“I didn’t betray Master; I’m not a little traitor!” Anu was seized by the collar by the enraged Lu Xingzhou and dragged away, struggling the whole time.

Lu Xingzhou, with a pig in his left hand and Anu in his right, stormed out, fuming: “To think I was acting for her, overturning things once, twice, three times! Turns out she knew everything from the beginning, just watching me perform. You turned Master into a clown, and you’re not a traitor?!”

“No, no, I didn’t say anything about your relationship; I only described the events.” Anu continued to struggle: “Sir wanted to consult about his trip to the demon realm. How could we, as disciples, keep it a secret?”

“Cut the act. You black-hearted Anu, if you wanted to keep it secret, couldn’t you have?” Lu Xingzhou was furious: “No wonder she suddenly went berserk at the end; it wasn’t entirely because of Tangtang; she’d been bottling it up for a long time.”

Anu carefully said, “And what’s wrong with that? Sir worries so much about things. Without a little stimulation, would she tell you to punch a hole in the sky?”

“What do you know, you little thing… Does it matter whether she says it or not? Even if she didn’t say it, if I really did punch a hole in the sky, could she really just ignore me?”

Anu drooped her head and fell silent.

What do you know, you old thing… It really doesn’t matter whether this is said or not. There are other things.

At least, so far, Sir hasn’t publicly acknowledged her relationship with you; there’s something holding her back. Without more stimulation, you two would be dragging this out until the year of the monkey.

Anu was breaking her heart for this family, and still had to be carried like a pig. *Yingyingying*.

The master and disciple bickered their way back to the new residence. Pei Chuyun, without anyone knowing how she opened the door, was already inside with her people.

Lu Xingzhou found it quite amusing to see the little demoness, hands on her hips, directing the servants and organizing work, looking exactly like the mistress of a household. Pei Chuyun turned to see Lu Xingzhou, and then the Anu and the pig he was holding, her eyes crinkling with a smile: “Oh, not bad, you even remember to buy groceries when you come home.”

The little white pig struggled in terror, and Anu, suspended in mid-air, cursed, “Who are you? Why are you acting like a mistress?”

Pei Chuyun giggled, came closer, and pinched Anu’s face roughly with both hands: “Excuse me, but I’m in charge here now. If you dare to disobey, I’ll arrange for you to live in the pigsty out back.”

Anu’s speech was garbled from being pinched: “A small-minded person getting ahead! A small-minded person getting ahead!”

Lu Xingzhou finally put her down. Anu broke free and her combat power surged: “As Master’s first maid, I now qualify as the head maid. Look how organized she is; she’s quite impressive when managing things.”

Pei Chuyun: “?”

Anu and Anuo started fighting again.

It wasn’t until this moment that Sheng Yuanyao rushed in with a few people. Seeing that there were already servants inside, her face turned green with anger: “Pei Chuyun, you, the esteemed eldest daughter of the Pei family, have no shame?”

Pei Chuyun, even while fighting Anu, didn’t forget to retort: “Uncle can go gamble and horse race; there’s no need for outsiders to worry about household matters.”

Sheng Yuanyao’s mind whirled several times before she realized that “uncle” referred to her husband’s brother.

“What kind of ‘insider’ are you? Have you asked Prime Minister Pei?” Sheng Yuanyao, enraged, rolled up her sleeves, ready to step forward and help Anu.

Lu Xingzhou quickly pulled her back from behind: “Keep them all; keep them all.”

Sheng Yuanyao’s anger subsided a little, and she gave him a sidelong glance: “Do you need so many people?”

Lu Xingzhou coughed twice, not answering the question.

He didn’t need them now, but later, when they each occupied a courtyard, wouldn’t they need their own people?

Sheng Yuanyao wasn’t so naive this time. Seeing the man’s expression, she guessed what he was thinking and angrily stomped on his foot: “You wish!”

But at least the people she brought were kept, preventing Pei Chuyun’s people from having complete control over the Lu residence. So, this trip wasn’t in vain after all.

An elder in the family is like a treasure.

Sheng Yuanyao watched Lu Xingzhou hopping on one foot with a sidelong glance, her mood improved. She snorted, tossed her ponytail, and walked away: “Little ability, big appetite.”

She sighed only after leaving the door.

She simply couldn’t be as shameless as that *Huanhe Yaonü*, publicly acting as the lady of the house. Strange, why didn’t Prime Minister Pei do anything about it?

But precisely because her family upbringing was too concerned with appearances, she was constantly thwarted and even became an incompetent sister. If their relationship had been established earlier, what would have been wrong with openly tearing into the Dragon King? She was the one who came later!

Sheng Yuanyao’s psychological trauma from being tied up outside and listening all night still hadn’t faded; her face darkened at the thought.

At this moment, Lu Xingzhou chased after her: “Why are you leaving…?”

Seeing that he didn’t bother with Pei Chuyun, who was fighting inside, but came after her first, Sheng Yuanyao’s mood improved considerably, yet she still said with a stern face: “What, you have an ‘insider’ at home; what are we ‘outsiders’ doing standing around?”

“What ‘insider’ or ‘outsider’?” Lu Xingzhou said: “I was half-dead from exhaustion on the road, and then spent another day bustling about. Aren’t you hungry? Shall we eat together?”

Sheng Yuanyao said: “Are you bringing your green tea at home?”

Lu Xingzhou cautiously said: “Well, Chuyun also meant well…”

“Pah, I have food to eat!” Sheng Yuanyao angrily tried to leave, then suddenly froze.

Lu Xingzhou followed her gaze and saw the Huo residence’s gate open in the distance. Huo Qi smiled as he saw a young man out: “Brother Qi, I apologize, but I won’t keep you for a meal.”

Qi Tuizhi… He had slipped away when the matter of Prince Jin erupted, and now he had returned after the storm had passed.

Although the eldest son personally seeing him off seemed polite, from that single sentence, it was clear that they were quite distant. Not only was he not invited for a meal, but it was also likely that his request for help had been rejected. The changing nature of human relationships; Qi Tuizhi had previously been Prince Jin’s man, and now that Prince Jin had fallen, the Huo family was eager to distance themselves.

As Lu Xingzhou was analyzing this, he saw Sheng Yuanyao charge forward aggressively: “Qi Tuizhi, wait!”

Lu Xingzhou: “?”

Qi Tuizhi left the Huo family, filled with worry. Hearing someone call from behind, he instinctively turned his head and saw Sheng Yuanyao approaching like a whirlwind.

The people involved hadn’t even reacted, but the spectators on the street immediately grew excited.

In the new ranking of rising talents from over two months ago, Sheng Yuanyao was ranked first among the newcomers, pushing the original first-ranked Qi Tuizhi to second.

So, was this a contest between the first and second-ranked newcomers?

Qi Tuizhi also reacted, stepping back and adopting a defensive posture: “General Sheng’s prestige shakes the Northern Frontier; the title of first among the newcomers is well-deserved. Qi absolutely concedes, absolutely concedes; there’s no need to compete.”

“But I feel that since I haven’t fought you, my credentials aren’t strong enough. Many people are probably whispering that I got there through connections, right?” Sheng Yuanyao beckoned with her hand: “Brother Qi, come, let’s verify the quality?”

Qi Tuizhi was completely exasperated. Who did I offend?

He couldn’t help but feel the pride of a young, powerful expert stirred within him. *Darn it*, everyone uses me as a stepping stone. Do they think that as long as they fight, they’ll definitely win, and no one will gossip about them?

Am I really that easy to bully?

He took a deep breath, found his fighting stance, and cupped his hands: “I also wish to witness General Sheng’s divine power. Then, please enlighten me, General.”

Lu Xingzhou arrived nearby, and Pei Chuyun and Anu stopped fighting, gathering behind to snack on melon seeds.

Everyone noticed that Qi Tuizhi was quite formidable. With that bow, his aura surged, clearly showing that he had touched the edge of the third rank, the *Tengyun* phase on the verge of breaking through.

Half-step *Tengyun*.

He was still so young; given some time, he would undoubtedly break through to the third rank.

For ordinary people, Qi Tuizhi, at the peak of the fourth rank in early spring, was named the new top rising talent after Ye Wufeng’s death. It was only autumn, and he was already preparing for *Tengyun*—a clear genius.

However, the people around him were too extraordinary, making Qi Tuizhi’s genius seem dim in comparison.

After all, the “melon girl” was already at the third rank… and even more after her training in the demon realm, likely approaching mid-third rank. Poor Lao Qi didn’t know this and was quite eager to compete.

Sheng Yuanyao showed a hint of a smile: “You’re second; you go first.”

Qi Tuizhi felt insulted and said coldly, “Then General Sheng, be careful.”

“Boom!” A fist carried a strong gust of wind, reaching Sheng Yuanyao’s shoulder in an instant.

Sheng Yuanyao extended a single finger.

Her finger touched the fist, seemingly a mantis trying to stop a chariot, but Qi Tuizhi suddenly felt a surge of lightning, numbing him completely and draining all his fist’s power.

Sheng Yuanyao delivered a kick. Qi Tuizhi, still paralyzed by the electric shock, was sent flying several *zhang* without any resistance, landing on the ground and coughing.

The entire street fell silent.

It wasn’t just shock that the first-ranked defeated the second-ranked so easily… but because everyone realized that Sheng Yuanyao was at the third rank.

*Mama ye*, when she returned to the capital from Xiazhou last year, was she only at the fifth rank? They’d have to go home and check the old version of the rising talent rankings; it seemed there was a record.

How long has it been? Third rank? Does battle array really train people that much?

No, the third rank no longer qualifies for the rising talent rankings; one must go to the ranking of heroic figures. In half a month, a new ranking will be released. So, who would be the new first-ranked rising talent now?

Everyone’s gaze uniformly fell on Qi Tuizhi on the ground.

What kind of luck does this person have? A constantly changing list of rising talents, but he’s always first?

Qi Tuizhi coughed as he propped himself up, not disheartened or defeated by being instantly defeated. After all, he wasn’t at the third rank, and being instantly defeated by someone at the third rank wasn’t shameful; it was much more honorable than being surpassed by those at mid-fourth rank several times before…

“Since General Sheng is at the third rank, coming to bully me like this, isn’t it a bit unsporting?” Qi Tuizhi said with a wry smile, cupping his hands: “I have learned my lesson.”

Sheng Yuanyao gave him a look, but said nothing.

Actually, it was because she wanted to beat someone up on the street and get away with it… but then realized that this Qi Tuizhi wasn’t that annoying.

Putting everything else aside, his repeated public defeats without becoming disheartened, and instead showing improvement, his psychological resilience was remarkable.

Since he wasn’t annoying, she couldn’t bring herself to bully him further. Now, who should she pick a fight with?

Sheng Yuanyao’s eyes darted around, and she spotted Huo Qi leaning against the Huo family gate, watching the show.

“You thief, stop right there!” Sheng Yuanyao strode past Qi Tuizhi and rushed over: “Your eyes are darting around, checking out this old lady. What are you thinking?”

Huo Qi: “???”

What was that?

Who was the one whose eyes were darting around?!

He didn’t even have time to close the door before a long leg kicked it: “I heard that the eldest son of the Huo family has been at the third rank for two years? Sheng, having just entered the third rank, wants to find someone to spar with. Young Master Huo, since everyone is in good spirits today, would you grace me with a lesson or two?”

Huo Qi: “…”

He was a junior minister.

And you, Sheng Yuanyao, are a general.

Both are considered important young officials in the imperial court. Fighting on the street right in front of your house?

PS: Please ask for votes.