Encounter by Chance

In the blink of an eye, two months passed.

As Yi Feng spent more and more time in the game world, everything felt increasingly real to him.

He paid a long-overdue visit to his sect. Everyone was thrilled, but due to the disparity in their strength, an invisible barrier of distance and awe had formed between them.

Yi Feng was still the same senior martial brother as before, completely unchanged, yet his fellow disciples no longer showed their former intimacy. Their actions and words were now highly constrained and formal.

Sensing this subtle shift in attitude, Yi Feng could understand how his peers felt, but the sense of alienation and distance still left him feeling somewhat emotional.

People from nearby sects also came to visit and befriend him upon hearing the news, which made Yi Feng sigh with even more emotion.

When a person achieves success and fame, the attitudes of those around them always change drastically, and many people with ulterior motives will appear.

This was reality.

As the saying goes, the poor are ignored even in the busy streets, while the rich have distant relatives even in the deep mountains.

The common truths of the world were mostly like this.

He had to admit that this game was too realistic; it captured and portrayed even human nature with such meticulous detail.

For a moment, Yi Feng found it hard to distinguish between what was real and what was fake.

If not for the occasional game settings popping into his mind, he might have thought he had been reincarnated into a new life.

After this brief visit, Yi Feng knew that the gap between him and his martial siblings was growing wider. From now on, they would only drift further apart. It was no longer possible to interact with them as warmly as before.

When one can no longer hold onto beautiful things, the only thing to do is to remember the wonderful memories of the past and cherish those good times in the bottom of one's heart.

Life is often full of helplessness.

For most people, by the time they meet again, they are already strangers.

Unknowingly, Yi Feng's state of mind became much more composed, and his cultivation base rose once again.

By the time he went down the mountain to experience the world again.

He was invincible within a radius of ten thousand miles, his fame spreading across more than a dozen nearby prefectures.

After consecutively annihilating several major evil demons, Yi Feng's reputation reached its peak. Even common children knew the name of the Divine Sword in White, and his legends spread throughout the entire martial world.

At this moment.

Yi Feng also felt the loneliness of being at the top.

It was hard for him to find a worthy opponent, let alone a true friend. There was nothing in these small prefectures that he cared about anymore, and the enthusiasm of cultivators from all sides made him want to avoid them at all costs.

Only when he returned to the small courtyard at the foot of the green mountain did Yi Feng feel a bit of peace and freedom.

One day, the spring sunlight was just right.

Yi Feng sat at the stone table in the courtyard. The fragrance of clear wine and side dishes wafted from the table. Looking at the beautiful scenery of the distant mountains, he felt like a wild crane and a stray cloud, carefree and detached from the mundane world. An indescribable sense of comfort and peace filled his heart.

With a cup of clear wine down his throat, all the glory and legends dissipated like smoke and clouds. Only bursts of warmth spread throughout his body, bringing joy to his body and mind.

Who cares about the disputes in the martial world? I alone am free and unfettered.

Right in this comfortable and leisurely afternoon, light footsteps suddenly came from not far away.

"Swish, swish..."

With his extraordinary cultivation now, Yi Feng instantly noticed the newcomer.

He quietly looked over.

He saw a person covered entirely in a black robe. Except for the face, nothing else could be seen. Judging by his appearance, he should be around the same age as Yi Feng. He held a longsword, from which dark red blood continuously dripped. There were also bloodstains all over his body, making him look rather exhausted.

Upon seeing the newcomer clearly, Yi Feng wasn't surprised at all. He just quietly observed the other party, wondering if he was a friend or foe, or perhaps just passing by?

Before he could take a closer look, the person had already walked to the gate of the fenced courtyard.

He shouted out, his tone extremely casual.

"Brother!"

"Can you spare a couple of cups of that wine for me?"

This person had just experienced a bloody battle, yet he was still thinking about drinking. He truly was a man of true temperament.

It was rare to meet a fellow wine lover, and he bore no hostility. Who cares about his background or identity? Meeting in these deep mountains today was destiny; what harm was there in sharing a drink?

Yi Feng smiled faintly and straightforwardly extended a hand in invitation.

"Since you want to drink, brother, why not come in, take a seat, and drink to your heart's content."

As soon as he said this, the black figure at the door suddenly froze.

"Seriously?"

"You're not afraid of me?"

Even in this state, he was still worried about whether others would be afraid of him. This person not only had a strong character but was also quite considerate.

Hearing this, Yi Feng laughed out loud and casually took out another wine cup, filling it up.

"Haha."

"If I were afraid, I wouldn't have invited you in for a drink. Meeting by chance is destiny. If you don't mind, just come in, sit down, and have a drink."

Seeing that Yi Feng had already filled an empty cup and was sitting quietly with a smile, looking over as if he were quite hospitable and open, the man in black took a decisive step forward, entering the courtyard and sitting by the stone table.

"Please!"

The two raised their cups and downed them in one gulp.

As the clear wine went down, a surge of heat rushed through his body. The man in black let out a long sigh, words of praise flowing endlessly from his mouth.

"Hah..."

"Good wine! What good wine!"

"I have roamed the four seas, and I've never had such good wine! Another cup, pour me another cup!"

The straightforward words put Yi Feng in a joyful mood.

It wasn't that he particularly liked being praised, but listening to this person's frank words—seemingly devoid of any scheming or ulterior motives—inexplicably made him feel at ease.

At the very least, it was ten million times better than those secular sycophants who only sought to curry favor.

Clear about love and hate, speaking directly. Even if it was just the most ordinary clear wine, if he thought it tasted good, then it was good wine, and good wine naturally warranted another cup!

Although this person's words were a bit thick-skinned, he did not lose his true nature. One could say he was open and aboveboard.

A true man should conduct himself like this in the world.

Yi Feng smiled and nodded, continuing to fill the other party's cup.

The two clinked cups again, their eyes full of delight.

"Refreshing! So refreshing!"

The man in black praised endlessly, his spirits soaring the more he drank.

Yi Feng was also infected by this mood, feeling a great desire to drink.

The two just kept clinking cups and drinking heartily without any superfluous words. Yi Feng couldn't be bothered to care about the other party's identity and never asked what he had gone through. He just immersed himself in this delightful drinking session born of a chance encounter.

In life, one must enjoy oneself to the fullest when successful, and never let a golden goblet stand empty under the moon.

It was rare to have such a straightforward person to drink with. As long as they drank happily and enjoyed the relaxing time before them, that was enough. Everything else was no longer important.

The two drank with increasing enthusiasm, only stopping when dusk fell.

The stone table was surrounded by empty wine jars, and the aroma of wine still lingered in the air. After finishing the last cup, the man in black turned and strode away.

Happy times are always short-lived. Yi Feng gazed at the man in black from afar without saying a word, simply watching him leave.

Being in the martial world, fighting and killing were commonplace. The sentimental farewells spoken of by scholars were truly too melodramatic. Since they had met by chance, they should part quietly. Having experienced all sorts of worldly realities, Yi Feng had long stopped caring about such false etiquette.

In contrast, the man in black seemed a bit reluctant to part.

Just as he was about to walk out the gate, he suddenly stopped and spoke.

"If there is a chance next time, I'll come find you to beg for some wine again."

With that hasty remark, the man's figure quickly merged into the afterglow of the setting sun and completely disappeared.

Yi Feng still didn't reply, his expression extremely calm.

Only when recalling the thick-skinned words of the man in black could he not help but smile faintly. He thought to himself that this guy was really overly familiar; to actually want to mooch wine again, he was truly one of a kind.

It wasn't that Yi Feng was stingy, but they had only met by chance. Letting someone mooch off his wine like this wasn't really proper. After all, his money didn't just blow in with the wind...

"If there is a next time, I will definitely make him pay for the wine."

After murmuring to himself, Yi Feng casually closed the courtyard gate. He tidied up the wine jars in the yard and, as night fell, retreated indoors to rest.

That night.

With the endless, lingering aftertaste of the wine still on his lips and teeth, he slept exceptionally soundly.