Shui Yunruo was curious about Gu Qingfeng's identity and, during their conversation, subtly probed for information.
Gu Qingfeng, having heard many people discussing him on his way here, knew his identity was rather sensitive. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he merely said his surname was Gu and offered nothing more.
Though Shui Yunruo very much wanted to know, she could tell Gu Qingfeng was unwilling to elaborate. She was tactful enough not to press further, instead spending most of the time thanking Gu Qingfeng for saving her junior sister on the road.
However, when she saw Gu Qingfeng take out an exquisite wine flask, her cold expression couldn't help but falter slightly. She recognized this flask—it was the very kind used by their Taixing Cave specifically for storing Shuiyun Wine. As Gu Qingfeng tipped the flask and poured out a small amount of fine wine, a light, delicate fragrance wafted over. Shui Yunruo recognized it at a glance: this was undoubtedly Shuiyun Wine.
"Shuiyun Wine?"
Gu Qingfeng nodded.
Beside them, Mu Xiaoyou also recognized the wine and asked curiously, "Benefactor Brother, how do you have our Taixing Cave's Shuiyun Wine?"
"Bought it at Crimson-Letter Manor."
"Ah, Crimson-Letter Manor... that explains it."
Mu Xiaoyou giggled. "Our Taixing Cave's Shuiyun Wine is only available at Crimson-Letter Manor. Benefactor Brother, is our Taixing Cave's Shuiyun Wine delicious?"
"Of course."
"Hehe, Benefactor Brother, let me tell you, Shuiyun Wine is actually brewed by our cave master!"
"Is that so..." Gu Qingfeng naturally knew Shuiyun Wine was brewed by Shui Yunying. If it weren't, he wouldn't have bought so much in one go.
As the three chatted, two men approached.
One of them Gu Qingfeng recognized—it was Shui Yunruo's junior brother, named something like Bai Yunfei. The other was an exceptionally handsome man.
This man wore cyan brocade robes, had a handsome face with eyes like stars, and wore a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. With one hand behind his back and the other in front, he cut a truly elegant and noble figure.
"Senior Sister, Junior Sister, look who's here!"
Bai Yunfei called out excitedly. Shui Yunruo looked up and, upon seeing that elegant noble Young Lord, her willow-like eyebrows rose slightly in surprise, but that was all. Compared to her, Mu Xiaoyou beside her reacted much more strongly. She jumped up in delight and cried out, "Jingtao Brother?"
"Little Xiaoyou, we meet again!"
The handsome man called Jingtao walked over slowly, a gentle smile on his face. He greeted Mu Xiaoyou first, then looked at Shui Yunruo. The smile at his lips deepened, and his eyes held a clear admiration.
"Miss Ruo, it's been a while."
Shui Yunruo gave a slight nod and softly addressed him, "Young Lord Jingtao."
Bai Yunfei was about to say something when he suddenly noticed Gu Qingfeng sitting beside Shui Yunruo. He was taken aback and asked suspiciously, "What are you doing here?"
Gu Qingfeng glanced at him, smiled, and said nothing. Mu Xiaoyou stood up and said unhappily, "Senior Brother, Brother Gu is my lifesaver. How can you talk to him like that? Besides, Brother Gu is also here for the Bingxuan Sect celebration. We happened to meet, so we sat together."
"Lifesaver?"
Young Lord Jingtao seemed somewhat puzzled, sizing up Gu Qingfeng from head to toe.
"Mhm, mhm! Jingtao Brother, on the road, I was being playful and got chased by a Blood-Eyed Bald Eagle. Luckily, Brother Gu stepped in to save me, otherwise I would have been in big trouble... And Brother Gu killed that Blood-Eyed Bald Eagle with one move! He's really powerful!"
"Killed a Blood-Eyed Bald Eagle with one punch?"
Hearing this, Young Lord Jingtao grew even more curious.
"Brother Jingtao, don't listen to Junior Sister's nonsense. That Blood-Eyed Bald Eagle was already severely injured by me earlier, hanging on by half a life."
Bai Yunfei looked at Gu Qingfeng disdainfully. "Otherwise, how could someone like him kill a Blood-Eyed Bald Eagle with one punch?"
"So that's how it was."
Young Lord Jingtao was well aware of the Blood-Eyed Bald Eagle's ferocity, knowing that such a vicious bird could easily tear a Golden Core cultivator apart when enraged. Observing the spiritual aura on Gu Qingfeng, it was only at the True Body cultivation level. If he could kill a Blood-Eyed Bald Eagle with one punch, that would indeed be considered peculiar.
Shui Yunruo knew Gu Qingfeng was definitely not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
Leaving aside the matter of the Blood-Eyed Bald Eagle, the mere fact that he could block Bai Yunfei's sword strike with his physical body alone was enough to prove he was extraordinary.
But just how extraordinary, she couldn't see through, nor could she imagine.
She only felt this person was rather strange.
His person was.
His cultivation was.
His physical body was.
And that strange feeling he gave off was even more so. That feeling was special, indescribable and inexplicable. It lacked the vigorous vitality a young person should have, instead giving off a lazy, twilight-like aura. It was truly like this. Shui Yunruo had been secretly observing him all along, and she found this guy really odd.
He sat without proper posture, stood without proper bearing.
He looked clean and tidy, but sitting there, he was sloppy, legs crossed, head slightly tilted, pouring wine for himself and drinking alone. He seemed utterly listless, as if nothing here could spark the slightest interest in him.
"Young Lord Gu, is it? Let's get acquainted. I am Jingtao."
Young Lord Jingtao introduced himself with a smile. Gu Qingfeng nodded, raised his cup in acknowledgment, and responded with a faint smile, "A pleasure."
To say Gu Qingfeng's attitude was impolite wouldn't be accurate.
The nod indicated his sincerity. Though the words "a pleasure" were brief, they were sufficient to represent courtesy.
This attitude wasn't problematic in itself. After all, it was their first meeting—neither subservient nor arrogant, yet not lacking in politeness. However, in Young Lord Jingtao's eyes, it seemed somewhat displeasing. Of course, he didn't voice it, merely uttering an acknowledging "Oh" with a smile.
"You surnamed Gu, my Brother Jingtao is giving you face by greeting you. What kind of attitude is this? Hmph! You probably don't even know who my Brother Jingtao is, do you?"
Seeing Gu Qingfeng's indifferent attitude, Bai Yunfei couldn't help but speak up. "Let me tell you, my Brother Jingtao is one of the Fire Cloud Nine Young Masters of the Red Gang's Fire Cloud Branch Hall, known as Young Lord Jingtao, the One Sword That Upholds the Mountain!"
The Deficit Head governed the underground order of this world.
Deficit Head manors and trading houses were spread across the world, and the Red Gang's branch halls were no exception.
There were many Red Gang branch halls in the Great Northwest Territory, and the Fire Cloud Branch Hall was just one of them.
The Fire Cloud Nine Young Masters were also nine young men who had gained fame in the Fire Cloud Branch Hall after the Great Calamity.
Clearly, Young Lord Jingtao was one of them.
Bai Yunfei originally thought Gu Qingfeng's cold attitude was because he didn't know Jingtao's identity. After fully revealing Jingtao's background, he expected Gu Qingfeng's attitude to do a complete one-eighty. After all, Jingtao was one of the Fire Cloud Nine Young Masters of the Red Gang's Fire Cloud Branch Hall. Such status, background, and prestige were enough to make even the Nine-Hua Alliance wary.
Ordinary people, upon meeting Young Lord Jingtao, would invariably address him respectfully as "Young Lord Jingtao."
But what Bai Yunfei didn't expect was that after he revealed Young Lord Jingtao's identity, Gu Qingfeng's attitude did change—but not with shock, nor wariness, nor fear. Instead, it was mostly confusion. Sitting on the chair with his legs crossed, his expression slightly doubtful, brows slightly furrowed, holding a cup of wine, he asked curiously, "What the hell is a Red Gang branch hall?"