The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 2207 Before and After Drinking

That night, everyone drank heartily, and the atmosphere was lively.

Zeng Yong was undoubtedly the one who enjoyed himself the most.

His greatest inner conflict in life was resolved; the greatest obstacle in his meridians was completely overcome. From then on, there were no longer any insurmountable peaks in his martial arts journey. Though there would be many setbacks, with perseverance and willpower, they would not be difficult to conquer; it would simply take some time. How far he could go depended on how long fate allowed him to live. As the saying goes, "Life is finite, but learning is infinite."

Zeng Yong raised his wine bowl and toasted everyone in turn, downing each drink in one gulp!
The moment the spicy liquor entered my throat, it felt like a flowing fire sliding down my throat and through my esophagus, finally entering my stomach. Wherever it went, it burned intensely. Soon, my blood began to flow faster, and I felt hot all over. Every pore seemed to open up, and I was plunged into an unprecedented state of excitement!
Seeing Zeng Yong's face growing redder and his demeanor becoming increasingly frantic, Erni couldn't help but worry. However, seeing Yuan Zishan and Chang Zijin also readily accepting the drinks and downing their bowls, she could only swallow her words. Saying anything inappropriate at this moment would not only isolate her from the group but also put Zeng Yong in a disadvantageous position.

She could only sigh inwardly, hoping the banquet would end soon. She vented her frustration on Losang! Such a large house, yet there weren't even any small wine glasses; they used large brass bowls to serve the wine! Was it to show off their wealth?
Big Wolf and Pang Shiwu went on a drinking spree, carrying enormous copper bowls to toast everyone – Feng Jiuxiao, Yuan Zishan, Chili, and even Wang Sheng, Duanmu Yan, and Xiong Mengyan. This thrilled Xiong Mengyan! Although Chili still didn't give her a warm welcome, the fact that Pang Shiwu, Feng Jiuxiao's childhood friend, was toasting her meant he wasn't particularly hostile towards her! This was an excellent start! She drank heartily, and soon her cheeks were flushed, making her look stunning and captivating! Wang Sheng and Duanmu Yan had several urges to embrace Xiong Mengyan! If Feng Jiuxiao and the others hadn't been there, they would have found it hard to resist the urge to kiss her!

This wine has a really strong aftereffect!

Losang also sipped his drink, but he kept a steady pace, remaining sober throughout. He dared not indulge himself, for fear of babbling incoherently while drunk! These Han people would be leaving tomorrow, while he would spend the rest of his life here; how could he dare to speak carelessly?

He knew the Chinese idiom "walls have ears," and although this was his territory, who could guarantee the loyalty of his servants? What if one of them was a spy from the Garan Temple? Given the consistent practices of the Mahayana Maitreya sect—better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free—they would most likely eliminate him if they heard him spouting nonsense. They wouldn't bother verifying the truth.

Erni gently tugged at Chang Zijing's sleeve and whispered, "Zijing, I've heard that people with deep internal strength don't get drunk when they drink alcohol. Is that true?"

Chang Zijing's face flushed, making her look even more radiant. Seeing Erni's suspicious expression, she smiled sweetly and asked, "Who said that?"

Erni said, "I've heard that some people can use their internal energy to force alcohol out of their bodies. Is that true?"

Chang Zijin smiled charmingly: "Of course it's true!"

Erni looked surprised: "Then why is Ah Yong getting more and more drunk?"

Chang Zijin chuckled and said, "Silly Erni, this wine isn't poison, why do you want to expel it? Erni, these are all your future husband's brothers, brothers as close as family. They're not scheming against each other, and they don't put up any defenses against each other. Why would you need to play tricks on each other while drinking?"

Erni was speechless.

Chang Zijing put her arm around Erni's thin shoulders, her eyes narrowing into crescents: "Why is your husband drinking so much today?"

Erni asked cautiously, "Because...because he's happy?"

Chang Zijing smiled and shook her head: "Of course he's happy, after all, he's broken through the bottleneck. But the reason he's drinking so hard tonight isn't just because he's happy, but because he's drowning his sorrows!"

Erni was even more puzzled, "What's troubling him?"

Chang Zijing smiled. "Perhaps you don't understand the feelings between men." The alcohol made her smile even more radiant, a misty haze in her eyes. "Loyalty, do you understand?"

Erni said, "Loyalty?" She sighed, "When it comes to loyalty, I can think of Guan Yu, who was so loyal and righteous that he escorted his sister-in-law a thousand miles away! I can also think of Yu Rang, who, to repay the kindness of Zhi Bo, attempted to assassinate Zhao Xiangzi twice but failed, and finally committed suicide by striking his clothes, leaving behind the famous line, 'A scholar will die for one who understands him!'"

Chang Zijin laughed and said, "I can think of Li Bai's 'Ode to the Knight-Errant': 'Three cups of wine and a promise is made, the Five Sacred Mountains are as light as a feather, Zhu Hai carried a forty-pound iron mace and killed Jin Bi... A promise between men is worth a thousand pieces of gold, it is really just about loyalty!'"

Erni asked, "What's the story behind this?"

Chang Zijin smiled and said, "During the Warring States period, there were four lords: Lord Mengchang, Lord Pingyuan, Lord Xinling, and Lord Chunshen. They were nobles of the four states of Qi, Zhao, Wei, and Chu during the Warring States period, and were famous for their respect for scholars. The 'three cups of wine and a promise made, five mountains and light as a feather' that I just mentioned is from Li Bai's 'Ballad of the Knight-Errant,' which tells the story of Lord Xinling stealing the tally to save Zhao!"

The story was long, and perhaps because he had been drinking, Chang Zijin told it with more patience than usual, recounting it in a captivating and engaging manner. He began by recounting the background events of the crisis in Handan and the Wei Kingdom's hesitation, then moved on to the twists and turns of Hou Ying's plan and Ru Ji's theft of the tally, and finally concluded with Zhu Hai killing Jin Bi to seize the army and rescue Zhao. The entire story was full of ups and downs, making it thrilling and exciting to listen to.

Chang Zijing recounted the stories of several figures, which Erni understood perfectly. Lord Xinling: A man of principle who valued righteousness above his own life, and who treated scholars with respect; he defied the king's orders and bore the blame to save a neighboring state!
Hou Ying: He possessed profound wisdom and strategy. After offering his plan, he committed suicide to demonstrate his integrity, embodying the spirit of a scholar!
Ruji: A heroine who risked her life to steal the talisman, truly a heroine among women!
Zhu Hai: Born a butcher, he killed Wei general Jin Bi with a forty-pound iron hammer, helped Lord Xinling seize military power, successfully repelled Qin, saved Zhao, and preserved Wei. He made a decisive move with one hammer and his achievements were unparalleled!
Erni suddenly exclaimed, "I think I understand now what that saying means: 'The most righteous are often the lowly butchers, and the most ungrateful are often the scholars!'"

Chang Zijin laughed heartily, touching Erni's cheek. "It's good that you understand! These men, after a few drinks, don't know who they are anymore. After a few drinks, they dare to make grand promises, not even putting the Five Sacred Mountains in their eyes."

Erni snorted and said, "Those lazybones in our village get all cocky when they're drunk! Before they drank, they belonged to Li Family Village; after they drank, Li Family Village belongs to them!"

Chang Zijin laughed heartily, “The men in our Chang family are the same way. Before drinking, they admire so-and-so hero to no end. I remember one of my cousins ​​always talked about Chang Er, and would tell everyone that he was Chang Er’s younger brother, taking pride in it. But one time he got drunk and couldn’t hold on to someone. Guess what he said?”

Erni blinked her bright eyes and said, "Am I Chang Er's brother?"

Chang Zijing laughed, "What's so special about that? It's not impressive enough!"

Erni asked curiously, "He said Chang Er's archery skills aren't as good as his?"

Chang Zijin smiled and shook her head.

Erni also shook her head, unable to guess.

Chang Zijing laughed and mimicked her cousin's tone, saying, "Do you know why that bastard Chang Er is so famous?" She then mimicked someone else's tone, saying, "No!" Then she switched back to her cousin's tone and mannerisms, "Because he knelt down and begged me not to fight him for the Sunset Bow! You know what? Whoever gets the Sunset Bow will become famous! The bow is called Sunset, the arrow can pierce the clouds, it speaks of the Chang family's unparalleled archery skills, not of Chang Er! If I got the Sunset Bow, I'd be much better than that bastard Chang Er!"

Erni looked astonished: "He called Chang Er a dog? Doesn't he also have the surname Chang? He even insulted his own family members?"

Chang Zijin laughed and said, "That's why men, once they've had a few drinks, are capable of saying anything! If you ask them the next day what they said yesterday, they definitely won't remember! Of course, those who drink less will remember, but those who drink until they're completely unconscious are a different story!"

Erni asked anxiously, "What if Zeng Yong also drinks himself into amnesia later?"

Chang Zijing laughed and said, "So what if he has amnesia? These people are all his brothers! If they weren't his brothers, do you think they would drink so happily and be so uninhibited? If it weren't for Feng Jiuxiao, but for Venerable Bailian, do you think Brother Zeng would indulge himself like this?"

Erni shook her head and said, "No."

Chang Zijin said, "Then that settles it?"

Wang Sheng and Feng Jiuxiao clinked their copper bowls together and downed them in one gulp!
Feng Jiuxiao also drank. He knew what Wang Sheng wanted to say, and before Wang Sheng could speak, he preemptively said, "If you want to say thank you, then stop!" His expression was earnest!
Looking into Feng Jiuxiao's deep, ocean-like gaze, Wang Sheng suddenly felt like a child facing his elder, and became instantly reserved. He immediately smiled and said, "Okay!" The fact that they were able to successfully obtain the "Heavenly Roc Egg" this time was naturally thanks to Feng Jiuxiao! Without Feng Jiuxiao, they probably wouldn't have been able to leave Haixin Mountain alive!
Duanmu Yan also wanted to clink glasses with Feng Jiuxiao. Several young Tibetan men were serving them the whole time, and they would immediately refill the guests' wine bowls as soon as they were empty! So Feng Jiuxiao's wine bowl always seemed to be full! He clinked glasses with Duanmu Yan, and the two of them didn't say anything, but it seemed like they said everything.

He could naturally read the gratitude in Duanmu Yan's eyes!

So he was very pleased! A young man from a demonic sect had actually learned to be grateful!

Suddenly—Feng Jiuxiao frowned slightly, then looked out the window!

Pang Shiwu was the second to notice something unusual outside the window!

The blood-red sword at his waist emitted a buzzing sound!

He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at any moment!
He could sense that quite a few people had come from outside!

They're all experts!