Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 255 Speaking the truth while drunk
Xiao Feng raised his thick eyebrows and looked at A'Zhu with a smile: "We got to know each other because of your hairpin to buy wine. Today, Sister A'Zi has taken off her bracelet to treat us. The generosity of you two sisters is truly inherited."

Jiang Mingzhe glanced at the gold bracelet, which looked familiar, and subconsciously looked at Mu Wanqing.

When the two of them came to Jiangnan together, it was Mu Wanqing who sold her gold bracelet, bought that white rose, and also bought him a beautiful set of clothes.

Mu Wanqing's bracelet was a gift from Zhong Ling in return for giving her homemade scented powder.

Seeing him looking at her, Mu Wanqing knew what he meant and whispered, "No need to guess, it's a pair. When Zhong Ling gave me the bracelet, this girl said that whoever sees it gets a share, and she forcibly took Zhong Ling's one."

He then laughed and said, "She's being quite generous today. I thought she would ask Zhong Ling to pay for it."

Jiang Mingzhe, however, knew Azi's intentions. This girl had guessed that he wanted to take advantage of Xiao Feng's drunkenness to act as a matchmaker for Azhu, so he was full of enthusiasm and spared no expense.

However, Azi probably knew nothing about Xiao Feng's drinking capacity.

Before long, jars of wine were brought into the private room.

Xiao Feng's left arm was still broken, so Jiang Mingzhe got up, picked up the wine jar, broke the seal, and poured many bowls, all of them very large bowls. He picked up one bowl and said, "Today, I offer this first bowl of wine to Uncle Xiao and Brother Xiao, to celebrate their reunion as father and son!"

Xiao Yuanshan smiled and said, "Good nephew, we Khitan men drink only by our capacity for alcohol, not by our internal strength!"

Jiang Mingzhe wanted to get Xiao Feng drunk, hoping he would cheat by relying on his internal strength.

In the original novel, Duan Yu and Qiao Feng first met and drank together. Duan Yu, relying on his Six Meridians Divine Sword, relentlessly forced Qiao Feng to drink, making Qiao Feng look at him with new respect and willingly becoming sworn brothers.

Jiang Mingzhe has now mastered the Canhe Finger technique, but he is still not quite proficient in combat. However, he is more than capable of forcing someone to drink alcohol.

Unexpectedly, this information was immediately revealed by Lao Xiao.

Jiang Mingzhe's eyes twitched, and he laughed loudly, "Uncle, what are you saying? A real man drinks with his family and brothers, how can he rely on internal energy to neutralize the effects?"

Xiao Yuanshan chuckled and said, "I knew you were a hero at first glance. Indeed, you have the conduct of a hero. Cheers!"

The three of them shared a bowl of wine.

Jiang Mingzhe glanced at Duan Yu and said, "Third brother, you should also offer a bowl to the old man and the eldest brother."

Duan Yu, with his bold spirit, immediately raised his bowl to offer a toast, and Xiao Yuanshan and Xiao Feng tilted their heads back and drank it in return.

Summoning his courage, Jiang Mingzhe raised his glass again and said, "The battle at Shaolin Temple was a great victory. Congratulations to you, Uncle and Brother!"

After the three finished drinking, Duan Yu, sensing the opportune moment, chimed in, "Yes, congratulations on behalf of the old man and elder brother!"

The two brothers toasted each other separately for two rounds, their intention to force him to drink was obvious. The father and son exchanged a glance, their eyes smiling, but they did not expose him.

Jiang Mingzhe picked up the bowl again and said, "Congratulations again, Uncle and Brother, on avenging your great grudge!"

After drinking, Duan Yu said in a similar tone, "I also congratulate my uncle and elder brother on avenging their great grudge!"

After several rounds, Jiang Mingzhe and Duan Yu each drank three large bowls of wine, while the Xiao family father and son each drank six bowls. Xiao Feng, in high spirits, laughed and said, "Good, now that we've finished these bowls of wine, we're finally not thirsty anymore. Come on, let me offer you two brothers a bowl!"

After finishing the bowl, Duan Yu slumped backward and sat down in the chair like a lump of mud. Jiang Mingzhe also showed signs of drunkenness, sitting down and picking at the food as he ate.

Have another bowl.

Azi watched helplessly as the two men got Xiao Feng drunk, but after waiting and waiting, Xiao Feng only moistened his throat. The two brothers, one half-drunk and the other completely drunk, were greatly disappointed.

He said urgently, "It's one thing for our great ginger to be a scholar who can't drink, but Duan Xiaoyu, that stinky brother of his, is utterly useless!"

Seeing Duan Yu so drunk, Abi already felt sorry for him. When she heard what Azi said, she became unhappy and whispered, "The wine is so hard to drink. If you're so good at it, then you drink it."

Azi proudly declared, "I'll drink! Brother Xiao, I'll toast you with a bowl of wine!"

Xiao Feng laughed and said, "As expected of A'Zhu's sister, you are no less capable than any man! Drink!"

Azi picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. After the wine went down her throat, her face flushed red. Before long, she felt dizzy and quickly grabbed the table for support. She then winked to the side and whispered, "Wooden Man, go!"

Mu Wanqing glared at her, then stood up and picked up the bowl. Without a word, she was about to drink when Azi quickly interjected, "Good things come in pairs, you should offer Brother Xiao two bowls!"

Mu Wanqing was honest. Seeing that Azi had already spoken, she gritted her teeth and drank two large bowls of wine.

Xiao Feng was filled with respect and said, "Miss Mu is truly generous!"

Even if it's just a casual remark, I'll still drink two bowls.

Azi and Mu Wanqing both looked at Zhong Ling.

Zhong Ling was startled and quickly stood up, saying, "I don't need you to say it, I'll say it myself. I...I can't hold my liquor. Brother Xiao, I'll toast you with a bowl."

Xiao Feng laughed loudly, "Hahaha, Miss Zhong, you drink one bowl, and I'll drink two."

After saying that, he drank two bowls in a row and looked at Mu Wanqing and said, "We are both your sister-in-law, so it can't be unfair. You just toasted your foolish brother with two bowls, so your foolish brother will also drink two more bowls."

He drank two more bowls and looked at Azi.

Ah Zi's face was as red as a cloth, and she said with a silly smile, "Do you want to make me another bowl too?"

Xiao Feng shook his head, a rare slyness appearing on his bold and upright face. He smiled and said, "No, I want to ask you a question, Miss Azi. You said that Miss Mu is my second brother's concubine, but do you know who my second brother's first wife is?" Azi raised her eyebrows, her eyes sparkling, as if she was about to speak, but then she pursed her lips tightly.

She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then stretched out a slender, spring-green finger and beckoned to Jiang Mingzhe: "Big Ginger, look at me!"

Of the six women at the table, Mu Wanqing and Wang Yuyan are the most beautiful, each with their own unique charm. Although the sisters Azhu and Azi are also pretty, they are still a step behind them. However, they are slightly better than Zhong Ling and Abi.

But at this moment, with a tilt of her head and a hook of her hand, A Zi seemed to radiate a bright glow, exuding maturity amidst her childishness, and innocence amidst her allure. In that instant, her charm truly outshone everyone else.

Jiang Mingzhe gazed at her for a moment, his eyes softening with tenderness, and smiled, "Okay, I'm watching you."

"Hehehe!" Azi laughed smugly and slyly, pointing her finger at Jiang Mingzhe: "You big piece of ginger, do you remember what you owe me?"

Jiang Mingzhe blinked his drunken eyes and asked curiously, "Me? What do I owe you? What is it?"

Azi said coquettishly, "Fine, you actually dared to forget? Think back to when you first joined this sect, when I, your senior sister, pointed out all the obstacles you would encounter after joining. What did you promise me?"

She recalled the time when they first met, and her heart was filled with intense emotions. Fueled by these feelings, she became even more intoxicated by the wine.

Before Jiang Mingzhe could even think of it, Azi slammed her hand on the table and announced to everyone, "He, Dasheng Jiang Mingzhe, this little devil, he, he, he, he owes me 30,000 'good sister's'!"

Jiang Mingzhe suddenly remembered that when Azi taught him how to learn Ding Chunqiu's amazing kung fu, she made him call her "good sister" three hundred times. He only called her "good sister" three times, and he still owed her the rest.

He immediately blurted out, "It's two hundred and ninety-seven! What? It's thirty thousand!"

Ah Zi's eyes widened, and she shouted in a majestic voice, "No interest required!"

Then, looking at Xiao Feng with a smug expression, he pointed at Jiang Mingzhe and said, "Your second brother, from now on, will call me 'good sister' every day. I'm fifteen years old this year. He'll call me that every day until... how old am I again?"

Everyone at the table was simultaneously baffled, calculating how long it would take to shout 30,000 times, once a day. Xiao Yuanshan said calmly, "A little over 82 years. Well, shout until you're 98, and this debt will be paid off!"

"Yes! Ninety-eight years old!" Azi raised both hands, making an eight with her left hand and an eight with her right hand, emphasizing with utmost solemnity, "Ninety-eight years old!"

He then seemed surprised and muttered, "Ninety-eight years old? How old is that?"

Shaking his head to stop thinking about it, he raised his chin and looked at Jiang Mingzhe, then at Xiao Feng: "Now you know who his first wife is?"

Xiao Feng laughed loudly, "I understand, I understand, I understand. Sister-in-law, please sit down and eat some food. Drinking on an empty stomach will make you drunk very quickly."

As if she had won a battle, Azi slowly sat down, looked at Mu Wanqing with pride, pointed to her own nose, and whispered, "Although you are the elder sister, you can only be the younger sister in the Jiang family. He wrote a poem for me, do you understand? I am a graceful lady, and he is a gentleman's pursuit!"

Jiang Mingzhe shuddered, his drunkenness turning into a cold sweat. He thought to himself, "If I'm exposed for plagiarizing poems, I'll lose face big time."

Looking around nervously, it was fortunate that Azi spoke very softly, so Azhu, Abi, and Wang Yuyan, who were more educated, couldn't hear her clearly. Duan Yu was drunk, and although the Xiao family father and son had strong hearing, their cultural knowledge was limited. Mu Wanqing's level of education was almost on par with Azi's, so no one gave themselves away for the time being.

Mu Wanqing pouted in anger and remained silent, while Wang Yuyan's expression was also not very good. Zhong Ling rolled her eyes and advised, "Don't be angry with Zi Yatou. She's drunk. Let her be. If we get angry with her, wouldn't that make things difficult for Brother Jiang?"

Fearing that the little girls might cause a rift, Xiao Yuanshan suddenly laughed and said, "Good, good. Seeing you all reminds me of my youth. My Feng'er is truly blessed to have brothers and sisters like you. Come, let me toast you."

He picked up the bowl and toasted each person one by one. Mu Wanqing and the others were all juniors and were flattered. They obediently drank several large bowls with him. In an instant, the wine took effect, and their beautiful eyes, like spider webs, all clung to Jiang Mingzhe.

Jiang Mingzhe was startled and quickly changed the subject: "Brother, I wanted to ask you a question earlier, and now that we've had a lot of wine, I'll ask you now—A'Zhu is A'Zi's sister, so she's no different from my own sister. I see that her heart is already full of you. Now that you're going back to Liao, are you willing to take her with you? Whether you become a general or a minister, or a cowherd or a sheep herder, you'll always cherish her and let her take care of you?"

Ah Zi, who was almost dozing off, perked up upon hearing this and straightened her head, saying, "Yes!"

A'Zhu hadn't drunk much, but her face was flushed as if she had. However, she didn't lower her head or act coy. She twisted her sleeves with her hands, pursed her lips, and looked at Xiao Feng with wide eyes. She said softly, "Brother Xiao, please don't make things difficult for me. My sister and Mingzhe are doing this for my own good, asking this question in front of Uncle. But if you have someone else in your heart, or have other intentions, A'Zhu is definitely not a woman who makes trouble or doesn't distinguish right from wrong."

When Jiang Mingzhe asked Xiao Feng, his old face flushed red, and he hesitated without speaking. Upon hearing A Zhu's words, his body trembled, and he stood up. His eyes gradually hardened as he looked at A Zhu and slowly said, "When we first met at Songhe Tower, I felt that you were an extraordinary woman. Later, when the sky fell and the earth collapsed, I had no time to think about it. But on the way to Shaolin, I saw you several times in my dreams. I am a rough man and I don't know how to say nice things. But from childhood to now, no other woman has ever made my heart flutter. If you are truly willing to follow me, I will never fail you for the rest of my life!"

After saying that, he looked at Xiao Yuanshan and said, "Father, Azhu has deep feelings for me. I want to marry her."

Xiao Yuanshan threw his head back and laughed, tears welling up in his eyes. He nodded and said, "Good, my son has a good eye. Miss Azhu's temperament is indeed somewhat like your mother's back then... Good, good, I, as your father, am extremely satisfied with this marriage."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng became even more excited. He looked at A'Zhu, and their eyes met, a thousand words unspoken.

Azi was extremely excited and grabbed Jiang Mingzhe's arm, shaking it vigorously: "Ahhhh, I have a brother-in-law now! Big Ginger, you know you have a brother-in-law now?"

He then urged everyone, "Drink, drink! Such a great occasion, how can we not drink to our hearts' content? Ah Bi, give my brother a punch and wake him up so we can drink together!"

Xiao Feng was a little emotional just now, but he was used to being calm and composed. In front of so many people, he couldn't help but feel a little shy. When he heard A Zi calling for drinking, it suited him perfectly. He immediately said, "Yes, yes, let's drink! My life has been full of twists and turns in the first half of my life. Now, with you brothers and sisters and A Zhu who is good to me, I have truly overcome all my hardships and achieved happiness. Today, let's drink to celebrate the end of our hardships and the beginning of happiness!"

Seeing his high spirits, everyone was inspired. Even Abi drank two large bowls of wine. In the end, the Xiao family father and son were enjoying themselves, their bitterness finally turning into sweetness, while the others couldn't help but feel bitter.

Fortunately, there were clean guest rooms behind the restaurant. Although the Xiao father and son were also drunk, they were still clear-headed. While Jiang Mingzhe was drunk, he suddenly had an inspiration when he went to the toilet. With the courage of the alcohol, he used the method of combining internal energy to urinate and succeeded. He urinated out half a bucket of wine and his head cleared up. He thought to himself, "I just urinated, so it doesn't count as cheating with internal energy."

The rest of Duan Yu and the women were properly settled into their rooms and rested.

The next morning, the Xiao father and son smiled without saying a word, while the others felt ashamed when they recalled their unrestrained remarks from the previous day.

After washing up and paying for their rooms, they set off to pay their respects to Xiao Yuanshan's wife.

The group rode their horses and traveled more than thirty li north of the city. They came to see a high mountain, steep and precipitous to the east and west, with only one road winding its way up to a majestic pass in the distance.

Xiao Yuanshan's expression revealed a sense of sorrow as he pointed and said, "Wild geese migrate south and return north, but they cannot fly over the high peaks. They have to pass between two peaks, hence the name Yanmen (Wild Goose Gate). This is Yanmen Pass. Of the more than forty passes in Shanxi, this one is the most dangerous. It is considered the most important town in the north of the Song Dynasty, heavily guarded by troops. After Feng'er and I leave this pass, we don't know if we will ever come back south."

(End of this chapter)