After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, Tuoba Shan's face was already as red as a fully cooked shrimp.
He raised his wine bowl, his tongue somewhat tangled. "Brother Lu... Brother Lu, let me tell you, I, Tuoba Shan, have never admired anyone in my life—except you! Back in the Azure Dragon Secret Realm, you slaughtered your way through that pack of scum all by yourself. I knew then that you were destined for great things! And sure enough, how long has it even been? You're already at the middle stage of the Longevity Realm! You even killed a soul fragment of the Undead Monarch! Fucking awesome!"
As he spoke, he gulped down another mouthful of wine. Liquor ran down the corner of his mouth and dripped onto his lapel, but he could not have cared less.
Lu Chen held his wine bowl without responding. He glanced at Yun Qingyue beside him. She was taking small sips of wine, a faint flush on her face. Who knew whether it was from the alcohol or something else.
Tuoba Shan set down his bowl and suddenly lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously. "Brother Lu, I had people look into that little snake you asked about."
Lu Chen's gaze sharpened.
Tuoba Shan said, "I sent three brothers to search around Netherworld Valley for three days. Guess what they found? About three hundred li northwest of the valley, they found traces—snake scales, bloodstains, and Demon Beast carcasses that had been gnawed on. Those scales were a dark ghostly green, exactly like that giant python you killed, only much smaller. The snake was just as thick as an arm."
Lu Chen set down his wine bowl. "Are you sure it was the one that escaped?"
Tuoba Shan nodded. "Nine times out of ten.