Banquet (5)

The cultivators' manners could not be called graceful as they dived into the various dishes. Jiang Shiqin calculated that in the time he ate a piece of braised duck, Su Wei had wolfed down three with lightning speed, inflated cheeks remarkably alike a squirrel happily finishing his trophy nuts. The teenager blinked at Jiang Shiqin innocently.

"Ah, brother Qin, you know us disciples are training all the time, and our food is barely enough to fill our stomachs. Sect Master Su..."

He glanced at Su Dai, who had momentarily stopped her dining, and wisely adjusted his words.

"I mean, the elders," he snatched a crispy-looking chicken wing, illusionary saliva running down the corners of his mouth, "insisted that embarking on the path of immortality means imitating the immortals as closely as possible. That also translates to rigorously disciplining the body and the mind..."

Jiang Shiqin understood immediately - this kind of magnificent feast, and most likely any other form of entertainment, was rarely held at the Thousand Blooming Lotus Sect. Nodding in apparent comprehension, he politely shifted his gaze to other sections of the table.

Among all the sects present, the inner disciples of Harmony Sect possessed the most outstanding manners. Regardless of gender, they chewed their food slowly, and the distinctive clanking sound of chopsticks was milder and rhythmic.

"Harmony Sect cultivators appear to be quite mindful of etiquette," commented Jiang Shiqin in a casual tone.

Surprisingly, it was Su Dai who responded.

"I've heard that they pay a significant amount of attention to appearance. Every single disciple who was selected, outer or not, possesses above-average looks. Aside from martial arts, they are drilled on literature, art, music and etiquette. Yuan Jia," she gestured to the proud-looking youth," is famed for his guzheng skills, and Zhou Yun Sheng," a hint of displeasure seeped into her words, "is famed for playing the dizi."

Zhou Yun Sheng... Jiang Shiqin recalled Young Master Lei's claim that he was one of Su Dai's avid admirers. He could see that this arrangement was displeasing to her.

Li Feifei looked as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately kept quiet as she glanced sideways at her silent sister.

A muffled voice continued the conversation. "What good does it do anyways? It's not as if they're gonna win against Falling Stars Sect with their artistic talents."

It belonged to Su Wei, who was still stuffing himself with food. The one-sided rivalry between Falling Stars Sect and Harmony Sect was common knowledge, and from what Jiang Shiqin had witnessed, the geniuses of Falling Stars indisputably exceeded those from the latter. Even though during the last two tournaments, Falling Stars Sect had not been the reigning sect, Harmony Sect still lost in terms of overall ranking compared to the former.

Jiang Shiqin's eyes shifted towards other disciples and eventually landed on blue-clothed cultivators seating a distance away, only to meet Fu Guanting's mirthful eyes. The Snow Serpent nodded towards Jiang Shiqin and resumed dining in an inexplicably undisturbed manner.

"I've heard that the current champion, Fu Zhiheng, has two adopted brothers," Jiang Shiqin directed his subtle inquiry to nobody in particular. He deliberately added a trace of harmless curiosity to the sentence.

The icy sensation radiated by Su Dai melted further as she answered in a knowledgeable tone. "Yes, Fu Zhihuan and Fu Guanting. They were found and raised by Elder Fu from young. Fu Zhihuan has been travelling to other lands on a special mission for three years, while Fu Guanting..." she paused. "You've probably seen him. He's Fu Zhiheng's companion in the banquet."

And an extremely... distinctive person, she complemented silently.

After carefully observing Li Airu's expression and seeing no special reaction, Jiang Shiqin hid his disappointment and lightly said, "If this Fu Zhihuan is a genius on par with his brother, he must have won the previous tournament just as beautifully."

Su Dai froze, then laughed softly. "He was powerful, no doubt about that, but not as monstrous as his younger brother. Fu Zhihuan was more proficient in the realm of knowledge, particularly swordfighting techniques and spiritual treasures."

Su Wei intercepted cheekily. "Elder Sister Dai won against him before! Such a shame you weren't there, Brother Qin, it was such a classic match, no less magnificent than Fu Zhiheng against Yuan Jia."

He proceeded to retell the fascinating story of a scholarly cultivator against the dazzling phoenix of the lotus clan, and how sparks flew between their clashed swords as they gazed into each other's heated eyes. Somehow, the youth had completely twisted a normal battle into a drama of romance and friction and the inevitably tragic ending of one person falling, regret still lingering on his wistful face.

Shuddering at the sheer egregiousness of it was impolite... Jiang Shiqin mentally reminded himself from time to time even as he displayed the perfect picture of attentiveness. Of course, he knew that most of the tale was Su Wei's exaggerated imagination, but the language used was so vivid that he could not help feeling the long-forgotten sense of repulse. For a moment, he thought that he had returned to his original world and was being forced to watch a third-rate Korean drama for the hundredth time.

When Su Wei finished his epic storytelling, Su Dai, who had been frowning the entire duration, refuted, "Wei, you're overdoing it." She instinctively cast a worried gaze on Jiang Shiqin and just as quickly dropped the action.

Su Wei shrugged. "Elder Sister Dai, you can't blame me! Literally nothing happens in the Distant Lands, not even the tension expected from a region where a bunch of powerhouses was concentrated. Cultivators always marry someone within the martial arts circle, and the most interesting incident that happens once in a while is a random disciple eloping with a mortal, or small-scale skirmishes between cultivators that are quickly handled by the great sects."

He sighed despondently. "Can't I make things more interesting once in a while?"