Chapter 57: How’s Your Alcohol Tolerance?
The beef on the young man’s table is not the kind of braised beef that can be bought just anywhere.
The firm meat has the right balance of fat and lean, it is tender and not dry, and the rich aroma of high-quality marinade is laced with a hint of spiciness that teases the taste buds and whets the appetite. Additionally, it seems there is some ingredient in the braised beef that Luxianbei couldn’t quite identify.
That ingredient feels akin to the “gentleness” in the drink made by Meng Meng that warms the heart, adding a unique flavor to this braised beef.
However, while Meng Meng’s drink has “gentleness,” this braised beef possesses something that can be described as “heroism.”
It’s like eating dumplings with vinegar, ketchup with fries; good meat is intrinsically linked to good wine.
With premium ingredients and an air of bravado, it’s hard not to indulge in hearty bites of meat and generous sips of wine, and shout, “d*mn it, this is really refreshing!”
As Luxianbei enjoyed the braised beef, despite having already experienced the effects of Jichang wine, she couldn’t help but drink a few more sips, and before she realized it, she had finished half a cup of wine.
Seeing Luxianbei put down her empty wine cup, the young man smiled and asked, “What do you think of the wine, miss?”
Very good! At the moment the young man asked, Luxianbei had already formed her judgment, but she waved her hand and said, “It’s just… okay, I guess?”
“Oh?” The young man nodded, “Indeed, Jichang wine was historically used for sacrifices to spirits and ancestors, its ritual significance outweighs its actual flavor. As for taste, it can only be considered average.”
After saying that, the young man paused and took out a translucent white porcelain wine jug from somewhere, placing it on the table.
“The Jichang wine has quite a kick; if you drink more, you might get drunk. You might as well try this instead. This is called ‘Not Drunk,’ and its main ingredient is from a glacier spring.”
Saying this, he smiled and poured half a cup for Luxianbei.
Not drunk? Sobering up? Luxianbei scrutinized the young man, picked up the wine cup, and smelled it. Not a hint of alcohol or any unusual scent was detected; it looked clear as water, so she took a small sip.
It was refreshing and sweet, and a cool spirit energy fluctuation immediately spread throughout her mouth, then down her esophagus, expanding to her arms and limbs, invigorating her.
However…
Besides that, there was nothing special about it!
It felt just like drinking iced mineral water, Luxianbei thought.
After finishing the half cup of “Not Drunk,” her vigilance toward the young man eased a bit, and she pouted, saying, “This isn’t great! It’s bland.”
“Oh? Too bland?” The young man pondered for a moment and took out a silver wine jug, “I have another item here called ‘Spring and Autumn.’”
“It’s brewed from the peach flower buds of the beginning of spring, apricot flower buds of the spring equinox, ripened wheat from the beginning of autumn, and corn from the autumn equinox, using rainwater collected during the Qingming and white frost collected during the Frost’s Descent. It’s aromatic yet not greasy; after drinking it, the fragrance lingers on the lips and teeth for a long time…”
While speaking, the young man poured half a cup for Luxianbei again.
————
“d*mn it! Is this guy trying to get her drunk?”
At first, Jumeng was surprised to see Luxianbei seated at the same table as the General, drinking and eating meat, but she didn’t rush over to interrupt.
The guardian of the Siye Society and Huacheng’s Urban Legend King sitting together… Her habitual thinking led her to assume Luxianbei was engaging in some illicit trade with the General.
However, after finding a relatively secluded spot and observing for a while, she suddenly realized as she watched the General repeatedly pour wine for Luxianbei that he probably didn’t have good intentions.
Jichang, Not Drunk, Spring and Autumn, Zhi Huang, Fractured Moon…
Which of these wasn’t a strong alcohol with spirit energy fluctuations that were hard to suppress?
There is a saying: “Alcohol doesn’t intoxicate people; people intoxicate themselves.”
The drink named “Not Drunk” was sweet at first sip, seeming devoid of alcohol, but it was indeed strong alcohol among strong drinks.
Once consumed, “Not Drunk” makes it so one cannot taste the flavor of other wines for a short period, leading to the illusion that “I can drink without getting drunk,” but in reality, it was a trap that would intoxicate oneself.
In Jumeng’s view, as long as you pour other wines for a Spiritual Ability User or urban legend after they’ve consumed “Not Drunk,” they wouldn’t be able to avoid getting drunk.
It felt like giving your game character maxed out buffs and then continuously spawning small monsters in front of you.
How could anyone resist a wave of sweeping through?
Using this to make Luxianbei drink a second cup clearly indicated that the General’s intention for inviting her to drink was not pure.
“…”
Drinking various strong liquors together, it would be surprising if Luxianbei didn’t get drunk!
But what was the General’s goal in getting her drunk?
Was it to k*ll her, or to sleep with her…? Uh, perhaps there wasn’t much of a difference?
After a brief observation, Jumeng couldn’t sit still anymore. She waved her hand, calling over the waiter.
“Hello, customer. How can I assist you today?”
“Ordering…” Jumeng said, and after taking the menu handed to her by the waiter, she skillfully pointed at a dish called [Flying Dish] and a pastry called [Peach Blossom Pastry], then raised her hand to point toward Luxianbei, “Deliver these two to her, say it’s from me, and invite her to come over for a chat.”
“Oh, and be sure to tell her the names of the dishes!”
“Understood, customer. I’ll go prepare them right away.” The waiter nodded and turned to head to the kitchen.
Could Jumeng just watch as Luxianbei was drunkenly taken away?
Yes, of course!
If the person trying to get Luxianbei drunk wasn’t the General, she could watch her being taken away and even follow behind to take pictures of Luxianbei’s embarrassing moments, saving them for future mockery, only stepping in to save her at the final moment.
However, the one attempting to get Luxianbei drunk was precisely the General.
Once Luxianbei was taken by the General, not to mention waiting until the last moment, even after leaving the Liao Zhai Tavern, Jumeng didn’t have complete confidence to successfully rescue her…
————
Not just Jichang wine, the drinks brought out by the young man were all remarkably delicious. Caught up in his hospitality, Luxianbei ended up drinking several kinds without realizing it.
Though by the time she got to the third half cup, she had sensed something was off.
But aside from the Jichang, the bizarre substances she consumed afterward, occasionally having some strange spirit energy fluctuations spreading within her, were easily suppressed.
Therefore, when the young man poured another drink for her, she didn’t refuse.
After all, it was free, why not drink it!
If you really had some ulterior motives, this trip would probably cost you more than you bargained for; I plan to squeeze your survival dry.
Didn’t expect that, did you? I can drink without getting drunk! Luxianbei thought confidently.
Just when she downed the ninth “drink,” a tall, beautiful girl in white approached her, placing the [Flying Dish] and [Peach Blossom Pastry] on her table.
Seeing this, Luxianbei was momentarily stunned, turned her head to the girl, and gave her a puzzled look.
“Customer, these dishes were ordered by the guest over there,” the girl pointed in Jumeng’s direction, then looked back at Luxianbei to introduce, “This one is [Flying Dish], and this one…”
“Peach Blossom Pastry?” Luxianbei saw the plate of pale pink pastries and looked at the girl, “This one is pretty recognizable.”
“Exactly, it’s Peach Blossom Pastry.” The girl smiled and continued, “Additionally, that guest said if it’s convenient, she would like to invite you over for a drink.”
“…” Luxianbei pondered for a moment and nodded at the girl, “I understand, thank you for the trouble.”
“Uh-huh, enjoy your meal. I’ll get back to work. Call me if you need anything.”
After the girl left, Luxianbei looked at the two dishes in front of her, furrowing her eyebrows.
Meeting by chance, what’s the intention of inviting me to eat dishes?
Is it some kind of “gift” like that uncle over there?
Luxianbei thought as she turned to glance at the guy sitting in the corner.
He was dressed in a pitch-black feather coat and wore an exaggerated, fierce mask, leaving only a small pink mouth exposed.
Wait! That mouth, seems familiar?
Luxianbei furrowed her brow slightly, turning her gaze back to the two dishes on the table.
Flying Dish… Flying Magpie? Another name for the magpie? And the Peach Blossom Pastry.
Magpie, peach blossoms, and those two peach blossom-like thin lips…
Could that guy be Stinky Sister?! Luxianbei’s pupils trembled slightly.
A monster represented by a magpie and peach blossoms isn’t just Jumeng, but she recognized Jumeng’s thin lips.
That mouth had stolen endless tasty treats from her and had mocked her countless times, and even during their gaming sessions, when losing and getting frustrated, it had spit at her!
How could she not recognize it?
After adjusting her emotions slightly, Luxianbei returned her gaze to the young man across from her, and nonchalantly said, “Old bro, you saw it too; that friend over there wants to invite me over for a drink. If you don’t mind…”
“…” The young man remained silent for a moment, appearing indifferent, smiled faintly, and gestured for her to go ahead, “Please do, miss.”
“Uh-huh!” Luxianbei stood up and slightly bowed to the young man, “Thank you for your hospitality; let’s arrange to meet again next time!”
After saying that, she quickly walked toward Jumeng’s table but paused for a moment, then returned to pick up the [Flying Dish] and [Peach Blossom Pastry] on the table.
The young man was speechless, “After inviting her to drink so many priceless fine wines, she even hesitated to leave behind two dishes? Is this what is referred to as calamity?”
————
Holding the two dishes, Luxianbei hurried over to sit beside Jumeng, giving a brief look at the figure wrapped tightly in feathers before tentatively asking, “Stinky Sister, is that you?”
As her words fell, she saw the eyes behind the mask roll in exasperation, and the corners of the pink lips curled downward slightly.
“Recognized me? Hmph, you clever dog!”
After a pause, she sighed in admiration, “Dog, I’ve noticed you’re getting bolder… With your refined skills in courting d*ath, I’ll soon surpass you, and when the time comes, if anything happens, you better not tell others that we have an ally contract!”
“What do you mean?”
Luxianbei didn’t immediately grasp it, tilting her head.
Seeing this, Jumeng squinted her eyes, assessing Luxianbei and spat, “Tch, you silly dog! Don’t tell me you really have no idea who that guy you just drank with is?”
“Who?” Luxianbei asked in confusion, “I truly don’t know; I just met him for the first time today.”
“Shocked!” Jumeng exclaimed, “You dared to drink so much with someone you just met for the first time? As a girl out here alone, don’t you know to protect yourself?”
“But I’m a guy…” Luxianbei replied emotionlessly, “And besides, what that guy poured for me was just ordinary stuff; I didn’t feel anything unusual!”
“Boys don’t need to protect themselves?” Jumeng shot her an unimpressed look, “Besides, if the General intended to get you drunk, he wouldn’t let you notice anything off about what he poured.”
“Wait a minute!” Luxianbei’s eyes widened in disbelief, “You just said, who that guy is?!”
Jumeng cast a sympathetic glance at her, calmly saying, “Guardian of the Siye Society, Disaster-Class Spiritual Energy Manipulator, wielder of the legendary spiritual item [Fengshan Wisps], code named General.”
She feared that old monster Zhang Hainan, but didn’t feel much fear toward the General, so she casually referred to him by name without any inner turmoil.
Call him what you will; what can you sense from that?
If you can, come face me head-on!
Let’s see if I won’t transfer all the pent-up frustration from that old guy back onto you!
“Hiss—!”
Luxianbei inhaled sharply, feeling her body go weak, nearly slumping onto the chair.
It felt as if after being honest and cautious all her life, her first time acting recklessly led her to face a police officer busting a vice ring.
When she reacted, she realized how close she had come to a fatal mishap.
“No, no…” Luxianbei stuttered, trembling and barely able to speak, “Even though I drank his things, I didn’t feel anything abnormal, and now I managed to slip away… it should be fine, right?”
“Is it?” Jumeng raised an eyebrow and described the effects of “Not Drunk” to Luxianbei.
“Drinking that kind of stuff is precisely aimed at getting you drunk!”
“Gulp!” Luxianbei swallowed nervously, meekly saying, “So, what will happen when the effects of Not Drunk wear off?”
Amidst her shock, she rigidly turned her neck and looked in the direction of the young man, only to find he had already quietly left, vanishing without a trace.
“What an unreliable dog! Now you’re scared?”
Jumeng shot a glare at Luxianbei, sneering, “Hehe! After drinking so many random things, even I don’t know the effects of every drink; however…”
“However what?”
“However, when the wine effect kicks in later tonight, you’ll find out!” Jumeng remarked.
“Hmph! If I knew you were coming here, you could have at least told me; let’s see if you dare to drink other people’s stuff indiscriminately in Liao Zhai Tavern next time.”
“Well, you didn’t tell me you knew this place!” Luxianbei retorted.
“And you didn’t ask!”
Luxianbei, “…”
“By the way, you silly dog?”
“Hmm?” Luxianbei tilted her head.
“How’s your alcohol tolerance?” Jumeng asked, “I’m worried you might go on a drinking spree later. I must warn you, going on a drinking spree in Liao Zhai Tavern can have serious consequences.”
Luxianbei pondered for a moment, then seriously replied, “I’m not quite sure, but everyone who has seen me drink says it’s particularly intense.”
Jumeng, “???”
What the heck is ‘particularly intense’?
