Chu Li smiled and agreed. Before long, the dishes were served.
Yang Lingfeng ordered the servant to bring in twenty jars of wine.
“Brother Du, this is our very own wine, brewed exclusively in the Snow Lunar Pavilion. It will surely taste strong enough! Come, drink!” Yang Lingfeng raised his jar and proceeded to fill everyone’s bowls. After that, he lifted his own bowl and said aloud, “Kill Feng Shaohua, let’s drink to that!”
“Kill Feng Shaohua! Cheers!” the crowd followed suit.
Chu Li smiled and gulped down the whole bowl of wine.
Their anger and hatred towards Feng Shaohua were real and deep.
The dishes may not have been as delicious as the ones at the Leisure Cloud Pub, but they were very fresh when served. Chu Li was not very particular about it as he drank several more bowls of wine. He chatted happily with the people there, talking about funny stories in the martial arts world, and the interesting stuff that happened downhill.
Chu Li was polite when speaking, plus he loved to just sit back and listen to their stories. Hence, the people stopped feeling hostile towards him anymore, especially since he had drunk several bowls of wine with them.
Yang Lingfeng was not very tolerant of alcohol. After a jar of wine, he started speaking a lot, without thinking properly.
“Brother Du, Feng Shaohua’s Light-body Technique is too damn good. If not for that, we would have killed him already!” Yang Lingfeng said as he pulled on Chu Li’s sleeves. “At least ten of our brothers and sisters have died because of him. If you can really take down Feng Shaohua, you’ll be our savior. And I won’t mind handing Sister Du Xia over to you!”
Chu Li said, “Since he has stirred so much hatred, why didn’t your faction’s elders do anything?”
“They can’t.” Yang Lingfeng shook his head and sighed. “It’s a rule set by both our faction’s founding members. If the disciples are involved in a bloody fight, the elder ones cannot intervene!”
Chu Li frowned. “So they can only watch as the killings ensued.”
“Sigh… If our masters choose to step into this, the elders from the Green Hill faction will get involved too. Both sides will then be at a lost!” Yang Lingfeng scoffed. “We can only blame ourselves for not being strong enough in martial arts like Feng Shaohua, thus failing to kill him!”
Chu Li pondered. He then nodded, as he understood why the elders had to keep it that way.
That rule was set ages ago was also for their faction’s own good. If the elders kept intervening, the younger ones would not need to do anything or learn anything, and their faction would be doomed to extinction.
“All in all, Brother Du, we’re all counting on you!” Yang Lingfeng smiled drunkenly.
Chu Li answered slowly, “Don’t worry. Feng Shaohua will not live much longer!”
“My junior, Brother Meng died right in front of my very eyes, but I couldn’t do anything to save him!” Yang Lingfeng howled. “Feng Shaohua, to hell with you——!”
“Brother Yang, you’re drunk.” Zhao Feihu quickly pulled him away.
After a furious bout of swearing, Yang Lingfeng had tears all over his face. He laid on the table and started crying.
The people around also started getting teary-eyed, as a flame of fury burnt with intensity deep inside them.
Chu Li sighed. He knew how that kind of frustration and helplessness felt like.
Zhao Feihu looked at them helplessly. “Brother Du, sorry that you have to see this. This group of fellas is hopeless!”
Chu Li smiled and shook his head.
Zhao Feihu sighed. “It’s all my fault. I wasn’t able to kill him!”
Chu Li patted him on his shoulder. He did not know what to say to console him.
Yang Lingfeng and the rest of the people were dead drunk. They howled and cried, eventually hitting the sack on the floor.
Zhao Feihu was depressed too. He did not drink much but was nonetheless, close to getting drunk.
In the end, only Chu Li was still sober. He looked at them, wondering where he was going to sleep at later that night.
A green shadow flashed across the room. Shu Qingdie appeared again, this time donned in a green gown.
A cold smirk etched on her pretty face. “This group of useless fellas, one drink and they’re drunk. Weaklings!”
Chu Li gave her a fist salute.
“Follow me, I’ll bring you to a guest room.” Shu Qingdie wrinkled her little nose, fanning away the stench of alcohol. “I hate this smell! Hurry up, let’s go!”
Chu Li stood up and said, “Thank you, Miss Shu.”
“You’re my junior, Sister Du Qiu’s brother, so you’re considered one of us. No need to thank me.” Shu Qingdie led the way in front, walking gracefully. Her slender and curvy figure made her look like one of those Victoria’s Secret models from the world of his past life.
The two walked along the pier and ventured into the heart of the valley. After walking for a while, they stopped in front of a pavilion. “Just stay the night here. Go in there and see if it suits you.”
Chu Li entered the pavilion and got up to the second floor. There were five houses in total.
He chose one house at random. It was clean and neat. Due to it facing the South, there was adequate sunlight, and the interior of the house did not look damp at all. The blankets and bedsheets were dry and warm.
Shu Qingdie followed him into the house, leaning on the frame of the door. “If everything’s fine with you, you may stay here for a few more days. Leave when sister Du Qiu’s injuries are healed. She will need someone to accompany and take care of her.”
“Alright.” Chu Li nodded.
“Sleep earlier.” Shu Qingdie waved her hand, then left in a graceful stride.
Chu Li did not meditate nor practice martial arts that night. He had a good sleep.
Although he did not get to meet Xiao Qi, he could still feel her presence in the valley, which was why he was able to have a good night’s sleep.
When Chu Li woke up at dawn the next day, besides the chirping of birds, he could also hear vague shouting sounds. After listening closer, he could make out that there were quite a few people practicing martial arts nearby.
Chu Li pushed open the window, and the entire valley appeared right before his very eyes. Only the training ground was obstructed from his view by a forest.
A thick forest surrounded the training ground. With his Omniscient Mirror, Chu Li could see that it was almost equal in size to the one at the Martial Arts Hall in the Public House. Fifty girls were practicing sword fighting, while on the other side, sixty young men were doing the same. They were distinguished clearly into two sides.
This particular scene looked familiar to Chu Li. He felt that he was back at his school in his past life.
Such a scene would not be seen in the Public House’s training ground. Male and female Protectors would practice martial arts together, so there would not be a clear line separating them into two groups.
Chu Li enjoyed the warm morning sunlight and stretched his body.
Then, he heard knocks on the door. A man in a green shirt brought in some water and smiled. “The food is ready. Whenever you’re hungry, Brother Du, just call out for me.”
Chu Li thanked him. After he cleaned his face, he walked downstairs to the pavilion on the lake.
Su Ru sat on her bed cross-legged, cultivating martial arts.
When she saw Chu Li walking in, she opened her bright eyes. “They didn’t make you drunk last night, did they?”
“No, they didn’t. They themselves got drunk.” Chu Li smiled. “I’ll only leave after you’ve healed your injuries.”
“Really?” Su Ru’s eyes lighted up.
Chu Li smiled. “I’m currently not bound to any obligations. I’m only waiting to reunite with the Second Lady when four months have passed.”
“That’s good then.” Su Ru flashed a broad smile.
“When will Du Xia come out of isolation?”
“It’s hard to say. Could take quite a while.”
“Why don’t I lend you a helping hand, so you can heal quicker?”
“Of course not!” Su Ru waved her hand and said. “My Senior, Sister Mo sustained heavy injuries too. If I recover too quickly, they would feel very strange.”
In truth, Su Ru only wanted Chu Li to stay with her longer.
“Alright then.” Chu Li smiled. “Let me go and visit Miss Mo. I still haven’t thanked her.”
“I’ll bring you there after we have lunch,” Su Ru replied.
“I’ve met Miss Shu yesterday.” Chu Li smiled. “She’s truly an amazing person.”
Su Ru said, “Sister Shu could be considered as our eldest senior. Her martial arts are the strongest, and according to our master, she has a great chance at achieving Innate Mastery in the near future.”
Chu Li smiled and nodded.
It was logical. Snow Lunar Pavilion was quite a famed faction, and as the one person who had the strongest abilities in martial arts, Shu Qingdie was highly likely to achieve Innate Mastery. Furthermore, as a future Innate Master, she naturally had the license to take pride in her abilities.
“But Sister Shu despises men a lot, so don’t get angry at her.”
“Nah, I won’t. Since she saved your life.”
After they had lunch, they went to see Sister Mo.
Mo Ying may not have been as pretty as Su Ru, but still, she had skin as fair as snow, coupled with an oval face, a pair of almond-shaped eyes, and rosy cheeks. She looked likable.
She consumed the Spirit and Blessing Pill along with some other pills. Her injuries were almost as serious as Su Ru’s.
The three were chatting inside Mo Ying’s pavilion when they suddenly heard rapid footsteps outside. Yang Lingfeng knocked on the door and walked in. “Brother Du, that Feng Shaohua went downhill!”