After bidding farewell to Sheng Qingfeng, Lu Xingzhou went to the back garden to pick up Anuó. Master and disciple bounced out of the Sheng Residence and headed directly to the Dān Academy.

In his arms, he carried the results of the Dān study trial, written by the “Madam Ye” with words carefully chosen by Lu Xingzhou himself. She wrote exactly what he told her to, so obediently.

Oh, and by the way, graduation from the Dān Academy would require writing a thesis-like document to demonstrate one’s understanding of Dān study, to be completed under the guidance of a mentor. Lu Xingzhou wasn’t sure if he’d have the opportunity to get Ye Tinglan to sign it in the future, as the world was becoming increasingly chaotic. So, before leaving, he directly wrote a piece and had his mentor sign it in advance.

This graduation thesis, which he didn’t know when it would be used, was already tucked away in the student’s pocket so far in advance. He wondered how many people, throughout history, had received such treatment.

By the way, from the thesis to the trial results this time, the signed name was hard to keep a straight face about: Ye Zhuoyu.

It seemed Ye Tinglan really did use this name at the Dān Academy; it wasn’t just made up on the spot back then!

This kind of thing, so similar to modern regulations, made Lu Xingzhou feel like he had returned to the human world from the immortal realm of a few days ago.

The bustling cityscape of the capital, with its myriad activities, further emphasized this feeling.

“You’re back?” Just a few steps into the Dān Academy, he encountered Instructor Meng Li. Meng Li curiously scrutinized him for a long time. “You started the trial a month earlier than others, but returned a month later. The time you spent studying at the Dān Academy isn’t as long as the time you spent on this so-called trial. Seeing you abruptly, I feel like you’re a rare guest.”

“That’s a way to put it,” Lu Xingzhou could only say. “I went on the trial with my mentor. When we go, when we return, that’s not something I can decide.”

Meng Li was one of the very few who had known who Madam Ye was from the beginning. Precisely because he knew early on, he was even more aghast, muttering that this matter was simply bizarre. “How do I feel like you really can decide?”

Lu Xingzhou was exasperated. “I really can’t decide.”

“Never mind,” Meng Li extended his hand. “Just give me the trial report. Qin Yuanzheng has been in the palace recently and has no time to deal with you. I can handle this matter entirely.”

Lu Xingzhou handed him the report and asked in surprise, “In the palace… treating His Majesty’s illness?”

“Yes.”

“Will he recover?”

“Unknown. It’s said there have been some breakthroughs.”

Three months was indeed enough time to change many things. Even if the emperor’s injury had been treated for ten years without improvement, an additional three months was not a short time. Medical breakthroughs were not hard to understand.

However, Lu Xingzhou instinctively felt that the emperor’s injury would not heal so easily. There was no reason, he just felt that this matter was a major karma between Dàgān and the demon race, with far-reaching implications. From the perspective of immortal karma, it should absolutely not end in such an unremarkable way.

Moreover, the current Lu Xingzhou had some ability to perceive qi. Looking back at the imperial palace, he still felt a lingering gloom, unlike the spring blossoms that would signify the resolution of a problem.

So, it was highly possible that Gu Zhanting was deliberately creating the illusion of recovery, also to deter Long Qinghuang.

But would a fierce woman like Long Qinghuang be afraid of him? She wouldn’t care if he recovered or not…

“Oh, right,” Lu Xingzhou remembered something and asked, “Has Chen Yu been released?”

Meng Li shook his head. “No… His Majesty even sent an envoy to negotiate, but the envoy was turned back.”

“The Demon Empress is quite rule-abiding, huh? Not killing the messenger?”

“To be honest, we’ve only heard various rumors about the Demon Empress and don’t know much about her; we always thought she was very cruel. The envoy was genuinely prepared to die there, but nothing happened. This incident gave the court and the public a new understanding of the Demon Empress; perhaps she isn’t as unreasonable as we thought.”

Lu Xingzhou was somewhat speechless.

Having spent less than a stick of incense with Long Qinghuang, Lu Xingzhou had already discerned the Demon Empress’s temperament. As long as you didn’t provoke her, she truly wouldn’t kill indiscriminately, but if you did provoke her, even the slightest offense could lead to death.

Something that could be understood in a stick of incense, and Dàgān had been fighting her for how many years, yet only just now realized it?

As if sensing what he was thinking, Meng Li sighed. “Demons can lurk in human society. As long as they don’t encounter strong practitioners who can sense demonic energy, they can stay for a lifetime. But how can humans lurk in demon society? We can’t send in spies at all; we can only rely on scouts to risk investigating some information. How much imperial secret information can they find? All we can learn is news like ‘the Demon Empress killed so-and-so’…”

Lu Xingzhou pondered in silence. Judging by this, Long Qinghuang must also be suppressing her own internal factions with an iron fist for such news to constantly spread.

In fact, the profession of a scout requires a lot of talent. Analyzing valuable information from ordinary intelligence is not something everyone can do. He estimated that Guamei would excel at it, but unfortunately, this profession is very dangerous… No wonder Sheng Qingfeng was so worried.

Meng Li continued, “However, having said that, when demons lurk in human society, because they worry about encountering powerful individuals who can detect demonic energy, they at least dare not infiltrate places like the army or the Demon Suppression Division. The secrets they can uncover are not that many.”

Lu Xingzhou suddenly said, “What about Chen Yu? How much does he know?”

Meng Li’s expression also turned a little grim, and he said nothing more.

Chen Yu alone probably wouldn’t know too much, but he was Prince Jin’s man.

How many secrets and military arrangements he learned from Prince Jin was not something others could simply imagine.

Ultimately, Meng Li could only say, “I am merely an instructor at the Dān Academy; these matters are beyond my knowledge. For me, I just want to know how your Dān studies have progressed. You must have learned a lot following Madam Ye, right?”

He brought up the very thing that shouldn’t be mentioned… Did learning to go astray count?

Lu Xingzhou awkwardly bade farewell to Meng Li, leading Anuó back to his “dormitory,” where he collapsed onto the bed and didn’t move.

Why did human society feel more tiring than cultivating immortals…?

Anuó said, “Alü is still waiting for you to make Pei Qingyan open the main gate. And you’re just lying on the bed.”

Lu Xingzhou said, “…I wasn’t talking about today. Why should Pei Qingyan open the main gate today? Not to mention that I’m only the Imperial Advisor’s disciple. Even if I were the Imperial Advisor’s husband, it wouldn’t work; the Pei family still needs to maintain some distance from the Imperial Advisor.”

Anuó said, “So what’s your plan? Just trick Alü? That’s great.”

Lu Xingzhou was exasperated. “What I meant by saying that was that I ask nothing of her, not that it was to get her to introduce me to Pei Qingyan. Chuyun naturally understood what I meant. Look how happily she smiled.”

“So it wasn’t tricking her. Boring.”

Anuó couldn’t be bothered with Pei Chuyun’s matter and rested her chin in her hand. “Are we really going to war with Sister Long? Actually, I think Sister Long is quite nice.”

“It’s her who wants to go to war with us now, not us with her, okay?”

“But I think if Master just goes to her and lets her brush him a couple of times, the war won’t happen. There’s no need to think so much about this and that.”

Lu Xingzhou was stunned for a moment.

Anuó said, “Isn’t that very reasonable? This is called a good warrior has no grand… Ouch…”

Lu Xingzhou retracted the finger he had used to tap her head. “You’re selling out your Master.”

Anuó mumbled something inaudible, clutching her head.

Actually, Lu Xingzhou himself felt that if they truly met, he probably wouldn’t die, and nothing major would likely happen. But how could he gamble his life on that?

Moreover, it was unlikely that Long Qinghuang would start a war purely over a man’s affairs. That was an enmity between races; how could it be treated so lightly?

However, Sheng Qingfeng also hoped that he could communicate with Long Qinghuang to see if there was a possibility of mediating a truce… According to Meng Li, who said they could send envoys to deliver messages, perhaps he could try to send a message and see how Long Qinghuang reacted?

But how should the letter be written? He had no opening.

As he was pondering, a voice suddenly came from outside the dwelling. “Is Xingzhou here? I heard you’re back and came to meet you.”

Lu Xingzhou and Anuó exchanged glances, both certain they had never heard this person’s voice before, yet he sounded so familiar…

“Excuse me, I don’t recognize your voice. Who are you?”

The voice outside the door was very hearty: “I am Huo Zhang.”

Lu Xingzhou narrowed his eyes.

Huo Zhang, the second son of the Huo family, had long been in the military. The Huo family intended to cultivate the eldest son, Huo Qi, in court, and the second son, Huo Zhang, in the military. The arrangement was quite successful. The only notable members of the Huo family were these two, plus the third son, Huo Heng, who served as a minister in the Ministry of Works. The others were fools.

However, of these three, Huo Qi and Huo Heng, through his own interactions, weren’t much either. Huo Qi was relatively smart, with some calculations. For example, the scheme concocted with Ye Wufeng was Huo Qi’s doing. However, he had many petty thoughts and minor conspiracies, but lacked the grand vision required to succeed as the head of a large family. Huo Heng was even more idiotic, not worth mentioning.

From the Huo family brothers, one could often expose the superficiality of the nouveau riche Huo family.

He had only never met this second son, Huo Zhang, who was in the military. Judging from the incident of the lost city last time, he seemed quite foolish too. But if there had always been some shady dealings between the Huo family and the demon race, and he temporarily couldn’t distinguish the situation of those demons who attacked the city, allowing them to exploit a loophole, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible and might not necessarily be due to extreme foolishness.

Theoretically, someone who had experienced battle and been tempered by iron and blood would generally be somewhat better than others. It was very possible that the most promising member of the Huo family might not be the eldest, Huo Qi, but this second son, Huo Zhang.

After being set up by himself and Ye Tinglan last time, Huo Zhang was currently relieved of his duties and at home. In the current war, most normal people wished to avoid it, but the person who most hoped for it to break out was Huo Zhang, as only then could he be reinstated.

At this juncture, Huo Zhang sought him out just as he returned to the capital, before his seat was even warm. What was he planning?

These thoughts flashed through his mind, and Lu Xingzhou lazily said, “Apologies, Second Young Master. I, Lu, have returned to the capital from a long journey, body and mind exhausted, and have already rested. If Second Young Master has no urgent business, perhaps we can meet another day?”

Huo Zhang said, “I know you’re angry with us brothers, but at least I didn’t bully you when I was little, did I? I started practicing martial arts outside when I was very young and only returned home for festivals. And you… well, it seems you never had the chance to meet me even during festivals.”

Huo Zhang was still referring to the tragic Seventh Young Master, Huo Shang. Huo Shang lived like a servant in the Huo family, and festival courtesies had nothing to do with him. If Huo Zhang had indeed been away from home since childhood, perhaps he truly held no ill will towards Huo Shang.

Similarly, due to his long absence from home, Huo Zhang and Lu Xingzhou also had no direct enmity… Of course, such enmity isn’t calculated this way.

Lu Xingzhou, using Huo Shang’s name for his activities, still intended to properly play out Huo Shang’s karma, so he said, “Second Young Master, why don’t you speak directly?”

Huo Zhang smiled. “I invite you for a drink. Will you come? If you’re really tired today, we can arrange it for tomorrow.”

Lu Xingzhou and Anuó exchanged glances again. Just from this casual attitude of treating him directly as a brother, this person felt much more comfortable than the other Huo brothers. But it might also mean he was the most difficult to deal with.