"Heh heh, little brother, your big brother here is being so honest with you. Shouldn't you return the favor?" Just as he'd suspected, Song Chengfeng didn't even make Xu Luo guess, simply smiling as he spoke.
Xu Luo quickly made up his mind. 'I have to take a gamble!'
It was for no other reason than the fact that a peerless expert like this was willing to sit with a young man like him, drinking wine and eating meat, without any care for his image… Of course, Song Chengfeng would never admit to that. If you asked him, he'd call it 'guiding the younger generation'! 'What do you mean "no care for his image"? That's just following your heart, okay? The highest state of cultivation! What does a little brat like you know!'
There was also the fact that Song Chengfeng had first searched painstakingly for his beloved for one hundred and twenty years, then remained by her side without fail after her face was ruined. And finally, at his lover's request, he had even let go of his hatred!
Xu Luo felt that this was a man he could trust.
If he put his trust in the wrong person, he could only chalk it up to bad luck.
Because in the face of this man, Xu Luo hadn't even entertained the thought of escaping.
His Shaking Light Step... in front of this expert, it would probably be like a child's sprint. At best... a child who could run a little faster.
This was the absolute suppression brought about by the immense gap in their cultivation realms!
Xu Luo stood up, cupped his fists toward Song Chengfeng, and said earnestly, "I apologize. I gave a false name earlier, but I had no other choice. I believe Big Brother may have heard my real name. I am Xu Luo, from the Central Plains Star Continent!"
"Hm?" Song Chengfeng's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Xu Luo, then he let out a soft sound of surprise. "You little rascal, it doesn't seem like you're lying. But why would you leave the Central Plains Star Continent to come to the Ancient Race Continent? Don't you know that right now, on the Ancient Race Continent, it's not just the Huo Family? Over ninety percent of the people here are looking for you."
As he spoke, Song Chengfeng couldn't help but sigh in admiration, "Tsk... Beidou's Eighth Star! What a grand reputation. Even I can't compare..."
"You must be in the minority—part of that other ten percent, right?" Xu Luo chuckled. Song Chengfeng's reaction finally allowed his anxious heart to settle. No matter what, at least for now, this mighty expert bore him no ill will. Although their realms were far apart, Xu Luo's Spiritual Sense wasn't just for show.
"What makes you so sure I'm in that ten percent?" Song Chengfeng grinned. "Beidou's Eighth Star! They say refining you can lead to godhood... In this world, who doesn't want to become a god? That ten percent... that ten percent isn't qualified to have designs on you! Do you really think... I'm some kind of good person? How do you think... I saw through your disguise?"
Xu Luo gave a wry smile. "I don't know..."
"Song Chengfeng... throughout the entire Ancient Race Continent, I wouldn't say my name is overwhelmingly famous, but at the very least, it's not a name that a young Divine Power Realm expert would have never heard of." Song Chengfeng smiled at Xu Luo. "From this point alone, I can conclude that you are not from the Ancient Race Continent! And if you're not from the Ancient Race Continent, then there are only two possibilities for your origin. First, you're a young expert from the Sect Continent. Second, you are the recently famous Beidou's Eighth Star... Xu Luo!"
"Then how did you determine that I was Xu Luo?" Xu Luo asked.
"I didn't determine anything... you silly boy, you told me yourself! If you had just casually told me you were some random person from the Sect Continent, I wouldn't have given it a second thought," Song Chengfeng said.
With a solemn expression, Xu Luo said, "Since Big Brother has graced me with the honor of calling you 'Big Brother,' how could I dare to deceive you? It's true, telling the truth put me under a lot of pressure. I was even tempted to lie, but in the end, I couldn't go against my own heart. In front of Big Brother, I just wanted to be completely honest!"
"Good!" Song Chengfeng took a vicious bite of the python meat in his hand, then took a large gulp of wine and laughed heartily. "I don't know why, but you, little fellow, you're really my kind of person! Especially that last part, 'I just wanted to be completely honest'... That's just fantastic! A toast to that! Bottoms up!"
Life is just that wondrous, as are the relationships between people. And between men... even more so!
Often, for some inexplicable reason, you just find someone agreeable, and just like that, a lifelong friendship is forged!
That was how it was between Xu Luo and Song Chengfeng.
Later, as Xu Luo learned more and more about Song Chengfeng, he was increasingly amazed by how wondrous the encounters between people could be. His big brother wasn't just "a little famous" on the Ancient Race Continent; his name was renowned enough to ring like thunder!
No wonder he knew right away that Xu Luo wasn't from the Ancient Race Continent.
'I'm still too inexperienced,' Xu Luo thought with a wry smile. 'If I had used Huo Feng's memories to properly learn about the Ancient Race Continent beforehand, I wouldn't have been so passive.'
'Thankfully, I ran into Song Chengfeng. If it had been any other expert from the Ancient Race, I probably would have suffered a great loss.'
In any case, the two drank to their hearts' content that night. By the end, they were dead drunk, and it seemed they had even become sworn brothers... Song Chengfeng told Xu Luo his stories from over the years, talking about Huo Wanzhang, the Huo Family, and how Xiaoya was the most elegant, gentle, kind, beautiful, most... woman in the world!
Xu Luo told Song Chengfeng his stories. He spoke of his sworn brothers; of Fatty's old antics, chasing scents all over the streets like a rogue; of Sui Yan's obsession with Mechanical Skill; of his big brother Huangfu Chongzhi's love for Alchemy, and his second brother Xu Jie's fanaticism for Artifact Refining... He also talked about Qiqi, Phoenix, and Lianyi...
He seemed to recall Song Chengfeng kicking him at the end because he thought his little brother was too much of a womanizer!
How could a good man get involved with so many girls? He should be devoted to one and only one!
Regardless, when the two of them woke up the next morning, they both saw the most sincere smiles on each other's faces!
Last night, the Demon King Song Chengfeng, a man who never trusted others, had completely let down all his defenses, allowed himself to get roaring drunk, and then slept like a log!
Likewise, Xu Luo, a man coveted by over ninety percent of the entire Ancient Race, also had no defenses up, getting roaring drunk and sleeping like a log.
This was a kind of trust that existed only between men!
This trust could make two people who had only met by chance uphold it for a lifetime!
And it would never, ever change!
In Xu Luo's eyes, Song Chengfeng was a big brother who could be as mischievous as a child, yet was also open and generous, unconcerned with trivial matters. But in the eyes of others, Song Chengfeng was a terrifying Demon King! A ruthless and cruel man who killed without batting an eye!
From Song Chengfeng's words, Xu Luo learned many inside stories. The people who had harmed his sister-in-law, Xiaoya, back then included more than just Huo Wannian. There were many other prominent figures who had since become mighty lords with great influence in the Ancient Race!
After learning the truth of what happened, Song Chengfeng flew into a rage. With just his sword, in the span of a single year, he had slain thirty-eight highly influential figures on the Ancient Race Continent!
Any single one of these major figures was an existence whose stomp could make the Ancient Race Continent tremble.
Yet, within a year, they had fallen one after another!
Even when they finally traced it back to Song Chengfeng and sent countless people to hunt him down, they were utterly unable to stop his advance!
No one knew what realm Song Chengfeng had truly reached, because everyone who had seen him make a move was dead!
"Big Brother, what realm are you actually at? When I saw you destroy Huo Wannian, you didn't even use your Dharma Heaven and Earth..." Xu Luo had asked at the time.
"Realm? A thing like a realm... is really just something people made up. The true realm... is to have no realm!" Song Chengfeng had said something very profound at the time, which Xu Luo found hard to understand. So, with drowsy, drunken eyes, he had smiled and said, "My current realm, according to this world's classifications, should be Half-Step Saint, I suppose? But... my combat strength, even if I face a Saint, I'm confident I can put up a fight!"
At the time, Xu Luo had broken out in a cold sweat. 'My big brother... is a bit too fierce, isn't he?'
"So? Did you sleep well last night?" Song Chengfeng's eyes were clear as he looked at Xu Luo and asked with a smile.
Xu Luo nodded vigorously. "Better than ever! How about you, Big Brother?"
"I slept great, too!" Song Chengfeng smiled faintly. "Come on, let's go meet your sister-in-law. I'm sure she'll like you too! Of course, she won't like your womanizing!"
"..." Xu Luo's face darkened with exasperation.
He couldn't refuse Song Chengfeng's invitation. Besides, Xu Luo currently wanted to learn more about the various affairs of the Ancient Race Continent, and temporarily staying by his big brother's side seemed like an excellent choice. After all, whether in terms of strength or knowledge of the continent, few could compare to Song Chengfeng.
When he saw Song Chengfeng's wife, Xiaoya, even after hearing so many words of praise from him, it didn't compare to the sheer shock of seeing her in person.
Beautiful. She was unearthly beautiful.
Stunning without being gaudy!
Alluring without being vulgar!
A gentle grace that held an exceedingly noble air!
A delicate beauty that concealed a fiery passion.
A woman like this could truly be called one in a billion, and she was a true femme fatale, a beauty that could topple nations!
Xu Luo finally understood why Song Chengfeng had so many enemies and had ended up with the title of Demon King on the Ancient Race Continent... It was all because the woman before him was simply too breathtaking!
Even Xu Luo, who was accustomed to peerless beauties, was momentarily dazed the instant he saw Chu Xiaoya. Deep within his heart, an intense feeling of jealousy involuntarily arose.
Immediately, the Shadow Shaking Heart Method activated on its own, suppressing this emotion and causing it to dissipate from his mind.
When Xu Luo came back to his senses, he was both ashamed of and horrified by the thought that had surfaced for that split second. He felt he had greatly betrayed his big brother's trust, and he was horrified that her beauty could actually penetrate his incredibly strong mental defenses and strike directly at his soul!
And this had happened without her showing any intention toward him whatsoever!
'If she were to smile at someone, just a simple smile, how many more people would be captivated?' Xu Luo wondered.