The waiter bowed again, slipping a brush and paper onto the table. "What may I bring, honored guests?"
The man in white leaned forward, his sleeve brushing against the table as he picked up the brush. His calligraphy flowed in smooth, practiced strokes, each character elegant as though written for show rather than necessity. He wrote four characters: pear blossom wine and steamed river prawns. Sliding the sheet toward the waiter, he smiled faintly. "Bring the finest jar you have… and a plate of these. Fresh, if possible."
Xiu Mei glanced at Shi Yang, then spoke softly, "Lotus root soup. And stir-fried greens with garlic."
Han Jie didn't wait her turn. "Braised pork belly, spicy beef, and two plates of steamed dumplings."
The stranger chuckled, eyes glinting with amusement. "A hearty appetite."
Shi Yang took the brush last. His strokes were efficient, practical, without flourish. "Duck with plum sauce. Grilled river fish. And rice enough for the table."
The waiter read the sheet once more, then bowed deeply. "At once."
As he left, the air around the table seemed to grow warmer. Steam drifted from passing trays, filling their booth with scents of pepper, ginger, and simmered broth. The restaurant bustled around them, but in their little corner, time felt slowed, the four of them enclosed by shadows and lantern glow.
The stranger rested his chin on one hand, eyes flicking over each of them in turn. "So," he said lightly, "a group such as yours rarely appears in this city. Three young cultivators, traveling together, and already drawing attention wherever you step. How… curious."
His tone was playful, but beneath it lay something sharper, probing.
Shi Yang's gaze met his evenly. He reached for the empty cups the waiter had left, pouring tea into each one before replying. "Curiosity is a dangerous habit, fellow daoist. Sometimes it leads to fortune… other times to trouble."
The man in white laughed softly, lifting his cup in an easy salute. "Then let us drink to fortune, and leave trouble to the streets."
The cups clinked. Their first sip passed in silence, broken only when the waiter returned carrying two trays heavy with dishes. Plates of steaming food spread across the table—duck gleaming with glaze, beef simmering in red peppers, fish crisped and fragrant with ginger, pork belly shining with caramelized fat. The jar of pear blossom wine was set in the center, its pale aroma already drifting.
Xiu Mei's eyes widened despite herself. Han Jie snatched the chopsticks the moment they were set down, though she pretended indifference.
Shi Yang allowed himself the faintest smile. He poured the first round of wine, the pale liquid glowing like spring water beneath the lanterns.
"Eat," he said, his voice low but carrying across the booth, as he saw the waiter return with the final dish. "Tonight is for strength, not for caution."
And with that, the feast began.
The stranger's river prawns arrived at last, arranged neatly on crushed ice, their shells glistening as though still alive. He reached for one with languid grace, plucking it free and dipping it into the sauce.
Shi Yang picked up his chopsticks, scooping rice into his bowl before reaching across the table. He broke apart a piece of the duck and placed it in front of Xiu Mei without a word. She blinked, then smiled faintly and returned the gesture with a slice of lotus root.
Han Jie, not to be outdone, speared a dumpling and dropped it into Shi Yang's bowl. "Eat. You need the protein," she muttered, though her ears flushed faintly red.
The stranger laughed softly, watching the exchange as he peeled another prawn. "How enviable," he said smoothly. "To be surrounded by such attentive companions. Many would trade fortunes for this kind of loyalty."
Shi Yang ignored the barb, turning instead to pour the wine. Pale liquid shimmered into their cups, its fragrance light but intoxicating.
He raised his own cup. "To strength," he said simply.
The four of them drank, and the feast truly began—chopsticks darting, bowls clinking, shared bites traded without hesitation. Duck, fish, dumplings, greens—plate after plate diminished beneath their hunger.
Steam curled upward, mingling with the faint haze of wine. Conversation, tentative at first, began to flow more easily as the table grew warm with food and drink.
The stranger leaned forward, voice slurred but eyes alight with a strange fire.
"You lot don't know real danger until you've stood between a Gold Core grandmaster and a beast at the peak of the Foundation Realm. I—ha!—was right there, trapped in the middle. One strike from the grandmaster split the heavens, another roar from the white tiger nearly split me in half!"
He slammed his cup down, splashing wine across the table.
"Tell me, how many men can boast of surviving such a thing?"
The table went quiet. His words carried a certain weight, but his stumbling tongue left doubt hanging in the air. Was it truth—or just the drunken rambling of another nameless wanderer?
Shi Yang's lips curled faintly. He lifted his cup, regarding the man over the rim.
"Quite the tale… but it's full of holes, isn't it?"
The stranger blinked, then narrowed his eyes.
"And how would you know, Yin… Yang Shi?"
Shi Yang chuckled, shaking his head.
"Not Yin Yang Shi. It's Yin Shi Yang."
For a moment the man just stared. Then he burst out laughing so hard he nearly toppled over.
"Hah! Yin Yang Shi suits you better! Names call destiny, they say. If you put Yin and Yang at the start, perhaps the heavens themselves will bless you!"
Shi Yang laughed with him, thick with wine and amusement.
"Very well. If trouble ever comes hunting me, I'll call myself Yin Yang Shi—the future Nascent Soul, no less!"
Cups clashed, wine spilled, and laughter rolled across the table, rising and falling like the tide.
"And I," the man declared, puffing his chest, "shall be Wei Kunshan—the one… the one… eh, what were we talking about again?"
Shi Yang tilted his head, feigning thought.
"I think you said something about covering half the bill with me."
Wei Kunshan blinked, then tapped his pouch with drunken conviction.
"I was joking with you… I'll pay for the meal like I said."
Shi Yang smirked.
"Hahaha—you almost had me there. But didn't you mention something about Nascent Soul? If you don't mind me asking, what realm are you in now?"
Shi Yang's tone was casual, but the curiosity behind it was genuine.
"I'm close to breaking through the second minor realm of Qi Refinement," Shi Yang replied. "All I need is a fortunate encounter—or a place where pure natural Qi aligns with my Dao."
"Wow…" Wei Kunshan murmured, eyes widening. "That's impressive. If you manage that breakthrough, you'll have a few more centuries ahead of you—so long as you're not nearing the end of your lifespan already."
Shi Yang arched a brow.
"The end of my life? Look at me—I still look like I'm in my prime."
Wei Kunshan chuckled, shaking his head.
"Looks don't decide how close you are to death. Qi keeps us fresh, nothing more. But once your body can't hold it anymore, you'll begin to wither. In a decade or two you'd be halfway into your grave—regressing into a mortal old man before the earth swallows you whole."
Blink.
Is that true? Shi Yang thought, his mind churned. Wait, how old am I in this world? Cultivators in the first stage of refinement live from fifty to seventy years if they're careful and take care of themselves. In the second stage that shoots up to three hundred or a little more.... This is the stage I'm on, and I know this body is over three hundred, but if that's true....
His eyes widened. I could be nearing my physical deadline. He touched the bridge between his mouth. Fuck, fuck, I don't want to suddenly get old and dead in a few years.
Xiu Mei and Han Jie both looked at his pale expression. "What's the matter, fellow daoist Shi? Don't tell me you're already near your limit. But you don't have to worry, you're still in your youthful prime, so you have a decade before your physical health deteriorates," Wei Kunshan asked, clinking his wine cup. "If you weren't just boasting about being close to your breakthrough, all you need is one final push. And we can all travel into the wilderness in search of adventure for you to break your bottleneck."
"Then you'll owe me a drink," he laughed, drinking from his cup and refilling it again.
"Don't worry, uncle Shi," Xiu Mei spoke. "We'll definitely have you overcome this obstacle." Han Jie stared his way, and nodded. "For the first time I definitely agree with your nephew."
"If we can find even a thinning Qi vein, then I can set up a Grade 7 Beginner Formation: Qi Gathering Circle, and a few other lesser-grade four supporting formations to gather it around you."
Shi Yang looked at them then smiled. "You guys are the best."
They laughed, as their cups filled and their bellies full. "Cheers!!!!"
Clink!
In this world of swordsmen, qi, and cultivation, I'll continue to grow. I'll meet any obstacle head-on, survive any tragedy... and claim even more beauties to my side. With Xiu Mei, Han Jie...
And?
His vision was dark...
"Fellow daoist Yin..."
Mmmh. Shi Yang's eyes opened, and the darkness of his pavilion room met him as he ruffled under the sheets. The faint pressure of something pressed onto him, anchoring him through the night.
"It's been so long since I've truly been myself," a blurry figure spoke, unraveling their robes from their shoulders. They pressed themselves onto his chest, fingers gently caressing his jawline as they ground against his long pole.
Who... He blinked, trying to make out the figure, but he couldn't as they captured his lips. So… soft… he couldn't help but think as his tongue entangled with the invader's. The kiss lasted less than a second, as they then pulled back and sat upright on his rising dragon.
"Can you please keep this a secret," the figure said, as their fingers went back to their own chest. Shffft, shffft, he heard something shifting. "If you can, I promise we'll have lots more fun."
They whispered, but he couldn't shake off the familiarity of that voice. Then it happened—the wind blew his curtains and moonlight spilled into his chambers. "Wei Kunshan!!?"
He couldn't help but call out, as the light bathed over her half-exposed body. Yes, not his body—but hers, as the newfound light contoured her pale shoulder and face he could finally see what it was she had been unraveling.
His eyes met her large unbandaged mounds, his breath hitched, as he witnessed the peak of maturity. With rosy flesh so large he'd fear his face would suffocate if placed between.