Pounding Xue Qinghe's Chest—We're Bros, Why Say That?

Looking at the three-inch Glazed Glass Bottle that seemed to hold a river of stars.

Li Zhexian's gaze froze, and he hurried over in three quick strides.

"This..."

Xue Qinghe elegantly spat out a fish bone without even looking up. "The Yaoguang Brew you wanted."

"Two meals of fish, and you still got the better deal."

"Mm, you'll have to treat me to another eight or ten meals at least."

Li Zhexian said with animated delight, "Forget eight or ten meals!"

"I'd treat you to a hundred!"

He snatched up the Glazed Glass Bottle and held it before his eyes to inspect it.

The liquor within sometimes gleamed with aurora-like shades of azure and blue, and sometimes bloomed with sunset-orange hues. It truly resembled starlight.

Seeing such miraculous wine.

Li Zhexian was so delighted that he got carried away.

He clenched his fist and punched Xue Qinghe in the chest.

"You're a real one!"

Xue Qinghe froze mid-bite.

He stiffly raised his eyes, slowly turning them toward the White-robed Youth who seemed to have no sense of boundaries.

Actually.

The instant Li Zhexian's fist landed on Xue Qinghe's chest, he knew he had gotten too carried away.

He appeared to still be staring at the Yaoguang Brew, but inwardly, he had already begun to panic.

He could sense the increasingly dangerous look in Xue Qinghe's eyes across from him.

What now?

In a single second!

Li Zhexian reacted faster than he drew his sword!

Just pretend nothing happened!

You're Crown Prince Xue Qinghe!

Not Saintess Qian Renxue!

We're bros—what's wrong with punching each other in the chest!

Li Zhexian raised his hand again as if he wanted to punch him once more.

"Just looking at it, I can tell it's good wine!"

"Good brother, you're a real one!"

Xue Qinghe stared at Li Zhexian's expression.

Without showing any reaction, he avoided Li Zhexian's fist. "At your age, you never let go of wine. Do you even understand it?"

"Do I understand it..."

Li Zhexian smiled.

Saying he did not understand wine was like saying he did not know how to use a sword.

At once.

Li Zhexian pulled out the stopper and eagerly took a sip of the Yaoguang Brew.

It was like a wisp of starlight slipping down his throat.

An expression of enjoyment immediately appeared on his handsome face.

"Good, good, good!"

"The Yaoguang Brew truly deserves to be called a fine wine even the royal family treasures!"

After crying out "good" three times.

Li Zhexian closed his eyes and savored it carefully.

"The opening is clear as an Ice Spring, the middle carries a dense coolness, and the finish lingers with a trace of mysterious chill."

When he opened his eyes.

Everything before him seemed as hazy as night.

A streak of brilliant starlight flashed past.

Feeling the tremor of the Azure Lotus Sword, Li Zhexian sighed. "Yaoguang Brew—a wine that possesses both dreamlike beauty and poetry."

Xue Qinghe looked in astonishment at the White-robed Youth, who was swaying his head as he spoke.

The youth had fair skin, and a stray lock of hair fell over his forehead, accentuating his handsome, carefree air.

He clearly looked no older than twelve or thirteen.

Yet as he savored wine, his confidence and flamboyance made him seem like a Wine Enthusiast with decades of drinking experience.

He's an interesting person...

Xue Qinghe assessed him so in his heart.

"I still don't know your name."

"Li Zhexian."

Li Zhexian symbolically asked in return, "And you?"

Xue Qinghe looked at Li Zhexian and said faintly, "You didn't know who I was yesterday. Do you still not know now?"

Li Zhexian was not embarrassed in the slightest. He picked up a freshly cooked fish and placed it in Xue Qinghe's bowl, laughing heartily. "Since you're the Crown Prince, you get the most tender fish!"

Xue Qinghe was stunned.

He had originally thought that once Li Zhexian learned his identity, he would at least become somewhat restrained.

"You're not eating it?"

Li Zhexian stood up, about to pick the fish back out.

"If you're not eating it, I will!"

Xue Qinghe panicked.

"Put down my fish!"

That night.

In the little courtyard.

Li Zhexian poured the remaining Yaoguang Brew into the Clear Spring Wine Gourd.

Suddenly, a wisp of starlight fell from the night sky, plunging straight into the Clear Spring Wine Gourd.

In an instant.

Multicolored mist rose from the mouth of the gourd.

The rich, mysterious fragrance of wine filled the entire courtyard.

And upon the gourd, which bore imprints of a spring and fruits, another patch of starlight appeared.

Li Zhexian tipped back his head and gulped down a mouthful.

Boom—!

His Adam's apple bobbed.

The strong liquor became a scorching stream.

Yet within his chest, it gave rise to a crisp coolness like melting rain and snow.

Li Zhexian's face immediately flushed red.

He let out a wine-soaked belch, and pale violet mist actually spilled from his mouth.

"Good wine, good wine!"

The mark of the Azure Lotus Sword emerged upon his forehead.

With a thought from Li Zhexian, the Three-foot-six Azure Blade appeared in his hand.

The scorching wine surged through his veins, while lotus flowers as dazzling as starlight condensed upon the sword's spine.

Li Zhexian leaped up sharply, and the flutter of his robes startled fireflies from the grass.

With a swing of his sword, every falling star suddenly stopped in midair.

This sword strike.

Was so magnificent that it was hard to believe.

Never had there been such a beautiful sword move, as though it had stolen a wisp of starlight from the night sky.

When Li Zhexian delivered his final stroke.

What his sword tip lifted was no longer chill, but a solidified wisp of star radiance.

Centered on him.

Everything within ten paces was shredded into fine fragments.

The wind scattered them away.

"First form of the Azure Lotus Sword Song—Yaoguang Sword, mastered."

For the next period of time.

Li Zhexian's life was basically a straight line between three places.

Fishing at Lotus Lake, eating fish with Xue Qinghe, and practicing swordsmanship at home at night.

Of course.

No matter how delicious fish was, one would eventually grow tired of it.

So every few days, Xue Qinghe would bring some delicacies out from the Imperial Palace.

That day.

Li Zhexian was digging into a plate of Three Immortals Chicken.

Xue Qinghe sat across from him, pursed his lips, and said, "Not only have you not paid back the fish you owe me."

"I've also spent two chickens, four ducks, and all kinds of meat, fresh fruits, and other food on you."

Li Zhexian laughed openly. "We're bros, why say that?"

"If you ever need something, just tell your brother."

Hm?

It seemed he had said that to Zhu Zhuqing before?

Li Zhexian shook his head and tossed the thought aside.

No big deal.

The more debts you had, the less they weighed on you.

Xue Qinghe unfolded his Folding Fan and shook his head helplessly.

To be honest, he had never expected Li Zhexian to repay him.

In his view, whether as the Heaven Dou Crown Prince or the Spirit Hall Saintess, there were things neither identity could accomplish. Li Zhexian could not accomplish them either.

The reason he treated Li Zhexian as a brother.

Was simply because it made him feel at ease.

This White-robed Youth was free-spirited and unrestrained. It seemed that aside from Xiaoyao, his heart held none of life's other troubles.

Xue Qinghe envied such a person from the bottom of his heart.

"Li Zhexian, are you truly not considering attending Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

"At your age, this is the best time to cultivate."

"If you want to go, I can help you."

Xue Qinghe did not know how Li Zhexian's Martial Soul or Soul Power was.

But a Drunkard probably would not be too impressive.

"Not going."

Li Zhexian answered without hesitation.

He truly did not understand it.

Why did both Zhu Zhuqing and Xue Qinghe want him to go to school?

Xue Qinghe was about to continue.

Just then.

Pufferfish and Snake Lance approached from afar.

Xue Qinghe's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. "I have something to do. I'll leave first."

Li Zhexian was busy gnawing on chicken and merely waved without raising his head.

Seeing how casually this country youth treated their Young Master.

A trace of anger rose on Porcupinefish Douluo's face.

Snake Lance Douluo sighed. "Forget it. Since the Young Master started coming to Lotus Lake every day, his personality has become much brighter."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with the plan, let him be."