Yefutidaolu

Chapter 446 Young Master Jiang

Faced with this almost blatant flattery, Gao Jian simply smiled calmly, not responding to the remark about being "inferior to a noble family's son." Instead, he focused his gaze on the other person's overly exquisite makeup and attire, replying in a similarly emotionless tone:
"Your high praise makes me feel a little overwhelmed. However, compared to my limited knowledge, your elegance of 'pink and green hairpins adorned with flowers, and the fragrance of milk filling your sleeves' is truly unique in the capital, unforgettable."

He neither denied his origins nor felt ashamed of himself. Instead, he steered the conversation back to the other person, pointing out their unique characteristics. His words were neither humble nor arrogant, but also carried a subtle, almost imperceptible scrutiny.

Under the moonlight, the young man in pink still had a bright smile, but curiosity and amusement flashed in his eyes.

This Mr. Gao Jian is indeed no ordinary person, just as the intelligence indicated. Tonight's "drinking under the moon" seems to be even more interesting than he anticipated.

So he turned around and said to a figure almost blending into the darkness in the shadow of the pillar behind him, "Mr. Qin Long, Mr. Gao is indeed as you said, a man of extraordinary character."

Upon hearing the name "Qin Long," a ripple finally appeared in Gao Jian's calm eyes. He raised an eyebrow slightly and followed the pink-clad young man's gaze to look behind him.

There, the shadows swayed slightly, and a figure stepped out, stepping into the moonlight. It was still that same taciturn face, as hard as an uncarved rock, its posture as straight as a spear, radiating a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

If it's not Qin Long, the assassin from Yan Pavilion, then who is it?

A hint of surprise flashed through Gao Jian's mind. What was the other person doing here?

Back in Liangzhou, he and Qin Long joined forces to eliminate the corrupt aristocratic families that had taken over the area with ruthless methods, making them comrades-in-arms.

Before that, Qin Long admired Gao Jian's ability and courage, and was willing to serve his forces. However, when facing the old ancestor Yuan Lu of Youming Land, Qin Long was seriously injured. Gao Jian then arranged for him to return to Yan Pavilion headquarters to recuperate, and to serve as a hidden backup plan.

Later events proved that it was precisely because of the crucial information and internal support provided by Qin Long at critical moments that Gao Jian was able to finally gain Yuan Lu's trust and complete that perilous refining operation.

Logically speaking, Qin Long should be recuperating in the depths of Yan Pavilion or carrying out a secret mission for Yan Pavilion at this moment. How could he suddenly appear in the capital and on the floating immortal island of the top aristocratic Jiang family?
Qin Long stepped forward and nodded slightly to Gao Jian as a greeting. His eyes remained calm and still, but he did nod to Gao Jian as he came out.

“Brother Gao.” Qin Long’s voice was as simple and deep as ever.

"Brother Qin," Gao Jian returned the greeting, his gaze sweeping between Qin Long and the young man in pink, a flurry of guesses flashing through his mind. "I didn't expect to meet you here. It seems that Yan Pavilion and the Jiang family have been quite close lately?"

His question was direct, both inquiring about Qin Long and testing the young man in pink.

Upon hearing this, the young man in pink covered his mouth with his delicately embroidered sleeve and chuckled, "Mr. Gao, please don't misunderstand. Mr. Qin Long is not here on behalf of Yan Pavilion." He paused meaningfully, "It's just that I have always had close personal relationships with many of the heroes of Yan Pavilion. He and you are old friends, so having him accompany you will prevent our conversation from becoming too formal, won't it?"

Qin Long did not deny it, but simply stood silently to the side, as he always had.

Gao Jian looked at Qin Long, then at the smiling young man in pink, and was a little confused.

Judging from the young master's behavior, he might just be doing this on a whim, so he brought people over for a chat.

But it's also possible that tonight's "invitation to drink under the moon" is not just about the Jiang family's probing.

Qin Long's appearance is not only a way for the Jiang family to demonstrate their intelligence capabilities and connections, but it may also mean that Yan Ge, or Qin Long himself, has his own judgment and actions regarding the storm brewing in the capital.

This is really troublesome; I need to take a closer look.

“I see,” Gao Jian said, his expression returning to calm, as if his earlier surprise had never occurred. “It is indeed a pleasure to meet an old friend. Then I will trouble you, young master, to lead the way.”

He wanted to see what kind of "night banquet" was prepared on the Jiang family's floating island.

However, the other party burst out laughing.

"Haha, why lead the way? There's no way to lead the way anyway. How about we have a feast here?" Young Master Jiang said, waving his hand casually, as if this celestial island floating in the air was no different from an ordinary street tavern.

"Oh right, I haven't told you my name yet, have I? My name is Jiang Zhou, and I'm the sixth child in my family. People call me Jiang Lao Liu. Mr. Gao, you can just call me whatever you like!"

He introduced himself rather casually, but the surname "Jiang" itself represented supreme power and influence in this capital city.

Gao Jian nodded, his expression unchanged, but in his heart he had already matched his previous vague guess with the person in front of him.

Jiangzhou, Jiang Laoliu.

The man in front of me, Jiang Laoliu, is indeed a "famous figure" in the capital, but his reputation is extremely complicated, with both praise and criticism.

He was a notorious playboy, extremely frivolous and disrespectful, lacking in moral conduct and disregarding etiquette. He indulged in sensual pleasures and was obsessed with all sorts of strange and ingenious crafts, lavish jewelry, and various kinds of frivolous entertainment, collecting them all without reservation.

They enjoyed gathering in groups to gamble, drink, and play musical instruments, often partying all night long.

He once engaged in the absurd act of speeding through the city in a car with a woman naked, swaggering around the streets.

Even more astonishingly, he once broke into a prison to visit prisoners, played games with death row inmates, and made a bizarre bet: if he won, he would torture and kill the prisoners for his amusement; if he lost, he would release the prisoners on the spot. Such a frivolous disregard for the law and human life, done solely for entertainment, resulted in repeated punishments from his family and the government for his act of releasing prisoners.

However, alongside this is his reputation for "chivalry".

Jiang Zhou was also fond of chivalry. Whenever he heard of heroic deeds or a hero in distress in a certain place, he would go to visit him without hesitation. He claimed to judge people by their character and liked to befriend heroes from all walks of life, especially those fugitives who had committed serious crimes and made enemies and were being hunted by the court or their enemies. It is said that several hundred people were saved because of his shelter and protection, and countless others were given money by him to help them in their time of need.

He did these things without ever asking for anything in return, doing good deeds for others without expecting anything in return. Therefore, he was known as "generous in giving but expecting little in return" among the common people of the Divine Dynasty and even among wandering cultivators in the martial arts world.

This man was indeed capable of sending someone to "see him" late at night on a whim, directly inviting Gao Jian from Li Zoufang's residence. Moreover, given his wide circle of friends and unbridled actions, his close personal relationships with many Yan Pavilion assassins made it entirely plausible that he could have Qin Long here at this moment. He was an extremely contradictory character, difficult to fathom with common sense. He could save someone from dire straits on a whim, or kill for amusement out of boredom. His kindness and malice both came so purely and casually, as if solely dependent on his current state of mind.

The other party's invitation may just be a spur-of-the-moment thing, or it may be hiding a deeper purpose, but in any case, being straightforward and going with the flow may be the better way to deal with it.

"I have long heard of Young Master Jiang's character and temperament," Gao Jian said, acknowledging his knowledge of the man's reputation without offering any judgment, simply stating the facts. "Since you find this place so appealing, then let it be here. But I wonder, besides my old friend Qin Long, what other fine wines and delightful events await at this moonlit banquet?"

He gently pushed the initiative back to Jiang Zhou.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhou laughed even more heartily, his powdered eyes curving into crescents: "Fine wine is plentiful, of course! As for the wonderful things... meeting such a wonderful person as Mr. Gao is the greatest wonderful thing! Men, prepare a feast and bring my 'Drunken Immortal Wine'!"

At his command, servants appeared silently like shadows, quickly setting up a table, cushions, and wine vessels on the moonlit white jade square. Their movements were swift and elegant, clearly indicating they were already accustomed to the sixth young master's capricious ways.

A peculiar banquet, held atop a floating fairy island under the moonlight, accompanied by the exotic fragrance of frankincense and myrrh, was hosted by an unpredictable and top-tier playboy and attended by silent assassins.

As soon as Jiang Zhou finished speaking, without the servants making any move, Gao Jian saw that the scenery around him had already begun to change and transform.

On the left side, spiritual light gathered and transformed into a waterfall out of thin air!

But what flows down this waterfall is not clear water, but a fragrant, amber-colored nectar. The waterfall is several meters wide, crashing down and pouring into a huge wine pool carved from a single piece of warm white jade, stirring up thick clouds of wine mist that make one feel refreshed and slightly intoxicated.

The wine flows like a spring, ceaselessly. Graceful maids dressed in light gauze walk barefoot on the waves stirred up by the spring, holding jade pots to precisely collect the most mellow "first drops" of wine and pour it for the guests.

At the same time, the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments arose from nowhere, ethereal and otherworldly, unlike any melody in the human world.

In the center of the square, the moonlight seemed to come alive, condensing into streaks of silver light. Dozens of stunning dancers emerged from the moonlight, gracefully dancing to the music. Sometimes they floated and spun like flying apsaras, sometimes they transformed into phantoms of phoenixes and cranes, weaving and shuttling, their flowing robes scattering shimmering raindrops of light.

Takashi noticed that the singers and dancers inside were not real people, but illusions, yet they were incredibly realistic.

Gao Jian sat down at the table, where exquisite delicacies were laid out before him: dragon liver and phoenix marrow, bear paws and orangutan lips, lion eyes and tiger breast, a hundred kinds of delicacies, coconut juice and grape juice. Ordinary people could not recognize them, but they could smell their sweetness and fragrance. They were all made with spiritual ingredients, and eating them would greatly enhance one's abilities. If an ordinary person ate one meal, he might break through to a higher realm.

"Come, Mr. Gao, try this newly made dragon lung. There was a dragon disaster in Cangzhou before, so we have a little extra stock recently. This is the most labor-intensive thing to make. It is naturally black and white. You have to pick out the black threads with a silver needle and boil it in water for seven days and nights. Originally, the lung slices were more than a foot long, but after stewing, they shrank to the size of a white lotus leaf and floated on the water. With the addition of seasonings, it tastes like mud. The bowl in front of you has four slices, which is the result of using four lungs! It takes the killing of two dragons!" Old Jiang invited Gao Jian to taste it.

I tried a piece of it, and it was indeed quite good.

However, at this moment, a spell was brewing and about to be unleashed.

Only then did Gao Jian notice that beside the jade cup holding the wine, flowing golden characters automatically appeared, forming phrases:

"How much dew falls from the sky, how much is brewed?"

These characters possess a strange power, forming a tiny "maze." If you cannot answer the second part within a breath, the wine in your cup will automatically fly up and force you to drink it. This wine is potent, and even those with high cultivation levels should not drink too much of it.

His insightful opinion flashed through his mind, and he almost blurted it out:

"The earth's veins flow with nectar, an inexhaustible source of nourishment."

As soon as the second verse was uttered, the golden characters vanished, the wine cup remained still, and even the wine spring waterfall seemed to surge more joyfully.

This is a "drinking riddle game," which is not only for entertainment but also for testing one's wit and quick thinking. It is also a favorite banquet game for young men from aristocratic families like Jiangzhou. If one cannot answer the riddle, one will embarrass oneself.

Gao Jian looked around and saw that everywhere he looked was a fairyland created by boundless illusion magic.

As one can see, with a flick of Jiang Zhou's finger, the surroundings seem to instantly become an endless sea of ​​clouds, with celestial palaces and pavilions appearing and disappearing in the clouds, and cranes carrying lingzhi mushrooms flying by; with another flick of his sleeve, the scene changes again, transforming into a vast starry sky, with stars within reach, and shooting stars streaking across the table, their light enough to be gathered to accompany wine; the next moment, one might find oneself deep in the azure sea, with crystal palaces shining brightly, mermaids singing, and divine turtles offering auspicious omens...

These illusions are not mere illusions of light and shadow, but rather incorporate profound spatial laws and spiritual influences, immersing the viewer in the experience and allowing them to feel the dampness of the clouds, the coolness of the starlight, and the immense pressure of the sea.

Even the celestial fruits, star cores, and dragon saliva in the illusion can be temporarily imbued with real taste and spiritual nourishment under the effect of illusion magic, which is mysterious and indescribable.

In this ultimate feast where wine springs, celestial dances, mazes, and layered realms intertwine, ordinary cultivators are already dazzled and mesmerized, lost in the intoxication. Jiang Zhou leans back on the brocade couch, smiling as he watches Gao Jian, observing his reaction to the layers of luxury and mystery.

Qin Long remained silent, drinking alone, as if all the splendor around him had nothing to do with him.

Jiang Zhou raised his glass, and the Jiuquan Waterfall behind him roared: "Mr. Gao, is this scene pleasing to the eye?"

Faced with Jiang Zhou's question, which was tinged with both boasting and probing, Gao Jian showed neither surprise nor restraint.

He also raised the amber-colored celestial wine in his hand, which had been drawn from the Jiuquan Waterfall, and calmly swept his gaze over the surrounding swirling starry sky and the moon-shadow fairy dancing on the water, saying indifferently, "Very beautiful."

He first gave a brief affirmation, then changed the subject slightly, the wine in his glass shimmering under the starlight, "But, is it just the three of us? And, is that all there is to it?"

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the ethereal celestial music and the roar of the waterfall.

The implication is crystal clear: if that's all there is to it, then it's really meaningless.

(End of this chapter)