142: Chapter 142 Small Gathering

Ye Yisong cupped his hands in a salute to Grandfather Ye Tuantu and Grand Elder Ye Ronghui, bid farewell to the two elders, and headed toward his own courtyard.

Grandfather Ye Tuantu's words just now served as a reminder; both the Wei Family and the Wang Family had Martial Artists who had reached the third-grade level in talisman making.

If he still participated in the Prefecture Examination's talisman making assessment with only the level of a Low Grade third-grade Talisman Maker, he might truly suffer an unexpected defeat.

It seemed he would have to show some real skills!

When Ye Yisong returned to his courtyard, Ye Yitian and the others had already set up a stove in the middle of the yard. Sliced Yao Beast meat was sizzling on top of the stove, and the aroma of roasted meat permeated the entire courtyard.

"Thirteenth Brother, you're back," Ye Yitian was the first to spot Ye Yisong. He tossed a piece of charcoal into the stove, stood up, and greeted him.

"Thirteenth Brother." Ye Yiguang and Shangguan Yunque, who were cutting meat on the side, blushed slightly. They quickly separated their joined hands and waved awkwardly.

Ye Yisong saw through it but didn't point it out. It seemed his sixteenth younger brother truly liked this young lady; they were being lovey-dovey in public without any restraint, to the point where Ye Yitian was rolling his eyes to the heavens.

"Yifan, add this piece of meat to the soup and stew it as well," Ye Yisong said, handing over several pieces of Grade 4 Demonic Beast flesh he had swiped from Grandfather Ye Tuantu to Ye Yifan, who was simmering tiger bone soup.

"Alright!" Ye Yifan's eyes lit up as he took the Yao Beast flesh from Ye Yisong's hand. Ever since they had eaten it once at the last gathering, everyone had been unable to forget it. This kind of natural Body Refining medicine was truly something one could only encounter by chance, not seek out.

"Where is Uncle Jiefu?" Ye Yisong looked around, didn't see Uncle Jiefu, and asked.

"Oh, Uncle Jiefu went out to trade for some wine," Ye Yitian replied. "Everyone is happy today, so we thought we'd have a little drink to celebrate."

"I'm back." As they were talking, Uncle Jiefu called out from outside and walked in, leading Ye Jiexuan with him.

"Thirteenth Young Master." Ye Jiexuan and Ye Jiewang stood nervously at the entrance, looking at the group in the small courtyard, not knowing whether to enter or retreat.

"Come in, let's join in the fun," Ye Yisong nodded and warmly greeted the two.

They were all from the same clan; since they had run into each other, having a meal together was a good way to strengthen their bonds.

Cultivation wasn't just about fighting and killing; it also involved human relationships and worldly affairs. Having more friends meant having more paths.

"I just went to find Jiexuan to buy some century-old Monkey Wine, but Jiexuan refused to accept my Spirit Stones no matter what," Uncle Jiefu explained to everyone while helping Ye Yifan carry firewood, fearing they might misunderstand. "Since he hadn't eaten yet, I dragged him along. It's livelier with more people. Jiexuan didn't want to come at first, but since I took his wine, how could I let him go hungry?"

"As for this kid Jiewang, we ran into him on the way back, so we brought him along too."

"Hehe." Ye Jiewang scratched his head embarrassedly. It seemed he was the only one here freeloading, and he didn't have anything good to bring out.

However, Ye Jiewang was a sharp person. Seeing Ye Yitian go to the storeroom to get charcoal, he immediately followed, insisting on helping. Ye Yitian couldn't refuse him, so he had to let Ye Jiewang join the charcoal-grilling army.

The last to arrive late were Ye Jiejing and Ye Jielu. They had been called by Ye Yisong via a Transmission Talisman. It had been several months since they parted ways in Shuinan, and today was a good opportunity to gather together.

The aroma of meat in the small courtyard grew richer and richer, wafting through the dozens of nearby courtyards. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

"Alright, everyone, take your seats." Seeing that the newly added charcoal fire was burning well and the small cauldron of soup had been boiling for over an hour, with all the ingredients prepared, Ye Yisong called everyone to sit in a circle around the stove and the soup cauldron.

"Come, everyone raise your glasses and congratulate Thirteenth Brother on winning first place in the Prefecture Examination martial arts competition!" Ye Yitian raised his glass and invited everyone to congratulate Ye Yisong together.

"Thank you," Ye Yisong responded. "Everyone, dig in. Uncle Jiexuan, Uncle Jiewang, don't be polite; treat this like your own home."

Ye Yitian and the others slyly stuck their chopsticks into the soup cauldron first, precisely finding the pieces of Yao Beast flesh that Ye Yisong had brought back.

"Take it easy, don't overeat," Ye Yisong warned them with concern. Last time, these guys had almost eaten until their stomachs burst, yet they still refused to put down their chopsticks.

"Uncle Jiexuan, Uncle Jiewang, you should try some too." Ye Yisong picked up two pieces and placed them in their bowls, reminding them, "This is Grade 4 Demonic Beast flesh I got from my grandfather. He usually isn't willing to give it to me, but today, while he was happy, I asked for some."

"Slurp." Hearing this, Ye Jiexuan and Ye Jiewang could no longer hold back. They stuffed the meat from their plates into their mouths, immediately followed suit, picked up their chopsticks, and started fishing in the soup cauldron.

Ye Jiewang had been poor since childhood; his parents were only Early Stage Martial Masters. Besides his brute strength, he had no other talents. He spent years wandering in the Canglong Mountain Range, hunting Yao Beasts to exchange for cultivation resources. Ever since he broke through to Martial Master, he could occasionally eat some third-grade Yao Beast flesh to replenish his Body Refining consumption.

But Grade 4 Demonic Beast flesh? He hadn't even seen it, let alone eaten it.

Ye Jiexuan's family background was slightly better than Ye Jiewang's. His elders had left behind a recipe for brewing wine, and with five domesticated third-grade spirit monkeys leading a group of first and second-grade spirit monkeys, the Monkey Wine they brewed was considered a specialty in the Ye Family. The Spirit Stones earned were enough to support his cultivation, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to break through to the Late Stage of Martial Master before the age of fifty.

But this was also his first time eating Grade 4 Demonic Beast flesh, such a highly nourishing item.

Ye Jiejing and Ye Jielu had actually eaten it a few times recently. The saying "having an elder in the house is like having a treasure" was even more evident in the world of cultivation.

"Eat slowly, no one is fighting you for it." Seeing the unsightly scene of them scrambling, Ye Yisong added a few more pieces of Grade 4 Demonic Beast flesh. It was rare for everyone to be gathered together today.

Actually, despite how fiercely everyone was competing, most people couldn't eat more than a few pieces; digesting even one piece would take a long time.

For those like Ye Yiguang, Ye Yifan, and Shangguan Yunque, who were still at the Martial Warrior Realm, being able to digest one piece was already rare. Only Ye Jiexuan could eat a few more, while Ye Yitian, Uncle Jiefu, and Ye Jiewang had poor combat power and simply couldn't digest it.

"Refreshing!" Ye Yitian patted his belly, let out a burp, and said with a grin, "Thirteenth Brother is truly generous!"

The others weren't much better; as soon as the feast began, they all declared their battle over.

Shangguan Yunque felt more and more that her decision to follow Ye Yiguang was the most correct choice of her life. How long had it been, and she was already eating Grade 4 Demonic Beast flesh?

She once again felt the foundation and grandeur of the Cangjiang Ye Family; no wonder the members of the Ye Family cultivated so quickly.

The Shangguan Family was simply too small. Only by stepping out could one see how high the sky was and how thick the earth was.

"This time, our Ye Family has achieved a complete victory, completely suppressing the Qi Family, those guys who don't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth," Ye Yitian said happily.