By the time Li Guanqi returned to Yuhu Peak with the little girl, Ye Feng and the others were already waiting for him with sullen expressions, clearly having figured out the whole story.
Seeing the alchemy cauldron in Zhong Lin's hands, Li Guanqi leaped down from his sword and burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! You really went and brought an alchemy cauldron?"
Zhong Lin grumbled with a scowl, "Weren't you the one who insisted on some hanging-pot barbecue?"
Ye Feng cursed loudly, "I've been flat broke lately! I had to steal these two chickens myself!"
Just then, Lin Dong looked at the azure spirit fish in their hands, feeling more and more uneasy the longer he stared. His voice turned dry as he asked, "You two couldn't have... stolen the spirit fish from Elder Xu's pond, could you?"
Yu Sui'an, clutching a spirit fish nearly taller than she was, chimed in, "What are you staring at? Come give me a hand~!"
The group exchanged glances and instantly broke into hearty laughter.
After that, they set to work preparing the ingredients. Watching Li Guanqi scale the fish and butcher the chickens with practiced ease, the others were somewhat astonished.
Ye Feng clicked his tongue in wonder. "Who would've guessed, Old Li? You're remarkably nimble at this."
Li Guanqi smiled faintly without saying much. Once everything was cleaned and prepped, he simply dumped the beef, mutton, and spirit birds all together into the alchemy cauldron. Gathering some dry firewood, he set a fire directly underneath.
As night fell, Li Sheng'an pulled a dozen jars of strong liquor from his storage bag.
Li Guanqi smacked his lips. "Did you just empty out your entire fortune?"
Before Li Sheng'an could answer, a faint smile curved the corner of Zhong Lin's mouth, and he said softly, "You probably don't know yet, but Li Sheng'an is famous throughout the outer sect for how diligently he works now. His cultivation has progressed quite quickly, and more importantly, his personality is completely different from when he first joined the sect."
At this, Li Sheng'an lifted a bowl of wine and said softly, "Speaking of that, I have Guanqi to thank. I used to be timid and cowardly, thinking only of protecting myself above all else. But going through that incident made me realize that respect is something you have to earn yourself."
At his words, the others nodded one after another in heartfelt agreement.
Accompanied by the crackling of firewood, a rich fragrance poured from the alchemy cauldron, and the fats sizzled as the heat roasted them out. The group sat huddled around the cauldron, while Yu Sui'an crouched on the ground, gulping down saliva.
Even Li Guanqi had not expected the cauldron to work so well for roasting meat. He had merely remembered using similar cylindrical roasters in the past and figured an alchemy cauldron was worth a shot. After all, it had fire vents underneath, which happened to be just right.
Having bustled about from daytime into the night, the group was already starving.
*Clang!*
When the lid was lifted, the aroma trapped inside billowed out instantly. Li Guanqi grabbed seasonings and showered them over the meat, bringing out an even deeper richness from the roasted flesh. He pulled out a portion of the skewered meat, leaving the rest to simmer gently over the low embers.
Without caring whether the skewers were scorching hot, the group grabbed them and began stuffing meat into their mouths. Li Guanqi handed a large skewer of beef to Yu Sui'an and cautioned, "Take your time. Watch out, it's hot."
"Hiss—ha! Hiss! Hot, hot, hot!"
"Hiss... so hot! Delicious!"
"Hiss... ha, hiss..."
They hopped and bounced all over the place like monkeys, Yu Sui'an included.
Taking a bite himself, Li Guanqi was also captivated by the tender, savory flavor. Staring at the cauldron, he rubbed his chin and murmured to himself, "Maybe... I should open a shop in the sect dining hall specializing in this?"
An instant later, he discarded the thought. Putting aside whether he had the time and energy, if his master found out, a severe beating would surely follow.
With the food ready, they began drinking. None of these youths drank much on ordinary days, but now each pretended to be a seasoned drinker. They prattled on knowingly about the qualities of the spirit wine, paying no mind to their flushed red faces.
Taking a sip, Li Guanqi looked up at the full moon hanging in the night sky and murmured softly, "Time flies so quickly. In the blink of an eye, it's been nearly a year since I came to the sect."
The rowdy group quieted down significantly, a hint of melancholy entering their gazes.
"Yeah, a year has already passed in the blink of an eye," Ye Feng sighed, turning to look at the others. "Hey, you know those mighty Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators? I hear when they enter closed-door cultivation, it routinely lasts three to five years. If they reach even higher realms, wouldn't a single session take a century or more?"
As he spoke, Ye Feng's expression grew somewhat wistful. "A hundred years of time... No wonder everyone cultivates so desperately, seeking longevity."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi nodded and said softly, "Indeed. We cultivate for longevity, longing for longevity. Living forever, coexisting with heaven and earth—who could resist such a temptation? For mortals, reaching a hundred is already ripe old age, yet right now, we can already live to two hundred in peace. Once we reach Core Formation, our lifespans can even extend to five hundred years!"
Even the usually slow-spoken Lin Dong nodded slightly, speaking with excitement, "With several centuries of life, there's so much one could do."
Zhong Lin, however, took a sip of his wine from the side and said quietly, "Across the endless expanse of years, perhaps longevity only holds meaning if the companions walking beside you are still there. Cultivating to become an immortal, climbing to the pinnacle of the Great Dao... but if the people you care about quietly fade away into the sands of time, what meaning does our long life have? Looking around, you won't even have a single person left to reminisce with about the past. Wouldn't the remaining ages just be one lonely, miserable cage after another?"
At these words, everyone fell into a deep silence.
Li Guanqi sighed softly. "True. We're only minor figures who've just stepped onto the immortal path. If things truly turn out as Zhong Lin describes, it would indeed feel rather bleak."
Ye Feng raised his wine cup and said firmly, "That's why we have to cultivate hard and keep pace with Old Li! We'll strive to climb to the pinnacle of the Great Dao together as early as possible. When that day comes, we can look back on times like this, drinking and eating meat together!"
After draining their cups, Lin Dong suddenly spoke up. "What are your dreams?"
Zhong Lin answered softly, "My dream is to become the greatest alchemist in the entire Great Xia Domain!"
Ye Feng curled his lip from the side and said, "After all this time, I only recently found out you're the young master of the alchemy clan on Mount Yuyang."
Zhong Lin grinned, looking at the blond Ye Feng, and teased, "You're the young master of Qiongtai Mountain Villa, yet you never mentioned it either. So, what's your dream?"
Ye Feng lay back on the ground, gazing up at the sea of stars with boundless ambition, waving his hand toward the sky. "I want to become a great sword immortal whose name echoes through eternity! I want to roam the entire Great Xia Domain, and even journey to other domains!"
Having said that, Ye Feng nudged Lin Dong beside him and chuckled, "What about you, Dongzi?"
The honest youth scratched his head and said, "I don't really have any big dreams. When I first entered the sect, all I wanted was for my parents back home to live well. When I returned home to visit family a while ago, I saw that my wish had come true. They're living in a new house, and my parents don't have to suffer toiling in the fields anymore. I can even fly through the sky like the immortals in my dreams. I'm already pretty satisfied."
Chapter 105