Chapter 811: Drinking and Discussing Swordsmanship

Ji Yuan, of course, knew Tu Sixian was in the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven. The old monk Foyin was also aware of this. Tu Tong and Tu Miao didn't even care if their excuse fooled Ji Yuan and King Foyin Ming; all they needed was the excuse itself.

The old monk Foyin chanted silently, "Our Buddha is merciful, transforming worldly suffering. The wrathful Vajra eliminates worldly evil." He said no more. The attention of the three nine-tailed foxes, including Tu Yi, was primarily on Ji Yuan.

Ji Yuan remained silent for a long time before shaking his head and chuckling softly. "If Tu Sixian is not in this Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven, then it seems I will have come in vain this time."

Tu Miao smiled and said, "Mr. Ji, you also came to see Tu Yi. Since both of you have graced our Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven with your presence, we naturally must host you well. How could that be considered coming in vain?"

"Indeed. Our Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven has always maintained good relations with the Buddhist school and occasionally interacts with the immortal path. It is truly an honor for Venerable Foyin and Mr. Ji to visit. Of course, we must entertain you properly."

As he spoke, Tu Tong picked up the teapot from the table and stood up to personally pour tea for Ji Yuan. However, Ji Yuan placed a hand on the teacup, causing Tu Tong to frown slightly, her eyes showing a hint of frost. When she looked up and saw Ji Yuan smiling at her, she immediately returned the smile.

"Sir, do you not like me pouring your tea?"

Ji Yuan shook his head, glanced at Tu Yi, and his peripheral vision caught a female fox demon standing not far behind him. He had already caught a faint scent of alcohol on her.

"While this flower tea is pleasant, I have had enough tea. Today, I came to the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven to have a good conversation with Daoist Tu Yi. However, rather than tea, I prefer wine. I wonder if there is any fine wine in the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven?"

"Wine?"

Tu Tong was momentarily stunned and instinctively glanced at the old monk Foyin, who opened his eyes and smiled.

"Do not mind this old monk. I can simply meditate; I require neither wine nor tea."

Tu Miao clapped his hands lightly, stood up, and laughed. "Hahaha, truly, hearing about you doesn't compare to meeting you. Mr. Ji, you are indeed unrestrained! Of course, we have wine. I have a collection of excellent and immortal brews at my residence. Please wait a moment, Mr. Ji, I'll go and fetch them right away..."

As Tu Miao spoke, he had already stood up from his seat, but after taking two steps, he turned back to look at Ji Yuan. "May I ask about your capacity for drink, Mr. Ji? That way, I can gauge how much to bring. Or perhaps, Mr. Ji, do you have something to hold the wine? I can bring more and fill it for you."

Ji Yuan widened his eyes slightly as he looked at Tu Miao, then reached into his sleeve, taking out a white jade Thousand-Measure Flask and placing it on the table. He then also retrieved the emerald Thousand-Measure Flask from which the dragon's spittle incense had long been consumed. Tu Miao had suggested it himself; Ji Yuan hadn't forced him.

"As someone who enjoys wine, I naturally believe the more, the merrier."

Tu Miao's expression did not change when he saw Ji Yuan produce the two Thousand-Measure Flasks. He cupped his hands towards Ji Yuan, said nothing more, and directly leaped up, transforming into a streak of demonic light that flew into the distance.

Tu Tong, sitting opposite Ji Yuan, smiled charmingly and teased, "Heh heh, Mr. Ji, this time you're going to deplete a good portion of Tu Miao's reserves! Don't let his nonchalant appearance fool you; he's actually quite pained by it, heh heh heh..."

"Don't joke. His wine collection is truly extensive; there's no need to feel bad for him."

Tu Yi also spoke up at an opportune moment, then looked at Ji Yuan. "Mr. Ji, I once exchanged a sword strike with you and greatly admire your swordsmanship. Since you are here today, perhaps we could discuss it?"

"Hmm, discussing swordsmanship while drinking wine, that sounds good."

Ji Yuan didn't decline; he agreed immediately and even added the phrase "discussing swordsmanship," seemingly unconcerned about demonstrating his skills shortly.

Meanwhile, the old monk Foyin surveyed the surrounding valley. As his aura settled, the nearby fox demons approached a little closer again. However, he couldn't detect any connection to Tu Sixian's aura from any of them. He knew Ji Yuan must be calculating Tu Sixian's location, and the drinking and discussing swordsmanship were just a pretense. Therefore, though the old monk Foyin claimed to be meditating with closed eyes, he was secretly preparing. If Ji Yuan pinpointed Tu Sixian's location, in the worst-case scenario, he might have to join forces with Ji Yuan to go and eliminate the demonic evil.

Although monastics are compassionate, regarding Tu Sixian, the old monk Foyin strongly agreed with Ji Yuan's view that this demon must be eliminated quickly.

On the other side, after flying for a while, Tu Miao looked back at the valley where Tu Yi's tree pavilion was located. Although Ji Yuan's immortal light and King Foyin Ming's Buddhist radiance had receded, they were still faintly visible to him. With Tu Tong there and Tu Yi assisting today, he wasn't worried that they couldn't keep an eye on the guests.

After a rapid flight, Tu Miao first went back to retrieve the wine, then swiftly darted to a distant location. Utilizing a formation's spatial shift, he arrived at a clearing in the center of a forest, where a wooden manor house stood.

Inside the house, which had wooden floors and no chairs, two beautiful women sat before a low table. One of them was Tu Sixian, dressed very casually, leaning forward on the table and playing with her hair, looking at a chessboard. The woman opposite Tu Sixian was someone Ji Yuan actually knew: the very woman who had brought nightmares to Hu Yun in the past.

"Hmph, you two seem quite idle!"

Tu Miao snorted coldly and stepped inside the house, his gaze sweeping over the chessboard on the table and then over the two women, lingering slightly on the exposed parts of Tu Sixian.

"What else can be done? Do you expect me to go meet him?" Tu Sixian said this, then slowly straightened up, her garment slipping further off her shoulder. The woman opposite her looked at Tu Miao and asked, "So, will he leave?"

Neither of them called Ji Yuan by his name directly, nor did they even use "Mr. Ji." This was not due to dislike for Ji Yuan, but rather a cautious avoidance of calling out his name.

"I claimed Tu Sixian was not within the Grotto-Heaven. What could he do? He had no choice but to believe it! As for when he'll leave, I don't know yet. When I was coming, I faintly heard in the air that they plan to drink and discuss swordsmanship with Tu Yi."

"Discuss swordsmanship!"

Tu Sixian's eyes lit up. "Then you'd better transcribe it. I'd like to see it too."

The woman beside her also smiled. "Perhaps he wants to cause some trouble under the guise of discussing swordsmanship. Just keep a close watch."

"Don't worry."

With that, Tu Miao turned and left.

It wasn't long before Tu Miao's escaping light landed again in Tu Yi's courtyard. He burst out laughing towards the people gathered around the wooden table. "Hahaha, Mr. Ji, the fine wine has arrived!"

As he spoke, Tu Miao flicked his sleeve, and jars and pots of fine wine successively appeared on the grass not far from the table. The wine grew in quantity, gradually piling up into a small mountain.

Ji Yuan's claim of discussing swordsmanship while drinking was no joke. He immediately stood up and, guided by his sense of smell, walked to the wine jars. Tu Miao gestured towards the wine, indicating that Ji Yuan should help himself.

Following his intuition, Ji Yuan directly picked up a jar of the finest immortal brew. He tapped the seal open and drew out a stream of wine to taste. "Excellent wine! Daoist Tu Yi, our exchange back then was but a casual sword strike. Today, the opportunity is rare. I shall use my finger as a sword to discuss with you, Daoist."

Ji Yuan today was very different from his usual reserved self. Tu Yi's eyes flashed with brilliance, and he did not flinch, standing up directly. "Good. Since Mr. Ji has invited, I, Yi, will certainly accompany you. Behold my sword!"

Tu Yi lightly stomped his foot, formed a sword gesture with his hand, and transformed into a streak of white rainbow, striking towards Ji Yuan. Ji Yuan met him with a sword gesture of his own. Their fingers collided, and a sharp sword intent surged, the terrifying sword qi exploding outwards and spreading across the valley.

Many fox demons scattered throughout the valley felt as if a long sword pierced through their bodies at that moment. Many were so frightened they fell to the ground. Among those with higher cultivation, like Tu Yun, even with their scalps tingling and goosebumps rising, they remained fixated on the clearing in front of the tree pavilion.

The two masters discussed swordsmanship, using sword fingers, yet it was like two peerless divine weapons clashing. At times, it resembled a raging storm; at other times, two butterflies dancing gracefully. Amidst the exquisite beauty was a suffocating sharpness.

"Excellent! The marvel of swordsmanship between heaven and earth—this truly stands as a masterpiece!"

The old monk Foyin did not use a sword, but the two before him, in their discussion of swordsmanship, were manifesting a 'Dao.' Whether they used weapons or not did not affect the profound insight gained from observing them. Tu Tong and Tu Miao were similar, their gazes never leaving Ji Yuan and Tu Yi. The swordsmanship displayed at this moment was more worth watching than a life-or-death battle. Without killing intent and without manifesting world-destroying power, it better embodied the concept of "discussion"—it was discussing swordsmanship with fingers, and discussing the Dao with swords.

"Hahahaha, Daoist Tu Yi truly has excellent swordsmanship."

Ji Yuan parried Tu Yi's attacks with one hand, while with the other, he discarded an emptied wine jar and casually picked up another. Tu Yi, however, did not drink, his eyes filled with fervent fighting spirit, clearly unwilling to lose.

This was an extremely beneficial sword discussion for observers. Many fox demons gathered in the valley, even with stinging eyes, forcibly channeled their magic to continue watching. Although the edge of the sword qi did not physically penetrate them, the influence of the sword intent was too strong. Some fox demons even had blood seeping from their eyes and had to retreat to a suitable distance to regulate their energy. Many of the remaining fox demons were also struggling to hold on. Some fox demons tried to memorize it intensely or quickly jot notes with paper and pen, but often this was counterproductive, leading to more pain or a complete blank.

Tu Yi wanted to win, but Ji Yuan was not fixated on victory or defeat. Sometimes he wielded his sword with his left hand and held a wine jar with his right; at other times, he switched. He launched no fewer sword strikes, and drank no less wine. His stomach seemed like a bottomless pit, a jar of wine gurgling into his mouth, often emptying in moments.

Furthermore, the three nine-tailed foxes and the old monk Foyin clearly observed that Ji Yuan did not use his magic power to neutralize the alcohol's effects, nor did he release even a wisp of alcoholic vapor. As a result, after half a day of sword discussion and dozens of jars of wine, Ji Yuan's cheeks had already developed a slight flush.

"Mr. Ji, if you keep drinking like this, your sword strikes will become unstable. How will you discuss swordsmanship with me then?" Tu Yi reminded him coldly, feeling that Ji Yuan was underestimating him.

"Hahaha, Daoist Tu Yi, discussing swordsmanship is about wielding the sword, not using your mouth... well, except for drinking."

Ji Yuan's laughter somewhat provoked Tu Yi. Without warning Ji Yuan, he launched his moves with an added swiftness, and the sword intent in his hand became three parts stronger than before.

"Well met!"

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Ji Yuan seemed a bit more audacious. Amidst his laughter, he met the sword gesture, and the speed and sword intent of his strikes surprisingly increased in tandem with Tu Yi's, matching him perfectly. Their swordsmanship remained equally matched, completely unchanged.

Tu Yi was startled and calmly reined in his extra emotions to respond, knowing he could not be careless. Yet, as time passed, Ji Yuan's swordsmanship gradually became formless, but his sword intent grew increasingly potent. His movements kept pace, his sword strikes met fingers, two swords alternated, drawing swords to strike...

Three full days passed. Tu Yi had dedicated his entire focus to countering Ji Yuan's swordsmanship. No longer could he calculate Ji Yuan's next move, or even the one after that, as he had at the beginning. He focused solely on the immediate changes, both because Ji Yuan's swordsmanship had transformed from deliberate to seemingly spontaneous, and because the pressure from Ji Yuan's strikes was now overwhelmingly intense.

'Am I going to lose!'

At that moment, Tu Yi's confidence began to waver, and this wavering made it even more difficult to counter Ji Yuan's swordsmanship.

Tu Tong, Tu Miao, and the old monk Foyin had already glimpsed a hint of what was happening. Few foxes on the outskirts of the valley could still endure, yet they could faintly sense that the immortal's swordsmanship was like the unpredictable changes of heaven and earth, wind and rain, while Ancestor Tu Yi's radiant display seemed to be following the immortal's swordsmanship...

'No way... Ancestor, it seems he's about to lose...'

Tu Yun clung on, sitting on the mountaintop, blood trickling from the corners of her eyes, yet her eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief.

Three days of discussing swordsmanship were also three days of heavy drinking. Ji Yuan's swordsmanship at this moment astonished everyone, but his face was now flushed, and he occasionally let out a hiccup.

"Hic! Hahahaha, exhilarating, exhilarating..."

Ji Yuan continuously launched sword strikes, in an instant pointing out hundreds of sword gestures, forcing Tu Yi to retreat repeatedly.

It was at this moment that Ji Yuan's eyes narrowed as he spun around. The fallen leaves and twigs on the surrounding grass subtly moved with his posture. After taking another sip of immortal brew, he stopped sideways and thrust his right sword finger forward. The surrounding fallen leaves formed a spiral, rising like a dragon with his sword intent, and lunged towards Tu Yi.

This single sword strike made Tu Yi, who had just diffused the sword intent from the preceding hundred strikes, feel an undeniable and unavoidable force. It even stirred the magic power he had suppressed for three days; though not emitted from his sword finger, it enveloped his entire body. Just as his magic power was about to erupt, Tu Yi suddenly realized he had violated the rules. In the fleeting moment of panic, the wandering dragon of sword intent before him abruptly dissipated.

The leaves drifted down, swaying from the air, returning to quietude. Tu Yi stared blankly at Ji Yuan, who stood several meters away, his body swaying as he held a wine jar.

"Good wine... good swordsmanship..."

"Thump..."

Ji Yuan simply collapsed onto the ground.

"Mr. Ji!"

Tu Yi immediately appeared before Ji Yuan, then breathed a sigh of relief. Ji Yuan was breathing evenly, his expression serene; he had simply drunk himself to sleep.