Jiang Xuan said, "Sure."
Since he had decided to become teammates with him, Jiang Xuan was willing to give him this much face. After taking a seat up front, he also saw the other three people Dong Hao had recruited.
They were two men and one woman. From their attire and bearing, Jiang Xuan noticed that two of them actually came from cultivation Lineages, while only one, like him, was from the Cold Gate.
"Brother Jiang, let me introduce you." Dong Hao smiled and raised a hand. "This is Mu Yuan. He has an Earth Grade Lower Tier Spirit Root and, like me, comes from an Aristocratic Clan. This is Wu Chen. Like Brother Jiang, he comes from the Cold Gate and also has an Earth Grade Lower Tier Spirit Root. This is Fu He, my cousin from my mother's side of the family."
Having said that, Dong Hao gave everyone a deep bow. "For the second round of the Daoist Academy assessment, I'll be relying on all of you."
Jiang Xuan said, "You're too polite."
Mu Yuan said, "Brother Dong, you jest. In the second assessment, we're the ones who need to rely on you to see us through."
Wu Chen said, "I'll give it everything I've got to help you!"
As Dong Hao made the introductions, Jiang Xuan sized up the three of them. They were also sizing him up, and with his keen divine sense, Jiang Xuan raised a brow as he discovered that each of their eyes concealed a faint, barely perceptible hostility.
Why...
The thought had barely arisen before he understood at once—nothing more than the matter of profit.
Where there were people, there was the martial world; where there were benefits, there were disputes. Here at the Star Daoist Academy, they had to fight over the pitifully few inner sect slots. Those from Aristocratic Clans had to fight for the position of direct heir receiving their Lineage's focused cultivation. Even servants and retainers of great households engaged in endless schemes and intrigues.
Clearly, Mu Yuan, Wu Chen, and the others regarded themselves as Dong Hao's subordinates. They wanted to win more of Dong Hao's favor so that, upon entering the Divine Firmament Sect, they could obtain better positions and thus gain more cultivation time and resources. Only then would they have hope of attaining a Dao Foundation.
And a Dao Foundation did not merely mean powerful spiritual force and lofty status. It also represented a lifespan more than doubled.
To live longer, they naturally fought fiercely.
As for why they bore such deep hostility toward him, Jiang Xuan could guess a thing or two.
Among the four, his Spirit Root aptitude alone was the lowest, yet Dong Hao valued him the most.
So envy and jealousy bred hostility? There's no need for that. You and I are not people walking the same road at all.
Though they bore him a measure of hostility, the other three were clearly people of refinement. When Jiang Xuan arrived, none of it showed on their faces.
Mu Yuan and Fu He, both from cultivation Lineages, even warmly greeted Jiang Xuan.
Seeing this, Jiang Xuan calmly exchanged a few pleasantries with them.
While they chatted, Nan Zhi did not sit idle. She took one food box after another from her storage pouch and laid them out before everyone.
Today was Dong Hao's first gathering, and he had clearly prepared with great care. There were dozens of spirit dishes and soups alone.
There were both hot dishes and cold ones as well.
Once all the dishes had been set out, Dong Hao mysteriously took an elegant jade bottle from his storage bracelet.
"Everyone, this is good stuff." Smiling, he removed the stopper. "This is Hundred-Blossom Brew, which I specially asked my household for. It was made from a hundred varieties of century-old spirit flowers and cellared for three years through a secret method."
"It is rich and fragrant upon the tongue, with an aftertaste that lingers long. It is a rare treasure."
As he spoke, he personally poured each of the four a cup. The jade-like liquor had barely entered the cups when its clear, mellow fragrance spread through the air. At the mere trace of it entering his nose, Jiang Xuan felt his soul drift slightly, as though he were treading empty air above the clouds.
This faint intoxication was not unpleasant at all. Instead, it gave him the dreamlike sensation that both mind and soul had grown drunk, a feeling of Phantom Dream.
After filling everyone's cups, Dong Hao was the first to raise his. He called out brightly, "Everyone, for the Dao Paths we will walk in the future, let us drink this cup together!"
As his words fell, Wu Chen, Mu Yuan, and Fu He all raised their cups. Jiang Xuan alone remained seated, a hint of helplessness and awkwardness appearing on his face.
Dong Hao naturally noticed this. Jiang Xuan's unmoving posture made the smile on his face stiffen slightly, but he quickly recovered and chuckled. "Brother Jiang truly has his heart set upon the Dao. Are you afraid that getting drunk will delay your affairs? Don't worry, I considered that long ago. This Hundred-Blossom Brew is no ordinary mortal wine; it is itself a spiritual liquid."
"After drinking this cup, even if you sleep for a few extra hours, you will not feel the slightest discomfort upon waking. Instead, the medicinal power of the Hundred-Blossom Brew will cleanse your soul once over. By then, whether your body or soul, you will feel clear and refreshed, and your cultivation results will only rise to a higher level."
Dong Hao was by no means an ordinary man, so naturally he understood the importance of cultivation to everyone. Even for a team banquet, the celebratory brew he brought out was a spiritual treasure beneficial to cultivation.
Such meticulous consideration should have put everyone at ease and allowed them to drink without concern.
Unfortunately, Jiang Xuan had already made up his mind to strike at his final acupoint that afternoon. He could not possibly drink and risk delaying the matter.
But after hesitating for a moment, Jiang Xuan did not reveal the truth.
To him, the Excellent Rating was the gateway for a fish to leap through the Dragon Gate, an opportunity to change his fate. It could not tolerate the slightest mishap.
Although Instructor Song Zhou was overseeing things, and no one should theoretically dare cause trouble in the Daoist Academy, Song Zhou could not watch them every moment. He only appeared personally for morning and evening lessons. Right now was precisely the gap when no one was supervising them.
At such a critical juncture, if someone secretly obstructed him, then even if the culprit was severely punished afterward, it would already be too late if his rating had been delayed.
What was more, Zeng Jun, Guo Shaoshang, and the others were not far away.
Within the Star Daoist Academy, the students' circles nested layer upon layer. Jiang Xuan himself had a circle, and Cheng Xiu followed his lead.
He had now joined Dong Hao's team, while Dong Hao, Zeng Jun, Guo Shaoshang, and the others all gathered around Xie Hanyan. Because of this layer of "teammate" connections, their seats had never been far apart.
And Jiang Xuan had not forgotten the wager of three hundred and eighty Spirit Stones between himself and Guo Shaoshang.
With such a large stake, combined with their hostile relationship, the other side had every reason to obstruct him.
At this final moment, Jiang Xuan did not want any accidents.
Thus, he refused Dong Hao's invitation to drink the Hundred-Blossom Brew together. With an apologetic expression, he said, "Sorry, everyone. I've never been good with alcohol. Is there any plain tea? I'll use tea in place of wine and toast everyone with a cup."
Such a face-denying move made it difficult for Dong Hao to maintain his smile. Deep displeasure appeared on the faces of both Fu He and Nan Zhi.
Only Mu Yuan had a faint trace of joy flash through his eyes. Yet rather than kick a man when he was down, he smiled and tried to smooth things over. "Brother Jiang, it's only a cup of wine. It won't delay anything. Everyone is happy today, so there's no harm in having a light drink."
These words had already given Jiang Xuan plenty of room to back down. If the matter had not been so important, he would not have minded giving him that face.
But today was far too important. He feared getting drunk, feared sleeping too long. Seeking safety above all else, he could only shake his head in the end, his tone calm yet firm. "Sorry."
His two consecutive refusals instantly chilled the atmosphere at the table.
In the end, Dong Hao was the first to react. With a light laugh, he said, "My mistake. I didn't inquire clearly into Brother Jiang's preferences. Since you aren't good with alcohol, Jiang Xuan, then we'll serve tea. As it happens, I have quite a bit of good tea here."
As he spoke, a cup of plain tea was soon handed to Jiang Xuan.
Jiang Xuan raised his cup, used tea in place of wine, and drank a cup with everyone.
After drinking, they began the meal. Although Dong Hao repeatedly attended to everyone during the feast and occasionally told amusing stories to ease the atmosphere, Jiang Xuan's earlier refusal had ultimately left a thorn at the table. The mood never truly warmed up.
The way everyone looked at him also gained a few more strange undertones. In Nan Zhi's and Fu He's eyes, anger was even harder to suppress.
Such a scene made Jiang Xuan somewhat uncomfortable as well.
So, before long, he rose to take his leave and returned to his own seat.
The moment he left, Fu He could no longer hold herself back. Frowning at Dong Hao, she said, "Dong Hao, you're just too kind! Jiang Xuan doesn't understand the slightest bit of propriety. If you keep indulging him like this, how will you manage him in the future?"
"You need to make him understand that it isn't that we can't do without him—it's that he can't do without us!"
Before Fu He had finished speaking, a snicker suddenly came from nearby.
"Kind? Heh heh, that sounds nice. It's weakness."
"An Aristocratic Clan son letting someone from the Cold Gate ride roughshod over him—Dong Hao, you really are useless enough."
The one mocking him at this moment was naturally Guo Shaoshang. After him, Zeng Jun also sighed and drove another knife into Dong Hao's heart. "Brother Dong, this simply won't do. You're about to disgrace all of us Aristocratic Clan children."
Neither man concealed his mockery, and it drew the attention of everyone nearby. The looks they gave Dong Hao carried even more contempt and ridicule.
This naturally included Su Linyin.
I was right to give up on Jiang Xuan. That man is too arrogant, too foolish, and far too willful. He doesn't understand gratitude in the slightest. Keeping him around would only bring trouble.
The mocking gazes around them made Wu Chen and Mu Yuan, who were on the same team, feel their faces burn with embarrassment.
Nan Zhi, who had always been devoted to Dong Hao, and Fu He, who had always wanted to marry into the Dong Household, both grew resentful of Jiang Xuan, that "ungrateful wretch," to the extreme.
"Dong Hao, you really can't go on like this! If this continues, all your authority will be gone..."
Fu He chattered incessantly in his ear. Surrounded by disdainful and mocking gazes, coupled with Jiang Xuan's utterly uncompromising refusal just now, all these emotions piled together until a rare flame of anger surged up within the usually good-tempered Dong Hao.
He also developed a measure of resentment toward Jiang Xuan.
I treated you with such courtesy, and this is how you repay me?
Yet this anger came quickly and faded just as quickly.
Dong Hao had been the first to discover Jiang Xuan's talent. Without caring in the least about others' opinions, he had immediately placed a heavy bet to recruit Jiang Xuan. Such a Dong Hao was undoubtedly capable, bold yet meticulous, and knew how to endure and weigh his options.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. Then, in his mind, he rapidly replayed every moment since he had met Jiang Xuan.
"No, Jiang Xuan isn't that kind of person."
"Though, as a sword cultivator, he really is rather proud. Before this, he had been utterly unwilling to accept the cultivation technique I gave him as a gift, insisting it was only a loan."
"Later, he accepted the Spirit Stones and pills I gave him rather awkwardly as well."
"But although Jiang Xuan's temperament is somewhat cold, he is absolutely not someone who fails to understand human dealings and refuses to show anyone the slightest courtesy. This morning, when I invited him to join the team, he agreed with proper etiquette and restraint. It was precisely because he had principles without being rigid or withdrawn that I was willing to invest so heavily in him."
Dong Hao, who had known Jiang Xuan for some time, only felt that Jiang Xuan's reaction today was far too unusual. Yet no matter how he considered it, he could not figure out where the crux lay.
"I haven't done anything out of line, and the Hundred-Blossom Brew truly is, as I said, a treasure that benefits cultivation... Could today hold some special significance for him? For example, the death anniversary of an elder?"
"But that can't be right either. Even if it were an anniversary, he wouldn't react so strongly to a cup of wine."
Unable to make heads or tails of it, Dong Hao racked his brains.
Then, at a certain moment, a voice sounded and made him freeze.
"Huh, why has Instructor Song Zhou come at this time?"
"What else could it be? Today is the final day for the Excellent Rating. Even Teacher Song Zhou cannot afford to neglect this day."