Drunken Enchantment

Lu Feng instinctively looked toward Jiang Ruoyun, only to find that her little face was already flushed red. Cradling the gourd, she drank while smiling foolishly, her face brimming with bliss.

"All right, the fruit brew may be good, but you shouldn't drink too much of it." Lu Feng stepped forward and took the gourd from Jiang Ruoyun's hands.

"Give it back. I don't need you to tell me what to do..."

Jiang Ruoyun was clearly overwhelmed by drunkenness. Her smile gradually turned from joy to sorrow as she snatched back the gourd Lu Feng had taken away, gulped down several more mouthfuls, and began murmuring sadly to herself.

"Since you abandoned me when I was little, then don't come back and try to control me. I don't need it either. I don't need it..."

Jiang Ruoyun's words were steeped in grief. She was clearly drunk beyond reason and had mistaken Lu Feng for someone else.

Lu Feng knew a little about Jiang Ruoyun's past as well. Her parents had left her behind at Jiang Manor when she was young, and Jiang Batian had practically raised her single-handedly. She had never known the affection of her parents. Though she appeared strong on the surface, she had a vulnerable and helpless side too.

Jiang Ruoyun's appearance at this moment made one unable to help but feel pity for her.

Seeing Jiang Ruoyun so sorrowful, Lu Feng could not help empathizing. He had only been thirty percent drunk, but as he recalled that he too had been abandoned, that drunkenness rose to seventy percent.

"We can't drink anymore," Lu Feng said weakly. He reached out and poured the fruit brew from Jiang Ruoyun's gourd into the pool.

Panicked, Jiang Ruoyun reached out to snatch it back. Yet in her daze, she stumbled and fell onto Lu Feng, and the two tumbled to the ground.

Jiang Ruoyun leaned against Lu Feng's chest, muttering words too unclear to hear. Her body grew heavier and heavier.

Looking down, Lu Feng discovered that the corners of Jiang Ruoyun's eyes were damp. Her eyes had already closed, and she let out extremely faint snores.

Lu Feng pursed his lips as he looked at Jiang Ruoyun sleeping peacefully. A trace of drunkenness lingered on her rosy cheeks, while the faint, almost imperceptible sorrow between her brows added a great deal of mystery and allure to her.

As he breathed in the delicate fragrance of clear lotus from so close before him, a wicked fire surged in Lu Feng's heart and distracting thoughts arose. He shook his head hard, took out the fruit brew, and gulped down several more mouthfuls, using the intoxication to force himself into sleep as well.

As the effects of the wine faded, Jiang Ruoyun slowly opened her eyes. In her hazy vision, the first thing she saw was Lu Feng's handsome, resolute face, and above it, his messy, tousled black hair.

Jiang Ruoyun suddenly realized that she was sprawled across Lu Feng's chest in an exceedingly improper posture, and shame immediately flooded her heart.

Glancing around, she saw that he had not awakened and secretly let out a breath of relief. Yet as she looked at him, she suddenly felt that Lu Feng seemed somewhat different from usual. On him, she saw a wildness and proud disdain she had never seen before, an air of looking down upon all beneath heaven.

This is the real you, isn't it?

Jiang Ruoyun silently murmured to herself, recalling Lu Feng's usual elegant and graceful bearing, his gentle refinement like polished jade.

Wild and proudly unrestrained, looking down upon all beneath heaven;

Gentle and elegant, cultured and refined;

How could one person give such vastly different impressions?

Jiang Ruoyun moved a little closer, studying Lu Feng curiously, as though she wanted to see through every secret hidden in his heart.

Suddenly, Lu Feng's sword-like brow twitched. Jiang Ruoyun shyly lowered her head and pretended to be asleep, a blush flashing across her face.

After a long while, seeing that Lu Feng had not awakened, Jiang Ruoyun let out a breath of relief and actually fell asleep again on his chest.

Feeling the warmth coming from Lu Feng's chest, Jiang Ruoyun felt peaceful and comfortable. For a moment, she grew reluctant to leave and secretly consoled herself, Just this once. I won't do this again in the future.

A fleeting smile appeared on Lu Feng's face. How could he have truly fallen asleep in such an unfamiliar and dangerous environment? He had seen every one of Jiang Ruoyun's movements, and he could not help developing a few unusual feelings toward this innocent and pure woman.

Lu Feng unconsciously reached out and could not resist stroking Jiang Ruoyun's head. A trace of gentleness showed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and softly woke her.

"Mmm..." Jiang Ruoyun gave a soft hum, her eyes still hazy with sleep. She raised her head to look at Lu Feng, and the instant their eyes met, she sprang up like a startled rabbit. Though the drunkenness had already faded, her cheeks reddened even further as she darted away to one side.

Lu Feng also fetched some water from the spiritual pool to wash up. Then he picked several plump fruits rich in spiritual energy. After washing them clean, the two began eating.

Lu Feng did not know whether it was merely his imagination, but he felt that Jiang Ruoyun had become somewhat different. She seemed to possess a bashfulness she had never shown before and deliberately or inadvertently avoided his gaze.

"These fruits and the fruit brew don't seem as effective as before," Jiang Ruoyun said after eating, still wanting more.

Lu Feng smiled. "Repeatedly consuming anything will build up some resistance. Though the fruit brew is good, it can only benefit you once or twice. Drinking it again will do little more than nourish your spiritual energy."

"Let's pack some up and bring it back for Sister Qiao to drink." Jiang Ruoyun walked toward the pool and filled gourd after gourd. She used everything in her Storage Ring that could hold liquid, as if she wished she could carry away the entire pool.

Just as Jiang Ruoyun finished collecting the fruit brew and stood up, a clear and familiar eagle cry suddenly rang out from outside. Though they were within a cave inside a cave, it still did not escape Lu Feng and Jiang Ruoyun's ears.

"It's Brother Tang Yuan!" Jiang Ruoyun cried excitedly and hurried toward the source of the sound.

On a small earthen slope not far from the bear cave, Tang Yuan was fighting a strange creature that resembled an ape. Man and beast were evenly matched, neither able to do anything to the other, and the battle had remained deadlocked for a long time.

Tang Yuan's clothes had already burst apart, revealing his extremely muscular physique. Muscles bulged all over his body, but the most eye-catching feature was his right arm, which was covered in thick mane-like fur and looked like the limb of a beast.

Tang Yuan charged at the strange creature covered in red-and-white fur and threw a punch. It collided viciously with the creature's beastly paw, blasting out a wave of air. Both sides retreated several feet and glared at each other with hostility.

Compared to that white-furred beast, what astonished Lu Feng more was the aura Tang Yuan radiated. It was practically identical to that of a wild beast—violent and ferocious. Every strike was direct and without the slightest hesitation, each fist and palm aimed straight for the opponent's vital points.

"Brother Tang Yuan," Jiang Ruoyun called softly, but she did not immediately go to meet him. Tang Yuan was fighting with all his strength, and what truly surprised her was the beast-like transformation on his body. What had happened to turn him into this?

"What rank is that giant ape spiritual beast?" Jiang Ruoyun asked. Any spiritual beast capable of fighting Tang Yuan to such a standstill could not be an ordinary first- or second-rank beast.

"An Azure-Faced Ape Lion. A fourth-rank spiritual beast, comparable to a soulmaster at the Spirit Gathering Realm, Two Soul Realm," Lu Feng explained. Given his knowledge and experience, he naturally recognized this spiritual beast. Yet in the past, it had been far too weak to merit his attention, so he had never studied its weaknesses in depth.

"Azure-faced? But its face is obviously red, like a monkey's backside," Jiang Ruoyun said in confusion.

Indeed, the Azure-Faced Ape Lion was covered in dark whitish mane. It had a crimson monkey-like face entirely free of fur, smooth and bare. Its grizzled mane hung from its chin like a beard, while the scarlet muscles across its body bulged prominently. Its limbs were powerful and sturdy; though it had the appearance of an ape, it possessed the build of a mighty lion.

"Watch carefully. Its face will turn blue soon enough," Lu Feng replied, then continued watching Tang Yuan.

After being driven back by Tang Yuan, the Azure-Faced Ape Lion immediately steadied itself and pounced at him again. Its speed was extreme, and its strength was immense.

Though the Azure-Faced Ape Lion was fast, Lu Feng believed that Tang Yuan, who had at least reached the Spirit Gathering Realm, would surely be able to evade the strike. Yet Tang Yuan did not retreat. Instead, he advanced and chose to meet it head-on, wholly unafraid of the ape lion's ferocity. As for combat technique, this was quite crude.

Tang Yuan's beast-like right hand met the ape lion's paw once again, and he actually forced the ape lion back with raw strength.

"What terrifying power!"

Lu Feng could not help being shocked. The Azure-Faced Ape Lion was famed for its strength, known for possessing immense, inexhaustible power. Its claws could shatter mountain rocks and exert the force of a thousand catties, yet Tang Yuan had faintly gained the upper hand in a direct clash.

Having been defeated by a weak human in the very strength it excelled in most, the Azure-Faced Ape Lion was thoroughly enraged. Its front claws furiously scraped the ground as it roared again and again, and the bloody red sheen on its face gradually faded.

"Look, the Azure-Faced Ape Lion is starting to change its face," Lu Feng quietly reminded her.

"What will happen after it turns blue?" Jiang Ruoyun asked anxiously, but before Lu Feng could answer, the Azure-Faced Ape Lion explained through action.

Its face having turned iron-blue, the ape lion lunged fiercely and circled behind Tang Yuan. It was far faster than before, and its ape-like paw slammed toward Tang Yuan's back.

The ape lion's sudden increase in speed caught Tang Yuan somewhat by surprise. He swiftly turned to face it, raising his hand to meet the attack again.

After turning azure-faced, the ape lion's strength increased severalfold. Though Tang Yuan had been on guard, he still suffered under the opponent's sudden surge of power.

The instant their palms connected, Tang Yuan realized something was wrong. This strike from the azure-faced ape lion was far more terrifying than any of its previous attacks.

Tang Yuan bent his right arm to disperse part of the force, then guided the ape lion's claw toward his own chest. While protecting his right arm from being broken, he used his chest to forcibly take the blow.

Seeing this, Lu Feng could not help admiring Tang Yuan's ability to respond. Though his fighting style was crude, like a battle between wild beasts, his combat experience was extremely rich.

The Azure-Faced Ape Lion's savage strength struck again, and Tang Yuan was sent flying uncontrollably, three shocking bloody gashes left across his chest.

"It looks like Brother Tang Yuan can't beat that ape lion!"

Jiang Ruoyun anxiously clutched the hem of Lu Feng's clothes.