Chapter 25: Pulling Hate

The black-clothed person lowered his head, and then stealthily glanced at him again.

You still say you’re just a customer? Our rules are relaxed, so what anger does a customer have? Still scolding me? Can a customer scold me?

A Nuo sat to the side, munching on a sweet potato, and sighed like a little adult.

“Forget it.” Lu Xingzhou took a deep breath to calm his mood, and said faintly, “You are merely the Xiazhou branch of the station, your strength is not enough. Submit a request upward and have an expert come.”

The black-clothed person carefully asked, “What is the time limit? What are the requirements?”

“They must arrive by tomorrow night before nightfall. What level can come?”

“Tomorrow night…” The black-clothed person calculated for a while. “By this time, even if we use communication symbols to get someone here at the fastest speed, the journey is still not enough. At most, we can only dispatch fifth-rank from the prefecture. If they still deliberately avoid those people, the number that can come is even harder to grasp. We can only confirm one is possible.”

“Enough. I originally didn’t want to find anyone too high. The higher they are, the easier it is for those people to know I’m here. Fifth-rank is just right, and it matches this task.” Lu Xingzhou barely showed a hint of a smile, and handed over two yuanbao. “This is the deposit… even higher, I actually cannot afford to invite anyone now.”

The black-clothed person’s expression became very strange. “I cannot accept this money…”

“No, you must accept it.”

“That’s too much…”

“The extra money, you bring some people to help me secretly watch the movements of the Huo family. Once Huo Yu goes out, you immediately help me do one thing…”

…………

Sheng Yuan Yao stepped into the Huo residence.

She had been working overtime on the demon case for the past two days, and had temporarily found no external clues.

Du Gu Qing Li suggested going to see the death row prisoners. She was also temporarily not alerting the enemy, and prepared to find an appropriate excuse to probe unobtrusively. At this moment, Huo Yu invited her to the Huo residence to discuss in detail the Huo family murder case and the matter of Huo Shang.

Sheng Yuan Yao was exhausted from investigating the case and really didn’t want to go. Honestly speaking, as a ranked official of the Zhen Mo Si, Huo Yu was just a young master with no official position. If he knew some etiquette, it should have been right for Huo Yu to come and see her. Yet, he invited her over with such great fanfare, which really made people dislike him to the extreme.

But unfortunately, her father was only in a vice position, not the chief seat. The chief seat of the Zhen Mo Si was a first-rank important minister. To get the full respect of the Huo family, she needed to remove the word “vice.”

In order not to cause her old father trouble, Sheng Yuan Yao, although she disliked it, still reluctantly entered the Huo residence.

Just as she entered the hall, she saw a scene of singing and dancing and revelry. Huo Yu was hugging a maidservant and kissing her passionately. Beside him, there were also maidservants peeling grapes and feeding him whenever there was a gap.

Sheng Yuan Yao’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

This was too disrespectful… not to mention she was still a woman. This could simply be counted as suspected harassment.

And there was even someone who thought for themselves and arranged a marriage for her with this guy. It was truly disgusting. Fortunately, her father didn’t want to get too entangled with the Huo family and politely refused directly. Otherwise, just talking about this matter could become her own case record.

In her heart, the image of Lu Xingzhou inadvertently flashed… if he was Huo Shang, then none of the Huo family disciples could compare.

Fortunately, the Huo family was not so brainless as to push the vice seat of the Zhen Mo Si into an enemy. They didn’t dare to let Huo Yu really tease her. Catching a glimpse of Sheng Yuan Yao’s black face, Huo Yu eventually didn’t go too far. He still coughed twice and released the maidservant in his arms, correcting his sitting posture. “Miss Sheng, please sit. We haven’t seen each other for several months, right?”

Sheng Yuan Yao was all business, and sat on the guest seat to the side. “Cut the pleasantries… I have already written the case details very clearly in my report. Young Master Huo should have read it.”

“Indeed, I have read it.” Huo Yu looked at Sheng Yuan Yao with some surprise and admiration. He secretly thought that this woman was beautiful, but when she was in the capital, she was always running around wildly and had no charm. Now that she came out to be the head of a small place, wearing a large cloak and pressing a waist knife with her hand, and with a serious face, her aura was stern and she was inexplicably seven or eight points more attractive. It hasn’t been that long…

“Since you have read it, and now the old housekeeper is more awake, it is much more direct for Young Master Huo to ask him than to ask me. Why did you still invite me over? What do you want to ask?”

Huo Yu barely hid the desire in his eyes and tried to put on a serious appearance. “Naturally, I am asking for clues about Huo Shang. Miss Sheng has been investigating for so long, so you should have some findings?”

Sheng Yuan Yao’s face was expressionless. “Sorry, Yuan Yao’s ability is not enough, and I really haven’t investigated any clues. That’s why Young Master Huo needs to personally take action, isn’t that right?”

Actually, when she said this, Sheng Yuan Yao was very confused about what Huo Yu was doing in her heart.

You, Huo Yu, came to investigate clues about Huo Shang and execute him directly if found. As a result, you came with such a big fanfare, the whole city knows about it. If Huo Shang was really hiding here, he would have run away long ago! What exactly did you come to do? Just to return home in glory and show off your power? It’s simply putting the cart before the horse.

As a result, the words Huo Yu said shocked Sheng Yuan Yao even more. “If a certain Huo can solve this matter, it will be considered as giving Miss Sheng a credit. How does Miss Sheng want to thank me?”

Sheng Yuan Yao almost spat out. “This is the Huo young master’s own family feud. Can I not thank you, and the young master not investigate? Then the young master can eat and drink well, and go back to the capital after eating.”

“A certain Huo has never taken that bastard seriously from the beginning. He was just a waste back then, how strong can he be now?” Huo Yu laughed hehe, and turned to say, “I heard that Miss Sheng investigated a cripple named Lu Xingzhou before. Is it possible that he is Huo Shang?”

Sheng Yuan Yao clearly felt that Lu Xingzhou still had a certain possibility, but she replied, “By reason, it should not be. Yuan Yao recognizes all the young masters of the Huo family, and their appearances all have similar points. This Lu Xingzhou, however, is not at all similar to them, and he does not even have a trace of his father’s appearance.”

“Could his appearance not be changed? Or covered up by technique?”

“…His face does not have such traces.” Sheng Yuan Yao actually wanted to say that he was much better looking than all of them, and their faces were just a blur.

Huo Yu coldly laughed, “His mother was a cheap maid. Perhaps he follows his mother’s appearance and doesn’t even know it.”

Sheng Yuan Yao finally couldn’t help but frown. “What do you mean by saying these things, Young Master Huo?”

“It is better to kill the wrong person than to let go. Even if it’s not him, can’t he be killed?”

Sheng Yuan Yao suddenly stood up and said sternly, “As the commander of the Zhen Mo Si, I will not sit by and watch this kind of indiscriminate killing of innocent people!”

“Just kidding, just kidding, why is Miss Sheng so nervous.” Huo Yu smiled, narrowed his eyes, and pressed his hand. “I never thought Miss Sheng would be so upright, heroic, and valiant. It really makes people look at you with new eyes. Um… it’s almost time for a meal. How about we have lunch together?”

Sheng Yuan Yao endured the disgust in her heart. “Yuan Yao still has official business, so I will not disturb Young Master Huo. If there is no other important matter, I will take my leave first.”

Watching Sheng Yuan Yao walk away with big strides, Huo Yu’s gaze became somewhat ferocious. “You don’t know what’s good for you.”

Liu Qing Cang came out from behind and flatteringly said, “How is it? I just said that there must be something fishy between Sheng Yuan Yao and Lu Xingzhou. It is highly suspected that Lu Xingzhou is Huo Shang, and Sheng Yuan Yao is covering for him. Otherwise, why has the dignified Zhen Mo Si commander investigated for so long and not found a single clue? It only makes sense if she herself is assisting in covering it up.”

“A mere seventh-rank crippled cultivation, plus a child who just entered the ranks?” Huo Yu simply wanted to laugh. “It seems that my father sent so many guards for me to make a fuss. Uncle Fu, you make a move. Just don’t beat him to death. As for whether he is Huo Shang, we still need to bring him back for re-confirmation, to avoid the real Huo Shang escaping by muddying the waters.”

The old man standing behind him bowed slightly and quickly disappeared.

Huo Yu sighed. “Liu Help Master, you are also a dignified sixth-rank martial cultivator, bringing a big helper, how can you be messed up by a mere cripple like this? In the face of absolute strength, schemes are useless. He plotted against you, and you didn’t kill him?”

Liu Qing Cang also sighed. “Why wouldn’t I? The result is that either Sheng Yuan Yao is obstructing, or it is Shen Tang. This cripple’s luck with women is quite deep.”

“Luck with women?” Huo Yu sat up a little straighter. “You mean, that Shen Tang is also as beautiful as Sheng Yuan Yao?”

Liu Qing Cang said with extreme sincerity this time, “As her name suggests, she is like a peach blossom blooming, an outstanding beauty… pity she is also a cripple.”

Huo Yu’s eyes brightened. He suddenly stood up. “That Shen family business that occupied your station’s old place?”

Liu Qing Cang was secretly overjoyed in his heart. “That’s right, but Young Master needs to be careful. She has a white-haired, blue-eyed woman beside her. Her cultivation is strange, and her swordsmanship is extremely strong…”

“A white-haired, blue-eyed woman?” Huo Yu was not interested in this and frowned. “How can this monster-like appearance, and being extremely strong, not be known to people? She is probably limited in her strength, Liu Help Master, you are really regressing the more you mix…”

Liu Qing Cang thought that Huo Yu should be able to handle it anyway, so he didn’t remind him much, just flattered him, “Yes, yes, yes, the Young Master will naturally capture him easily.”

“Then let’s go.” Huo Yu shook his fan and leisurely walked out. “Let me see that outstandingly beautiful cripple.”

Huo Yu led his guard team and a group of people crossed the fields and villages and rushed directly to the Shen family business.

They hadn’t even reached the door yet when a subordinate’s anxious call came from behind. “Young Master! Young Master! It’s bad, the housekeeper has been kidnapped, and a blood-red ‘Shang’ character is left on the wall!”

Huo Yu emergency stopped his steps, and gloomily and uncertainly glanced at the nearby Shen family business. His expression was green and white. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and decided, “Go back first, Huo Shang is important, we will talk about the Shen family matter later.”

Inside the business, hearing the subordinate report that Huo Yu led the crowd and was called away by the matter, Shen Tang was silent for a long time, and said in a low voice, “My judgment was not wrong, was it?”

Du Gu Qing Li was silent.

He actually really attracted Huo Yu’s gaze, exposing himself to the center of the storm, just so as not to involve them.

But this was not just not involving them, this was already protection.

His sudden desire to cure his leg before did indeed belong to a kind of “arranging affairs.” In case he failed, the formula for Shen Tang was still there.

“Watch Huo Yu,” Shen Tang said faintly. “There will be a time for us to make a move.”

The contrast between Shen Tang and Yuan Mu Yu is becoming more and more obvious. If this continues, it won’t be long before a sentence like “Clearly I came first” pops out.