Chapter 10: The Banquet

The two men quickly returned the greeting and exchanged names.

Xu Xian silently marveled at the precociousness of the ancients. This Pan Yu appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen—in the modern world, he would still be an ignorant high school student. Yet, looking at Pan Yu’s speech and mannerisms, he already possessed the poise of a scion from a great family. Even after only a brief acquaintance, Xu Xian felt as refreshed as a person bathed in a spring breeze. Combined with his peerless, handsome features, one couldn't help but think of the phrase: "A gentleman is like jade."

Pan Yu spoke and laughed with easy grace. Although his primary target was Xu Xian, he never once let Wang An feel neglected. He was also secretly observing Xu Xian. In terms of looks, Xu Xian was merely average, but his eyes were clear and bright, carrying an aura of straightforwardness that was rare among these scholars.

Furthermore, Pan Yu sensed a unique temperament in Xu Xian’s conduct, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Pan Yu did not know that a modern soul naturally carried modern habits—the shrug of the shoulders in helplessness, the way sentences were structured, and even a touch of Western-style humor. All of these made Xu Xian stand out from the crowd.

So-called "temperament" was the comprehensive impression formed by the accumulation of such small details. If a person sat by the road in rags without moving, and someone claimed to see something extraordinary in their "deep gaze," that would be the height of absurdity.

"We shall be classmates from now on. I would like to host a gathering today; I wonder if you two would do me the honor of attending?" Pan Yu’s eyes flickered, eventually coming to rest on Xu Xian’s face.

"Then I must thank Brother Pan. I’ve been hungry for a while now," Xu Xian said with a grin. He was starting to get that old feeling from his school days; a group dinner was perfectly normal.

Pan Yu was taken aback. Usually, people would offer a few polite refusals at such a time. He hadn't expected Xu Xian to be so direct. He laughed and said, "Brother Xu is certainly a straightforward person. I’ll go invite the others and see who else is coming. To be honest, I’m getting a bit hungry myself."

Wang An, standing to the side, felt his face flush with embarrassment. Once Pan Yu left, he began to complain.

Xu Xian said bluntly, "If there’s food, eat it. Why all the talk?"

Wang An sighed repeatedly but was helpless against Xu Xian. He had already completely forgotten about his mistakes during the exam.

Jintian Academy was not far from West Lake. Everyone took their seats at the Moon-Watching Tower by the lakeshore. The banquet had been arranged in advance, and in a short time, the table was laden with dishes.

Xu Xian’s stomach was full of restless, greedy cravings. Although there were others from poor backgrounds, Xu Xian was originally a modern man. While his family had been average, going to a restaurant and eating meat had been common. Since his soul had migrated, his sister had been the sole breadwinner. It was lucky enough just to have food at all; to complain would be inhuman. Thus, he wasn't just going to eat—he was going to eat happily. These past days had been truly difficult. Xu Xian looked back on the past and converted his sorrow into an appetite, ruthlessly grabbing a chicken leg and taking large bites. He swore that once he became wealthy, he would eat chicken legs at every meal.

The others were discussing their grand futures, national affairs, and the people's livelihood. Xu Xian, meanwhile, was busy battling the chicken leg, making the "noble" vow to study hard just so he could eat chicken legs at every meal. Fortunately, there were many people, and everyone was focused on sharing their own lofty opinions, so they didn't pay much attention to anyone else.

Only Pan Yu occasionally glanced over, finding it amusing. He had seen "wild scholars" who didn't care about others' opinions before, but this was the first time he had seen someone so eccentric. After a while, he even began to doubt himself—was the chicken leg really that delicious? He picked one up to try, but it tasted the same as usual.

With so many people, they couldn't just sit and eat in silence. Scholars couldn't engage in finger-guessing games like common street vendors, so someone suggested composing poems for drinking stakes. Everyone enthusiastically agreed.

As the host, Pan Yu was the first. He didn't decline and stood up gracefully. His peerless features were flushed from the wine, looking like white jade stained by the sunset, like a person stepped out of a painting. Before he even recited a poem, the crowd was already moved by his elegance. After he finished reciting, the hall erupted in applause. Even Xu Xian took a moment from his busy eating to shout "Bravo."

When it was Xu Xian's turn to compose a poem, he smiled and put down his chopsticks. Without a second thought—and while others assumed he was full of confidence—Xu Xian picked up his wine cup and downed three in a row. Then, he turned to Wang An beside him and said, "Your turn."

The crowd was speechless. Usually, one would say something like "my literary inspiration fails me today." This fellow was entirely unceremonious and simply picked up his chopsticks again.

And so the drinking game went. Xu Xian drained his cup whenever the wine came his way, but he didn't participate in composing lyrics or poems at all; he just focused on eating and drinking.

In ancient times, due to limited brewing technology, the alcohol content was quite low. Furthermore, the cups were small, so Xu Xian didn't mind. However, weak wine in small cups could sometimes be even more intoxicating. By the time the banquet ended, he was half-drunk and half-awake.

Staggering slightly, the group returned to Jintian Academy. The academy had already arranged living quarters. Regardless of whether a student was rich or poor, the accommodations were the same. Two people per room, and Pan Yu happened to be rooming with Xu Xian.

Normally, Wang An, as a fellow townsman, should have roomed with Xu Xian, but this arrangement had been made by their elders. It was done in the hope that the two would become good friends and support each other in their future official careers.

With an incense burner, a small table, a screen, and a carved bed, the room was quite elegantly furnished.

Pan Yu and Xu Xian supported each other as they walked into the room. Xu Xian collapsed onto the bed with a soft groan.

Pan Yu’s previously hazy eyes instantly became clear. He took a dark red jade leaf out of his mouth and poured a cup of tea. He placed the jade leaf into the tea, and after a short while, the leaf changed color, and the tea began to emit the scent of alcohol. Pan Yu took out the now-white jade leaf and tucked it back into his robe.

"Brother Pan, what is that?"

The question startled Pan Yu, and the jade leaf almost slipped from his hand. Xu Xian, who should have been fast asleep on the bed, was looking at him as if nothing were wrong. His eyes were bright—where was there any hint of drunkenness? Pan Yu’s heart skipped a beat. Had he misjudged this person? Was Xu Xian actually a man of such deep guile?

Xu Xian didn't have any "guile." It was simply that because of the Taoist mental cultivation he practiced, no matter how drunk he got, a sliver of clarity remained, allowing him to sober up exceptionally fast.

Xu Xian stretched and said, "Ah, I'm so thirsty!" He walked over, picked up the cup of tea on the table, and gulped it down. Pan Yu didn't have time to stop him and could only sigh. Xu Xian’s recently cleared eyes immediately became dazed and intoxicated again.

That jade leaf was a spiritual object carved from "Drunken Jade." Drunken Jade was a divine stone that wine lovers would pay any price to obtain. If the jade was placed in wine, it would soon turn red, as if it were drunk itself, while the wine would become as tasteless as water. After soaking the jade in several jars of cheap wine, it would become as red as a drunken face. At that point, if one immersed the jade in clear water until it turned white again, the water would turn into top-quality fine wine.

Pan Yu had carved this precious jade into a leaf to keep in his mouth, naturally making him immune to a thousand cups. If those drunkards knew such a divine tool was being used for such a buzzkill purpose, they would surely wring their hands in despair!

That small cup of water, having been infused by the Drunken Jade, was no different from the strongest liquor. Once Xu Xian downed it, no amount of Taoist cultivation could help him. He swayed on the spot twice before falling back onto the bed. "Good wine... good wine..." he muttered.

Looking at the unconscious Xu Xian, Pan Yu truly didn't know how to evaluate him. Was he completely guileless, or was he deeply calculating? He could only manage a bitter smile.

Seeing Xu Xian's dead-to-the-world state, Pan Yu sighed softly. "Being free-spirited and straightforward is a good thing, but getting dead drunk like this is, in the end, not the way of the sages."

In his stupor, Xu Xian heard Pan Yu’s comment. Thinking it was a joke from a college roommate, he couldn't help but recite:

"If Heaven loved not wine, no Wine Star would be in the sky. If Earth loved not wine, Earth would have no Wine Spring. Since Heaven and Earth both love wine, to love wine is no shame before Heaven. Clear wine is compared to a sage, while murky wine is called a worthy. Since even sages and worthies drink, why seek the path of the immortals? Three cups lead to the Great Dao, one gallon aligns with Nature. Only find the joy within the wine; do not pass it to those who remain sober."

This poem, Li Bai's Drinking Alone by Moonlight, was one he had often quoted in his previous life to excuse his drunkenness. Even though he was drunk today, the recitation was still incredibly smooth.

Pan Yu was stunned. He had thought Xu Xian was unskilled at poetry, but he hadn't expected that a casual poem recited while drunk would be of such high quality. The simple and clear verses could probably be understood even by the illiterate, yet the heroic, free-spirited, and world-weary flavor within them was something he could never hope to emulate.

Pan Yu thought to himself: With such poetic talent, it's no wonder he caught the eye of Educational Commissioner Wang. He recited the poem to himself a few more times, his heart filled with admiration. Looking back at Xu Xian, he saw the man was already snoring softly.

"Only find the joy within the wine; do not pass it to those who remain sober... But I do not dare to get drunk, nor can I get drunk."

Within the small room, someone's sigh lingered, filled with melancholy.