Chapter 8 The Starfire Brigade

"Hey, Feng Zhan, pour me some more wine."

"Wenjing, that's enough; you can barely stand on your feet as it is!"

"Don't act like a big brother; I am young and strong! Never forget I am the great Hua Wenjing, lord of all the winds of the north and the mountains of the south. My sword is feared by all enemies, and all heavenly fairies want children from me!"

"Don't be blasphemous; the gods don't like to listen to people, but love to eavesdrop."

"Qingyin, stay out of this!"

"He's right, Wenjing; you've had enough. You're getting ahead of yourself again."

"My beautiful flower, Li Shiyi, and you, along with them! It's clear to me; all of you are traitors! You have no respect for me!"

As we approached the door, which stood noticeably further away from the rest, I could hear the noisy conversations of obviously drunk people.

"Never mind; they always act like this when they drink. Otherwise, they're all good people and very talented young cultivators. You'll like them," my older brother assured me.

"I doubt it."

"Don't be so harsh," he said, smiling with his snake-like grin.

Before opening the door, he cleared his throat, coughing into his fist a couple of times, shook off the invisible dust, and ensured he looked as presentable as possible, given his appearance. He wore our sect's standard white silk robe with long, wide sleeves adorned with patterns of golden clouds, and a high collar trimmed with gold along the edges. Adorning his shoulder, a myriad of sparkling brilliants bore the symbol of our sect - a stylized sunburst with a thousand thin lines radiating outwards, and a single, downward-pointing sword piercing the center of the sunburst. However, in defiance of the sect's standards, he had left his robe partially unfastened, exposing his torso and neck to the public, proudly displaying his tattoo of tigers poised for a leap. Emphasizing his rebel image, he wore a blue earring with an eye on his left ear, a bracelet resembling two coiled snakes on his right hand, and a pendant featuring a huge red stone at its center. A poser, indeed…

As he swung open the door, his voice boomed across the room:

"What's all the noise, yet there's no fight! This young master steps away for a mere minute, and you're already at each other's throats! The great Yali Shanda was fortunate not to witness his loyal generals turning on each other, but it seems like I won't be so lucky." His words were delivered with the dramatic flair I had come to expect.

While he held court with his usual theatrics, I observed a figure in the corner taking advantage of the distraction to pour himself another glass. I surmised this must be Wenjing.

"Comrades, today marks a momentous occasion – we welcome a new member to our esteemed ranks. Allow me to introduce my younger brother, Sheng Jian! But let it be clear, he shall receive no special treatment on account of our kinship. Should you witness him abusing his status or connections within the sect, do not hesitate to intervene and administer a reprimand! Let his path be not one of ease, lest he grow to be a swan lost upon unfamiliar shores or a misguided bee alighting on the wrong blossoms!"

"Absolutely!" they shouted in unison, raising their glasses in unbridled enthusiasm. Just as Wenjing was about to bring his glass to his lips, a figure beside him, not merely a man but a mountain with a shaved head and a bushy beard, covered his mouth with a massive paw. It was likely Feng Zhan.

In the end, everyone drank except poor Wenjing. The sense of betrayal reflected in his eyes spoke volumes, resonating with a universal sense of injustice.

"Now, brother, allow me to introduce you to my brothers-in-arms, my dearest friends – the Starfire Brigade! Their blades are unmatched in sharpness and lethality throughout our sect! At the mere mention of their names, the heavens tremble above the heads, and the ground quakes beneath the feet of our foes! Ha ha!"

Within a room enveloped in the fiery hue of scarlet, amidst canopies, silks, mattresses, rugs, and pillows, six figures were seated, surrounded by a haze of tobacco and incense smoke.

"Behold, true eagles!" he proclaimed, gesturing toward a solitary figure in the room. "Li Shiyi, a maiden of ethereal beauty, possesses a skill with the sword that rivals her mastery of calligraphy." Her gentle countenance held a distant gaze, her attire adorned with splashes of color and intricate calligraphy, a reflection of her artistic spirit. In the world of cultivators, every action bears purpose, or so my father often said.

"Yishu, you flatter me," Li Shiyi responded with a demure smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young dragon. May your journey be as noble as your elder brother's."

"The pleasure is mine," I replied, offering a respectful bow.

"This rascal is Hua Wenjing," Yishu declared with a grin, "the finest painter I've ever had the pleasure of encountering. And believe me, I've seen my fair share!"

My suspicions were confirmed as the next person he pointed out was the same individual who had worn a defeated expression just moments before. Wenjing stood out with his simple yet impeccably tailored attire. His gaze turned momentarily sharp as he addressed me, "Unlike Shiyi, I sincerely hope you never follow in your elder brother's footsteps. He's rather useless, if I do say so myself."

"I'll do my best," I retorted, unable to resist a jab.

"Hey! I'm right here!" my elder brother protested, his tone tinged with mock indignation. "Must you always undermine me in front of my family?"

"After what you pulled five years ago? Yes!"

It seems that the details of that incident would have to wait for another time. Nonetheless, my curiosity had been thoroughly piqued by the mention of whatever had transpired between the two five years prior.

"Anyway, let's keep moving," he continued, gesturing towards the two figures. "These two fellows here are Feng Zhan and Xu Kongli. Their raw strength could twist a dragon into a pretzel!"

The towering figure from earlier was Feng Zhan. As for Kongli, he appeared rather ordinary in appearance, stature, and attire, save for the mischievous sparkle in his eyes and the playful curve of his grin. Both opted for silence, offering only a nod in greeting and acknowledgment of my presence.

I returned the gesture.

"This snake of a man is Wei Yousi," he announced, his tone laced with a mixture of caution and respect. "Arguably the most cunning individual on the entire continent. Allow me to regale you with a tale: a few years back, he outwitted a demonic cultivator who had ensnared our small group, tricking him into consuming and refining himself into a pill. Such a feat, I dare say, is unparalleled in my experience, and likely in the annals of history as well." With a solemn glance, he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "So, heed my words and tread carefully around this man."

"Don't forget, Yishu, I'm quite adept at deciphering human lips," Yousi interjected, turning towards me with a wry smile. "Your brother may possess brilliance, young one, but more often than not, he's a bit of a fool. Remember this: always question half of what he tells you. From the remainder, discard another half as exaggeration. And what's left? Well, that's where the truth lies, though it may be a slippery thing to grasp. In a quarter of cases, it's pure fabrication; in the next quarter, it's a half-truth. In the third quarter, it's a tale he's adopted as his own, and occasionally, in the final quarter, there might be a kernel of truth buried within."

"Enough ganging up on me!" protested Yishu. "Don't listen to him, Jian, I'm a man of integrity!"

"I will certainly keep your advice in mind, Senior Wei Yousi," I replied respectfully. Though not entirely surprised, I felt a sense of validation that my initial intuition about Yousi's character had proven correct.

"Ahem, let's wrap up the introductions, shall we? Last but certainly not least, allow me to present the finest poet and musician known to mankind, my dearest friend, and a true exemplar of manhood – Yu Qingyin."

The last "man?" possessed an aura of delicate beauty and tranquility, clad in simple, flowing attire. He picked up a stringed instrument unknown to me and drew a deep breath.

"Please spare us your songs in the presence of a child," interjected Shiyi, but he paid no heed.

♪ "Why the hell did you come out?

I'm asked by the guys who inhale glue, who inhale spice, who inhale d1cks.

The wh@res breathe filthy d1cks,

And my dr$gs got stolen…" ♪

Well, what can I say... His voice was akin to a gentle breeze carrying a hauntingly beautiful melody. Or so I gathered.

"Isn't he magnificent?" exclaimed my elder brother. "This, my friend, is true art in its purest form!"

After all the introductions, Yishu reached for another glass and poured me some wine as well.

"Here, have a sip!"

"But I'm only 5 years old."

"That's alright, our uncle taught me how to drink when I was your age! Come on, be a sport and take a sip. Are you not going to prove yourself as a real man?"

"How does my masculinity depend on drinking alcohol?"

"A real man drinks, smokes, fights, and curses!"

"And how did you arrive at that conclusion? Did our uncle tell you that too?"

"Nah, it was Dad and Grandpa. They talked about societal expectations, asserting yourself, and all that jazz. But basically, it comes down to what I said. Now, have a drink or you'll be letting me down."

Hmm, I can sense the force trying to sway me out of this… This will not end well.