At precisely noon, all the guests had arrived. Apart from the dozen or so disciples of Baize Dijun, there were only seven or eight elderly Dijuns. This banquet’s scope was indeed extremely small.

Since Qi Nan didn’t know whether it would be more appropriate to give the Essence of Heavenly Fire or the West Sea Pearl, he simply brought both. The Essence of Heavenly Fire was particularly large, requiring an entire cart to transport, making it stand out conspicuously in the pile of congratulatory gifts.

His mood was quite good, chatting and laughing with Qing Di. Xuan Yi kept her head down, slowly poking at the beans on her plate with chopsticks one by one. She was in a bad mood and didn’t want to eat anything.

Seated next to her was an unfamiliar young Shenjun—she had no idea which of the seated Dijuns he was the son of. He kept eating for a while, then turning to glance at her. Xuan Yi’s mood grew even worse. She turned her head away, when suddenly a green jade cup was placed on the white stone table. Shao Yi said gently: “Common saying goes, one drunken stupor can dissolve ten thousand ages of sorrow. Little Loach looks so melancholy—why not have a cup of Luofu Spring? By the way, didn’t the Young Dragon Lord come with you?”

Xuan Yi silently pushed the cup back: “He returned to the Northern Heavens to continue his Thousand-Year Dream.”

Shao Yi was somewhat surprised: “He went back so quickly? He truly is diligent.”

Xuan Yi looked up at him: “Shao Yi Shixiong, how did you come to know my older brother? Last time I heard you mention him, I thought you two had a good relationship, but now it seems there’s some grudge between you. Why don’t you tell me about it, so I can help you resolve it?”

Shao Yi took a light sip of Luofu Spring and said gently: “The Young Dragon Lord didn’t tell you?”

Xuan Yi sighed: “I don’t want to hear it from him. I want to hear it from you.”

Shao Yi couldn’t help but laugh: “If he won’t tell you, then naturally I can’t tell you either. If I overstepped like that, wouldn’t it make the Young Dragon Lord unhappy?”

Xuan Yi lightly hooked his sleeve with her finger and scratched it: “Tell me secretly. I absolutely won’t let my brother know. Please?”

Shao Yi couldn’t suppress his smile. He raised his hand and adjusted the golden ring in her hair: “No.”

Xuan Yi’s brow furrowed. She wasn’t in the mood to play along with him right now. Just as she was about to shake him off and leave, she saw Zhi Xi walking quickly toward them. She also seemed to be in a bad mood, her expression quite stern. Her eyes glared at Shao Yi as she said: “Xuan Yi, come sit with me over there.”

She had seen the intimate way Shao Yi and Xuan Yi were just now. She had actually changed her opinion of him, thinking he wasn’t the dissolute, heartless person she had imagined. Who knew he would start flirting with Xuan Yi again? It was one thing for Xuan Yi to be young and naive, but she refused to believe that someone as clever as Shao Yi wouldn’t know to learn from his lessons—yet he still had to continue stirring up chaos in the Hall of Clarity.

Xuan Yi was only too happy to leave this cursed spot. She threw her arms around Zhi Xi’s arm, smiling brightly: “Great! I want to sit with Shijie.”

Zhi Xi pointed to several seats on the east side where Gu Ting, Tai Yao, and the others were: “Wait for me over there. I’ll come right away.”

With Shijie covering for her, Xuan Yi happily bounced over to Gu Ting and the others. Zhi Xi stared at Shao Yi and said coolly: “Shao Yi Shidi, I don’t want to see another incident like what happened with Yan Xia and Fu Luo in the Hall of Clarity. I hope you can be more careful with your words and actions—at least act like a proper Shixiong in front of your shimei.”

Shao Yi smiled bitterly: “Yes, yes, I understand, Shijie.”

Zhi Xi continued: “Regarding Yan Xia… do you truly feel guilty?”

Shao Yi held the wine cup to his lips and said slowly: “Truly. Toward her, I genuinely feel guilty.”

Zhi Xi was puzzled: “Since you feel guilty, why don’t you reflect on it? Why do you keep repeating the same mistakes? Flirting with one today, another tomorrow—when Yan Xia returns to the upper realm, how will you continue with her?”

Shao Yi was even more puzzled than her: “What would Yan Xia and I continue?”

Zhi Xi suddenly realized she might have misunderstood. She couldn’t help but furrow her brow: “You went to save Yan Xia and resolved her karmic entanglement—wasn’t it to reform yourself and be devoted and faithful to her alone?”

Shao Yi was silent for a moment. He slowly set down his wine cup, slowly refilled it with Luofu Spring, and finally spoke slowly: “Shijie is pure-hearted and kind, and thinks so well of me—I’m very grateful. However, Yan Xia and I were impossible before, and will be impossible in the future. Shijie, I like affectionate women, but I don’t like devoted women. I like being together happily, and when we’re not together, each finding others to be happy with. I’m just this kind of hopeless fellow. Shijie shouldn’t think too well of me.”

“…” Zhi Xi was stunned for a long while, once again left speechless.

Shao Yi gave her a faint smile and said gently: “I respect Shijie’s noble character, but please don’t lecture me earnestly anymore. Wouldn’t it be awkward to waste your breath and energy?”

Zhi Xi stared at him dazedly for a long time without saying anything, then slowly returned to her seat.

Yet her gaze still instinctively gravitated toward that pale purple figure. She now completely understood that this fellow was a true scoundrel, exactly the type of Shenjun she despised most. She warned herself sternly again and again, yet the reason she had once prided herself on now seemed completely useless.

This was truly maddening. Her wrist trembled slightly as she filled a cup of wine and drank it down in one gulp—the first time she ever hoped to get drunk quickly.

While Xuan Yi poked at the tofu on her plate with chopsticks, she listened to Gu Ting tell her about the several days he and Tai Yao had spent enjoying themselves in the mortal realm.

He had probably drunk too much—his tongue had swollen a whole size, and he mumbled repeatedly about how the mortal realm actually had things called inns. To the gods, the idea of building a shabby building with a few shabby rooms inside for travelers to sleep and eat in seemed utterly inconceivable.

As they were talking, Fucang walked over carrying a wine pot. He had already toasted the elders several rounds—he must have drunk no less than five jars of Luofu Spring, yet he looked as if nothing were amiss. His dark blue robe spread out as he elegantly knelt across from the white stone table, lined up the green jade cups, and was about to pour wine for his shixiongs.

Tai Yao stopped him, saying gently: “Fucang Shidi, don’t drink too much. We can’t drink anymore either—just look at Gu Ting.”

Fucang looked at Gu Ting’s intoxicated, hazy appearance, and finally showed a trace of a smile on his face: “He’s always had a low tolerance, yet he always loves to overindulge.”

He glanced toward Xuan Yi. She had barely touched anything on the white stone table in front of her. The tofu had all been poked to pieces by her chopsticks, and now she was poking at the quail, puncturing holes in the crispy skin.

Perhaps the food here didn’t suit this picky princess’s taste. Fucang unconsciously leaned closer, about to speak, when she suddenly turned her head and looked at him listlessly: “Fucang Shixiong, pour me a cup of wine.”

She actually wanted to drink wine? Didn’t she sneeze at the slightest whiff of alcohol? Today’s wine was the very lightly scented Luofu Spring—she wasn’t sneezing, but instead was actively asking for wine.

“You can drink wine?” Fucang asked in return, but he had already poured her a small amount and placed it on the table.

“I can’t.” Xuan Yi picked up the green jade cup. She was just striking a pose, waiting to see when Qi Nan would notice this side. He was busy talking with Qing Di, not turning his head at all. Just how much did he have to say to Qing Di!

Fucang felt he was about to start being unable to understand the Dragon Princess’s inexplicable train of thought again. It had been quite a while since noon, and she hadn’t eaten a grain of rice or had a drop of water—something was definitely wrong. While she was normally picky with food, it had never been this severe. He couldn’t help but look at her a few more times. Her expression was as calm as always, just appearing somewhat dim. Was she in a bad mood?

Across from them, a Shenjun suddenly approached. His complexion was pale with a sickly appearance. He walked gracefully to the disciples and bowed respectfully, being extremely polite: “Fucang Shenjun, Zhi Xi Shennü, Princess Xuan Yi—my younger sister suffered an undeserved calamity in the mortal realm. Thanks to all of you coming to her aid, Wu Hui is endlessly grateful. Please come across for a chat—my father and mother are waiting respectfully for the three of you.”

Wu Hui? Wasn’t this Chi Di’s eldest son?

Zhi Xi was already half-drunk, but she couldn’t be impolite at this moment. She quickly stood with the other disciples to return the bow, and casually added: “Shenjun Wu Hui is too kind. On that day with us there was also Shenjun Shao Yi…”

She suddenly closed her mouth. Oh no—she really had drunk too much. To actually mention Shao Yi in front of Yan Xia’s family, when everyone else had deliberately avoided him.