Chapter 91: Only Waiting for Spring

Pei Chuyun knew Lu Xingzhou, she had seen his portrait. This was out of the necessity of "recognizing important figures on the same path" so she would have a mental note of his appearance, but she didn't actually understand him much.

Ultimately, she was still a little demoness in secluded cultivation. In terms of worldly knowledge, she wasn't necessarily better than the little white-haired girl. She only knew that the organizational structure of Yanluo Hall was established by the Judge. Later, he was always responsible for literary work such as internal management and diplomacy. At first, he also handled some trade exchanges, but later handed them over to others.

"Yanluo Hall's Judge is a very special existence." Her senior sisters knew quite a bit more than her. "He appeared with Yan Jun when he rose. He looked only ten years old and always sat in a wheelchair, often holding a baby in his arms. At first, people thought Yan Jun was dragging a burden of a younger brother and secretly laughed at how ridiculous this little girl was. How could he do business like that?"

"Later?"

"Later, people watched with wide eyes as Yanluo Hall rose rapidly. Ordinary people felt it was because Yan Jun was too strong, but those who did some management work naturally knew that it's very difficult for one person to stably expand a huge organization through fighting alone. Either Yan Jun was not only good at fighting, or the child next to him was a very powerful assistant. Later, as expected, the Judge's name quickly spread. It's said that within Yanluo Hall, the Judge's words were as effective as Yan Jun's."

"Then wasn't Yan Jun suspicious? Even blood brothers can turn against each other, right?"

"So the Judge wasn't driven away?"

"Anyway, even if he was driven away, there was no pursuit, not even a declaration like 'this person is hereafter unrelated to this hall.' This attitude is truly difficult to understand. Regardless of whether it's the righteous or demonic path, leaving a sect and going out has never been so leisurely. It's said that among all the prestigious families, none of their high-level members have ever been lower-three-grade cultivators. Only Yanluo Hall has opened people's eyes several times. You say a mere lower-three-grade cripple is a high-level member. How many of these unruly people in the demonic path are willing to accept that? So I hear the Judge has quite a few opponents in Yanluo Hall."

"Lower three grades?" Pei Chuyun finally gritted her teeth. "He is clearly six grades! His cultivation method is still very special, and he's very strong! And a cripple? He..."

Her words suddenly stopped there. Pei Chuyun sipped her wine, her eyes hard to decipher.

Looking at it this way, Lu Xingzhou's healed leg should be information unknown to the world. If she held onto it, perhaps it could play a role, for example, as a means to threaten Lu Xingzhou... In any case, there was no reason to spread it casually. What value would her own injury have then?

Paying such a high price for this information, just to warn these wastes?

From this, it could also be seen that Pei Chuyun and these "senior sisters" were truly not necessarily of one heart. Otherwise, just to remind her own people, she wouldn't have swallowed her words.

Ultimately, it came back to this sentence: "Whether people are willing or not depends on how much Yan Jun protects him. A literary person with no cultivation can become a prime minister, so what does that rely on? As a founding elder who jointly created Yanluo Hall, he deserves half the credit. The reason people are not willing to challenge him is because Yan Jun also wants to suppress him."

The senior sisters all agreed, "Indeed."

Pei Chuyun asked again, "His cultivation is low, yet his status is high, and his ability is strong... Haven't the various families tried to charm and control him for their own use? Especially us, haven't we tried? Don't tell me it's for a laughable reason like camaraderie among those of the same path."

"Very early on, when we intersected, we tried the Heart-Bewitching Technique. The one who cast the technique suffered backlash and ultimately didn't dare to fall out with Yan Jun, so they just ate a silent loss." A knowledgeable senior sister sighed. "Later, some people still used flirtatious means, but the Judge was fundamentally unmoved. He was sixteen that year, exactly at the age of first love, yet he could have such determination. It's quite admirable."

Pei Chuyun sipped her wine and fell into thought.

"Hey, you're not going to try to charm him, are you?" Someone said. "That's meaningless. He's not in Yanluo Hall now, and has no authority. His identity as a guest elder of Tianxing Sword Sect is not worth it. If it's personal, with his level of cultivation... Even if you say he's six grades, it's not worth you, the Holy Maiden, making a move."

"What is 'worth it' or 'not worth it'? Isn't it good to have one more capable dog?" Pei Chuyun chuckled lightly. "Perhaps we can't even recruit one?"

The crowd also laughed, "It's fine to casually recruit, but if we need to use means that break our purity, then forget it. That has to be saved for crucial moments."

Pei Chuyun's eyes flashed with a subtle, hard-to-discern sarcasm.

Chastity is only for use in crucial moments... Do you all really consider yourselves prostitutes on auction for the first night, only serving the highest bidder?

Pity... If she could subdue Tianyao Holy Maiden, she could mostly knock some sense into their laughable thinking and also make her own future choices more autonomous.

Who knew she would be ruined by that bastard who pretended to be a cripple?

The Heart-Bewitching Technique was backlashed, mostly because he had a treasure... Flirtatious means were ineffective, because his determination was high?

That may not be the case... His relationship with Shen Tang and Tianyao Holy Maiden is absolutely not ordinary. Having Shen Tang and still flirting with Tianyao Holy Maiden, couldn't he be a lustful person?

If flirting didn't succeed, it's because you're just vulgar, and people look down on you...

At this time, Lu Xingzhou had already returned to Lingquan Mountain with Shen Tang and A Nuo.

The three of them strolled by the pond on the mountain. Shen Tang laughed leisurely, "The court indeed has experience with this Xuanci earth vein matter. They said it's very difficult to stop its spread, but we can use arrays or treasures to guide its direction of spread. That is to say, just try to let it expand downwards."

Lu Xingzhou also smiled helplessly, "Indeed, the state's handling experience may be much more useful than my meditation and contemplation. Hmm... Speaking of this traction method, I actually have one."

"You are ultimately just one person," Shen Tang said. "What's the situation with Yanluo Hehuan Sect?"

"I've temporarily sent people to watch; there's no situation." Lu Xingzhou laughed. "Anyway, I'm also going into secluded cultivation this time back on the mountain. That Pei Chuyun can't possibly come and attack our Tianxing Sword Sect, right?"

Shen Tang raised her head and thought for a moment, "So the recent disturbances have all subsided? We finally have some stable days?"

"Yes." Lu Xingzhou looked at her flushed and plump side face, knowing what she was thinking in her heart at this time.

Because he himself also thought the same way.

The situation is stable, everyone cultivates respectively, waiting for precipitation... Then there will be time for flowers before the moon.

Shen Tang again sighed softly, "But I'm still a little sad. I feel that Tianxing Sword Sect is lively, but beside me is cold and quiet... I don't know when I can see Qingli again."

A Nuo looked at her, thinking, are you sure you really want to see Qingli?

Lu Xingzhou's heart was more complex than Shen Tang's, not only because of the ambiguity with the little white-haired girl, but also because he had continuously seen off two friends in just a few days. His heart felt particularly heavy.

The hot and bustling wind of Xiazhou rose, and now Sheng Yuanyao was gone, Dugu Qingli was gone, like a banquet ending, leaving only cold silence on the ground.

Actually, Yuan Muyu's judgment was basically still correct. Although Lu Xingzhou didn't plan to leave Tianxing Sword Sect, this was different from going out. He didn't want to always stay in Xiazhou. For example, he was still having Yang Dechang pay attention to any news of Huo family disciples going out. Once he knew, he would definitely chase after them to cause trouble.

But in the short term, he truly didn't want to go. He had already seen off two friends and felt an emptiness in his heart. If he also left, Shen Tang's loneliness would be unbearable.

Thinking this, he quietly reached out and took hold of Shen Tang's slender hand.

Shen Tang's face flushed slightly, she quickly glanced at A Nuo, then lowered her head, but her hand was unwilling to let go no matter what.

The family of three strolled slowly, gradually walking to the edge of the cliff.

The sky gradually darkened again, and the sunset reflected a bright expanse in the distant sky.

Between the Danxia mountains, sword qi soared, and disciples were practicing.

Tang Yunzhong and a group of loyal and devoted old Tianxing Sword Sect members had already quietly entered the Longhu secret realm, cultivating in seclusion amidst the abundant spiritual energy, and were on the verge of a collective breakthrough.

Between the Huo residence at the foot of the mountain and the original Shen family business, there was a large continuous area of fields, where tenant farmers had already been hired and were preparing for spring plowing. Both the business and the Huo residence served as external halls, responsible for different business interactions.

The newly arrived Qin Buwang was appointed as the Fenxiang sub-helmsman, leading a group of original Danxia sect disciples to plant spiritual medicine on Fenxiang mountain and also responsible for interacting with various forces in the prefecture.

A huge sect occupying two mountains, with continuous fields and sub-helmsmen outside, was visibly rising.

Within the surging Lingquan, a crack appeared in the potential embrace of yin and yang. The spiritual energy in the mountains grew unknowingly, gradually spreading to Xiazhou.

As this one declined, the other rose. Dongjiang withered, the Prefectural Governor's Mansion was ruined, Fenxiang building was buried, and the weather began to decline.

The north wind suddenly rose, the thick cloud layer above changed, and one could almost clearly see the shapes of dragons and tigers gathering above Xiazhou. A powerful aura of kingship enveloped the area, just waiting for its time.

Two people who first met sitting in wheelchairs at the edge of the cliff, each with their own matters weighing on their hearts, now stood side by side at the edge of the cliff facing the mountain wind, holding hands tightly, overlooking their own meteorological changes.

Shen Tang's heart was a little stirred, she unconsciously leaned her head gently, resting it on Lu Xingzhou's shoulder, and whispered, "The auspicious snow is just right, just waiting for spring to begin."

Lu Xingzhou reached out to hug her, and subconsciously lowered his head to seek something. Shen Tang implicitly raised her head slightly, and their lips met precisely. They embraced and kissed.

The mountain wind grew stronger, causing their skirts and clothes to flutter wildly. Under the sunset, the man and woman passionately embraced and kissed, resembling an immortal painting scroll.

A little girl sat sulking to the side, hugging her knees, her mouth pouting high, like a seal in a corner of the painting scroll.

End of Volume One.