Chapter 203: Farewell

Upon arriving at the Yama Hall branch, Lu Xingzhou instructed the assassins to search for financial records related to the Western Suburb Altar. He didn't have high hopes, though. The Ministry of Works was a crucial government department, and such documents wouldn't be carried by Huo Heng, making them difficult to obtain. Previously, he had tasked them with finding evidence of Huo Heng's corruption and bribery, but there had been no progress.

Given the new, clearer lead about a specific engineering project, Lu Xingzhou decided it would be better to investigate himself, believing he might discover more that way.

In the western suburbs, they easily located the so-called altar. It wasn't very large or particularly tall, and there were barely any guards—just a few idle old soldiers dozing outside the gate. On the surface, it bore no resemblance to a newly constructed altar meant for the emperor's blessings. Instead, it looked as if it had been abandoned immediately after completion, left unused and unmaintained.

The master and disciple effortlessly ascended the altar. In broad daylight, the guards remained oblivious to their presence. This alone suggested the altar was a pure waste of resources and labor.

In a world of cultivation, an altar was highly unlikely to be solely for "blessings." It should possess functions that genuinely aided healing or cultivation. Lu Xingzhou spent a long time observing the center of the altar but found no traces of formations related to healing or cultivation, nor any effects for transferring or gathering spiritual energy. Instead, there were various auspicious engravings, which seemed purely superstitious in a world of cultivation.

A'nuo, puzzled, asked, "Was it abandoned because it turned out to be completely useless?"

"Before construction, the blueprints' effectiveness would surely have been confirmed," Lu Xingzhou mused for a moment. "If it had no purpose after being built, Huo Heng would likely have been held accountable, but there's no news of that... I suspect the problem lies elsewhere. Let's look for mechanisms. There should be a door at the base of the altar. Let's see what it's like inside; it shouldn't be solid."

The altar was indeed not solid. They easily found the mechanism, opened the passage below, and went inside. The area below was quite standard, even including living quarters for the altar keepers. Other areas were mostly storage, a legitimate architectural design. Lu Xingzhou tapped around, finding no evidence of shoddy workmanship; it seemed very solidly built. Of course, it was still possible that the cost was inflated, which would align with the Pei family's assessment that the matter was insignificant.

"The question now is, what on earth is this thing for?" Lu Xingzhou exclaimed, baffled. "Why was this altar built? It's completely useless!"

A'nuo stroked her round chin. "Maybe the emperor uses it for secret rendezvous."

"...Why would the emperor build something like this for an affair?"

"Who knows? Some people have their own houses and cultivation caves, but they still go to the pond."

Lu Xingzhou was speechless.

Just as they found nothing, the temperature around them suddenly turned icy cold. Lu Xingzhou instinctively tensed into an attacking stance when Dugu Qingli appeared before him, expressionless. "What, you don't even recognize my aura? Do you want to fight me?"

Lu Xingzhou exhaled. "So you've had a breakthrough... You weren't so chilling before. By the way, your appearance comes with a cooling aura. What will you do when you go out to investigate other matters in the future?"

Sensing his concern, Dugu Qingli's expression softened slightly. "It's because it's you that I'm not hiding anything. It's still easy to control my aura."

Lu Xingzhou nodded. "Why are you here?"

"To find you. My master sent me on a mission, a very distant one... I came to tell you."

"Where are you going?"

Dugu Qingli shook her head. "It's a sect mission, inconvenient to disclose. Just know it's very far. This time, we might not see each other for a long time."

Lu Xingzhou fell silent.

Dugu Qingli said indifferently, "Anyway, you're in the capital, so happy you don't miss Xiazhou. One moment you're strolling with Pei Chuyun in her wheelchair, the next Sheng Yuanyao is experiencing morning sickness like a volcano. You probably won't care where I go."

Lu Xingzhou blurted out, "Who says I don't care!"

Dugu Qingli merely looked at him quietly. Facing her calm, deep blue eyes, Lu Xingzhou finally felt his composure waver and murmured, "I..."

But Dugu Qingli suddenly interrupted, "Not caring, isn't that good? Our accidental encounter shouldn't have happened in the first place."

Lu Xingzhou's words were cut short. He pressed his lips together, unsure how to respond. He had never truly discussed love or romance with 'Little White Hair.' She had always regarded that kiss as an accident and consistently rejected a deeper relationship. While she said so verbally, her heart might not have felt the same, but outwardly, she had never shown any inclination for more. From her perspective, "not caring" was, of course, the best outcome, regardless of who it was. Especially now, with his ambiguous relationships with several other girls, 'Little White Hair' probably held him in utter contempt... It was likely even more hopeless now. Even more tragically, her breakthrough had coincided with this. It was clear that after entering the Upper Third Rank, 'Little White Hair' felt much more tranquil; her previous youthful anxiety was gone.

No chance...

But then again, for him, it was merely an attraction based on appearance; who wouldn't like white hair and blue eyes? As for genuine feelings, there wasn't much there, indeed.

"I'm very grateful for your elixirs... You truly are my friend." Seeing Lu Xingzhou's changing expression, Dugu Qingli said calmly, "So, as a friend leaving, I specifically came to tell you goodbye."

Lu Xingzhou finally smiled. "Alright, take care on your journey."

This attitude, contrary to Dugu Qingli's expectation that he would pester her, made her pause. Her internal "database analysis" suggested this wasn't how it should go... She instinctively asked, "That's it?"

Lu Xingzhou chuckled, "What else? Did you want a farewell kiss?"

Dugu Qingli took half a step back, her eyes containing a warning.

Lu Xingzhou shook his head and smiled helplessly. "So, what exactly were you expecting me to say?"

Dugu Qingli fell silent. It seemed she didn't want to hear anything excessive, yet was slightly disappointed when he didn't say it. The 'little human machine' truly couldn't distinguish what this psychological state was; it was far more troublesome than practicing swordsmanship. With swordsmanship, you either knew a move or you didn't, there was no such complication.

Lu Xingzhou asked, "When are you leaving?"

"Anytime."

"Then how did you know I was here?"

"My master told me, most likely she calculated it." Dugu Qingli looked around, frowning slightly. "Why are you hiding down here? Isn't it stuffy?"

"I wanted to investigate the altar's purpose, but right now it just seems like a meaningless decoration."

Dugu Qingli pulled out a mirror. "This is a treasure of my sect, specifically used to detect traces of witchcraft and curses. If you can't find any signs of immortal cultivation, you might try this."

Lu Xingzhou was startled, then saw a soft light emanate from the mirror. The soft light shone on the seemingly empty stone wall, and slowly, the wall began to reveal patterns like human blood vessels. Looking closely, they seemed to pulsate, a truly strange sight.