Soon.
Gu Qingfeng emerged from the room wearing that eye-watering yet two-billion-worth outfit. Perhaps because he had just woken up, his eyes were still a bit bleary. Standing under the sun, he tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and stretched mightily, saying, "That was one comfortable nap."
Flower Butterfly Immortal walked over, giving a slight bow as she saluted, "Flower Butterfly pays her respects to the Great Old Master."
Seeing Gu Qingfeng's appearance, Mu Lingyao couldn't help but roll her eyes, muttering something under her breath. However, her feet didn't dawdle; she also walked over, bowed slightly, and greeted the Great Old Master.
"Well, well, if it isn't Sister Flower Butterfly and the great beauty Mu?"
Just as Gu Qingfeng finished speaking, Prince Ma, ever the perceptive one, promptly brought over a wooden basin filled with cool water. He presented it respectfully before Gu Qingfeng, saying, "Great Old Master, you've just woken up. Wash your face to refresh yourself."
"Monkey Ma, you're getting more and more considerate these days."
"It is this humble one's honor to serve the Great Old Master."
Prince Ma chuckled and quickly fetched a comfortable stool from the inner room, also preparing a jar of Rolling Blade Burn and pouring a cup for Gu Qingfeng in advance.
Prince Ma was indeed very perceptive.
Having witnessed Gu Qingfeng's miraculous win of 1.8 billion in the gambling city with his own eyes, then seeing Gu Qingfeng scare four Taibai Golden Immortals to death on the Floating Sky Island, and finally watching Gu Qingfeng extinguish Mu Lingyao's Innate Creation Purple Flame True Fire with a single spit of wine at Eight Treasures Manor—this series of events had convinced Prince Ma that Gu Qingfeng was undoubtedly a lofty expert. Now, seeing even Flower Butterfly Immortal show such respect to Gu Qingfeng, any remaining doubts in his heart vanished completely.
Prince Ma was no fool. He understood clearly that encountering such a lofty expert was a heaven-sent opportunity, an extremely rare chance that one could only hope for but not seek. Naturally, he had to grasp it firmly.
Gu Qingfeng washed his face with the cool water from the basin, then sat down on the chair, leaning back to bask in the sun. He asked, "What brings you two ladies to visit this Great Old Master so early in the morning?"
"Little Drun..." Beside him, Qianniao, out of habit, was about to call him 'Little Drunkard,' but she quickly changed her words mid-sentence, saying, "Great Old Master, Flower Butterfly Immortal and the others have come to apologize to you."
"Apologize? For what?"
Flower Butterfly Immortal said, "Earlier at Eight Treasures Manor, Yao'er and I were too rash and offended you, Great Old Master. We hope you can forgive us."
"Oh, that matter." Gu Qingfeng picked up a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp. "But there's no need to apologize for that, is there? You didn't really do anything to me. What's there to apologize for? Completely unnecessary. As for offending me, that's even more nonsense. I'm neither some sacred, inviolable Buddha Lord nor some pure and chaste maiden. There's no talk of offense or not."
Gu Qingfeng's words were undeniably crude, causing Flower Butterfly Immortal and the other to frown. Mu Lingyao, however, felt both surprised and delighted. She asked, "You really don't mind?"
"What's there to mind?"
"So that means you won't take our previous bet seriously either, right?"
"Bet?" Gu Qingfeng asked, puzzled. "What bet?"
"The maid servant one! You said if I launched one attack, I'd have to serve as your maid for a day. Have you forgotten?"
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I really would have forgotten about that. I kept feeling like I'd forgotten something after returning from Eight Treasures Manor yesterday. So it was this." Gu Qingfeng said with a smile, "So, big sister, are you planning to start serving as my maid from today onwards?"
"I..." Mu Lingyao felt like crying but had no tears, inwardly cursing her own big mouth. This guy had already forgotten about the bet, so why did she have to bring it up?
"At Eight Treasures Manor, we were blind and ignorant, unaware of the Great Old Master's divine might. We hope the Great Old Master can forgive our ignorance and impulsiveness."
Having said that, Flower Butterfly Immortal shot Mu Lingyao a meaningful look. Mu Lingyao could only brace herself and plead, "G-Great Old Master... I know I was wrong. Please be magnanimous and spare me this once. I won't dare do it again."
"Little Drun... Great Old Master." Perhaps because she had called him 'Little Drunkard' for over twenty years, Qianniao still wasn't quite used to the change. She pleaded on Mu Lingyao's behalf, "Sister Lingyao is such a good person. Besides, when you fell from the Floating Sky Island before, she was the one who saved you. Can't you just let it go?"
"I never said I was going to hold it against her."
"Hehe, I knew Little Drunkard was the best." Qianniao walked over and said to Flower Butterfly Immortal and Mu Lingyao, "See? I told you long ago that Little Drunkard is very easygoing. He was just joking with you at Eight Treasures Manor. You really shouldn't take it seriously."
Mu Lingyao asked doubtfully, "You... were really just joking with me?"
"Of course. Did you actually take it seriously?" Gu Qingfeng laughed. "Just for calling me 'Hero Brother' earlier, I couldn't possibly make a great beauty like you serve as my maid."
Before coming, Mu Lingyao's heart had been in turmoil, especially after Flower Butterfly Immortal speculated that Gu Qingfeng's existence might be beyond imagination, which made her even more anxious. She truly hadn't expected Gu Qingfeng to be so easy to talk to.
"But, Little Drunkard, can you stop putting on airs as the Great Old Master from now on?"
"Putting on airs?" Gu Qingfeng asked, "When have I ever put on airs as the Great Old Master?"
"How have you not? Look at you just now—you came out, saw Flower Butterfly Immortal and Sister Lingyao, didn't even greet them, just sat here drinking your little wine. Flower Butterfly Immortal apologized to you, and you didn't even react."
"Then what reaction should I have had?"
"She's Flower Butterfly Immortal! She came specially to apologize to you today. You should... you should..."
"Should have been overwhelmed with honor?"
"Shouldn't you have been?"
"Fine. Next time Flower Butterfly Immortal comes to apologize, I'll make sure to act more overwhelmed with honor."
"What do you mean 'act more overwhelmed with honor'? You..." Qianniao's words made Flower Butterfly Immortal rather embarrassed. She said, "Little Sister Qianniao, as a junior, I should apologize to the Great Old Master for my mistakes."
"Sister Flower Butterfly, you really don't need to be so polite to Little Drunkard, nor treat him as some lofty senior expert. If you don't believe me, ask him yourself." Qianniao turned to Gu Qingfeng and said, "Little Drunkard, everyone treats you as a lofty senior expert now, even Sister Ling'er. She even told me to call you Great Old Master, but I really can't bring myself to say it. Can I keep calling you Little Drunkard from now on?"
"Call me whatever you like. Whatever feels natural, call me that."
"Sister Ling'er, did you hear that? Little Drunkard doesn't care about these things at all."
Qian Ling looked at Gu Qingfeng, her brow furrowed as if deep in thought.
"Sister Flower Butterfly, Sister Lingyao, you see? Little Drunkard is really very casual. He doesn't stand on ceremony much, so you really don't need to be so polite to him."
"This..." Flower Butterfly Immortal and Mu Lingyao exchanged glances, unsure how to respond.
"Qianniao is right. I'm indeed not one for formalities. You don't need to be so polite and respectful to me either. All this 'senior, junior' talk sounds so distant. Might as well call me 'Little Brother' instead." Gu Qingfeng squinted his eyes, smiling as he looked at the two of them. "Don't you think that makes sense?"