Ye Hongxiu did not answer at once.
She released her divine sense, her consciousness spreading soundlessly in every direction like an invisible net. It swept past the crowd, past the towers, past the wind and snow filling the sky, searching every corner of the streets and alleys.
She was searching for Wang Xian's trail. Muttering as though speaking to herself, yet also to everyone present, she said, "This is Soul-Entering Drop."
Old Meng abruptly rose from his seat.
He moved so violently that his chair tipped backward and crashed to the floor, yet he seemed utterly unaware of it.
He stared straight at Ye Hongxiu, his tone changing. "This is Soul-Entering Drop?"
He drew a deep breath, then turned to Li Xiangxiang beneath the platform and said solemnly, "Miss, this wine is on par with Sunset Red Dust. The two are evenly matched!"
"Ah?"
Li Xiangxiang leaped up, her skirts fluttering as she landed steadily beside Ye Hongxiu.
A flicker of surprise appeared on the young woman's face, but it vanished in an instant. She quickly suppressed it without losing her composure.
Her refinement and shrewdness ran far deeper than they appeared on the surface.
Instead, she looked toward Murong Shuang and gave a faint smile. It was courteous yet distant, carrying a perfectly measured edge.
She said with a smile, "Then I invite Shopkeeper Murong to taste this Soul-Entering Drop and see precisely how it differs from Heavenly Fragrance Tower's Sunset Red Dust."
The crowd suddenly understood, and whispers gradually rose among them.
It seemed that today's opponents were indeed evenly matched, with no clear victor.
Two jars of wine, two women, and a contest without flashing blades yet fraught with killing intent quietly unfolded within Heavenly Fragrance Tower on this snowy night.
Murong Shuang nodded, her expression calm,