Half an hour later...
"Woof woof! I can't take it anymore! I'm not in good shape today—I can't handle any more alcohol. Let's fight another day!"
"Pfft!"
As expected, Ning Fengzhi was the first to collapse, slumping over after just six jars of wine.
From Fu Ye's earlier conversation, Liu Erlong had already learned that the man now barking like a dog was none other than Ning Fengzhi—the strongest genius of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!
Her job was simple: pouring tea and serving dishes. But since Fu Ye drank straight from the jar and the food had already been laid out, she was left standing there, merely watching the spectacle.
"Look at this Young Master Ning—utterly pathetic."
Fu Ye glanced at Ning Fengzhi, unconscious on the table, and openly mocked him.
"Oh? So you're pretty strong, huh?"
"Of course I am! Forget about him—let's keep going!"
In the end, Gu Rong thoughtfully moved Ning Fengzhi to a nearby sofa before returning to battle for another three hundred rounds.
Another half hour passed.
"Pfft!"
Gu Rong finally succumbed to the alcohol, and Chen Xin seized the moment to taunt him.
"Hahaha! You old bones are no match at all! Pathetic!"
Yet the very next second, the world before his eyes darkened, and—
"Pfft!"
With absolute dominance, Fu Ye crushed all three of them. Now, he was the only one left standing.
"Three fools—can't even hold their liquor."
Seeing that much of the food remained untouched, Fu Ye grabbed a clean plate and piled some onto it. Then, he turned to Liu Erlong, who was still grinning in the corner.
"Here, little girl. Eat up. No point letting it go to waste."
He placed the plate on the small coffee table behind him.
Back in the day, he had no choice but to avoid waste. Now, he made sure nothing went unused.
He had assumed Ning Fengzhi and the others would eat more, but they'd spent most of their time drinking, leaving half the dishes untouched.
"Ah? For me?"
Liu Erlong had been salivating at the rich aromas, but the rules were clear—no touching leftovers, even if untouched. Everything had to be tossed.
It wasn't that Fu Ye was stingy. As the host, he couldn't just let a new waitress eat before the guests. Besides, the food he gave her was completely untouched—no issue of cleanliness.
"Go on. You must be tired from laughing so much."
Fu Ye stood and walked toward the three drunken fools.
"N-No, I wasn't laughing!"
Liu Erlong quickly denied it, though her slightly flushed cheeks betrayed her.
Fu Ye simply nodded.
"Juxiang Pavilion stays open until nearly ten at night. You live in the outer city—it's not safe for a girl to travel alone so late. There's an empty room on the rooftop. If you want, you can stay there."
Ahem—this was purely practical. Fu Ye wasn't some creep preying on underage girls. It was just safer than letting her commute between the outer city and the imperial city at night.
"I'll take these three to the sixth-floor guest rooms first. When you're done, just head up to the top floor."
With Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong in one hand and Chen Xin in the other, Fu Ye carried them upstairs, leaving Liu Erlong standing dumbfounded in the dining hall.
By the time the drinking ended, dusk had fallen. Fu Ye, having drunk quite a bit, took a bath to sober up before collapsing onto his bed for a nap.
It had been a while since he'd indulged in alcohol—his tolerance wasn't what it used to be.
An unknown amount of time later—
Knock knock knock.
Knock knock knock.
The sound roused Fu Ye from his sleep. Judging by the moon's position, it was probably around 9:30 PM—closing time for Juxiang Pavilion.
Who would disturb him at this hour?
"Coming."
Groggily, he got up. Dressed only in black sleepwear (having just bathed), he didn't mind the exposed chest—it wasn't like he was breaking any laws.
Creak.
The door opened to reveal the red-haired girl, Liu Erlong.
"Huh? What brings you here so late, little girl?"
If she wanted to stay, she could've just gone to the room—the key was right outside the door.
"Boss Fu Ye, I want to... Gulp—"
His perfectly sculpted upper body was now on full display. This was the first time Liu Erlong had seen such well-defined abs on a man!
"Alright, quit staring. I'll take you there."
'This girl had no shame! Had she never seen a good physique before? Gulping like that—couldn't she be a little more reserved?'
Before she could react, Fu Ye grabbed her by the collar like a kitten and hauled her inside. Tossing the key onto the bed, he shut the door behind her.
Thud.
Yawning, Fu Ye returned to his room.
Just then—
[Liu Erlong's Favorability: 55%]
'Huh? That fast?'
Then again, it made sense. In the original story, Liu Erlong was a hopeless romantic—she'd waited over a decade for Yu Xiaogang, even knowing he was her cousin.
"Ahhh... So tired. Back to sleep."
…
Meanwhile—Spirit Hall, Pope's Chamber, Interrogation Room
Yu Xiaogang lay strapped to an iron bed, despair etched across his face. Six burly men surrounded him.
Half a year had passed, yet he still refused to break. Though his days were hellish, he clung to one belief: Where there's a will, there's a way!
His father would come for him!
"Clean this place up and get this Spirit Hall traitor some clothes. The Saintess is coming for inspection!"
At the guard's command, the six men scrambled. Within fifteen minutes, the interrogation room was spotless—no trace of foul odors.
Soon, Bibi Dong arrived.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang still bound to the iron frame, she was surprised to find he'd actually gained weight.
"Yu Xiaogang... Yu Xiaogang. I never thought you'd last this long. Care to share your thoughts on the past six months?"
Though she smiled, her eyes were venomous.
"Beast! You're a beast! Bibi Dong, you'll pay for everything you've done!"
Even after half a year, his tongue remained sharp.
"Me, a beast? Hah. Even if I am, what you did was far worse. You tortured the one I cherished—for so long—before finally killing him. For that, I'll make sure you learn what true suffering is."
A photo crystal materialized in her hand.
"Yu Xiaogang... You don't want your little 'adventures' these past six months spread across the continent by the Spirit Hall, do you?"
Her grin was serpentine in his eyes.
"No! You can't do this!"
But as he shouted, a mountain of crystal images materialized behind Bibi Dong.
…
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