Drinking with Dugu Bo, Qian Renxue's Gains

"Good!" Zhao Linchuan clapped his hands and chuckled. "Then when the time comes, I'll have to rely heavily on your methods, Old Man."

Dugu Bo snorted and leaned back into his chair, resuming his aloof appearance as he drawled,

"Just remember that. All of this goes on the tab. In the future... you'll repay it all at once."

Zhao Linchuan merely shrugged, his tone relaxed. "As you wish. Write it all down."

The night was as dark as ink, yet the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well valley did not seem pitch-black beneath the intertwining crimson and white glow.

Qian Renxue was still in seclusion inside the Bamboo House, absorbing the immense medicinal power of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.

With nothing else to do, Zhao Linchuan went out and hunted several plump Soft Bone Rabbits. He set up a bonfire in an open area of the valley and slowly roasted them. Grease dripped into the flames with sizzling crackles, filling the air with fragrance.

Dugu Bo appeared from somewhere carrying two jars of Aged Fine Wine. The two drank and talked over roasted rabbit.

After several rounds of wine, a flush had already appeared on Dugu Bo's face. He took a great gulp, and with the courage provided by the alcohol, circled back to the same topic.

"Kid Lin Chuan, let me ask you one more time. Do you really have no feelings at all for my Yan Yan?"

"That girl turned down every single suitor because of you."

"Recently, there's even a kid from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan buzzing around her like a fly."

He let out a wine belch, urgency creeping into his voice. "If you don't take the initiative soon, this match made by heaven will fall into someone else's hands!"

Seeing that Zhao Linchuan only focused on tearing apart the rabbit meat without answering, Dugu Bo gritted his teeth and lowered his voice.

"If it really comes to it... let that girl from the Nine Heart Begonia family follow you too! She and Yan Yan are inseparable anyway, so they can keep each other company!"

Zhao Linchuan helplessly set down the rabbit bone and wiped his hands. "Old Man, can you stop constantly thinking about my Martial Soul?"

"I can't stop thinking about it!" Dugu Bo heaved a heavy sigh. The alcohol was getting to his head, and he grew more talkative. "Back when there was only that unreasonable young miss Ning Rongrong, I wasn't too worried."

"With the standing of our Dugu Family, if we proposed a marriage alliance and asked for Yanzi to become your equal wife, that old fox Ning Fengzhi would weigh the pros and cons and probably accept it while pinching his nose."

His tone shifted, and worry appeared on his face. "But this girl you brought today... she's no ordinary person!"

"Whether it's her identity, status, talent, beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, or her bearing in dealing with others, my Yanzi... probably cannot compare even if she rode at full gallop."

"A woman like that must have tremendous pride. How could she possibly tolerate even a grain of sand in her eyes?"

"Nine times out of ten, she won't allow her Husband to have anyone else."

The more Dugu Bo spoke, the more troubled he became. He took another gulp of wine. "If I don't do something now and mediate a little, that foolish girl of mine may truly spend the rest of her life alone because of you, you little bastard!"

Zhao Linchuan was somewhat drunk already. He swayed his wine bowl and mumbled, "Isn't there still that one or two chances out of ten...? I'm not worried, so why are you?"

"Besides, what if she doesn't even like me?"

"Doesn't like you?" Dugu Bo wore an expression that said, You're still too young, and scoffed. "If she didn't like you, would she let you hold her hand whenever you pleased?"

"Would she obey you in almost everything? Kid, don't take your blessings for granted!"

He leaned closer and asked curiously, "But putting that aside, what exactly did you do to make such an extraordinary woman treat you like this?"

"Tell Old Man. When did you two start fooling around... ah, getting acquainted?"

Zhao Linchuan drained the remaining wine in his bowl and stood, deftly changing the subject.

"Old Man, it's getting late. If you don't head back now, then next time I see Yanzi, I really will tell her that her grandfather has recently been so busy looking for her a new grandmother that he doesn't even have time to go home."

"Hey! You little bastard!" Dugu Bo blew his beard and glared, pointing at Zhao Linchuan as he laughed and cursed. "Fine, fine, fine! I'll wait for the day you respectfully call me Grandpa!"

With that, he dusted off his sleeves. His figure flashed, transforming into a dim streak of light as he Quickly Disappeared into the depths of the night.

After Dugu Bo left, Zhao Linchuan downed the remaining wine in one gulp.

The night wind was slightly cool. Too lazy to move, he simply sat cross-legged beside the bonfire, intending to cultivate and dispel the effects of the alcohol while keeping watch over Qian Renxue in the Bamboo House.

He did not know how much time passed. When he opened his eyes again, he discovered that he was lying on a bed covered in soft Soul Beast fur.

He rubbed his slightly swollen temples, surprised. Did I black out from drinking last night? That shouldn't be possible. It was only that much wine...

While he was still puzzled, the bamboo door was gently pushed open. Qian Renxue walked in carrying a basin of Warm Water. Seeing that he was awake, she spoke with a trace of reproach, "You're awake? Hurry and wash your face."

"You drank so much last night, yet you didn't know any restraint."

Zhao Linchuan propped himself up, took the warm towel, and pressed it against his face with a comfortable sigh. "I hadn't planned to drink much. That Old Man insisted on dragging me along, saying we wouldn't leave until we were drunk."

Qian Renxue watched him wash up from the side. After hesitating for a moment, she still asked as though casually, "Lin Chuan, you... seem to have quite a few confidantes around you?"

Zhao Linchuan paused as he wiped his face, then answered frankly, "Not many. Including you, there are only three."

"Dugu Yan, Poison Douluo's granddaughter, and Ye Lingling of the Nine Heart Begonia?" Qian Renxue's tone sounded calm.

"Mm." Zhao Linchuan nodded and explained, "Lingling and Yan Yan are best friends. Once you know one, naturally you know both."

"By chance, I saved Yan Yan's parents before. She was probably grateful, so she often spoke well of me in front of Lingling."

"Over time, I ended up with two more... well, you could call them devoted fangirls."

Upon hearing that, Qian Renxue forced a smile that did not reach her eyes. "Then you really are... lucky."

"What does luck have to do with it?" Zhao Linchuan pretended not to hear the sourness in her words.

"N-Nothing." Qian Renxue turned her face away.

Watching her pretend to be magnanimous despite clearly caring, Zhao Linchuan found it rather amusing. He stopped teasing her and instead asked,

"How did the Immortal Herb absorption go? Did your Soul Power improve much?"

At the mention of business, Qian Renxue's expression turned serious, and delight flashed in her eyes. "The results were excellent! My Soul Power rose by two full levels, and my physique has strengthened considerably as well."

"But the greatest gain is my cultivation speed. It feels as though every one of my Meridians has been cleansed and broadened. My Soul Power circulates much more smoothly than before!"

"It seems the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum truly is a perfect match for your Martial Soul." Zhao Linchuan nodded in satisfaction. "Since that's the case, we should head back."

"Wait, Lin Chuan." Qian Renxue reached out and caught his sleeve. Her voice suddenly became soft, carrying a hint of charming innocence. "Lin Chuan, is there any gift you want?"