On this moonlit night, Zhao Min and Gong Chenying sat under an old locust tree. The great, round moon in the sky was as cool as water, its clear light spreading over the small mountain village, giving distinct layers to the distant mountains and nearby objects.
Looking at the bustling crowd around them, and the strong men and young women shuttling back and forth carrying freshly cooked, fried, and fragrant dishes, Zhao Min saw the amazement in their eyes as they passed by her and Gong Chenying, but she didn't know what she should be doing at this moment.
The women were washing vegetables and tending the fires. A few of the village women skilled in cooking, led by Li Yu, were constantly moving back and forth in front of several large pots. From time to time, flames several feet high would shoot up as Li Yu flamboyantly tossed a wok, startling the drooling village children nearby into a series of exclamations, who then quickly moved away.
Auntie Chang was also busy inside and out, either running back home to get ingredients or seasonings, or busy wiping down the tables and benches arranged in a circle with the few old locust trees at the center.
In the distance, some of the young and strong men had set up a wooden frame, on which half a demonic beast was hung, and they were busy chopping the meat with their knives. Others were constantly transporting firewood. Li Guoxin was talking with Uncle Chang and a few other elders of the village, with Li Yan surrounded in a circle. Occasionally, they would pat the heads of the children running in circles around them, laughingly scolding them to be "gentle, don't fall."
Although there were still some villagers who just gathered in groups to chat, occasionally coming forward to help, most of the time they were secretly glancing at the two women, but they didn't dare to approach and strike up a conversation, only daring to whisper from a distance.
During this time, Gong Chenying did stand up, wanting to help tidy up the tables and benches. Zhao Min also stood up with her. But the moment the two women took a step, Auntie Chang, who had been watching them from time to time, hurried over, scolding a few people nearby, "Little Shan's mother, how can you women be so unobservant, letting our distinguished guests do the work..." While half-pushing and half-pulling, she led the two women back to sit under the old locust tree. With an apologetic smile, she went back to nagging the other women as she briskly went about her business.
Zhao Min looked at the scene before her. It was so unfamiliar, so out of place with her imagination. A strange feeling rose in her heart. Although she and Gong Chenying sitting here seemed so out of place, looking at the respectful gazes of the people around them, their faces yet held a natural and deferential expression, as if everything was so harmonious.
"Sister Ying, is your hometown like this?" Smelling the faint fragrance of locust flowers from above her head and listening to the various noisy yet vibrant sounds around her, Zhao Min suddenly asked.
Gong Chenying was staring at the flames rising from a distant fire pit, somewhat lost in thought. Suddenly hearing Zhao Min's voice beside her, she slowly turned her head, looked at Zhao Min, and then saw the round moon through the gap in the drooping branches and leaves in front of her.
"During the clan's sacrificial ceremonies, it is somewhat similar. But it lacks this lively atmosphere; it's more solemn. When I was a child, every time I participated, apart from being ordered to strictly abide by the various clan rules during the ceremony, all that was left was a day of constant trepidation, for fear that I would make a mistake at some point."
She paused for a moment and then continued, "Cultivation brings more loneliness and less of this human flavor." As she spoke, her gaze turned to a fire rack where a whole demonic beast the size of a calf was being roasted, and a rich aroma wafted over.
"Even the taste of food is forgotten. It's common to go for months or even years without eating or drinking. Our life as cultivators is just cultivating, fighting, snatching resources, and then cultivating again."
"Then why do so many people, so many families, still rush to cultivate, even if it means giving up everything?" Zhao Min also looked at the demonic beast being roasted, her gaze lost in thought.
"Perhaps it is to pursue greater power, or perhaps they are unwilling to part with a lifetime of glory and want to exchange it for eternal existence. But once you truly embark on this path, you find that glory and wealth are all like clouds and smoke. All that's left is a path full of blood and struggle. When you look back, your enemies are already behind you, and the power you have cultivated is never enough," Gong Chenying murmured.
"He has it. I only have a brief memory from my childhood," Zhao Min suddenly said, a seemingly random statement.
Gong Chenying's beautiful eyes once again looked at Zhao Min's beautiful face, which was like carved jade under the moonlight. "By coming here today, haven't you been able to feel a little of it again?"
Zhao Min was stunned. She remembered the warmth that had spread through her body when the old woman held her hand, like that of a loving mother. The curiosity and enthusiasm mixed with the respect of the villagers toward the two of them was completely different from the cultivators in those sects or families who, although also respectful when they saw her, she could see fear, and even greed, in their eyes. All this had made her feel a sense of unfamiliarity from the moment she stepped into the mountain village fields today, an unfamiliarity that she did not want to push away from her heart.
As she thought about it, the lines on Zhao Min's seemingly frozen face actually began to soften, but she was so lost in thought that she didn't notice.
Suddenly, the noise grew louder, accompanied by the sound of footsteps approaching from a distance. The two women looked up and saw the burly village chief and Li Yan and the others walking toward them, with Li Yan looking at them with a smile on his face.
Li Guoxin and the others came under the large locust tree. He clapped his large hands together in the air and, looking at the more than ten tables already laden with steaming hot dishes, said loudly, "Alright, alright! Brother Yan has come home today, and we all know that he is now a high official in the court. These few years, he has truly brought blessings to our village. And with distinguished guests visiting, this is a major event. Let the feast begin! But I'll say the ugly words first: if you drink too much, don't lose your propriety and disgrace Brother Yan in front of our distinguished guests. But... if you can get Brother Yan drunk, that will be up to your skills, hahaha..." Li Guoxin laughed heartily. He had just asked Li Yan about the dispositions of the two women, to avoid the country bumpkins making a mess of things and losing their manners.
Li Yan had told him that the two women had often been in the military since they were young and could be called heroines among women, both of them unconcerned with trifles. Li Guoxin was overjoyed to hear this. He had been afraid that he would be inhospitable and lose his manners on one hand, and on the other hand, he was afraid that they were young ladies who would hate this kind of crude etiquette. With Li Yan's words, he was at ease.
For a moment, the place immediately became lively. People who were close to each other directly pulled a few people to make a table, set up a row of bowls, picked up the wine jars on the ground, broke the mud seals, and poured the fragrant wine like a great whale spouting water, a curtain of flowing wine filling the air.
The children, after initially being cautious and tentatively reaching out their small hands to take a few things they liked to eat, saw that the adults were not scolding them as they usually did at home but were busy talking and drinking among themselves. Their courage gradually grew. In the end, some would pick up a large chicken leg or a small bowl of beast meat and actually start chasing and playing among the tables. For a moment, the clear voices of children could be heard far and near under the moonlight. Even the house dogs, which usually barked wildly as soon as night fell, had lost their usual temper. They either wagged their tails more happily, hoping to attract the attention of the people at the tables and have them throw a piece of delicious meat; or they lay under the tables, gnawing on large pieces of bone and meat, letting out possessive whimpers.
Auntie Chang had even chosen a few girls and women who knew etiquette and had seen a bit of the world to sit with Gong and Zhao. These people, after their initial restraint, saw that the two women, though cold and beautiful, were also polite and did not seem to be annoyed by their questions. They gradually became more talkative. Starting with the daughter of a certain family in the village, they slowly began to ask about the two women's backgrounds. Although the two women were not well-versed in worldly affairs, they were extremely intelligent. They would occasionally pick a few things they could say and say a few words. For things they couldn't say, they would just pass it off with a light smile. For a moment, the atmosphere here was no less lively than at the tables where wine was flowing freely.
But as they chatted, even these women didn't notice that their topic had slowly shifted to Li Yan. One reason was that Auntie Chang would proudly mention her fifth son from time to time; another was that it was their first time meeting the two women, and the only common topic was naturally Li Yan as a bridge; a third reason was that, intentionally or unintentionally, the two women seemed to want to guide the topic toward Li Yan.
Gradually, the two women found out everything about Li Yan's childhood, even down to what age he had wet the bed, when he had learned to walk, and which little girl had had a crush on him. Hearing all this, the two women would occasionally lower their heads to hide their light laughter.
Li Yan, on the other hand, was completely unaware. In this atmosphere, he did not release his Divine Sense to specifically eavesdrop on what anyone was saying. Instead, he was chatting and drinking with Li Yu, Li Shan, Li Wei, and a few of his childhood playmates.
Li Yu still had an apron tied around his waist. He was tall and thin, about a head shorter than Li Yan and Li Shan. But because he was thin, he also appeared tall. He had been brought back from the city by Li Shan on a fast horse in the evening. After returning, he had naturally become the head chef for the night. At this moment, his fair face was already a little red. "Brother Yan, you said back then that you wanted to taste my cooking. I never thought that after we parted that time, there would be no more news of you. Today, you must try it properly. Come, come, try this 'Golden Crispy Spirit-Tailed Chicken.' It has a trace of first-tier demonic beast bloodline, plus golden slick powder, flying beard branches..." As he spoke, he pointed with his chopsticks at a plate of tender, crispy, and yellow meat on the table.
Li Yan, on the other hand, nodded with a smile and directly picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. He immediately felt his mouth water, and it was crispy and smooth. He couldn't help but give a thumbs-up to Li Yan. He was not being falsely polite, but really thought it was delicious. As his cultivation had increased, even without eating the "Grain Abstinence Pill," he could go for months without eating or drinking, just relying on breathing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to keep his body in its best state. Today, eating these delicious dishes carefully cooked by Li Yu, his long-lost appetite was actually whetted, and he couldn't help but want to eat more. He couldn't help but glance at Gong Chenying and Zhao Min at the main table, who were surrounded by several people. He found that the two women were also constantly picking up food and chewing it carefully. He couldn't help but smile inwardly. It seemed that even cultivators could not escape the desire for food.
Li Shan and a few of his childhood playmates would also occasionally steal a glance at Gong and Zhao, their eyes filled with amazement. Then, after exchanging a look, they would frequently raise their wine bowls to Li Yan. Li Yan, on the other hand, would smile and drink with each of them. How could he not know what these people were thinking? Since they had met, they had been constantly trying to get information out of him, to confirm whether both women were interested in Li Yan. Li Yan, on the other hand, neither expressed his opinion nor denied it. The few of them had even made a bet in private to see who could get the truth out of Li Yan first. But they all knew Li Yan's personality. He had not been talkative since he was a child, but his mind was extremely sharp. When they were children, whenever they tried to play tricks on Li Yan, they were always the ones who lost out in the end. Now, exchanging glances, they were determined to get Li Yan drunk. Even Li Wei was smiling without saying a word, watching the fun from the side.
With Li Yan's current cultivation, let alone ten or twenty bowls, even a hundred or a thousand bowls, he wouldn't even need to get up. With a circulation of his spiritual energy, it would turn into wisps of vapor and dissipate from his pores. But tonight, he did not do so. Instead, he drank with each person. After all, his constitution was no longer that of a mortal. Not to mention that he had a top-tier body-tempering method like the Qiongqi Porgatory Art. After drinking three bowls with each of the seven or eight people, his face was still as usual. On the contrary, the seven or eight people were dizzy from drinking.