Different Year, Same Thing (Part 19)
People struggled to understand why anyone would want to live on Horizon Peak, the tallest exotic mountain at Night Net Mountain and in Hangzhou, despite being able to appreciate beauty of the firmament, vibrant landscape below and the lives of various living organisms in nature. One slip on the mountain, it'd be the end of them. Yet, Ming Feizhen, the man the servants knew as a man whose hair colour constantly changed, was towering and resembled a cold-blooded demon due to his scarlet eyes, liked to dine on the sky-high mountain.
Maids understandably struggled to climb Horizon Peak, which was why a small row of rooms was constructed for them one and a half kilometres from the peak. Guards would deliver meals to them so that they could then deliver up the mountain. As if climbing to the peak wasn't enough of a workout in itself, they also had to carry fifteen bowls of rice, seventeen side dishes, fruits and premium wine up to the peak.
In the past, it took five to six maids to carry the tray up to the peak. As the maids spent months practicing a breathing technique Ming Feizhen taught them, the number of maids required to deliver the meals started to taper down until there were only two. They couldn't reduce it to one because there was no way one of them could carry a tray that could fit all of the items.
As the two maids delivering Ming Feizhen's meals today didn't hear a response when they knocked, they figured he was training at Lunar Cave on the peak. Therefore, they entered to set down the tray prior to fetching him.
"Is it dinner time yet?" the two maids heard as they climbed up. Before their answer could roll off their tongue, they heard, "Got it. Sweet and sour fish, lucky wine, soy-sauce preserved duck. Very nice… Dessert is yellow split peas dessert? Ol' Ting really put some thought into this dinner, huh?
"I can smell the dishes. Are you two new? Oh, I see. When you clean up, prepare two shirts for me to go out in. Don't choose flamboyant colours. You already prepared black robes? You two are quite meticulous."
Those who knew Ming Feizhen knew about his ability to tell discern before seeing or tasting them; however, the last time he left Night Fortress, he went for a long time. The two maids delivering his dinner today were usually delegated cleaning jobs, so they never witnessed his food identification prowess before. Hence, they shook without even realising it.
"Leave dinner there for now. I'm eating this for now. Leave it there, though, as I'll eat it later." Ming Feizhen threw out a bone.
Is that… an arm?!
The two maids tearfully showed clean heels. And that was how the rumour that Master Ming ate humans came to be. One time, Hong Jiu paid Ming Feizhen a visit and queried, "Hey, uh, Big Bro, umm… You see, a few kids went missing from a village. Do you recall anything? You know, the chubby kid? I mean, I'm just looking around, you know? Are you hungry? If you are, let me know."
"Sheesh, I was just eating a pork shoulder. What's the big fuss all about?" Ming Feizhen sulked and picked up another pork shoulder to gnaw into as the two maids bolted away.
The pork shoulders came from a pig Ming Feizhen caught and just finished grilling when the two maids arrived.
Ming Feizhen leaned back on the rock that faced the clouds, a spot he always sat on when visiting the peak. He caressed his weapon the masses coined "Black Broadsword", the same one he used to annihilate Mount Lu Sword Sanctuary's elites singlehandedly as he peered into the distance.
Normally, a weapon would need to be sharp to stick into a rock. Even if someone could plant it in, there would be cracks, yet Ming Feizhen didn't leave even a blemish on the rock when he plunged it into the rock he was leaning on.
Ming Feizhen spent a long time engrossed in gloomy, vengeful thoughts, eyes turning from black to red despite gazing at the unfettered clouds.
"Young Shiyi?"
Smiling, Ming Suwen drifted over from the back of the mountain and draped her arms over his shoulder: "This is no fun. How are we supposed to play hide and seek if you can always tell who's there?"
"I never wanted to play hide and seek."
Though Ming Feizhen's clothing didn't have a crinkle or hole, just as when he left Mount Daluo, his eyes were now filled with pity and regret. Ming Suwen couldn't resist touching his neck, not in a provocative way, but more along the lines of a young girl consoling him.
"How did things go on your end?"
"You defeated their vanguard, driving off all of Ling Hanzhong's best elites. As a result, Mount Lu Sword Sanctuary has pulled their forces out of Hangzhou discreetly. Knowing how much Ling Hanzhong values appearances, he won't mention a word to anyone if we don't kick up a fuss. Ling Qingshu lost his backing when his father pulled out, so there won't be any issues with whatever penalty is imposed on him."
"Sounds perfect."
Ming Suwen ran her fingers through her radiant hair: "But you should be cognisant of the fact that… you handled this case awfully."
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