This was, of course, a blatant flirtation from Lu Xingzhou.

Originally, if Mrs. Ye had no other intentions and genuinely wanted to take him as a disciple out of appreciation for his talent, Lu Xingzhou would certainly have respected her deeply and regarded her as a teacher.

However, since she had ulterior motives from the beginning, his respect was naturally diminished. It was already fortunate that he didn’t view her as an adversary. He still maintained a certain level of respect because she was clearly a positive figure, and her appreciation for his talent seemed to be at least partially genuine.

But now that she had dropped all pretense and directly questioned his privacy, how much courtesy could he still show?

Ye Tinglan looked at him with a faint smile for a moment. “Do you want some water?”

“Yes.”

Ye Tinglan extended a finger and lightly tapped the tabletop.

A simple cup materialized out of thin air, then water elements in the air gathered, flowed into the cup, and condensed into half a cup of water.

Ye Tinglan made a “please” gesture.

Lu Xingzhou stood there dumbfounded. Anu, with both hands propped on the high tabletop, her head resting on the table, stared at the cup, equally petrified.

Creation out of nothing!

This act of divine creation seemed to cleave the boundary between mortals and immortals. The bustling mortal world faded into the distance, mountain springs echoed, and the stone gate of a grotto-heaven creaked open.

“What, not drinking?” Ye Tinglan said indifferently, “Do you find this water bland? Do I have to spit into it for you?”

“…” Without another word, Lu Xingzhou picked up the cup and drank.

This display of otherworldly power truly shattered all worldly concerns, making everything else seem meaningless.

“Given your stature, why are you so concerned with worldly affairs, sir? What concern is the Hall of Yama to you?” Lu Xingzhou couldn’t help but ask.

“Humans live in the mortal realm; to claim detachment… can one truly achieve it? It’s self-deception.” Ye Tinglan smiled. “You couldn’t stand the demons and monsters plaguing Xia Province, so how can I stand by when Yama appears and poisons living beings?”

“Well… the world has some misunderstandings about Yama, including you, sir; you’re overthinking it,” Lu Xingzhou said cautiously. “Initially, Yama only wanted to make money… She said she ran away from home, wanting to make a name for herself. But she had no startup capital, just a few spirit stones, pills, and magic artifacts in her ring. My personal guess is that she argued with her family, disagreed, and stormed off? So she didn’t pack anything, only what she carried with her.”

Ye Tinglan hummed distantly. “And then she became an assassin to earn her first pot of gold?”

“Not an assassin. She killed corrupt officials and powerful gentry to seize their wealth.”

Ye Tinglan was speechless.

“That was my suggestion, not her own idea. At that time, my… well, my murderous intent and malevolence were probably far stronger than Yama’s,” Lu Xingzhou admitted frankly. “Besides, that was the quickest way to make money… one job could equal ten years of legitimate business for others…”

Ye Tinglan raised her palm, and Lu Xingzhou hopped backward with his chair.

Ye Tinglan lowered her palm, a wry smile on her face. “So you’re saying that Yama, who now brings slaughter across the Nine Provinces, was led astray by you?”

“Not entirely. When I brought up the suggestion, she was overjoyed, saying it truly aligned with her path. She said her main disagreement with others was that she believed some things couldn’t be improved unless heads rolled,” Lu Xingzhou said, a nostalgic smile unconsciously appearing at the corner of his mouth. “It was simply a venomous strategist meeting a demonic woman; they clicked instantly and so became companions.”

A deeper meaning appeared in Ye Tinglan’s eyes. “What happened later?”

“Later, we got the first pot of gold—a truly massive one. She then asked, ‘Since we’re killing people anyway, why not just become assassins?'” Lu Xingzhou sighed. “At the time, she was burdened with Anu and me, two dependents, which made it very inconvenient and unsuitable for running around as assassins. So I persuaded her, ‘How many can you kill by yourself? Why not become an organizer? With thousands of assassins under your command, you could change the tide of events, and that would truly fulfill the vision she argued about with others.'”

“How old were you then, to spout such nonsense and have her actually do it?”

“It was a good blueprint, wasn’t it? She also said she wasn’t very good at organizing, and I said I could try, since we were young and had the chance to make mistakes. She agreed to try, and thus the Hall of Yama came into being…”

Ye Tinglan clenched her fists, enduring for a long time before releasing them. “Very good. You’re quite the strategist, Lu Xingzhou.”

Lu Xingzhou cleared his throat. “So, if you want to know why Yama entered this profession, sir, saying it was because of me is perfectly fine.”

Ye Tinglan took a deep breath and asked again, “You named it the Hall of Yama, and she called herself Yama, simply because it aligns with the image of killing and taking lives?”

“Of course. If the King of Hell wants someone to die at the third watch, who can keep them alive until the fifth? It creates an aura of intimidation and pressure, doesn’t it?”

“You’re lying,” Ye Tinglan said coldly. “Wasn’t there a step-by-step structure? You spent ten years building the reputation of the Hall of Yama; the next step was to unite like-minded individuals, call yourselves the Ten Yama Kings, and sweep across the land with your banners?”

Lu Xingzhou narrowed his eyes slightly and met Ye Tinglan’s cold gaze for a moment. “So, you care so much, sir, because you believe this isn’t just about a demonic sect, but about overthrowing the world, isn’t that right?”

“Is it not?”

Lu Xingzhou gently shook his head. “At least until I left, there was still only one Yama. How could there be Ten Yama Kings? As for ‘like-minded individuals,’ in reality, everyone’s paths are different; where would truly congenial spirits come from? Even our own Ghost Emperors couldn’t achieve true alignment, so why would we seek Ten Yama Kings outside…”

“The Ten Yama Kings might not all be from Great Qian; that scope would be too narrow,” Ye Tinglan lowered her voice. “The Heavenfrost Kingdom already has the Second Hall, doesn’t it? The Judge, at such a young age, has constructed such a grand blueprint. I still find that quite admirable.”

This time, Lu Xingzhou was truly somewhat shocked.

He was not only shocked that Mrs. Ye knew, but also surprised that Yuan Muyu had continued to expand the grand strategy he had laid out over the past year and had already taken a significant step.

It seemed his departure truly had no impact on her…

On second thought, if you claim it makes no difference whether I’m there or not, why are you using my strategies? Why don’t you let Ye Wufeng help you think instead!

Although various emotions surged within him, his expression remained unchanged. “You’re thinking too much, sir… Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘when the man dies, his policies cease; when he leaves, the tea grows cold’? I did indeed formulate such a strategy before, but there are many in the Hall of Yama who want to erase my influence, including Yama herself. Moreover, they would be afraid that my departure might leak the strategy; how could they still follow the path I set?”

Ye Tinglan pondered for a moment and agreed.

After all, no one would dare to imagine any emotional entanglement between Yama and this person, especially since he was still a child when he followed her… From a lord-vassal perspective, such an idea certainly didn’t make sense.

“So, while they might still outwardly refer to the Ten Yama Kings, in reality, it must be completely divergent from my original concept. If anyone were to use my initial ideas as a blueprint to deal with them, they might end up in a very bad way. I truly advise you not to dwell on these things, sir, lest you fall into a trap. And finally, as I said before… the ups and downs of the mortal world should not be your primary focus.”

As Lu Xingzhou spoke, he suddenly snapped his fingers.

Water elements once again gathered in the air, condensing drop by drop into Ye Tinglan’s cup, which was nearly empty, filling it halfway again.

Lu Xingzhou also made a “please” gesture. “This is what matters.”

Ye Tinglan eyed the water in the cup with interest. “What I concern myself with, is that for you to decide?”

“Because now, I am not the Judge, but your disciple, sir. I still have the duty to offer advice.”

Ye Tinglan finally showed a hint of a smile. She had intended to ask more, but now she no longer wished to. She truly picked up the water cup and took a sip.

Lu Xingzhou exhaled.

Ye Tinglan set down the water cup, and smoothly continued the conversation, naturally following his address as “disciple,” all previous questions dissolving like smoke. “Your and Anu’s alchemy skills far surpass your classmates. Continuing to attend the same courses with them offers very little benefit to you two. I intend to propose to the academy that you both receive special treatment, studying directly with me in advance, no longer participating in regular courses. What are your thoughts?”

Lu Xingzhou hesitated slightly.

Ye Tinglan said, “Is it because of what you mentioned last time, about wanting to make friends at the academy? What you’re currently doing, getting them not to be hostile towards you, is already enough… Classmates are classmates, after all. Even if there isn’t much camaraderie, they can naturally become part of your network in the future.”

Lu Xingzhou scratched his head, “Of course not because of that. May I ask, sir, will this advanced study continue within the academy, or will there be other arrangements?”

“What you lack is a guide, not the archives and resources of the Alchemy Academy… so it can be anywhere,” Ye Tinglan said, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. “What, are you reluctant to leave the noble young ladies from the Imperial Academy next door, or the youthful ponytails of Green Jade Garden?”

Lu Xingzhou could only reply, “I have some commitments that aren’t finished, so it’s not convenient for me to leave.”

“I’m not asking you to leave right now, just to prepare. Since it can be anywhere, it can certainly be within the academy too.”

Lu Xingzhou breathed a sigh of relief.

Ye Tinglan’s tone shifted. “But if your ‘commitments’ involve dealing with the Huo family… do you think that’s something you can do while studying at the Alchemy Academy?”

Lu Xingzhou was silent for a moment. “I’ll do as much as I can. It should have a proper conclusion, not just abruptly end without resolution.”

Ye Tinglan said indifferently, “What I see is you indulging in frivolous pleasures… I hope you have a plan, not just empty slogans.”

“I’ve secretly arranged for people to do things, and it requires some time…”

“What are they doing?”

“Gathering evidence of Huo Heng’s corruption and bribery in the Ministry of Works.”

“Using personnel from the Hall of Yama’s capital branch?”

“Yes.”

Ye Tinglan fell silent, then slowly shook her head after a long pause. “The Huo family hired assassins to kill you in the Demon Subjugation Domain, and Dean Qin was furious, but it still amounted to nothing. Do you really think mere corruption and bribery will have any effect on them? If it exposes your continued involvement with the Hall of Yama, it would be detrimental instead.”

Lu Xingzhou’s expression also soured. “But I have no other angles, sir. I… lack more powerful helpers. The Sheng family isn’t involved in politics, and while the Pei family can cooperate, they aren’t effective enough.”

Ye Tinglan said, “Corruption and bribery are an angle, but everyone in officialdom does it, including the Pei family… Such matters won’t stir much commotion in Gu’s or His Majesty’s eyes. They will only be used as a justification for reckoning and a public indictment after the Huo family falls.”

Lu Xingzhou nodded. “Yes.”

“But what if the corruption implicates His Majesty himself?”

“Do you have any leads, sir?”

“The year before last, His Majesty had an altar built in the Western Suburbs to pray for his health, and Huo Heng handled that matter,” Ye Tinglan said casually. “Of course, Huo Heng likely wouldn’t dare to tamper with that, and Pei Qingyan also kept an eye on it… but there’s no harm in looking into it further. More oversight is always good; if there’s nothing, it’s still a caution.”

Lu Xingzhou stared blankly at this person, feeling a profound disconnect.

Was the worldly, bureaucratic tone and mindset truly from the same person who had just displayed such divine, immortal creation?