A Small Gathering 2

While Feng Wuhen rested off his drunkenness, Shen Ziheng continued the gathering, only lowering both his voice and his movements.

Xiao Yu'er and Bing Ling competed with the others in drinking, and she gradually got tipsy too. But unlike Feng Wuhen, she was anything but well-behaved when drunk.

She stood atop her stool, her drunken eyes hazy as she looked down at Shen Ziheng and the others. Waving her sleeve, she said with great bravado, "How boring is it to just drink and eat? I'll sing you a song!"

With that, she cleared her throat and prepared to sing. Afraid she would wake Feng Wuhen, Shen Ziheng asked Qin Xiaoran to set up a soundproof barrier around him.

After Qin Xiaoran finished setting up the barrier, he asked over Xiao Yu'er's voice—which sounded as if it could kill people—"Junior Brother Shen, have you known Junior Brother Feng for a long time? I feel that you treat him very differently. It doesn't seem like he's merely an ordinary junior brother. It's more like he's your blood brother... or like you like him."

Hearing him suspect that he liked Feng Wuhen, Shen Ziheng could not help laughing. "Senior Brother, I absolutely have no improper thoughts toward Junior Brother Feng. I simply dote on him as though he were my own younger brother.

"The first time I saw him, I felt that he suited my eye remarkably well. There was also an incredibly mysterious feeling in my heart that made me unable to stop myself from wanting to treat him well.

"When I was little, I dearly wanted a younger brother, but my parents were never able to give me one.

"I was quite regretful about that. This time, when I encountered Feng Wuhen, I felt at first sight that he was meant to be my younger brother!"

Qin Xiaoran felt that there ought to be some sort of connection between the two of them. As cultivators, they would sometimes experience feelings too mysterious to put into words.

Some people avoided life-and-death crises because of such mysterious feelings, while others obtained great fortuitous opportunities through them. Yet no one knew when such feelings would arise; it all depended on fate.

"Going by what you've said, perhaps the two of you were brothers in your past lives!"

Shen Ziheng found that rather interesting. "Maybe Wuhen and I really were brothers in a past life!"

The two drank for a while longer. After settling the three drunkards, Feng Wuhen sobered up.

Feng Wuhen felt that he had slept deeply during that brief time. When he woke, a warm blanket covered him, and several begonia petals clung to his hair and neck.

After brushing the petals off himself, he rose from the recliner, folded the blanket in his hands, and placed it on the chair.

He then wanted to find the others. Before he could locate Shen Ziheng and the rest, however, he encountered someone he had never seen before.

Zheng Zefang had come to administer acupuncture to Qin Leyan. He had not expected to run into a disciple he had never seen before on Qin Xiaoran's mountain. Before he could ask who Feng Wuhen was—

Feng Wuhen's inner voice had already answered his question for him. [So it's Peak Master Zheng Zefang. I remember that he is Master's junior brother, so I should call him Martial Uncle.]

Zheng Zefang had not attended the disciple-acceptance ceremony. At the time, he had been studying a prescription and could not get away. Besides, he had no intention of taking on disciples, so he had not gone.

However, Chen Tianze had told him about everything that happened that day, and he had a favorable impression of Feng Wuhen as well.

So he took the initiative to greet him. "Hello, little martial nephew. You must be the disciple Senior Brother Chu took in, right?

"I had something to do on the day of the disciple-acceptance ceremony and didn't attend. Later, I heard from Senior Brother Chen that Senior Brother Chu had taken in a disciple with exceptional talent and exceptional looks. Now that I see you today, it truly is so."

Seeing that he had revealed his identity, Feng Wuhen clasped his hands and bowed. "Feng Wuhen of Nine Heavens Peak greets Martial Uncle!"

When Zheng Zefang saw him bowing, he used spiritual energy to support him upright. "No need to be so polite. I'm your martial uncle, and since this is our first meeting, I should give you a meeting gift. Wait a moment while I look for something."

Zheng Zefang was a little obsessed with appearances. The moment he saw Feng Wuhen, he liked him, so he generously wanted to give him a meeting gift.

He would never have been so generous with any other martial nephew—unless they were good-looking enough for him to be willing to give them something.

Even then, it would not compare to what he was giving Feng Wuhen now.

"Mm, after giving it some thought, I still think this suits you better."

A ball of azure flame emerged from Zheng Zefang's right palm. He had Feng Wuhen hold out his hand, then transferred the flame onto it.

"This is an Exotic Flame I found while traveling years ago, called Azure Flame. Its rank isn't particularly high.

"It can't compare with those Exotic Flames at the top of the rankings, but it is more than sufficient. You can use it for roasting food or starting a campfire. A fire lit by it can ward off snakes, insects, rats, ants, ordinary wild beasts, and some lower-ranked demonic beasts.

"If you stay overnight in the wilderness while traveling for experience in the future, having it will save you quite a bit of trouble."

Feng Wuhen felt that the gift was too valuable. Not wanting to accept it, he tried to return the flame in his hand. "Martial Uncle, I can't accept something this precious!"

Zheng Zefang looked gentle on the outside, but he was actually someone whose word was law. Since he had decided to give the flame to Feng Wuhen, he naturally would not take it back. Thus, he pricked Feng Wuhen's finger with a silver needle and directly bound him to Azure Flame.

"If I give it to you, take it. This Exotic Flame is of no great use to me. Rather than letting it gather dust with me, I might as well give it to you.

"Alright, I still need to administer acupuncture to Leyan. Hurry and go have fun with Xiaoran and the others. I see they've been waiting for you over there."

Feng Wuhen turned his head and looked over. Qin Xiaoran and Shen Ziheng stood together, watching him and Zheng Zefang curiously.

"Thank you for the gift, Martial Uncle. I'll take my leave first."

Watching him hurry toward Shen Ziheng and Qin Xiaoran, Zheng Zefang could not help recalling what he himself had looked like just after becoming a disciple. Now he was already at the age to take in disciples himself. Time truly spared no one!

After sighing over it, Zheng Zefang went inside to administer acupuncture to Qin Leyan. By his estimate, after a few more days of treatment, Qin Leyan would be able to wake up.

Feng Wuhen returned to the stone table and sat down. Aside from a teapot and several cups, everything else had already been cleared away by Qin Xiaoran.

Feng Wuhen picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea. Qin Xiaoran was rather curious about what Zheng Zefang had said to him. Earlier, Feng Wuhen had looked thoroughly startled.

"Junior Brother Feng, what did Martial Uncle Zheng say to you? I saw from afar that you looked utterly terrified just now. That shouldn't be the case. Martial Uncle Zheng has a very good temper; he wouldn't bully you."

Feng Wuhen held out his right hand and, following the guidance of the contract, summoned the flame. "Martial Uncle Zheng didn't bully me. On the contrary, he gave me a treasure. Look."

Qin Xiaoran recognized the flame. As a medical cultivator, Zheng Zefang needed some means of preserving his own life.

There was no better way than contracting a Spirit Beast, spiritual plant, or Exotic Flame. Azure Flame had originally been the Exotic Flame Zheng Zefang wanted to contract, but he later encountered a spiritual plant more suited to him, so he put this Exotic Flame away. Qin Xiaoran had not expected him to give it to Feng Wuhen today. It seemed that he truly liked Feng Wuhen.

"Martial Uncle Zheng likes you very much. Medical cultivators, alchemy cultivators, and medicine cultivators in the Cultivation World do not possess particularly high offensive power, so they find ways to strengthen their ability to protect themselves.

"They generally choose Spirit Beasts, spiritual plants, or Exotic Flames suited to them and form contracts with them. This Azure Flame was one Martial Uncle Zheng previously wanted to contract. Later, he encountered a spiritual plant that suited him better, so it was left aside. I never expected him to take it out and give it to you today."

Feng Wuhen had been so astonished earlier that he had not examined it closely. Only after hearing Qin Xiaoran's explanation did he learn that this Exotic Flame had such a story behind it.

[Martial Uncle Zheng is so good to me. I must repay him properly in the future.]

That was what Feng Wuhen thought, but he did not expect that his opportunity to repay Zheng Zefang would arrive so soon.