Seeing my uncle’s condition, his craving for alcohol had resurfaced.
Yunxia Gu gave him a look, “Brother Tang, you should drink less. Drinking so much every day, how can your body handle it!”
Uncle, however, laughed heartily, poured himself a cup, and took a sip. “Yunxia, you wouldn’t understand. Alcohol is the essence of grains; the more you drink, the younger you become. Besides, I have a nickname: the Southwest Tumbler…”
Hearing my uncle’s words, I didn’t laugh aloud. My uncle had a good capacity for drink, but he called himself the “Southwest Tumbler”? He really had no shame when he bragged. At least ten days a month, he would be completely insensible from drinking…
Yunqing Zhenren chuckled a few times. He also poured himself a cup. “Brother Huxiao, a toast to you.”
Uncle accepted every drink. He had no other hobbies but drinking.
Soon, the dishes arrived. It was quite a feast, with over ten dishes. As everyone was eating, they chatted about the Daoist Alliance Assembly.
The door was pushed open, and Old Mo appeared at the doorway with a smile. “My apologies, I was fixing the car. I’m late.”
“Old Mo, over here!” I pointed to the empty seat next to me.
Old Mo nodded and walked over directly. “Little Mo, didn’t we say we were having lunch to welcome your aunt and Yunqing Zhenren? How could you be late? First, penalize yourself with three cups.”
Uncle spoke sternly. When it came to drinking, Uncle was always decisive. He understood the culture of drinking thoroughly…
Old Mo didn’t argue. He downed three cups of baijiu with gulps.
After that, Uncle paid us no mind. He kept chatting and drinking with Yunqing Zhenren. One cup, two cups, as if drinking water. Yunqing Zhenren couldn’t withstand Uncle’s onslaught. Less than twenty minutes after the meal began, he was already feeling unwell. His eyes were red, and he looked tipsy.
At this moment, Uncle poured Yunqing Zhenren another cup. Yunqing Zhenren shook his head and said, “Brother Huxiao, although you’ve known my junior sister for many years, we truly met too late! To tell you the truth, this Daoist Alliance Assembly is definitely a grand event in recent years. For the younger generation, it’s also a great opportunity. If they grasp it well, the rewards will be so great they’ll make the major powers envious. If the young ones seize this chance, they can definitely advance several steps!”
Yunqing Zhenren spoke very loudly. I, Old Mo, and Qiu Xi all heard him. At this moment, we all instinctively looked towards Yunqing Zhenren. Yunxia Gu also became curious. Yunqing Zhenren was the Grand Elder of the Qingcheng Sect and a high-ranking member of the Daoist Alliance. He knew far more insider information than Yunxia Gu.
Uncle was stunned for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Brother Yunqing, what kind of great opportunity is this? Tell me about it.”
Yunqing Zhenren, having drunk too much, let out a burp. “This year, all the younger generation participating in the Alliance Assembly will undergo a simple trial test. Based on their results, they will be awarded corresponding spiritual herbs and pills. Don’t underestimate these simple spiritual herbs and pills; they are absolutely top-grade. After taking them, they can help improve cultivation. You all know this, but don’t spread it around! The outside world doesn’t know yet; this is a special program for this Alliance Assembly…”
The three of us juniors were a little excited to hear about such good things. After all, who would dislike having lower cultivation?
But besides these, Yunqing Zhenren continued, “This isn’t the main event, though. I, I’ll tell you, Brother Huxiao.”
“Brother Yunqing, please proceed!” Uncle held his wine cup, continuing to listen.
Yunxia Gu didn’t treat us as outsiders and didn’t stop Yunqing Zhenren. Yunqing Zhenren, getting heated, took another sip of wine. “Although the Daoist traditions have developed now, and there is outward peace, in reality, all the sects are secretly competing. This Alliance Assembly, besides dealing with the rise of the three evil cults, will also feature a grand gamble among the major powers. The Daoist world, with over a dozen factions participating, will each present a rare treasure, ranging from secret techniques, magical artifacts, to pills. The content will be a grand martial arts competition among the disciples of the younger generation. Whoever wins will get the treasures. Brother Huxiao, do you think this is a great opportunity for the younger generation?”
Yunqing Zhenren, tipsy, finished speaking. Hearing this, Old Mo and I exchanged glances. The Alliance Assembly actually had a grand competition among the younger generation? And it was the content of a gamble between the major powers? This was truly lively. However, we just listened and weren’t particularly moved. Uncle had clearly stated that some attention-seeking should be avoided whenever possible.
Yunqing Zhenren continued to mumble. He mostly spoke about the minor conflicts between their Qingcheng Sect and a few other sects. Who had slandered their sect privately? Who hadn’t contributed their fair share during the last exorcism, and so on. It truly echoed the saying, where there are people, there is a Jianghu. Conflicts and grudges appear in every circle, and the circle of cultivators is no exception.
After the meal, we helped Yunqing Zhenren back to the hotel. Yunxia Gu and Qiu Xi stayed at the hotel to rest. When we got downstairs, Uncle was still as if nothing had happened, picking his teeth. “Still the Senior Disciple Brother of Qingcheng Sect, and he’s already knocked out with this much to drink. Little Qin, Little Mo, come back to the shop and drink two more jin with me!”
Old Mo shook his head, his face full of fervor. “No, Master. I need to cultivate. By the time of the Alliance Assembly, I want to dominate the arena and achieve the position of the strongest among the younger generation, bringing glory to our sect.”
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Uncle slapped him on the head. “Glory my foot! Keep a low profile, keep a low profile. All the sects have deep foundations. This generation of disciples has many prodigies. So, don’t even think about showing off.”
Being reprimanded by Uncle like this, Old Mo, feeling wronged, stopped talking. I also wasn’t very interested in drinking. I made an excuse and returned to the shop. As soon as I reached the doorway, a familiar Mercedes sedan smoothly stopped right in front of my shop…