“What? They’re making you escort grain supplies to Nine Rivers?” Ruyi stood up, completely puzzled. “You’re a grand commander, not a grain supply officer. How could they assign you to do such a thing?”

Wei Zijue sat before her, his face full of smiles. “As long as I can get to Nine Rivers, I have my ways to return to the main command tent. You don’t need to worry.”

Was this a matter of worry or not?

Ruyi paced around the room twice, her mind filled with the Demon King’s voice: “The next task is simple—just obstruct Great Qian’s grain supply transport.”

Normally, this task wouldn’t be difficult at all, but why was Wei Zijue the one escorting the grain supplies?

Ruyi turned around and asked hesitantly, “If something goes wrong during your journey, what punishment would you face?”

The smile on his face faded somewhat. Wei Zijue sighed, “I’ve repeatedly requested to go to battle, which has already angered His Majesty. This mission is meant to offset my previous mistakes with merit. If something still goes wrong, my family in Lin’an City would likely suffer the consequences.”

She fell silent, pressing her lips together as her willow-like eyebrows slowly furrowed.

Everyone who makes mistakes must pay a price, including herself. If her mission failed, she would need to feed other demons with her blood as compensation. Now that she had a mortal body, her blood was not only sweet but also contained demonic power. If she truly had to feed a large number of demons, the situation might become uncontrollable.

“Miss?” Wei Zijue called out to her curiously. “Aren’t you happy for me? Even if there’s a ten percent chance of failure, I still have ninety percent odds of success. By then, I might be able to mount my horse with spear in hand and reclaim lost territory.”

Ruyi snapped back to reality and forced a smile. “Of course I’m happy for you. Stay a while longer and drink with us to celebrate the festival.”

The Tianqing Festival had seven days of rest, and it was nearly coming to an end. The people at the Immortal Meeting Tavern decided to have a big feast and drink until they were thoroughly intoxicated.

“Alright.” Wei Zijue readily agreed.

Today, Fuman was personally cooking, working with helpers to prepare more than twenty dishes. The dazzling array of colorful dishes filled the round table. Zhao Yanning was setting out bowls and chopsticks while inhaling deeply, “It smells so good.”

He Tinglan returned from outside carrying cured meat. After handing it to Qingyi, she sat down. “Where is everyone? How come no one’s here when it’s almost time to eat?”

Qingyi laughed, “The proprietress is upstairs discussing business. She’ll be down shortly.”

He took the cured meat to the back to slice it. Zhou Tingchuan brushed past him, carrying hot dishes and calling out, “Move aside, move aside, it’s burning hot.”

He Tinglan laughed, “Why is the little lord here to mooch food again?”

“Who wants to cook when you’re alone at home? Of course, I have to come here to freeload.” He sat down while pinching his earlobe. “Besides, one more mouth to feed isn’t much for you all.”

“One more mouth isn’t much, but I’m afraid it’s going to be three more mouths.” Li Zhaoying entered from outside, with Song Zhenshan following beside him.

Zhao Yanning’s face fell. “Why is everyone gathering here? Did you all know there would be lots of dishes today?”

“Ruyi-jiejie invited me.” Zhaoying put her hands on her hips and huffed. “If there isn’t enough food later, the little lord should leave first.”

Zhou Tingchuan said miserably, “I don’t want to go back and keep my lord company drinking night wind.”

Song Zhenshan raised an eyebrow. “Your lord is still busy?”

“Absolutely. He’s kept half the Ministry of Justice staff behind without letting them go home. There’s quite a bit of grumbling. I was thinking of buying him a few dishes to take back later.”

Fuman brought out soup, and upon hearing this, she set down the soup bowl and gestured: The tavern temporarily won’t do business with your lord.

Zhou Tingchuan stared wide-eyed. “Why not? Our lord pays money, too.”

“Your lord made our proprietress lose sleep for several days recently from anger. Now he wants to eat delicious food?” Zhao Yanning wagged her finger. “Save it.”

When Ruyi and Wei Zijue came downstairs, they happened to hear exactly this conversation.

Wei Zijue couldn’t help but look at her, his brow slightly furrowed. “What, still troubled by him?”

Ruyi pouted. “You believe Zhao Yanning’s words? I’ve been sleeping just fine.”

The tossing and turning was from before.

She nonchalantly smoothed her skirt and went downstairs. After greeting everyone, she took her seat and raised her cup. “It’s rare that we’re all gathered here today. Heroes don’t ask about origins or official ranks. Let’s drink deeply.”

Everyone at the table cheered and drank together. After draining their cups, Zhao Yanning laughed, “How can we drink happily without drinking games? Proprietress, we’ve got everything ready here.”

As she spoke, she brought out a jar of flower-inscribed sticks and shook it.

Everyone laughed and reached out to draw sticks one by one.

Wei Zijue drew peach blossoms and immediately recited: “I wish to buy peach blossoms and wine together, yet it’s never like the carefree days of youth.”

Zhao Yanning, who drew next, drank a cup of wine and revealed her pear blossom stick: “Swallows come at the new spring festival, pear blossoms fall after Qingming.”

Zhou Tingchuan spat at him, “On such a good day, you mention Qingming. You should penalize yourself.”

Zhao Yanning wanted to argue, but Fuman, across from him, also glared at him.

Shrugging his shoulders, he cleanly drank two consecutive cups.

Zhou Tingchuan laughed raucously, but Fuman gestured to ask him: What’s your stick?

His laughter stopped abruptly. He miserably revealed the stick’s head: “There aren’t any poems about chrysanthemums that I haven’t read.”

“Stop talking nonsense, drink!” Zhao Yanning scolded with a red face.

Zhou Tingchuan also followed by drinking two cups.

Fuman and Tinglan, behind him, both drew easy ones like lotus and apricot blossoms. When the round finished and it was Ruyi’s turn, she didn’t even blink before tilting her head back and drinking two cups straight down.

“This one’s just here to trick drinks,” Zhaoying laughed.

“I never attended private school. How would I know any poetry?” Setting down her wine cup, Ruyi smiled. “Next round.”

The atmosphere in the main hall was heated. When the wine reached its peak, Zhao Yanning even pulled Zhou Tingchuan onto the stage to dance a whirling dance. Close friends pushed cups and exchanged toasts, the table full of delicacies steaming hot.

Ruyi held her wine cup and rested her cheek on her hand, her eyes misty as she thought this was much more enjoyable than cultivating in the cave.

A bamboo stick slipped from her sleeve and fell to the ground.

Song Zhenshan turned his head and casually glanced, seeing the simplest two characters written on it: winter plum.

Even if one hadn’t attended private school, wasn’t it easy to recite poems about plum blossoms? He couldn’t help but glance at Ruyi.

Ruyi slowly picked up the flower stick.

She could certainly recite “Refusing to compete glamorously with winter snow, only offering solitary beauty to secluded fragrance”—but…

She looked at those two characters, somehow remembering how she had foolishly argued with others for him, using newly bloomed winter plum as stakes, betting a whole table full.

That table of winter plum was truly beautiful, untouched by even half a speck of dust, clean and fragrant.

With a mocking curve of her lips, Ruyi threw the flower stick back into the stick container. The “thunk” sound was perfectly covered by Zhou Tingchuan’s chaotic stomping on stage.

When the moon hung high outside, only Song Zhenshan and Ruyi remained awake in the entire venue.

Song Zhenshan wouldn’t bother with others. He picked up Li Zhaoying and left. Ruyi could only personally drive the carriage, sending Wei Zijue and Zhou Tingchuan back one by one.

“Stop at the back gate of the Ministry of Justice office.” Zhou Tingchuan held several food boxes, mumbling unclearly. “My lord will come to pick me up.”