Bartender

In bars, bartenders are always objects of admiration for many girls. They are always associated with romance, cynicism, decadence, and flirtatiousness – traits that fascinate girls and women today.

In books on culinary culture, considerable space is also dedicated to introducing the profession of bartending and bartending techniques. Zhang Hupan was particularly curious about the book's flowery descriptions of bartenders and how different liquors could be mixed to create cocktails with varying flavors and even express different moods. Therefore, when he heard that Shangguan Yun was the bartender at Western Paradise, Zhang Hupan paid special attention to him. Several white liquor bottles flew like butterflies around his hands, head, and back, tracing beautiful arcs. As the bottles rose and fell, a layered, vibrantly colored cocktail magically "transformed." Shangguan Yun's flamboyant flair bartending performance earned him considerable applause and also attracted the gaze of many young women and married women, their eyes practically dripping with adoration as they looked at him.

While Shangguan Yun's dazzling flair performance, in the eyes of a master like Zhang Hupan who could manipulate clouds and seas, was merely child's play – not even worthy of being called child's play – he still had some admiration for how a common person could display such showy skill. For Zhang Hupan, Shangguan Yun's few moves didn't pique his interest at all. The reason he paid attention to his performance was twofold: firstly, the books had elevated bartenders too highly, and secondly, Zhang Hupan wanted to take the opportunity to observe Shangguan Yun's bartending methods. After all, knowing which liquors could be mixed to create specific flavors, especially when they were all foreign liquors, was something that even Zhang Hupan, a Nascent Soul Stage master, was merely an ignorant apprentice in. As a top master, Zhang Hupan had long since moved past the stage of valuing flashy and superficial displays, pursuing only true world-shattering strength. Inferring from cultivation, he believed bartending was the same; if the taste of the cocktail was poor, no amount of fancy bottle-spinning would matter. As the saying goes, content is more important than form.

Just as Zhang Hupan was secretly studying the bartending methods, a faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils. A familiar body pressed against him again. This time, the target wasn't his arm but his back, a sensation that was more stimulating and more provocatively tempting. For some reason, Zhu Yan was particularly fond of teasing this "brother" today, perhaps as a challenge to Zhang Hupan's indifference, or perhaps she was conquered by his earlier display of genius. In any case, Zhu Yan approached Zhang Hupan once more, this time more directly and intimately, pressing her entire body against Zhang Hupan's broad back and then whispering into his ear, "Shangguan Yun's performance is quite impressive, isn't it? He's one of the main attractions at our bar; many people, especially women, come specifically for him. He hasn't shown his true skills yet; his best is his fire-breathing technique, and he can juggle five open bottles simultaneously. Shangguan Yun is indeed an outstanding man; he was once the runner-up in the national flair bartending competition. However, bartenders are all lecherous scoundrels, and they shamelessly say that if they can't attract five or six women every night, they aren't good bartenders. Your hands are so nimble; if you ever become a bartender in the future, don't learn from them!"

Zhu Yan's soft hair brushed against Zhang Hupan's face from time to time, and warm breaths occasionally blew into his ear, causing a warm current to surge from his Dantian, which he forcefully suppressed. Zhang Hupan wished he could shut off his six senses or maintain a clear and tranquil mind. For a master at his level, these were easily achievable. However, Zhang Hupan was also thoroughly enjoying the sensation, finding it hard to stop. This was a thrill he hadn't experienced in a hundred years; his physical body seemed to revel in this feeling. Originally, as a traditional Taoist, he placed great importance on etiquette. However, Zhang Sanfeng was also an anomaly within Taoism – a man who hated evil, was eccentric, and acted on impulse. Unconsciously, Zhang Hupan had also picked up a trace of Zhang Sanfeng's ways. Since he found this contact with Zhu Yan so comfortable, he decided to disregard the principles of "do not look at what is improper, do not listen to what is improper, do not act improperly" and simply accept it with composure.

As a cultivated master, he naturally possessed an aura that drew people closer. Although Zhang Hupan had deliberately hidden his strength, as Zhu Yan got closer, a trace of his ethereal Qi involuntarily wrapped around her, making Zhu Yan unconsciously forget that she was merely teasing the young man beside her. Instead, she found herself somewhat captivated by the masculine aura emanating from Zhang Hupan, or more precisely, the masculine aura imbued with ethereal Qi. Fortunately, the bar was a noisy place with dim lighting, and no one noticed the intimate posture of the two hotel staff members. However, Liu Xizhen, who had been watching Zhang Hupan, saw the scene unfold in the corner and inexplicably felt a pang of jealousy.

"Bartenders can only attract those common, ordinary girls. For beauties like Sister Yan, they have to beg for your attention. If Sister Yan just stands by the entrance, she'll be a unique landscape in the hotel, a top attraction." Since he had decided not to resist the temptation of beautiful women, Zhang Hupan decided to learn to enjoy the feeling. Clearly, flirting with a beautiful woman was also an enjoyable experience.

"Heh heh," the breasts pressed against his back jiggled up and down uncontrollably with Zhu Yan's laughter, once again making Zhang Hupan feel overwhelmed.

"I never thought that someone who seemed like a block of wood just now could be so good at making people happy. I'm hardly a main attraction at the bar; our boss is the real beauty, the true star. Many people come just for her." As she spoke, Zhu Yan naturally glanced towards Liu Xizhen. Although the lighting was dim, Zhu Yan could sense Liu Xizhen looking in their direction. Her face flushed slightly, and she hastily pulled away from Zhang Hupan's broad back.

Zhang Hupan naturally felt Liu Xizhen's gaze and even felt a faint sense of loss in her eyes, which he found quite perplexing. Zhu Yan deliberately maintained a certain distance, which left Zhang Hupan feeling a slight sense of disappointment. In truth, Zhu Yan felt the same. The sudden departure made the previously casual physical contact feel intimate. Both of them stared at each other awkwardly. However, Zhang Hupan, being a cultivated master, quickly recovered his sharp mind. He lamented inwardly that human thoughts and emotions were so complex and subtle. His master's decision was indeed wise; entering the mortal world for cultivation not only allowed him to learn human science and culture but also clearly promoted the cultivation of his Dao Heart through interactions with others. In reality, Zhang Hupan had overestimated Zhang Sanfeng. Zhang Sanfeng could never have imagined that worldly science and civilization could also aid in cultivation. As for the other aspect, Zhang Sanfeng knew that Zhang Hupan had been cultivating alone in the immortal realm, and his Dao Heart could no longer improve. Only by entering the mortal world and experiencing the joys and sorrows of human life could he better stabilize his Dao Heart. Regardless of Zhang Hupan's inner thoughts, to avoid awkwardness, he asked, "What other attractions does our bar have?"

"We have a resident band. Their lead singer is Ouyang Zhenhua; he plays guitar beautifully. Oh, and there's a saxophonist named Jack, but he only comes on Wednesdays. He plays the saxophone exceptionally well. He usually plays in Shanghai. I heard he's a friend the boss met in New York, so he only comes once a week out of respect for the boss. I hear many bars in Hangzhou have offered him a lot of money, but they couldn't get him to play. So, Jack is considered one of our unique attractions." Zhu Yan, having navigated the vibrant and often chaotic world of nightlife for seven or eight years, quickly regained her composure despite her heart still pounding from her earlier strange feelings. She pretended as if nothing had happened and replied.

Just as Zhang Hupan was about to ask more questions about the bar, cheers and high-pitched screams, characteristic of women, erupted from the bar counter. It turned out that Shangguan Yun was now showcasing his true skills. He clapped his hands together, let out a soft breath, and then skillfully tossed the bottles and glasses up and down. At first, they were clearly visible – now left, now right, now up, now down. Soon, only the bottles and glasses, carrying different flames, could be seen, soaring like dragons in front of and behind him. To outsiders, the bartender looked like a wizard proficient in alchemy, with countless indescribable bottles and jars, along with potions of various colors and flavors, all in a dimly lit environment, creating a rather eerie atmosphere. Shangguan Yun, fully immersed in his performance, was gesturing animatedly behind the bar, constantly stirring the emotions of the surrounding crowd and bringing them to one climax after another. The ignited bottles were continuously tossed into the air, passed from hand to hand, relit, and more bottles were added. Finally, he spewed a ball of flame from his mouth, and the foreign patrons, with their high noses and blue eyes, jumped and shouted.

Zhang Hupan found Shangguan Yun's fire-breathing technique performance utterly unimpressive. The bartender's fire-breathing technique merely relied on fire powder and quick hands. For cultivators, as long as they entered the Qi Introduction realm, they could use their true essence to generate fire. And for cultivators who reached the Golden Core stage, they could even unleash Samadhi True Fire. Therefore, in Zhang Hupan's eyes, Shangguan Yun's current performance was too much of a showy, deceptive act, unlike his earlier purely skillful display. Perhaps only Zhang Hupan would think this way. At least the atmosphere at the scene was extremely high at this moment, and even the Zhu Yan beside him was showing an expression of admiration and enchantment, which inexplicably made Zhang Hupan feel a slight pang of sourness in his heart.

As a master of the cultivation world, Zhang Hupan certainly wasn't so bored as to engage in a rivalry with Shangguan Yun. After briefly observing the foreign liquors Shangguan Yun used for bartending, Zhang Hupan went back to his own business. However, he secretly mused about what kind of expression Zhu Yan would have if he performed his own bartending skills.