"I'll just take a sip…"
"Just one more sip!"
"I—I want a little, too…"
"Nana, drink more! Come on, another!"
"…Nana, you're drunk."
"No—Ah! No, I'm not drunk! If you think I'm drunk… then feed me! Feed me with your mouth, Bei~"
Hu Liena collapsed fully into Subei's arms, cheeks burning scarlet under the glow of the fire. Her whole body was soft and feverishly warm, the sweet scent of wine spilling from her breath as she clutched tightly to his arm. Every word melted into syrupy purrs in his ear.
As the saying goes—wine makes people bold. And Hu Liena, with alcohol warming her veins, cast aside even the fear of Bibi Dong's stern eyes. She nestled against Subei's chest like a foxy kitten, shameless, demanding.
Subei froze, half his body soaked in her warmth, the tips of his ears turning red. This girl… she doesn't know she's turning the fire in my veins against me!
Beside them, Yan's cup clattered into the grass. His drinking capacity was good—normally—but his heart was another matter. Watching Hu Liena cling like that to Subei, he felt a blur of sourness spill into him. Even wine couldn't numb it, so he gulped more, eager to drown the ache.
Tang San sat stiffly across the fire, cup barely touched. He had discipline etched into his bones, but even his cheeks reddened faintly. His knees bounced restlessly, his fingers rubbing against them as if scratching away jealousy. His gaze flicked to Subei's other side—Hu Liena occupied the right arm, but that left arm still hung free. Could it be… waiting for him?
No. Impossible. But if it is… ah, Teacher… would you let me lean on you too?
Bibi Dong, meanwhile, held her cup steady, the papal composure still intact. But as the warmth seeped in, her pale cheeks bloomed faintly pink. She muttered under her breath, shaking her head. Xiaobei's wine… far superior to the royal collections. Truly intoxicating. Were it not for my cultivation, I'd already be asleep against him too.
…
The lawn scene: drunken laughter, skewered meat still sizzling, fire crackling merrily.
But deeper in the forest, another rhythm rumbled.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
A giant shadow moved between the trees, each step a crunch of earth.
The Titan Giant Ape.
The behemoth of the Star Dou, body dark and immense, eyes glinting crimson under the moonlight. Even in the core, creatures gave it way. How could such a beast stalk the outer forest rim?
Yet here it was, crawling low, sniffing as if tracking prey.
Its thick lips curled, tongue licking as it scented the breeze.
"Roar…"
One punch shattered a centuries-old tree into timber, birds scattering in terror from the echo. Soul beasts who caught its scent fled on instinct, vanishing into burrows.
The Titan lifted its nose again. The wind carried it—the unmistakable scent of roasted flesh, fried cumin…
…and wine.
Its face twitched. The dark cheeks flushed—yes, flushed scarlet.
"Wuaarhh~"
The beast's massive hand scratched its head, drool flashing at its fangs. Wine! Wine! Wine!
Like a giant child, the Titan Ape bounded joyfully through the jungle, its colossal arms springing it forward.
Wine. Good thing!
It hadn't forgotten. The "King" had once left it a small precious bottle. The taste had soared through its body, leaving its mind clear, its heart drunk. The flavor had haunted it since. Small human wines never compared.
Since then, the Titan had prowled the outer ridges, hoping against hope that one day another soul master would appear with that immortal drink. Recently, rumors among humans even spoke:
There's a wine-thief monster in Star Dou. Bring liquor, and the shadow will find you.
Half-mocking, half-warning. More than a few arrogant hunters had tried to bait it—every one of them ended in pulp beneath its palms.
The Titan didn't want violence. But it wasn't about to let humans think spirit beasts were weak either. And above all else? It wanted that taste.
And tonight—tonight that very divine fragrance hovered in the trees again.
Was the King back? Was the little rabbit girl with him?
Excited, the Titan shrieked softly and vaulted high into the canopy. Ten meters, twenty, crashing branches under its bulk, each bound bringing it closer to the open lawn.
…
Back on the grass, the sound began.
Boom. Boom. BOOM.
It shook the earth like a drum. Porcelain bottles rattled on the racks, glasses spilled over, and Yan's eyes shot wide open. His drunken haze cracked instantly.
"What was that?!"
Tang San stiffened, drawing Blue Silver Grass instinctively. "Don't panic—this lawn's clearer than the forest. Visibility here is better if we're attacked!" He turned to Subei with fierce devotion. "Don't fear, Teacher. If there's danger—Tang San will be your wall. Even if heaven itself cracks, I'll lay down as the bridge beneath you!"
Subei winced. …Oh dear. The wine's gotten to him too. Otherwise he wouldn't sound like a tragic poem.
Hu Liena, by contrast, was already snuggling deeper against his chest, nearly asleep in her drunken haze. Her breath came whisper-soft.
"…Bei… don't sleep with Qian Renxue anymore… sleep with me… my body's just as good… I'm… developing too…"
Subei nearly coughed wine through his nose, face blazing crimson.
Bibi Dong and Ghost Douluo, though tipsy moments ago, had already called up Soul Power in caution. Their eyes sharpened toward the trembling forest rim.
Ghost whispered through grit teeth: "Your Holiness. It's coming."
Bibi Dong's gaze dropped to the strewn bottles and spilled liquor across the grass. Her lips curved in a sly, almost contemptuous smile.
"So. The intelligence wasn't wrong," she murmured. "A drunkard beast lured by wine? Hmph. We threw out bait without meaning to… and it couldn't resist."
Then she straightened, scepter glowing, her eyes shimmering like shards of glass under firelight.
"Let it come, then."
--
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