Now that Meng Gui had said so, Xia Bingzhong could only speak up. "Deputy Palace Master Suijie, please take your seat. What the Grand Imperial Minister said is only fair. We can discuss our personal relationship later."
Xu Yi clasped his hands toward the Grand Imperial Minister and Xia Bingzhong in greeting, then took his seat.
At the Primal Plains Gathering, the communal drinking followed an ancient, customary ritual: one cup of wine, one toast. After nine rounds, the atmosphere relaxed.
Everyone toasted Meng Gui. He turned none of them away, drinking every cup.
After they had toasted Meng Gui, the others toasted one another. Xu Yi was the first to raise a cup to the Heavenly King of the Imperial Way, who drank with a cold expression. Zhu Quanwei smiled and lifted his wine. "I'll toast Palace Master Suijie. Back when Palace Master Yan was alive, his supernatural abilities truly made him worthy to lead the masses.
"I wonder how much of Palace Master Yan's skill his successor, Palace Master Suijie, inherited. Let's see if he can even handle this one cup of mine."
At Zhu Quanwei's words, everyone set down their cups and looked toward Meng Gui.
Meng Gui smiled. "As the saying goes, wine without poetry makes a man vulgar. Unfortunately, none of us are gifted with words, and we don't have the Empty Guest's talent. It would be embarrassing to show off in public.
"But for cultivators like us, taking this opportunity to test our skills against one another is a fine thing.
"Suijie, do you dare accept a cup of wine from Heavenly King Zhu?"
Xu Yi replied, "If the Grand Imperial Minister commands it, Suijie would not dare refuse."
Zhu Quanwei gave a faint smile. The wine in his cup suddenly leaped out, manifesting