Chapter 174: The Chief Seat and the Editor-in-Chief

In reality, Sheng Yuanyao and Lu Xingzhou didn't do anything significant after entering the inn. Sheng Yuanyao would never casually offer herself up like a succubus from the Joyous Sect.

Pei Chuyun was simply projecting her own thoughts onto them.

They merely went into the kitchen, gathered the prepared ingredients, and started a fire to cook their own meal.

Since it was a spring outing, how could they not have a picnic?

Although cooking indoors wasn't exactly 'wild' for a picnic, it was a rare experience for both of them.

Lu Xingzhou used his magic to start the fire. Turning to watch Sheng Yuanyao happily washing vegetables, a soft feeling grew in his heart.

"Melon Girl" had planned everything quite thoroughly today... She truly wanted to spend a day alone with him in this fated place.

Lu Xingzhou knew what "Melon Girl" was thinking, and could even guess that the name "Qingyao Garden" had taken on a new meaning in her heart, beyond just being a place of salvation.

His "Qing," her "Yao."

In fact, after all these years, it was only today that he was picnicking, picking grass to tie knots, and lighting a fire to cook—all things that Huo Qing had done as a child, but which he, as Lu Xingzhou, had never done since.

Sheng Yuanyao felt as if she had been struck by an extraterrestrial sword; how could Lu Xingzhou not feel the same?

"Let me do it," Lu Xingzhou said, seeing Sheng Yuanyao about to put the washed vegetables into the pot. He stood up and gently pushed her aside. "If you cook, I'm afraid I'll be poisoned to death."

"Oh, really? I don't know how to cook, but Judge Lu does?" Sheng Yuanyao didn't try to take the spatula back after it was snatched from her. She was a little bit excited.

Lu Xingzhou smiled. He hadn't cooked in this life, but he had in his previous one.

His skills were rusty, and he wasn't familiar with the utensils... But it didn't matter; no one expected a gourmet meal anyway. The point was to enjoy themselves.

Seeing him actually stir-frying quite competently, Sheng Yuanyao's eyes crinkled in a smile. She instinctively moved to the stove to tend the fire.

The fire crackled brightly. Sheng Yuanyao propped her chin on her hand, watching him hum a little tune as he cooked, and gradually her mind drifted far away.

"Actually... staying good friends, like buddies, seems pretty good too..."

"What are you staring at?" Lu Xingzhou said with a smile as he brought a dish to the table. "Come and try this first. We'll taste each dish as it's made."

Sheng Yuanyao scurried over like an excited puppy.

Outside, one tall and one small figure peered through the window, with two pairs of eyes blinking curiously.

"Your master is cooking for someone else, and you don't even want a bite?" Pei Chuyun whispered.

"Because it's definitely going to be terrible," A'Nuo, usually a glutton, was completely unfazed this time. "Nobody in the world knows Master better than me. I've never seen him cook before. I bet Sister Yao is going to get diarrhea."

Pei Chuyun suppressed her eagerness. She whispered, "I thought your master was so lustful that he'd take advantage, but he didn't really do anything. Does holding hands count? And that cheap woman offered her lips herself; he didn't take the opportunity to go further. Why do they seem more like siblings than lovers? Don't tell me they're really just friends?"

A'Nuo looked scornful. "Haven't you read enough storybooks?"

"What do you mean?"

"In storybooks, the most dangerous species are male confidants and female buddies. Their destructive power against the 'original partner' is comparable to a supreme-grade demonic cultivator. I suggest these be included in the Joyous Sect's mandatory curriculum from now on. The old trick of just scamming food and drinks is outdated."

"What exactly have you been learning from your master all these years?!"

A'Nuo didn't answer. She pulled out two sweet potatoes and gave one to Pei Chuyun. "Just make do with this to fill your stomach..."

Pei Chuyun's face was expressionless.

She had expected them to end up in bed today, which was why she came to watch the gossip. Was this all there was? So, she spent the whole day out here feeding mosquitoes, all for what? For one of your sweet potatoes?

Well, at least they wouldn't have to watch for much longer.

"Senior Official Sheng! Congratulations!" The eunuch delivering the imperial edict solemnly placed it in Sheng Qingfeng's hand. He said with a smile, "Please take good care of us in the future, Senior Official Sheng."

While Sheng Yuanyao was bonding like brothers with a man and cooking together intimately, her official rank was also rising.

Sheng Qingfeng was officially promoted to Senior Official of the Demon Suppression Bureau. Given the importance of the Great Qian Demon Suppression Bureau, this was not just a First-Rank official, but also a powerful official with significant military authority.

"Oh, please, Eunuch Hai, it is I who hope for your continued support," Sheng Qingfeng said, showing no hint of arrogance. He smoothly slipped a fine jade into the eunuch's hand.

"Of course," Eunuch Hai said, pleased with Sheng Qingfeng's shrewdness. He smiled, "His Majesty said that Senior Official Sheng's proposal to issue the Great Qian Heroes Ranking every three months is a reasonable reform. He also wishes to see the first new ranking list after your appointment as soon as possible."

Sheng Qingfeng thought to himself that His Majesty seemed to place an unexpectedly high value on Lu Xingzhou now, including Lu Nuonuo.

However, their positions on the Alchemist Deputy Ranking were relatively easy to arrange. They could simply replace Xuan Qing, who was third among the newcomers, as their combat prowess had been clearly demonstrated, and everyone would acknowledge it. As for whether the first and second ranks could be attained, they were all in the Alchemy Academy anyway, and there would be opportunities for competition, so they could be ranked in the next issue.

The main New Talent Ranking, however, was a real headache.

Lu Xingzhou and his disciple had killed Ye Wufeng together. It was impossible for them to directly take Ye Wufeng's first place. Instead, the original second-place holder, Qi Tuizhi, the direct disciple of Lingtian Pavilion, would have to fill the first spot. But how to rank the Lu family master and disciple was truly racking their brains.

Currently, Lu Xingzhou's publicly displayed cultivation level was Fifth-Rank Lower Tier. This level of cultivation barely placed him in the middle-to-lower tier of the New Talent Ranking, putting him on par with Sheng Xiaogua, Sheng Qingfeng's own daughter.

Of course, raw cultivation level wasn't the only criterion; everyone valued practical combat experience more. However, Lu Xingzhou had no records of one-on-one duels with other newcomers, or even many public combat records at all, making it impossible to assess him. No matter where they placed him higher up, the other newcomers he displaced would be resentful, which would inadvertently offend people on his behalf and put Lu Xingzhou in a difficult position.

Such arbitrary ranking was akin to creating chaos for the sake of it. The original intention of the Demon Suppression Bureau's New Talent Ranking was to inspire, so they had to act cautiously.

But if they truly placed Lu Xingzhou in the middle or lower tier, the Demon Suppression Bureau would be ridiculed for being blind.

Even more tragically, Lu Nuonuo's cultivation had clearly reached Fourth-Rank Lower Tier, a whole major rank higher than her own master. If the disciple ranked higher than the master, what would happen to Lu Xingzhou's reputation?

Sheng Qingfeng summoned the Publications Department and discussed the matter for most of the day, but they couldn't come up with a good solution.

Finally, a subordinate simply suggested, "Senior Official, why not just ask Lu Xingzhou directly? If he isn't afraid of offending people, then place him higher, in the position previously left vacant by Chu Qingchen. As for whether Lu Nuonuo should be on the list, we probably need to ask their master and disciple for their opinion. After all, for such a young child to be on both lists and rank so high, it might draw too much attention. It could also easily lead to speculation that she's the Ghost Child, which wouldn't be good... Lu Xingzhou might want to keep it hidden."

Sheng Qingfeng shot a glance at his subordinate. "When the Demon Suppression Bureau compiles a ranking, what sense does it make to ask the individuals involved? Is whether to hide or not something they get to decide?"

Although he objected, his tone was quite amiable... The subordinates exchanged glances, then someone said, "Then we could also ask Director Sheng. Director Sheng has a very close relationship with the individuals involved and should be clearer on their thoughts than we are. She could represent them to a certain extent."

Sheng Qingfeng's face was expressionless. "How can Director Sheng represent them? How does she represent them? Then can I, this Senior Official, also represent them?!"

The others remained silent.

Sheng Qingfeng kept a straight face. "However, it wouldn't hurt to ask first. Have someone invite Director Sheng to the meeting."

Someone cautiously said, "Director Sheng took personal leave today."

Sheng Qingfeng felt a bit embarrassed. As a father, he was being informed of his daughter's whereabouts by others. "Why didn't I know she had something important? What's the reason for her leave?"

The subordinate's voice was barely audible: "She... she went to the garden with the individuals involved."

Sheng Qingfeng was speechless.

It wasn't the trivial matter of her taking leave that angered him; it was that she actually dared to use *this* reason for official leave! Did she think she was being incredibly open and honest?!

Sheng Qingfeng felt his subordinates' gazes burning on his face. The implication of "your daughter is being hooked up with by a scoundrel" burned the newly appointed Senior Official Sheng's face a shade of purplish-brown.

The first arrest warrant issued by the newly appointed Senior Official of the Demon Suppression Bureau was: "Who approved this leave?! Guards! Bring Sheng Yuanyao back to me!"

Sheng Yuanyao was dragged back from the dining table.

When the Demon Suppression Bureau officers entered, clearing their throats, Sheng Yuanyao's cheeks were stuffed with food. She stared blankly at the newcomers, still holding a bowl of rice in her hands.

Luckily, everyone had been trained not to laugh, otherwise they might have burst out laughing on the spot. "Um, Director Sheng, your personal leave has been rejected by the Senior Official. He requests that you return to work."

Sheng Yuanyao swallowed her food with difficulty. She mumbled softly, "How long has the Senior Official not bothered with anything? Why is he suddenly meddling in my trivial affairs? I wish his daughter gets arrested while eating and has her outing with a man cut short!"

Everyone nodded sincerely. "You're absolutely right."

Although Sheng Yuanyao was annoyed, she didn't feel much regret. Today's intentions had pretty much run their course. If they hadn't left after dinner, they might have faced the awkward question of whether to nap together, and she hadn't quite decided... Being pulled away by "official business" actually provided a convenient reason to end the day, and she secretly felt relieved.

So, she stood up and patted Lu Xingzhou's shoulder. "This lady had a great time today. Next time, I'll reward... uh..."

Saying "reward you" offhandedly reminded her of the reward for that previous kiss. Sheng Yuanyao's cheeks flushed crimson again. Her gaze shifted nervously. "We'll talk about it next time."

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly. "It was a bit crude today... If there's a next time, I'll give Miss Sheng a more refined experience."

Everyone thought he was talking about cooking. Heaven knows why, when he mentioned cooking, Miss Sheng's face was so red it looked like it was about to drip water?

The way she rushed off in a flurry, her ponytail... Wait, what did you use to tie your ponytail?

Sheng Qingfeng paced around his daughter in the meeting room, his gaze finally settling on the grass ring that tied her ponytail. He stared at it for at least half an incense stick's time.

The entire meeting room was silent, with everyone looking straight ahead.

"Are you the Senior Official?" Sheng Yuanyao asked.

Sheng Qingfeng didn't answer. He said flatly, "Effective immediately, Sheng Yuanyao, Director of the Public Order Department, is transferred to Chief Editor of the Publications Department, responsible for compiling the Great Qian Heroes Ranking."

"No, Old Sheng, do you not know how educated I am? You want me to do clerical work?"

"The intelligence department will provide full assistance and reference materials for the deeds of those on the list."

Sheng Yuanyao: "I'll do it."

Sheng Qingfeng, with a look that said 'I knew this would happen,' asked, "So, Editor Sheng, for the new New Talent Ranking, how do you think Lu Xingzhou and his disciple should be ranked?"

Sheng Yuanyao replied directly, "They can just take Chu Qingchen's spot directly. What's there to arrange?"

"He's only Fifth-Rank Lower Tier. Aren't you afraid such a high position will be too dazzling and invite jealousy? When the public becomes agitated, will he be able to handle it?"

"A mere New Talent Ranking is not where he belongs. If he even deigns to look at these so-called 'new talents,' I'll admit defeat."

Seeing his daughter's naturally beaming and confident expression, Sheng Qingfeng gritted his teeth. "You're very close with him, aren't you?"

Sheng Yuanyao sensed a warning of danger and cautiously took half a step back.

Sheng Qingfeng flicked his sleeve and walked away. "After work, go home to the ancestral hall and copy the family rules one hundred times. Not one word less, or you won't eat!"