Chapter 141: The Third Prince, Guanyin, and the Great Fortune of Tasting the Flat Peaches!

"Could that be the previous incarnation of Second Senior Brother in my memories, Marshal Tianpeng, commander of the Heavenly River?"

Looking at the unseemly appearance of the figure in silver armor, Lu Wufei felt a bit uncertain.

However, he noticed several other generals and marshals clad in golden and silver armor around him. Some were watching while drinking, while others stroked their fine beards under their jaws, watching and praising.

The expressions and demeanors of the other armored generals as they watched the dancing Chang'e of the Moon Palace were completely normal.

Only that thick-browed, big-eyed silver-armored figure had a truly unsightly expression.

Though Lu Wufei could not be entirely certain at the moment that this fellow was indeed Second Senior Brother, his heart guessed there was a nine-tenths probability.

Yet, in his memories, Second Senior Brother was allegedly demoted to the mortal realm only after the Monkey wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

Since the Monkey had not yet achieved Dao at this time, Second Senior Brother flirting with Fairy Nishang, the Chang'e of the Moon Palace, must still be a future event.

Yet judging by how infatuated and porcine he looked even while completely sober at the moment, if he were to truly drink heavily, Lu Wufei had not the slightest doubt that Marshal Tianpeng, the predecessor of Second Senior Brother right before his eyes, would dare to commit such an act as harassing Chang'e.

After all, once people drink too much, there is nothing they wouldn't dare to do.

After lingering with his gaze a bit too long, seeming to sense he was being specially observed, the silver-armored stalwart turned his head and looked in Lu Wufei's direction.

Lu Wufei immediately averted his gaze, and began to observe the other immortals across the grand gathering.

Taking advantage of such a rare opportunity for observation, Lu Wufei wanted to see those familiar immortals from his memories and check whether their appearances matched those in his mind.

Soon, his gaze focused on a remarkably gifted youth clad in gold and silver armor, with his hair tied into twin children's tufts, radiating an extraordinary temperament.

A poem describes it thus:
The tufts just shade the fontanelle,
The fur cloak does not reach the shoulders.
Endowed with magic and deep comprehension,
His bones are graceful, his air even clearer.
Truly a unicorn child of the heavens,
Indeed a phoenix immortal of mist and rosy clouds.
A dragon's seed is naturally of no vulgar bearing,
His tender age hardly resembles the dusty mortal world.

To describe it in slightly more colloquial terms, he was a dashing and peerless youth with his hair tied into twin upward-pointing buns—which could also be called a double meatbun hairstyle—looking handsome, vibrant, and overflowing with immortal aura.

Catching sight of that young figure whose demeanor made one forget the ordinary, Lu Wufei's mind instantly brought forth the great name of a familiar immortal:
"The Great Deity Who Seals the Seas with Three Altars..."
"Third Prince Nezha!"

Yes, just by looking at the child's buns tied on his head, which were similar to those worn by his two senior brothers, Qingfeng and Mingyue; his fair skin; and his handsome features—traits that would certainly appear effeminate on anyone else—not only was there no trace of effeminacy on him, but instead an undisguised heroic vigor. At a single glance, one could feel a rushing wave of valor and sharpness.

This realization blossomed in Lu Wufei's mind with sudden clarity: anyone with such an image and such heroic bearing must undoubtedly be the Third Prince Nezha, renowned for "carving his flesh to return to his mother and slicing his bones to return to his father," possessing boundless backbone and arrogance that nothing could hold back!

Truly extraordinary.

He did not linger with his gaze. As the other turned his head, Lu Wufei timely averted his eyes and continued watching.

Not long after, he spotted an even more extraordinary figure whose demeanor made one forget the mundane.

This time, however, the person held a rather lofty position, not far from the Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor upon the main seats, seated behind a long table diagonally opposite his teacher.

She wore her hair in a coiling dragon bun, clad in a plain white gauze robe. Her brows resembled a crescent moon, her eyes like twin stars, her jade face beaming with joy, her vermilion lips touched with a hint of red, and she held a purifying vase filled with sweet dew and a weeping willow branch.

"Guanyin Bodhisattva."

This time, no guessing was required at all; understanding arose instantly in Lu Wufei's mind, clear and luminous.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, also known as Goddess of Mercy, one of the Five Elders of the Five Directions, teacher of the Seven Buddhas, residing in the Tidal Sound Cave of Mount Potalaka in the Southern Sea, whose full title is "The Great Compassionate, Saviour from Suffering and Distress, Miraculous Guanyin Bodhisattva of Mount Potalaka in the Southern Sea."

Relieving the eight hardships, saving all beings, answering every cry for rescue, responding to every prayer, with boundless magical power...

Looking at the great deity whom he had worshipped in his past life now truly appearing before his eyes, a deep sense of respect welled up in Lu Wufei's heart at that moment.

Only this time, Lu Wufei had merely glanced at her for a couple of moments when Guanyin Bodhisattva, clad in her light white gauze robe, perceived it and turned her head to look.

Her expression was gentle, and her starlight-like eyes were filled with softness and compassion.

Realizing he had been spotted, Lu Wufei felt no panic; he immediately bowed with cupped hands in a salute.

However, Guanyin Bodhisattva merely cast a mild, amiable glance at Lu Wufei, and then turned to smile, nod, and return the salute to his teacher, Zhenyuanzi, seated before her.

Beside him, noticing his junior brother's unusual movement, Mingyue immediately perceived it and turned to ask, "Junior Brother, what are you doing?"

Qingfeng also looked over.

The grand gathering before them gathered numerous gods of the Luo heaven—truly a prime time to broaden one's horizons—and seeing his junior brother's action, he was equally curious.

"Nothing much. I was just a bit impolite a moment hearing this, Qingfeng immediately indicated his understanding. With numerous immortals and gods gathered together right before their eyes, such an opportunity naturally made it hard not to take a few extra looks.

Mingyue, however, grew interested and asked with a smile, "I wonder which immortal Senior Brother was looking at so impolitely?"

Lu Wufei replied, "Guanyin Bodhisattva."

"Guanyin Bodhisattva?"

Hearing this name, Qingfeng and Mingyue were instantly startled inwardly.

The fame of the Great Compassionate, Saviour from Suffering Guanyin Bodhisattva was definitely among the most widely spread of all the immortals and deities in the Heavenly Court.

Hearing their junior brother say this, Qingfeng and Mingyue felt completely understanding.

Because they, too, wished to catch a glimpse of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Thus, the two of them immediately turned around.

Soon, much like Lu Wufei had just done, they both bowed in unison toward the diagonal opposite direction.

This sight amused Lu Wufei immensely in his heart.

Having been caught peeking once, Lu Wufei became increasingly cautious as he sized up the other immortals thereafter.

For immortals of higher status and strength, he only dared to sweep his gaze across them as casually as possible—just a single glance, strictly a single glance.

For those of slightly lower strength and status, he permitted himself a couple of extra looks, such as certain underworld judges of the netherworld, or the Dragon Kings...

Indeed, Lu Wufei spotted a Dragon King with a dragon's head and a human body.

However, there was only one. After carefully eavesdropping, he discovered that the sole attendee was none other than the eldest of the Four Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.

As for the other three Dragon Kings of the Western, Northern, and Southern Seas, whether they lacked the status to attend or simply did not come remained unknown.

Yet, judging from the fact that the Dragon King failed to secure a separate seat and had to share a single table with several other immortals, Lu Wufei estimated it was likely the former.

Otherwise, for the Queen Mother's birthday, if they had received an invitation, how could they dare not come?

Still, this also revealed the status of the Dragon clan within the Heavenly Court.

Lu Wufei patiently observed the gathering of immortals. Some he recognized and managed to guess their names roughly, but many more were entirely unknown to him.

He searched carefully for a long time, yet failed to find a single immortal matching Erlang Shen Yang Jian.

Whether he lacked the status and qualifications to attend or simply had matters keeping him away, he could not tell.

In any case, at today's Peach Banquet, Lu Wufei's horizons were truly broadened.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."

At that moment, a familiar call came from his chest.

This time, Lu Wufei timely pressed down on Xiaobai, who was eager to poke its head out.

This was, after all, the Peach Banquet.

Immortals who had attained celestial rank generally wished to attend but could not.

Had it not been for following his teacher, who knew when he would have had the chance to attend such a grand gathering?

Coming himself was one thing; if he were to additionally expose the fact that he brought an uncultivated spiritual beast to the Peach Banquet,

to put it lightly, it would be considered a lack of etiquette; to put it gravely, it could even be construed as disrespect toward the Queen Mother.

Lu Wufei naturally would not commit such a low-level mistake.

"Be a good boy and stay put."

After soothing the little fellow, Lu Wufei stood behind his teacher and began to converse in low tones with his two senior brothers by his side.

The grand gathering proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Time slowly drifted by.

When the Chang'e fairies of the Moon Palace completed a dance, the immortals successively raised their cups, offering toasts to the Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor upon the main seats in accordance with protocol, extending their birthday congratulations.

When this procedure concluded amidst the bustling and lively noise, a slightly brisk piece of celestial music began to play, and the Moon Palace fairies took the stage to dance once again.

Only now could this Peach Banquet truly be considered started.

From this moment on, the immortals could freely indulge in celestial delicacies, fine dishes, flat peaches, and exquisite wine.

The atmosphere of the gathering grew warm and exuberant accordingly.

Watching the immortals urge each other to drink, exchanging toasts, those on good terms draping arms over shoulders, drinking, and bantering—it looked exactly like mortals feasting in the mortal realm, much like Lu Wufei and some of his friends drinking together back on Earth.

Observing this, Lu Wufei did not find it particularly strange.

After all, many immortals and deities had cultivated upward from mortal origins.

Moreover, wine indeed possessed such magic.

"Heh, these gods of the Luo heaven drink without a whit of difference from us, don't they?"

At this moment, Mingyue suddenly sent a covert telepathic message.

Lu Wufei and Qingfeng turned their heads simultaneously to see Mingyue gesturing slightly toward a spot further down across from them, where two immortals dressed without conventional restraint were tugging and pulling at each other over wine. One of them, who seemed to have drunk too much from the very beginning, sat flat on the ground with a thud. Mingyue laughed and said, "Look at that..."

Qingfeng smiled and said nothing.

Lu Wufei, however, smiled and remarked, "Indeed, there's no real difference. Doesn't that fellow's drinking capacity match yours quite well, Senior Brother?"

Hearing this, Mingyue reacted instantly, recalling the time he and his junior brother had been drinking, ran right into their teacher, and subsequently tumbled clumsily into the lotus pond—an infamous incident across Three-Crescent View that he would likely blush over for a lifetime. He immediately sputtered in indignation, "Well, look at that! Senior Brother, see how Junior Brother dares to mock our drinking capacity!"

Hearing this, Qingfeng merely smiled and shook his head. "Our capacity indeed falls somewhat short compared to Junior Brother's."

Mingyue persisted, "Even if it falls short, I refuse to accept it! Junior Brother, let's have another drinking session next time, and I certainly won't end up like last time..."

Hearing this, Lu Wufei immediately chuckled. "Since Senior Brother is in the mood, this junior brother will certainly accompany you. But this time... aren't you afraid of Teacher?"

Just as his words fell,

"Tasting the flavor of wine in moderation is permissible, but there must be limits."

A familiar, majestic voice suddenly echoed in the minds of the three junior brothers.

Intruding with Teacher's voice, Lu Wufei, Qingfeng, and Mingyue were so startled that they turned pale, immediately turning around to say respectfully, "Yes, Teacher."

Before the three junior brothers had time to react further,

Teacher's voice sounded once more: "This small flat peach fruit—you three, share it amongst yourselves."

As the words faded,

Lu Wufei, Qingfeng, and Mingyue, who had yet to fully recover from the shock of Teacher's voice, instantly beamed with great joy.

Though all three of them held such a yearning in their hearts,

a yearning was merely a yearning.

After all, that was a flat peach.

Even if it was a small fruit, the outermost layer of the flat peach orchard required a full three thousand years to ripen; it was a spiritual fruit of the highest caliber, rare across the Three Realms.

How many immortals entered this Peach Banquet without the fortune to taste one, let alone dream of eating it?

Stunned by the sudden shock yet overwhelmed by such sudden joy, the three junior brothers of Lu Wufei immediately reacted and chorused, "Thank you, Teacher, for the bestowal!"

"Thank you, Teacher, for the reward!"

Immediately following this,

the smaller flat peach resting before Teacher Zhenyuanzi flew over and hovered before the three junior brothers.

Lu Wufei and Mingyue exchanged glances before turning to Qingfeng. "Senior Brother, you divide it."

Hearing this, Qingfeng looked at his two junior brothers and nodded. "Very well."

Even within their own sect, Three-Crescent View, the famously renowned ginseng fruit of the Three Realms was similarly an incomparable spiritual fruit, which all three junior brothers had tasted before.

However, the three of them were still of low and shallow cultivation.

To be fortunate enough to share a single flat peach—

even Qingfeng, who usually remained quite composed, found it hard to suppress the excitement in his heart.

Nodding, he took the flat peach and gently traced a few lines across it with his finger.

The entire flat peach split neatly into three equal portions, one for each of the three junior brothers.

Qingfeng took his own portion and immediately urged, "Eat quickly. Now that the skin has broken, letting the efficacy dissipate would be unwise."

Understanding this principle, Lu Wufei and Mingyue took their respective portions of the flat peach and immediately began to devour them raw just like the other immortals.

*Crunch.*

With just a single bite,

Lu Wufei discovered that the flat peach in his hand was actually crisp. It offered both the refreshing sweetness and crisp tenderness of the best crisp peaches, alongside the abundant, juicy richness of a soft peach, filling his mouth with a lingering fragrance.

It was truly the best peach he had ever tasted in his life.

After just a few bites, Lu Wufei chewed and swallowed his third of the flat peach.

As the peach descended into his stomach,

he felt spiritual qi begin to surge endlessly within his limbs and bones, and spiritual qi started to well up within his abdomen.

He felt the spiritual qi in his body increase explosively, yet without the slightest sensation of turbulence or wild agitation.

Lu Wufei truly felt the miraculous nature of this flat peach.

It was indeed a rare spiritual treasure of heaven and earth.

Turning to look at his two senior brothers beside him:

Qingfeng was relatively fine; being already in the human immortal realm, he absorbed the third of a three-thousand-year flat peach without taking long to steady himself.

As for Mingyue, who still remained at the late golden core cultivation stage and possessed a mortal body, the effect of this third of a flat peach was nothing short of explosive.

One could easily tell just by looking at Mingyue, who kept his eyes closed while the spiritual aura around him fluctuated violently.

Toying with the longan-sized flat peach pit in his palm, Lu Wufei asked, "Senior Brother, do you think if we take this pit back to the view, we can grow a peach tree from it?"

Sensing his junior brother's intent, Qingfeng smiled and said, "With the grotto-heaven within our view, we could certainly grow a peach tree, but what grows from it will surely not be a flat peach. Otherwise, after all these years, the Three Realms wouldn't be limited to just the three thousand six hundred peach trees in the Queen Mother's orchard."

Lu Wufei nodded with a smile. "I naturally know that. But even so, as long as a flat peach pit can sprout and grow into a tree, the fruit it bears will surely be superior to ordinary spiritual fruits."

Hearing this, Qingfeng smiled and nodded. "That stands to reason."

"Is Junior Brother planning to take this peach pit back to our view to plant?"

At this moment, Mingyue finally regained his composure, opened his eyes wide, and said, "What a brilliant idea!"

"If Junior Brother hadn't mentioned it, I was just about to say the same!"

"Where should we plant it? In the eastern peach grove?"

"Or perhaps in the western..."

While the Peach Banquet proceeded, the three junior brothers—Lu Wufei, Qingfeng, and Mingyue—chatted leisurely while watching the various wine-induced states of the immortals, feeling quite serene.

Time slowly flowed onward.

As the great sun sank westward,

a faint dusk began to permeate the heaven and earth.

This grand Peach Banquet was also drawing to its close.

Accompanied by the completion of the final dance by the Moon Palace fairies in the center of the grounds, the celestial music ceased to play.

The Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor took the lead, departing the venue escorted by numerous golden-boy and jade-girl attendants.

The departure of those upon the main seats also signified that the gathering had reached its curtain call.

Shortly after the Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor left,

Zhenyuanzi stood up to bid farewell to the immortals, and led his three disciples, Lu Wufei, Qingfeng, and Mingyue, away from the banquet grounds, heading toward the exterior of the Heavenly Court.

This time,

Zhenyuanzi did not take the Southern Heavenly Gate, but headed straight for the Western Heavenly Gate.

Amidst the respectful salutations of the golden-armored heavenly soldiers,

Zhenyuanzi led his three disciples swiftly away, vanishing into the Thirty-Six Heavens of the Luo.