Chapter 276: Grabbing People × Grabbing Men √

Logically, when she first revealed her face, she should have realized her resemblance to Yan Jun and understood why Lu Xingzhou often stared at her in a trance. But she had always pretended not to know, as directly addressing such a matter would be too awkward.

It wasn't until after their intimate encounter, caused by the aphrodisiac effects of dragon's blood, that she finally, reluctantly, asked, "Is it because I resemble Yuan Muyu?"

Lu Xingzhou had come up with an idea when he answered that he didn't know what she looked like, effectively sidestepping the difficult question. She hadn't pressed the issue further.

So why had it flared up again today? Had something happened just now?

Lu Xingzhou's mind raced, and he finally managed to utter, "Believe it or not, any choice I make now has nothing to do with Yuan Muyu."

Night Listen-lan also knew her reaction was odd; she didn't even understand why she was behaving this way. In fact, this kind of entanglement only happened when she cared more. If she didn't care, what he thought would be irrelevant to her.

Night Listen-lan lowered her head to eat, trying to diffuse the awkwardness of her outburst. "Why did you... leave the Yanluo Temple?" she asked. "And how could Yuan Muyu let a talent like you simply walk away without completely eradicating you?"

"It's nothing... she simply viewed me as an accessory, someone whose life she could arrange as she pleased. From the perspective of the Yan Jun's position, this is reasonable... If it were anyone else, I might even agree that a Yan Jun should act that way, but unfortunately, it was me," Lu Xingzhou said with a smile. "She did nothing wrong, and neither did I. So, we simply went our separate ways. Her remembering my many years of hard work and allowing me to roam freely in the world was a sign of her magnanimity, and also her trust that I wouldn't betray the Yanluo Temple."

Night Listen-lan mused for a moment, then abruptly asked, "So, should the Celestial Jade Saintess you envision also be like that? In the blueprint you just outlined, all I saw was a cold, ruthless, detached indifference."

Lu Xingzhou opened his mouth, momentarily speechless.

Perhaps.

As a strategist, one might indeed propose such a direction, but it's hard to judge when the consequences directly affect oneself. If I could travel through time with a specific destination, I'd probably go interview Shang Yang.

Seeing his stunned expression, Night Listen-lan suddenly chuckled. "So, even you have a question you can't figure out."

Lu Xingzhou sighed helplessly. "I'm not some genius or monster; I'm just an ordinary person. Just like with cultivation problems, I'd also need to seek a master for guidance. How could I figure out everything on my own? Regarding this issue, all I can say is that everyone hopes to be the special one, to receive preferential treatment."

Night Listen-lan secretly thought that Yuan Muyu clearly favored him; otherwise, why that humiliating communication just now? If she were truly a qualified "Yan Jun," she should have killed him long ago. Instead, she said, "Don't harm a single hair on his head," and "Don't blame me for disregarding our sisterly bond."

How ridiculous.

Yet, the normally shrewd Lu Xingzhou seemed utterly oblivious to this favoritism, instead interpreting her allowing him to leave as "magnanimity." She wondered how these two had managed to fall out so spectacularly; it was truly fascinating.

On another note, if they insisted on being at odds, they couldn't blame others for seizing the opportunity. It truly seemed possible to snatch him from Yuan Muyu and infuriate her to death.

Night Listen-lan finally genuinely considered recruiting him. "I'll ask you again," she said, "are you willing to join my sect, to join the Celestial Jade Holy Land?"

This time, Lu Xingzhou didn't even bring up the "elder" question. He simply said, "No."

Night Listen-lan ground her teeth. "You..."

Lu Xingzhou quickly cut her off. "I'm already helping you strategize now, so why do you insist that I join the Celestial Jade Holy Land?"

"Planning now... what kind of relationship is that?" Night Listen-lan knew perfectly well this wasn't a connection that a teacher-student relationship at the Alchemist Academy could forge; it was entirely because of their intimate male-female relationship. When did the Celestial Jade Saintess have to resort to seducing someone?

But then she heard Lu Xingzhou say, "You didn't have these ideas before. Today, you've suddenly tried repeatedly to get me to join the Celestial Jade Holy Land. Is it because of Yuan Muyu?"

Night Listen-lan retorted, "What's wrong with trying to steal someone from Yuan Muyu?"

"But do you think Yuan Muyu cares about this kind of subordinate relationship? Even when I joined the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect as an honored guest, there was still a subordinate relationship. Not to mention when I first joined the Danxia Gang, I even held an official position. When have you ever seen her care about any of that?"

Night Listen-lan paused, her expression becoming extremely odd. Right, merely taking a person wouldn't infuriate Yuan Muyu. What would truly enrage her wasn't taking a subordinate, but taking her man.

Her recent fit of rage via the jade talisman was precisely because she suspected Night Listen-lan was trying to steal her man. And now, recalling her own reply, it seemed to have confirmed it...

Realizing this, Night Listen-lan's mind briefly went blank. She numbly ate the meat in her bowl, unsure of what she was thinking. When she snapped out of it, she realized the meat Lu Xingzhou had served her earlier had already been eaten.

As if nothing had happened, Lu Xingzhou naturally picked up a few more pieces of meat for her. Night Listen-lan looked up at him, but said nothing.

Lu Xingzhou, however, proactively changed the subject. "Given the current situation," he began, "as long as Si Han isn't foolish, he'll readily accept our support. But we need to stay a few more days, at least until Elder Su Yuan arrives to help him stabilize the initial situation. So, we can't leave in the short term."

Night Listen-lan hummed in acknowledgment.

Lu Xingzhou continued, "Now, we should consider what new ideas Gu Zhanting might have while we're far away in Tianshuang."

Night Listen-lan's mind was still elsewhere. Numbly eating her meat, she asked, "What ideas could he possibly have?"

"First, since you're not in Daqian, will he take the opportunity to do something there? I wonder if, when we return, we'll find that the situation has changed again."

Night Listen-lan's jaw moved as she chewed, but she didn't answer, lost in thought.

"Second, besides your struggle with Gu Zhanting and your opposition to the Demon Emperor, do you have any other enemies who could threaten you? You're alone out here now; is it possible someone might be targeting you?"

Night Listen-lan snapped somewhat back to reality and asked, surprised, "Why would you think that?"

Most people perceived her as invincible, and it was already a blessing if they didn't try to exploit her power. Yet, this wretched man not only repeatedly treated her like a helpless little woman but also frequently expressed concern about her strength, which was the least of her worries. Night Listen-lan couldn't comprehend why he had such a mindset, so utterly different from common perception.

Lu Xingzhou explained, "Because the world isn't that small. At the very least, one would know there are other nations overseas comparable to Daqian. Ordinary people might not be aware, but you certainly are. Furthermore, I'm more aware than others about the existence of beings like the Mahā... For thousands of years, the Celestial Jade Holy Land couldn't possibly have only concerned itself with matters in Daqian and with the demon race; that would be too ridiculous. Simply exploring ancient secret realms would surely have brought them into contact with such beings. Also, who captured the powerful demonic creatures at the bottom of the Demon Subduing Realm?"

A wave of weariness washed over Night Listen-lan. Yes, she had far too many things to attend to, and her troubles extended far beyond what ordinary people knew. Unfortunately, her partners in Daqian were always adding to the chaos, and her own sister was a constant source of worry. Yet, this young man, on the other hand, fully understood how exhausted she was and was genuinely sharing her burden. Fortunately, these were all issues that arose only on rare occasions and weren't routine, so relatively speaking, things were manageable.

Night Listen-lan thought for a moment, then said, "Normally, no. As for the first point, the National Observers will be keeping an eye on things and will report any changes to me immediately."

Lu Xingzhou smiled. "I don't have high hopes for what they'll report... If Gu Zhanting truly intends to make a move, he'll definitely find a way to bypass them. They're not like you, with your divine sense covering everything, where no change can escape your observation. There are plenty of ways to hide things from them."

Night Listen-lan remained silent.

"But it's pointless to worry about it here," Lu Xingzhou said, wiping his mouth. "Since you think there's nothing to worry about, then on this beautiful evening, how about we go out for a walk together?"

Night Listen-lan remained expressionless. "I believe what you should be doing when you're free is cultivating, whether it's your own practice or alchemy, not asking women to go out for a walk."

Lu Xingzhou was speechless. Now he understood why Yuan Muyu was so rebellious; who could possibly tolerate such a 'daddy-like' older sister? As a man, what he really wanted was to transform that 'daddy-like' demeanor into something more charming and feminine.

Lu Xingzhou's mind raced, and he said with a smile, "Then how about we go to the mountains outside the city and examine the various produce of Tianshuang Country? It would also count as broadening an alchemist's horizons, wouldn't it?"

Night Listen-lan ground her teeth. Going to the mountains outside the city late at night, just the two of them—was that truly for broadening an alchemist's horizons, or for a romantic rendezvous under the moonlight?

Lu Xingzhou said, "What? Didn't you bring me out here for an alchemist's trial? How can we have a trial if we just hide in the city?"

"What kind of trial is this?" she thought. "Look at how things have turned out since we came out." Night Listen-lan knew perfectly well that going out like this was a date, at least in his mind, but she still stood up expressionlessly. "Since it's a trial," she said, "you must obey your master. If you fail to complete the trial objectives, just wait and see how I punish you!"