That Day, Both of Them Got Drunk

Why do I hate men?

The Third Elder was somewhat taken aback, his eyes flickering.

She looked at You Su's fair face, which was flushed, and knew he was a little drunk.

The drink she gave You Su was called "Melting Ice Burn," a special cocktail she had developed herself. Its potency was evident from its name; it could melt ice and even burn it.

But this intensity isn't the kind of harsh, coarse liquor; it's an intensity with a lingering, pleasant aftertaste.

This wine is also one of the Immortal Wine that the Third Elder drinks most often, capable of intoxicating even immortals. She likes this strong wine very much; the ordinariness of life makes her prefer wines with a stimulating taste.

Even if You Su, with his cultivation level, only took a few sips of such wine, it would be absolutely impossible for him to remain sober.

"Was I... being a little presumptuous?"

You Su saw that the Third Elder did not reply for a long time, he looked embarrassed.

He was on the verge of getting drunk, and he sighed that alcohol really does embolden the timid. If it were any other time, he would never have dared to ask the Third Elder this question.

The Third Elder smiled gently; under the influence of alcohol, his slightly fleshy face revealed a bright and captivating beauty.

As the saying goes, you can tell a person's character from their face. The Third Elder has some prejudice against men, but she is not a mean person.

"There's nothing wrong with it, it's just a drink."

The Third Elder swirled his wine cup and chuckled, "Rice, salt, tea, horses, wine—everything is a precious commodity. Once you've had your fill, you can say anything. I'm willing to be frank with you, young friend; it all depends on your sincerity. If you can't drink anymore, it's best not to force yourself."

The sincerity shown when drinking is naturally reflected in the wine itself.

You Su weighed the wine cup in his hand, and provoked by the Third Elder's last words, he picked up the cup and took a big gulp.

He had intended to follow the Third Elder's example and drink the wine in one gulp, but when the wine entered his throat, he couldn't resist the burning sensation and put down the cup, choking and coughing repeatedly.

The Third Elder's smile deepened, and he didn't even pour himself any more wine, but instead casually picked up the wine pot.

The mellow wine flowed from the spout, directly into the beautiful woman's throat, and the splashed wine trickled down her lips, seeping into her collar along her swan-like neck.

The heater was still crackling, and she seemed to feel a little warm too. She gently unbuttoned the first button of her collar, revealing her round and delicate collarbone.

After finishing his drink, the Third Elder gently shook his head, as if recalling the past, and after a long while, he finally spoke:

"I am an orphan."

Just like me... You Su thought to herself.

"When I was very young, I was taken in by an old woman. I called her 'Old Madam'. She was the owner of a pharmacy, and I became her medicine-dispensing apprentice."

"Every morning, sunlight streams through the window and falls on the medicine cabinet, its golden light illuminating the bottles of colorful herbs—a scene I will never forget."

"Under the Old Madam's guidance, I gradually became familiar with the names and effects of various medicinal herbs, and a sense of belonging slowly grew in my heart. She was always kind and approachable, even though she was really old. Whenever a customer came in, she would patiently inquire about their symptoms and entrust me to carefully prepare the prescription..."

The Third Elder seemed quite talkative when recalling this 'Old Madam,' calmly recounting her happy daily life in that pharmacy during her childhood.

You Su could tell that the Third Elder was filled with longing for that place and that person.

But barring any unforeseen circumstances, something unexpected is bound to happen.

"The most precious treasure in that pharmacy is a tree species called the Emperor House Tree, a High Antiquity divine tree. The Old Madam has guarded that pharmacy for generations, and she has also guarded this seed. Even though she knows that this seed is useless to a mortal like her, and that she could never grow Emperor House Tree, she still protects it as if it were her mission."

You Su then realized the origin of the Emperor House Tree that the Third Elder had casually given him. This seed must be of great significance to her, which strengthened her resolve to grow it.

"Later she gave it to me, which displeased her son. Her son had bought a house in a big city with the money the Old Madam had saved and was unwilling to take over the family's old pharmacy, but he couldn't forget this Lineage talisman. But the Old Madam was adamant, and I was moved and determined to take over the pharmacy well."

"But at that time, the sacred mountain had not yet carried out the Evil Purge, and there were still many Evil Cultivator operating in the shadows. On that occasion, the Old Madam accidentally saved a cultivator. The cultivator was very polite, so the Old Madam let him stay to recuperate. But we didn't know until before he died that he was Evil Cultivator. That Evil Cultivator was a man, and his eyes were always full of greed when he looked at me."

I quietly told the Old Madam about this strange incident, Old Madam then tried to ask the monk to leave without charging him for his medical treatment. The monk appeared very grateful, but he resented the Old Madam for sending him away before he had fully recovered. That night, his revenge came."

"His methods were crueler than I had ever heard of. He spared me temporarily because I was too young; he planned to raise me in a jar full of evil insects until I was fully mature before consuming me. But I never expected that he wouldn't even spare an old man..."

"The Emperor House Tree gave the Old Madam almost superhuman vitality, which is why she lived so long. But that Evil Cultivator drained all the vital energy from her body, using male methods. When I saw that scene, all I felt was disgust and sorrow."

"Coincidentally, the Old Madam's son also came that night. But he didn't come to visit the Old Madam; instead, he came to steal the Emperor House Tree. When he saw his mother, I thought he would come to save us, but he was only focused on finding the Emperor House Tree and even told the Evil Cultivator about it."

The Old Madam never revealed that she had given me the Emperor House Tree before she died. The Evil Cultivator then stuffed all the medicinal herbs from the pharmacy into the Old Madam's body, attempting to refine her into a human pill. The Old Madam's son, watching the herbs burst his mother's body, greedily tried to buy one from the Evil Cultivator at a high price.

"Looking at the ugly faces of these men gathered together, I felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. Just when I thought I was in despair, someone saved me—it was actually a female evil cultivator, a companion of that Evil Cultivator. She personally punished the two heinous men, but spared me. Because I was still young, because I was also a woman."

You Su remained silent, unsure of what to say.

For the young Third Elder, these two vile men must have caused her immense psychological trauma.

"Do you think that's all?"

The Third Elder gripped his wine cup tightly, staring intently at You Su without moving.

"What... what else?"

You Su couldn't bear to listen any longer and asked the Third Elder to recount the past suffering.

"Later, I had no choice but to follow that female Evil Cultivator. At least she treated me fairly well. She didn't do anything to me, nor did she involve me in those evil things. She just treated me like an ordinary little sister. That's when I learned that she didn't become Evil Cultivator willingly, but only to prolong the life of her dao companion."

"Her dao companion survived only because of her, yet he often insulted her and even beat and abused her at the drop of a hat. I thought this dao companion was just self-righteous and simply looked down on people who clung to life in this way, but in reality, he also wanted to become Evil Cultivator, but the woman didn't want him to defile his body and soul; she wanted only her to be the one who was defiled."

"She often hid away and cried, and sometimes said resentful things in anger, such as that she shouldn't have chosen this path, and that she should have died with him. When the man heard this, he beat her even harder. She finally couldn't take it anymore and fought back."

"But do you know what this brought about? It brought about the woman's death. The man actually sought out other Evil Cultivator and, in the dead of night, personally opened the restrictions on their cave abode. The woman was violated in front of her dao companion and then turned into food for evil spirits. The man thought that this would gain the trust of those Evil Cultivator so they could join them, but those Evil Cultivators were just playing with him. Before he died, he didn't hate these liars; instead, he hated why the woman had extended his life and why she hadn't let him also become evil..."

At this point, the Third Elder had finished drinking the entire wine jug.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she still wasn't satisfied, so she took out two more jars of even stronger liquor and drank them straight down, trying to numb the pain in her heart with alcohol.

She recounted endless stories about these men's disgraceful deeds, even shifting the focus from her own experiences to those of other men.

You Su was stunned and lost in thought; the Third Elder's sorrow seemed to be transmitted to him through the smell of alcohol.

The Third Elder witnessed the betrayal of men in her childhood. Neither kinship, love, nor gratitude could restrain their evil intentions, and the only two women who brought her some warmth were also tragically killed at the hands of these men.

How could she not loathe these utterly despicable men?

You Su wanted to offer some advice, but couldn't bring herself to speak. She felt she had no right to do so, and shouldn't have.

When people are extremely sad, they don't need others to preach to them; when they talk about their pain, all they need is empathy and comfort.

Because of their nature, men tend to act rationally. So after a fall, a mother will ask you worriedly if you're in pain, while a father will tell you not to fall again next time.

But the Third Elder has lived for so long, does she really need someone to teach her not to generalize and condemn all men?

The Third Elder should know, but it's understandable that she doesn't want to believe it; people ultimately have to pay the price for childhood trauma.

"Now you know why I hate men?"

The Third Elder gazed at You Su face, anticipating the 'girl's' answer.

You Su nodded. "I understand."

"After hearing this, don't you still hate men?"

You Su hesitated for a moment, "I probably don't dislike them, because I've seen quite a few wicked women, and good and bad probably have nothing to do with gender. But I don't think it's wrong for Bihua Venerable to hate men because of this. A person doesn't live for others. Cultivation is for longevity, but also for doing as one pleases. If a Venerable has to follow others' likes and dislikes even after reaching a certain level, that would be a very sad thing."

After You Su finished speaking, he shook his head, indicating that it was too much of a strain for him to stay awake and say such a long sentence at this moment.

The Third Elder was somewhat taken aback by this. "Aren't you going to advise me to let go of my prejudice?"

"Why should I try to persuade him?" You Su propped his head up with his hand, his eyes somewhat unfocused. "Those who want to persuade the Third Elder who likes men are probably all men... I'm not a man, what am I supposed to persuade him about..."

Looking at You Su's face after she put on makeup, the Third Elder gradually forgot what the person in front of him originally looked like.

"That's right, those who come to advise me are all stinky men."

The Third Elder smiled broadly and raised his wine jar to clink with the unfamiliar young woman's.

You Su gradually got tipsy, drinking more and more heavily, his head spinning, and he was almost forgetting himself.

The Third Elder hadn't drunk so freely in a long time. He drank with gusto, pouring out all his pent-up pain, and felt even more at ease. The young woman before him didn't acknowledge him, but this understanding was already incredibly precious.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the small tea room became increasingly lively.

The Third Elder's collar opened wider and wider, revealing a shockingly white cleavage, but she didn't care at all. She had already forgotten the true identity of the person in front of her and regarded her only as a close young girl.

Following the mood, the two did not continue talking about those unpleasant things.

The two chatted extensively, discussing everything under the sun, from major events of the past and present to debating the historical significance of shredded potatoes and scrambled eggs with tomatoes; from the debate between good and evil to the discussion of whether Dudou or stockings were superior...

Before she knew it, You Su had already drunk most of her second glass of wine.

"On the Love of Lotus is indeed excellent. Since you're so confident, why don't you compose a poem for me too..."

"Um..."

You Su stood up unsteadily, pondered for a long time, and then suddenly downed his glass of wine in one gulp, reciting in a rousing tone:

"Green leaves are serene and tranquil, red garments are both light and dark."

The flower's heart is breaking with sorrow; how could spring's beauty know its heart...?

As soon as he finished reciting Wang Wei's "Red Peony," You Su seemed to have exhausted all his mental energy. He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and then with a 'thud,' he collapsed forward at the feet of the beautiful woman in the spring dress.

The Third Elder's eyes were burning with desire and dazed as he repeatedly recited the poem, clearly quite satisfied with the poem presented to her.

At this moment, the neckline of her emerald green spring dress was already mostly open, revealing half of a red Dudou embroidered with Peony Flower. It truly resembled the poem's description of the vibrant red peonies being surrounded by lush green leaves.

She nudged You Su's head with her knee. "Not bad... Anything else?"

You Su didn't react, so she leaned over and brought the wine glass to You Su's nose, her eyes full of seductive allure as she said:

"Sing one more song, and I'll let you taste my wine..."

Feeling increasingly groggy, You Su found it uncomfortable to be face down, so she rolled over so that her face was up, but that only made her feel more suffocated.

"I'm not drinking anymore... Um... Third Elder, I'm going back..." You Su said subconsciously.

"Where are you going...? You didn't really come here to see your friend... I am your friend, come... keep drinking with me..."

The Third Elder leaned back on the chaise longue, finally giving You Su some breathing room. She pulled You Su up a little and laid her on her full, plump thighs.

You Su was the type who could find a pillow whenever he wanted to sleep, and it was the most comfortable pillow at that. He took a deep breath and rubbed against the new pillow, wishing that his entire drowsy head could sink into the soft pillow.

"The wine was delicious, I'll definitely drink it again next time..."

The Third Elder smiled, took out a wine pot, and coaxed softly, "Come on, open your mouth, I'll feed you... ah..."

In You Su obediently opened his mouth, and the wine flowed into his mouth through the spout. Already tipsy, he revealed a satisfied smile.

His makeup was half-smudged, revealing many of his male characteristics, but the Third Elder ignored it due to his drunkenness.

She often played around with her female disciples like this, without ever realizing that anything was amiss.

Judging from their posture, they resemble a wealthy wet nurse feeding her young master in a rich family.

The Third Elder took turns drinking from one pot to the other, until the last pot of Immortal Wine was empty.

There were five or six wine jars scattered around the table, most of which had ended up in the Third Elder's stomach.

"Mmm... I want more..."

You Su had already tasted the wonderful flavor of the wine, and swayed coquettishly on the Third Elder's lap. It was also thanks to the powerful body that had merged with Tai Sui that he was constantly digesting the wine, preventing him from becoming completely drunk.

The Third Elder had no choice but to fetch another pot of sake and feed some to You Su.

"This doesn't taste good!"

You Su choked a few times, then buried her face in the Third Elder's soft belly, as if she had been wronged.

Having drunk strong liquor all morning, he couldn't possibly accept this bland sake.

The Third Elder also took a sip himself, and found it equally tasteless, so he casually tossed it aside, saying sullenly:

"The good wine... is all gone..."

You Su was so drunk he was almost blacking out; his eyes were half-closed, and his hot breath was blowing on the Third Elder's lower abdomen.

Through the thin veil, the Third Elder could clearly feel the intense heat, which made her feel even hotter, and she was sweating profusely.

Her upper body was already quite damp from the leaked wine, and the combination of her sweat from the stuffy room created a uniquely intoxicating fragrance.

You Su's nose twitched slightly, like a puppy smelling the aroma of meat:

"And the wine is delicious... it smells so good, I want more..."

As he spoke, he followed the aroma of the wine, trying to lift his head, but his head was too heavy to lift. He could only sway and reach out, trying to retrieve the wine jug.

"There's no more wine... Go find some, I'll feed you..."

Suddenly, the Third Elder's heart skipped a beat, and she playfully slapped You Su's hand that had reached out to her:

"Foolish... there's no wine here..."

The beautiful woman often took advantage of her female disciples in this way, and the only one who could do the same to her was her most favored eldest disciple. However, she had been traveling and had not returned for many years, so she did not feel any resistance.

You Su was drunk, and her grip was a bit rough. The Third Elder frowned, her eyes glistening with tears.

"You little glutton, aren't you supposed to be a lightweight when it comes to alcohol?"

The Third Elder spoke with a hint of indulgence, and thus permitted You Su's behavior of seeking out wine.

The next instant, the Third Elder's beautiful eyes widened, and the tension in her heart instantly sobered her up.

This was the first time she had ever experienced such a shock, and in her shock, she recalled everything that had happened that day.

Looking at You Su's dazed 'drinking' expression, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

She suppressed the urge to lash out and quickly pushed the unconscious You Su away, immediately feeling a great weight lifted from her chest.

You Su lay on the floor like a hungry child, her lips trembling.

"What... did I do...?"