Chapter 3998 — Drunk by the Bear

With that said, Xu Lingchong downed it without the slightest hesitation, giving the impression that there really was no trick in it—nothing but a plain toast of apology to Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao had not wanted to drink his cup at all. The cultivation world, after all, teemed with strange and uncanny things, unlike the mundane realm where only those few drugs known to all men existed. If Xu Lingchong really had slipped something into the wine, even Wei Zhao with all his strength would find it hard to detect. And if he fell foul of Xu Lingchong on that account, who knew what unforeseen consequences might follow.

But since Shangguan Lan'er had spoken as she had, he could hardly ignore her and let it pass; he had no choice but to take Xu Lingchong's cup.

"Young Hero Lin, I shall drink first in tribute—please!" No sooner had Xu Lingchong spoken than he drained the cup in one gulp.

Wei Zhao brought the cup to his nose and sniffed. Beyond the wine's fragrant bouquet and spiritual essence, he could find nothing at all out of the ordinary.

Watching this, Xu Lingchong sneered inwardly. Are the tricks I use so easily exposed? To think a mere human nose could sniff out anything amiss—that is sheer fantasy, sweet in its naivety.

Wei Zhao still had no confidence in the matter, yet since the cup had been exchanged from Xu Lingchong's own hand, then even if the fellow had truly laced the wine, it could not be any fierce poison capable of killing a man in short order.

Otherwise, even if Xu Lingchong held the antidote in his own grasp, with Wei Zhao stalling him face to face like this, it would be hard to guarantee nothing would go wrong. Besides, this was, after all, a critical occasion thronged with great personages; to use poisoned wine and bring about a death here, Xu Lingchong too would find it hard to bear the consequences—Shangguan Lan'er, after all, could bear witness on the spot that the wine Wei Zhao drank had come from his hand.

So much at least Wei Zhao could be certain of: even if the wine had been laced, it could at most be some unorthodox supplementary ingredient, one that would take a measure of effect in the short term but would never be too violent, nor leave any obvious lingering aftereffects.

Xu Lingchong was no fool. Wei Zhao could even go further and infer that if the stuff truly had been added, its effects were probably designed from first to last never to be easily noticed—in all likelihood, even when the effects came on, they would be mistaken for mere drunkenness.

"What's this? Young Hero Lin still dares not drink? That is a rather poor showing of face for me, and a rather shameful one for you, is it not?" Seeing Wei Zhao hesitate and delay, Xu Lingchong at once urged him on aloud.

"Since you beg me to drink, then drink I shall." By this moment the eyes of those around had been drawn over, and Wei Zhao could no longer keep putting it off and wavering; he gave a faint smile and drained the cup.

"Excellent—to take up what one can put down, that is the measure of a true man!" Xu Lingchong smiled in secret triumph, betraying nothing, then turned and poured another cup, which he offered to Shangguan Lan'er: "Junior Sister Lan'er, today is your birthday. By both sentiment and propriety, your senior brother ought to toast you a cup. Surely my little junior sister will not refuse?"

Shangguan Lan'er could not have been bothered to pay this pest any mind, but seeing that from afar Shangguan Tianxia, Xu Yuanzheng, and the others were looking her way, she could hardly leave with a flick of her sleeve. She could only endure it and take the cup, pouting as she said, "Let me make one thing clear—this young lady is not giving you face; she is giving your grandfather face. You have no face at all in this young lady's eyes!"

This cheap woman! Xu Lingchong was so enraged his teeth ached. Before Wei Zhao appeared, Shangguan Lan'er had at times shown a young lady's temper, yet in his eyes the flaw could not conceal the virtue. But now, seeing her in league with Wei Zhao, the more he looked at her the more she seemed to him a slut any man might bed—a fine pair of dogs in heat!

"Yes, yes—Junior Sister Lan'er is heaven's favored daughter; not just anyone may give her face," Xu Lingchong said, nodding and smiling in apology, while the corner of his mouth unconsciously curved into a strange little arc. Say what you will—so long as you drink this cup, what comes after will not be for you to decide.

Shangguan Lan'er gave a delicate snort, too impatient to waste more words on Xu Lingchong, and at once tilted back her head to drink it down. It was, after all, specially brewed spiritual wine, and she had drunk no small amount of it since childhood; a few cups would be no trouble at all.

Watching from the side, Wei Zhao felt a trace of hidden worry. Xu Lingchong's conduct plainly stank of a trick, and if he was not mistaken, the spiritual wine must have been laced. With Wei Zhao's own strength and resolve, he did not much fear it for himself—but with Shangguan Lan'er it was another matter entirely.

Yet just as Xu Lingchong's scheme seemed on the verge of succeeding, Little Curly Bear beside them suddenly leapt onto Shangguan Lan'er, and while no one was watching, licked the cup clean in a single lap.

"Xiaobai, you little tippler!" Shangguan Lan'er was caught between laughter and tears.

Surprising as the sight was, it was also only to be expected. Sneaking spiritual wine was no once-or-twice affair for Little Curly Bear; in truth, the creature had shown drunken potential from a young age. Ever since one time it had tumbled into a wine vat and fallen into a stupor of drunken oblivion, the little thing had stolen wine upon every encounter, never once letting the chance slip by—and the present opportunity was naturally no exception.

At this Xu Lingchong was struck dumb. The spiritual wine he had schemed by a thousand devices to make Shangguan Lan'er drink had, in the blink of an eye, gone into the belly of that beast Little Curly Bear. Damn it—what sort of nonsense was this?

"There. Xiaobai has now drunk in this young lady's stead, so you have no more business here, have you? Now hurry up and clear the way for me!" Shangguan Lan'er lifted her chin at Xu Lingchong.

"This... this cannot count, surely?" Xu Lingchong hastily poured another cup, wanting to make Shangguan Lan'er drink it, but alas, the young miss did not even favor him with a glance; she simply called Wei Zhao along, stepped around him, and went upstairs.

Hell! Xu Lingchong could only vent his gloom with a curse. Had they not been in such a public setting, he would at this moment have been tempted even to force the wine down Shangguan Lan'er's throat. Though this plan had been conceived on the spur of the moment, whether it could be carried off smoothly bore upon his grand future prospects—not the slightest mishap could be permitted!

Yet Shangguan Lan'er had already led Wei Zhao upstairs. However much Xu Lingchong stamped his feet in dismay, it was now all in vain. At such a moment, if he forcibly followed and pressed Shangguan Lan'er to drink, it would be far too deliberate and conspicuous; he feared everyone present would begin to suspect his motives.

Watching the retreating figures of Shangguan Lan'er and Wei Zhao as they ascended hand in hand, Xu Lingchong spat in hatred. This last round of maneuvering had not, at least, been entirely fruitless: Shangguan Lan'er's side had failed, but at least he had made Wei Zhao drink that cup of laced spiritual wine. If put to good use, the follow-up plan could still proceed smoothly. R1152