Chapter 644: Wine and Affection
Translator: Cynthiia Editor: X, TYZ
Winners took all. This was always true. The difficulties and despair in the process would only be buried in one's memory, but even after a long time, they were still vivid in the mind. Hardships and despair would always bestow charm in victory, in the way that wine would bestow a mellow taste in life, making it enchanting and unforgettable.
It might be described later in historical records with only a few words. When future generations read it, they might simply ignore it or be carried far away by the fascinating experience.
In the foggy sword formation valley, light swords were flickering like stars in the sky. The valley was still tranquil, but the annular ridge around the valley was totally different. Bonfires were lit all over the ridge to light up the night. People were singing, dancing, and crying out joyfully in celebration could be seen everywhere, making the ridge very bustling.
Except for those on guard duty, everyone else came to the celebration.
Even the most solemn guys couldn't help smiling, not to mention those like Fatty who were always happy. Tonight, Fatty was laughing all the time, and others could scarcely see his eyes.
This was the most critical battle they endured through, during which the majority of the members were on the verge of collapse. Any failure would have lead to a total defeat.
They were lucky indeed, but the victory was more due to their unity. If it were not for [Breeze of Surveillance], or Duanmu Huanghun's [Viridescent Flower], or the Sword of Lightning, or the volleys of Beehive Heavy Cannons, or…
Without reservation, they made use of all the power they could think of, like a fully armed soldier using his teeth and nails in the end.
Lou Lan's eyes were like crescent moons when smiling. He wore an apron and walked back and forth in the campsite with a pot in one hand and a soup ladle in the other hand. Wherever he went, people around would cheer for him.
"Good job Lou Lan!"
"Lou Lan's final hit was fantastic!"
"I guess Helian Tianxiao died of anger!"
Lou Lan shared the soup with everyone happily.
"I have to say that our boss is too horrifying. The swords have come out even before he does."
"I agree. I was scared to death and thought I would die there. It was all thanks to boss's swords!"
"Was anyone like me and thought it was raining then?"
"Me! I was totally dumbstruck!"
Hearing their admiration for Ai Hui, Lou Lan was even happier.
Shi Xueman sat on a rock with a bottle of wine in her hand. She stared at the foggy sword formations and took a sip. She never drank before, but somehow she very much wanted to drink today. Unconsciously, her cold face turned red. The smile on her pretty face made her look like a different person.
Sang Zhijun also came with a bottle of wine and shouted at a distance, "Xueman, Xueman!"
She just finished dancing with the others around the fire and still felt excited. Even her voice was much louder than usual. Shi Xueman turned her head and burst into laughter when she saw Sang Zhijun bouncing about. She had never seen Sang Zhijun like this before.
Sang Zhijun was apparently a little bit drunk. She jumped on the rock and sat down beside Shi Xueman casually. "Why not come and dance with us?"
Then, she glanced at the valley and smiled. As if she suddenly understood something, she asked, "Bad mood, huh? Because Ai Hui hasn't come out?"
"Yes," Shi Xueman replied and took another sip.
Sang Zhijun paused for a while, as she hadn't expected that Shi Xueman would admit it so readily. When she came back to her senses, she consoled Shi Xueman, "Relax. He will soon."
When they mentioned Ai Hui, Sang Zhijun also became serious. Shi Xueman could see the veneration in her eyes. The scene earlier had greatly shocked and impacted her.
Shi Xueman smiled. She raised the wine bottle in her hand and drank a gulp of wine.
Sang Zhijun also took a long swig of wine. Then, she wiped the drops left on the corner of her mouth and said directly, "I know you are worried, Xueman, about others' opinions of him."
The flowing light swords fell from the sky like a starry waterfall. It was extremely spectacular. They witnessed this awesome scene when they had just finished the front line battle.
What happened next was more horrible.
The corpses melted into the earth at a fast speed. The tens of thousands of light swords suddenly shined with dazzling rays, and the chime of swords could be heard all over the valley and lingered for six hours.
Even Helian Tianxiao and his mount could not prevent being devoured by the light swords.
Although they had seen the sword formation consume blood and flesh before, it was shocking to see the whole God Wolf Division being devoured. When they came back to the valley, they all gasped in astonishment after seeing the numerous bones of the dead in the sword formation.
It turned out that the Silver Frost Division also became nutrition for the sword formation.
In terms of the amount of blood and flesh that had been devoured by the sword formation, maybe only the devils in the ancient legends could match him. In comparison, the blood refinement of the Beast Venom Temple was not worth mentioning.
They were both grateful and frightened.
It was so shocking.
Shi Xueman fell into silence as if she was tasting the wine in her mouth.
Sang Zhijun's face blushed scarlet, but her eyes were clear. "We are not afraid at all, even if Ai Hui really becomes a blood elementalist."
They had all witnessed Ai Hui's hatred toward the Blood of God.
Even if he became a blood elementalist, they were not worried because they believed Ai Hui would be the blood elementalist who would destroy the Blood of God. In contrast, they were more concerned about whether Ai Hui could accept his identity as a blood elementalist and if he would even want to kill himself.
Sometimes, Ai Hui was afraid of death, but sometimes, he was frighteningly at ease in the face of death.
"We've known each other ever since we were in Central Pine City and have been fighting side by side for years. No one remembers how many times he has saved us." Sang Zhijun turned her head and looked Shi Xueman in her eyes, saying with excitement, "We are not friends, but a family. If my family member becomes a blood elementalist, would I leave him? Why do we choose to celebrate here around the sword formation? It's because we want to celebrate with Ai Hui and because we want him to know that we will not leave or abandon him. He will always be our leader."
Shi Xueman looked at her blankly. A warm current surged in her heart, and her nose felt sore. She was concerned about Ai Hui's safety as well as others' attitude toward him. Born in an aristocratic family, she had seen too much betrayal and the fickleness of human nature. Therefore, she cherished the purity and happiness of the moment more than anything else.
Everything that had happened along the way passed through her mind.
The embarrassing blind fight in the training hall, the 150 yuan he lent her in the noodle house, the firm eyes in a desperate situation, the warm lips in the wind and snow, and the curses and panic behind her…
A warm smile appeared on her face, and her eyes once again became clear and firm. She suddenly stood up, threw away the wine bottle in her hand, and put her hands at her mouth, shouting with the loudest voice, "Ai Hui, I'll wait for you!"
The others fell into silence and looked at Shi Xueman.
After a while, everyone smiled.
Fatty was already drunk. He endured unprecedented pressure in this battle. Now that all the pressure was released, he was the most excited one in the revelry. Beside him, Zu Yan was as drunk as a fiddler, his pale face flushed. He was smiling in his dreams.
This guy was such a lightweight. He only drank one cup before he got drunk.
Upon hearing Shi Xueman's yell, Fatty couldn't help but burst out laughing. Ai Hui and Shi Xueman were deeply in love and yet both of them were ice-cold in nature. He thumped the ground and chuckled. Suddenly, he looked as though he was going to cry. He seemed to see the thin and lonely back view of Ai Hui the day he left the Wilderness.
Fatty stood up and shouted himself hoarse at the valley, "Ai Hui, stay alive!"
Fatty's face was covered with tears.
Sang Zhijun suddenly stood up and threw away her wine bottle. She put her hands up at her mouth like a trumpet and shouted at the valley, "Ai Hui, can you hear us?"
Jiang Wei also stood up in excitement.
His fate probably changed the second he met Ai Hui. Before that, he was not born into an aristocratic family nor was he talented. Before he met Ai Hui, he was average in all aspects.
Yet, everything changed after he met Ai Hui.
He survived in the blood disaster, and his life was totally different, including his relationship with Sang Zhijun. He glanced at Sang Zhijun firmly and gently.
Jiang Wei shouted into the valley, "Ai Hui, thank you!"
The rest stood up one by one and shouted into the valley loudly and noisily. No one could hear clearly what they were saying.
"Ai Hui is invincible!"
"Boss! Boss!"
...
The loud voices almost turned the valley upside down. Lou Lan's eyes turned into two crescent moons in happiness. His head tilted, and his eyes lit up.
Then, among all the noise, they heard a crack, and saw a ball-like clump of sand rise up into the sky and explode. Next, the scattered sand transformed into two words, "Ai Hui."
The crowd quieted down. After seeing it was Lou Lan, they understood what happened and all burst into laughter.
They cheered out loudly, "Ai Hui!"
Crack! The sand words in the sky above the valley transformed into "invincible."
The rest shouted with laughter, "Invincible!"
Crack, the sand word transformed again.
Many of them saw the words and rolled on the ground while laughing out loud. Then, the sand words transformed into numbers and began to count back.
"Three, two, one…"
They didn't try to conceal the smiles on their face at all. Everyone shouted themselves hoarse with their loudest voices, "Ai Hui likes Shi Xueman!"
Shi Xueman, who used to be an iceberg, now blushed scarlet in shyness. She hid behind Sang Zhijun hastily and covered her face with her hands.
The swords in the valley suddenly began to chime as if it was a response from Ai Hui.
"Hahahaha!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
The sand letters kept changing, and the crowd shouted in a loud voice rhythmically.
"The Sword of Lightning is despicable, but invincible!"
"Hahahaha!"
This reminded them of the contemptible tactics of the Sword of Lightning.
"The Spear of Heavy Cloud, practice until you're worn out!"
"Hahahaha!"
The members of Spear of Heavy Cloud could help laughing first, as they were clearly aware of the heavy training load. Others were taking pleasure in their misfortune.
"In the Pagoda Cannon Alliance, we defeat our enemies by luck!"
"Hahahaha!"
Fatty was the happiest, while other members of the Pagoda Cannon Alliance laughed until they gasped for breath. There were indeed too many new members in the Pagoda Cannon Alliance.
"Is Lou Lan handsome?"
"Yes!" they answered with one voice.
"Hahahaha."
Laughter lingered in the dark night.