Du Yehu wiped the spittle from his face and poured him another bowl of wine, continuing to speak insincerely, "Yes, yes, yes, truly hateful."

Lifting his own wine bowl, "Come on, Old Duan, let’s have another bowl."

Duan Li’s face was flushed red, staring at him fiercely for quite a while.

It wasn’t until Du Yehu had already downed his third bowl that Duan Li cursed, "I really don’t know how I was so blind back then, thinking of handing over the Jiujiang Xuan Armor to you!"

He even suddenly had a bit of a crying tone, "You used to call me ’Master Duan,’ now it’s ’Old Duan!’"

Du Yehu really had no choice, "The day before yesterday when you were drinking, you told me that we should call each other brothers, and asked me to call you ’Big Brother Duan.’ I said that didn’t seem right, and you said then just call you ’Old Duan.’ Have you forgotten so soon?"

Duan Li threw up his hand and stood up abruptly, starting his drunken rave, "Can the words spoken while drinking be taken seriously?"

"Fine, fine, they can’t be taken seriously, Master, Master Duan, Tiger was wrong!"

Du Yehu quickly pulled him back to his seat, "I apologize. Come on, I’ll drink first as a toast to you."

He tilted his head back and neatly downed a bowl.

After gulping it down and wiping his mouth, he said again, "I’ve had three bowls straight as an apology!"

Then he started pouring again.

"Stop it, damn you!" Duan Li slapped the table, sending all the dishes and drinks flying, "Do you think I’m drunk? Trying to take advantage while I’m not sober? Bloody hell, you’re mooching drinks like a fiend?"

Du Yehu regretfully glanced at the wine jar, feeling that he had probably kept him enough company for today; it was time to go to sleep... Isn’t life all about drinking, sleeping, and killing?

So he said, "Look at what you’re saying. Let’s stop here for today, I’ll come and drink with you another time!"

After finishing, he got up, patted his butt, ready to leave, really as carefree coming as going.

Arriving with empty hands, leaving with a belly full.

"Stop right there!" Duan Li called out to him.

Du Yehu turned helplessly, "What now?"

Ever since the war in Zhuang Yong Country ended, Duan Li had been behaving like this, throwing drunken fits and acting like a child.

In his early years, he was focused solely on the Jiujiang Xuan Armor, had neither taken a wife nor had children, and now that he was disposed of, his temperament greatly changed, with no close ones to care for him.

A discarded general no one cares about; Du Yehu reluctantly felt the obligation to check on him from time to time.

But when it came to caregiving, he truly wasn’t good at it. All he could do was accompany him in drinking, while he also indulged a bit in his own fondness for liquor—now being an official Deputy General of an army with a bunch of brothers under him. His military salary, all given away. He could afford his own drinks, but good drinks like these were a bit difficult.

Duan Li stood there, swaying, pointing his finger at him, "You might not need to honor what you say when you’re drinking, but you must. Whenever you say something, you have to stand by it!"

Du Yehu scratched his head, responding evasively, "Agreed, agreed, agreed."

He took a few steps forward, "Come on, Master Duan, let me help you to bed to rest."

"Stop! Don’t you come here!" Duan Li, reeking of alcohol, "I haven’t even told you what to agree to yet!"

Du Yehu had to stand still, "I agree to everything, alright? Master Duan, you’ve been drinking the whole day; it’s dark now, you should go to sleep."

"Ptui! You’re the one who should be sleeping!" Duan Li spat at him, "I’m very clear-headed!"

If it were anyone else, regardless of who they might be, Old Tiger Du would have already slapped them across the face. Lord Du never coddled anyone. But for Duan Li alone...

Ever since he joined the Jiujiang Xuan Armor, he had taken great care of him.

He drank heavily, fought and made trouble, slept day and night, and on the battlefield, often overtaken by the urge to kill, many times he disobeyed military orders...

For every one of those, it was Duan Li who helped him cover up, even making an exception to promote him to Deputy General of the Jiujiang Xuan Armor.

To say he owed him a deep debt of gratitude was no overstatement.

Du Yehu sighed, "Yes, I spoke out of turn. Please calm down. How about if I take another penalty drink?"

In response, he got a military boot, "Get the hell out of here!"

Du Yehu dodged with a tilt of his head and cheerfully headed for the door.

Now being kicked out was exactly what he wanted.

"You stop right there!" Duan Li yelled again.

Du Yehu stopped helplessly, "What now, my Master Duan?"

"You say!" Duan Li suddenly pouted, his face full of drunkenness and a bit of grievance, "Whatever I ask you to do, you’ll promise me!"

The once awe-inspiring and promising Commander of the Jiujiang Xuan Armor had become what he was now. Drowning his sorrows in drink daily, making a scene.

To say that Du Yehu didn’t feel bad watching this was impossible.

But there are so many heart-wrenching things in this world, what can you do!

Helpless, eternally helpless.

Only drinking, sleeping, and killing remain.

Only to let the strong liquor flow through one’s guts, hoping it will carry it all away!

"I promise you," Du Yehu said in a low voice.

"You swear!" Duan Li glared at him with tiger-like ferocity.

Du Yehu sighed, "I swear."

Duan Li then said, "Swear a deadly oath!"

"Fine," Du Yehu replied to the extreme of helplessness, "I swear a deadly oath."

"You say!" Duan Li seemed hell-bent, "If you don’t do it, may your entire family die!"

"Say it, anything is fine," Du Yehu treated it as if he was just throwing a drunken fit, coaxing, "If I don’t do it, may my entire family die."

After all, his entire family was already dead...

Duan Li paused for a moment, as if he was thinking, then added, "And one more thing. If you don’t listen to me and do it, you’ll never drink alcohol for the rest of your life!"

Du Yehu’s eyes widened, "Old Duan! Isn’t that too cruel?"

"Hahaha." Duan Li doubled over laughing, then, after he finished laughing, repeated, "Swear it!"