Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 368 355: Lu Ruoxi Wants to Have a Drinking Contest with Lin Qianyan

Ye Liyuan saw that Lin Qianyan was also going over to link arms and drink with Ah Han and Lu Ruoxi.

A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, but she quickly found it amusing. She hastily grabbed the wine cup from the table and, lifting the hem of her dress, started to get up.

"Wait! I want to come link arms and drink with you all, too!"

Lu Ruoxi, her eyes hazy with drink, had been leaning intimately against Pei Yuhang, her face so close to Junior Brother Pei's they were practically cheek to cheek.

Seeing Lin Qianyan suddenly approach, and then Ye Liyuan making her way over as well, Lu Ruoxi's eyes instantly cleared. She furrowed her brow slightly, 'cursing Lin Qianyan for ruining her moment,' before her red lips parted to speak.

"Ah, I seem to have misremembered. Junior Brother Pei is right, linking arms to drink really isn't suited for just two people."

Lu Ruoxi's tone was one of coy confusion, as if trying to laugh the whole thing off.

But just then, a fair arm moved to block Lu Ruoxi, preventing her from putting down her Jade Cup.

A hint of coldness flashed in Lu Ruoxi's eyes as she looked up.

Lin Qianyan's lips curved into a faint, meaningful smile. She shook her head elegantly, the pearl hairpin at her temple swaying gently and catching the warm candlelight.

"Lu Fairy is right. Of course, linking arms to drink isn't for two people without any official standing… especially you and Brother Pei."

Her gaze drifted over the three of them before finally settling on Lu Ruoxi's face, where her smile had grown somewhat rigid.

"But it's perfectly suitable for the four of us to link arms and drink together~"

With that, she extended a slender, jade-like hand and gently tapped the wine jug on the table, her eyes brimming with a cunning smile.

Lu Ruoxi caught the implication in Lin Qianyan's words. A flash of displeasure crossed her eyes, but a moment later, an idea seemed to strike her. She licked her full, red lips, then raised her Jade Cup and said:

"In that case, Fairy Lin, why don't we have a little contest? We'll keep drinking with our arms linked and see who can hold their liquor best."

Hearing this, Lin Qianyan raised an eyebrow. She gave a soft laugh, met Lu Ruoxi's gaze with confidence, and said:

"Lu Fairy, when it comes to drinking, I, Lin Qianyan, have never been the first to pass out.

Even knowing that, you still want to compete? Don't go crying that I bullied you when you're passed out drunk."

Feeling belittled, Lu Ruoxi forced a smile and deliberately clinked her Jade Cup against Lin Qianyan's, producing a crisp sound.

"Of course I won't. I, Lu Ruoxi, know how to lose gracefully."

Watching from the side, Ye Liyuan's eyes lit up. Eager to get in on the action, she was about to make her own bold declaration to join the drinking game.

"Me too—"

But just as she eagerly reached for the wine jug, Pei Yuhang caught her by her slender wrist.

"Liyuan, you've already had some, haven't you? This Spirit Wine is potent. If you don't use Spiritual Qi to process it, you'll get drunk in no time. You shouldn't drink any more."

"Ah Han, you're playing favorites! You can't just stop me from drinking when the three of you are having fun!"

Ye Liyuan's immediate retort left Pei Yuhang slightly stunned.

"Brother Pei, just let Sister Liyuan drink with us. It's fine."

Before Lu Ruoxi could speak up as she usually would, urging Junior Brother Pei to let Junior Sister Ye drink, she saw that Lin Qianyan had already beaten her to the punch and said exactly what she was about to.

She pouted, but had no choice but to go along with what Lin Qianyan had said.

"That's right, Junior Brother Pei. Just let Junior Sister Ye drink with us. Otherwise, if you upset her, won't she have to teach you a lesson tonight after we're gone?"

"Senior Sister…"

Lu Ruoxi's sudden racy joke made Ye Liyuan blush with embarrassment. 'At night, it's always Ah Han teaching *me* the lessons,' she thought. 'I'd love to assert my authority for once, but I just don't have it in me.'

And Pei Yuhang, persuaded by both Lin Qianyan and his senior sister, felt his resolve soften once again. He agreed to his Dao Companion's request to drink.

"But Liyuan, you have to promise me you'll stop when you've had enough."

"I know, I know!"

Ye Liyuan clearly wasn't listening to Pei Yuhang's words, simply raising her Jade Cup in excitement.

Not far away, Qing Yueqiu watched her Master link arms in an intimate pose with Lu Ruoxi and Lin Qianyan to drink. A hint of envy appeared in her beautiful, crimson-tinged eyes.

Unfortunately, she was now carrying a child. Though the pregnancy was still in its early stages, she was being extremely cautious, not daring to eat or drink anything that might be harmful for fear of something going wrong.

All she could do was sit alone in the corner, enviously watching her beloved Master link arms and drink with other women.

And what's more… she couldn't tell her Master about the baby.

At this thought, the lonely Qing Yueqiu let out a melancholy sigh. The only comfort she found was in stroking her lower abdomen.

Qing Yueqiu's occasional gesture of stroking her abdomen naturally caught Yu Gu Nan's eye. She glanced over, a flicker of confusion in her gaze, wondering what was on her mind.

…

While the two younger women sat in the corner lost in their own thoughts, the four-way drinking contest was heating up.

The crystal-clear Jade Cups gleamed warmly in the candlelight as cup after cup of Spirit Wine was downed.

The Spirit Wine Lu Ruoxi had brought was soft and mellow at first sip, like the gentlest spring stream. It wasn't harsh at all, lulling one into letting their guard down and creating the illusion that 'a few more cups won't hurt.'

But once the Spirit Wine began to take effect, a rolling heatwave would erupt from within. It packed a powerful kick.

"Junior Sister Ye, have another cup~"

"Mmm… alright, just one last cup…"

Amidst the flurry of toasts, another cup of Spirit Wine was brought to Ye Liyuan's lips.

The naive Fairy Ye didn't know to ask Ah Han to take the drink for her, so she just tilted her head back and downed it all in one go.

"Wow, Junior Sister Ye, you're amazing!!"

Lu Ruoxi applauded, and even Lin Qianyan was silently impressed.

"Hehe… Of course I'm amazing… ugh…"

Ye Liyuan's pretty face was flushed crimson and her eyes were glistening. She swayed on her feet, but she still didn't forget to boast a little.

Pei Yuhang watched as his inexperienced Dao Companion, plied with two or three rounds by those two "best friends," Lu Ruoxi and Lin Qianyan, looked to be on the verge of passing out. He sighed helplessly.

"Senior Sister, Qianqian, I'm going to take Liyuan to rest."

"Let Xiaoxiao and Yueqiu take Liyuan to rest. The three of us haven't determined a winner yet."

Lu Ruoxi grabbed Pei Yuhang's wrist, stopping him from leaving.

Seeing Lu Ruoxi get so hands-on with Pei Yuhang, Lin Qianyan let out a cold snort. She held her Jade Cup out to Lu Ruoxi again, gesturing for her to continue their linked-arm drinking.

"Lu Fairy, perhaps you should focus on yourself. I get the feeling you're about to get drunk."

"Me, drunk? Perhaps Saintess Lin is the one who's had too much, spouting such nonsense."

Lu Ruoxi also gave a cold laugh. Unwilling to back down, she locked horns with Lin Qianyan. The two of them began downing cup after cup of Spirit Wine. They were clearly riled up now, dead set on drinking the other under the table.

However, Lin Qianyan possessed the Celestial Immortal Purity Body from the Jade Pool Sacred Land, while Lu Ruoxi cultivated an Alchemy Skill that used her body as a furnace. Even without using Spiritual Power to negate the alcohol, it would be difficult for either of them to get truly drunk.

They had met their match, and they quickly finished off an entire jug of wine.

Pei Yuhang watched his senior sister and Qianqian competing and couldn't shake the feeling that if he left, something would happen. 'What if they actually start fighting…?'

'Senior Sister definitely can't beat Qianyan, but it's not like I could actually help her fight Qianyan, could I?'

So, Pei Yuhang could only stay and keep an eye on things, just in case any trouble broke out.

"Yueqiu, Gu Nan, you two take Liyuan to rest. I'll stay here and watch."