The garden was quiet, except for the leaves rustling in the cool evening breeze. Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows on the ground. The air was still, but the laughter of the three brothers broke the tranquility, their voices carrying through the garden like the harmonious notes of an ancient tune.
Dao Wei sat with his back against a tree, his legs stretched out in front of him, holding a half-full bottle of Spirit Wine in one hand. The normally stoic cultivator looked unusually relaxed, his lips curved into a rare smile as he watched his new brothers bicker and tease each other under the influence of the potent drink.
Lu Shen, ever the composed one, leaned back on his hands, looking up at the sky with a lazy grin. "It's funny how Spirit Wine has a way of making everything seem less important," he mused, his tone light. "For a night, it's almost like none of it matters. No clans, no responsibilities—just us."
"Easy for you to say, Senior Brother," Dao Wei replied with a smirk. "You'll be shipped off to some divine clan in no time, married to some genius girl with a cold personality." His words were teasing, but there was an edge of truth to them.
Lu Shen chuckled, his eyes twinkling as he met Dao Wei's gaze. "True. But it's a fate I've accepted. That doesn't mean I'm looking forward to it, though."
The conversation between the brothers grew more personal as the night wore on, the potent Spirit Wine loosening their tongues. It started with light banter—sword techniques, cultivation breakthroughs—but as the drink flowed, their talk shifted to deeper topics like love and family.
Dao Wei had little to say about such matters. It wasn't his style. Not yet, at least.
"How about you, Junior Brother?" Lu Shen's teasing tone cut through the quiet moment. He leaned forward, swirling the last of his wine in the cup. His eyes glimmered in the moonlight, a little glassy from the alcohol. "Any ladies waiting in the wings for our new Sword Childe? Surely there must be someone?"
Dao Wei shrugged, his usual calm demeanor returning as he raised his cup to his lips. "Not really. There's a girl—Mingxia—but beyond that, I don't care much for romantic nonsense."
Lu Shen chuckled, his laughter soft but carrying an almost knowing tone. "You say that now, but wait and see. Before long, you'll have girls from all the divine clans chasing after you. Especially with the title of Sword Childe..."
Dao Wei rolled his eyes, not letting Lu Shen's words faze him. "I'm not interested in any of that." He paused for a moment, though, his thoughts lingering on Mingxia. A fleeting smile touched his lips, a rare softness in his otherwise composed face, but he quickly masked it, taking another sip of his wine.
Lu Shen, ever the perceptive one, raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Mingxia, you say?"
"It's nothing," Dao Wei replied, brushing the matter aside, his tone as indifferent as ever.
"Sure, sure. You can keep telling yourself that, Junior Brother," Lu Shen laughed heartily, his amusement echoing through the moonlit garden. "But I have a feeling you'll be singing a different tune before long."
Dao Wei's lips twitched, though whether from amusement or frustration wasn't entirely clear. He wasn't one to entertain such thoughts, especially with the mountain of responsibilities already on his shoulders. But something about Lu Shen's teasing made it difficult to entirely dismiss the conversation. The conversation continued, flowing naturally as the two of them bantered back and forth. Despite this being their first real interaction, their bond felt effortless, as if they had known each other for years. It was a strange feeling, but one that Dao Wei found oddly comforting.
Before he could offer a rebuttal, a new voice rang out from the entrance of the garden.
"And you two thought you could leave me out of the fun?"
Wei Jun strolled into view, grinning broadly as he approached his brothers. His confident stride suggested he had already had his fair share of fun somewhere else before arriving. "Drinking without me? That's just rude," he said, feigning offense as he crossed his arms.
Lu Shen laughed again, his mood clearly lifted by the presence of his brothers. "You're late, Wei Jun. We're already deep into the Spirit Wine."
"Better late than never, right?" Wei Jun flashed a challenging smile, grabbing a cup and pouring himself a generous amount of the fiery liquid. "Let's see what this wine is all about."
Without a second thought, Wei Jun took a large gulp, his bravado quickly dissolving as the wine burned its way down his throat. He coughed and sputtered, his face contorting into a pained grimace.
Lu Shen and Dao Wei both erupted into laughter, watching their proud senior brother struggle with the potent brew.
"Ha! Look at you, Senior Brother Wei Jun," Dao Wei mocked, a smirk playing on his lips. "Can't even handle a simple drink."
Wei Jun shot him a glare, though it was more playful than threatening. "Simple drink? This is like swallowing molten lava! How are you two even still standing?"
"You'll get used to it," Lu Shen said, still laughing. "Or not. Either way, it's fun watching you suffer."
Wei Jun grumbled under his breath but took another cautious sip, this time managing to avoid the earlier theatrics. Dao Wei and Lu Shen continued to laugh at his expense, though the camaraderie among them was undeniable.
"Lightweight," Dao Wei teased, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
Wei Jun glared at him, but there was no real malice behind it. "Lightweight? We'll see about that!" He took another defiant sip, this time managing to hold it down, though the slight grimace on his face didn't go unnoticed by the other two.
The night wore on, and the three of them drank and talked about everything and nothing all at once. The weight of their titles and responsibilities seemed to lift with each gulp of Spirit Wine, leaving only three young men beneath the moonlit sky.
The three brothers settled into an easy rhythm, their conversation flowing as naturally as if they had been drinking together their entire lives. In the quiet of the moonlit garden, they could almost forget the weight of their titles, their responsibilities, and the looming battles ahead. Here, they were just brothers sharing a drink, enjoying each other's company.
Wei Jun and Lu Shen, fueled by the wine, decided it was their duty to offer Dao Wei advice on matters of the heart, though neither seemed particularly qualified for the task.
"You'll see, Junior Brother," Wei Jun said, his words slightly slurred as he waved his hand dramatically. "You need to be bold, make your stand known! Let her know who's in charge, hic!" His hiccup was followed by a lopsided grin.
Dao Wei sighed, shaking his head. "I'll just do what's necessary." His voice was calm, but his eyes held a flicker of amusement.
"You have a flair for the dramatic, Junior Brother," Lu Shen added, chuckling. "But I must say, it suits you."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Dao Wei replied, his expression deadpan, though the corners of his lips twitched slightly.
The three of them continued like this for hours, their voices growing louder and their laughter more frequent as the Spirit Wine took hold. For a brief moment, they were free from the burdens of their sects, their responsibilities forgotten as they reveled in the rare peace that the night brought.
"Wei Jun, I have to say, your face when you first tasted the Spirit Wine was priceless," Dao Wei teased, pouring himself another cup.
"Keep talking, Junior Brother," Wei Jun replied, his tone playfully menacing. "I'll make sure you pay for all this disrespect later."
"Oh, is that a challenge?" Dao Wei raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "Old cargo like you can barely handle a drink. How do you expect to teach me a lesson?"
Wei Jun's grin faltered for a moment before he laughed, clearly entertained by the banter. "Old cargo, is it? We'll see about that."
Lu Shen, ever the peacekeeper, took another sip of his wine and chuckled. "I think we're all a little too far gone to be making threats right now."
But Wei Jun wasn't backing down. His eyes sparkled with the excitement of a new challenge, and the alcohol had clearly dulled his usual restraint. "No, no, I like where this is going." He stood up, albeit a bit unsteadily, and pointed toward the small stone platform in the middle of the garden. "How about a little sparring match? First to yield becomes the third brother."
Dao Wei blinked, his expression caught between amusement and disbelief. "Really? Do you want to fight 'now'? In this condition?"
Wei Jun unsheathed his long sword, the blade gleaming in the moonlight. "What? Scared, Junior Brother?"
Dao Wei's smirk returned as he sluggishly got to his feet, summoning Tian into his hand. He held the sword lazily with one hand, almost as if he didn't care enough to use both. "Scared? Of an old cargo like you? Please."
Lu Shen leaned back, grinning as he observed from the sidelines. "I think Junior Brother's about to teach you a lesson, Wei Jun."
Wei Jun let out a laugh, brandishing his sword dramatically. "Junior Brother needs to learn some respect."
"Respect? I think it's you who's about to get a lesson in respect," Dao Wei shot back, his teasing tone matching Wei Jun's energy. "After all, old cargoes like you might break a hip."