Martial King’s Retired Life

Book 16: Chapter 5

Ming Feizhen treated more than three hundred people to drinks over the course of two days. Beneath the mountain of plates were even officials and members of the three bureaus overseeing the martial world. They all hurried off if they were sober enough to when they woke up, yet there were still thirty-odd people who hung around to see if they could get a spot to a banquet they overheard being discussed.

Shen Yiren did not get involved in the lunacy, but Tang Ni had misled the rest so far off that they forgot whose wedding it was and only vied for a spot. Everyone suddenly started competing over who was closest to Ming Feizhen. Nevertheless, as the victim, he was unsure if he was meant to be happy that he was so popular or upset about the mess he was in.

Somehow, they decided that the right to accompany Ming Feizhen to the banquet would be decided by voting. Mountain Monster, who was recounting an exaggerated version of her initial meeting with him, was the seventh speaker to make her case.

Resisting the urge to dispute the “lolicon” stares from everyone and whilst supporting Shen Yiren, Ming Feizhen yelled, “Hey, you’re the one who tried to ambush us in your disguise! Why shouldn’t I have capture you?!”

“Did you take me to a dark building? Yes or no?”

“There was nobody in that building!”

“Is that any excuse for you to do as you please to me?!”

“Yes, yes, of course!” Feng Qizhi, who had been drinking for the last two days, crawled out from under the plates, burped and then thumped his chest. “I, I only got to know Brother Ming recently, too! W-we got acquainted in a dark building.”

“You’re not even in the same realm!”

The rest of them started going off at Feng Qizhi for cutting the line and warning him to line up.

Ming Feizhen dryly chuckled. “He’s a friend, a friend. He’s just had a bit too much to drink.”

“I’ve also been in a dark building!” Ling Jialan crawled out from the other side of the mountain, attire messy and cheeks rosy as she giggled uncontrollably. “Brother Ming, let us go another three thousand rounds.”

“How many more of you are under there?! Hey, hey, hey, don’t give me those looks! She’s drunk! She’s talking about rounds of drinking, not those rounds! We were just drinking!”

“I can testify.” Yu Feiyuan did not understand what was implied, but she had to defend her Brother Feizhen before anything else. “She was drinking and eating with him when I arrived.”

Tang Ni also spoke up for Ling Jialan. “I can also testify. Sister Lan was only drinking and eating with everyone.”

“Hear that?” Ming Feizhen stressed.

“It was on the night Mr. Ming and Sister Yu slept together. Everyone was in good spirits and drank a lot,” added Tang Ni.

“Slept?”

“You two slept together?”

“How? Where? What positions? What mood?”

Ming Feizhen felt as though his head was going to explode.

Yu Feiyuan calmly explained, “We slept the night before and last night while drinking. We slept here. As for positions, I embraced Brother Feizhen’s head, and then he…”

“Stop, stop, you can stop there!”

Bai Lian had disbelief written all over her face as she asked the most shocking question. “You like women?”

Feeling his reputation in the capital in peril, Ming Feizhen, using Voice Transmission, warned Tang Ni, “What do you want?! Do you realise you’re playing with fire?!”

And burning me?!

Tang Ni did not need to hear the last part to know it was what Ming Feizhen was thinking. Using Voice Transmission, too, she replied, “You can’t let anyone know my gender.”

“What, worried perverts will go for you?”

Tang Ni flashed her pearly whites. “Since the beginning of time, a hero deserves a beauty. Considering how great Mr. Ming, it only makes sense for him to have a wom-”

“Okay, okay, you win! Stop the fire!”

“That will depend on my mood.” Though she said that, Tang Ni stopped there.

Li Zizi leaned in to query, “Have a what?”

Tang Ni stole a glance in Ming Feizhen’s direction and smiled. “Take a guess.”

The rest of them finally returned to the voting matter.

“Did you sleep well?” asked Shen Yiren.

Ming Feizhen held his face in his hand.

Yu Feiyuan answered, “Yes.”

Ming Feizhen lowered his hand and shouted, “Here’s my vote! I’m not going anymore!”

***

“This is serious.”

Ming Feizhen was still high-strung after returning to Liu Shan Men. Now that he had had some time to think it over, it occurred to him that the question was not who to let tag along. It was a serious matter as, if the wedding went through, he might have been in trouble. If it fell through, he was bound to be in even more trouble. He could not afford to get on the bad side of either parties. Most importantly, his shifu stressed his stance before.

“How do I treat you?” Ming Huayu asked.

“Like I am your own son,” Ming Feizhen replied.

“How are the disciplines I taught you?”

“Solid.”

“How is the potential and future I have provided you?”

“As great as a lucky charm…”

“What about the charm you have on you?”

“Shifu, you can cut to the chase. Am I not saying nice things to protect myself?”

“Hmph, you’re not that stupid, huh.”

Ming Feizhen remembered his shifu solemnly peering into the white clouds and saying, “But remember, if there ever comes a day that you screw me over, I will stop at nothing, whether it’s lightning strike, raining boulders or a mass fly invasion, to make sure you are completely screwed over. Remember that well. Remember that well.”

Why did I ever think this was a good idea at Luo Sword Manor?

If Ming Huayu found out he was getting beat at home because of his disciple, the remainder of Ming Feizhen’s life would be miserable. One misstep and he was doomed, which was the reason he immediately called for the first big meeting since joining Liu Shan Men. Not only were Liu Shan Men’s members invited, but even unrelated folks were invited, as well. He had no experience holding proper meetings; however, he figured the first meeting needed to have the right atmosphere.

“Ahem, due to the seriousness of this matter, we, uh, need to treat it serious.” Ming Feizhen took a long while before remembering what he had to do first. He stole a quick gander at Yu Feiyuan and then cleared his throat again. “As this is an internal meeting for members of Liu Shan Men, anyone not part of Liu Shan Men, please dismiss yourself for the meantime. Anyone not part of Liu Shan Men? Anyone not part of Liu Shan Men?”

How could he discuss how to avoid the vengeance of Yu Feiyuan’s sect in her presence? Problem was, she did not realise he was talking about her.

“Anyone not part of Liu Shan Men, please raise your hand.” Seeing as Yu Feiyuan still did not get the message, Ming Feizhen started winking at her.

Suddenly a man raised his hand.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Dongpo’s clerk.”

“… Um, what are you here for?”

“The bill.”

“Go heckle Feng Jiutian for it.”

“He left the capital last night. None of the bills from the last few nights have been paid.”

“He legged it?!”

I was wondering why he ran so fast! He was running from the bill, not me?!

“You owe a total of 168,800. The boss told me to get rid of one zero.”

“16,000?”

“169,000.”

“How is that erasing one zero?”

“You did not, either.”

Tang Ye leaned in. “Big Bro, shall I kick him out?”

Su Xiao leaned in. “Big Brother Mind, just draw it out for two decades. Don’t worry about it.”

“Relax. I got this.” Ming Feizhen was no longer the same Ming Feizhen after escaping the underground palace. Grinning, he said, “Small beans. Erase another zero if you’re a real man!”

“So 170,000?”

“Fine, you win. 169,000 it is. Give me a day or two to send you the payment.”

The clerk only left once he had the agreement inked.