Zi Luo looked at everyone with a beaming smile and continued: “If the person the spoon points to doesn’t want to answer my question,” she tapped her fingers, and the wine jar on the table swayed and floated up, tilting to pour into a white porcelain bowl until it was brimming full, nearly overflowing, “then they must drink a bowl of wine as punishment. After answering the question, that person then spins the spoon, waiting for it to point to the next person.”

Zanxing suddenly understood—this was the cultivation world’s version of truth or dare.

“The person answering questions cannot lie,” Zi Luo smiled. “Otherwise, this spoon won’t be able to spin.”

Tian Fangfang found it curious: “This game sounds quite novel.”

“Well then, Senior Sister Zi Luo, hurry up and start!” Mendong spoke up impatiently: “I happen to have a belly full of questions I want to ask!”

“Alright.” Zi Luo smiled, reached out to cover the spoon, paused for a moment, pressed down gently, then released her hand.

The silver spoon spun like a small windmill turning in the breeze, first spinning rapidly enough to dazzle the eyes, then gradually slowing down until it finally stopped.

The silver handle of the spoon pointed straight at Mendong.

Mendong was stunned: “Me?”

“Ah, it’s Junior Brother. In that case, I’ll start by asking you—don’t fail to answer!”

Mendong confidently patted his chest, the two pink lotus flower hair ornaments on his head trembling with the motion as he said: “I’ll speak without reservation. What could I possibly fail to answer?”

Zi Luo smiled cunningly: “Is that so? Among everyone present, Junior Brother, tell us who you dislike the most?”

“I dislike the most…” Mendong was immediately at a loss for words.

Who did he dislike most—naming anyone would offend people! Not to mention fellow sect members—they were all from the same mountain, seeing each other constantly. How could he speak ill of them? The only outsider was Gu Baiying’s future dao companion, someone he should respectfully call “martial aunt.” If he spoke ill of someone now, he’d probably be given a hard time later.

What a devious question!

After thinking it over, the child slapped the table, and the bowl full of Floating Dream wine appeared before him. He lifted it with both hands and drank it dry in one gulp.

The Taiyan Sect was, after all, a proper cultivation sect, and the Floating Dream wine prepared for the disciples’ lotus appreciation was brewed in Li Danshu’s hall. Unlike mundane wine that harmed the body, it contained various spiritual herbs and medicinal materials. Rather than calling it medicinal wine, it was more like a great tonic. Therefore, it didn’t matter if a child like Mendong drank it, though the taste was rather bitter for him, not as sweet as sugar water.

After drinking it all in one gulp, Mendong wrinkled his nose at the bitterness, caught his breath, and vengefully pressed down on the silver spoon: “Now it’s my turn!”

“Gurgle gurgle—”

The silver spoon pointed to Mu Cengxiao.

Mendong’s eyes lit up, and without waiting for Mu Cengxiao to speak, he immediately asked: “Please tell us, Senior Brother Mu, what kind of woman do you like? The gentle-as-water type, the cold-as-ice type, or the beautiful-in-heart type?”

“Cough cough cough—” Zanxing had been watching the show while nibbling on a piece of rose pastry, but nearly choked herself to death upon hearing this.

Mendong was truly bold beyond measure, asking such questions without fear of awkwardness. The implications were far too obvious, weren’t they? And if she wasn’t mistaken, that “beautiful-in-heart” referred to her?

Beautiful in heart… beautiful in heart?

Did that mean she was very ugly?

Gu Baiying glanced coldly at Zanxing, his expression calm in an unnaturally composed way.

Liu Yunxin was somewhat surprised that Mendong would ask such a question and widened her eyes slightly. Meng Ying seemed not to have heard what they were saying, coldly drinking her tea. Mu Cengxiao appeared somewhat uncomfortable, hesitated for a moment, then directly took the wine jar, poured himself a bowl of Floating Dream wine, and silently drank it down.

He avoided the question.

Mendong was immediately disappointed: “Why won’t you answer?”

Zanxing was also somewhat disappointed. After all, she too wanted to know how Mu Cengxiao, who liked both red and white roses, could manage to keep the bowl of water level.

The spoon continued spinning.

“Gurgle gurgle,” this time, it pointed to Putao.

The young girl was startled at first, then smiled generously: “My turn! Ask away! Ask whatever you want.”

Tian Fangfang breathed a long sigh of relief. Zanxing could well understand his feelings—fellow sect members would have to continue cultivating together in the future, and if they gossiped too much about secrets, it would inevitably be awkward when they met again. Outsiders were different. After all, they wouldn’t often visit the Xiangling Sect, and with Mu Cengxiao’s personality, he wouldn’t ask anything shocking or difficult to answer.

Just as Zanxing was thinking this, she heard Mu Cengxiao speak: “May I ask Fellow Cultivator Pu, regarding the engagement between our sect master and Sect Master Rongshuang back then—what exactly caused it to be broken?”

Zanxing: “……”

She hadn’t expected this side of Mu Cengxiao.

This question from Mu Cengxiao could be considered the best of the entire gathering. The matter between Sect Master and Aunt Rongshuang was a puzzle in every Taiyan Sect disciple’s heart. Worldly affairs were naturally more intriguing the more they were forbidden to be mentioned. Moreover, Shaoyang Zhenren was handsome and transcendent, while Aunt Rongshuang was incomparably beautiful. No matter how you looked at it, they made people very much want to discuss them over tea and after meals.

Everyone stared at Putao with bright eyes. Even Meng Ying, who usually didn’t like getting involved in such mundane affairs, stopped her tea-drinking motion.

The smile on Putao’s face had long since frozen. After a moment, she forced out a smile: “I’d rather drink the wine.”

Another bowl of Floating Dream wine was emptied.

The spoon continued spinning. By now, not a single question had been answered—they’d only been drinking wine. Zanxing thought, wasn’t there anyone who could ask some simple questions? Even going through the motions would be fine.

Just as she was thinking this, Mendong’s voice rang out: “It’s Martial Uncle’s turn! Sister Putao, you must ask well!”

Zanxing looked up and saw that the silver spoon had indeed pointed to Gu Baiying. He seemed somewhat impatient, but couldn’t very well storm off in the middle of the game, so he suppressed his irritation and said: “Ask.”

But Putao didn’t immediately ask her question. She hesitated for a while before looking at Gu Baiying and asking with feigned casualness: “Fellow Cultivator Gu, do you have someone you’re fond of?”

Zanxing was stunned.

The night breeze swept over, dark fragrance floating, a beautiful girl with a charming smile and sparkling eyes gazing at the handsome young man beside her—even a fool could see the affection within.

Zanxing suddenly remembered that back in Li’er Kingdom, although Putao often clashed with Gu Baiying, she also always liked to pay attention to him. After all, while Gu Baiying appeared to have a bad temper on the surface, he was hard-mouthed but soft-hearted, quite responsible. He was loyal, had high cultivation, and was handsome—it was rare for ordinary young women not to like him after seeing him.

Wasn’t this what others often called “happy enemies”?

She should have been able to view all this with the relaxed attitude of an observer, even join in the teasing, but…

But for some reason, her mood began to sink.

Over there, Mendong had already started shouting as if he feared the world wasn’t chaotic enough: “Sister Putao, what kind of question are you asking? How could my martial uncle have someone he’s fond of? You’ve asked a very good question—don’t ask it again next time.”