Carti: I want to eat fish!

"What did you say?"

Lu Sha's eyes widened. He couldn't believe his ears. Only now did he understand what unbearable humiliation felt like.

What was Liu Lan?

Just a few days ago, she had been a puppet he could manipulate however he pleased. If he told her to go east, she wouldn't dare go west. If he told her to kneel, she wouldn't dare stand. What right did she have to lord it over him now and make him pour her wine?

"Are you deaf?"

Cartethyia looked over at him, the last trace of a smile vanishing from her face. She had stopped pretending altogether.

All at once, the hairs on Lu Sha's back stood on end. Her gaze was as cold as a blade, and the pressure radiating from her made his knees go weak.

"Yes... I'll pour!"

He shuffled over in tiny steps, as awkward as a newlywed bride, and seized the bottle with trembling hands. An intense sense of humiliation took hold of him, nearly driving him to collapse.

He dribbled the wine into the glass, filling it halfway and spilling the rest all over the table. He looked like he was having a bout of Parkinson's, making the Septimont warriors beside him laugh.

Everyone else laughed, but Cartethyia's face remained impassive.

"You call that pouring wine?!"

She picked up the glass and splashed it straight into Lu Sha's face. Wine streamed down his cheeks and dripped onto the carpet.

"Pour it on your knees!"

"You!!"

Lu Sha was just about to resist when, with a boom, a terrifying pressure came crashing down on him like Mount Tai, nearly crushing every bone in his body!

His knees buckled, and he fell to the floor with a thud, catching himself on both hands before he could land flat.

"Ah!"

He let out a scream, nearly wetting himself. Although what had just happened was all an illusion, the fear had already seeped into his very core.

The Septimont warriors exchanged glances, eyeing Cartethyia in surprise.

That move was like a fart from an immortal—truly extraordinary!

"Who exactly is she?"

"No idea. She's the champion's companion, though, so I doubt she's anyone ordinary."

"Don't I remember her saying she was a saintess?"

"No way... she must have been joking!"

Ignoring their chatter, Carti spoke in an icy voice.

"Pour the wine. Kneel..."

"All right, all right... I'll kneel, I'll kneel!"

At this point, dignity and face meant nothing. Lu Sha felt as if a huge character for "death" hung over his head, ready to fall at any moment.

He poured the wine, shaking all over, his hands trembling like a sieve. More than half the wine spilled again.

The glass wasn't even half full when Cartethyia picked it up again. This time, she was much gentler. Instead of splashing the wine, she smashed the glass straight into his face.

Right on the bridge of his nose!

There was a sharp crack, and blood from his nose mixed with wine and glass smeared all over his face.

"Ah!!!"

Lu Sha clutched his nose and rolled around on the floor. Blood oozed between his fingers, his face was swollen like a pig's head, and tears and snot streamed down it. Not a trace of his earlier swagger remained.

"You wretched thing. Letting you pour wine makes even the wine cheap. Get your boss to serve us!"

Hearing that, Lu Sha's eyes nearly split with rage. He spat out a mouthful of blood, stars dancing before his eyes until he could barely see the floor.

He had always considered himself noble. Even in death, he would never have imagined someone branding him "wretched."

Even so, he didn't dare argue. He scrambled out on all fours, knocking over two workers on the way, not daring to look back.

"Nicely done!"

The Septimont warriors all gave her a thumbs-up. Liu Lan couldn't help smiling too, and the children outside clapped even more cheerfully.

"Big sis, you're so cool! Give those bad guys what they deserve!"

"That's right! The boss is even worse. He ordered them to do everything, and he's the one who put these collars on us!"

A moment later, a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes came downstairs. He was Lu Hong, the owner of the Neon Tavern.

He was of average build, with a round face, meticulously combed hair, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He smiled at everyone he met and looked respectable enough that it was hard to feel wary of him.

As he came down, he deliberately paused at the foot of the stairs and glanced into the private room, his smile perfectly measured.

"Allow me to attend to our honored guests..."

Smack!

Cartethyia slapped the table. The room fell silent at once, and even the wineglasses on the table jumped.

"Who said you could speak?"

His face twitched, and he could no longer maintain his smile. The corners of his mouth froze, unable to go either up or down, while a trace of venom flashed imperceptibly in his eyes.

"Now, I want fish."

Cartethyia leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, speaking in an unhurried tone.

"There are thirty-seven people here. Go and make thirty-seven fish. They must be whole, with no bones or scales. No two can be the same kind, and no two can be cooked the same way. Every fish must weigh exactly two jin, seven liang, four qian, three fen, and five li, and they must be served within three quarters of an hour. If they're a hair too light or too heavy, a second too late or too early, I'll smash your shop!"