Stranger Danger-Chapter 1239: Heroes In Wine

The general’s residence was located at the east side of the city. It was also the biggest, most luxurious, and most impressive building in the entire pass. It wasn’t because Taba Xuanwu was a man of luxury or wealth though. It was simply because a lot of people frequented the place.

Taba Xuanwu loved noise and excitement, so the residence was usually packed with soldiers and other people. It was inevitable that the residence needed to be big enough to accommodate all of them.

Taba Xuanwu loved alcohol even more than he loved excitement, which was why the general’s residence was overflowing with alcohol, bets, fights, competitions and more almost every night.

That said, as much as Taba Xuanwu was addicted to alcohol and excitement, he was extremely disciplined. He never allowed himself or anyone to step out of line, nor did he allow the indulgences to impact anyone’s work. A rule was set where all of the hustle and bustle must end at 1 am latest. After that, everyone must extinguish the lamps and rest up for the next day.

That rule was broken for tonight, however. It was past 1 am, and still the people were drinking and making merry with each other.

The reason was simple. It was because Taba Xuanwu had become a Half-Sage, and because he had made a new friend.

Achieving a martial breakthrough was deserving of celebration, Making a new friend was deserving of a drink. For both such joyous occasions to happen on the same day, well, what could he do except celebrate to his heart’s content?

That was why Taba Xuanwu allowed everyone in the residence to dine and wine as they pleased. But only this time, of course.

As mentioned before, Taba Xuanwu was extremely strict when it came to rules and responsibilities. The soldiers could hardly remember the last time he had made an exception. Naturally, they did not let go of the opportunity and went absolutely bonkers about it.

As busy as the soldiers were, they were just the side characters. The main characters of this feast were, of course, Taba Xuanwu and Ye Qing.

The duo were currently engaged in a drinking competition.

They were drinking the fiercest Nine Suns Brew as a matter of course, and they were using pots that were bigger and taller than a person.

Right now, both men were holding a pot and holding up into the sky, pouring the contents of the pot into their mouths like crazy. Occasionally, streams of liquor would spill down their mouth and stain their shirt, though they did not mind it one bit. It looked mighty manly and impressive.

There were six empty pots beside them, meaning that they had drained six pots of Nine Suns Brew each.

“This is fun!”

After draining his current pot to the last drop, Ye Qing set it down on the ground and let out a huge, alcoholic burp. When the alcohol caught up with him, his face turned beet red, and steam was literally rising from his head. It looked like the rise and fall of nine suns.

“Hahaha! It is pretty fun, isn’t it?”

Taba Xuanwu set down his own pot and wiped away the stains on his mouth. He declared rambunctiously, “I’m really glad to have you as my competitor this year, brother. In the past, none of my competitors were able to last more than two pots! It was terribly disappointing!”

Taba Xuanwu’s complexion looked exactly the same as before despite downing six pots of liquor. In fact, he looked positively alive and full of energy.

“Well, most people don’t down entire pots of liquor in one session, and for good reason!”

A slightly intoxicated Ye Qing rubbed his nose.

When he told Taba Xuanwu that he was going to drink until he dropped outside Cloud Hue Pass, he meant it as a phrase. He did not actually want to drink until he dropped—at least not until he had healed from his injuries completely.

However, Taba Xuanwu clearly thought otherwise. As soon as they returned to his home, he had immediately ordered the men to bring a dozen pots of Nine Suns Brew and engaged him in a drinking competition to the death. Possibly literally, since it looked like he cared more about winning this drinking competition than their duel earlier!

What could he do? He could only indulge in his host’s whims, of course. He owed the man after all!

However, he found himself unable to stop the moment he began. It wasn’t that the Nine Suns Brew was the best drink he ever had, nor was it because he must best Taba Xuanwu on the dining table as well. It was because the Nine Suns Brew, to his surprise, turned out to possess physical and mental heal properties.

The Nine Suns Brew he was drinking was no ordinary Nine Suns Brew. It was a spirit liquor Taba Xuanwu had concocted using all sorts of natural treasures.

Besides possessing the original’s taste and aroma—which could only be described as throat-cutting and stomach-exploding—it could heal one’s injuries and improve one’s cultivation. Drank in the norm, it could strengthen one’s physique and improve one’s cultivation. Drank when injured, and it could recover one’s physical injuries and repair one’s mind. It was infinitely useful and on par with some highly potent medicine.

In terms of recovery potency alone, the Nine Suns Brew was several times stronger than pure meditation.

This was why Ye Qing could not stop drinking.

Alas, the Nine Suns Brew was extremely intoxicating. In fact, the intoxication was the reason it was so beneficial. If he were to dispel the alcohol and intoxication from his body, then its recovery properties would be significantly weaker as well. It would have been a waste.

That was why he had no choice but to endure the drunkenness. The result? He was slowly but surely sliding toward the point of blackout.

To be honest, this was the first time he felt drunk since becoming a Great Grandmaster.

It wasn’t a bad feeling.

“What’s wrong, brother? Feeling a little tipsy already?” Taba Xuanwu jeered after noting Ye Qing’s beet red complexion and wobbly footsteps.

“Of course not! I am a man!”

Ye Qing shook his head and declared loudly, “One more!”

Without hesitation, he grabbed a full pot of Nine Suns Brew, dipped his head into the liquid, and began gulping it all down.

“Hahaha! Good!”

Taba Xuanwu wasn’t going to fall behind, of course. Just like Ye Qing, he dipped his head into the pot and began drinking.

“The general is all victorious!”

“The general is all victorious!”

“The general is all victorious!”

Beside them, the soldiers were all cheering their general on.

“Haha... this is fun! So fun!”

After draining the pot to the last, a hint of redness finally climbed onto Taba Xuanwu’s cheeks, and a bit of steam lingered on top of his head.

“I’m not done yet, brother! Let’s go for another round!”

He waited a few breaths, but Ye Qing did not respond to him. Puzzled, he prodded Ye Qing and asked, “Brother? Brother Ye?”

“It looks like Warrior Ye is unconscious, general.”

A soldier moved closer to the pot and looked. He saw that Ye Qing’s entire head was submerged inside the liquor. The young man wasn’t moving a muscle.

It was a good thing that Ye Qing was a Great Grandmaster. A weaker person would have drowned already.

“Out cold already? Hahaha! He’s not up to snuff after all!”

Taba Xuanwu laughed before ordering the man to carry Ye Qing and instructing, “Qin Xun, take my brother to the Maple Leaf Courtyard. Take good care of him and make sure that no one disturbs him.”

“As you command, general,” Qin Xun responded before ordering the men to carry Ye Qing to the Maple Leaf Courtyard.

“Come, let us continue!”

Taba Xuanwu continued to drink and make merry with his men after Ye Qing was gone.

The feast continued until 4 am or so, and it ended only because Taba Xuanwu himself was out cold as well.

After Taba Xuanwu was carried to his room, the merry of the day finally came to an end. The lights were extinguished, and the chatter died down. In the end, all that was left was the silence of the night and the snores of the soldiers.

It was during this restful, peaceful period that five figures soundlessly slipped into the general’s residence.

The guards weren’t on their highest alert. After all, few people would be dumb enough to infiltrate Taba Xuanwu’s own house. They were especially lax tonight because most of them had drank a little too much.

Therefore, no one noticed the five uninvited guests.