Ch. 96 – Drinking Capacity

When Feng Ye entered the room, the four people who had entered ahead of him were already seated side by side at the dining table.

Although there were only two residents in this wooden house, there were four long benches occupying each side of the square table.

With the bearded man and the scarred man each sitting on one side and Fang Yang and Cao Zirui squeezing into another, the last remaining side was naturally reserved for Feng Ye and Hao Chen.

Before taking his seat, Feng Ye cast a cursory glance around the room. Although the house was small, it contained all of the necessities, such as beds, cooking utensils, and some other common household items. There were even embroidery needles and thread laying out, as well as a cloth tiger.

Feng Ye’s gaze lingered briefly on the cloth tiger.

“Come sit down! We just caught a rabbit today,” the scarred man called out to Feng Ye.

Feng Ye looked away and sat down at the table.

But before he could settle into his seat, Hao Chen unceremoniously squeezed in next to him, forcing him to move to the side.

Even though Feng Ye had given him enough space, Hao Chen completely ignored the ample space on his other side and pressed close to Feng Ye.

Despite carrying the fish all this way, Feng Ye still instinctively balked at anyone getting so close to him, and shifted a little further away.

Hao Chen, pushing his luck, scooted closer and closer to him.

This repeated several times.

The long bench was meant to be shared equally between two people, but Hao Chen was already seated in the middle, leaving Feng Ye with only one side of his buttocks resting on the bench.

If he moved any further, he would fall flat on his rear. Feng Ye finally gave up struggling and resigned himself to sitting close to Hao Chen.

Meanwhile, as the two of them shifted in their seats, the others at the table had already struck up a conversation.

The scarred man introduced himself first: “My name is Wang Wu. I’m a hunter from the mountains.”

Wang Wu then gestured to the bearded man on his left and said: “This is my good brother, Zhao Yi.”

Compared to Wang Wu’s beaming smile, Zhao Yi appeared somewhat indifferent. He had likely not been very willing to allow Feng Ye and the others inside his home, but Wang Wu had cut his refusal short. When Wang Wu introduced him, he simply nodded to everyone.

Once the two of them finished their introductions, it was Feng Ye’s turn to introduce his crew of four.

But he was currently occupied with his back-and-forth with Hao Chen, so Fang Yang stepped up to set an example. He introduced his party one by one, from the furthest away from him to the closest.

He only said their names, without explaining where they came from or what they were doing here. Because Fang Yang felt that even if he told these two hunters, they wouldn’t understand, since cultivation sects usually interacted very little with ordinary people.

But Wang Wu wasn’t satisfied with Fang Yang’s lack of explanation. His smile remained unchanged as he subtly probed for information: “I can see that the four of you possess an air of authority and an extraordinary bearing. You don’t seem like ordinary people.”

Fang Yang scratched his head sheepishly, and was about to say that they were just ordinary disciples of an immortal sect when a voice suddenly cut in.

“We brothers have only practiced martial arts for a short while, so we’re just mediocre, not much better than the average person. But Wang-xiong and Zhao-xiong seem to be quite skilled.”

Feng Ye gestured to the roasted rabbit on the table and smiled, saying: “This rabbit may look simple, but they’re actually incredibly difficult to catch. Once they really start to run, even a wolf might not be able to keep up. I see there are two more dead rabbits lying by the stove. To be able to catch three at once, Wang-xiaong and Zhao-xiong must have considerable martial arts skills.”

“Haha, hunting is all about experience. Properly set up the trap and bait, and the prey will fall right in. It’s not as complicated as you think. My brother and I are just physically strong, which can’t compare to the formal training and techniques of you four,” Wang Wu responded with a hearty laugh.

“An unconventional path is not necessarily inferior to orthodox martial arts. In the beginning, these so-called techniques were merely things that martial artists devised through their own contemplation. Wang-xiong, there’s no need to sell yourself short,” Feng Ye added.

Wang Wu chuckled again and dropped the subject.

He had already realized that Feng Ye was being evasive, so he decided to try a different approach to pry some information out of him: “By the way, what brings you four young men to Longqiu? This is a desolate wilderness teeming with wolves, tigers, and leopards; it’s not an ideal destination.”

Feng Ye replied with a smile: “We heard that there are ruins of an ancient city here, which made us very curious. Since we happened to be passing by Longqiu, we made a special trip to see them.”

Wang Wu’s eyes flickered briefly, and he replied: “Ancient city ruins, huh? That’s certainly true.”

“Oh? In that case, would Wang-xiong be so kind as to point the way? After a brief rest, we’ll head out and not trouble you any further,” said Feng Ye, raising his eyebrows.

“Hey, we met by fate, don’t speak of troubling us.”

Wang Wu waved his hand, then gestured outside: “As you can see from this mountain road, there’s absolutely no structure to it. After the rain, the dirt washes away as mud and the shape of the path changes. Since it’s your first time here, you’re bound to eventually get lost, so how about you just rest here for a while? This afternoon, when it’s not so hot, my brother and I will personally take you there.”

Faced with Wang Wu’s enthusiastic suggestion, Feng Ye thought for a moment, but didn’t refuse. He simply thanked the man: “Many thanks to Wang-xiong and Zhao-xiong.”

Seeing that the two had come to the end of their conversation, Fang Yang finally had a chance to chime in. He lamented to Wang Wu and Zhao Yi: “You really can’t judge a book by its cover, ah. I never imagined that Wang-xiong and Zhao-xiong would be such kind-hearted people. At first glance, you seemed a bit fierce, and I even thought you resembled bandits from a storybook.”

The lively dinner table fell silent in the wake of Fang Yang’s words.

Even the roasted rabbit, which was still piping hot after coming out of the pot, couldn’t alleviate the sudden temperature drop.

Wang Wu’s smile froze on his face, and Zhao Yi’s eyelid twitched, his right hand subconsciously going to his waist.

Cao Zirui glanced around, sensing that something was amiss.

Feng Ye’s gaze lingered on the long, narrow outlines at the waists of the two men. Judging by the length, they were probably daggers.

Hao Chen, on the other hand, calmly opened his fan and waved it.

Fang Yang was completely oblivious to the tremendous truth his words had inadvertently revealed, and he was equally oblivious to the strange atmosphere.

After speaking, he shifted his attention to the roasted rabbit on the table.

Although cultivators at Foundation Establishment stage were able to practice inedia, this rabbit really did smell delicious…..

Fang Yang swallowed.

“Ai, my brother and I have suffered a lot because of our appearances. When we went to the city to work as laborers in our early years, people thought we looked too fierce and refused to hire us.” After a brief tension, Wang Wu broke the silence around the dinner table.

His complexion returned to normal, warm and smiling, and he invited everyone: “We’ve been chatting so long that we forgot to eat. Come on, help yourselves.”

As he spoke, he personally tore off a rabbit leg and handed it to Fang Yang, hoping to stuff his mouth with it. 

Then he spoke again: “We didn’t expect to have guests today, so we only roasted this one rabbit. If it’s not enough, I’ll go roast another one right away.”

“No need,” said Feng Ye. “We’ve already eaten some dry rations on the way. Just a taste is enough. There’s no need for you to go to such trouble, Wang-xiong.”

“Oh, I see…..” Wang Wu feigned a regretful expression.

After saying this, he suddenly got up and fetched a jar of wine from the corner of the room. The jar was half a meter high, and looked quite heavy.

Although it wasn’t easy for Wang Wu to move it, he eventually managed. Such strength was not common in ordinary people.

At this sight, Feng Ye became more certain of his suspicions.

Wang Wu carried the jar to the table and broke off the mud seal, then smiled at everyone and said: “Just eating meat isn’t enough, it needs to be paired with wine to truly savor the flavor. Homemade rice wine can’t compare to the wine in the city. Please don’t be offended!”

As he spoke, he filled each of the bowls on the table to the brim, pouring such an unusually large amount that they nearly overflowed.

After pouring, Wang Wu sat back down and set an example for everyone by picking up his wine bowl: “I’ll drink first as a sign of respect!”

Having said this, he really did drink it all in one gulp.

When he finished, he turned the bowl upside down to show that not a single drop was left.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui actually didn’t drink, but in the face of Wang Wu’s enthusiasm, as well as the fact that he had already finished his drink, they felt that it would be impolite to refuse.

Drinking was an essential part of becoming a man; it was something they would have to learn eventually. Thus, the two of them also picked up their wine bowls and began to drink in small sips.

Feng Ye picked up his bowl too. He briefly stared at the crystal-clear liquid, and only after confirming that it hadn’t been tampered with did he tilt his head back and drink it down.

Bang.

“Feng-xiong, please have more!”

The moment Feng Ye’s bowl clattered to the table, Wang Wu urged him to drink more.

Wang Wu poured himself another bowl, and also filled Feng Ye’s to the brim.

His intention to get him drunk couldn’t be clearer.

Whether that foolish boy named Fang Yang was truly a fool or merely putting on an act, he had actually laid their identities bare in one sentence.

But as he watched Fang Yang happily munch on a rabbit leg, Wang Wu leaned toward the conclusion that he was genuinely a fool.

Of the four people present, the most difficult one to deal with was probably the one named Feng Ye. After talking with him for so long, he had been unable to glean any useful information.

Feng Ye’s stated purpose for coming here, as well as the identities of this group, were probably not true at all.

Wang Wu had already realized that it would be difficult to get Feng Ye to talk, but…..

Men were most liable to open up in two situations: one was during pillow talk, and the other was after drinking.

He would get Feng Ye absolutely drunk, and then he would pour out everything he was holding back.

Although Wang Wu was also forced to drink during this process, he was extremely confident in his alcohol tolerance and didn’t believe that anyone could outdrink him.

Out of everyone at this table, it definitely wouldn’t be him who collapsed first.

However, his confidence was shattered merely half a shichen later.

And it wasn’t Feng Ye who shattered it, but Hao Chen.

After Wang Wu toasted Feng Ye three times, Hao Chen, who had been silent until now, suddenly joined the drinking party.

He had realized Wang Wu’s intention to get them drunk, and couldn’t help but pick up his fan and give it a flutter, feeling that an opportunity to showcase his charm had finally arrived.

Shielding one’s wife from drinking was practically a must-learn skill for any responsible man.

So Hao Chen snatched the wine bowl from Feng Ye’s hand, which had been refilled for the fourth time, and smiled slightly at the somewhat surprised Feng Ye: “You can’t hold your liquor. I’ll drink for you.”

Feng ‘can’t hold his liquor’ Ye: “ ……”

Hao Chen didn’t mind that Feng Ye had already used the wine bowl, and didn’t even sip from a different part of the rim. He simply drank all the wine in the bowl directly from where Feng Ye had drunk from.

This sudden disruption didn’t bother Wang Wu. He figured that with his enormous capacity for alcohol, he could easily get Hao Chen drunk and then start on Feng Ye again.

After drinking round after round, Wang Wu began to experience some pressure when the bowls numbered over a dozen. He was already slightly drunk, but this fellow named Hao Chen wasn’t even breathing heavily or red in the face. He seemed as if he could go a dozen more rounds without a problem.

Wang Wu’s eyes darted around, and he gave Zhao Yi next to him a meaningful look.

Zhao Yi nodded in understanding. He found a pretext to lift his bowl and propose a toast to Hao Chen, then took turns with Wang Wu plying him with drink.

They refused to believe that between the two of them, they couldn’t drink him under the table.

However, they had no choice but to believe it. Hao Chen accepted every one of their toasts, drinking every bowl Wang Wu and Zhao Yi poured him. Even when they refrained, he drank one bowl after another without stopping.

The roasted rabbit was long gone. Fang Yang and Cao Zirui stared in disbelief as Hao Chen repeatedly set down empty bowls, still holding their unfinished bowls of wine.

The dinner table had become a drinking battleground.

At long last, the wine jar was empty. Wang Wu had also reached his limit.

He stared at Hao Chen with a baffled expression. It truly defied belief; did this fellow have an entire ocean in his stomach?

He ended with a half-hearted compliment: “Hao-xiong, what great drinking capacity!”

Then he slumped over on the table.

Hao Chen finished the last bowl of wine in front of him, then turned to Feng Ye with a grin.

It was evident that he was seeking praise.

Feng Ye ignored him, staring at Hao Chen’s stomach with a head full of questions.

He shared the same idea as Wang Wu: was there an ocean inside Hao Chen’s belly?

The jar of wine weighed at least twenty catties, and most of it had ended up inside Hao Chen. Yet despite drinking so much, his belly was still flat. It was unknown where all of that wine had gone.

Feng Ye had seen Hao Chen’s true form in his dream, that Peng bird that blotted out the sky. Even if Hao Chen couldn’t drink up the sea, he could certainly drain a small river.

But that was his true form. How was the human version able to drink so much?

Feng Ye’s original form wasn’t small either, but his appetite and alcohol tolerance changed with his size. He could eat more in his dragon form, but as a human, he was no different from any ordinary person.

But that didn’t seem to be the case for the Kunpeng. Could it be that the structure of Hao Chen’s human form was different from ordinary people?

The more he thought about it, the more confused Feng Ye became. So, under Hao Chen’s bewildered gaze, he leaned down and pressed his ear against the other’s stomach.

Hao Chen stared down at Feng Ye lying in his lap, and asked in confusion: “What are you doing?”

Feng Ye first shushed him. Then, after listening for a moment, he replied: “I want to hear the sound of the sea.”

Hao Chen: “……”

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