Gu Qingfeng let Genggu Wuming's words go in one ear and out the other.
The same went for Da Xing the Mad Monk's words; he would neither ponder them deeply, scrutinize them, nor take them seriously.
Whatever Da Xing said, Gu Qingfeng simply listened, without rebuttal or argument.
In this godforsaken place, much like the Great Desolate Void, there was no cycle of sun and moon, nor any sense of time's passage. He just chatted idly with Da Xing the Mad Monk, their conversation meandering without purpose.
Suddenly.
The teleportation array not far away shimmered with light, and a figure appeared.
It was a man.
A tall, handsome, and imposing man.
His face was chiseled like a blade, with sharp angles and distinct features. Between his sword-like brows was an imposing heroic aura, and his tiger-like eyes shone like twin suns, dazzlingly radiant.
Though he wore only a simple-looking gray robe, it could not conceal his fierce and majestic presence.
When he appeared, he stood like a towering hero, shaking mountains and rivers with his might, his aura soaring to the heavens, a wave of heroic spirit washing over them.
Seeing this man, Da Xing the Mad Monk's face lit up with joy. He flashed out of the pavilion and called out, "Mo Wentian! Boy, what took you so long!"
Mo Wentian offered an apologetic smile. "I ran into some trouble on the way, so I was delayed. My sincere apologies. Have I arrived too late?"
"It hasn't started yet, so you're not late. You're just in time."
Da Xing noticed Mo Wentian looking towards Gu Qingfeng not far away. He slapped his forehead and said, "Come, come, young Mo. Let this old monk introduce you to a friend."
"No need for introductions."
"Hmm?"
Da Xing was somewhat puzzled. "Why not?"
"If I didn't recognize the Nine Nethers Emperor, who shook the Great Desolate, then I wouldn't be fit to walk in the Present Era."
Mo Wentian stood straight as a spear, one hand behind his back, the other in front, like a war god standing firm between heaven and earth. He gazed at Gu Qingfeng with a faint smile. "Brother Gu, it's been ten thousand years since we parted. I trust you've been well."
"Earlier, when I heard Da Xing the Mad Monk say someone named Mo Wentian was also coming, I wondered if you'd recognize me when you arrived. Seems I worried for nothing."
Gu Qingfeng, who had somehow also emerged from the pavilion, looked back at Mo Wentian with a smile. "To this day, I still remember what you said back then. You said we would definitely meet in the Present Era. I just never imagined this meeting would be delayed by ten thousand years."
"Hahaha! Brother Gu, I too have always remembered what you said that day. But I wonder, after ten thousand years, does that jesting promise still hold?"
"A true man's word is his bond; a single spit is a nail that must leave a dent when it hits the ground! Back then, I said that when we met, I'd treat you to wine, and we wouldn't stop until we were drunk. That was no jest, and it certainly still holds."
Gu Qingfeng waved his hand, and with a *whoosh*, hundreds of wine jars piled up into two small mountains—one resembling white jade cauldrons, which were the Heaven's Dao Wine, and the other like black jade cauldrons, the Hell Impermanence Wine.
"I don't have any fine wine, only these paltry brews barely fit for the table. If Brother Mo doesn't mind, then please, partake."
"My heavens!"
Looking at the two mountains of wine, Mo Wentian was utterly astonished. Then he threw his head back and let out a hearty, booming laugh, pointing at Gu Qingfeng. "Brother Gu, oh Brother Gu, you've truly grown more and more extravagant! To think even Heaven's Dao and Hell Impermanence are mere 'paltry brews' in your eyes now! Hahaha! Remarkable, truly remarkable!"
"Brother Mo, come then, don't just stand there. Today, we must drink until the heavens darken and the earth turns upside down."
"Above, there is Heaven, and within it, the Dao; below, there is Hell, and within it, impermanence. Heaven's Dao bewilders the Nine Heavens, Hell Impermanence intoxicates the Nine Underworlds. Lying prone in the Great Desolate, roaming heaven and earth, lost and drunk in the cycle of rebirth—a single dream. It seems today, I shall owe this feast to Brother Gu's generosity!"
Gu Qingfeng extended a hand in a gesture of invitation.
Mo Wentian cupped his hands and laughed loudly. "In that case, I shall not stand on ceremony!"
Not far away.
Da Xing the Mad Monk stood there dumbfounded, looking from Mo Wentian to Gu Qingfeng, his mind in disarray, his consciousness muddled. For a moment, he couldn't quite process it. When he finally snapped out of it, he hurried over and shouted, "Wait! Young Gu, young Mo, you two know each other?"
"Of course we do."
"Young Gu, when did you meet young Mo? How come I've never heard you mention it!"
"I knew Brother Mo before you, old bald donkey, even knew which temple you were playing with nuns in."
"Go to hell!"
Da Xing knew Gu Qingfeng well enough to know the kid's mouth was never polite. He couldn't be bothered to press further and instead looked at Mo Wentian. "Young Mo, if this old monk recalls correctly, you went into seclusion around the mid-Ancient Times, right? That was at least seventy or eighty thousand years ago. Young Gu, at most, has only cultivated for a little over ten thousand years, and ten thousand of those were spent sleeping, damn it! How on earth do you know him?"
"At the end of the Ancient Times, I had a chance encounter with Brother Gu."
"The end of the Ancient Times?"
Da Xing said unhappily, "When I saw you the other day, didn't you say you'd only just emerged from seclusion? What's this? You trying to fool this old monk?"
"You misunderstand. I truly emerged from seclusion only a short while ago."
Mo Wentian explained, "However, at the end of the Ancient Times, I once traveled the Great Desolate in spirit form. When my spirit journeyed to the Nine Underworlds, I made Brother Gu's acquaintance."
"That's right."
Gu Qingfeng chimed in, "Back when I was rampaging through the Nine Underworlds, I was once hunted by an old demon until I had only half a life left. If Brother Mo hadn't intervened, I'm afraid my little life would have ended there."
"Brother Gu, you jest. With your talent and wisdom, even if I hadn't intervened back then, that old demon likely couldn't have done anything to you."
"Regardless, Brother Mo is someone who showed me kindness."
"Brother Gu, oh Brother Gu, such a small matter, let's not mention it again. What kindness or favors? The two of us hit it off immediately back then, feeling as if we'd met too late. If we keep speaking such formalities, it would be far too distant."
"Hahaha!"
Gu Qingfeng raised his wine cup. They clinked cups and both drained them in one go, repeating this several times before stopping.
For those who had helped him or shown him kindness, Gu Qingfeng never forgot.
Whether the favor was great or small, he would remember it in his heart and repay it tenfold, a hundredfold.
Moreover, back in the Nine Underworlds, Mo Wentian hadn't just helped him repel that pursuing old demon; he had later offered Gu Qingfeng guidance. Gu Qingfeng had always kept Mo Wentian's kindness in his heart, never forgetting it. Unfortunately, after that single meeting, he had never seen Mo Wentian again.
It was only later, by chance, that he learned Mo Wentian was actually a legendary emperor of the Myriad Heavens and Ten Thousand Realms, a heroic figure revered by all in the Great Desolate. Any old-timer who had cultivated for many years would speak of the Free Emperor Mo Wentian with the utmost respect.