He Was No Longer Alone

The night was deep, and the whole world was shrouded in darkness. There were no stars or moon in the sky.

But in the Small Mountain Village, the campfire remained lit.

Everyone was still gathered around the campfire, occasionally bursting into cheerful laughter.

Life in the village is monotonous and dull, so these gatherings and banquets are a rare source of joy for the villagers.

The wheat at this house is growing well, the chickens at that house are laying eggs very frequently, Erzhuang and Cuihua from the village are getting engaged... Every little thing, big or small, can be discussed very happily.

There's plenty of meat roasting over the campfire, ready to be eaten at any time.

Li Fan also felt slightly full; he had eaten far too much meat today. He said:

"Yuqing, go and fetch some wine. This time, I need plum wine that your master is brewing."

Plum wine is excellent for cutting through greasiness and also aids digestion.

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yuqing and Wu Dade immediately got up to fetch the wine.

Before long, the plum wine was brought over.

The aroma of the wine fills the air as it is poured out!

The delicate fragrance of green plums blends with the wine, creating a delightful and refreshing aroma.

"It smells wonderful! It's just as good as the peach wine from last time!"

Nan Feng was overjoyed, and moreover, just by taking a sniff, she clearly felt a sense of clarity in her mind!

The stimulating taste of the green plum seemed to unlock some kind of shackles for her!

She picked up the glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

Immediately, she closed her eyes.

At that moment, she felt as if her soul had floated out and was looking inward at her body!

She clearly discovered that there were many flaws in her cultivation.

In particular, this battle propelled him directly from a Saint to a Great Saint.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as progressing by leaps and bounds.

They even crossed the insurmountable barrier!

This is certainly the result of their accumulated experience and hard work. Any explosion that happens too quickly and violently has many shortcomings.

At this moment, inspired by this bowl of plum wine, she saw everything clearly.

Immediately, she began to refine the alcohol's power to repair the defects caused by this upgrade!

The same applies to the other disciples.

"My swordsmanship is flawed; allow me to mend it!"

Dugu Yuqing drank a bowl of wine in one gulp, then closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

Qing Chen seemed to be in deep meditation, his body radiating light like that of Arhat.

Ziling, Jiang Li, Lin Jiuzheng, Long Zixuan, and others also entered the same state.

Their cultivation levels soared, but more or less, they all encountered some problems.

Right now, we're making amends!

Li Fan took a sip and thought, "Hmm, the wine is fermented quite well."

As usual, he dipped his finger in the wine and let Little White suck on it, while looking at Yunxi and smiling:

"Try it, how does it taste?"

Yunxi picked up the plum wine and took a deep sniff.

What an intoxicating flavor!

Even in the Yang Realm, I have never tasted such a unique and exquisite wine!

She took a sip.

"It tastes so good!"

She drank heartily, and in no time, she had finished a bowl of wine. Her beautiful face turned rosy, but she still craved it and said:

"I want more! I want more!"

Li Fan smiled, "Don't overindulge in alcohol."

As he spoke, he still poured her a bowl.

As the alcohol wore off, they all unknowingly became drunk!

"The music is harmonious and balanced, combining strength and gentleness..."

A gentle Nan Feng blows, and I fall asleep embracing my zither.

Her cultivation level is now perfectly complete, without any flaws.

At this moment, she... could already be called...

Quasi-Emperor!

"I... I have so many flaws, I need to be worked on!"

Wu Dade, slightly drunk, looked at the big black dog beside him, his eyes gleaming, and reached out his hand, saying:

"Bite, bite harder, bite harder!"

The big black dog was licking the wine in the bowl when it suddenly became enraged and bit down!

Ah... that feels so good!

Wu Dade is ecstatic!

His physical body has already entered the Quasi-Emperor realm of this path!

"The day the Dragon Blood boils will be the day I ascend to the throne..."

Long Zixuan was also drunk; his voice, faintly discernible, resembled a dragon's roar!

Quasi-Emperor!

"You, you're not green enough..."

Lu Rang was quite drunk, pouring wine into his grass, which then grew even more lush and vibrant green!

Grass Dao Quasi-Emperor.

"To understand, one must first know the whole picture... to know the drizzling rain of Qingming Festival... only then will one truly understand the Clear Rain Scattered..."

At this moment, Dugu Yuqing's understanding of the poems taught by Li Fan became increasingly thorough.

His swordsmanship is perfectly integrated!

Just waiting for that final leap!

Kendo Quasi-Emperor!

"Master, what is true compassion?"

Qing Chen looked at Li Fan, a hint of confusion on her face.

"Mercy?"

Li Fan pondered for a moment. He knew absolutely nothing about Buddhism, so he could only explain it using the few books he had read in his spare time, saying:

"Compassion is the beginning of benevolence. Benevolence is compassion, and compassion is compassion."

Upon hearing this, Qing Chen, who was already intoxicated, seemed to sense something.

"Compassion... Where is my compassion?"

He pondered deeply.

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something.

"Compassion is formless and indeterminate; it is all living beings, it is form, it is emptiness!"

He fell asleep with a smile!

Quasi-Emperor!

"To see truly remarkable figures, look to the present... But how can one acquire such spirit..."

Xin Ning murmured to herself, and only after the wine entered her stomach did she realize that her understanding of this poem was far too superficial.

"Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were somewhat lacking in literary talent; Emperor Taizong of Tang and Emperor Taizu of Song were slightly inferior in poetic flair; the proudest of their heavenly talent only knew how to bend the bow and shoot eagles. Therefore, to see who the truly remarkable figures are, we must look to the present."

Li Fan smiled slightly.

Upon hearing this, Xin Ning's eyes lit up.

"Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song—though I've never heard of them, I imagine they must have been invincible powerhouses in the long river of time... What my Big Brother means is that only by not fearing the ancients can one find one's own path in the flow of time..."

She seemed lost in thought, murmuring:

"The path of demons is also a path, the path of immortals is also a path, the path of saints is also a path... I must walk my own path!"

She has reached the Quasi-Emperor realm!

"The Way of Painting is endless; everything is just the beginning..."

Slurping drunk, Ziling walked up to Li Fan, grinned foolishly, and said, "Master, you look like a painting!"

As she spoke, she swayed and was about to fall to the ground when Li Fan reached out and caught her.

He smiled helplessly. These disciples always get drunk!

He had no choice but to pick up Ziling and take her back to the Small Courtyard, where he placed Ziling on the bed.

Then, he carried Nan Feng, Xin Ning, Su Baiqian, Gongya, and others back one by one.

Only then did they painstakingly begin to drag Wu Dade and the others away.

Yunxi was also somewhat drunk, but her cultivation was deeper, so she wasn't as powerful. She stood up unsteadily and said:

"Great Devil King... I'm here to help you!"

Together with Li Fan, she dragged Jiang Li and the others into the Small Courtyard.

Before long, all the disciples had been made arranging things.

"You're almost drunk, have a cup of tea to sober up."

Li Fan poured her tea.

"I don't want tea, I want alcohol... I can still drink..."

However, Yunxi tilted her head and leaned on Li Fan's shoulder.

Her breathing was even and deep.

She's asleep.

Li Fan smiled wryly, then picked her up and placed her on his bed, carefully covering her with a blanket.

"Great Devil King... I don't want to get married... I absolutely don't want to get married... I don't want to go home..."

She was still muttering in her sleep.

Li Fan smiled, turned around, and left through the door.

He sat alone in the Small Courtyard, a cool breeze blowing, the village utterly silent.

The night was so quiet.

He drank a cup, stood up, and didn't linger.

He went straight to the study to sleep.

The Small Courtyard fell silent.

There were no stars or moon in the sky.

There was no light whatsoever in the complete darkness.

"Yunxi... could it be her?"

The Old Mother Hen suddenly spoke, her words seemingly tinged with sadness.

"Have no idea."

The peach tree slowly said:

"The cause and effect of this matter are something neither you nor I can truly understand."

When Yunxi first entered the Small Courtyard... koi fish, hens, peach trees, and other creatures explored her, and spiders even lined up to walk past her feet.

They scared Yunxi to tears.

Yunxi was unaware that the peach trees and other things were merely part of a reconnaissance mission at the time.

The Old Mother Hen remained silent for a long time before saying:

"I hope it's not her. After all, she was stunningly beautiful throughout history, and once stood shoulder to shoulder with my master... If even she..."

The peach tree branches drooped gently as it said:

"No one can rival them."

The Old Mother Hen remained silent for a long time before saying:

"... Master is entangled in too many causes and effects in this mortal world; I fear the future will be... even more bitter."

The peach tree replied:

"The master's life was filled with sorrow..."

"But at least now, he is no longer alone."

P. S.: The author is trying to shake off the ominous and eerie atmosphere, and is currently covered in black hair... The author's cultivation level is unstable, and updates may vary, so it's best to read during the day rather than staying up late.