou or the other elders and disciples.

An Nuo stared intently at Du Gu Qingli's hands on the wheelchair. Du Gu Qingli withdrew his hands.

Lu Xingzhou laughed. "I couldn't poach them. I ended up with egg on my face."

Shen Tang laughed too. "You came back just in time. I was wondering earlier how to handle the lawsuit Liu Qingcang and his group filed about the contracts. If the government gets involved, we might not be able to protect these people. Since you started this, you should have a contingency plan, right?"

Lu Xingzhou said indifferently, "This is fundamentally nothing to worry about... because the apprentices were originally chosen by me, and the contracts were signed by me. Those inherent slave clauses were all deleted by me early on. Master Liu Bang is busy with myriad daily affairs. How would he look at these things carefully?"

Everyone in the courtyard had incredibly surprised looks on their faces.

Even Du Gu Qingli was slightly stunned.

Of course, the relaxed apprentice contracts weren't meant to trap Liu Qingcang; they were purely Lu Xingzhou's good intentions towards the apprentices. No one expected them to be useful at a time like this.

His ideas were clearly so sinister. This shouldn't be the case...

Tang Yunzhong was very efficient and quickly settled the apprentices' families perfectly. Shen Clan Trading Company thus established its own alchemy hall. It didn't do external sales but only produced fine products for the sect's own use.

The apprentices were no longer apprentices; they became formal employees of the trading company. Shen Tang would obviously hold examinations. If they passed, they would be formally taken in by Tianxing Sword Sect and taught cultivation methods. If they could truly enter the sect, it would also count as a kind of fortune.

Since Tianxing Sword Sect could connect with the imperial family, their cultivation methods might not be weak.

And a somewhat biased and dilapidated sword sect was also visibly becoming more vibrant.

Lu Xingzhou didn't ask any more questions. Their "master-disciple" fate was very shallow. Being responsible up to this point was enough.

As for whether truly excellent alchemist talents would emerge among them, that depended on Shen Tang's luck. The alchemy aptitude of the apprentices Lu Xingzhou personally selected was definitely present, but there was still a gap between that and true talent. They could only be apprentices. However, many matters didn't just rely on talent; diligence could make up for clumsiness, and late bloomers were never lacking.

He simply organized his alchemy techniques and insights into a book and gave it all to Shen Tang. "Since your esteemed sect wants to establish an alchemy system, you need to have alchemy knowledge classics. My little bit of stuff doesn't count as classics, but I'll give it all to you as a textbook."

Shen Tang was astonished. "This is how you make a living. You're just giving it to me?"

"Everyone has textbooks. How many can get into Qingbei?"

Sometimes you have to admit that talent is unreasonable.

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing... What I mean is, my stuff isn't that high-level. After all, I myself am only a seventh-rank alchemist. There are no major secrets. Anyway, they are somehow my disciples. It's proper to teach them. Afterwards, I still need to seek higher inheritance myself..."

Seeing the slight flicker in Shen Tang's eyes, Lu Xingzhou quickly added, "Don't even think about helping me find it again."

Shen Tang couldn't help but laugh. "How does it sound like you're very afraid of me helping you find things?"

"Yes," Lu Xingzhou said without reservation. "A debt of gratitude is very difficult to repay. It's best not to have one."

"But in fact, all along, I've been the one receiving your favor." Shen Tang sighed slightly. "Lu Xingzhou, do you feel that we are very similar? In many ways."

Lu Xingzhou said, "Mm."

He wanted to repay Shen Tang's favor, but in Shen Tang's view, all matters clearly resulted in her profiting, so she always remembered to give back a little from somewhere.

This memory of hers is what Lu Xingzhou couldn't stand. Thus, the repayment of grace upon grace would never end.

From the beginning, both sides felt like they saw a gender-swapped version of themselves. As their contact deepened, they only became more alike.

But the more soft-hearted she became, the more he became vigilant and retreated. These two people, each with a belly full of secrets, even when exchanging, always dared not go deeper, stopping every time after a shallow taste.

After a long period of silence, Shen Tang suddenly smiled. "Leaving aside other things, you're a man bringing a child. I always see you eating cakes and sweet potatoes. It's ultimately not good. From today onwards, come and eat meals with us."

Lu Xingzhou also raised his head and smiled. "Okay."

As the words fell, a "bang" sound came from outside the room. The door was kicked open, and Liu Qingcang led a crowd surging in. "Shen Tang! Hand over the people!"

"Shuo shuo shuo!" Sword lights around them rose greatly, and the people of Tianxing Sword Sect quickly formed a sword array, blocking the Danxia Gang crowd in the courtyard.

Shen Tang slowly wheeled herself out, saying faintly, "Master Liu Bang, how dare you intrude on my Shen Clan Trading Company? Do you really think we have no one here?"

Liu Qingcang said angrily, "Hand over this group of apprentices!"

"Apprentices? How did your apprentices come to my place?" Shen Tang sneered. "Master Liu Bang is neither the yamen nor the Town Demon Department. What qualifications do you have to dare intrude on a private residence to find people? Get out!"

"Keng!" An ice-blue sword light flashed over. Liu Qingcang was horrified and raised his sword to block, staggering back several steps.

Looking down, cold frost spread along the sword, straight to his wrist. The icy cold almost froze the blood rushing up his arm.

A white-haired girl held a sword and stood quietly in front, saying faintly, "Get out. Next sword, you will die."

Liu Qingcang wanted to speak, but the icy cold intent drilled straight into his blood vessels and seeped into his soul. He actually couldn't speak because of the chattering cold.

If this sword had been aimed to kill, his head would have been gone already.

What cultivation method, what sword?

Shen Tang said leisurely, "According to Da Qian law, anyone who intrudes on a private residence can be killed for free. Master Liu Bang, I'll count to three. If you don't retreat, then you don't need to walk anymore. Three..."

Before she could even say "Two," the aggressive Danxia Gang retreated like a tide, not even daring to say a harsh word.

Liu Qingcang forced back the ice cold in his body and walked back with pale lips.

He should have known the other party was so strong and shouldn't have come in so aggressively.

In fact, the other party accepting this batch of apprentices was a bad move. The city master just had no excuse to openly deal with Shen Tang. This time, as long as they sued, wouldn't there be an excuse? They fundamentally shouldn't have come and intruded by force.

He hoped the city master was reliable this time, otherwise, if this matter wasn't resolved, the Danxia Gang would be thoroughly bankrupt...

How did he get into this state in just a few days... His business was schemed into bankruptcy, and he couldn't even win a fight.

Just as he was angry, he saw a team approaching in this direction from afar. The carriage was extremely magnificent, and even the pendants emitted faint spiritual energy. The aura was incomparably strong. They were all magical tools.

Even the carriage decorations used magical tools... Which powerful dragon was this again?

As the two sides brushed past, a "yi" sound suddenly came from inside the carriage. "Isn't this Master Liu Bang? Why is he so flustered..."

Along with the words, the curtain was lifted, revealing a handsome face. It was a young master from an aristocratic family, a bit familiar.

Liu Qingcang recalled for a long time but couldn't remember. "Does the cabinet recognize me?"

That person smiled pompously. "Oh, I was only twelve when I left Xia State. I hadn't grown up yet. It's normal for Master Liu Bang not to recognize me."

Liu Qingcang's heart was shocked. "You are from the Huo family..."

"I'm ranked sixth, Huo Yu."

Liu Qingcang was overjoyed. "So it was the Sixth Young Master who returned!"

From the name, he knew that this was probably not like Huo Shang, who was not favored, but the direct sixth young master treated as a treasure!

Why was his Danxia Gang so close to the Huo residence? Because that year, he was just a dog raised by the Huo family.

That year, a mountain folk accidentally got a treasure. It was he, Liu Qingcang, who reported it to the Huo family. Afterwards, he got money and cultivation methods, rising directly from seventh-rank cultivation to fifth-rank, from a small gang of several hundred people to a large gang occupying Danxia Mountain, rising high.

He didn't know what Lu Xingzhou came for. If he had known, he would have still had to worship a Buddha... Lu Xingzhou didn't know that he had a part in the matters of that year, otherwise his methods might not have been so mild.

It was a pity that the Huo family moved the entire clan to the capital not long after, and the old Steward Huo who stayed behind was again crippled, and a large number of servants died. His reliance was also gone, making him so passive this time... Otherwise, where would he need the help of that unreliable city master? He clearly wanted to deal with Shen Tang but didn't dare to do so openly. He was really useless!

Now that the direct sixth young master of the Huo family had returned, what were Shen Tang and Lu Xingzhou? They were nothing!

"What's wrong with Master Liu Bang? You look like you've just been bullied." Huo Yu just asked strangely, "Why do you look like you've been kicked out of the gang?"

"Sixth Young Master!" Liu Qingcang opened his mouth and howled, "Sixth Young Master must seek justice for this lowly one!"

"What's wrong with this Xia State?" Huo Yu seemed to smile but not smile. "We've been gone for so many years, the steward is crippled, countless servants are killed, and Master Liu Bang here is also suffering bullying... Is it that our surname Huo is no longer effective?"

In fact, after the Huo family left, there weren't many Huo family forces here. Primarily, after the old Grand Preceptor Huo was reinstated, he was more cautious and avoided suspicion, not wanting to be impeached for establishing an independent kingdom. So Xia State truly didn't leave any old subordinates. Anyway, this was just a rural place, meaningless.

But there were still countless people secretly following behind and licking them. Even Xu Bingkun was listening to the Huo family behind the scenes. Only one backbone was needed to instantly change the color of Xia State.

Liu Qingcang quickly said, "Sixth Young Master doesn't know. The local families are still okay. Those outsiders don't know the prestige of the Huo family. They simply don't put the Huo family or the Young Master in their eyes. They are arrogant and overbearing!"

Outsiders, Sheng Yuanyao was one, Shen Tang was one. Actually, even Chen Jinnian didn't count as a local person of Xia State.

Huo Yu smiled coldly, his eyes revealing a sinister look completely different from his exterior. He slowly said, "First, follow me back to the residence and chat slowly. Tell me everything, no matter how big or small... Since this young master has returned, I will naturally let them know that Xia State still belongs to the Huo family."

In Shen Clan Trading Company, Lu Xingzhou's eyes were deep. "They finally came..."

Author, if you continue writing like this, this book will be ruined. I have been watching from the beginning. Recently, the plot, rhythm, and writing of this book have all shown considerable problems. As a reader, I cannot watch you go wrong. How about this, you send out the next few chapters, and I will see if I can modify them.