Chapter 1481: Chapter 1481: Young Military God Visits

In the Bamboo City tavern, Chu Feng and Long Fei returned to find the Bald Dog, Da Heiniu, and the Ground Rat Demon King already waiting in the room.

As they entered, the Ground Rat Demon King was busy trying to curry favor.

He was both moving chairs for them and giving shoulder massages.

The Bald Dog and Da Heiniu considered themselves dignified demons and looked down on such behavior with disdain.

They both rolled their eyes at the Ground Rat Demon King, standing aside with a sneer and refusing to engage.

Long Fei took out a bamboo tube of wine, sighing softly, “Little Rat, you’ve been running around investigating things recently, truly it’s been hard on you. Here’s a bottle of Green Bamboo Leaf that I took from Zhong Zhengyang. The wine in it is brewed with Xiaoxiang Tear Bamboo. It’s rare, have a drink too!”

The Ground Rat Demon King’s eyes sparkled, howling excitedly, “Thank you, Master, serving you is not hard at all.”

“Screw you!”

The Ground Rat Demon King and Da Heiniu quickly moved to massage Long Fei and Chu Feng’s shoulders from behind, flattered them by saying, “Master, why do I find you and Second Brother getting more handsome lately? What miraculous pills have you been taking?”

Da Heiniu, being clumsy with words, echoed complimenting awkwardly, “Handsome, this face is smoother than a girl’s!”

Chu Feng burst out laughing, scolding Da Heiniu, “Go to hell with your flattery if you can’t do it right!”

Long Fei also chuckled, “Alright, just sit down, all of you!”

“Thank you, Master!”

“Master, you’re the most handsome!”

The Bald Dog and the Ground Rat Demon King grinned wickedly, squeezing next to the Ground Rat Demon King, causing the latter to giggle triumphantly.

Long Fei poured them each a cup of wine.

The color of this Green Bamboo Leaf was surprisingly green.

As the wine poured, a rich aroma wafted into the air.

Everyone couldn’t help but immediately take a sip.

The wine tasted sweet at first, but then turned slightly bitter, with the bitterness reaching their hearts as it went down.

They all felt as if they’d experienced heartache, each with glistening eyes, tears even forming.

“What kind of wine is this? How come it gives me a first love feeling?”

Da Heiniu, wiping his tears, felt miserable and wanted to cry.

The Ground Rat Demon King sniffled disdainfully, “Screw you, you had a first love?”

Da Heiniu rolled his eyes, “Why not? It reminded me of running with her under the setting sun, my lost youth!”

Wail!

He collapsed onto the table, sobbing loudly.

Even with Long Fei and Chu Feng’s steadfast minds, they couldn’t hold back their tears, exclaiming in surprise, “This wine is so strange, can it actually affect one’s mood?”

Chu Feng clutched his chest, feeling uncomfortable, “I always thought I was impervious to emotions, uninhibited. Who knew, this heart still carries worldly desires.”

The Bald Dog said, “It’s said that Xiaoxiang Tear Bamboo was formed from the tears of Emperor Shun’s two wives, Empress E and Nvying.

Back when Emperor Shun ascended to immortality, Empress E and Nvying searched for him and eventually found where he ascended in the bamboo forest of Azure Woods Mountain.

The two buried his clothes and crown, crying day and night in the bamboo forest. Their tears seeped into a patch of bamboo, turning it all into Tear Bamboo. Eventually, the two also ascended, though it’s unknown if they ever found Emperor Shun?”

The Ground Rat Demon King exclaimed, “So, it’s Empress E and Nvying’s emotions that are affecting us?”

Long Fei and Chu Feng exchanged a glance, a chill running down their spines.

They realized these were ancient figures.

As wives of the Human Emperor, their cultivation level was astonishing.

A single emotion could persist for millennia.

The two humans and three demons closed their eyes and began to temper their minds.

After a while, they composed themselves, no longer daring to indulge in the wine, quickly packing it away.

However, they all appeared more alert, their eyes brighter than before.

There are three thresholds in cultivation.

First: Cultivate the body,

Second: Cultivate the spirit,

Third: Cultivate the heart.

They were still in the body cultivation stage, yet Long Fei speculated that due to the wine, they might have glimpsed the heart cultivation stage prematurely.

The heart contains both worldly desires and the immortal heart.

The immortal heart is like a rock, like water, like the autumn wind, like winter snow, untouched by worldly desires.

Where the heart goes, there is no desire or pursuit.

With desire, an opponent can exploit weaknesses, revealing flaws in one’s techniques.

Long Fei contemplated that perhaps only a Saint could truly achieve a state of no desire.

Even an Immortal likely harbors some desire.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so much conflict in the world.

His eyes lit up, suddenly realizing that this Xiaoxiang Tear Bamboo Wine is an extraordinary divine medicine for heart cultivation.

Chu Feng took out some aged Maotai wine, filling everyone’s cup, sipping, smacking his lips, and laughing heartily, “Nothing rejuvenates like our hometown’s wine.”

“Who says not, damn this Green Bamboo Leaf, I ain’t drinking it again!”

All three of the Bald Dog laughed heartily.

Long Fei also laughed, taking a sip, then put away the Green Bamboo Leaf from the table.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

The three of the Bald Dog stood up defensively, exchanging a look with Long Fei.

Long Fei signaled for the Ground Rat Demon King to open the door, as the polite knock suggested it wasn’t an enemy.

With the door open, the Ground Rat Demon King yelped, “Why is it you?”

A woman reached out and twisted his mouse ear, scolding with a coquettish smile, “You made me unable to go home, yet dare drink here? Especially you, you tricked me so badly!”

Among those present, she particularly disliked this fat fellow.

She recalled the entire incident was due to this fat fellow pretending to be a servant, deliberately drawing her into a trap, coaxing her to see Xiao Chen at the Precious Sparrow Tower, leading to what came after.

Long Fei and Chu Feng burst into laughter, realizing it was the eldest lady of the Guo Family.

The Ground Rat Demon King didn’t want to argue with a girl, playing pitiful, calling out, “Miss, speak nicely, please let go first!”

Next to Guo Xiang, a scholar laughed and instructed, “Xiang’er, don’t be rude!”

“Consider yourself lucky!”

Guo Xiang snorted, releasing her grip.

The Ground Rat Demon King clutched his belly, turned his head, and scampered away, amusing everyone.

Long Fei and the others then noticed that Guo Xiang had brought backup.

The scholar clasped his hands politely, “Greetings all, I am Guo Cunyi, Xiang’er’s elder brother.”

Long Fei and Chu Feng, seeing Guo Cunyi’s impressive appearance, clasped their hands in return, inviting them to sit.

Guo Cunyi smiled at the two, saying, “Brother Long, Brother Chu, as the saying goes, seeing is believing—what an eye-opener it is to meet you both.”

Long Fei and Chu Feng glanced at each other, knowing that Guo Cunyi had guessed their identities.

In Jingzhou Prefecture, they had always been referred to as Aotian and Batian.

Long Fei looked at Guo Cunyi, chuckling, “Is Brother Guo here to seek justice for your father and sister?”

Chu Feng asked curiously, “You’ve met us before?”

Guo Cunyi shook his head with a smile, telling the two, “This is our first meeting, and I’m not here for justice. I understand your alliance, each serving your lord, nothing to be guilty or innocent about.”

Long Fei smiled slightly, finding him a man of manners, a friend worth talking to.

He poured Guo Cunyi a full cup, asking, “I wonder where Brother Guo studied before?”

Guo Cunyi raised his cup to the two, took a sip, and smiled, “This wine is good, full of flavor. I studied military strategy at Chang’an Academy. Normally, it’s a different path from you cultivators.”

Chu Feng laughed heartily, “So, he’s a university student, my apologies!”

He raised his cup, drinking with Guo Cunyi as well.

Guo Xiang, thinking Chu Feng was belittling her brother, protested, “What university student? My brother is a renowned strategist, mastering both literature and martial arts. In these years of Great Xia’s battles with the Barbarian Tribe, half of the strategic planning and command were done by my brother. He has earned the title of Young Military God at the frontier!”

“Oh?”

Long Fei and Chu Feng were slightly surprised, not expecting Guo Cunyi to have such a background.