“What?”
Lu Zheng’s curiosity surged. Ignoring Hu Zhou’s shy embarrassment, he grinned and urged Hu Yijun, “Tell me more?”
“The lord of Feixiong Mountain is a friend of mine. He has a daughter, also half-demon. When he heard I found Yuzhi and Zhou’er, he came to offer congratulations. By chance, his daughter and Zhou’er hit it off instantly, taking a liking to each other. They even travelled together in the mountains recently.”
Hu Yijun smiled, “I saw potential, so I had my friend ask his daughter. She didn’t object, so I took Zhou’er to propose.”
“Nice work!” Lu Zheng gave Hu Zhou a thumbs-up. “Well done!”
Hu Zhou could only scratch his head awkwardly, though his expression betrayed a hint of joy.
“Why didn’t you tell your master earlier?” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, chuckling.
Hu Zhou grew even more embarrassed, blinking, hesitant to speak.
Hu Yijun burst into laughter.
“What’s that about?” Lu Zheng asked, puzzled. Had he said something wrong?
“Because that girl has a bold personality and practices martial arts,” Hu Yijun said with a grin. “When she and Zhou’er travelled together, they often sparred. Zhou’er’s only been cultivating for a little over a year…”
“Hahaha!” Hu Yijun roared with laughter again.
Lu Zheng laughed too, surprised to discover Hu Zhou’s taste in this regard. How had he not noticed before?
As they spoke, they arrived at Dingfeng Mountain.
Dingfeng Mountain was neither steep nor peculiar, but grand and imposing, dominating the landscape. It was twice the size of the surrounding peaks.
At the eastern foot of the mountain, several villages and strongholds dotted the valley.
Hu Yijun’s cave dwelling was halfway up the eastern slope.
“Welcome back, Great King!”
A dozen figures emerged from their respective caves, shouting in unison.
“Yijun’s back.”
Wang Yuzhi greeted her husband and son on the Sunfacing Terrace, smiling, then saw Hu Yijun disperse the wind.
“Young Master Lu!”
“Lady Hu!” Lu Zheng saluted with a smile. “I ran into Brother Hu and Little Zhou on the road, so I came along to visit and get to know the place.”
“Welcome, welcome!” Wang Yuzhi’s face lit up with delight. She glanced around instinctively. “Miss Liu didn’t come?”
“No,” Lu Zheng shook his head. “I came to the Southern Border on business this time. Just here to get familiar. Next time, I’ll bring Qingyan to visit.”
“That’s wonderful!” Wang Yuzhi nodded eagerly, smiling. “Come soon. I used to think the Southern Border was just barren hills and bad waters, but after arriving, I found it has its own charm. The mountain folk may lack education, but they’re kind and simple. It’s not dull after staying long.”
“Definitely!” Lu Zheng agreed.
Seeing his promise, Wang Yuzhi pulled Hu Zhou over and looked at Hu Yijun. “What did Lord Gao say?”
“We’d settled things before. This time, they accepted the betrothal gifts. In a few days, they’ll likely come to confirm the date,” Hu Yijun replied.
“Great, great!”
Wang Yuzhi beamed at Hu Zhou, her eyes full of affection, then turned to Lu Zheng. “We planned to inform you once Zhou’er’s date was set, but this meeting is perfect timing.”
Lu Zheng smiled. “I just heard from Brother Hu about Miss Gao’s character. She sounds like a perfect match for Zhou’er!”
Wang Yuzhi’s smile widened with joy.
That night, Hu Yijun hosted a banquet, joined by several powerful demons of Dingfeng Mountain. Lu Zheng finally sensed the mountain’s true strength.
It didn’t compare to Baiyun Temple, but it far surpassed Peach Mother Sacred Mountain. There were five or six masters with over five hundred years of cultivation, two of whom seemed unfathomably powerful, not to mention Hu Yijun, presiding at the head.
By comparison, aside from Hu Zhou and Wang Yuzhi, Lu Zheng had the weakest cultivation at the banquet.
Yet he was not neglected.
Hu Zhou’s master.
Wang Yuzhi’s saviour.
Hu Yijun’s sworn brother.
A disciple of Baiyun Temple in the Great Jing Dynasty.
A young genius with two to three hundred years of cultivation.
Moreover, when Lu Zheng poured out ten jars of Wuliangye from his gourd, the demons wholeheartedly embraced him as a friend.
“Cheers!”
“Great! Bold!”
“Eat up!”
A large roasted lamb leg was placed before Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng blinked. “Hold on!”
“What?”
“Wait, let me get something.” Lu Zheng spoke, then pulled several small bottles from his gourd.
“What’s that?”
“Some dry dipping spices for barbecue. See if you like them.”
The Great Jing Dynasty had spices, and the Southern Border had its own pungent varieties. Though not abundant, there was enough for the elite.
But this was still an ancient era. Spices were plentiful but poorly circulated and not widely known.
Even Hu Yijun, lord of Dingfeng Mountain, only had local spices and the most common ones from the Central Plains, far from the best quality.
How could they compare to Lu Zheng’s carefully selected, optimally cultivated modern spices?
Like fruit, they might lack spiritual energy, but the flavour was unmatched.
Lu Zheng distributed the spices, then, under everyone’s gaze, lightly sprinkled some evenly over the lamb leg.
Mmm, perfect.
Modern spices paired with Dingfeng Mountain’s local flavours, a double delight.
Seeing Lu Zheng’s method, the others followed suit, trying it themselves.
“Great!”
“Delicious!”
“Really delicious!”
Long life didn’t always mean broad experience, so Lu Zheng’s novel spices sparked surprise and delight.
Even Hu Yijun looked at him with astonishment.
A brewer, carrying so many spices, clearly a man who enjoyed life. How did he reach such a cultivation level in so little time?
The banquet ended with both host and guests thoroughly pleased.
Hu Yijun had servants prepare a room for Lu Zheng, then dismissed the crowd. He personally led Lu Zheng to the mountaintop, accompanied by Wang Yuzhi and Hu Zhou, for a casual chat about curiosities and anecdotes.
The next day, Hu Zhou took Lu Zheng to explore Dingfeng Mountain and visit the villages below.
Hu Yijun, a tiger demon, ruled a demon stronghold, yet they didn’t treat humans as food or slaves, instead offering protection.
“After all, humans are the spirit of all things, born to think, farm, fish, hunt, and craft, while other creatures need enlightenment to do so. Even demons instinctively take human form,” Hu Zhou explained. “Of course, the Southern Border has evil sects and demonic beings who treat mountain folk as slaves or food. We’re naturally at odds with them, but neither side can overpower the other.”
Lu Zheng nodded. The Southern Border was truly chaotic.
After three days, Lu Zheng wondered if it was time to take his leave when the lord of Feixiong Mountain arrived with his daughter to return the courtesy visit.
