บท 78: Chapter 78: Wu Yanhan, That's My Name.
"Damn, getting our hands on this much wine wasn't easy," grumbled Xiong Haizhi.
"No kidding," Li Han added. "I spent one whole military merit just to get ten jars of Osmanthus Brew from Drunken Immortal Tavern!"
"Think ten jars are enough? Should I use my merits to get some more?"
"It's not about the merits," Xiong Haizhi sighed. "If we take too much, Wang Meng won't be able to turn a blind eye anymore."
Late at night in Camp 484, Xiong Haizhi and Li Han cursed under their breath as they carried jar after jar of wine into the tent.
Li Han carefully placed the jars down and set up bowls for the wine, while Guangyin took out several meal boxes. Inside were roast duck, beggar's chicken, braised pork knuckle, and other delicious dishes to pair with the alcohol.
As they opened a jar of wine, the fragrant aroma of osmanthus mixed with the rich scent of the food, filling the tent.
Li Han wiped his mouth, already salivating. "Where are Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan?"
Guang Yin shook his head. "No idea."
Xiong Haizhi waved dismissively. "Isn't it obvious? Wu Yanhan's probably gone to that mountain spring to bathe again. He never uses the barracks bathhouse. As for Xu Ming, he's definitely off secretly training, but he should be back soon."
Li Han plopped down on a cot. "That kid Xu Ming has so much talent and still works so hard. How's anyone supposed to keep up?"
"Come on, let's not compare ourselves to a genius," Xiong Haizhi chuckled. "Back when I was studying at the Zhixing Academy, that kid beat me up. The three of us were two or three years older than him, and we still couldn't take him down together."
"Couldn't take who down?"
Just as they were joking around, Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan walked into the tent together.
"Oh, you two came back together?" Li Han smirked. "Don't tell me you went off to make some shady deal."
Wu Yanhan's brows furrowed, and she stepped forward, ready to kick him.
Li Han scrambled to his feet. "Brother Wu! I'm kidding! I swear I'm kidding! If you kick me, I'll be begging for my life on my knees!"
"Alright, alright, quit running your mouth," Xu Ming said, pulling Wu Yanhan back. "What's with all this food and wine? What are you guys up to?"
"Heh." Li Han scratched his nose. "We're sending you off in style! You're leaving for the palace tomorrow. Of course we need to celebrate properly."
Saying that, Li Han tossed a jar of wine toward Xu Ming.
Xu Ming caught it, sniffed the aroma, and said, "Osmanthus Brew from Drunken Immortal Tavern?"
Li Han nodded proudly. "You've got a sharp nose, Young Master Xu!"
"But honestly," Xu Ming said, "drinking inside the tent is kind of boring. Let's move this outside."
Xiong Haizhi thought for a moment, then slapped his thigh. "Alright! Let's take it outside. If we get caught, so be it. Worst case, we get punished tomorrow."
"Damn it!" Li Han cursed. "Brother Xu's leaving tomorrow. We're the ones who'll get punished!"
Despite his complaints, he didn't object and helped carry the table, food, and wine outside.
The five of them found a small hill and climbed to its peak. There, under the open sky, they drank and enjoyed the view of the First Army Camp below.
The night sky was unusually beautiful, the moon bright and the stars abundant, like a shimmering Milky Way draped across the heavens.
"Brother Xu," Li Han said, taking a sip of wine. "I heard you're going to take part in our country's civil service exam next year?"
"Mm," Xu Ming nodded. "I probably will."
"You sure about that?" Xiong Haizhi teased. "The scholars have been studying for years, burning the midnight oil. I haven't seen you crack open a single book these past few years."
Xu Ming chuckled. "You only asked if I'm going; I never said I'd pass."
Guang Yin, face flushed from the wine, took a sip and said earnestly, "Brother Xu, you're incredible. You're already a master in martial arts, and now you're aiming for the civil exams. If you make it to the top, would that make you Wu Kingdom's first-ever master of both the civil and martial arts?"
"Of course!" Xiong Haizhi exclaimed, gulping down his wine. "Damn those civil officials who call us brutes. We martial artists can become scholars too!"
"Brother Xu, do you think you'll ever come back to Blood Asura Battalion?" Li Han asked, biting into a chicken leg and looking over at Xu Ming.
The others turned to look at him as well.
"Not sure. I'll see how things go," Xu Ming replied, taking a sip of his wine. Then he glanced around at them. "What about you guys? What are your plans for the future?"
Xiong Haizhi chuckled, drinking deeply, his eyes shining with hope for the days to come. "My father's the Minister of War. Naturally, I plan to make my mark in Blood Asura Battalion, earn my merits through strength, and eventually be granted a noble title or even become a high-ranking official!"
Li Han grinned. "I probably won't stick with Blood Asura Battalion forever. Once I rack up enough merits, I'll trade them for a modest official position, find myself a wife, and raise a bunch of healthy kids."
Guang Yin scratched his head awkwardly. "I don't really know. I'll probably just stay in the army. It's not like I've got anywhere else to go."
After the three finished, all four pairs of eyes turned to Wu Yanhan.
Quietly drinking her wine without a word, Wu Yanhan blinked, her beautiful eyes cold and unyielding. "What?" she asked.
"What about you? What's your plan for the future?" Xu Ming asked.
Setting down her wine jar, Wu Yanhan lifted her sleeve to wipe her mouth. "No plan. Blood Asura Battalion doesn't have much left to teach me. Every day is just training. In a while, I'll probably leave and wander the world."
"Well, I didn't expect tonight's farewell to Brother Xu to turn into a farewell for you as well," Li Han said with a sigh. "Ah, but there's no banquet that doesn't end. Come on! Let's drink to it!"
Li Han raised his wine jar, and the others followed suit. Even Wu Yanhan, cold as she was, raised her jar. With a clink of jars, everyone took a deep swig.
"I'll come back to visit you guys someday," Xu Ming said as he set down his jar. "Until then, don't go dying on me."
"Don't worry. Even if you die, we won't," Xiong Haizhi said, taking a long drink. "But you better watch yourself. Serving the emperor is no joke."
"I know," Xu Ming nodded.
The five drank until midnight, finishing off all ten jars of wine before staggering back to the barracks.
The wine from Drunken Immortal Tavern was no ordinary brew—it truly left them a bit tipsy. All except Wu Yanhan, who remained as clear-headed as ever.
Xiong Haizhi, Li Han, and Guang Yin walked ahead, arms draped over each other for support. Wu Yanhan walked in the middle, while Xu Ming trailed behind.
The distance between Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan grew, separating them from the others.
"Wu Yanhan."
Watching her silhouette against the moonlight, Xu Ming recalled the scene he had witnessed years ago by the riverbank. His voice called out to her.
"What is it?" Wu Yanhan turned to face him.
"Is Wu Yanhan your real name?" Xu Ming asked, his tone slightly slurred from the alcohol.
Wu Yanhan froze for a moment, clearly not expecting the question.
"Uh, if it's inconvenient to answer, forget it," Xu Ming said, waving his hand and walking forward. "Just pretend I didn't ask."
"Wu Yanhán."
"Hmm?"
"Wu as in Wuguo (Wu Kingdom), Yan as in smoke, and Han as in cold. That's my real name."
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