With Gao Lian present, exiting was equally smooth. The two quickly passed through the Human Emperor’s Ancient Path and the front hall, leaving the secret realm behind.
“Let’s go, let’s go drinking!” As soon as the water light appeared around them, Meng Qi heard Gao Lian’s voice ring in his mind, and instantly everything spun, leaving him disoriented.
When he regained awareness of the outside world, he found himself in a dilapidated courtyard. The buildings, long neglected, had beams and pillars covered in spider webs. It being winter, there were no weeds in sight.
Since time had been spent within the Dragon Platform, it was already night outside.
“What is this place?” Meng Qi looked at Gao Lian beside him in confusion.
Gao Lian casually brushed off a few spider webs, walked up the steps, and sat cross-legged leaning against a pillar. Like a magician, he pulled out several jars of wine and beef: “I don’t know exactly where in Jiangdong this is, but it’s definitely far from the Dragon Platform! Your little wife probably spread the news, so that place is now under everyone’s scrutiny. We can’t drink there without worry!”
Little wife… Meng Qi’s eye twitched slightly. He sat down opposite Gao Lian, casually opened the seal on a jar, and smelled a rich aroma of wine.
The scent alone caused Meng Qi’s pores to open, making him feel both relaxed and tipsy.
He knew Gao Lian had taken the wine from an item like a Jiezi Ring, but he didn’t doubt his earlier claim of leaving in haste and not bringing anything valuable. Given Gao’s eccentric nature, it was entirely possible he would bring only food and wine, leaving behind treasures and secrets.
“The wine is called ‘Zuixian,’ and there aren’t many wines left that can make me feel drunk anymore,” Gao Lian said with the air of a lonely master.
Needless to say, for Meng Qi at his current level, even without relying on true qi to counteract the effects of alcohol, his powerful physique alone made it hard for him to get drunk. He laughed and said, “Haha, it’s not the wine that intoxicates people, but people themselves!”
“Excellent saying! The wine doesn’t make people drunk, people make themselves drunk! Cheers!” Gao Lian raised the jar in front of him and gulped down a large mouthful.
Meng Qi followed suit. The wine was golden yellow, like amber. Even before entering his mouth, he could already feel its intoxicating effect.
A clear, sweet, and smooth line slid down his throat into his stomach, then felt like a volcanic eruption, spreading heat throughout Meng Qi’s body, burning away old bruises and hidden injuries, making him feel both fiery and exhilarating.
As the alcohol took hold, Meng Qi’s face quickly flushed red, and he was already somewhat tipsy: “What great wine!”
Gao Lian drank several mouthfuls in a row, chewing beef as he mumbled, “A few years back, I endured a lot of humiliation, and it was only by relying on ‘Zuixian’ that I managed to survive until ‘Tianming.'”
“Brother Gao, cheers! May you break free from the shallows and return to the vast ocean! In time to come, the world shall remember only Gao Lian and forget the title of Demon Cult Leader.”
Gao Lian laughed heartily, clearly pleased with Meng Qi’s blessing. He drank several more gulps, then smacked his lips and said, “If I had a choice, I’d rather Han Guang were fine. If someone must die, I’d prefer to fight him first and then die!”
“Little brother, tell me, isn’t it strange? I and Han Guang have been equally renowned for years, yet we’ve never actually fought!”
Meng Qi had always been interested in martial arts world anecdotes. Hearing this, he asked in surprise, “Brother Gao, you two have been equally famous for so long, yet you’ve never met face to face?”
If it were himself, with such a rival who could be called one of the peerless dual heroes of the age, no matter how many mountains and rivers separated them, he would still find a way to meet and test each other!
“I did go south several times looking for him, but he comes from one of the nine heretical sects, his movements are secretive and elusive, hiding his head and showing only his tail, so we never met. Later, later…” Gao Lian suddenly looked dazed.
He raised the jar and took a big gulp, then changed the subject: “Little brother, is that Luo Sect girl your little wife?”
“No, Brother Gao, you misunderstood…” Meng Qi was about to explain when Gao Lian shook his head and said, “The Luo Sect girl has a mind hard to fathom, she’s strange and changeable. She might be attractive, but if you marry her, I’m afraid you won’t be able to control her. Not suitable, not suitable. Do you have any other red beauties?”
“No, no.” Meng Qi hurriedly denied.
Gao Lian’s eyes widened: “You’re at least among the top ranks of the Human List, right? How can you not have a few red beauties?”
He had been imprisoned for many years and only recently secretly escaped. He knew nothing about the current Human List, but with his cultivation level, he could roughly judge Meng Qi’s strength just by looking at him, knowing that he could rank among the top of the Human List.
“Really none. I’ve always been upright, with the heart of a chivalrous man, warm-hearted and loyal…” The ‘Zuixian’ was indeed powerful, and Meng Qi was already somewhat drunk, “It’s just that among my sworn brothers and sisters, there happen to be two women.”
“That’s fine too, tell me about them.” Gao Lian mumbled.
“One is the legitimate daughter of a top aristocratic family, talented and beautiful. She seems aloof but is actually playful…” Meng Qi held the jar and babbled on.
Gao Lian clicked his tongue: “The top aristocratic families have the most rules. I know more than you. If you marry her, hehe, you’ll have a hard time. Not suitable, not suitable. What about the other one?”
“The other one is the direct disciple of a great martial arts sect, a genius with extraordinary talent, radiant, filled with sword intent, decisive in action, open and generous…” Meng Qi grabbed a piece of dried beef to eat.
Gao Lian had already finished a jar of wine: “Sounds like someone obsessed with martial arts, better as a cultivation partner than a lover. Not suitable, not suitable.”
After being told “not suitable” three times, Meng Qi couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed. My companions are not for you to casually comment on!
“Brother Gao, you keep saying ‘not suitable,’ so you must have your own ‘suitable’ standard in mind.” Meng Qi retorted.
“Of course!” Gao Lian patted the wine jar.
“Her beauty surpasses immortals, noble but not arrogant. She treats everyone equally regardless of their wealth or status, with a compassionate and merciful heart. She has her little whims, occasionally coquettish, often doing things that make people laugh and cry. She seems like a woman who can’t endure hardship, but through wind and rain, through suffering and trials, never once did she complain…”
“…It was I who ruined her…”
As he spoke, Gao Lian’s facial muscles twisted, his eyes reddened, as if he were about to cry.
Meng Qi wasn’t too drunk yet and was about to speak to comfort him when he saw Gao Lian take a big gulp of wine: “A real man sheds blood, not tears!”
He put down the jar and took a breath: “But he can sing wildly to cry out his grief!”
Pounding the ground, he sang in a rough voice:
“A hundred years of life, a dream butterfly, looking back, the past is lamentable.
Spring comes today, flowers wither tomorrow, quickly raise the cup before night falls and the lamps go out…”
“…How many short lives in a cup of wine, how many Double Ninth Festivals?”
He sang a piece called “Autumn Thoughts,” which Meng Qi had also heard in his previous life. It belonged to Yuan Dynasty opera. Although Gao Lian’s singing was not particularly good, it was sincere and emotional, his rough voice making the autumn wind seem even colder, the autumn sorrow even deeper. Those who listened couldn’t help but tap along, singing their inner sorrows, thinking of their hometowns or missing old friends.
In his previous life, he could never meet his loved ones again. In this life, his good friends were also separated by life and death. Meng Qi was infected by Gao Lian’s way of singing out his grief while drunk, and with the wine’s effects rising, he also tapped along, raised his wine jar, and sang along.
Gao Lian slowly stood up, holding the wine jar, staggering outward, pouring wine while pointing at the crescent moon and singing loudly:
“…Afraid of dusk, suddenly another dusk, without heartbreak, how could there be heartbreak again? New tears cover old tears, the heartbroken remembers the heartbroken…”
The originally sorrowful tune, sung by him, sounded like a wolf howl, adding even more to the bleakness.
Meng Qi, deeply drunk, had his sorrows stirred up again. He stood up following unsteadily, opening his throat to sing: “…Afraid of dusk, suddenly another dusk… the heartbroken remembers the heartbroken!”
They drank and sang, sang and drank, leaving the courtyard and finally collapsing beside a wall at the alley’s mouth.
Nearby was an inn, with the second and third floors rented out. In one of the rooms, a girl with a fair complexion and dignified appearance was watching her father in distress. The maid beside her was trembling with fear, afraid to make any noise.
“…Afraid of dusk, suddenly another dusk… the heartbroken remembers the heartbroken…” The rough, blurred singing came through, making the middle-aged man pacing with his hands behind his back slightly furrow his brow.
The girl signaled the maid to look out the window and see what was happening below.
The maid went to the window, peeked out, and followed the sound: “Miss, it’s just two drunkards howling.”
“Two drunkards?” The girl, puzzled, came over and looked closely. She saw two people half-lying, half-sitting at the mouth of the left alley—one with a full beard, his age indistinguishable; the other seemingly a young man. Before them were several jars of wine, and they occasionally burst into loud singing.
“Miss, shall I go down and remind them a bit? It’s late and quiet, disturbing people’s peaceful dreams?” The maid asked cautiously.
“No need.” The middle-aged man spoke, “Soon I will face death; why bother with such matters?”
“Dad…” The girl’s voice was filled with tears.
The middle-aged man sighed: “It’s because I made a grave mistake and incurred a powerful enemy. I must give my life to spare you and your mother from being implicated. After tonight, you and your mother should go to the capital and seek refuge with your aunt; she still has some influence…”
“How strong are they? Can they compare to the Six Gates?” The girl twisted her hands together anxiously.
The middle-aged man smiled bitterly: “It’s because of my grave mistake that this matter has reached the Six Gates. I cannot escape death, and worse, it will bring retaliation upon you and your mother. It’s better to sacrifice my life for your peace.”
Before the girl could speak, the maid trembled and said: “They’re coming.”
She turned and saw a group coming from another street, all dressed in black robes, looking fierce. The leader exuded a terrifying aura, clearly a powerful cultivator.
“Hehe, among them at least three can easily kill me…” The middle-aged man seemed to have lost all strength, supported only by sheer willpower.
Tears streamed down the girl’s face, not knowing what to do.
“…Afraid of dusk, suddenly another dusk… the heartbroken remembers the heartbroken…” As the group of black-cloaked figures passed the alley, they suddenly heard the drunken singing.
The leader frowned: “Two drunkards, what bad luck. Beat them up and throw them far away. Don’t let them see us in action. If they resist…”
He made a gesture indicating they should be killed without mercy.
Immediately, several subordinates rushed over, drawing their swords and knives to teach Meng Qi and Gao Lian a lesson.
Meng Qi, drunk and dazed, looked at them: “You, what, what are you doing here?”
“What are we doing? Hmph, making sure you’ll never get drunk again,” one of the subordinates sneered.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man didn’t know whether to cry or laugh: “These two drunkards really brought it upon themselves…”
The girl, tearful, looked over and suddenly saw a flash of blade light, silver and dazzling, spreading like a dragon.
When the light faded, including the leader several meters away, there was a pile of corpses on the ground, only the drunken sword wielder staggering backward.
“Gao, Gao Brother, how come they suddenly lost their qi?” This was the most exhilarating kill Meng Qi had ever made, one move, and the enemy was completely wiped out.
Gao Lian laughed heartily: “Divine Fist of Heaven’s Representative… if I say they have no qi, they dare not have any!”
“Great, great martial art…” A surge of heroism rose in Meng Qi, and he took another swig of wine, “Change the song, change the song. Always being sad is no fun. We martial artists should have our own boldness!”
He struck the rhythm and sang: “A laugh across the ocean, tides rolling on both shores…”
Gao Lian listened for a while. Although he found the melody strange, he felt it was more interesting and joined in: “…Waves wash away the mortal world’s many beauties…”
“Laughter with the breeze…” The song drifted into the ears of the middle-aged man and the girl, awakening their stunned minds.
“Dad, should we go and thank them?” The girl asked dazedly.
The middle-aged man exhaled: “No need. These are worldly sages, playing in the mundane world. They hate being disturbed the most.”
“Laughter for all beings…” Meng Qi and Gao Lian sang together, feeling refreshed and joyful, exchanging smiles.
Gao Lian patted his thigh: “Little brother, I haven’t met such a compatible friend for a long time. Let’s swear brotherhood! Come, let’s swear brotherhood!”
“Good, good!” Meng Qi struggled to keep his eyes open, already unaware of what he was doing.
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