hotmtlnovel Chapter 1130 Wugensheng Reveals His Own Affinity and Forms a Sworn Brotherhood
Chapter 1130 Wugensheng Reveals His Own Affinity and Forms a Sworn Brotherhood
Wugensheng glanced at Zhou Sheng and laughed, "It's no fun just telling you like this. Let me play a game with you all."
He pointed deep into the valley: "This valley is called Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley, and the cave in front is called He Renwei Cave. Both places are safe, without any traps or mechanisms, so you can wander around freely. There is a hidden place inside the cave. Once you find it, you will naturally know who the original owner of this place was."
He held up two fingers: "Finally, I'll give everyone two hints. First, what is a person? Second, what is sincerity? The first person to find out, regardless of age, we'll all recognize him as our elder brother or sister. How about that?"
Everyone became interested upon hearing this.
Someone laughed loudly and said, "Whoever goes back on their word later is a little dog!"
Wugensheng waved his hand: "Then let's begin."
The thirty-six people dispersed and headed deeper into the cave, but the cave was too large, with crisscrossing paths that spread out like a spider web. The patterns on the stone walls were dense and intricate, flickering in the firelight, dazzling the eyes.
After exploring for a while, the group arrived at the end of the cave, where many odds and ends were piled up: old books, broken pottery jars, and even some kites, rattles, and other miscellaneous trinkets.
Xu Xin casually picked up a small windmill, spun it a couple of times, and laughed, "Wugensheng, are you a child? You're treating this like a treasure?"
Wugensheng scratched his head and said, "I liked it back then, so I kept it."
Dong Chang walked over and gently patted Xu Xin's hand: "Don't touch other people's personal belongings."
Xu Xin retorted, "I'm looking for clues about what it means to be a person and what it means to be honest!"
Dong Chang rolled his eyes at him and ignored him.
Zhang Huaiyi didn't join their bickering. He quietly examined the objects, and noticed something in front of him covered by a cloth curtain. The curtain was covered with a thin layer of dust and looked like it hadn't been touched for a long time.
He walked over and gently pulled back the curtain, behind which were several paintings.
The painting depicts a little girl wearing a dress and with two braids, dressed exquisitely and adorably, sitting on a windowsill, with sunlight streaming in from the window and falling on her face.
Zhang Huaiyi squatted down, reached out and touched the painting. Curious about the colors and the textured surface, he asked:
"What is this? It even has color! Is it a photograph?"
"Master Zhang, this is a Western painting, also called an oil painting."
The speaker was Lin Zifeng of the Flowing Cloud Sword. He stepped forward, carefully examined the painting, and said to Wugensheng:
"I didn't expect you to have such a refined taste, and even collect this."
Wugensheng walked over and said with a smile, "These are not all collected. The one that Big Ears is looking at, as well as the ones next to it, are all painted by myself."
Lin Zifeng exclaimed in surprise, "I once wanted to learn this, but it was too difficult. It's completely different from our painting style."
He picked up the painting, examined it closely, and exclaimed, "It's exquisitely painted! The little girl in the painting is also very cute. Who are all the people in the painting?"
“They all paid me to paint these,” Wugensheng said.
Lin Zifeng laughed and said, "So you used to make money from this."
As they were talking, a loud shout suddenly came from the other end of the cave:
"Wugensheng, you shameless bastard, you actually have hidden wine here?!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Feng Ping lift the lid of a jar, and the aroma of wine instantly filled the air.
Feng Ping took a sniff and said irritably, "I must say, this wine is quite old, you shameless fellow! You clearly have good wine, yet you made me use fire escape techniques to go to Shaoxing to get it. Aren't you just making fun of me? I'll open them all for you today!"
Wugensheng turned his head and saw Fengping reach out to lift the lid of another wine jar.
That was the daughter's red wine he buried when his daughter was born, but unfortunately, he never got to actually drink it.
“Brother Feng, don’t open them all! There’s no wine here!” Wugensheng said.
Feng Ping wouldn't listen and had already opened the second jar. The aroma of the wine was even stronger.
Seeing that he couldn't stop him, Wugensheng simply stopped and laughed, "We happen to have some wine. Brother Feng, do you have any more kindling? Go and get some food for everyone."
Fengping glared at him, but still used Fire Release to get food for everyone.
Another part of the cave.
Several people gathered around the ground, staring at a pair of footprints.
"Are these footprints?" someone asked.
Another person squatted down and gestured with his hand: "It is indeed a footprint, and a very large one, like a man's foot."
"Could it be related to the mystery left behind by Wugensheng?"
"What is a person... what is honesty... what can footprints prove?"
Several people discussed it amongst themselves, but no one could say for sure.
On the other side, several women huddled together.
Wei Shufen from Miao territory, Duanmu Ying, and Huang Fang from Red Flower Fairy sat on a rock and chatted about everyday life.
"Shufen, why don't you go look for clues?" Duanmu Ying asked.
Wei Shufen looked disgusted and said, "I don't care to be the big sister of these people."
As soon as she finished speaking, Huang Fang laughed: "Shufen doesn't want to be the eldest sister, Shufen wants to be someone's little wife."
"You're talking nonsense!" Wei Shufen blushed and reached out to hit Huang Fang.
Huang Fang laughed and dodged away, and the two started arguing back and forth.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing."
Seeing this, Duanmu Ying smiled and put her arms around the two of them, lowering her voice to say, "Look at the men in this cave, aren't they all heroes of the martial world? Why don't you each pick one?"
Huang Fang's eyes darted around, looking into the distance: "That Feng Tianyang is not bad."
Wei Shufen glanced at him, her gaze settling on another person: "I think Xu Xin is quite good."
After they finished speaking, they both looked at Duanmu Ying and asked, "And you? Who have you taken a fancy to?"
Duanmu Ying waved her hand: "Me? I can't. I'm engaged, so I can't just choose anyone."
"A marriage agreement?" Wei Shufen and Huang Fang both perked up at the same time. "What kind of engagement? Tell us quickly!"
"My parents chose this marriage, and I haven't had a chance to go back and meet them yet," Duanmu Ying said. "I'll go see them after this gathering and cancel this engagement."
"You turned it down? Why did you turn it down? Did you not like it?" Wei Shufen asked.
“I’ve never even met him, so it’s not a question of whether I like him or not. The main thing is that this is an arranged marriage, and I don’t want that,” Duanmu Ying said.
"That's bold! That's how it should be! We should make our own decisions about our own marriages!" Wei Shufen clapped her hands and said.
“However,” Duanmu Ying said, hands on her hips, “before turning it down, I still want to see which blind fool actually dared to propose to my family and want to marry me. Doesn’t he know my reputation?”
…………
…………
On the other side, a few people were also chatting.
Ma Ben of Tiangongtang sat side by side with Gu Jiting, each holding a wine bowl.
“Brother Gu,” Ma Ben said, “when I met you, you weren’t yet part of the Quanxing Sect, were you? Speaking of which, Brother Gu, you come from a prestigious family, so how did you end up joining the Quanxing Sect and becoming a heretic?”
Gu Qiting smiled and replied, "Actually, it doesn't matter. As long as I follow Brother Wu, that's fine. If he wants to become the leader of Quanxing, then I'll just join Quanxing."
At this moment, Zhang Huaiyi walked over and sat down next to the two of them: "By the way, Xiao Gu, that little girl named Jin Feng, you two are Wu Gensheng's two followers, one on the left and one on the right. But where is that little girl Jin Feng this time?"
He used to challenge Wugensheng to a duel, and Jinfeng was always there.
Gu Qiting said, "I definitely won't bring her when I meet with you all. Although people talk badly about her behind her back, to be honest, she's not qualified." Ma Benzai frowned upon hearing this and criticized, "Brother Ma, I have to say something to you. How can you casually belittle whether someone is qualified or not? Aren't you getting a little arrogant now?"
Gu Qiting awkwardly scratched his head: "Brother Ma, I'm really not being arrogant. It's because I know Jin Feng too well. She's fundamentally different from you and me. She follows the sect leader just to curry favor with him. But you and I get to know the sect leader or meet other people to achieve our own goals. We're not the same."
To achieve one's own goals... Zhang Huaiyi silently repeated these four words in his heart. His frequent visits to Wugensheng were indeed for the purpose of achieving his own goals.
So why did Wugensheng approach them this time? And who was he trying to help achieve this?
He raised his head and looked at Wugensheng.
Wugensheng, slightly tipsy, swayed as he held his wine bowl and said to the person beside him:
"Some of you have known me for a long time, some for a short time. But have I ever lied to any of you?"
A person next to him laughed and said, "So what if we're lying or not? In this day and age, it's already a rare treat that we can enjoy a few days of leisure in this valley with our friends. For that alone, I have to thank you."
“Yes,” another person chimed in, “I wonder when this war will end.”
The atmosphere became slightly somber when the topic of war was brought up.
At this moment, Dou Ruchang, the second-in-command of the Secret Painting Sect, spoke up: "It's almost time, everyone, the Japanese pirates are about to be defeated."
Some people questioned, "How do you know the Japanese pirates are going to be defeated? I see that the Japanese pirates are becoming more and more rampant in various places."
Dou Ruchang took a sip of wine and continued, "I can't say too much about this, but the Japanese pirates are definitely going to lose. As the saying goes, 'ducks know when the river warms in spring,' and those on the other side who have the means have already started to retreat."
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately perked up.
Some people laughed heartily, some clapped and cheered, and they all raised their wine bowls to toast the victory in advance!
After finishing a bowl of wine, Huang Fang suddenly asked, "After the war is over and the world is at peace, what do you all want to do?"
Some people say they want to get married and have kids!
Lin Zifeng said she wanted to learn Western painting.
Liu Deshui said he wanted to go abroad and see the world.
Upon hearing this, Dou Hong, the eldest of the thirty-six, who was also known as Wulou Jingang, couldn't help but reprimand him:
"You're all Qi practitioners, but look at you all, so useless! Getting married and painting, don't you have any goals for your spiritual practice?"
He turned to look at Gu Qiting: "Little Gu, how far do you want to go with this?"
Gu Jiting thought for a moment: "My goal in cultivation is to see the whole picture of all things in this world. But I just don't know where to start."
Zhou Sheng, standing nearby, laughed and said, "So what if you see it clearly? Everything in this world is different and can't escape the word 'change'. I do want to master all the changes in this world and reach Senior Brother Zhang's level."
"Big monkey, you're being too arrogant. I'm not as good as you. I just want to have medical skills like Little Celestial Master. I wish there was no one in this world I couldn't save," Duanmu Ying said.
“I want all the elves in the world to be at my disposal,” Feng Tianyang said.
“The current methods of cultivating Qi are too mentally taxing. I want to establish my own school and create a new method of cultivating Qi,” Ma Ben said.
"I don't want anything, I just want to eat and drink well and live a few more years," Ruan Feng said with a chuckle as he lay on the ground.
"Big Ears, what about you? What do you want? Do you want to obtain the Five Thunder Orthodox Method and become a Celestial Master?" Ruan Feng asked Zhang Huaiyi.
Zhang Huaiyi shook his head: "Become a Heavenly Master? I really don't have any ideas about that."
He thought to himself, "My dream is to surpass the Celestial Master, especially this current Little Celestial Master."
Of course, you can't say that.
He shifted the topic to Wugensheng: "Wugensheng, what about you? What do you really want? What level of cultivation do you want to reach?"
"Cultivation is just so-so, let it be as it may," Wugensheng said casually.
Zhang Huaiyi was very dissatisfied with his answer: "I didn't realize you were such a muddle-headed person. Let me ask you this: Wugensheng, what is it that you want most in this life?"
The thing I've wanted most in my life... Wugensheng paused for a moment, glanced at his oil paintings, and shook his head:
"It's a lifelong matter, I really can't answer that for you. I can only be sure of what I want right now, that is, for me to be with you guys, my brothers."
Zhang Huaiyi was taken aback: "This really doesn't sound like something you, Wugensheng, would say."
Wugensheng burst into laughter: "That's right! I want brothers, I want you all to be my brothers! No need to wait for later, I want you now!"
"You've had too much to drink, and your mind isn't quite clear," Zhang Huaiyi said.
Wugensheng, however, said with a serious expression: "No, I'm not drunk. I'm serious. I want real brothers and sisters, the kind of real brothers who are connected even if their bones are broken, who see each other as brothers, and who care about each other."
He straightened up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I would like to become sworn brothers with you all."
Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell into an eerie silence. Wugensheng was the leader of the Quanxing Sect. Everyone present knew what it meant to become sworn brothers with him.
Zhang Huaiyi was the first to break the silence, and he sneered, "Let whoever wants to become sworn brothers with you go ahead, but I'm not agreeing to it."
"Ugh, you're such an annoying big ear." Wugensheng laughed awkwardly.
"Is it you who hates me or me?" Zhang Huaiyi said, "To be honest, some of the people here today I already know, and some are meeting for the first time today, but everyone is quite to my liking. I'm fine with becoming sworn brothers with any of them, but I just can't become sworn brothers with you."
Wugensheng nodded: "I understand. After all, I am seen as a demon by the world."
"You know nothing! Do you even know what sworn brotherhood is? Do you even know what sworn brotherhood is?" Zhang Huaiyi cursed.
“What’s there to not understand? It’s just that you and I are sworn brothers,” Wugensheng said solemnly.
Zhang Huaiyi's words were sharp: "Brothers are bound by blood, even if our bones are broken. If you and I were to become sworn brothers, we would be sworn brothers. But what is your surname? Your surname is Wu!"
Wugensheng was speechless.
Zhang Huaiyi continued, "How could I possibly become sworn brothers with someone like you who doesn't even have a real name or background?"
Wugensheng remained silent for a moment, then looked at everyone and laughed loudly, "I do, everyone. I have a name and a surname. I am not without roots. My surname is Feng, and my given name is Yao. My name is Feng Yao!"
Then, Wugensheng recounted his origins. He was born during a famine in the Guangxu era and was adopted by an old Taoist priest. During a period of study, he gained Qi and abilities, thus embarking on the path of cultivation.
Everyone was very surprised to hear this. They did not expect that Wugensheng, who looked only seventeen or eighteen years old, was already over forty.
Huang Fang, the Red Flower Fairy, looked surprised: "But you don't look much older than me."
Wugensheng laughed and said, "My child is almost as big as yours."
Huang Fang was greatly shocked, and not only Huang Fang, but everyone else also looked incredulous.
"You already have a child?" Feng Tianyang asked curiously.
Wugensheng laughed heartily: "That's right! I not only have roots, I also have descendants!"
At this moment, the senior Dou Hong suddenly stood up and said with a serious expression, "Wu Gengsheng! Do you know what you're saying?"
The leader of Quanxing Sect revealed that he had offspring, which brought disaster upon his entire family.
Wugensheng glanced at Dou Hong, then lowered his head and said, "Big Ears is right. I, Wugensheng, am not worthy of having brothers and sisters. I want to become sworn brothers with you all, yet I keep my head down and hide my true intentions. I am truly a scoundrel."
He raised his head and said solemnly, "But what if I am not Wugensheng, but Feng Yao, a person who sees things through to the end? Can I call you 'Big Brother'?"
Dou Hong looked at him, laughed and scolded, "You brat, then I'll take you as my brother."
The eldest brother set an example, and everyone else stood up, looking at Wugensheng with serious expressions.
Wugensheng clasped his hands and bowed to the crowd: "May I, Feng Yao, now become sworn brothers with you all?"
No one spoke, but the expressions in everyone's eyes already gave the answer. (End of Chapter)