Despite a chaotic reunion, the seven heroes of the past finally sat down in the same banquet hall.
"A toast to my friends and the Rainbow Alliance," Zhao Mingfeng raised his wine cup with a huge smile.
Lifting their wine cups as a sign of respect, the six heroes from the Rainbow Alliance returned the toast and drained the first cup of wine, marking the start of the banquet.
Compared to other formal events, the Celestial Dragon sect loved to host their banquets in a lively manner without much care for etiquette. They were cultivators, not ministers, so there was no need for extensive formalities or excessive entertainment.
"Forgive the humble presentation," Zhao Mingfeng smiled. "Although many things might be lacking during your stay, food is not one of them."
Clapping his hands twice, Zhao Mingfeng signalled for the servants to bring out massive trays of delicious food. Some cultivators were vegetarian from their practice, but even they salivated at the tantalising scent. That wasn't to say these cultivators found anything lacking with the vegetarian menu. Although Zhao Mingfeng wasn't the most meticulous man, he had a capable wife backing him from behind. Almost everyone in the banquet hall knew that Zhao Wanting secretly managed the guest accommodation.
Going with the lively flow, Zhang Yi started the ball rolling. There was nothing more exciting about a gathering among cultivators if they did not compete. However, after destroying part of the mountain earlier in his spar with Bai Dajin, the Azure Dragon sect leader felt slightly guilty. It wasn't fair for overly powerful individuals to spar. Hence, it was up to the next generation to provide entertainment. After all, the tell-tale sign of a good teacher was through their student's performance.
"Brother Zhao, sorry about the damage to your mountain earlier. I got carried away. My wife will nag at me if she finds out, so could you keep it a secret? As compensation, won't you let my son create a poem for you? He might not be the best at martial arts or cultivating, but he's my important internal adviser. I bet he's smarter than most scholars with small governor posts."
Not one to harp over such things, Zhao Mingfeng forgave the hot-blooded Azure Dragon leader. However, he was curious about Prince Zhang Mou. The last time he saw Zhang Mou, the boy was a teen of marriageable age. However, according to his father, Zhang Mou refused to marry even at twenty-nine. He had also stopped pursuing the path of a cultivator, stopping after he reached the Solid Core stage. The young man decided to sharpen his wits instead of his blade, assisting his father with managing the Azure Dragon Sect and expanding the influence of its territory.
"Zhang Mou will make a brilliant adviser. I could never open a martial school or manage a mercenary agency if it were me. It would be our honour to listen to a poem he composed tonight," Mingfeng smiled.
Zhao Mingshen, the second prince of the Celestial Dragon Sect, perked up from the other side of the banquet hall. Unlike the other family members, except for his younger sister, the ten-year-old was more interested in books than swords.
Unable to refuse the proposal after his father had put him on the spot, Zhang Mou stood up and bowed respectfully to the powerful sect leaders.
"Zhang Mou is a self-taught scholar. Please overlook my mistakes tonight. I shall compose a couplet that best illustrates the unity of the Rainbow Alliance."
Clapping in encouragement, the banquet musicians changed the upbeat music into one more suitable for studying. The servants quickly received instructions to prepare ink, brush, and paper for Zhang Mou, who frowned while concentrating.
After ten minutes of waiting and idle chatter, Zhang Mou finally picked up the brush and started writing. Even though Mingfeng was not an expert in calligraphy, he recognised the sure strokes and careful precision. Imbued into every stroke was a hint of qi. Zhang Mou used the brush similarly to how cultivators would use the sword. No wonder Zhang Yi was so eager to brag about his son. Although Zhang Mou was only a Solid Core cultivator, his qi control was on par with experts.
"I have finished the couplet," Zhang Mou bowed after he placed the brush down. "Shall I read it?"
With servants helping him lift the two scrolls side by side, Zhang Mou recited his poem for everyone at the banquet to hear.
"In the presence of the sun after a storm," Zhang Mou read the scroll on the left. "The scattered lights gather, and a rainbow is born."
Turning to the right, he confidently announced, "Until the next storm, the rainbow hides but will appear again to change the tide."
Standing up to applaud the noble poem, Zhao Mingshen beamed at the man he deemed his idol.
"Good poem!" he praised, speaking before his father could. "May good always triumph over evil! I am Zhao Mingshen. Finding a like-minded cultivator who wields the brush over a sword is difficult. With this cup of wine, I humbly ask if you would like to join me as a sworn brother to uphold the legacy of the Rainbow Alliance even if our parents retire?"
Although the founders of the Rainbow Alliance were comrades and allies, not everyone was close as friends. Seeing Mingshen being the first to reach out that bridge in the next generation warmed Zhao Mingfeng's heart. As a father, he never wanted to force his children to do what they did not want to pursue, including Yihao, who was the most rebellious. He had always known that Mingshen wanted to be a scholar more than a cultivator, unlike his older sister, who trained daily with a sword.
Surprised that there was someone like-minded from the Celestial Dragon Sect, Zhang Mou smiled and raised his cup to accept the invitation. He was curious about the ten-year-old boy who wanted to become his sworn brother. Although sworn siblings did not have to share the same blood, age, or mother, it was important to know each other's values and characters.
"Young master Zhao, I am honoured to receive your praise and valuation. Would you like to talk more over a game of go after the banquet?"
Thrilled, Mingshen accepted the offer and sat back down. The servants cleared the writing materials, but Cheng Zhong stopped them.
"It's this old man's turn to brag about his son," the Black Tortoise sect leader laughed. Although nowhere near as impressive as the children of the Celestial Dragon and Azure Dragon sects, my Chen Tao is diligent. Sect Leader Zhao, could I trouble you to prepare two slabs of stone and a sword? The Azure Dragon has prepared a gift, so I thought the Black Tortoise could take care of the packaging. Chen Tao has recently been learning the art of sword strokes. Please allow him to carve the poem for you."