After a moment, the attendant returned with a visiting card and a box filled with gold and silver, still adhering strictly to the full etiquette of a formal visit.

This time, Lu Xingzhou didn’t put on airs. He had A Nuo open the door and, with a forced smile, said to Huo Xingyuan, “Marquis Zhenyuan is truly capable of bending and stretching for his son. If only you could treat everyone equally…”

The old men and women, holding a handful of melon seeds, craned their necks to listen. They watched with wide eyes as the courtyard door was closed, letting out sighs of regret.

Lu Xingzhou felt that Gua Mei’s temperament was largely influenced by her environment.

With the door closed, Huo Xingyuan strode to the stone table in the middle of the courtyard. The annoying maid and child from earlier were now standing honestly behind Lu Xingzhou. Huo Xingyuan glared at them in annoyance, but the maid and child were even more fierce, glaring back angrily.

Lu Xingzhou found this scene quite amusing, while Huo Xingyuan only felt, “Is this your Lu Xingzhou’s family upbringing?”

Lu Xingzhou said faintly, “Sorry, my family has no family upbringing. After all, my dad died early.”

“You!”

“Marquis Zhenyuan, please sit. You’re fifty years old, why compete with a young maid and a child? Don’t you feel embarrassed?”

Huo Xingyuan took a deep breath and sat down opposite him expressionlessly.

The attendant quickly placed the gold and silver on the table. Huo Xingyuan said indifferently, “I have fulfilled your request. Has your anger subsided a little?”

“Marquis Zhenyuan is joking.” Lu Xingzhou chuckled, “This is just a meeting gift. As for subsiding anger, what are you talking about?”

Huo Xingyuan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “Bing’er is your elder brother after all…”

“Stop…” Lu Xingzhou waved his hand, signaling, “Let’s talk business.”

“You and Bing’er have had a private feud for a while, then there was the infant ghost’s sneak attack on the street. This doesn’t necessarily mean Bing’er and the infant ghost colluded beforehand. On the contrary, it should prove they didn’t collude. Otherwise, with the infant ghost’s strength at the third rank, he should have made the first move, right?”

“This is just deceiving yourself.” Lu Xingzhou sneered, “Once we reach the capital, they will definitely perform soul search. Aren’t you clear whether you and the infant ghost colluded? What’s the use of telling me this?”

“We have our ways. As long as you, as the injured party, indicate that you saw no tacit understanding between Bing’er and the infant ghost, this matter can be put to rest.”

Lu Xingzhou said with a half-smile, “I’m the victim, and I should speak for the other side… Marquis Zhenyuan, what do you take me for, a great saint?”

Huo Xingyuan said faintly, “After this matter is settled, we will restore your name to the family genealogy. All the family brothers’ benefits, you will have. And the family will fully support your future development, providing assistance and resources as compensation… Also, for your leg, the family will do its best to treat it.”

Lu Xingzhou laughed coldly, “What about Huo Yu’s matter?”

Huo Xingyuan was silent for a moment, “Regarding Xiao Liu’s matter, no matter the inside story, let bygones be bygones.”

Lu Xingzhou stared at him for a long time, “Suddenly so generous, is it because of a guilty conscience or something else?”

Of course, a large part of the reason was Shen Tang. But Huo Xingyuan didn’t say so, only sighed, “Blood is thicker than water, after all. Of course, you now have prospects, your name is on the New Talent List, and you’ve been recommended to enter the capital’s Dan Academy… The family naturally sees it.”

Lu Xingzhou looked quite touched, remaining silent.

Anyone listening would feel that the Huo family was very sincere this time, and the reasons were clear: Lu Xingzhou had prospects, Huo Yu didn’t. If killing a Huo Yu could make Lu Xingzhou put aside his anger and return to the family, that would be a huge profit for the Huo family. Moreover, with Shen Tang’s factor behind it, it would give the Huo family more room for maneuver in the future.

Huo Xingyuan knew Lu Xingzhou saw clearly and continued, “The other day, I asked Xiao Wu to invite you home for dinner. Xiao Wu’s attitude wasn’t good, and I have already disciplined him. Think about it carefully. If you think it’s good, the family will always have a place for you.”

Seeing that Lu Xingzhou still didn’t respond, Huo Xingyuan didn’t feel that he was unmoved. On the contrary, he didn’t force the issue and quickly got up to say goodbye, “Let’s leave it at this for now… The elders are getting old and miss their grandchildren. Don’t let the family wait too long.”

With that, he led his group away. The conversation was only these few sentences, before and after.

Not long after, a shadow emerged from Lu Xingzhou’s room like a ghost through the window, “Marquis, I have obtained Lu Xingzhou’s hair.”

Huo Xingyuan looked at the hair in his subordinate’s hand, then plucked one of his own and handed it over, “Go and check.”

The subordinate bowed and left, still muttering, “Mixing male and female hair together makes it hard for me to pick. If this one is really the seventh young master, he’s quite a romantic.”

Huo Xingyuan thought of that unpleasant maid. She was indeed beautiful, but lacked upbringing. He shook his head and strode away.

In the courtyard, A Nuo hugged the gold sent by Huo Xingyuan, laughing with joy, “Just right, the mortal world gold and silver have been used a lot recently, a bit not enough. This money is really easy to earn.”

Pei Chuyun said in a low voice, “Earlier in the room…”

“They were likely checking my hair and such.” Lu Xingzhou chuckled, “No need to worry about it. It’s just bloodline resonance technique. That thing is very vague, not as scientific.”

Pei Chuyun didn’t understand what science was. She thought he was the real deal and wasn’t afraid of being checked. Then she said, “With your attitude earlier, do you really want to return to the Huo family?”

“How is that possible? I was just teasing him.” Lu Xingzhou stretched lazily, “They think I’m useful and want me to go back… That idea will make them suffer a big loss.”

Pei Chuyun pouted. She also felt he was useful and wanted to subdue him, but ended up suffering a big loss herself…

Only, now it was hard to say whether it was a loss or a gain.

Lu Xingzhou said, “The first month is over. Today, I really want to close the door and study the Dan book. Does the little maid want to come and add fragrance to the red sleeves?”

Pei Chuyun snorted, “If I really stay by your side, you won’t be able to think about reading books. Forget it, I’ll go out and find my sect people. I’ll be back in the evening.”

Lu Xingzhou nodded and said to A Nuo, “A Nuo, go to the Town Demon Division. Find your Sister Yao and see what arrangements she has for Ye Wufeng’s matter. She hasn’t made any moves these past two days. I’m a bit worried she doesn’t have enough resources and will have trouble.”

Pei Chuyun was just turning to leave, but on hearing this, she couldn’t help but turn back angrily, “And you still say you two are pure and clean!”

Lu Xingzhou was somewhat stunned by her anger and immediately laughed, “Hey, do you want to be my private pet? Holy Maiden Your Excellency.”

Pei Chuyun’s anger froze on her face. She “hmph”-ed and turned her head to leave angrily.

On the other side, when Huo Xingyuan arrived at the Huo family, Grand Tutor Huo Liancheng and a group of Huo family members were gathered in the courtyard watching a Taoist perform a spell.

Two strands of hair were entangled together, trembling slightly with the incantation. Before long, they turned to ash and melted into a single mass, indistinguishable.

The Taoist stood up and bowed, “Indeed, there is a bloodline connection. There is no mistake.”

The effect of the spell was much more reliable than the unreliable blood drop verification of ancient times, and it couldn’t be faked. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as precise as modern genetic technology. Lu Xingzhou had known this result would happen.

The Huo family members looked at each other with various expressions, their thoughts hard to decipher.

Huo Liancheng sighed, “No matter what, this identity is correct… It truly is a karmic grievance.”

Everyone remained silent, and Huo Xingyuan also didn’t speak.

They had bullied Huo Shang to death. As his father, he hadn’t participated, but his favoritism and indulgence were the main factors, including Grand Tutor Huo. Others had more or less participated in the bullying, and among them, Huo Qi was the one who personally killed Huo Shang.

When the avalanche occurs, no snowflake is innocent. It was not surprising that Lu Xingzhou hated everyone.

Now, Lu Xingzhou had prospects, which was secondary. The key was that he was very strange and could always borrow various forces, making it impossible to start anything against him.

In Xia State, it was Sheng Yuan Yao one moment and Shen Tang the next. When he arrived at Meng Gui City, he connected with Meng Guan. This time, going to the capital, he was both a student for the Dan Academy exam and involved in the case of Huo Bing, a demonic cultivator. All eyes were on him, and the emperor also cared. Let alone killing him, even a slightly bad attitude would cause problems. It was extremely frustrating.

If they really wanted to kill him, they would have to wait for him to finish his studies at Dan Academy and leave the capital before they could kill him on the way. But the irritating thing was that this Dan Academy entrance exam was particularly hard to manipulate, and they couldn’t make him leave early. He was really going to stay here.

When he was in the capital, they could only tough it out, and Huo Xingyuan himself had even lost face.

Huo Xingyuan was silent for a long time, then said, “Just now in the conversation, his unpleasant attitude was only expressed through the maid and the child. His own attitude… wasn’t actually that bad.”

Huo Qi said, “That’s natural. With father in front, how dare he? In the eyes of others, no matter if he’s reasonable or not, he’s unreasonable by three points first!”

Huo Liancheng said, “Then how did he express his feelings about returning to the family?”

“He responded with silence, but his attitude seemed somewhat moved.” Huo Xingyuan said, “He did so many things, one is to vent anger, and the other is to seek family recognition…”

Huo Qi sneered, “He doesn’t want to overthrow our Huo family, does he?”

A sixth-rank cripple… facing a huge first-rank family. Indeed, no one in the world would dare to think like that.

Huo Liancheng said, “Since that’s the case, show more goodwill in the future. You few, if you meet on the road, must not bully him again… The situation is not good now, give him more leeway.”

Some of the Huo family descendants were unconvinced, but they didn’t dare to disobey and could only agree.

As their thoughts scattered, Huo Jin, with his dislocated arm splinted, found his elder brother Huo Qi, “Big brother, do we really have to smile and fawn on that bastard like this? I’m not convinced.”

Huo Qi’s expression was also very ugly. While Huo Shang might let go of past enmities with others, he wouldn’t necessarily do so with him, the “killer enemy.” And if the princess rose and Lu Xingzhou rose with the tide, and then screwed up his own position to be taken by him, that would be a pure tragedy.

After thinking for a moment, Huo Qi’s eyes flashed with a fierce light, “Old Fifth, you go contact Yan Luo Hall… Ye Wufeng was still in the capital last month. If he makes a move to assassinate Lu Xingzhou, we might not be suspected much.”

Huo Jin was stunned, “Why? Didn’t Dad say that under this current scrutiny, no matter who kills Lu Xingzhou, His Majesty might suspect us and we shouldn’t act rashly?”

Huo Qi laughed coldly, “From various information, I speculate that this bastard might be the former judge of Yan Luo Hall, and Ye Wufeng is a deadly enemy of the judge. You can contact them first. If he really is, then we can create an opportunity for Ye Wufeng. At that time, it will be an internal conflict and killing within Yan Luo Hall, unrelated to us.”

A Nuo returned to the inn from the Town Demon Division. Lu Xingzhou was still reading. He casually asked, “How was it? What did Sheng Yuan Yao say?”

A Nuo scratched her head, “The people at the Town Demon Division said that Sister Yao is not on duty today and went out to visit a garden with Pei Yu.”

“Visit, visit a garden?” Lu Xingzhou was stunned, “Does Gua Mei have this elegant interest? I really can’t see it. Her squatting at our door this morning eating Huo Xingyuan’s melon is more normal than going to visit a garden.”

A Nuo said, “They say it’s the spring breeze in February, and young masters and misses in the capital often organize such garden visits this season. Sister Yao didn’t like to participate before. I don’t know why this time, whether it’s because of Pei Yu’s influence or something…”

Lu Xingzhou’s face became somewhat ugly, “She didn’t participate before, but suddenly participates this time… What influence does Pei Yu have in front of Gua Mei? That day, Gua Mei overpowered him several times… Pei Yu, isn’t he also that Chu Qingchen?”

A Nuo’s heart also jumped, “Could it be that they want to use this opportunity to fish for Ye Wufeng? But the Town Demon Division people said she didn’t bring any Town Demon Division subordinates.”

“Precisely because they want to create the appearance of a garden visit, they didn’t bring them… They think relying on their own followers and Pei Yu and Chu Qingchen’s own strength is enough to hunt Ye Wufeng.” Lu Xingzhou frowned, “Do you know which garden? It looks like I need to go and see.”

“I know, Qingyao Garden in the city suburbs.” A Nuo scratched her head, “Considering Chu Qingchen’s standard is also around upper fourth rank, there shouldn’t be a big problem, right? Pei Yu is also around middle fourth rank, and Sister Yao is fifth rank. They also have a bunch of protectors.”

“Theoretically so, but I’m uneasy.” Lu Xingzhou said, “You know that Ye Wufeng ascended to the top of the New Talent List a year ago. We don’t know what changes have happened within this year. Judging a person’s strength based on a lagged New Talent List is the most foolish behavior. People always compare themselves to others and think it takes many years to break the barrier from fourth rank to third rank, but that’s why the New Talent List is the New Talent List. It’s a watershed between them and ordinary people. He doesn’t necessarily need many years.”

A Nuo also became nervous, “If Ye Wufeng is already at the third rank and suddenly attacks at the right time, Sister Yao might not be able to cope. Let’s go and take a look. It’s good to at least remind Sister Yao.”

“It’s a coincidence, the little demoness just went to find her sect people, so we’re short a major fighting force.” Lu Xingzhou thought, “It’s also good. If she wants to fully participate, she will inevitably publicly reveal the Yaonu Xuan Gong. It’s better if she doesn’t go. Let’s go first.”