Qingxu's guess was correct—
The gift Zayn prepared for him was wine.
But not merely one or two bottles.
Such a small amount couldn't possibly be called a "surprise."
What Zayn intended to give Qingxu was far more extravagant—
He was going to build an entire lake of wine.
A wine pool vast enough for Qingxu to drink to his heart's content for a very, very long time.
"Hehe, this is the place, Qingxu," Zayn said with a mysterious smile.
Qingxu looked at him, puzzled.
This mountaintop was barren—nothing but empty wilderness.
Where exactly was the "surprise" supposed to be?
Even so, he said nothing.
He simply stood at Zayn's side, waiting patiently.
In Zayn's mind, the design was already complete.
A wine pool wasn't something crude like digging a hole and filling it with alcohol.
Such a pool would spoil quickly, and even a demon god's body could handle it…
Qingxu deserved better than spoiled wine.
That would be far too disgraceful a way to treat a friend.
Spoiled wine should be saved for Barbatos someday—
that drunkard would probably drink anything…
Mmm. Speaking of which… has Barbatos even been born yet?
Zayn wasn't sure of the exact timeline, but even if he existed now, he'd be nothing more than a little wind spirit.
Truly… a fortunate being who practically picked up a god-seat for free.
Unlike Liyue, where the demon gods were strong and battle-hardened, destined to clash in a brutal war that would turn the land into a battlefield.
"Manifest."
At Zayn's command, white light surged over the mountain.
A graceful, elegant pavilion took shape—
a traditional Liyue-style structure, standing proudly atop the peak.
Zayn named it:
Qingyu Pavilion.
One character from "Qingxu," one from "Zayn."
A symbol of their friendship—
and one that would stand in this world for ages.
Qingxu watched the pavilion form, still unsure.
"…This pavilion is my gift?" he asked silently with his expression.
"Of course not," Zayn said, reading him instantly. "This pavilion is named Qingyu Pavilion—our bond made manifest. Not bad, right?"
"But don't worry. I wouldn't prepare only a pavilion as a gift. That would be far too boring."
He pointed toward the table inside the pavilion.
"There are seven teacups there. Each corresponds to the numbers 7-6-5-4-3-2-1. Rotate them left to right in that order, and you'll unlock the secret hidden within this pavilion."
"Try it, Qingxu."
Zayn's tone brimmed with excitement.
This pavilion was not just a pavilion—
but a disguised entrance to a secret realm.
He had even added a simple mechanism.
A passcode.
Seven digits.
One mistake and it wouldn't open.
Three mistakes and it would unleash enough lightning to kill a geovishap.
He wasn't going to let random people intrude on Qingxu's surprise.
Qingxu nodded.
The gesture of ceremony pleased him.
He stepped up to the teacups and rotated them in order.
A soft hum—
a burst of white light—
and Qingxu calmly allowed himself to be pulled in.
Zayn followed behind him.
Inside—
A floating island shrouded in immortal mist.
A world of its own.
Seventy percent of the island was occupied by a vast wine lake, filled to the brim with shimmering liquid.
At its edge sat a small pavilion with exquisite wine cups on display.
Beside the lake grew a magnificent peach blossom tree, its branches sweeping over the wine like a canopy.
Petals drifted down now and then, brushing the surface lightly and adding a faint floral scent.
It was perfect.
Qingxu froze, entranced.
Beautiful.
Too beautiful.
This gift—
He loved it.
I loved it dearly.
He walked to the lake's edge and dipped his hands into the shimmering alcohol.
This wasn't the usual Maotai Zayn brought him.
Zayn smirked proudly.
Maotai?
That was nothing.
The essence of this wine lake was his masterpiece—
Peach Blossom Brew.
A divine liquor crafted and refined with supernatural precision.
"How is it, Qingxu?" Zayn asked.
"Do you like this gift?
If this peach blossom wine isn't to your taste, I can change it to another."
Qingxu lifted a handful of wine and drank.
The moment it touched his tongue—
His mind blanked.
If all the wines he had tasted in his lifetime were to be sorted into categories…
Then after tasting this peach blossom brew,
there would only be two categories left:
Peach Blossom Brew—
and everything else.
A single sip, and he seemed to step into a world of swirling peach blossoms.
And beneath the flowers—
the shining edge of a sword.
Sword intent.
Vast and profound.
Qingxu fell silent, entirely immersed.
Zayn blinked.
"…Huh? Did he just get drunk? Impossible… right?"
After a long moment, Qingxu finally opened his eyes and looked toward Zayn with a hint of apology.
"Forgive me. I sensed a thread of sword intent within this wine and became lost in it temporarily."
"I forgot you were waiting for my answer."
He straightened his posture, bowed with sincerity, and spoke aloud:
"This wine—I am more than satisfied.
And this gift… I accept it with gratitude."
Zayn laughed.
He knew Qingxu would love it.
"Good! Since that's the case, I'll leave you to your enlightenment. Enjoy."
With that, Zayn exited the secret realm.
Qingxu watched him depart, then lifted a cup from the pavilion, poured himself a glass of peach blossom brew, and sat cross-legged by the lake—
slowly savoring both the wine
and the sword intent hidden within.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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