Zhang Yuanshan’s hair had been tied carefully at first, but it appeared a little messy now. His face revealed anxiety, hovering, self-blame, pain, and other obvious emotions. For the first time, Meng Qi realized a person’s face could be wonderful.

He had completely lost the calm and capable style he normally held. After hearing Meng Qi’s words, Zhang Yuanshan, eyes flashing, looked guiltily and angrily in the direction of the nunnery. He reluctantly turned his head and nodded hard, “Okay.”

They stepped down along the stone, through the path, and into the official Road, soon they saw a fairly lively town. Many of the people wore Eight Diagrams robes marking them as the Zhen Wu Sect, while some dressed as Taoist, and others in popular fashions.

Along the way, Zhang Yuanshan kept silent, looking ahead and not knowing what to think about. Meng Qi did not hurry to speak. “Even an upright official finds it hard to settle a family quarrel. I, as a friend of both, have no idea what to do in this position at all.”

“This is Tonglong Town in the western area of Zhen Wu Mountain. Disciples often come down here to drink.” Zhang Yuanshan grudgingly squeezed out a few words.

“We can find an unpopular restaurant,” Meng Qi spoke softly, trying to comfort Zhang Yuanshan with his calmness, in case Zhang Yuanshan let his emotions flood and made things difficult.

There were inevitably people who knew Zhang Yuanshan in the restaurants. If they heard something or saw Zhang Yuanshan’s painful and dead drunk look, the message would spread. This would have a negative influence on Zhang Yuanshan. It involved the marriage of Chang and Song after all.

“Well, I am really considerate… “ Meng Qi thought of a neighborhood aunt, a sister’s understanding, and the emotional hotline host. “If I were not a man, my tears would have fallen… “

Zhang Yuanshan nodded in silence, leading Meng Qi to walk through the alley, and finally found a simple and crude restaurant, where the wall was mostly printed with footprints and muddy traces, and tainted blood could occasionally be seen.

This restaurant was a bungalow, with a dozen randomly placed tables, and full of unpleasant tastes and loud noises. It was filled with a great variety of Jianghu heroes but lacked any disciples of the Zhen Wu Sect.

The two, ill-tempered men who were drunk with flushed ears, found an empty table in the corner at last. Meng Qi lifted his sword around his waist and placed it horizontally on the table for easy removal. After sitting down, it would always be blocked and not convenient to pull out at all. It was just a little thing, but the slow flash was a world of difference between life and death.

After such a long adventure, Meng Qi was already equipped with a basic understanding of who was who in Jianghu.

Seeing that Meng Qi had done this, Zhang Yuanshan suddenly lifted his Winged-python Sword at once. He was not normally such a careless man but today he was really out of his mind.

They looked at each other in silence until the errand boy sent two Nu’er Hongs, a dish of beans, and tableware as they ordered.

Meng Qi raised the wine carafe and poured out two glasses of wine, for himself and Zhang Yuanshan. He held up his glass. “Cheers!”

Zhang Yuanshan spat a deep breath and put up his glass clinking it against Mengqi’s. Then he finished his drink grunting, with his head raised and his Adams apple wriggling.

So did Meng Qi. He felt a heat burning from his throat to stomach and poured another glass. “Cheers!”

Although the wine was not strong, three consecutive glasses later, Meng Qi, who had gone a long time without drinking, felt a little dizzy. With his stomach rolling, Meng Qi almost spat the wine out, but he quickly popped a few beans into his mouth.

Zhang Yuanshan took a quick drink. He felt a tipsy sensation upwelling and his face flushing. Staring at the large beans in front of him, he suddenly spoke, “Junior Brother Meng, do you remember the first time you drank, and you were choking and coughing from the wine?”

“I remember.” Meng Qi blushed. In the Duo Ercha task, he had forgotten that he had never drunk with this body. After a joyful cheer, he had felt not only uncomfortable nausea but had also started choking and coughing. And when Zhang Yuanshan saw it and he had passed him a cup of green tea, taking very good care of him.

It was precisely this action that made him really feel that Zhang Yuanshan, usually calm and steady as a leader, was worthy of becoming a good friend.

“Back then, although there were life risks and task pressure, it was a much happier time than now… ” Zhang Yuanshan spoke with pain and poured one more glass. Not waiting for Meng Qi to answer he continued talking to himself, “I didn’t see Zhenzhen, but I know she must be very sad and in pain, the same as me.”

“I’d always intended to break through the Zhen Wu Plow Formation, and then walk down the mountain and travel to the North Zhou Dynasty. Afterwards, I’d bring her home on the excuse that we’d gotten acquainted midway and were deeply attracted and attached to each other. But the family Master and my father suddenly made me plight myself to Junior Mingxi.”

Meng Qi, calculating a good rhythm, gently tapped the table to balance out the sound of Zhang Yuanshan from projecting outside with a noise like tuk, tuk so that he would be the only one to hear.

Meng Qi was not swirling anymore. He had drunk three glasses of wine in a row to relax Zhang Yuanshan and create an atmosphere where he could pour out his troubles. If anyone consoling others allowed himself to be drunk, he would lose face.

Zhang Yuanshan drank one more glass. With his eyes going pink, he said, “I knew their intentions, so I couldn’t refuse. The Zhang family looks wealthy, but it’s actually not the case. For 47 years, no clansman has become a grandmaster, boarding the Terrestrial Rankings. We were all supported by our ancestor and have had more and more difficulties in our sect. However, the Yao family flourished the whole time, with grandmasters boarding the Terrestrial Rankings for three consecutive generations. The Yao brothers are also listed in the Seven Disciples of Zhenwu now.

“As long as the open strife and veiled struggles of the vulgar branches do not exceed the limit, the meridians govern those families without intervention because they lead a life of few wants and ambitions. However, the Yao family was aggressive, pressing step by step, not giving us the chance to breathe. So the coalition with the Song family, which is also in the same position, should be the best and most effective option.”

Zhen Wu Sect was divided into meridian and vulgar branch. Although the head had always been the exclusive part of the meridian, it was not prohibited for disciples of vulgar branches to study the fundamental arts, which were considered freakish in three sects of Taoist.

Zhang Yuanshan spoke in a fairly organized way and had not lost his basic sense. However, as he was speaking, his emotions became more passionate. “I’m the offspring of the Zhang family and my flesh and blood were given to me by my parents. Everything was provided for me; meals, martial arts, elixirs, and clothes. Now my family has come to this critical situation. How can I be immersed in love and let them fall into crisis?”

“Families’ love is deep like a mountain.” Meng Qi sighed.

Zhang Yuanshan poured a glass of wine, weeping in a tearful tone. “But I’m reluctant to leave Zhenzhen, I don’t want to see her in pain. I wanted to travel to Jianghu with her, singing songs with her in the east sea… ”

Meng Qi tapped on the table, listening quietly. Suddenly a thought raised in his heart, “The word of love is the most wounded.”

He could not see any of Senior Brother Zhang’s usual manners, he was normally calm and gentle, born for leadership. Anyone watching would surely see only a drunk who was trapped in love.

Waiting until Zhang Yuanshan had become a little calmer, Meng Qi said, “Senior Brother Zhang, you’ve had a life-long friendship with me, same as Zhenzhen. Your issue is complicated because on the one hand, and your families’ love is over the sky, and on the other hand, you and Zhenzhen really love each other and have made commitments of life and death. I really don’t know what to suggest. I can only listen. But no matter what difficulties you have, I’ll help you solve them immediately. As a friend, I can only do this.”

“Why does it have to be you?”

As Zhang Yuanshan vented a little, he was slightly better than before. He forced a smile and said, “The Song family pointed directly at me. Because Junior Sister Mingxi was one of the Seven Disciples of Zhenwu, they only had a good opinion of me as a child of the Zhang family. I’ve also opened Six Apertures. Anyhow, I initially mastered a sword art of the top Exterior, ranking as one of the Seven Disciples of Zhenwu.”

Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully. Perhaps under the influence of the family situation, Zhang Yuanshan had eaten the “Pill of Heavenly Vision and Earthly Hearing”, forcibly opening the Nose Apertures.

Zhang Yuanshan joked, “I’m always very clear that the foundation of the alliance isn’t engagement, but the interests of both parties. However, my father told me that if I couldn’t even be engaged to Junior Mingxi, how could I convince others of the sincerity of our alliance? Could I refuse?”

He was heavily drunk, speaking to himself, “I couldn’t refuse the engagement. Among this generation of the Seven Disciples of Zhenwu, Yang He was promised first, followed by Yang Tai and the Yao brothers, but Junior Sister Mingxi and I have many differences. In this situation, only if the two families join together, will we be able to make headway and draw more attention from the head and represented meridian.

“Although Yang He has only opened Four Apertures, like the original Junior Sister Jiang, he’s comprehended a killing method at Dharmakaya level in True Martial Zhenwu’s Seven Strokes Scripture at a young age. Even though Yang He’s only studied a few of them, it’s amazing and also terrible.” Zhang Yuanshan continued to talk with his divergent mind, “Yang Tai is steady in Six Apertures, accomplishing the primary level of Tai Chi Divine Skill and getting the spirit, which is no less than anyone mastering the martial arts. And his basis is steadier than before. So in the future, Yang Tai will make a spurt of progress easily. The day before yesterday Yang Tai broke through Zhen Wu Plow Formation, and then he traveled down the mountain.

“Yao Xinghen is steady in Six Apertures and has a higher strength than me, comprehending two kinds of killing methods on the Exterior early. Now he is preparing to break Zhen Wu Plow Formation. Yao Xingliu is just 17 years old, yet he has opened Four Apertures and mastered the sword art on the top Exterior. Besides, he’s a martial mania and concentrates on Kung Fu, valued by many Elders… ”

Hearing Zhang Yuan Shan’s complaint, Meng Qi was secretly surprised. It was terrible to compete in the famous sects. Fortunately, he had left Shaolin Temple. The Zhen generation had continued for seven or eight years, and Kung Fu of Shaolin Temple was often in a slow progress, not reaching the harvest time.

“I’m no longer stronger than them, and I can only do my best for the family.” Zhang Yuanshan looked hollow and his voice became lower. “Sometimes, I feel that my parents, their expectation, the engagement, the Seven Disciples of Zhenwu, the family head, and the Ancestor are like many ropes around me and they’re pressing my heart like a concrete block, limiting my freedom and making me oppressive and depressed. I can’t wait to cut off these chains with a sword and regain my freedom.

“However, I only think this occasionally. Since they took such good care of me, how could I bear to let them down? But, but… ” Zhang Yuanshan poured a glass of wine and drank, with his head up and his eyes turning pink.

Meng Qi shook his head and spoke seriously, “Senior Brother Zhang, although as a friend, I can only drink with you and help you finish your work. I have to say that no matter which decision you make, you must finish it as soon as possible and should not put it off.

“If you take family and relatives as the most important thing, then you need to officially tell Zhenzhen the truth. Cut off her thoughts and give her a chance to recover. And if you choose Zhenzhen, you must pick up your courage and find a way to terminate the engagement. You should make the preparation in case you’re deported by your family and try not to delay and hurt the innocent girl, Mingxi.”

Zhang Yuanshan was lost in thought, his eyes full of struggle. Meng Qi tapped on the table consistently.

Suddenly, a drunk swordsman with a rickety body who was sitting next to them came forward. He shouted, “From the beginning, you little boy, have been tapping with this tuk, tuk, noise, making me so irritable. Do you think you’re a woodpecker?”