Qian Renxue gave a cold laugh and slowly walked over to the table, tapping the sandalwood branch with her fingertips.
"When you snuck out of the Crown Prince's Mansion, riled up the spectators to place bets, and turned the whole arena into chaos, you didn't seem so frail."
She paused. Looking at Ye Yunxi's pale, frightened face, she finally relented.
"Don't worry. I never said I was going to hit you."
"I called you back because I have something to ask you."
Ye Yunxi blinked. Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, the system's cheerful prompt suddenly rang in her mind.
[ Ding! Fun drinking game quest triggered: Get the Crown Prince drunk ] [Quest requirements: Drink with Qian Renxue. Don't cheat by using Soul Power. Rely on your true abilities to get her drunk first, and say at least three things that make her furious along the way.] [Quest reward: Soul Power surges by 5 levels (rising directly from level 63 Soul Emperor to level 68 Soul Emperor), plus the "Sober-as-a-Judge Constitution" (drinking won't harm your body and can even nourish your Soul Power).]
Ye Yunxi's eyes lit up at once!
Jumping straight from level 63 to level 68? That was a tremendous stroke of luck!
Her little scheme whirred into action, and her fear vanished without a trace. When she looked up at Qian Renxue, a sly glint had already appeared in her eyes.
Qian Renxue was caught off guard by the sudden change in her.
"What are you plotting now?"
Ye Yunxi hurried over and grabbed her sleeve. Her peach-blossom eyes curved into crescents, and her voice turned sickeningly sweet.
"Oh, since Your Highness isn't going to hit me, why don't we have a couple of drinks? We can talk as we drink!"
Seeing her ingratiating manner, Qian Renxue's alarm bells blared. She had a feeling this little minx was up to some new trick.
"Fine. Since the Imperial Concubine suggested it, how could I refuse?"
Qian Renxue readily agreed. She couldn't possibly refuse; if she did, she'd look like a coward.
Besides, it was a good chance to ask about winning over the Clear Sky Sect's affiliated clans.
At that, Qian Renxue immediately called out, "Porcupinefish!"
Before the words had even faded, Porcupinefish Douluo appeared silently outside the door and bowed. "What orders do you have, Young Master?"
"Go to the storeroom and bring the jar of Drunken Immortal Brew that's been buried for twenty years."
Qian Renxue spoke coolly, with a hint of confidence in her voice.
"And prepare two of the biggest drinking bowls."
Porcupinefish Douluo paused. Was Young Master going to compete in drinking with the Imperial Concubine? But he didn't dare ask and withdrew with a reply.
A short while later, he returned carrying a sealed jar. Though it had yet to be opened, the rich aroma of wine already filled the room.
Ye Yunxi watched the jar, a sly glint flashing in her eyes. After Porcupinefish Douluo set out the bowls and left,
she picked up the jar first and glugged wine into both bowls until they were full. The amber liquid sloshed, and its aroma grew even richer.
"Your Highness,"
Ye Yunxi lifted her bowl, her peach-blossom eyes curving into crescents.
"Let's make a deal. No using Soul Power to force the alcohol down. We'll compete on drinking alone. Whoever gets drunk first loses, and the loser has to grant the winner one favor. How does that sound?"
Qian Renxue glanced at her and picked up her bowl, a disdainful smile curling her lips.
"With your drinking capacity, you dare to make a wager with me? Do you think I'm afraid of you? Don't say I didn't warn you."
She was just a woman. How could she possibly drink more than her?
She had underestimated Qian Renxue far too much.
Qian Renxue tipped her head back and downed the bowl in one go. The fiery wine slid down her throat and spread through her body in a wave of heat, leaving her throat burning slightly.
Ye Yunxi wasn't about to be outdone. She downed her bowl too. With the Sober-as-a-Judge Constitution granted by the system, the wine tasted rich and fragrant as it went down, without making her feel the slightest bit drunk. Instead, it nourished the Soul Power within her and left her feeling wonderful.
They drank bowl after bowl as the wine in the jar gradually dwindled.
A faint flush spread across Qian Renxue's cheeks, and her eyes softened a little. Still, she stubbornly held on. Watching Ye Yunxi remain completely unfazed, she was secretly astonished—this little minx could really hold her liquor!
Seeing that Qian Renxue was already a little tipsy, Ye Yunxi seized the chance to tease her.
"Your Highness, you're not much of a drinker, are you? You've only had a few bowls and your face is already red. Can you even keep going?"
Qian Renxue, you may have thought of everything, but you never guessed I could hold my liquor this well, did you?
Boys could hold their liquor much better than girls.
Qian Renxue glared at her and downed another bowl.
"Nonsense! I'm perfectly fine!"
She set down her bowl and lightly tapped the tabletop with her fingertips, turning the conversation to the point.
"By the way, while you were wandering around outside the palace, did you hear anything about the Clear Sky Sect's four affiliated clans?"
Ye Yunxi paused with her bowl in hand, raising her brows in surprise.
"The Strength Clan, the Breaking Clan, the Speed Clan, and the Defense Clan? Why are you asking about them?"
Qian Renxue tipped her head back and drained her bowl. A trace of ambition flashed in her eyes. Her voice was hoarse with drink, yet still carried the Crown Prince's imperiousness.
"Of course, I want to bring them under my control."
"These Four Great Sects have been around for years and have deep foundations. Their clans even have no shortage of Soul Douluo-level experts. If I can bring them under my command, the Heaven Dou Empire's Soul Master forces will reach an even higher level."
She looked at Ye Yunxi, her tone firm. "With those clans as my trump cards, I'll have a great advantage, whether I'm dealing with Spirit Hall or consolidating my position as Crown Prince."
Ye Yunxi blinked, thinking that Qian Renxue certainly had no shortage of ambition.
She took a sip of wine and deliberately provoked her.
"Oh? Your Highness's plans are so grand that even Bibi Dong in Spirit City must have heard them by now. Aren't you afraid you'll reach for the chicken and end up losing the rice?"
Qian Renxue's expression darkened at once. Her fingers clenched hard against the table, her knuckles turning white.
"I plan every move carefully. How could I fail to win over a few branch clans? You should know that I'm going to be emperor one day."
Damn Ye Yunxi. Why bring up that woman? She was doing it on purpose, wasn't she?
"Oh?"
Ye Yunxi smiled faintly, lifted her bowl, and took another sip, her face alight with amusement.
"Then tell me, how do you plan to win them over? By throwing around the Crown Prince's authority? Or by using the power of a Titled Douluo to force them?"
"You're asking for my opinion by bringing this up with me, aren't you?"
Ye Yunxi set down her bowl and lightly tapped the tabletop, her voice full of mockery.
"Don't forget, these Four Great Families have been loyal followers of the Clear Sky Sect for hundreds of years. They'd rather retreat from the world than depend on anyone else. You can't even win over me, a 'weak woman,' and you expect to win over that bunch of stubborn old bones?"
"Don't forget, I had a hand in what happened with Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing, too. And if I hadn't warned you, you still wouldn't know that Xue Beng was a threat."
"Now that I think about it, Your Highness doesn't seem all that capable."
Her words struck like a blade, finding the precise sore spot.
Qian Renxue slammed her palm on the table. The bowls rang, and the fury in her eyes flared into a wildfire.
"Ye Yunxi! Don't push your luck!"
"Are you questioning me? I've treated you well and indulged you in everything. I asked you to help me think of a way to win over the Four Great Sects, not to insult me!"