Hurry Up and Put Out That Cigarette

Wukong was naturally forthright and loved making friends.

With just two sentences, the atmosphere grew even more spirited.

Seeing this, Zhao Gongming was seized by a burst of boldness. He slapped the table and loudly proposed:

"Good! With new friends joining us, drinking the old way would be far too dull. I propose that everyone here seal their immortal power and primordial spirits. No one is allowed to circulate their cultivation to sober up. We'll rely solely on the alcohol tolerance of these mortal bodies—no one leaves until they're drunk! And nobody try any tricks!"

"Good!"

"Brother Gongming speaks well!"

"That's exactly how it should be!"

The crowd erupted in approval, laughing and agreeing as they truly cast spells to temporarily seal away their immortal essence, leaving themselves only the strength of their physical bodies.

Seeing that the timing was right, Su Yuan laughed heartily.

"Since the Immortal has such refined interest, this junior won't hold back either!"

With a sweep of his hand, countless jars, pots, and bottles of fine liquor from the lower realm appeared out of thin air, piled into a mountain of alcohol.

The fragrance instantly filled the entire hall. Monkey wine was pure and sweet, baijiu was fiery and pungent, century-old tribute wine carried a rich grain aroma...

"These are all fine brews I specially purchased after returning from the lower realm, all for today's celebration feast!"

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he took the more than five billion spirit stones prepared for distribution and, as though dumping trash—

With a boom, he poured them all into the center of the grounds. Dazzling spiritual light nearly illuminated the entire inner hall of the Immortal Execution Platform. The spirit stones piled into a sharp peak, creating an overwhelmingly stunning sight!

The others were first stunned, then broke into even louder cheers and laughter as the atmosphere was instantly pushed to its peak.

"Good heavens!"

"Wonderful! Truly wonderful!"

"Hahaha! Little Friend Su, you really understand me!"

Even Sun Wukong's eyes gleamed as he clicked his tongue in amazement. Though he had hosted feasts every day and drunk freely every night at Flower-Fruit Mountain in the lower realm, he had never seen a scene like this.

It was as though they had returned to those carefree days before the War of the Gods, when they cultivated in the lower realm, drank great mouthfuls of wine, and devoured chunks of meat. They gathered in small groups, unrestrained and drinking to their hearts' content.

Amid the clamor and merriment, Su Yuan's communication talisman began vibrating again.

Su Yuan saw that it was not his mentor, Venus Star Lord, calling him, so he directly cut it off and casually tossed the talisman aside.

"What a buzzkill!"

Carrying half a jar of wine, he staggered over to Ink Qilin.

Ink Qilin sat alone to one side, carefully examining a large spirit stone between two fingers.

When he saw Su Yuan approaching, he blew two streams of white smoke mixed with alcohol from his nostrils and grinned.

"Now this is the life immortals ought to live! Next time there's some gathering for mounts and auspicious beasts, I'll make sure to show those bastards what's what!"

He was clearly immensely satisfied with this share of the profits, having finally vented his anger thoroughly.

Su Yuan chuckled, first looking around with a secretive air.

Ink Qilin frowned at the sight, then raised his hand and gave him a sharp knock on the head, laughing as he scolded him.

"Be open about it! Who are you putting on that sneaky, shifty look for?"

Rubbing his head, Su Yuan lowered his voice.

"This junior knows that you often get drowsy and lack energy. During this trip down below, I specially found something good to refresh your mind."

He clearly remembered that when he had secretly transported supplies and made Ink Qilin serve as a hauler, he had seen the old fellow hiding some white powder beneath his scales.

As he spoke, he carefully took out a long, slender object from his storage bag, its surface covered in faint flowing runes.

"Look, it contains a kind of premium spirit leaf that refreshes the mind, mixed with thirteen rare spices that nourish the meridians. Most importantly—"

He pointed at one end.

"This part is made from Extreme Ice Silkworm Silk and Nine-Heavens Cloud Cotton, forming a filter tip. It filters out those fiery impurities, so they won't harm your immortal body. Want to try it?"

With a pinch of his fingers, a small flame rose at his fingertips. He eagerly lit it for Ink Qilin and brought it to his lips.

Ink Qilin was doubtful, but he took a shallow puff. A strange fragrance immediately shot straight to the top of his head, instantly rousing his spirits.

His two bull-like eyes widened at once, and he became excited.

"Good stuff! It's got kick!"

Ink Qilin snatched the cigarette away, bit off the filter tip, and took two fierce puffs in imitation of Su Yuan. On a whim, he even blew a smoke ring, exhaling clouds like he was floating in the heavens, looking utterly satisfied.

"Hiss—ha—! Now that's the taste! What a rush! Good stuff! Kid, how much more of this do you have?"

Su Yuan was overjoyed. This stuff really worked; his days of being smoked and scorched in the lower realm had not been wasted.

He immediately thumped his chest and said.

"Venerable, the three flying boats returning this time are loaded full of these spirit leaves. They're extremely delicate and grow on only a handful of mountain peaks in the lower realm. The Heavenly Realm is rich in spiritual energy, yet they simply cannot be cultivated here."

Ink Qilin took a hard drag, exhaled a long cloud of smoke, then lit another one.

"That's a good thing!"

"The rarer something is, the more it sells for! Do we control the place where it grows?"

Su Yuan immediately explained.

"These spirit leaves come from Accumulated Thunder Mountain in the West Ox Continent of the lower realm. There is a rather formidable figure on that mountain, sworn brother to Sun Wukong and known as the Great Sage Pacifying Heaven, Bull Demon King. His abilities are not the slightest bit inferior to Sun Wukong's..."

Ink Qilin knitted his brows and flicked away some ash.

"That does sound a bit troublesome."

Su Yuan lit one for himself as well and smiled.

"But guess what? The moment Bull Demon King heard I was taking them to Heaven, he immediately had people load three entire ships to the brim."

"I was wondering at the time. This Great Sage Pacifying Heaven, Bull Demon King, has always been someone who fears neither Heaven nor Earth. It took tremendous effort even to persuade him to surrender. When did he become so agreeable? Was he plotting something else—"

Su Yuan deliberately left the matter hanging, immediately piquing Ink Qilin's interest.

"What does he want?"

Su Yuan smiled and explained.

"It was quite a coincidence. Bull Demon King is also descended from the Qilin bloodline. When he heard the tobacco leaves were being prepared for you, he took the matter very seriously. Every leaf was carefully selected and steamed and sun-dried three times. He even joked with me that, judging by seniority, he might have to call you Ancestor!"

"Oh? Is that so? Still, among four-legged beasts, the Qilin is revered above all. It isn't particularly strange."

Seeing that the moment had come, Su Yuan took the opportunity to bring out Red Boy.

The little fellow seemed somewhat sleepy and rubbed his eyes.

"Venerable, look. This is Bull Demon King's direct bloodline, named Red Boy. He was born intelligent and possesses excellent innate talent."

"Though Bull Demon King is a demon king, he is an honest and simple fellow. All he has sought in life is a wife, children, and a warm bed. Hearing of your great virtue and lofty reputation as the foremost authority of the Qilin lineage, he admired you immensely. He specially entrusted this junior with the hope of securing a better background and future for his child."

"If he could obtain an official post, even as a little attendant serving tea and water, it would be better than muddling through life in the lower realm."

Red Boy stared at Ink Qilin with wide eyes, timid yet curious. He made little "ah, ah" noises and reached out to grab Ink Qilin's beard.

Ink Qilin flew into a rage and kicked Su Yuan in the backside, roaring, "Hurry up and put out that cigarette! Can't you see there's a child here?"