He had always been contrary in his words, which Zanxing had long understood and didn’t mind. Over there, Hong Su smiled and said, “This banquet looks truly exquisite. In the past, when Miss celebrated her birthday, the family would also host a banquet. But Yue City is a small place, not like the Taiyan Sect – many things weren’t available. Every time the master gave Miss birthday gifts, he had to ask people to search for them from outside. Hmm,” she mentioned casually, “In major sects, giving birthday gifts shouldn’t be so troublesome, right?”

Zanxing: “…”

With her saying this, Tian Fangfang was the first to catch on. He laughed heartily as he pulled something from his Qiankun Bag and said to Zanxing, “Junior Sister, I almost forgot your birthday gift.”

What he took from his Qiankun Bag was a palm-sized woven bamboo basket. The bamboo basket was painted red, but there was nothing inside. Zanxing accepted this red bamboo basket and asked puzzledly: “What is this?”

“This is a good thing.” Tian Fangfang said: “The saying goes ‘drawing water with a bamboo basket is all in vain,’ but our bamboo basket can’t draw water, yet it can make fire. I call it the Heavenly Fire Basket.” He patted himself: “I cultivate fire-type techniques. I obtained this bamboo basket in the secret realm before and discovered that it can collect fire essence. So I refined three fire essences and put them in the bamboo basket. Junior Sister, when you need to use fire in the future, just activate this bamboo basket, and endless fire will emerge from it. It can conservatively burn for three years. Isn’t that very practical?”

Zanxing: “…Thank you.”

Saying it so elaborately, how was this different from a fire starter? She didn’t cook, boil water, or bathe with fire. Tian Fangfang had always been stingy – it was hard for him to pick and choose such a cheap magical artifact for her.

Mu Cengxiao paused, then spread his palm. A yellow talisman suddenly appeared in his palm. This talisman had a small figure with blurred features drawn on it that seemed to move.

Zanxing: “This is…”

“This is a Substitute Talisman.” Mu Cengxiao said, “Previously, in the treasure land, I saw you use a Sound Detection Talisman. After returning to the sect, I thought to make a Substitute Talisman. I’ve already tested it once – the Substitute Talisman can take an enemy’s strike in your place. If you encounter danger, this talisman can save your life.”

With his words, everyone present looked at him differently. Xuan Lingzi was even more excited: “Good disciple, can you make a few more? Give each person in our Taiyan Sect a hundred or eighty of them. Then even if the demon race attacks, we won’t need to fear!”

Mu Cengxiao showed a helpless expression: “Master, this talisman is complex to make and requires many premium materials. I only managed to make three.”

Zanxing sighed inwardly. He only made three, yet readily gave her one. Mu Cengxiao was truly generous. But what was even more remarkable was his ability – just from looking at a Sound Detection Talisman once, he could make a Substitute Talisman himself. Wasn’t this talent a bit too terrifying?

Liu Yunxin also took out a bundle, saying somewhat bashfully: “Miss Yang, I… I made a pair of shoes for you. They can’t compare with the precious gifts from Brother Mu and the others, but they represent my sincere intentions.”

Liu Yunxin’s handiwork had always been excellent. The shoes were made soft and light, embroidered with azure phoenixes. The phoenixes’ eyes used extremely small black crystals that sparkled brilliantly.

Zanxing reached out to accept them, praising sincerely: “Such beautiful shoes! I like them. It rains daily in summer on the mountain – I’m almost out of shoes to wear. Thank you, Miss Liu!”

Just as she finished thanking her, Mendong jumped up and slapped a wooden box on the table: “Look at mine! Yang Zanxing, look at the birthday gift I’m giving you – you’ll love it!”

Zanxing looked over, feeling somewhat excited. Who knew that Mendong possessed immortal spiritual apertures and had seen countless good things? He was also in Yueguang Daoren’s hall, where materials were never lacking. Her Qiankun Bag was still quite deflated now. She wondered what good things Mendong would give – premium spiritual medicine? Superior magical artifacts? Or perhaps precious cultivation methods that were hard to find across the four seas? As Zanxing opened the box, she smiled at Mendong: “Thank you, Junior Brother. You’re so thoughtful… Hmm?”

The wooden box lid was opened. On red velvet lay a tattered book. At first glance, Zanxing thought it was some kind of heart method, but when she picked it up, she saw clearly, written in large black characters on the cover: “How to Conquer Handsome Young Heroes.”

Gu Baiying nearly spat out his tea.

Mendong clapped excitedly: “How is it? Yang Zanxing, amazing, isn’t it? Do you like it?”

Zanxing stared fixedly at the book in her hands for a long moment before looking at Mendong and smiling: “Junior Brother, I’d like to ask – what made you choose to give me this book as a birthday gift?”

“What, you’re still not satisfied?” The child frowned: “I searched through the entire Library Pavilion to find this manual. Cough, cough, don’t judge this book by its thinness – the content inside is guaranteed to benefit you greatly. With this book, all the handsome young men on Gufeng Mountain will be yours to choose from – success guaranteed.”

Hearing this, Gu Baiying glanced at him coolly and said, “You’re so concerned.”

Zanxing: “…I thank you.”

“What about you?” Mendong turned to look at Meng Ying: “What does Senior Sister Meng plan to give Yang Zanxing?”

Meng Ying lowered her eyes and took out a long-haired fox fur from her Qiankun Bag. This fox fur was black and white, its fur smooth as silk. She handed it to Zanxing: “This is Flower Fox Fur. If you’re in severely cold places, wearing it can help resist wind and cold.”

Zanxing reached out to accept it. As soon as it touched her hands, she immediately felt the contact skin become warm and comfortable. This fox fur seemed able to warm itself. Though she spoke lightly of it, this fox fur must be extraordinary.

“I noticed Junior Sister seems very sensitive to cold.” Meng Ying said, “You always wear cotton pants under gauze robes in winter, which isn’t very comfortable. When it’s cold in the future, just wear this fox fur outside.”

Zanxing happily accepted it: “Thank you, Senior Sister!”

“Everyone’s gifts are so good, I feel a bit embarrassed about mine.” Zi Luo smiled as she brought out a box: “Seventh Master Uncle’s pills have been refined, and there’s still one Sacred Tree fruit left. Fourth Master Uncle asked me to return it to you.”

Zanxing was somewhat surprised. Li Danshu was always one to pluck feathers from passing geese, yet he would voluntarily return the Sacred Tree fruit – this was truly unexpected. Zi Luo took out another small bottle and placed it in Zanxing’s hands: “You’ve always been good at pill refining. Senior Brother Tian said you even feed cats yuanli pills. So I’ll give you a bottle of Beauty Preservation Pills.” She reached out to stroke Zanxing’s face, sighing: “I still remember when you first arrived, this scar was quite deep. Now you can’t even see it without looking carefully. When it completely heals in a while, at the sect assembly, you’ll probably bewitch countless disciples from other sects.”

“That won’t do. Zanxing can’t run off with disciples from other sects,” Xuan Lingzi said urgently, “Our sect has so many talented and handsome young disciples. If Zanxing wants to find a dao companion, she can find one in our sect, right, Seventh Junior Brother?”

Gu Baiying didn’t respond to him.

Xuan Lingzi slapped a large Qiankun Bag on the table: “Good disciple, your master won’t be polite with you. This bag contains five thousand spirit stones. Take them – buy whatever you want, spend however you like. Consider it your master’s sincere intentions.”

Gu Baiying said flatly: “You made five thousand spirit stones sound like five hundred thousand.”

Xuan Lingzi was dissatisfied: “Junior Brother, if you’re so capable, what birthday gift did you prepare for my good disciple? Take it out and let us see!”

Gu Baiying turned and met Zanxing’s expectant gaze.

His expression stirred slightly. After a moment, he turned away, gave a mocking laugh, and said lazily: “Don’t push your luck. Cooking you a meal is already good enough – what more birthday gifts do you want?”

Hong Su felt somewhat disappointed upon hearing this: “So Young Master Gu didn’t prepare a gift.”

Mendong suddenly turned: “What did you call him?”

“Cough cough cough,” Zanxing coughed, changing the subject: “No need to be so polite. Master Uncle’s meal is more precious than any gift.” She raised the wine cup before her: “Thank you all for specially coming to celebrate my birthday. I’m particularly happy today.”

Everyone raised their wine cups. Xuan Lingzi sighed: “If it weren’t for everyone in the sect being busy with demon race matters these days, your birthday should have been even livelier. The Taiyan Sect hasn’t recruited new disciples at the foot of the mountain for ten years. Initially, when they said they would select my disciple from among the new disciples, I didn’t hold much hope. Now it seems I, Xuan Lingzi, am fortunate. Having you disciples makes me deeply honored. Good disciple,” he was the first to raise his cup toward Zanxing, “You are a person of great fortune, obtaining the Immortal’s inheritance and repeatedly having extraordinary encounters. Your luck must be extraordinary. Your master wishes you – no need to look up at cloud ladders, you can naturally grow wings!”

With a “boom,” someone set off fireworks in Pingyang Town below the mountain. Too distant to see, looking back, one could only see scattered brilliance, illuminating Gufeng Mountain’s vast, long night as beautifully as bright day.

Several wine cups clinked together, and the summer night wind became crisp.

The banquet began lively and boisterous. Gu Baiying’s cooking skills were truly excellent – though the dishes were light, they weren’t bland. The Danxin wine Zi Luo brought was sweet and mellow, flowing down the throat like lingering emotional threads.

Mendong got drunk after just a small sip and immediately stood on his stool to give lectures, clamoring to teach everyone present to write love poems, saying things like “I’ve got a disease called lovesickness.” Xuan Lingzi stared dumbfounded, pointing at the child and asking Zi Luo: “Doesn’t Big Senior Brother manage him either?”

Zi Luo sighed: “He’s been like this for more than a day or two.”

Mu Cengxiao secretly glanced at Meng Ying, not expecting to be caught by her. Meng Ying frowned at him: “Why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?”

Mu Cengxiao was startled and stammered speechlessly. Liu Yunxin, seeing this, pinched Mu Cengxiao’s arm and smiled at Meng Ying: “My brother says the rouge Senior Sister Meng applied today looks beautiful.”

“Is that so?” Meng Ying lowered her eyes and said no more.

In the long, noisy night, Gu Baiying rubbed the wine cup before him with his fingers, not knowing what he was thinking. After a while, he suddenly turned his head and leaned toward Zanxing.

Zanxing looked toward him.

Amidst all the liveliness, the young man’s breath carried the clarity and coldness of Danxin wine as he said in a low voice: “After the banquet ends, I’ll wait for you at Chuhong Terrace.”