"Well, well, little guy's still as fierce as ever, huh."
With that, Gu Qingfeng, who had been smiling, suddenly let out a loud shout. The Howling Moon Wolf was so startled it jolted, its fur standing on end. It no longer dared to bare its fangs at Gu Qingfeng and immediately hid behind Ren Tianxing, trembling like a mouse seeing a cat, utterly terrified.
"Hahahaha!"
Watching this scene, Gu Qingfeng was amused and couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter. He crooked a finger and said, "Just a joke, why so easily scared? Come, come here, let me have a good look at you. I'll give you something nice. Don't worry, I won't cook you this time."
The Howling Moon Wolf didn't dare to go over. Not only did it not dare, but with a shake of its body, it transformed into a stream of light and merged into Ren Tianxing's form. It seemed extremely afraid of Gu Qingfeng.
And indeed, that was the truth.
Because when Gu Qingfeng first clashed with Weiyang Demon Emperor Ren Tianxing all those years ago, he had beaten this Howling Moon Wolf half to death on the spot and nearly killed it. If that were all, the wolf wouldn't be so terrified of Gu Qingfeng. But later, once, wanting to scare the wolf, Gu Qingfeng had thrown it into a cauldron furnace, summoned Netherfire, and jokingly said he was going to cook it and eat wolf meat.
Ever since then, every time the Howling Moon Wolf saw Gu Qingfeng, it was on tenterhooks, fearing Gu Qingfeng would cook it.
In the sky, Ren Tianxing remained standing within that wheel of Purple Ghost Moon. His eyes had been fixed on Gu Qingfeng the entire time. After a long moment, when he vanished in a flash, he instantly reappeared opposite Gu Qingfeng. The Purple Ghost Moon in the sky gradually faded away.
"You really are still alive!" Ren Tianxing's voice, like the man himself, gave off a feeling of icy aloofness yet overwhelming dominance. "Or perhaps I should say, you've really come back to life again."
"No choice," Gu Qingfeng shrugged, speaking nonchalantly. "I'd like to die, but try as I might, I just can't seem to kick the bucket. So I have to make do with living."
"'Make do with living'—I've heard that phrase from your mouth more than once. After all these years, you seem just like you were back then, still that carefree and unrestrained."
"I'm old now. Can't be that carefree or unrestrained anymore. But you, kid, you seem to have changed quite a bit. More and more unfathomable."
"In this Modern Era, everything is changing. The Great Daos and all living beings are, Heaven and Earth and the myriad things are, I am, and you, the Nether Emperor, are even more so."
"Alright, enough. Since we've run into each other, let's not just stand here shooting the breeze. Let's find a place to have a couple of drinks."
"Agreed."
"Don't agree so readily. Let me state upfront, I don't have any wine on me. Did you bring any?"
"You, such a connoisseur of wine, how could you not have any on you?"
"My wine I have to save for myself. And it's not exactly fine wine either, not fit for a grand occasion, and certainly wouldn't meet the standards of you, the Weiyang Demon Emperor."
"Long time no see, and your knack for sarcasm hasn't diminished in the slightest. It's just fine wine. What does it matter if I treat you today? As you used to often say: 'Enough to fill you up, enough to satisfy you, enough to stuff you full.'"
"Hahaha! Good!"
Gu Qingfeng didn't leave. Instead, he casually found a mountain peak within this desolate secret realm, cleared away the weeds at its summit, sat down on the ground, and started drinking with Ren Tianxing and Huode.
Gu Qingfeng had never been a man of particular refinement. For him, where he drank, or when he drank, wasn't important. What mattered was who he drank with.
On his long journey, enemies and foes were everywhere, too many to count. As for friends, he didn't have many—he could count them on one hand. And Weiyang Demon Emperor Ren Tianxing was one of them.
The two were friends of the sort who became acquainted through conflict, friends whose relationship was as light as water between gentlemen, and friends who admired and respected each other. The bond between them might not be the life-and-death, 'would take a knife for you' kind of brotherhood, but they were absolutely rare soulmates in life.
"Come on, come on, hurry up and bring out that fine wine. Let me have a taste."
Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but speak as soon as he sat down. "Let's be clear upfront. You know I don't have any special hobbies. In this life, I just enjoy a couple of sips of fine wine. And it has to be the absolute top-tier wine between Heaven and Earth. Don't bring out any ordinary or second-rate stuff; I can't stomach it."
"Brother Gu, you must have heard a saying before."
"What saying?"
"'Heavenly brews fragrance the Nine Heavens; earthly wines inebriate the Nine Underworlds.'"
"Of course I've heard it."
"Since Brother Gu has heard it, you must also know what this saying means."
"The so-called 'Heavenly brews fragrance the Nine Heavens' refers to the Thirty-Six Peaks of the Nine Heavens. 'Earthly wines inebriate the Nine Underworlds' refers to the Seventy-Two Peaks of the Nine Underworlds."
"I still remember clearly, Brother Gu, you once said that among the so-called Seventy-Two Peaks of the Nine Underworlds, only Hell's Unpredictable Wine deserves the title 'inebriate the Nine Underworlds.'"
"That's right. I did say that back then. Not just back then, I still think so now."
Gu Qingfeng loved wine. Calling him a wine addict who cherished it as much as life itself was not an exaggeration.
It was no exaggeration to say that the reason he had barged into the Nine Underworlds back then was precisely for the legendary Seventy-Two Peaks said to 'inebriate the Nine Underworlds.' During his years roaming the Nine Underworlds, while he hadn't managed to collect all of the so-called Seventy-Two Peaks, he had tasted most of them, seven or eight out of ten.
To be honest, the Seventy-Two Peaks that 'inebriated the Nine Underworlds' were indeed as legendary as the tales said, each living up to its great reputation.
However, if you asked which one left the deepest impression on Gu Qingfeng, which one he lingered over and had a special fondness for, it was undoubtedly Hell's Unpredictable Wine.
Even today, he still remembered clearly how wildly liberating it felt back then with just one mouthful of Hell's Unpredictable Wine. That feeling was simply indescribable—like having his heart and guts torn apart, dying and coming back to life, yet also like his heart blooming with joy, his thoughts connecting with Heaven and Earth. It was as exhilarating as could be.
"What's this? What do you mean, bringing this up out of the blue?" Gu Qingfeng's heart stirred, as if realizing something. He asked, "Don't tell me you've got some Hell's Unpredictable Wine stashed away?"
Ren Tianxing sat quietly cross-legged opposite him. He raised a hand, and in his palm suddenly appeared a wine jar.
The jar wasn't large, about a foot long, entirely crimson-black. From the jar alone, nothing special could be discerned. But when Ren Tianxing placed the jar before him and popped open the lid with a *thump*, as billowing black smoke accompanied by an eerie, intoxicating aroma wafted out, Gu Qingfeng's expression immediately became excited. He exclaimed, "Well, I'll be! It really is Hell's Unpredictable Wine!"
As the words fell, he grabbed the jar of Hell's Unpredictable Wine and, without another word, tilted his head back and poured it into his mouth.
*Gulugulu*—he drank wildly.
Watching this, Ren Tianxing opposite him said nothing, though his expression looked somewhat helpless.
Beside them, Huode stared wide-eyed, both dumbfounded and anxious.
He had naturally heard of the fame of Hell's Unpredictable Wine. Being a wine addict himself who cherished it as much as life, he had thought that today, riding on Gu Qingfeng's coattails, he might get to taste a sip of the legendary wine. Little did he expect that as soon as the jar was opened, while Huode was still immersed in the eerie aroma of Hell's Unpredictable Wine, Gu Qingfeng directly grabbed the jar and started guzzling it down. By the time Huode reacted, Gu Qingfeng had already downed several mouthfuls and polished off the entire jar of Hell's Unpredictable Wine, not leaving a single drop.
It was true. Even the very last drop had entered Gu Qingfeng's stomach.