Chapter 18: Alcohol Can Shorten the Distance Between People (Physically)

Chongzhou City, Zuixian Small Pavilion.

The sound of strings and bamboo was pleasant to the ear, accompanied by a few silver-bell-like giggles that stirred up ambiguous ripples, and the air was filled with a fragrance that made one's nose itch.

Shi Anqi looked at Ren Yidao with hazy eyes and spoke slowly:

"Daoist Ren, are you ready?"

Ren Yidao's face was flushed, and he nodded gently:

"General Shi, I am ready."

Gazing at each other affectionately, the distance between the two grew closer and closer, and then...

Clang!

"Drink!"

Gulp, gulp, gulp!

Setting the wine cup down heavily, Shi Anqi held his breath for a moment, and only after his neck turned red did he smack his lips forcefully:

"... Ha! Refreshing!"

There was no passionate, gut-wrenching duel; the two were simply drinking together.

At the very beginning, the two were just politely sipping, appreciating and discussing the performance on stage.

But after three rounds of drinks, Shi Anqi became a completely different person.

The previous gloom and reticence had vanished, leaving only a drunkard immersed in alcohol.

"Daoist Ren, let me tell you! (Hiccup) A man should drink in big gulps; don't learn from those scholars who insist on all those vulgar formalities! We're already in a brothel, what's the point of pretending to be high and mighty?"

Clang!

Gulp, gulp, gulp...

"Ha! Don't you agree!"

Swaying as he set down his wine cup, Ren Yidao let out a hiccup:

"Hiccup, General Shi makes a good point."

Ren Yidao was naturally not drunk; this amount of alcohol meant nothing to his Fox Demon true form.

But often, drinking is not for the sake of drinking; it is mostly to create an atmosphere.

An atmosphere that allows everyone to speak while not entirely sober, and one that can quickly shorten the distance between each other.

Sigh!

The world of adults is truly terrifying.

Ren Yidao clearly sensed that Shi Anqi had something he wanted to say to him, and it was the kind that was inconvenient to say in a sober state.

So, he very tactfully began to act not sober as well.

The two's clamor did not cause dissatisfaction among the other guests, not because the others were understanding, but because the entire Zuixian Small Pavilion had been booked out.

For a dignified high-ranking official of the Imperial Court to be bumped into by some ignorant, arrogant young master in a small local city would be a laughingstock if word got out.

Not to mention, the money for this booking was paid by someone else, so there was even less psychological burden in spending it.

Finally, after the two downed a few more cups of wine, Shi Anqi suddenly asked:

"Brother Ren, I remember you previously said you were from the Divine Path Sect?"

Before drinking, the two were still addressing each other as Daoist and General, but now it was Brother Shi and Worthy Brother.

The progress of their relationship was, to put it mildly, lightning fast.

Seeing this demeanor, Ren Yidao knew the main topic had finally arrived.

"That is indeed the case, Brother Shi. Is there something wrong with that?"

Ren Yidao was rarely telling the truth, but Shi Anqi simply did not believe him, waving his hand and saying:

"Brother Ren, at this point, don't joke with your brother here. It's not like I haven't seen people from the Divine Path Sect; I've never heard of one as talkative as you, hahahahaha!"

Once again feeling helpless about the Divine Path Sect's reputation for being socially withdrawn, Ren Yidao gave a bitter smile and cupped his hands:

"Brother Shi is joking. Although the members of my sect are not good at conversation, we are not so inept that we cannot engage in normal social interaction."

No matter what, the Divine Path Sect had not reached the point of closing itself off from the world; people still went out to socialize from time to time.

Like Zuo Yungui, who would go out and get lost for no reason, often spending the night away.

But to his surprise, Shi Anqi still didn't believe him, laughing loudly:

"Just last time! We met a guy here who claimed to be a disciple of the Divine Path Sect."

"Good fellow, he couldn't even speak clearly, and even with his face covered, he had to rely on pen and paper to communicate with others."

"I finally asked the manager out of curiosity; that person seemed to call himself You Wujian? That's probably the name."

Ren Yidao fell silent, frowned, looked up at the sky, supported his forehead, and sighed.

An uncertain possibility emerged in his heart.

"... That might be one of my fellow disciples, though I'm not sure."

"Oh right, he also seemed to have a preference for married singing girls, hahahahaha."

Yeah, that was definitely him.

Zuo for You, Yun for Wu, Gui for Jian.

My cute Junior Martial Nephew, your couplet was not bad, but you really have no brains.

Oh no!

My intolerance for stupidity is about to flare up...

Watching Ren Yidao's pained, constipated expression, Shi Anqi's laughter got stuck, and his eyes cleared up quite a bit:

"Ah!? You really are a member of the Divine Path Sect!"

"I really am! This matter is absolutely true; I have no need to deceive Brother Shi about this."

Shi Anqi's expression was quite spectacular, changing again and again, until he finally lowered his voice and sighed:

"……In that case, this matter becomes difficult to handle."

He threw an arm around Ren Yidao's shoulder and whispered into his ear:

"Brother Ren, I suggest you temporarily avoid returning to the sect for the time being."

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Ren Yidao frowned deeply.

"Brother Shi, what do you mean by that?"

But this time, Shi Anqi merely waved his hand, unwilling to say anything more.

Ren Yidao did not try to press for more information.

The relationship between the two appeared fiery, but how much would remain once the wine wore off?

All under Heaven bustle for profit; all under Heaven hustle for gain.

If not for the premise that Ren Yidao might have a chance to help him cleanse his Evil Qi, Shi Anqi would not have revealed even this much.

Shi Anqi was not some greenhorn just entering officialdom; he would never do such a risky thing without a benefit.

But regardless of Shi Anqi's original intent, this hint of his indeed confirmed one thing for Ren Yidao.

The upheaval within the sect was, as expected, not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

This detachment of the Imperial Army was not guarding Chongzhou City just for the corpse of a Fox Demon; there were deeper meanings behind it.

Now, he felt that he had finally touched a corner of the truth.

Thinking this through, Ren Yidao chuckled and shook his head at Shi Anqi:

"Since that is the case, then I must return even more."

"Brother Shi, you are a man of the Imperial Court; would you shrink from battle when Beigan is in danger?"

"Unlike the thin ice of the Imperial Court, the sect is my home."

He raised his wine cup, drained the liquor in one gulp, and laughed loudly:

"With the sect in trouble, how could I flee from the battlefield?"

"Though there be millions, I shall go."

After finishing his laughter, Ren Yidao cupped his hands toward Shi Anqi:

"Many thanks for Brother Shi's warning. Ren has nothing to repay you with, so I can only share some of your troubles."

The art of socializing is not difficult; it is merely a matter of returning a peach for a plum.

"The weight of Brother Shi's Evil Qi is the most I have ever seen in my life, but it is not without a cure."

"The method is not complicated; one only needs to have others use Merit to actively neutralize your Evil Qi."

Shi Anqi's eyes lit up, but they quickly dimmed again, and he sighed:

"That is easy to say, but where is such a simple thing to be found?"

The energy of Merit is already difficult to cultivate, and who would be willing to consume the Merit they worked so hard to cultivate themselves?

But Ren Yidao smiled mysteriously:

"Since I have brought it up, I naturally will not let Brother Shi down."

"If relying solely on Merit to dissipate it is hard, one can actually use some clever methods."

"For example, finding someone who possesses great Merit to form a marriage alliance, a blood pact, or a sworn brotherhood……"

And just as the two were talking, an accident occurred suddenly.

Clang!

The door of the Zuixian Small Pavilion was kicked open by someone!

Ren Yidao and Shi Anqi turned their heads in confusion; neither of them had thought anyone would dare to come and smash the place, and they looked together at the uninvited guest at the door.

Who was so bold?

Yet unexpectedly, the person who arrived was not some spoiled playboy.

Instead, it was a heroic-looking female Constable in red.

Oh?

Ren Yidao, who had intended to leave once he finished speaking, sat firmly back in his chair.

A female Constable?

Rounding it up, isn't this just a female knight!