Brocade Fur, Inner Sect, Ancient Treasures

"Drink to victory! Drink to victory!"

Fang Shu sat amid the monsters and drank several cups in deep draughts. At once, his ears grew warm and his heart felt unbound.

Just as at the last wine feast, he sensed the true qi within him growing, benefiting his cultivation considerably—only not as swiftly as before.

Someone beside him recognized him.

"You, you little human pup, you look familiar."

A silver-furred, rat-faced man leaned close, drunkenly pointing at him as he spoke.

Fang Shu looked back through bleary eyes and smiled. "You too look quite familiar. Might you be Brocade-Furred Lord himself?"

The rat-faced man immediately puffed out his belly, gave Fang Shu a plump bow, and sang out, "None other than this unworthy one!"

Tugging at several long whiskers by the corners of his mouth, he smugly announced to the other monster drinkers around them, "See? I roamed the four quarters and served as a wandering god for ten years—it wasn't all for nothing. Even these disciples of the Five Viscera Temple know me!"

Hearing his bragging, the monster drinkers either praised him or booed him.

Someone among them called out, "Then if you were given another chance to be a wandering god, would you take it or not?"

For some reason, Brocade-Furred Lord's expression instantly drooped. Even the long whiskers at his mouth seemed to hang down. Listlessly lifting his wine cup, he drained three large cups in one breath and began muttering things like, "I should never have done it," and, "I fell for the trap."

Fang Shu grew curious at the words.

He studied the lord and clearly remembered that when he had met the fellow years ago, this monster had been full of high spirits. Among all the monster drinkers, other than Old Mountain Lord, this fellow