Chapter 1019: Even Gift Giving Can Be Competitive

"This!"

"Brother Yi, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

"We have done nothing to deserve such generosity, how could we possibly accept such a gift!"

The two old men responded in unison, their faces pale with shock as they repeatedly declined.

Their righteous and solemn demeanor made it seem as though these two swords were truly extraordinary treasures, and accepting them would incur an enormous debt of gratitude.

But how could such social niceties escape Yi Feng's notice?

Though the two old men appeared righteous and solemn, their eyes couldn't help but glance toward the iron swords.

Their mouths said "no," but their bodies were clearly eager.

Their posture was reminiscent of how they had acted as children when receiving New Year's money.

As someone who had been through similar situations, Yi Feng was all too familiar with this kind of scene. He knew that every word and gesture was just part of the act.

Watching the two old men sternly refuse, he couldn't help but feel a strong sense of their poor acting skills.

While it was all part of social etiquette, it wasn't particularly unpleasant.

At the very least, they were playing along with the atmosphere, and given that they were faced with two seemingly worthless swords, they were already being quite polite.

Yi Feng smiled and feigned a sigh of resignation.

"Ah, it seems you two don't think much of these shoddy swords either. In that case, I might as well throw them away. Maybe someone else will find them useful."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two old men were visibly stunned!

Zui Wuyan and Wei Donghai exchanged a frantic glance, their eyes filled with urgency.

Such rare and precious swords—something they had only heard of in legends—were about to be casually discarded by Yi Feng. His discernment was truly beyond their comprehension.

Hearing this, the two dared not say more.

Though they couldn't bring themselves to accept such a valuable gift, the thought of watching it be thrown away was unbearable. It would haunt them for the rest of their lives!

Faced with this dilemma, they were both anxious and shocked, torn between accepting and declining, their hearts aching at the thought of either option.

They were truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

Staring at each other, neither dared to speak for a long time.

Their act had fallen apart at the first test—clearly, their acting skills weren't up to par.

Yi Feng, as expected, smiled and handed the two swords over.

"They're not anything special, just take them. We're all friends here, no need for such formalities."

Upon hearing this, the two old men were moved to tears, bowing repeatedly in gratitude.

With trembling hands, they accepted the swords, their faces filled with both awe and trepidation.

Holding the swords, they were visibly moved, launching into a flurry of grateful thanks, their words pouring out like a rapid-fire barrage.

"Brother Yi, your kindness is something we will never forget. If you ever need anything in the future, we will go through fire and water for you. Even if you ask us to ascend to the heavens or descend into the earth, we will—"

Their effusive gratitude nearly made Yi Feng blush.

Wei Donghai then produced a gourd of wine, his face filled with sincerity.

"Brother Yi, I don't have much to offer in return, but please take this wine. When I return, I'll send more. Please don't refuse!"

This was Chiyan Brew, a rare wine that even their closest friends rarely got to taste. It took over a thousand years to produce, and Wei Donghai had always treated it as a priceless treasure.

To curry favor with Yi Feng, this old man was truly willing to spare no expense!

Zui Wuyan's eyelids twitched as he watched, and after a moment of hesitation, he too stepped forward with a gift.

"Brother Yi!"

"I don't have much to offer either, just these wild fruits from the mountains. They're nothing special, but I hope you'll accept them..."

With that, Zui Wuyan pulled out a handful of crimson fruits from his spatial ring.

Each fruit was crystal clear, surrounded by a faint red mist.

Wei Donghai's eyes nearly popped out of his head, his expression one of disbelief.

These were 50,000-year-old Vermilion Fruits, a treasure they had nearly lost their lives to obtain during a secret realm expedition.

Just being able to smell them was a privilege reserved for once every hundred years, let alone eating them.

This wasn't just sparing no expense—it was practically giving away a piece of their soul.

Too ruthless.

His senior brother was truly too ruthless!

Wei Donghai's eyelids twitched, his eyes filled with unwillingness.

Noticing his discontent, Zui Wuyan's lips curled into a subtle, triumphant smile, as if to say, "You're still too green."

In terms of cultivation, he was superior to his junior brother.

In terms of social graces, he was also more polished.

His earlier misjudgment had been a momentary lapse, but from now on, he wouldn't be outdone!

The two old men stood there, each holding their gifts, locked in a silent battle of wills, almost coming to blows!

It had turned into a competition!

Who would have thought that even gift-giving could become so competitive?

Yi Feng couldn't help but laugh and shake his head, feeling as though he were watching two children.

It was both exasperating and endearing.

At this point, he had no choice but to accept their gifts. Otherwise, things might escalate to the point of the two old men actually fighting, ruining what had been a perfectly good atmosphere!

Yi Feng quickly spoke up, handing the swords over.

"Alright, I'll accept your gifts. Let's consider this an exchange, though I feel like I'm getting the better end of the deal."

The two old men were both surprised and delighted, expressing their gratitude profusely.

"Brother Yi, your generosity puts us to shame!"

"Brother Yi, your magnanimity is beyond our reach!"

Despite their advanced age, they had been at each other's throats just moments ago, but now they were all smiles, bowing and thanking Yi Feng in unison. The shift in mood was so abrupt it was almost jarring.

But in the end, everyone was happy.

They had all gained something, and each had a memento to remember the occasion.

With everything settled satisfactorily, the three of them set off on their return journey.

Back at the village entrance.

The two old men bowed and thanked Yi Feng once more, promising to bring more treasures in the future as a sign of their gratitude, clearly still trying to one-up each other.

Their retreating figures, huddled together, looked like two schoolchildren heading home after class.

Yi Feng couldn't help but chuckle.

Carrying the gourd of wine and the handful of wild fruits, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

Living in the village for so long had even tempered the temperament of a sage, making him more down-to-earth.

Human connections were truly wonderful.

After just a short outing, he had received so many gifts. This kind of genuine interaction was truly heartwarming.

With a light smile, Yi Feng turned and entered his courtyard.

Night fell quickly.

With a bit of wine, some wild fruits, and a bowl of noodles, life felt complete.

No worries, no troubles.

The night passed uneventfully.

After a couple of drinks, he slept soundly and woke up feeling refreshed.

Gazing at the rising sun.

He felt full of energy, ready for a hearty breakfast.

Just as Yi Feng was about to head to the kitchen to make some egg pancakes, he heard noises coming from inside.

Standing at the door, he peeked in.

Old Man Fu was busy with a flurry of movements, his cooking style both flashy and slightly flamboyant, as if he were putting on a performance. With a spotlight, he could have passed for the village's head chef.

His skills were clearly the result of years of practice, not something one could pick up overnight.

Yi Feng watched with admiration, but soon noticed something odd.

The old man seemed to have returned to normal, no longer obsessing over those strange peonies. Today, he seemed to be cooking more food than usual—there were two servings of heart-shaped fried eggs and side dishes!

When the food was carefully packed into two lunchboxes, Yi Feng frowned in confusion.

"Old man, why are you making two servings? Are you planning to have breakfast with someone?"

Fu Nantian removed his apron, revealing a broad smile.

"Not at all. Ting'er has found someone she likes, so I'm just making an extra portion, that's all."

Someone she likes?

And just "that's all"?

Yi Feng was dumbfounded.

In both his lifetimes, this was the first time he had heard of someone preparing breakfast for their crush's boyfriend, and doing so with such nonchalance.

Well...

Should he commend the old man for his magnanimity, or was it just a sign of his own youth?

Yi Feng was at a loss for words, completely thrown off.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Fu Nantian smiled serenely.

"You're still young, you don't understand the intricacies of such matters."

"On the surface, it seems like Ting'er has found someone she likes, and I'm forced to send breakfast. But in reality, this is Ting'er's way of testing me!"

Yi Feng's brows furrowed as Fu Nantian adopted a profound and mysterious air.

"Without trials, how can true feelings emerge?"

"Ting'er must be screening for someone who truly loves her."

"In the past thousand years, Ting'er has had two other loves, but as the saying goes, 'third time's the charm.' This is the final test. She will surely realize who the right person is!"

"I believe Ting'er will come to understand!"

With a sigh, Fu Nantian picked up the lunchboxes and strode off with determination.

Watching his retreating figure, it was as if he were filled with deep emotion.

This level of self-delusion was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, enough to shatter anyone's worldview. Even the most seasoned romantic would struggle to make sense of it.

Yi Feng was utterly baffled, staring blankly as the old man walked away...

Two days passed.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the village felt unusually tense.

On the surface, everything seemed peaceful and unchanged, but at the foot of the mountain behind the village, the mood was grave.

A group of old men had gathered, their sage-like auras completely suppressed. The area was surrounded by a formation, creating an atmosphere of solemnity.

Several figures had already arrived, and Fu Nantian stood among them, waiting with a serious expression.

The leading elder spoke in a grave tone.

"Recently, cracks have been appearing at the edges of the void, and void beasts have been emerging in large numbers. A great calamity is surely approaching. What do you all think we should do?"