The banquet hall remained ablaze with lights and alive with voices.
Elsewhere, Shan Wei dragged a wine jar along, his face flushed red, and shouted at Chen Mu with sky-high bravado, "Fifth, come on! If you're a man, don't chicken out. Drain this jar!"
Free and uninhibited, Chen Mu held an equally large jar. He laughed at the challenge. "Think I'm scared of you? Bottoms up!"
Their jars met with a clunk, and both tipped their heads back to drink. Wine streamed down from the corners of their mouths, their bold spirits drawing cheers from everyone around them.
Not far away, several clusters of women chatted and laughed, their sweet voices mingling.
One group was particularly lively. Yun Yingluo waved her little hands excitedly, her pretty cheeks flushed and her eyes startlingly bright. "Look, look! Didn't I tell you the Third-Place Laureate's literary talent was unmatched? 'The south wind knows my heart, and wafts my dreams to the Eastern Continent'... 'Gathering chrysanthemums beneath the eastern hedge, I glimpse South Mountain in tranquil ease'..."
Now was the perfect time to brag.
Beside her, Ji Hanyan covered her lips with a soft laugh, while the ice around Ling Xinyao thawed. "Little Sister Yingluo, you really are the Third-Place Laureate's most devoted fan!"
Another group of girls gathered around Ye Zijun.
Ye Zijun blinked her lovely, wide eyes. "Shu Yao, Senior Xinyue, forgive me for not recognizing her, but this little sister Congtong... is she from our Heaven Dou Academy too?"
As a Soul King, Jian Xinyue enjoyed some renown at Heaven Dou Academy. She nodded with a smile. "Yes, she is."
Ye Zijun's gaze swept over Dou Congtong. With a mischievous smile, she said, half joking and half serious, "It seems our Heaven Dou Academy has quite a few members of the