Chapter 85: Zheng Feng

He shook his head slightly, saying nothing more, then stepped toward the wooden hut.

Lü Ming and Chen Lili exchanged a glance and hurried after him, their eager demeanor like two eager apprentices.

At that moment.

“Hahaha, Elder Jiang!!!”

Amid a boisterous laugh, a tipsy figure staggered into the herb garden.

The man carried a flask of wine, swaying every three steps yet planting each foot with perfect steadiness—clearly drunk in body but sharp in mind.

All three turned toward the sound.

The newcomer was none other than the former herb garden elder, Qin Lie.

His face, flushed from years of drinking, now wore a broad, contented smile; his eyes were narrowed to slits, yet glimmered with rare clarity.

“Elder Qin.”

Jiang Ye’s aged eyes flickered with a hint of surprise.

Come to think of it, since Fang Ming was killed by the fire centipede, he hadn’t seen this drunkard in quite some time.

For him to show up today was unusual.

“You two wait outside for a moment—I need to speak with Elder Jiang.”

Qin Lie glanced drunkenly at Lü Ming and Chen Lili.

They exchanged a look and immediately nodded politely: “Elder Jiang, Elder Qin, we’ll take our leave then...”

“Elder Qin, come inside.”

Jiang Ye waved slightly and led Qin Lie into the wooden hut, where the two sat facing each other at a simple wooden table.

Qin Lie plopped down, slammed the flask onto the table with a thud, then threw back his head and laughed:

“Elder Jiang, you’ve been hiding your true strength well!”

He shook his head, his flushed face filled with awe:

“I thought you’d just come here to idle away your days. I never expected someone your age would silently achieve Golden Core!”

He raised a thumb, his drunken face brimming with genuine admiration:

“Impressive! Truly impressive! Qin owes you great respect!”

Jiang Ye smiled faintly, saying nothing.

Qin Lie took another gulp of wine, wiped his lips, then suddenly slapped his thigh:

“Come to think of it, I owe you a proper thanks!”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice, his tone laced with malicious delight:

“Your Golden Core breakthrough has finally freed me from this boring herb garden! I’ve wanted to leave for ages—day after day staring at herbs, I’m sick of it!”

As he spoke, he shoved the flask toward Jiang Ye, sliding it to the center of the table and tapping its body firmly:

“Elder Jiang, this wine is my thanks—please, you must accept it.”

He paused, a hint of pride rising on his flushed face:

“I brewed this medicinal wine using premium herbs—it’s even more nourishing than elixirs, worth no less than fifty thousand taels of silver. You can’t buy it anywhere outside!”

Hearing this, Jiang Ye, who had intended to refuse, now showed a flicker of interest.

He glanced at the flask—plain and unadorned, yet faintly exuding a rich, mellow herbal aroma.

“Elder Jiang, try some!”

Qin Lie laughed heartily, his face full of anticipation.

“Then Jiang will not refuse your kindness.”

Jiang Ye made no pretense—he reached out and broke the clay seal on the flask’s mouth.

A potent blend of wine and herbal fragrance instantly filled the room.

He tilted the flask slightly and took a small sip.

Smooth on the tongue, sliding down the throat like silk.

Boom!

As the wine entered his body, a scorching warmth erupted within him.

The warmth traveled down his throat, spreading instantly through limbs and bones, nourishing his blood and qi, warming his tendons and sinews.

More astonishing still—his true qi within the dantian trembled slightly, becoming denser.

This wine possessed the effects of both Blood-Nourishing and Qi-Condensation elixirs.

Jiang Ye’s eyes brightened; he took another sip, savoring it slowly.

After a moment, he set the flask down and sincerely praised:

“Truly an excellent wine.”

“Hahaha! I knew Elder Jiang was a connoisseur!”

Qin Lie, a man obsessed with wine, grinned wider at Jiang Ye’s praise—even his address shifted from “Elder Jiang” to “Brother Jiang.”

He rubbed his hands together, looking more satisfied than if he’d drunk it himself.

At that moment.

Footsteps sounded outside the hut—steady, powerful, unhurried, utterly unlike Lü Ming’s bouncy, skipping gait.

Jiang Ye and Qin Lie both turned to look.

A figure walked along the garden path—his face refined and handsome, seemingly no older than twenty, clad in the formal robes of a True Disciple of Tianyangfeng, his aura radiating a restrained yet palpable heat.

“Zheng Feng, what are you doing here?”

Qin Lie raised an eyebrow, slurring slightly, his tone a mix of surprise and familiarity.

At this, Jiang Ye’s eyes flickered with subtle surprise.

So this was the other True Disciple of Tianyangfeng—Zheng Feng.

He was taken aback; he hadn’t expected even a True Disciple would come to visit him.

Clearly, the value of eliminating Heifeng Zhai was far greater than he’d imagined.

“I came to pay my respects to Elder Jiang, didn’t expect Elder Qin was here too.”

Zheng Feng stepped into the hut, his gaze sweeping over Qin Lie before settling on the seated elder.

He bowed respectfully to Qin Lie, then turned to Jiang Ye and clasped his fists in a formal, solemn gesture:

“I heard you single-handedly wiped out Heifeng Zhai —I deeply admire your courage and skill, and have come to pay my respects!”

Jiang Ye smiled faintly, his expression devoid of arrogance, as calm and unruffled as ever: “I never thought old man Jiang would have such a reputation. Zheng True Disciple, please sit.”

Hearing the invitation, Zheng Feng sat properly beside the table.

He glanced around the humble hut.

A table and chairs made of rough planks, a hard wooden bed, a corner piled with miscellaneous items.

His gaze toward Jiang Ye grew even more reverent.

He murmured softly: “I never imagined Elder Jiang was still a cultivator of hardship. To reach such a realm in such poverty—truly admirable.”

“You ought to learn well from Elder Jiang!”

Qin Lie laughed loudly, slapping the table, his flushed face gleeful:

“At his age, Elder Jiang took down Heifeng Zhai alone!”

“And you? A Golden Core cultivator, sent to pacify Anxi County—and you let Bai Lao San, a peak Transformation cultivator, slip right through your fingers!”

He shook his head, grinning:

“It’s an embarrassment to Tianyangfeng.”

At this, Zheng Feng’s refined face flushed with embarrassment.

He chuckled awkwardly, a mix of helplessness and self-mockery: “Bai Lao San may have been only a Transformation cultivator, but his footwork was unusually skilled... I was careless...”

He’d gone to Anxi County to quell unrest, hoping to eliminate the infamous “Yunling Six Demons” and earn great merit.

What happened instead...

He failed to capture even a peak Transformation cultivator—this incident had become his black mark, constantly teased by others.

The three chatted awhile, the atmosphere gradually warming.

Zheng Feng, though noble in status, spoke humbly; Qin Lie, though a drunkard, was well-traveled; Jiang Ye listened calmly, occasionally interjecting a few words—conversation flowed smoothly.

As they talked, Zheng Feng finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity:

“Elder Jiang, they say Heifeng Zhai was heavily guarded—ten paces apart, five paces apart, sentries everywhere. I’m truly curious—how did you slip past them and wipe them out?”

He paused, adding: “If it’s too sensitive, please forget I asked.”

Beside him, Qin Lie perked up, his drunken face unusually serious.

Clearly, he too was deeply interested.

Jiang Ye had anticipated this question. He smiled faintly, speaking plainly:

“Old man Jiang has some skill in concealing his qi. I slipped in under cover of darkness and wind.”

He added: “By the time the bandit leaders realized what happened, it was too late.”

It was the truth—whether they believed it or not was beyond his concern.

“So that’s how it was.”

Zheng Feng and Qin Lie both nodded thoughtfully.

Neither asked what concealment technique Jiang Ye used.

Inquiring into another’s martial methods was taboo everywhere.

After a few more words, Zheng Feng suddenly pulled a delicate jade vial from his sleeve and offered it to Jiang Ye with sincere respect:

“Elder Jiang, when you were promoted to Elder of Tianyangfeng, I was out on cultivation trials and failed to offer my congratulations in time. This is a small token of my respect—please accept it.”

“Oh?”

Jiang Ye took the jade porcelain vial; before opening it, he caught a rich, clean fragrance drifting from its mouth.

His eyes flashed bright instantly, and he blurted out: “Is this Qingqing Spirit Liquid?!”

Even through the bottle, the fragrance was so potent—it clearly contained far more than a single drop.

Zheng Feng really knows how to make an impression.

“That’s right,” Zheng Feng nodded slightly, his face wearing a sincere smile. “A humble gift, insufficient to show respect—I humbly beg Elder Jiang to accept it.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Zheng Zhenchuan. Then this old man will boldly accept it.”

Jiang Ye chuckled and tucked the jade porcelain vial into his robe.

Had it been any other item, he might have refused it politely.

But Zhong Lao of the Zanggong Pavilion had told him: Qingqing Spirit Liquid could be taken internally and also applied externally to aid cultivation of the True Fire Gazing Technique—the very thing he needed most right now.

“You really went all out, kid.”

Beside him, Qin Lie stared, eyes wide, swaying drunkenly, his face brimming with envy: “When are you going to bring me a gift like this?!”

Facing the drunkard, Zheng Feng glanced at him helplessly and smiled wryly: “Elder Qin, I know you love liquor—I’ll bring you a few good bottles next time.”

“I don’t want liquor—I want Qingqing Spirit Liquid too!”

Qin Lie shook his head drunkenly, looking like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.

Zheng Feng chuckled awkwardly and dared not reply further.

To be honest, even for us True Transmission disciples, Qingqing Spirit Liquid is scarce—only three drops per month.

If not for genuine admiration of Elder Jiang’s feat of single-handedly wiping out Heifengzhai, and if not for wanting to forge a connection, I’d never have parted with something so precious.

After a brief idle chat, Zheng Feng rose to take his leave.

Qin Lie also staggered to his feet: “Elder Jiang, I’ll come find you for another drink next time.”

“Very well. Take care, both of you.”

Jiang Ye rose to see them off.

Watching their figures vanish at the end of the herb garden path, Jiang Ye turned back inside and pulled out the secret manual: True Fire Gazing Technique.

He could hardly wait to begin cultivating this art.

Meanwhile.

Fucheng, Su family.

“What? The one who wiped out Heifengzhai… is Elder Jiang of Tianyangfeng, Qingqing Sect?!”

Su Yan finally learned who the warrior was that had wiped out Black Wind Mountain.