Trying To Tame An Evil Overlord

A female servant stood on the other side and bowed low, "Forgive this one"s intrusion. I only came to relay some news about this lovely inn. Would Young Master please listen to what I have to say?"

Yuan Xuelan wanted to scream, "No! Just go away already!"

But again, he was too slow. Liu Sumeng nodded, "Speak."

The girl bowed again, this time in grat.i.tude, "Thank you, Young Master. The inn is currently holding a grand event and this humble servant invites the Young Masters to the North Hall. Food is being served at a discount and if Young Masters so pleases, there is a drinking tournament being held as well."

Liu Sumeng"s interest was instantly reeled in, "Drinking tournament?"

"Yes Young Master, the person who wins won"t have to pay anything for the night. The money paid for the room shall be returned to you as well."

"Hm," Liu Sumeng didn"t even give Xuelan the chance to protest, "Let"s go." And without another warning, the Ivory Sword Saint left the room.

Yuan Xuelan was stunned and stumbled after, "Ah! Sumeng wait!"

The North Hall was alive with people, shouting and laughing. Half of which were already drunk. The hall, similar to the rest of the inn, was a little extravagant in decoration with tall wooden pillars painted red and hanging red lanterns. There were paintings well of rich merchants laughing in merriment on the walls.

Paintings were not far off from the current state of the hall. Most of the guests were well dressed and groomed. Not a single person had the appearance of a beggar. Yuan Xuelan managed to even spot a pair of rogue cultivators in the mix but decided not to bother them when he noticed how red their faces were.

A young lady who wore the pink and red uniform of inn attendants stood on a table and called out loudly, "U-Um…So… Master Tang Sui has drank a total of six jugs and four cups…! Is there anyone else who dares to challenge him!"

"I will." The Ivory Sword Saint volunteered without batting an eyelid.

Yuan Xuelan wanted to shake his head. Well, this part of the Ivory Sword Saint was cute as well.

Liu Sumeng strode up to the miniature stage at the very front of the hall. There was a small table with two wine bowls. In front of him was a large hefty man with a wide girth. If it wasn"t for his fine clothes, people might have mistaken him for a barbarian.

"U-Um," The hostess stuttered as she watched the handsome cultivator take a seat with an air of utter tranquility and grace. It was no understatement to say that the Ivory Sword Saint did not look like much of a drinker. Perhaps a man that would sip a bowl or two to accompany a good friend… but no one would expect this pristine Young Master to willingly challenge people to something as cra.s.s a drinking compet.i.tion.

But the hostess kept her thoughts to herself, "Okay, I will explain the rules then. Please listen closely, Young Master."

Liu Sumeng nodded. Even the subtlest movements were made with measured grace! The hostess had to shake herself out of her infatuation. She had seem many rich and handsome Young Masters come by at this respectable inn already, so why was she getting all fl.u.s.tered? "Uh, if you don"t win then you will have to pay for all the wine that you drink. Is that understood?"

The Ivory Sword Saint nodded.

"Okay…and you will first have to drink the amount of wine that Master Tang Sui had drunk first. That will be six jugs and four cups…"

Again, he nodded.

"Uh, and…if you make it to that amount then you two will have to drink together until the first person taps out…is that…clear?"

Liu Sumeng turned to her and nodded, "I understand."

"Oh. Uh okay, then I will pour for you."

The hostess got on her knees and began to pour this white-robed Young Master his wine. She might have been guilty for sneaking a peek or two up at him, but who could blame her!?

Liu Sumeng"s opponent eyed him up and down with a raised brow. His voice was as booming as one would expect from a man of such a stature but despite the brutish appearance, his words were quite eloquent, "You might want to think this through, Young Master. I shan"t be responsible if you end up drinking yourself to death."

To Yuan Xuelan, who watched the entire thing unfold from a nearby table, he thought that his Sumeng looked very relaxed and content. But to the large man who was his opponent, all he saw was a cold and measured gaze. "I wouldn"t worry about me."

Tang Sui"s smile stiffed. "This d.a.m.n haughty kid!" he thought in his head but kept his expression pleasant and said nothing else.

Unlike many of the previous challengers who demanded to drink directly out of the jug to show their prowess with alcohol, Liu Sumeng waited patiently for every bowl to be poured and pa.s.sed to him respectfully.

Yuan Xuelan took this opportunity to call over a waiter and order some food. He was quite familiar with this place"s menu was sure to get one of all of his favorites.

However, he remembered that Liu Sumeng did not share the same palate as him. Yuan Xuelan frowned. The waiter looked at his customer with confusion, no doubt impatience as well, as more patrons were calling loudly for his attention, the majority of which were already drunk.

But this was a really big issue, wasn"t it!? What exactly was I that Liu Sumeng liked again? He suddenly remembered a time, several months ago were Heavenly Sword Sect sisters told him that Sumeng liked sweets that were light in fragrance.

That…didn"t really say much about what kind of main dishes he liked though! But it was all Yuan Xuelan had to work with. So he decided to order foods that were on the light side and things that were a little sweet but didn"t have too strong a flavor.

The waiter was already sweating at the long list of dishes being named, "Young Master…could it be you"re ordering for a large group of people?" He was staring almost suspiciously at the small table Yuan Xuelan was sitting at. Actually, could all those dishes even fit on such a tiny table!?

Yuan Xuelan stopped and gave the waiter a questioning look, "What? No, it"s just me and my…" his…what!? Companion? Friend? Was Liu Sumeng his friend? Would it be more appropriate to call him his Senior? Yeah, right? "M-my gege."

Yuan Xuelan almost choked on his own spit. Did he really say that!?

His face instantly felt heated as if he"d been the one up on the stage drinking and not Liu Sumeng! "Oh and add five jugs of your finest wine to that order as well."

The waiter seemed visibly pale, "Are you sure? For two people that"s a little bit…"

"What? Did you have something to say? Why would it even matter to you when I"m the one paying!"

At the slightest show of irritation, the waiter was quick to bow his head, "Forgive me, Young Master, I spoke out of place. I"ll go place your order in the kitchen then."

Yuan Xuelan sighed in relief as the waiter finally ducked out apologetically, leaving him by himself. He turned his attention back to the stage. Liu Sumeng was past the fifth jug now and people were eyeing him very closely for any signs of drunkenness.

But the Ivory Sword Saint did not flush in the slightest. His fingers did not tremble, nor did he sway in his seat.

His opponent was looking a little uncertain now.

Yuan Xuelan snickered to himself. This fool better be prepared to get drunk under the table by his Sumeng! Hah, what an idiot, probably thinking the elegant proper-looking Ivory Sword Saint sitting in front of him wouldn"t be able to pull off such a feat. "Well, I had underestimated him too," he hummed.

His own order of alcohol had arrived. Since Liu Sumeng had taken to the stage, Yuan Xuelan was not disillusioned into believing that he stood even the sliver of a chance in winning. That didn"t mean he didn"t want to drink a little bit.

Actually, his mind was still stuck on the Ivory Sword Saint"s strange words. A frown pulled at Yuan Xuelan"s lip as he stared into his bowl of alcohol. The joyous laughter and cheers around him began to drown out with his own thoughts.

He was backtracking.

What had they been talking about when Liu Sumeng brought up Chen Anyue?

Nan Chang, wasn"t it? Yuan Xuelan was extremely confused at the relation between the two. Although he was close to both of them and affectionate to them, Nan Chang and his s.h.i.+jie rarely had the chance to speak to each other.

No, it was too strange. Yuan Xuelan would have to ask when given the chance. He sighed deeply and downed the entire bowl before pouring another one. When he turned his attention back to the stage, both contestants had begun drinking against each other.

It was obvious who was winning.

No big surprise, Yuan Xuelan snickered at the old idiot with the red face swaying in his seat. He was getting so drunk that his eyes were practically rolling into the back of his head!

And Liu Sumeng caught sight of him watching. He turned his head ever so slightly toward him and smiled. It wasn"t that soft gentle smile. There was something else, something different, sharp, fiery and playful. Yuan Xuelan"s mouth went dry.

A terrifying number of jugs later and several men pa.s.sed out drooling on the floor, the Ivory Sword Saint was declared the unbeatable winner.

When he came to join Yuan Xuelan at the table, it was already packed with dishes without any s.p.a.ce to even rest his hands. "This is a lot."

"You won didn"t you?" Yuan Xuelan"s smirk was devilish as he downed another bowl of wine and sighed, "So we can get all of this for free."

It was still a little excessive. Liu Sumeng couldn"t stop eyeing the large variety of dishes as he sat down. He also noticed that Yuan Xuelan had yet to even start, "You didn"t have to wait."

"Of course I did," Xuelan answered mysteriously, watching Liu Sumeng carefully to make sure he would take the first bite. "I ordered a bunch of things because I wasn"t sure what you"d like."

"Hm. I"m not picky."

"Still."

Yuan Xuelan thought he was being sneaky when he watched the Ivory Sword Saint eat between bite of his own. He was carefully categorizing the foods Liu Sumeng favored over others. He watched how Sumeng chewed with small but quick bites and ate without speaking. For some reason he couldn"t stop thinking that the way Liu Sumeng moved his chopsticks was similar to how he would wield a sword.

Even the way he ate was beautiful.

Yuan Xuelan"s heart was both wild and soothed at the same time. All his anger and ails drowned in the s.h.i.+ning light that Sumeng enveloped him in.

Eventually, he was caught staring, "What"s wrong?"

"I think I"m in love with you," silly words flashed in his head but Yuan Xuelan settled with, "Nothing. Just glad you"re enjoying the food I ordered."

"Hm. It"s not bad."

But it was such Yuan Xuelan"s luck that his peace would be interrupted.

An angry voice bellowed from behind, "You! You… d.a.m.n cheating b.a.s.t.a.r.d! There"s no way you could have drank all that alcohol and walked away without consequence! Come here and I will unveil whatever cheap trick you employed!"