Chapter 670

Dear Little Li Ang.

Thank you once again for everything you've done for the Clearance Bureau—and indeed for all of humanity. I take this opportunity to extend my warmest greetings, and to inform you of a few matters.

First, I sincerely apologize: the Pearl of the Wine God, which I promised you, cannot be delivered as agreed.

Originally, I intended to personally deliver it to you after borrowing the pearl. But now I cannot leave the Headquarters. Knowing Olivia's nature, if anyone else were to deliver it, she would surely seize it by force.

To prevent this, I asked the Pisces Director to use the Pisces lineage's secret art to calculate how many times you would use the Pearl of the Wine God, and had the corresponding wines pre-brewed and sent ahead. I hope this outcome satisfies you.

Second, though incomplete, you have indeed mastered the secret arts of both Taurus and Aquarius. You will require vast quantities of materials for practice.

Therefore, in addition to the one thousand one hundred and eleven bottles of wine, I've also arranged for some anomalous material to be sent with you for training, along with several of my personal notes—written when I first studied the Taurus secret arts—which should aid your cultivation.

Lastly, I won't bother with empty words about hoping to meet again soon. You've already learned from Olivia about my decision, and those of the other two Directors. The Promotion Ceremony six months from now has been canceled. Our meeting at Headquarters two days ago was our final one.

On some day six months from now, I will ascend directly from Headquarters to the Watcher Palace, igniting a torch with my soul to illuminate your path through the endless night.

Best wishes.

Taurus Director

Appendix: After I finished this letter, the Pisces Director reviewed your file and became very interested in you.

He believes your ability to forcibly extract anomalous information closely resembles the Pisces lineage's "Anomalous Observation" secret art. He suspects you may gain the Pisces Star Palace's recognition and qualify for full mastery of its secrets. After my ascension, you may visit him.

…

So that's how it was…

After reading the letter delivered with the wine, Li Ang suddenly understood.

No wonder the pearl I was promised turned into over a thousand pre-brewed bottles—Taurus Director feared Director Redhair would "take desperate measures" and just seize it outright.

Hmm… you know what? Given my knowledge of the Director's moral compass, she really might do exactly that. Taurus Director truly understands her—and still, he's so kind: sending materials, notes, even helping me gain access to the Pisces secret arts… uh…

As Li Ang held the letter, marveling at the Director's reliability and generosity, a sudden chill struck his heart. When he turned around in dread, he found Director Redhair glaring at him, clutching a letter, teeth clenched.

"Uh… Director, you really don't need to look at me like that."

Flustered by her murderous gaze, Li Ang swallowed hard and forced a smile:

"I only drink to taste—I take just a sip per bottle. You… you really don't have to glare at me. I swear, I only take one sip. The rest are all yours, okay?"

"All mine… if only I could drink them!"

Hearing Li Ang's words, Director Redhair bit her lip, then her eyes suddenly reddened. She pointed at the mountain of wine bottles beside her, face twisted in despair:

"These wines all bear the Word-Spell. Only in your mouth do they taste like wine. To anyone else, they're just plain water. I drink them—and get nothing!"

…

After hearing Director Redhair's words, Li Ang could only grimace and shake his head. Inside, he gave Taurus Director a thumbs-up.

Just as the Aquarius lineage has the auxiliary secret art "Overgod's Forked Finger," designed to suppress divine flesh for harvesting "Anomalous Creation" materials, the Taurus lineage has several auxiliary arts to complement its main art, "Anomalous Forging."

Director Redhair's predicament was clearly the Taurus art "Master-Recognizing Word-Spell"—a lock that prevents unauthorized use of anom

And a secret art capable of sealing even numbered anomalies was used to lock up ordinary liquor—Lord Golden Bull is like firing a cannon at a mosquito: taking trivial matters to the extreme.

"This… then I really have no solution…"

Unexpectedly, Director Golden Bull had gone so far; Li Ang could only helplessly shrug, sympathetically glance at the red-haired director, who was on the verge of tears, then hurriedly carried crate after crate of liquor into the storage room on the first floor.

The red-haired director stood slumped to one side, staring at the fine wines within reach but untouchable, his stomach churning with sour acid.

Should I give him a hard time? Or find an excuse to dock his salary?

Watching Li Ang, like a diligent little squirrel, constantly hauling crate after crate of fine liquor into the room, the red-haired director's gaze grew increasingly mournful—and increasingly dangerous.

Although it wasn't Li Ang's fault that he couldn't drink these fine wines, I've treated him to so many drinks in the past, my tab at the tavern was always so long, and whenever I had something good, I always thought of that bastard—yet now he's hoarding it all for himself, drinking while I watch, getting drunk while I crave…

If I don't do something about this, I won't be able to sleep a wink this month!

…

"Sss… that red-haired woman seems to be holding back something terrible."

After Li Ang finished moving all the liquor and firmly shut the storage room door, Black Goat emerged from the glass of the lightbulb, warning with a trembling voice:

"Kid, listen up—she's been kind to your bureau folks, but she's no ordinary petty person. You'd better be extra careful these next two days!"

"…"

Indeed, having handled so many fine wines yet not tasting a single drop, the director's resentment had thickened into something almost solid…

After hearing Black Goat's warning, Li Ang nodded helplessly, acknowledging its judgment, then uncorked a bottle and took a small, refined sip.

There was no choice—though he felt slightly guilty toward the director, once he finished these thousand sips, his 【Wine Country Martyr】 would ascend, becoming his second colored badge: 【Wine Immortal】. Besides, it wasn't him who spoke the next incantation, so he wasn't being disloyal… Mmm… no wonder it's a bead of the Wine God—this liquor is truly excellent.

With tremendous willpower, Li Ang suppressed the urge to drain the bottle, quietly resealed it, opened the next one, and, trying hard to keep his expression neutral while burdened by the guilt of hoarding liquor behind the director's back, tilted his head and took a large gulp.

Mmm, delicious.

(End of Chapter)