Bring Out the Wine

Yue Qianchou watched Yan Shu leave until he vanished from sight. Then he straightened his slightly bent waist, and the ingratiating expression on his face turned to contemplation. He was too weak. Ever since entering the Cultivation World, anyone with even a little strength could squeeze him however they pleased, while he had to act like a turtle's grandson. All of it, every last bit of it, was because he was too weak. Some great man had said it well: backwardness invited beatings. It truly was an eternal truth!

This world was too mad, and the Cultivation World treated human lives like blades of grass. His little life could be taken at any moment. The golden pearl was indeed a safe place, but was he supposed to hide in it for the rest of his life just because there was danger? What about Qu Ping'er, who was waiting for him at the Qingguang Sect? Without strength, could he bring her out? Even if he did, was he supposed to make her hide in the golden pearl with him for the rest of her life? No! Even if she were willing, he could not make her hide with him forever. How could he let a woman who sincerely cared for him suffer grievances for a lifetime...

Thinking of this, Yue Qianchou shook his head with a bitter smile and muttered, "So long as it can raise my strength, I don't give a damn about being a good man, a bad man, or any fucking reputation. Even if I must become enemies with the entire Cultivation World, I will not hesitate. Ping'er! When I truly become notorious, I hope you can understand. Because for your sake, from today onward, my conscience has been eaten by dogs."

Once a firm belief had taken root in his heart, Yue Qianchou let out a long breath. It was not that he did not want to be a good man, but that he did not have the conditions to be one. What could be more important than surviving? There was a saying from his previous life: when poor, cultivate oneself alone; when rich, aid all under heaven.

He circled the small courtyard twice and found no one there. They had presumably gone out to do something and would not return anytime soon. He pushed open the room Yan Shu had assigned him. There was almost nothing inside: merely a table and chair, along with a bed. Nothing else.

With nothing to do, he shut the door and his figure dissolved from the room, returning to the golden pearl space.

The young cultivator before him, hugging a Spirit Stone and absorbing its energy, was the man Yue Qianchou had abducted from Hundred Flower Valley. Yue Qianchou looked at him and smiled. "What is your name?"

Hearing someone speak, the young cultivator sitting cross-legged slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Yue Qianchou standing before him, his face changed drastically. He sprang up and shouted, "You thief, let me out at once!" As he spoke, he charged at him, clearly ready to fight for his life.

Yue Qianchou smiled and shook his head. In the golden pearl world, he was the master. Probably no one could do anything to him; even the white fox could only glare helplessly. This young cultivator, with his shallow cultivation, was even less capable. Just as he was about to dodge aside, the charging young cultivator suddenly screamed. Clutching his head with both hands, he collapsed and rolled across the ground in agony.

Yue Qianchou froze, then understood. He had seen this phenomenon in Guan Yu. It was the reaction of someone whose natal Primordial Spirit had been forcibly extracted and who was now under another's control. Within the golden pearl space, the only one capable of such a thing was the white fox.

Closing his eyes, he sensed the golden pearl space. The locations of the white fox and Guan Yu appeared in his mind. Yue Qianchou vanished and reappeared in the white fox's garden. Before him, Guan Yu carried a bag and scattered handful after handful of seeds over the tilled ground, while the white fox instructed him from the side. Yue Qianchou could not help laughing inwardly. Guan Yu truly had good fortune, to have such a beauty accompanying him in planting crops.

"Sister, planting flowers again?" Yue Qianchou asked with a smile.

The white fox did not even raise her head. Guan Yu, on the other hand, stopped what he was doing and said, "Oh, Boss Yue is here! Did Fu Xian Island accept you?" Perhaps finding him too talkative, the white fox glared with her beautiful eyes. Guan Yu gave an awkward laugh, took out more seeds, and continued planting his flowers. She then looked at Yue Qianchou and frowned. "You joined Fu Xian Island again?" Her tone suggested that she disliked people who switched masters.

"Heh, yes." Yue Qianchou had wanted to ask Guan Yu more about Fu Xian Island, but he heard the displeasure in the white fox's words and changed the subject. "Sister, carry on. I have something to do." Before the white fox could speak, his figure vanished. He appeared once more before the young cultivator.

The young cultivator was sitting on the ground with a deathly pale face. Yue Qianchou asked again, "What is your name?" The young cultivator replied listlessly, "Chen Feng."

Yue Qianchou smiled. "Chen Feng, how many Spirit Stones can you earn in a day from setting up a stall? Look behind you. There are more Spirit Stones than you could ever use. Use them as you please; I have no objection. Don't act half-dead. Cheer up. So what if your natal Primordial Spirit was extracted? You will get used to it after a while. If you don't believe me, go look at the flower garden over there. There's a fellow named Guan Yu whose natal Primordial Spirit was also extracted. Look how comfortably he lives now—every day, a beauty accompanies him in planting flowers."

At the mention of a beauty, Chen Feng shuddered. He recalled the day he had first arrived. While he had been shouting and making a scene, a woman beautiful as an immortal had suddenly appeared. He had never seen such a beautiful woman before and could not help staring stupidly. Who would have thought that she would seize his head with one claw without a word and directly strip out his natal Primordial Spirit? Merely remembering that pain from the depths of his soul made him shiver with terror.

Seeing that he had not recovered, Yue Qianchou rubbed his nose and smiled. "Don't think too much. From the day you came in, you were destined to follow me. Following me brings only benefits, no harm. When you have time, properly improve your family's talisman-making craft. I might need it someday. Tell me what materials you need the next time I come. Sigh! I'm very busy, so I won't say more. Think it over carefully." As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished, leaving the dazed Chen Feng sitting on the ground, uncertain whether he had taken in any of those words.

The moment he returned to his room, he heard people approaching outside the courtyard. He opened the door and went out, just as three young men entered through the courtyard gate. The three were also startled to see Yue Qianchou. After exchanging looks, the one in the middle tentatively asked, "Are you Yue Qianchou?"

"That is me." Yue Qianchou asked in surprise, "How does this fellow Daoist know my name? And these three fellow Daoists are...?"

"Hehe! So you really are Yue Qianchou. Your great name spread throughout Fu Xian Island today. One Fu Xian Token caused several dozen elders to nearly come to blows, tsk tsk! I heard you were also at Level Ten Qi Refining and had become Elder Guan's disciple, so I guessed you would be assigned to our courtyard. Heh! The three of us are also at Level Ten Qi Refining. My name is Ling Feng." He then introduced the men on either side of him. "This is Bei Zi, and he is Xuan Ping."

"So they are three senior brothers." Yue Qianchou saluted them, though inwardly he muttered that their names felt rather strange...

Ling Feng laughed heartily. "We would not dare accept that title. Leaving aside the fact that you are Elder Guan's disciple, the three of us cannot even see through your cultivation. I am afraid we should be calling you senior brother instead."

"Exactly." Bei Zi on the left expressed his agreement. "Ordinary people do not get the chance to enter our courtyard. Since you are here, you are a brother. Xuan Ping, shouldn't you bring out that good wine you have hidden away and share it with everyone?"

"Fine." Xuan Ping, standing nearby with an expressionless face, answered.

Yue Qianchou paused slightly, thinking Xuan Ping was reluctant to part with his wine. He quickly smiled and said, "There is no need to trouble Brother Xuan. I have wine here, enough to make the three of you drink your fill." As he spoke, he reached toward his storage pouch. Back when he had been in the Marquis General's Mansion, Shi Xiaotian had given him quite a few fine wines, all of which he had placed in the golden pearl.

"Wait!" Xuan Ping shouted, coldly tossing out two words: "You're a guest." He then headed toward one of the rooms. What he meant was probably that Yue Qianchou was a guest, so how could a guest be expected to entertain the hosts?

Yue Qianchou's hand froze in midair, and he did not know what to do. Ling Feng smiled. "Brother Yue, do not mind him. Xuan Ping always speaks like that. Once you spend more time with him, you will know he is cold on the outside but warm at heart. His words may sound unpleasant, but he means no harm."

Yue Qianchou was relieved, but Bei Zi stared at the storage pouch at his waist and clicked his tongue. "Brother Yue actually has a storage pouch. I have been on Fu Xian Island for so many years, yet I do not think I have ever seen a Qi Refining stage disciple wearing one of these. This is a good thing! I'm afraid you could not buy one without at least one high-grade Spirit Stone?"

Envy appeared in Ling Feng's eyes. Xuan Ping, who emerged carrying a large jar of wine, also said, "Good item."

"Since my brothers like them, the next time I see Patriarch Cheng Gengqing, I'll ask him to bring three over as gifts for you." Yue Qianchou was often stingy, but he had always been generous when making friends.

Ling Feng and Bei Zi exchanged a smile, not taking his words seriously. Both assumed he was merely being polite, yet did not expose him. To Qi Refining stage cultivators, storage pouches were not something one could casually afford to give away. Their expressions fell into Yue Qianchou's eyes, but he said nothing. Some matters needed no explanation; actual actions were the most persuasive proof. Besides, the cost of three storage pouches was nothing to him. Xuan Ping said simply and directly, "Drink!" The book still had to be written, but friends and family could not be forgotten either. It was New Year, so I'll spend a few days paying New Year visits, then return and devote the whole of 2011 to everyone in earnest. Hehe! Everyone who should continue supporting, please continue supporting! (Special thanks to the brothers "Da pp" and "Frozen" for always casting recommendation votes. "Autumn Wind Dances at World's End," are you a little lady? Shamelessly speaking: I like it. Wait for me to return!)