Peach Blossom Wine

The subordinate froze at the words, disbelief flickering in his eyes.

"Holy King..."

It seemed to him that, given Yi Feng's current status and reputation, the visitor was completely unworthy of his acquaintance. The claim of being an old friend was so absurd that he found it hard to believe.

Yi Feng paid no mind to the opinions of outsiders, simply giving a casual order.

"Bring him in shortly, then prepare several dozen jugs of Peach Blossom Wine. Do not allow anyone into the garden to disturb us."

Hearing this, the subordinate's eyes went wide.

"This..."

"Holy King, with your current identity and status, how can you drink Peach Blossom Wine? That is nothing but an inferior liquor consumed by commoners. A whole jug costs five taels of silver at most; it is absolutely unworthy of you!"

Hearing such a worldly prejudice, Yi Feng smiled and looked back.

"Inferior liquor?"

"I don't think so."

"As the saying goes, one man's meat is another man's poison. Some things cannot be judged solely by their surface value. Perhaps you do not understand, but the low-grade wine in the eyes of ordinary people is an immortal nectar to others, impossible to buy even with a thousand pieces of gold. Its true flavor is something outsiders cannot comprehend."

"Go now, and remember, no one is allowed to come and disturb us."

The subordinate was completely stunned, wearing an expression of utter bewilderment.

However, since Yi Feng had already spoken, he could only obey the order and take his leave.

Shortly after.

The man in black was brought into the garden. The jade table was covered with jugs of Peach Blossom Wine. The wine was just as mellow and rich as before, and the man was just as carefree and at ease as he had always been.

Looking at the man in black sitting opposite him, Yi Feng poured the wine himself, completely disregarding any notions of status and position.

The wine splashed in the cups, its fragrance intoxicating.

The black-clad youth revealed a look of sheer delight, impatiently raising his cup for a toast!

As the clear liquor flowed down their throats, both men felt a refreshing sense of satisfaction spread through their bodies.

After downing several cups in a row, the black-clad youth finally remembered something and scratched his head in slight embarrassment.

"Speaking of which..."

"I still owe you one tael of silver for the wine from last time. I came in a hurry and forgot to bring it. I'll give it to you the next time we meet—definitely next time!"

Hearing this, Yi Feng smiled and shook his head.

At this point, did that one tael of silver even matter?

It did, and perhaps it didn't.

If not for the fate brought about by that one tael of silver, he and his guest might not be sharing a table and drinking together today. But practically speaking, with his current status and resources, a mere tael of silver was entirely insignificant.

Yi Feng didn't pursue the topic. Observing the other party's energetic appearance, he casually remarked,

"You look much better this time than the previous two times."

"I remember that whenever we met before, you were always carrying some injuries."

At these words, the black-clad youth set down his cup and burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahaha..."

"A while ago, I did run into a bit of minor trouble, but it's all been sorted out!"

Yi Feng nodded slightly, a bit curious.

"What kind of trouble?"

Perhaps it was the alcohol talking, or maybe the excellent atmosphere, but the black-clad youth's eyes suddenly lit up. He became much more talkative, vividly recounting his glorious past exploits.

"Ha..."

"It wasn't a big deal, really. It's just that last year, your granddaddy here saw that the Holy Maiden of the Lihua Palace was quite pretty, so I kidnapped her to dance for me. After enjoying the show for a few days, the Lihua Palace started haunting me like lingering ghosts. They even mobilized the Moon-Chasing Jade Bow. It took me several months to finally shake them off."

"Then there were a few blind fools who interrupted my drinking. I taught them a lesson and conveniently chopped down a few guys I didn't like the look of. As a result, I ended up being hunted down jointly by the Ten Great Sects..."

"Anyway, they were all just minor troubles, and your granddaddy has already taken care of them all!"

Watching his carefree demeanor as he told these stories, Yi Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

This guy was truly a piece of work. To have stirred up so much trouble—whether it was the Lihua Palace or the ten great orthodox sects, none were to be trifled with. For him to remain so arrogant up to this point meant he definitely had some real skills.

However, the disasters he caused were no small matter, and looking at the reasons behind them, it hardly seemed worth it.

Helplessly, Yi Feng smiled, looked at him, and asked,

"You caused so much trouble. Was it worth it?"

As soon as the words fell, the black-clad youth slammed the table and replied!

"Worth it, absolutely worth it!"

"Brother, you don't understand. In this life, I only have two great passions: girls and fine wine. Beauties and booze are all I seek. Without these two things, life would be far too dull and tasteless!"

"As long as I live a thrilling life, let alone offending the Lihua Palace, even if I provoked the Heavenly King himself, I wouldn't feel like I lost out!"

"We only live once, so being happy is what matters! The world is vast, but I am the greatest!"

Reaching the climax of his speech, the black-clad youth raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

His unrestrained manner looked indescribably exhilarating!

We only live once, so being happy is what matters.

Muttering these words to himself, Yi Feng also felt somewhat moved.

Indeed, everyone had different pursuits. If one could stay true to their original heart, perhaps that was their own unique Great Dao of cultivation. The people of the world blindly pursued the so-called Great Dao, but how many could be as clear-headed as this?

This old friend was truly a fascinating character.

Amidst his sighs of emotion, Yi Feng also picked up his cup and downed it in one go, feeling an indescribable sense of relaxation and freedom in his heart.

However, when he thought about this guy's reckless and unrestrained style, he couldn't help but feel that the other party would eventually stir up some massive disaster in the future. He calmly voiced a word of advice.

"It's understandable that you love fine wine and beautiful women."

"But acting so recklessly all the time isn't a long-term solution. Everything in this world has a price. You might as well trade for what you want with benefits. That way, everyone is happy, and you avoid a lot of trouble. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the black-clad youth wore a look of gratitude.

"Brother, very few people speak to me with such sincerity. You truly are a good brother!"

The next moment, however, he revealed a troubled expression.

"What a pity..."

"I'm a hired thug. I've been used to wandering the martial world for years. I've always spent money as soon as I got it, seeking nothing but a good time."

To sum it up in one sentence: he was broke.

Yi Feng suddenly felt this made perfect sense, leaving him completely speechless.

So this guy was a roaming thug who had lived a free and easy life forever. No wonder he struggled to even scrape together a single tael of silver for wine.

Nodding in sudden realization, Yi Feng had to change his approach.

"That's true."

"But fine wine and beautiful women both cost a lot of money, and you happen to love them both. If things continue like this, you'll definitely fail to make ends meet, and perhaps attract even more trouble. Why not just pick one of the two?"

Hearing this, the black-clad youth paused with his cup raised, as if he had encountered the greatest dilemma of his life.

"Pick one of the two?"

"Hiss..."

He thought for a full ten breaths before speaking solemnly.

"Girls and wine are both my absolute favorites. This is way too hard to choose!"

"If I really have to choose, I'll go with girls. In this world, only girls are the true meaning of life; everything else is heresy!"

Seeing the other party so serious, knowing that making a choice was already incredibly difficult for him, Yi Feng knew this was the best possible outcome. Presumably, he would suffer fewer disasters in the future.

Immediately, Yi Feng nodded in gratified agreement.

"Yes, girls are the true meaning of life."

The two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without needing to be said.

"Hahaha! Well said, brother! You have reached enlightenment!"

"Come, come, let's drain this cup!"

The more they drank, the more they hit it off. Their conversation was incredibly unrestrained. Before they knew it, they had drank over a dozen jugs of Peach Blossom Wine. The black-clad youth's face was flushed, but he continued to praise the wine endlessly.

"Ha..."

"This wine is truly fragrant! If I get the chance in the future, I will definitely come looking for you again!"

Hearing these words, Yi Feng paused his cup, smiling as he nodded.

"Mhm."

"Drink a bit more this time. Soon, I will be heading to the Snow Moon Sacred Land. I might even become their Holy Son, so who knows when we will meet again."

As soon as the words fell, the black-clad youth looked up in surprise. There was no regret over their impending separation, only eyes full of excitement and joy.

"The Snow Moon Sacred Land?"

"Brother! That is incredible!"

"I have long heard that the foundation of that place is terrifyingly profound, far beyond what our small Nanli Kingdom can compare to. You are a carp leaping over the dragon gate; from now on, you will soar into the heavens!"

"You truly have a bright future ahead of you. Congratulations!"

Watching the youth cup his fists and laugh loudly, Yi Feng smiled and nodded, not immediately voicing a reply.

A bright future?

Perhaps.

Throughout his life's journey, he had always relied on his own bitter cultivation. He had never thought of leaning on any faction. As for his future prospects, he did not need to act according to the whims of others, nor did he need the nurturing of any power.

No matter what the future held, today they would not rest until they were drunk!

The so-called glory and status of the secular world were but fleeting clouds, fundamentally unable to compare to the sincerity of true friendship. It was just like how a fine wine worth a thousand gold could never compare to the mellow fragrance of the Peach Blossom Brew on their table.

Thinking of this, Yi Feng raised his cup to the youth sitting across from him, his eyes full of gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Gathering today, we must drink to our hearts' content!"

The black-clad youth also wore a face full of smiles, dashingly raising his cup in response!

"To our hearts' content!"

The two shared a perfect tacit understanding and did not mention anything else. They immersed themselves in the joyful drinking session before them. Though no more words were spoken, the air was filled with sincere emotion.

It was both a reunion and a farewell.

With this parting, who knew what year they would meet again.

Even if there were tens of thousands of passing travelers in the martial world, it is hard to find a single confidant to share a table with...