With the three Tu sisters departed, Lu Zheng and the others naturally prepared to leave as well.
They brought no one else. Even Yue Honghai was left behind. The three soared on clouds and mist towards the southern border.
White clouds drifted lazily under a vast clear sky. The three stood hand in hand atop the clouds, overlooking the land below. A gentle breeze blew. Their view was filled with green and yellow. They crossed Ling Mountain, passed through Lingnan, and entered the southern border. There, the boundless ten thousand great mountains stretched wild and vast, as if still in midsummer.
Even without hurrying, they reached Dingfeng Mountain by evening.
“Master! Mistress!”
“Brother Lu!”
“Brother Hu! Long time no see. How have you been?”
The three arrived on clouds without concealment, so Hu Yijun spotted them early. He rose on the wind with his wife. Hu Zhou and his wife also activated their wind-controlling banners to welcome them.
“Brother Lu has come early. There are still three days until the eighth of the tenth month.” Hu Yijun laughed.
“Then we will impose on Dingfeng Mountain a few more days. Last time’s drinking seemed unfinished.” Lu Zheng laughed.
Hearing the demons below cheer loudly, Hu Yijun glared at them irritably. Then he pulled Lu Zheng over, and together they descended, flying into the great hall below.
The evening naturally involved much toasting and heavy drinking.
The next day, they toured near Dingfeng Mountain. On the morning of the third day, Hu Yijun brought two great demons, plus Hu Zhou and Gao Junyu, five in total. Together with Lu Zheng’s three, they continued deeper into the ten thousand great mountains.
“Lord Gao and his wife are not coming?” Lu Zheng asked.
Hu Yijun shook his head. “Feixiong Mountain has no ties with Phoenix Mountain. They have never interacted before, and Gao Xiu is not skilled at socialising.”
Lu Zheng nodded in understanding.
Hu Yijun could bring Gao Xiu to Si Lingxi’s birthday banquet, but Gao Xiu herself had little interest.
Gao Junyu was a bit nervous. “I wonder how many people will attend Palace Master Si’s birthday banquet?”
Hu Yijun laughed. “Do not be nervous. Many will come to pay respects at the mountain, but few will qualify to ascend and enter Phoenix Hall. Moreover, Palace Master Si has a detached personality. No one dares act wildly on her territory.”
Hu Yijun’s subordinate general, the black tiger demon Hu Dalu, interjected. “Palace Master Si is a rare cultured demon, proficient in all arts of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The mountain folk and commoners within thousands of li of Phoenix Mountain live well. Her subordinate demons are all very obedient. Our Tiger King is considered one of the rare governing demon kings in the southern border, which is why…”
“Cough cough!” Hu Yijun cleared his throat twice, interrupting Hu Dalu. “The demons under Phoenix Mountain are mostly sky creatures, and the phoenix is king of all birds. So at least seventy percent of banquet attendees will be flying birds.”
“A gathering of a hundred birds!” Gao Junyu exclaimed.
“Hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix!” Hu Yijun nodded. Then Hu Dalu beside him sighed. “Who knows when our great king will achieve a hundred beasts paying homa… mmmph…”
Everyone laughed. Hu Yijun removed the whirlwind blocking Hu Dalu’s mouth and said irritably, “If you do not speak, no one will take you for a mute.”
Hu Yijun was certainly not weak, but as Lu Zheng’s cultivation rose, he could gradually gauge Hu Yijun’s approximate strength. It was probably similar to the old beggar Liu Zong from the Tiandun Sect, perhaps slightly stronger.
Such strength was sufficient to found a sect and dominate a region, but achieving a hundred beasts paying homage to the tiger was wishful thinking. Si Lingxi was far stronger than him, which meant the Lingxi King at her level was also much stronger.
Hu Dalu scratched his head. “I just… um… as Young Master Lu said, this is just a beautiful aspiration, right?”
“First memorise the Six Dynasties Records, Jade Nine Chapters, and Rongzi’s Sayings before quoting literature to me!” Hu Yijun said.
Hu Dalu was shocked. “Make me read books? That would kill me. Are those the three books you placed in the great hall? Just looking at them would take me a year?”
Hu Yijun glanced at him sideways. “Those are the tables of contents.”
Hu Dalu: ???
…
The group chatted and laughed as they flew. By that afternoon, they reached the Phoenix Mountain territory.
“Phoenix Mountain is three hundred li ahead.” Hu Yijun pointed to a distant chain of mountains. “But Palace Master Si’s birthday banquet begins tomorrow. We will rest here tonight and go over tomorrow.”
“Good!” Lu Zheng nodded. The group descended from the clouds, casually choosing a small hill to settle.
“We will first…”
Hu Yijun had just spoken when he saw Lu Zheng pat his gourd. Several black metal poles emerged, along with large amounts of fabric, ropes, pegs, and such. With a wave and spell, these transformed in breaths into three massive tents.
Then tables, chairs, tea sets, barbecue grill, marinated meat, vegetables, fruits, wine jars… flew out from the gourd in a stream, growing in the wind and filling the open space before the tents.
Hu Yijun: “…”
Hu Dalu laughed heartily, completely unreserved. He grabbed a wine jar, unsealed it, and poured a large gulp into his mouth. “Refreshing!”
Lu Zheng grinned wryly. This was 52-proof Wuliangye. Hu Dalu’s gulp was at least half a jin. Such a person should be sent to the modern world for PR drinking. He could definitely serve clients comfortably.
Seeing Lu Zheng light the barbecue grill, strings of beef, chicken wings, and kidneys on skewers, aroma spreading everywhere. Hu Zhou and Gao Junyu already gathered around Lu Zheng, swallowing saliva. Hu Yijun could not help shaking his head with a smile.
“You young people really know how to enjoy yourselves.” Hu Yijun sat unceremoniously in a chair and snatched a wine jar from another demon general’s hand.
“Daily travel is hard enough. When resting, why not relax properly? Even ordinary people seek inns to stay.” Lu Zheng smiled as he turned the beef skewers, sprinkling cumin.
Hu Zhou and Gao Junyu inhaled deeply. So fragrant… this exact flavour. Truly missed…
Liu Qingyan found it amusing. She took spiced beef jerky from her bracelet. “Barbecue will take a while. Try this? The aftertaste is quite fragrant too.”
Gao Junyu swallowed. She nudged Hu Zhou. Hu Zhou grinned and reached out unreservedly. “Thank you, mistress!”
The two demon generals naturally would not compete with the young master for beef jerky. They could only wait dry-mouthed for Lu Zheng’s barbecue. As another pinch of pepper went on, the aroma filled the air.
Checking the heat, Lu Zheng finally sprinkled chilli powder, then lifted nearly ten jin of skewers onto several iron plates on the nearby table.
“Come, come. No need for politeness!”
“Heh heh heh, then Old Hu will not stand on ceremony!”
Hu Dalu had just rubbed his hands when he saw Hu Yijun suddenly turn back, looking south.
Then everyone sensed it and turned together. They saw two streaks of light, one red and one white, streak across the sky. In moments, they stopped above the peak, revealing two elegant beauties.
Their gazes focused on Lu Zheng, flashing curiosity. Then they said, “By Palace Master’s order, we invite Young Master Lu Zheng and party to ascend the mountain.”
