Sure enough, Bai Huan smiled and said: “Brother Ren, just tie up your mount here. After going in to eat, I’ll take you to see our Big Boss.”

“Big Boss?” Zhang Xiaohua was stunned. Why did it sound like the title used by mountain bandits?

However, he was too lazy to bother about it and said: “That would be very good.”

Bai Huan led Zhang Xiaohua and pushed the door open to enter. This was a large hall comparable to the dining hall of Huanxi Villa. Inside were dozens of round tables. At this moment, many disciples were already sitting there in a disorderly manner. Not a single one was eating properly according to any rules. There were plenty who were wolfing down food and drinking heavily. More than half of them even held wine bowls in their hands, eating and drinking at the same time, filling the entire hall with the smell of alcohol.

Smelling the wine, Zhang Xiaohua frowned even more. This was far too different from the Incense Spreading Sect he had imagined.

More than half of the tables in the hall were already occupied. However, the way people were seated was very obvious: there were fewer people on the right side, and more on the left side. From time to time, they shouted something toward the people on the right.

When Bai Huan led Zhang Xiaohua inside, someone with sharp eyes on the left side noticed them early and shouted loudly: “Haha, look at the Herb Division. Truly born from herbs—another newcomer who looks just like a blade of grass.”

The words themselves were not particularly funny, yet the people from the Pill Division on the left all burst into loud laughter, as if they had not been so happy for a long time. The people from the Herb Division on the right merely raised their heads to take a glance, then lowered them again to continue eating. Those drinking continued to drink, paying no attention.

Bai Huan seemed long accustomed to this. He led Zhang Xiaohua to a table where no one was sitting and said with a smile: “Little brother, it’s too chaotic over there, and there’s no seat for you. Sit here for now. I’ll get you something to eat. How about it?”

Although Zhang Xiaohua did not think highly of him asking for benefits earlier, seeing that he showed a bit of protective intent now, he felt somewhat grateful in his heart, regardless of whether it was because of tomorrow’s benefits. He quickly said: “Actually, there’s no need for food. I’m not hungry.”

“How could that be? From Baiyue Peak to here is half a day’s journey. Of course you’re hungry. Just wait a moment.”

“Then many thanks, Senior Brother Bai.”

Zhang Xiaohua also could not appear too different from the others.

Before long, Bai Huan brought over a wooden tray. On it were several dishes and a bowl of rice. He placed it in front of Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Brother Ren, eat first. If it’s not enough, just tell me.”

After saying this, he returned to his own table and began eating and drinking.

Zhang Xiaohua looked at the food on the table and smelled the wine in the hall—how could he possibly have an appetite? So he picked up his chopsticks and simply picked a few strands of green vegetables to put into his mouth.

While he was eating, he saw several people at a table in the Herb Division who were drinking wine, pointing and gesturing toward him. Afterwards, a tall and muscular man whose face was slightly flushed from drink slowly stood up. He said something to the others and then walked toward Zhang Xiaohua.

When Bai Huan saw the muscular man stand up and head toward Zhang Xiaohua, he hurriedly tried to stop him. But after seeing the gazes of the few people who were drinking, he could only slowly sit back down again, lower his head, and continue eating as if nothing had happened.

The hall was noisy and chaotic, and Zhang Xiaohua had already withdrawn his divine sense, so he did not notice the big man approaching. Only when the man plopped down onto the stool beside him did Zhang Xiaohua raise his head and look at the drunken fellow.

The man simply sat there, staring straight at Zhang Xiaohua for a long while without saying anything. Zhang Xiaohua found it strange. “I don’t recognize this person.”

Then his heart stirred. “Could it be that he has seen Second Brother before? And sees that I look similar to him?”

Thus, he cupped his hands and said, “Senior Brother, do you know me? Or have you seen someone who looks like me?”

The man laughed and said: “Who knows what scallion you are? You’re nothing more than one nose, one mouth, two eyes, and two ears. There are plenty of people who look like you.”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and said calmly: “Then what instruction does Senior Brother have?”

The man pointed his thumb at his own nose and said: “Call me Brother Ma! I’m a capable right-hand man of our Big Boss. As long as you have the care of me, Brother Ma, on Tianmu Peak, you can walk sideways wherever you like.”

“Brother Ma?!” When Zhang Xiaohua heard this, a strange smile appeared on his face. He could not help thinking of Ma Jing from Huanxi Villa.

“Yes, Brother Ma,” Zhang Xiaohua said. “May I ask what matter Brother Ma has?”

Brother Ma squinted his eyes and said, “Kid, you just arrived today, right?”

“Yes, I just came over from Baiyue Peak.”

“Looking at you, kid, where did you come from? Spring Rebirth Valley? How many years have you been in the Tuodan Hall? How come I’ve never seen you before?”

“Mm, Brother Ma is right. From Spring Rebirth Valley. I just arrived not long ago, and haven’t been here for many years.”

Brother Ma seemed to have drunk too much and did not pay attention to the words “just arrived.” He laughed and said; “Since you’re from Spring Rebirth Valley, that’s easy to deal with. The people sent to our Tianmu Peak these past few years are basically all from Spring Rebirth Valley. Hehe, kid, did you make a mistake somewhere else? Couldn’t stay there any longer, so you were sent here?”

Zhang Xiaohua shook his head.

Brother Ma did not care how he answered and simply continued speaking to himself: “But no matter what you were like before in other places, once you come here, you must listen to the Big Boss. Mm, that is to say, you must listen to me, Brother Ma. Do you understand?”

Zhang Xiaohua still said calmly, “As it should be.”

“Good!” Brother Ma raised his thumb and said, “Straightforward!”

Then he reached out and picked up a dish from in front of Zhang Xiaohua and said with a grin, “Then I’ll see whether you listen or not.”

After speaking, he spat a mouthful of thick phlegm onto the dish with a “ptui.” Then he picked up Zhang Xiaohua’s chopsticks and stirred them through the food. After that, he did the same disgusting thing to the remaining dishes one by one.

Then he rubbed the chopsticks again and again against the ground under his feet, handed them to Zhang Xiaohua, and said with a ferocious grin: “If you’re obedient, then eat this meal. Mm, eat it with these chopsticks.”

Zhang Xiaohua’s brows had long since twisted into a knot. He raised his eyes and looked toward Bai Huan in the distance.

Bai Huan was watching over here. When he saw Zhang Xiaohua look at him, he immediately lowered his head and pretended to eat. The other disciples of the Herb Division also looked at everything with excited expressions and eager anticipation.

Zhang Xiaohua sighed inwardly. Ever since he had come from Guo Village to Pingyang City, even when he had been an inexperienced youth who had never seen the world before, although he had been bullied by people like Ma Jing, those were only small tricks meant to cheat him. As for this kind of behavior—relying on brute force to forcibly humiliate others—he had never encountered it before. Could it be that the stronger a person’s force became, the more the good and evil in their hearts expanded? If Ma Jing had possessed such strength, would he also have forced him like this?

Raising his head and looking at Brother Ma’s bloodshot eyes, Zhang Xiaohua said: “Many thanks for Brother Ma’s concern. I am already full.”

“Hahaha!” Brother Ma burst into loud laughter, as if he had heard something extremely amusing. Pointing at Zhang Xiaohua, he asked the few people in the distance who were drinking wine, “Did you hear that? He says he’s full. He’s already full!”

Zhang Xiaohua also smiled—a faint smile—as if he too had seen something amusing.

After laughing, Brother Ma said, “Little brother, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. You’ll be staying on Tianmu Peak for a long time. If you refuse the offered wine now, could it be that you prefer the punishment wine instead?”

Zhang Xiaohua looked at him, then looked around at the others from the Herb Division. Bai Huan repeatedly signaled with his eyes, as if urging him to hurry up and eat it. Meanwhile, the people from the Pill Division had also noticed what was happening here. They had stopped eating and drinking, all their eyes turned toward this place, as if watching a grand play unfold.

Zhang Xiaohua looked at Brother Ma and said: “Brother Ma worries too much. I’m still young and can’t drink wine. Neither the offered wine nor the punishment wine will do.”

“Hahaha!” This time it was not only the people of the Herb Division—those from the Pill Division also burst into laughter. Brother Ma laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face.

Brother Ma pointed at Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Little brother, you’re really humorous.”

After the laughter subsided, Brother Ma proudly looked around at everyone and loudly said: “Since the little brother is young, then as his elder brother, I naturally should help him. Let me feed this fellow his meal.”

After saying this, he picked up the dish and was about to slam it onto Zhang Xiaohua’s face.

“Good~” The entire hall erupted in excitement, as if this were the true beginning of the climax.

Unfortunately, although the cheers shook the hall, the scream they usually expected did not come. After quite a while, everyone came back to their senses, their eyeballs almost falling out of their sockets.

They saw that Brother Ma’s hand was placed on the table, still holding the plate. However, his face had turned bright red. Looking more carefully, Zhang Xiaohua’s hand was pressing down on his wrist! No matter how much Brother Ma exerted force, that arm and hand did not move in the slightest.

Hearing the hall fall silent, Zhang Xiaohua said unhurriedly: “It seems Brother Ma really enjoys eating. Then I’ll also imitate Brother Ma and treat him to some dishes.”

After saying this, he extended his other hand, picked up the plate, and slowly brought it toward Brother Ma’s mouth. Seeing the vegetables that he himself had mixed with phlegm, panic appeared on Brother Ma’s face. His other hand stretched out to knock the plate away. Zhang Xiaohua lifted his hand. The hand gripping Brother Ma’s wrist moved like lightning and caught that other hand as well. Smiling, he said:

“‘Hoeing the grain under the midday sun,

Sweat drips onto the soil beneath the crops.’

Wasting food is not something a good child should do.”

Brother Ma used all his strength, trying to pull both hands free from Zhang Xiaohua’s grasp, but those hands seemed cast from iron—they would not move at all.

While speaking casually, the plate in Zhang Xiaohua’s hand had already been brought in front of Brother Ma’s face. Smiling, he said: “Brother Ma, please open your mouth.”

Brother Ma looked at Zhang Xiaohua. His tone already carried a hint of pleading: “This brother, I failed to recognize Mount Tai. I truly offended you. This dish really is…”

Zhang Xiaohua looked at him coldly and said: “I believe I already said that just now, yet you gave me no face at all. I don’t care about anything else. I’ll just ask you this—are you going to eat it or not?”

Brother Ma turned his head and glanced at the few people in the distance who were eager to try something, and also at the few who were quietly slipping out. He snorted and said: “If little brother wants to get along on Tianmu Peak, then you should understand the principle of showing mercy where mercy is due. When the Big Boss…”

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Xiaohua laughed and said: “Just now you had reasons and arguments, and now you act without fear. You’re really something.”

As he spoke, without anyone seeing how Zhang Xiaohua made his move, a sharp “pa!” sounded. The dish in Zhang Xiaohua’s hand was slapped onto Brother Ma’s face. Soup and vegetables smeared all over his face and ran down his face. What flowed down was not only broth, but also a streak of bright red—

It was the nosebleed Zhang Xiaohua had slapped out of him!