northernbook Chapter 61 The Night Banquet
Chapter 61 The Night Banquet
The difference between mortals and cultivators lies in their different understandings of the nature of the world.
As people age, their understanding of the world becomes increasingly rigid.
This is an important reason why cultivation should start from a young age.
With a little guidance from Luo Sifan, Jun Xiaolian's eyes lit up.
"Oh, I see!" "I understand!" "Uncle, is this what the next sentence means?"
Sometimes, just as Luo Sifan was about to speak, Jun Xiaolian would stop him, gesturing wildly, and her meaning was almost perfectly conveyed.
This left Luo Sifan, who was trying to teach for the first time, feeling a bit bored.
The introductory method of Moyunmen emphasizes embracing nature and letting the Qi flow freely. Once this is achieved, walking, sitting, and lying down are all forms of cultivation, requiring no deliberate effort.
The elders' goal was naturally to save money and resources, so as to prevent a group of newly initiated disciples from starving and competing with them for cultivation materials.
In any case, 80% of the disciples cannot survive to the Qi Refining stage, so for the sect, this is a profitable deal.
Intentionally or unintentionally, this mental cultivation method honed his Qi Refining realm to an exceptionally solid level, nourishing his body with the insights of heaven and man, and deeply enriching his mind, greatly benefiting Luo Sifan's future alchemy cultivation.
Therefore, Luo Sifan was somewhat satisfied with Xiao Yi's choice to teach Jun Xiaolian this technique.
"Is the little sister awake?"
Niannu lifted the curtain and greeted them with a light laugh.
"Are you hungry? Get up and eat."
Luo Sifan gently patted Jun Xiaolian's head and stood up.
Jun Xiaolian rubbed her stomach, her little mouth pouting, she was indeed starving.
She quickly threw off the covers, got up, tidied her clothes, jumped out of bed to put on her shoes, and even folded the bedding.
Luo Sifan watched with a smile, thinking that this child was quite easy to take care of.
The two went out hand in hand. On the table, Niannu had already prepared several large platters of food, including roast meat, stew, baked flatbread, fruit and some dairy desserts.
The vegetables and pancakes were still warm.
Two unfamiliar maids, clearly summoned by Niannu, stood by and bowed respectfully upon seeing Luo Sifan and his companion.
At Luo Sifan's prompting, Jun Xiaolian happily sat down to eat, and didn't forget to thank her sisters repeatedly.
Luo Sifan casually picked up a spirit fruit and chewed on it while sitting to the side.
"Niannu, when will your Miss Qianxiu be back?"
Luo Sifan looked out the window and saw that dusk was falling. He asked Niannu a question.
Niannu winked at him, and Luo Sifan felt a little strange. He followed Niannu to the tent entrance.
"Young master, Miss is having a banquet in the main tent. She specifically instructed me to invite you over for drinks and to introduce you to some of her colleagues."
Niannu leaned closer and whispered to Luo Sifan.
Under the moonlight, Niannu's face was shrouded in a thin mist, and her eyes were bright as water.
"oh?!"
Luo Sifan felt a little uneasy and glanced back at Jun Xiaolian, who was feasting in the tent.
"Young master, please do not worry. I have already instructed my two younger sisters to take good care of this little sister. The banquet should not take long."
Niannu's voice was soft and gentle.
Luo Sifan had a very good impression of her and couldn't find a reason to refuse.
After greeting Jun Xiaolian, Luo Sifan followed Niannu out of Lin Qianxiu's camp.
On the makeshift street, the patrolling soldiers watched the two walk by silently, without anyone coming up to disturb them.
The two headed north, and along the way, Niannu kept introducing the places they passed to Luo Sifan, seemingly in high spirits.
Luo Sifan touched his face, secretly pleased, deeply appreciating the advantages of having unparalleled good looks.
Alone with his beloved under the moon, even the usually aloof Niannu unconsciously became a chatterbox, trying to leave a good impression on him.
A large, hanging tent, resembling a jeweled dome, facing south, drew closer. It was even larger than Lin Qianxiu's main tent, with its doors rolled up, illuminating the area brightly.
The wooden pillars served as a fence, and a group of soldiers at the gate, clad in armor and carrying spears, stood there in a rather imposing manner. They glanced at Niannu, but without asking any questions, let the two of them enter.
Inside the tent, two long tables were filled with scholars and military officers, drinking and chatting, creating a lively atmosphere.
As Luo Sifan and Niannu entered the tent, the room quieted down considerably, and everyone around the long table turned their gazes to follow them.
Luo Sifan smiled broadly, not wanting to neglect Lin Qianxiu's colleagues.
However, when he glanced around, he didn't see a single familiar face, not even a glimpse of Lin Qianxiu's clothes.
The tent flap behind them unexpectedly closed.
A burly man sitting at the main table was whispering to a servant. He turned his head with a smile. He had a fair face and a light beard, and he exuded an imposing presence without anger. Although he had changed into brocade robes and casual clothes, Luo Sifan still remembered him vividly.
Who else could it be but Mu Yuansheng?
Luo Sifan's heart sank, and he glanced at Niannu.
The woman's face was as cold as a statue, and she kept moving. Luo Sifan could only see the flickering light in her eyes.
With a sigh, Luo Sifan stopped with her a few feet away from Mu Yuansheng's seat.
"Very good! You can leave now!"
Mu Yuansheng raised his hand, as if brushing off dust, to signal to Niannu.
She stood up with eager eyes, as if Luo Sifan was the only person in her sight.
"Brother Lin! Come here quickly and sit with me!"
Niannu turned and walked away, her beautiful eyes lowered, not wanting to meet Luo Sifan's gaze.
She bit her lower lip tightly with her silver teeth, and the resentment in her eyes was completely visible to Luo Sifan, who was calm and composed at this moment.
"Take good care of my little sister!"
The two brushed past each other, and Luo Sifan only had time to whisper a word of advice to her.
Luo Sifan spoke softly, and Niannu's back trembled. She quickened her pace and left in the blink of an eye.
Luo Sifan turned around with a smile on her face, but inwardly she was a little devastated by her own assessment of her looks.
"Brother Mu! It's been a long time!"
Luo Sifan lifted his robe and sat down to Mu Yuansheng's right, and a servant brought over a chair.
On the silver platter on the table were delicacies, mostly steamed and roasted spirit beasts. Luo Sifan didn't stand on ceremony and tore them off in his hands to start eating.
A strange expression flashed across Mu Yuansheng's face, but it disappeared in an instant before he regained his composure and raised his cup with a flourish:
"Brothers! This young man, Lin Xiaozhi, is a genius alchemist whom I met just yesterday! We hit it off immediately, and he accepted my invitation to the banquet. Brothers, keep a close eye on him; from now on, he will be like a younger brother to me! Do not treat him with disrespect!"
The high-ranking military officers and important figures in the shogunate on both sides of the long table, of course, knew better than to stand up and offer toasts from afar, flattering the officials.
Luo Sifan stood up gracefully, thanked him in a circle, and drank two cups of wine.
The excitement had died down. Mu Yuansheng pulled Luo Sifan to sit down, and anyone who tried to squeeze in to chat was repelled by Mu Yuansheng's eyes.
"Brother Lin! I must say, I, Mu, misjudged you!"
Mu Yuansheng, emboldened by the alcohol, became even more arrogant.
"How so?"
Luo Sifan glanced at him sideways.
"Brother! I never expected you to be so much better than Lin Qianxiu! That woman! She's completely impervious to reason, neither soft nor hard tactics! As her senior brother, I've been doing this for decades and I still can't find a way to flatter her!"
With red eyes, Mu Yuansheng recounted his grievances, his voice full of emotion and genuine feeling.
He even patted Luo Sifan on the shoulder.
That force was truly immense; even Luo Sifan's innate sword body suddenly sank, a murderous intent rising within him.
Luo Sifan quickly pressed down on him; Mu Yuansheng was someone he couldn't afford to offend.
Mu Yuansheng's eyes flickered, but his words flowed smoothly without stopping.
"You know Lin Qianxiu, and so do I. Brother Mu, aren't you afraid she'll come knocking on your door and tear down your tent?"
Luo Sifan picked up his wine glass, enduring the pain in his shoulder, a glint of sword light flashing in his eyes, and asked Mu Yuansheng without any politeness.
Luo Sifan was quite confident about his position and value in Lin Qianxiu's heart.