Chapter 216: Jealousy is So Normal

Lu Xingzhou openly escorted Pei Chuyun home. All along the way, the talented man and beautiful woman were a striking pair, attracting much attention.

Pei Chuyun looked straight ahead. "Actually, if you hadn't intervened just now," she said, "someone else would have."

Lu Xingzhou also noticed that Pei Chuyun now had several hidden guards following her.

"Originally, these hidden guards were meant to interfere with our interaction," Pei Chuyun said, looking up at the sky. "Now I don't know what they're thinking. You said you had something to discuss, and I guess they're still waiting for you to say what it is..."

The hidden guards, originally meant to stop people, had become escorts. Old Pei would probably be furious if he knew.

Lu Xingzhou chuckled. "Anyway, the task of shooing away the flies is completely finished today, isn't it? No one should be buzzing around you anymore, right?"

"So, have you figured out how to deal with Shen Tang's wrath?" Pei Chuyun asked.

"Also, isn't your 'gilding' meant to serve a very important purpose: to marry Shen Tang in the future? Now that the Emperor thinks you're pursuing me, how will you marry Shen Tang later?"

"You've thought about all this before, but you didn't say anything, and only now that things have blown up are you telling me, right?"

"My young master is as wise and resourceful as the ocean; why would I need to explain?" Pei Chuyun smiled, like a little fox. "Would I actively consider my love rival's interests? My goal is for you and her to have no chance, okay?"

Lu Xingzhou sighed. "Your brother even suspected that I was using the pursuit of you to hide a secret affair with Shen Tang. Sure enough, you're still not as cunning as them. You should observe and learn more."

Pei Chuyun was furious. "Lu Xingzhou! Are you going back on your word now?!"

Seeing the young man and woman start to fight fiercely, with papers flying everywhere, the hidden guards exchanged bewildered glances.

So, were these two actually together? Why were they fighting then?

"Clap!" The young man and woman exchanged a palm strike, separated slightly, and then, with incredible synchronicity, their hands flew up, catching all the scattered manuscripts perfectly.

Pei Chuyun snatched the manuscript from Lu Xingzhou's hand. "Don't look," she said.

Lu Xingzhou laughed. "These poems are good... At least they're not worse than the contemporary poetry collection we bought back then. Shouldn't our talented Miss Pei publish a poetry collection?"

"Hmph." Pei Chuyun grumbled and fidgeted for a moment, then whispered, "Father wanted me to publish one, but I feel like no matter what I write, it can't compare to your few poems. I don't want to publish anything anymore; it's quite meaningless."

"Why compare yourself to me? I'm not publishing a poetry collection. How can I suppress you here?"

Pei Chuyun's eyes flickered. "So, where do you want to 'suppress' me?"

The hidden guards were confused.

Just as they were about to intervene, Lu Xingzhou actually started talking about serious matters.

The hidden guards reluctantly stopped.

They then heard Lu Xingzhou give a rough explanation of the matter concerning Huo Zhang and added, "The Imperial Advisor should intervene in this matter, and your Pei family mainly needs to provide some subsequent cooperation; I don't need to elaborate on that. What I want to say is, if Huo Zhang quickly reclaims the city, he might wield a butcher's knife against the people to cover up the problems. If the Pei family has the ability, please see if you can help protect them as much as possible."

Pei Chuyun glanced at him, then suddenly laughed. "You... people call you a demon cultivator..."

"That's two different things. Since I know about it, I should consider it more thoroughly." Lu Xingzhou sighed. "After all, I'm no great hero; I never thought of doing it myself, did I?"

"Ahem." Pei Yu's dry cough came from ahead. "Thank you, Brother Lu, for escorting my sister home. Is there anything else?"

This time, Pei Chuyun was quite assertive. "Of course there's a serious matter," she said. "Do you want to invite him in to talk?"

Pei Yu was speechless.

Lu Xingzhou chuckled. "Let Chuyun explain to Brother Pei. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't bother you further."

"Where are you going?" Pei Chuyun asked curiously.

"Before, I felt my strength wasn't enough, and being in a wheelchair, I had to act discreetly. Now that I've openly beaten Qi Tuizhi, there's nothing left to hide, which means I can also beat up others." Lu Xingzhou cupped his hands in greeting as he drifted backward. "The Misty Rain Pavilion happens to be very close by, so I'll go have a look."

Watching Lu Xingzhou's elegant departure, Pei Yu's expression was blank. "Had enough watching?" he asked.

Pei Chuyun stiffened her neck. "Who was watching him?! I was thinking about poetry!"

Pei Yu sighed. "Before, I thought his challenging the Huo family was like an ant trying to shake a tree. Now, I feel that if the Huo family has provoked such an enemy, they're bound to face serious misfortune sooner or later."

Everyone knew where Lu Xingzhou had gone.

Huo Heng was hosting a banquet at the Misty Rain Pavilion and had sent Qi Tuizhi to invite Pei Chuyun.

Although he didn't know Huo Heng's true intentions, Lu Xingzhou didn't need to know. He only needed to know that it was a good excuse to act.

Upstairs in the Misty Rain Pavilion, Prince Jin, Gu Yicheng, and Huo Heng sat opposite each other. Among the guests were also some young nobles and ladies, all sipping drinks.

The news of Qi Tuizhi's battle with Lu Xingzhou had already been reported to them, making the light drinking somewhat subdued.

This time, it wasn't Huo Heng hosting, but Prince Jin, Gu Yicheng. It was just inconvenient for Qi Tuizhi to say so at the Imperial Academy's entrance, so he used Huo Heng's name instead.

There's a phenomenon: if Prince Jin were to privately meet with any officials or even just interact with second-generation nobles, it would be somewhat inappropriate. But in a public setting, with a large group of young noblemen eating and drinking casually, and Prince Jin also attending, this is considered perfectly normal, as they are all young people after all...

Even Pei Yu sometimes received invitations to such banquets. This time, if Pei Chuyun were also present, it would be even more normal.

So, choosing the Misty Rain Pavilion, a teahouse with ties to the Pei family, was also intentional. Being in the Pei family's own establishment, with many young nobles present, also served as a reassuring signal to Pei Chuyun that she could attend the banquet safely.

Gu Yicheng invited Pei Chuyun this time because he finally intended to approach her himself. Qi Tuizhi was clearly unreliable; he couldn't defeat Pei Chuyun in a fight, nor could he excel in the literary pursuits that Pei Chuyun valued. Now, there were even rumors that Lu Xingzhou had secretly entered the Pei mansion to propose for Pei Chuyun. How could he allow his progress to be severely set back like this?

Moreover, he had previously seen the 'Sacred Land's direct descendant,' whose white hair and blue eyes made him look far from normal. How could Gu Yicheng possibly form such an alliance? If he were to father a child with white hair, how could he still contend for the throne? So, this time, he truly intended to personally pursue Pei Chuyun.

First, he would use a casual meal together to build rapport, laying the groundwork for future private invitations.

He just hadn't expected that before Pei Chuyun could even say anything, his plan would be ruined by Lu Xingzhou. The invitation hadn't even been formally extended.

Footsteps echoed on the stairs as Qi Tuizhi appeared upstairs. "I, Qi, am incompetent," he announced, "and failed to successfully invite Miss Pei."

Huo Heng couldn't hold back anymore. "It's one thing that you can't beat Dugu Qingli or Pei Chuyun," he sneered, "but how could you not even beat that bastard?"

Qi Tuizhi glanced at him, his gaze somewhat mocking. "My standard is indeed lacking," he said. "I heard that when he was in the Huo family back then, he was quite brutally suppressed by your brothers. So, I'll have to ask Young Master Huo San to avenge me in the future."

"He wasn't very clever back then," Huo Heng sneered. "When he reappeared in the world, he was supposedly only at the seventh rank. Within just half a year, he suddenly reached the fourth rank. What do you think is the reason for that?"

A young nobleman piped up jokingly, "He's an alchemist; did he just consume elixirs?"

"Without a doubt," Huo Heng said. "It's well known that alchemists rely entirely on elixirs for their cultivation; their own training is superficial, and their combat experience is poor." At this point, Huo Heng cupped his hands and added, "Apologies, Brother Qi, I'm not mocking you. I just want to say that this person is notoriously devious and malicious. Did you secretly fall victim to some scheme without realizing it?"

Qi Tuizhi's face was expressionless. "Everything you said is correct," he replied.

No matter how embarrassing Qi Tuizhi's current situation was, his ranking as the top newcomer was genuinely not bought. He had truly never lost when facing young cultivators of similar strength before. This Huo Heng was also a fourth-rank cultivator, and Qi Tuizhi dared to guarantee that Huo Heng could absolutely not be his opponent.

But Dugu Qingli and Pei Chuyun were both extraordinary, and so was Lu Xingzhou; he truly couldn't help but consecutively encounter three such formidable opponents. Outsiders couldn't imagine facing three such extraordinary individuals one after another; they would only think he was weak, and even Huo Heng and others would look down on him. Who could he tell his grievances to?

Huo Heng continued to speak. "Brother Qi is young after all, and he couldn't help but fall victim to a dirty trick. Next time, if I, Huo, encounter him, I'll teach this worthless brother a lesson for you. Come, come, I, Huo, will apologize to Brother Qi on his behalf..."

As he spoke, he raised his wine cup and drank, believing himself to be very graceful.

Before the wine cup reached his lips, a fine needle flew in from nowhere, silently hitting its mark.

With a "bang," the wine cup shattered, splashing wine all over Huo Heng's face.

Everyone at the table suddenly stood up, only to see Lu Xingzhou arriving on the wind, lightly stepping onto the railing with a beaming smile. "I, Lu, don't need a useless person to represent me," he declared.

Huo Heng's face turned purplish-blue.

This sneak attack with a fine needle, if it had been aimed at his neck, would have killed him by now. Calling him useless didn't seem wrong.

"Are you trying to say that I, Lu, ambushed him, used underhanded methods, and played dirty tricks?" Lu Xingzhou scoffed. "Come on, let's give Brother San a chance for a fair fight."

Gu Yicheng's face darkened. "Lu Xingzhou, do you know what you're doing?"

"Of course," Lu Xingzhou said with a wide smile. "It's well known that I, Lu, am pursuing Miss Pei. Brother Huo San sending someone to invite the lady right in front of me, isn't that openly competing for affection? It's perfectly normal for us young people to fight over love rivals. Is Prince Jin going to report this to the Grand Court of Judicial Review?"

Gu Yicheng's expression turned ashen. "You!"

How could he not hear the implied criticism? The one who wanted to get close to Pei Chuyun was Gu Yicheng himself, not Huo Heng.

"Besides..." Lu Xingzhou continued, "The Huo family established itself through martial arts, and Marquis Zhenyuan intimidates the northern frontier. They've always taught their descendants to fear no hardship and shrink from no challenge. On that day, even Brother Huo Si could face me in a decisive street battle in Menggui City. Brother Huo San wouldn't have forgotten his family's traditions and lost his sharp edge just because he became an official, would he?"

"No need to say more, Prince Jin." Huo Heng stood up, his expression grim. "Since you're looking for death, I'll grant it to you!"

Everyone at the table quickly scattered. Qi Tuizhi stepped back a few paces, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.

"Everyone thinks I'm a disgrace, huh?" he thought. "Perhaps this fight will actually redeem me. They really think I'm weak!"

"Since Brother San said so... I won't hold back then." Lu Xingzhou pushed off the railing, directly kicking towards Huo Heng's face.

Huo Heng raised his arm to block. With a "bang," a surging, continuous torrent of water-elemental energy swept over him. Huo Heng couldn't withstand it and took a step back to dissipate the force.

As a result, his retreat became unending. That wasn't just a burst of contact force from a normal person's kick, but an endless, continuous flow. Huo Heng retreated once, then again, then a third time, his back already hitting a pillar.

To onlookers, it simply looked like Lu Xingzhou kicked him from afar, directly sending Huo Heng flying to the wall.

"Is that all you've got, Brother San?" Lu Xingzhou's eyes flashed with scorn. He suddenly switched legs and side-kicked Huo Heng's right cheek.

Huo Heng raised his arm to block, but never expected this kick to be incredibly violent, and he couldn't block it at all.

"Bang!" His forearm fractured, and the top of Lu Xingzhou's foot directly struck his face.

Huo Heng screamed, spun 360 degrees in the air, scattering several teeth, and slammed face-first onto the ground.

He passed out.

"And you dare to lecture Brother Qi?" Lu Xingzhou scoffed, brushing off his clothes as he turned to leave the pavilion. "Do you know how many moves Brother Qi withstood from me? Useless."

The entire room fell silent. Everyone stared blankly at Huo Heng, who lay on the ground, his mouth bleeding profusely.

No one dared to imagine that in merely two moves, an opponent of the same rank would be defeated.

Qi Tuizhi wore a smile of satisfaction, knowing that his defeat was now seen in a new light.

"They really thought I was weak!"

"Um... Prince Jin..." someone hesitantly asked, "Lu Xingzhou openly committed assault, beating the Director of the Ministry of Works to this state. This matter..."

Gu Yicheng shook his head. "He is currently a student of the Alchemy Academy and also a Golden Body cultivator. He found an excuse of competing for affection, and he didn't kill anyone. Even if this blows up, the Alchemy Academy will at most give him a warning, and that will be the end of it. Instead, it thoroughly disgraced Grand Tutor Huo's family. First, someone should take Young Master San to a doctor, report this to the Huo family, and let them decide."

Watching others hastily carry Huo Heng away, Gu Yicheng frowned deeply.

This Lu Xingzhou truly seized every opportunity to take a bite out of the Huo family. He wasn't doing it for the petty reason of competing for affection; it merely provided him with an excellent excuse, allowing him to openly beat people without anyone being able to say anything.

Who said he was 'as elegant as jade on the path'? He's clearly a mad dog!