Chapter 5: Foolish Doting Fathers (1)
Despite a chaotic reunion, the seven heroes of the past finally sat down in the same banquet hall.
"A toast to my friends and the Rainbow Alliance," Zhao Mingfeng raised his wine cup with a huge smile.
Lifting their wine cups as a sign of respect, the six heroes from the Rainbow Alliance returned the toast and drained the first cup of wine, marking the start of the banquet.
Compared to other formal events, the Celestial Dragon sect loved to host their banquets in a lively manner without much care for etiquette. They were cultivators, not ministers, so there was no need for extensive formalities or excessive entertainment.
"Forgive the humble presentation," Zhao Mingfeng smiled. "Although many things might be lacking during your stay, food is not one of them."
Clapping his hands twice, Zhao Mingfeng signalled for the servants to bring out massive trays of delicious food. Some cultivators were vegetarian from their practice, but even they salivated at the tantalising scent. That wasn't to say these cultivators found anything lacking with the vegetarian menu. Although Zhao Mingfeng wasn't the most meticulous man, he had a capable wife backing him from behind. Almost everyone in the banquet hall knew that Zhao Wanting secretly managed the guest accommodation.
Going with the lively flow, Zhang Yi started the ball rolling. There was nothing more exciting about a gathering among cultivators if they did not compete. However, after destroying part of the mountain earlier in his spar with Bai Dajin, the Azure Dragon sect leader felt slightly guilty. It wasn't fair for overly powerful individuals to spar. Hence, it was up to the next generation to provide entertainment. After all, the tell-tale sign of a good teacher was through their student's performance.
"Brother Zhao, sorry about the damage to your mountain earlier. I got carried away. My wife will nag at me if she finds out, so could you keep it a secret? As compensation, won't you let my son create a poem for you? He might not be the best at martial arts or cultivating, but he's my important internal adviser. I bet he's smarter than most scholars with small governor posts."
Not one to harp over such things, Zhao Mingfeng forgave the hot-blooded Azure Dragon leader. However, he was curious about Prince Zhang Mou. The last time he saw Zhang Mou, the boy was a teen of marriageable age. However, according to his father, Zhang Mou refused to marry even at twenty-nine. He had also stopped pursuing the path of a cultivator, stopping after he reached the Solid Core stage. The young man decided to sharpen his wits instead of his blade, assisting his father with managing the Azure Dragon Sect and expanding the influence of its territory.
"Zhang Mou will make a brilliant adviser. I could never open a martial school or manage a mercenary agency if it were me. It would be our honour to listen to a poem he composed tonight," Mingfeng smiled.
Zhao Mingshen, the second prince of the Celestial Dragon Sect, perked up from the other side of the banquet hall. Unlike the other family members, except for his younger sister, the ten-year-old was more interested in books than swords.
Unable to refuse the proposal after his father had put him on the spot, Zhang Mou stood up and bowed respectfully to the powerful sect leaders.