Chapter 109: Chapter 101: Always a Wind or Two in the Mortal World

Feng Bei was unaccustomed to it at first, a hint of panic and awkwardness visible on her usually cold face. But after a few rounds of drinks, amidst the clinking of cups, the others were no longer afraid of Feng Bei’s Omen. They came one after another to express their thanks, grateful to Miss Feng Bei for taking care of the young master. With all the back-and-forth, Feng Bei gradually grew accustomed to this sort of "liveliness."

Zizi, Bobo, and Pingping also proposed a few toasts, sipping lightly. While they verbally thanked Miss Feng Bei for taking care of the young master, seeing him and Feng Bei so close made them feel a pang of jealousy, giving them the mistaken impression that their own positions were in jeopardy.

Zheng Xiu kept switching accounts, only to realize halfway through that he had shot himself in the foot.

Throughout the reunion feast, he switched accounts back and forth more than ten times. Most people were too busy drinking merrily to notice, but Zizi and the others grew curious, wondering if the food didn’t agree with the Master’s stomach, causing him to have frequent runs.

The detail-oriented Jing Xuemei subtly probed Zheng Erniang, asking if the relationship between the Master and the Young Master wasn’t actually all that harmonious.

Zheng Erniang was busy running cover for him at every turn, frazzled and overwhelmed.

When Feng Bei saw Zheng Er return, she smiled and put another piece of braised pork in Zheng Xiu’s bowl.

Zheng Xiu felt like the food was already up to his throat. The sight of the braised pork nearly made him vomit. But when Feng Bei saw that the young man wouldn’t eat, she stubbornly brought the piece of meat right to his mouth and said, "Hurry up and eat."

Her posture suggested that if he uttered a single word of refusal, she would take off her gloves.

Zheng Xiu ate it with tears in his eyes, swearing that one day, he would have a proper showdown with Feng Bei.

In any case, the reunion feast had a harmonious atmosphere. A few of the old family retainers got so plastered they had to be carried out of the Zheng Residence. Of course, leaving the Zheng Residence horizontally wasn’t a shameful affair; on the contrary, it was a sign of great fortune.

Zheng Xiu once again used the "gotta pee" excuse to slip away and log on to his main account. Taking advantage of the fact that almost everyone was drunk, he finally stood up to propose a toast.

The way of business was to say the right thing to the right person, and if that person was a ghost, you still said the right thing. It all boiled down to a single word: pretense. And so, when he came to the Top Divine Hunter, Guo Zifei, Zheng Xiu said apologetically, "The Zheng Clan has troubled Detective Guo a great deal over the years. Please continue to bear with us in the future!"

The unspoken implication was that they would dare to do it again.

Guo Zifei accepted the toast with a sigh. One had to give face to the Richest Person, after all. Just look at Jiang Gaoyi, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice. After a few too many drinks, he was sobbing in his wife’s arms, recounting the legendary tale of the hardships he and Marquis Zheng had endured together in prison. If even Jiang Gaoyi was like this, how could Guo Zifei possibly refuse?

In short, the Zheng Clan’s reunion feast was drawing to a close amidst a joyous and harmonious atmosphere.

The moon was high in the sky, the wine was flowing freely, and the atmosphere was at its peak when someone started pounding on the Zheng family’s gate.

Zheng Xiu, exhausted from switching accounts, had no intention of dealing with it. But the whistling was urgent, and the visitor was none other than one of Ye Weiyang’s Constellations.

Members of the Brotherhood were taking turns on duty. Having assumed other identities, they were feasting heartily at the reunion table, planning to get their fill before changing into their gear for the next shift. Hearing the secret signal, the Brotherhood assassins at the table exchanged confused glances, unsure of the visitor’s intentions.

"Xi’er, what’s with you Ye Weiyang people? Don’t you have any tact?"

One of the women next to her asked, secretly poking her in the ribs.

"Ahem! Don’t be ridiculous. What does Ye Weiyang’s business have to do with me, Xi’er? I’m not even on duty right now!" Xi’er tried her best to distance herself from her "Yue Yan" identity, sneaking a glance at Dou Xie and Bi Shui.

Dou Xie’s mouth was glistening with grease, and Bi Shui kept stealing glances at the handsome Young Master Zheng. When Yue Yan’s gaze drifted their way, they were just as baffled as she was.

Logically, thanks to Feng Bei’s efforts, the relationship between Ye Weiyang and the Zheng Family was now ambiguous enough that conflict should have been unlikely.

’This shouldn’t be happening.’

Soon, word spread, and the family members learned that it was Xu Shu, one of Ye Weiyang’s Twenty-Eight Constellations, who was rudely pounding on the gate.

SWOOSH!

Every head in the room swiveled to stare at Dou Xie. A few of the drunker guests had a hint of killing intent in their eyes.

Feeling guilty, Xi’er lowered her head and shoveled rice into her mouth.

Dou Xie wanted to cry but had no tears left. "What does this have to do with me?! Is there no justice in this world?!"

Xi’er immediately jumped in and berated Dou Xie, "How could you Ye Weiyang people do this!"

Hearing this, Bi Shui snorted with laughter.

Both Dou Xie and Bi Shui were wearing Cloud-Sleeved Star-Concealing Robes, which made them stand out like "traitors" among the Zheng family.

But Bi Shui was a Spirit Binder, and the whole family knew she had saved the Second Lady’s life. As a benefactor of the Zheng Family, she was treated as a guest of honor. No one dared to provoke Feng Bei. And everyone knew Xi’er was their agent who had infiltrated Ye Weiyang.

That just left Dou Xie. Outside, Xu Shu was tactlessly ruining the mood of the reunion feast. Dou Xie had a scar on his face and didn’t exactly look like a good guy to begin with. Who else were they going to glare at?

"Miss Feng Bei! He’s here for you!"

The truth quickly came to light: Xu Shu was here for Feng Bei.

Feng Bei, who seemed to have become addicted to piling food in the young man’s bowl, glanced at the small mountain she had created there. With a sigh, she put down her chopsticks and went outside. Xu Shu was standing at the gate, his face dark. He pointed at a Raven hovering outside, too afraid to enter, and explained that something major had come up. It was a mission that required Feng Bei to go personally.

"We’ll talk tomorrow."

Feng Bei gave a slight nod, her tone indifferent. After saying this, she turned to leave.

"Wait! Upper Three, this mission was personally assigned by the Night Lord! Are you really going to—"

"I will only say this once. We’ll talk tomorrow."

Feng Bei smiled faintly and took off one of her gloves, revealing a pale palm.

Xu Shu fell silent, not daring to mention it again.

No one could stop her from enjoying this reunion feast. ’Whoever gets in my way gets a touch.’ That was more or less the polite message Feng Bei was conveying.

Feng Bei had almost resorted to force to drive Xu Shu away.

Because of Feng Bei’s presence, the Raven didn’t dare fly over the Zheng Residence, which was why its message couldn’t be delivered.

This small interlude didn’t dampen the festive mood, and the reunion feast came to a perfect conclusion in a lively atmosphere.

Zheng Xiu had eaten two dinners in one, and now he couldn’t stop hiccuping.

After the meal, the Zheng family members bid farewell to Master Zheng and returned to their respective homes. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Jiang Gaoyi was utterly drunk. Madam Jiang supported him at his side, complaining endlessly, while Jiang Gaoyi himself was grabbing Zheng Xiu’s sleeve, drunkenly insisting they swear an oath and become brothers.

’Getting a favor once isn’t enough for him? Now he wants to bleed me dry?’

Of course, Zheng Xiu didn’t agree right away. He had Scarface Liu escort the Minister of Justice and his wife out.

By the time everything was cleaned up, it was nearly midnight.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Streaks of multicolored fireworks bloomed in the sky above the Imperial City. Countless people filled the streets, celebrating the golden age of Daqian and praying for a good harvest in the coming year.

Feng Bei stood in a corner, quietly watching the bustling Zheng family members and retainers, feeling a little reluctant to part.

This was the first time she had ever had a reunion feast.

It was also the first time she had ever served food to someone else.

And it was the first time since leaving Baili Village that she had been with other people in such an atmosphere.

She wanted to say her goodbyes, but no one in the Zheng family seemed to be paying her any mind. It was as if her being there was the most natural thing in the world, and the words of farewell caught in her throat, unable to escape.

"Meow~" The overstuffed Xiaofeng seemed to understand its mistress’s thoughts. It let out another meow, then rubbed its round belly as it struggled to waddle to a corner where Feng Bei wouldn’t notice.

’Huh? Why is there a cat bed with an embroidered fish on it in the main hall?’

The orange cat was overjoyed. Its eyes grew moist, and, deeply moved, it plopped right down onto the bed.

The pursuits of a little she-cat were simple and ordinary: nothing more than a safe harbor, a shelter from the sun, wind, rain, and snow.

It couldn’t be bothered with its mistress’s worries. This orange cat had endured nearly a month of cold winds and heavy snow up on the mountain. It had finally escaped that godforsaken place and would rather die than go back.

’It’s so warm here, and my belly is full,’ the cat thought. ’Who wouldn’t love this?’

Zheng Xiu was sprawled out on a luxurious recliner, gazing up at the fireworks that filled the sky. His eyes were narrowed, and he remained silent.

’Switching accounts so often is exhausting.’

’An opportunity.’

Zizi and the other three had failed to win their "stepmother" competition over the Young Master. Now, they planned to compete for the Master’s favor.

The four exchanged a look. Jing Xuemei sighed softly and, with some reluctance, took out her Long Flute.

In the courtyard.

The four "golden flowers" brought over small stools.

Zizi gently placed her fingers on the zither strings.

Pingping held her Ji Zither to her chest.

Bobo brought a Long Flute to her lips.

This was a new piece they had never performed publicly before.

DING~

The strings were deftly plucked, releasing the first note.

A gentle, winding melody flowed out, carried by the unique timbre of the Ji Zither.

The sound of the flute was like a lone, proud plum blossom in the snow, quietly weaving itself into the melody, blooming with understated splendor.

Everyone who was busy cleaning up couldn’t help but stop what they were doing.

Zheng Erniang stood rooted to the spot, closing her eyes.

A heavenly voice, belonging to Lily, poured from her rosy lips. In an instant, the scenery around everyone transformed.

In the blink of an eye, the Zheng Residence became a lush green valley, filled with babbling brooks, the songs of birds, and the fragrance of flowers.

A spring breeze, almost visible to the naked eye, seemed to slip through their fingers and into their hearts, never lingering.

「There is always a breeze or two in the world to stir my myriad dreams.」

「There is always a cup of wine or two to soothe my worldly sorrows.」

「There is always a soft smile in a backward glance to quietly fill my heart.」

「Alas, that wind passes through the world, as fleeting as autumn waters, impossible to hold.」

「For the wind blows and leaves no trace, and when the dream ends, I can only sigh for that fleeting beauty.」

The Ravens perched outside the Zheng Residence closed their eyes, becoming perfectly still.

Amidst the song, Zheng Xiu drifted off into a deep sleep.

In the song’s embrace, Master Zheng slept soundly.

He had a dream.

(End of the book... wait, no, end of the volume.)