Chapter 639: A Kiss as a Reward for a Hero

Southern Border.

Qilidong.

Row upon row of houses, each bearing a rich Miao flavor, rose from the ground, some built against the mountains, others tightly connected.

Miao houses were mostly constructed of wood, their style vastly different from those in the Central Plains; they were square, simple, and unadorned.

Yet, on the corners of the roofs, the main entrances, and the edges of the walls, hung the grim skeletons of wild beasts. The fiercer the beast, the more common they were; one could assume this was to show the bravery of the household and the clan.

On both sides of the road, Miao people set up stalls to sell their wares, though most of what they offered were wild animal furs or raw meat; rarely did one or two stalls sell jewelry, jade, or other such items.

Yu Liancheng and Xiaobai strolled through the area. Because the two were not dressed in Miao attire, and given their own appearance and bearing, they attracted the gaze of nearly the entire street.

The two did not mind at all, simply admiring the scenery, which was vastly different from that of the Central Plains.

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox said with a sweet smile, "The furs here are top-quality goods, and the price is cheap. If you want some, buying a few pieces here would be a great bargain."

Yu Liancheng laughed, "But I still think your fur is more comfortable."

Xiaobai's pretty face flushed red. She reached out and knocked on Yu Liancheng's head, "You fellow only knows how to be glib. And you call yourself a White-robed Divine Monk—so slovenly."

Yu Liancheng shook his head to dodge, laughing, "I was clearly praising your appearance and the softness of your fur. I don't know where your mind went, woman."

Just as the two were speaking, a Miao man walked over, his face filled with respect, speaking in a rapid-fire stream of the Miao language.

Xiaobai looked toward Yu Liancheng. Having been imprisoned for three hundred years, she had mostly forgotten these local Miao dialects. It was the opposite for this fellow Yu Liancheng; having spent only two days with that group of Miao people, he was actually speaking it quite convincingly, even mimicking the accent to perfection. Those who didn't know would have thought he was a genuine Miao tribesman.

Yu Liancheng laughed, "He said Tumagu has already prepared the wine and wants us to go over and drink to our hearts' content."

Xiaobai smiled, "Just as you wished."

"Haha, let's go."

The two followed the Miao man and, before long, arrived at a plaza paved with bluestone slabs.

Dozens of jars of fine wine had already been set out in the plaza. Even before being unsealed, they emitted a rich aroma that made one feel intoxicated just by the smell.

Tumagu was also in the plaza. As soon as he saw Yu Liancheng, he immediately showed a look of respect and said, "Benefactor, the wine you wanted is all prepared. There is absolutely enough."

After spending two days with Yu Liancheng, he already understood what an incredible existence the man before him was. His magical cultivation went without saying; the famous demon beasts of the Southern Border combined were likely not enough for him to fight with one hand. Of course, most of the time, demon beasts would become as gentle as kittens or puppies in his presence.

Moreover, he possessed the miraculous power to bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones.

That day, they had been attacked by a demon python. Although the demon python was killed, they had suffered heavy casualties. But with the help of this benefactor, as long as they weren't dead, they recovered quickly. Even those who had been swallowed into the demon python's belly with all their bones broken, as long as they had one last breath left, were quickly restored to vigor under this benefactor's healing.

Along this journey, Tumagu and the others practically worshipped Yu Liancheng as a God. If circumstances allowed, he would have even offered himself to warm Yu Liancheng's bed.

Yu Liancheng nodded slightly, then looked at Xiaobai with a smile, "Didn't you say your tolerance for alcohol is very good? How about we make a bet?"

Xiaobai arched her brows, the tenderness in her eyes flowing like water ripples, "How shall we bet?"

Yu Liancheng laughed, "Let's bet on who can drink more within one hour. Whoever loses must grant the other one request. I can help you find Xiaoliu, or I can help you revitalize the Heavenly Fox Clan."

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox pondered for a moment and said, "Let's get this straight: no using magic to dissolve the alcohol!"

Yu Liancheng rolled his eyes, "I'm not that bored."

The two slapped palms to seal the pact. After letting Tumagu light a long incense stick to keep time, Xiaobai picked up a jar of wine and sniffed it lightly. Far from feeling any discomfort at the strong aroma, she felt a sense of intoxication. Immediately, she tilted her swan-like slender neck and began to drink with a gurgling sound.

Miao wine was potent. This kind of heroic way of drinking was something even the local Miao people couldn't handle, and since the person drinking was so beautiful and moving, people from all around soon gathered to watch.

Before long, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox set down the wine jar. Amidst the gasps of the crowd, the jar was already empty, with only a tiny bit of wine remaining at the bottom.

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox licked her rosy lips. After downing a jar of wine, her cheeks were only flushed with a faint redness, making her look even more beautiful and moving. She cast a provocative glance at Yu Liancheng.

Yu Liancheng wore a smile. Without haste, he tapped open the wine seal, tilted his head back, and downed the jar in one go, praising, "Good wine." The aroma was rich and carried the flavor of the Southern Border frontier. It was top-tier, potent liquor; as it went down his throat, there was a fiery sense of gratification, and his whole body felt warm.

As for the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox beside him, another jar of wine had already been emptied.

The cultivation speed of the demon race was far inferior to that of humans, but in terms of lifespan and physical strength, they were incomparable to humans, not to mention that this was a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox who loved to drink.

"Just drinking is boring. Clan Leader Tu, I heard the Southern Border has many delicacies not found in the Central Plains. I wonder if I might have the honor of tasting them," Yu Liancheng laughed.

"Benefactor, please wait a moment."

Tumagu, of course, had prepared them. Before long, many delicacies completely different from those in the Central Plains appeared before them: earth-braised yellow sparrows, roasted bear paws, snake meat soup...

The names of the dishes were bizarre, even carrying a hint of horror, and their appearance was truly extraordinary, even somewhat frightening. Yu Liancheng casually grabbed a handful of unknown red beetles and tossed them into his mouth. With a light crunch, the juices flowed—they were sweet and thick, like Honey. Yet, there were also insects that were incredibly spicy, even more so than the wine in the cup.

"I want to eat too." The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox's beautiful eyes lit up. Amidst a waft of fragrance, she sat before Yu Liancheng and began to eat and drink just like him, though the number of empty wine jars she had was clearly greater than Yu Liancheng's.

The number of Miao onlookers grew, and from time to time, they let out bursts of gasps. The potent wine of the Southern Border Miao was known for its fierce nature, and in this region, there had always been a saying that the strongest man was the one with the highest tolerance for alcohol.

In order to compete for who had the best tolerance, many incidents occurred in daily life.

Yet, these two were clearly not from the Miao tribe. One looked like a mere child who hadn't even grown his hair out, and the other was a very beautiful woman; neither looked like they had a high tolerance for alcohol.

But the alcohol tolerance of these two was such that all the able-bodied Miao men in Qilidong combined might not be able to outdrink them.

Yu Liancheng looked around and said a few words in the Miao language, the general meaning being that the wine was free for all to take.

Thus, a crowd of Miao people joined in the revelry, singing and dancing, having a wonderful time; the atmosphere was boisterous and lively.

As time passed, from dusk to twilight, the incense used for timing had burned more than halfway, and around Yu Liancheng and Xiaobai, there were nothing but empty wine jars. Each of them had drunk at least twenty jars of wine.

The lively atmosphere around them gradually quieted down, and everyone's gaze converged once again on Yu Liancheng and the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox. Among these Miao people, there was no shortage of heavy drinkers, but none could compare to these two, who had downed twenty-some jars in one go. Some even scanned their stomachs, wondering how such small stomachs could hold so much wine.

It didn't make sense.

Someone counted the empty jars: Xiaobai had drunk twenty-seven, while Yu Liancheng had only drunk twenty-three; there seemed to be a gap.

But some also noticed that the flush on Xiaobai's fair face was becoming more pronounced, signs of drunkenness appearing, and her drinking speed had slowed down.

Yu Liancheng, however, continued to eat and drink, with only a faint, almost imperceptible flush on his face. Of course, he had not used magic or True Qi to dissolve the alcohol. Relying solely on this current body, even if he were to pour another hundred or a thousand jars, it would be impossible to get him drunk. Being able to enjoy that faint, slight tipsiness could be considered a testament to how potent this wine was.

When only the last fifth of the incense remained, the number of empty wine jars beside Yu Liancheng had already surpassed the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox's.

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox's eyes were half-closed, her pretty face looking as if it had been painted with rouge, the color seeming to seep out from her fair skin; she was extremely alluring. Her eyes were like water, brimming as if they were about to overflow, making one feel as though their bones had softened by two taels just by looking at her. It was truly a case of wine enhancing her charm, her beauty like a flower. Her delicate body swayed slightly, as if she might fall at any moment.

After another moment, Yu Liancheng looked at the woman beside him and laughed, "Xiaobai, you're drunk."

"No, I'm not."

Xiaobai swayed, finally resting her head on Yu Liancheng's shoulder, her beautiful eyes half-open and half-closed, her voice so alluring it seemed as if it were dripping with water: "Let me tell you, I have never been drunk."

Yu Liancheng laughed, "But you are indeed drunk right now."

"Yu Liancheng, tell me honestly, are you trying to get me drunk?"

Xiaobai bit her red lips lightly with her pearly white teeth, a hint of delicate pity amidst her languor, and let out a low moan, carrying a soul-stirring charm.

Yu Liancheng said, "Why would you think that?"

Xiaobai giggled, her laughter growing more bewitching: "You claim to be a White-robed Divine Monk, but in reality, you are just a Wine-meat Monk; I saw through it at a glance."

"Since I am a Wine-meat Monk, and there is wine and meat here, why would I need to ply you, this fox spirit, with drink?" Yu Liancheng reached out and wrapped his arm around Xiaobai's plump, slender waist.

"Hee hee."

Xiaobai giggled coquettishly, her expression languid, and reached out with a jade hand to pinch Yu Liancheng's nose: "You are not just a Wine-meat Monk, you are also a Flower Monk. The bad reputation of monks is all ruined by you Wine-meat Monks and Flower Monks."

Yu Liancheng took Xiaobai's hand off his nose and reached out to smooth a strand of black hair that had stuck to her cheek: "Stop slandering people; I am still a virgin, you know."

This statement was not false; after all, this current body had been recast through the 'North Underworld Rebirth Method', and the romantic debts of the past were naturally wiped clean.

Yu Liancheng had completely pulled Xiaobai into his embrace; the current act of pinching her nose and smoothing her hair was something only husbands and lovers would do. If this were in the Central Plains, it might have invited countless gossip. But the Southern Border had always had open customs, and the crowd of Miao did not mind. It was just that some Miao women who admired Yu Liancheng were greatly depressed, and some young men who admired Xiaobai were equally depressed.

Xiaobai seemed to be stirred by Yu Liancheng's words, her laughter becoming more bewitching and soul-stirring, before suddenly stopping, her beautiful eyes bright: "Are you drunk?"

Yu Liancheng shrugged: "No."

"Really, I am about to get drunk, and you are still not drunk; wouldn't I lose then? Just get drunk, okay, won't you..." Xiaobai mumbled, her beautiful eyes glistening, her coquettish manner truly alluring.

By the time she finished speaking, her voice grew smaller and lighter, until it was inaudible.

Looking down, he saw that Xiaobai had already closed her beautiful eyes, that peerless face leaning languidly against his shoulder, a faint smile lingering at the corners of her mouth.

"Heh, it seems I have won." Yu Liancheng drank the last two jars of wine, let out a hiccup, looked around, and saw almost nothing but empty wine jars, sighing: "It's all gone."

His tone seemed to suggest he had not yet had his fill.

Everyone suddenly fell silent.

Such a capacity for alcohol, even if not unprecedented, was surely peerless in the world.

Yu Liancheng beckoned to Tumagu and said a few words to him.

A moment later, Yu Liancheng carried Xiaobai into the guest room prepared by Tumagu and placed her on the bed.

Just as he was about to leave, he could not help but size up Xiaobai's figure; she was truly gifted by nature, and even lying like this, she was upright and full, displaying breathtaking curves.

Suddenly, he heard Xiaobai let out a foolish murmur: "Xiaoliu, Mother has failed you all..." He saw her brows locked tight, as if she had returned to that night when the Mysterious Fire Mirror was stolen, and the fox clan bled like a river.

Yu Liancheng extended his index finger and tapped lightly on Xiaobai's forehead.

The 'God-Startling Dao' was activated, and the formless, intangible spiritual power spread out like the morning sun, dispelling all gloom and pain, allowing Xiaobai's expression to gradually calm down.

A moment later, Xiaobai's expression softened, and a sweet smile remained on her beautiful face, as if she were having a pleasant dream.

Yu Liancheng stroked her cheek, feeling only smoothness and delicacy, as if it were stained with a layer of fragrant sweat, and he helped her smooth her black hair.

His fingers slid slowly downward, brushing past her high-bridged nose, her moist lips, and finally pinching her pointed chin, as he chuckled: "You lost today, and you still owe me one thing."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her lips, carrying the scent of wine and a strange fragrance.

"Alright, we're even."

PS: Eight thousand words updated, begging for monthly tickets.