CHAPTER 16

Perfect Score

Not Refusing a Drink

Only today did I finally understand who this phrase was meant for.

"…Are you really okay, sister?"

"Hmm? I'm totally fine?"

"...."

You don't look fine at all.

Grinning from ear to ear.

Tang Gujin's cheeks were completely flushed.

It seemed like she was enjoying drinking after such a long time.

At this point, she should have collapsed from intoxication.

The problem was that ever since she drank the first cup, she had been pouring alcohol down her throat without stopping.

I had lost count of how many empty liquor jars had piled up behind her.

Tang Gon was the same. Were all people with the surname Tang just natural-born drinkers?

"And so, that guy had the nerve to smirk and mingle with the other junior sisters. I mean, talk about an eyesore—"

I liked drinking parties, but I wasn't particularly fond of alcohol itself, so I mostly just listened to conversations.

Most of what Tang Gujin rambled about were stories from her life at the Qingcheng Sect.

The smile never left her lips as she spoke.

It seemed like a warm place, entirely different from the suffocating atmosphere of the Nine Dragons Branch.

Maybe the reason Tang Gujin remained so upright despite her rare and dangerous talent, Qingmian Guimianjin, wasn't just because of the teachings of the Tianji Yimun but also because of the unique atmosphere of the Qingcheng Sect.

Thanks to her, I could now recite the entire lineage of Qingcheng Sect's second-generation disciples without ever having met them.

"Is that so?"

"I'm telling you! Don't you feel annoyed just listening to it?"

"Well, I wasn't there to experience it firsthand, so it's hard to say…"

"But?"

"There's one thing I do understand."

"Hmm? What's that?"

"Sister, you like the Dashi-xiong (Senior Brother)."

"W-what?! Are you crazy!?"

Tang Gujin's face turned completely red as she shot up from her seat, pointing a trembling finger at me.

She gets worked up over what that senior brother says, and she burns with frustration whenever he hangs out with other junior sisters?

If that's not romantic feelings, then what is?

"Huh? As far as I know, the Young Lord has no experience with romance. But how is he so good at giving love advice—"

"The less you know about something, the better you understand the theory, isn't that right?"

"Oh! I see! Just like how the Young Lord had never trained in martial arts before, but once he started, he mastered it effortlessly!"

"Truly, his wisdom touches the heavens—"

…These guys are definitely making fun of me.

"Well, if you say so."

I set my cup down and smiled.

Tang Gujin's face was now on the verge of exploding.

"…Stop talking nonsense! One day, you're going to get stabbed in your sleep."

Wouldn't I be considered a fool if people heard I got stabbed by my own sister during a drunken rage?

I nodded in agreement, but deep down, I couldn't help but feel like something entertaining was about to happen soon.

"…You're suspicious."

Tang Gujin narrowed her eyes at me.

"No way. I'm innocent. Pure, innocent, and righteous, Tang Yunhui. Don't you know?"

"No. Still suspicious."

"Ahem! By the way, when is that Dashi-xiong of yours arriving?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just curious."

"You brat! You really wanna die, huh?!"

Apparently, the Qingcheng Sect was sending their future Sect Leader to greet the Dark Lord, using Tang Gujin's return as an excuse.

I joked about it, but it was actually a serious matter.

It seemed like the Qingcheng Sect wanted to use Tang Gujin as a pretext to gauge the Dark Lord's true intentions.

From their perspective, the sudden announcement of a direct special operations unit by the Dark Lord must have been alarming.

For all they knew, the Dark Lord might use the Divine Cult as an excuse to unify Sichuan's martial world—or worse, expand his influence across the entire western martial world.

Given the Dark Lord's reputation and ambition, it was entirely possible.

However, Tang Gujin didn't seem to be aware of the large-scale political maneuvering going on behind the scenes.

"We should keep a close eye on this during the Dark Lord's visit."

"Depending on the situation, we could use it to our advantage—"

I still couldn't see the full picture, but I was slowly starting to understand how the current martial world was shifting.

"Anyway, if you say any more nonsense, you're dead. Got it?"

"Yes, yes. I'll be careful. But I wasn't joking about wanting to know. Sister, he's like family to you, right? So as your younger brother, I should at least greet him properly."

Tang Gujin looked uncomfortable but couldn't refute my reasoning.

"…I received a letter saying they should be arriving soon."

"Great. I'll keep that in mind."

"…Still suspicious."

I quickly changed the topic.

"Anyway, the manor is going to be lively soon. Blood relatives who were out and about will return, there'll be ceremonies for the Dark Lord, and guests from all over will arrive… Ugh! Times like this, it's best to just hide away in the White Pavilion."

"Sounds about right. By the way, do you have any fun stories? Since you live in the secular world, romance must be a part of your daily life, right?"

"None. Who would like a bastard child treated like a cripple?"

"Why do you think that? Besides, don't you have a fiancée?"

"…I do?"

"Huh? You didn't know?"

"This is the first I'm hearing of it."

Wait a minute. I think I've seen this plot somewhere before.

An arranged engagement made in infancy, only for the fiancée to reject the weak protagonist—except the protagonist turns out to be a hidden martial arts prodigy… I always wanted to try that trope.

Since my fiancée never contacted me, maybe she went into hiding after hearing bad rumors about me?

"Who exactly is my fiancée?"

"Oh dear, Father really didn't tell you anything. Curious?"

"Actually… no, not really."

"I figured."

Getting married to someone I've never even seen? That's ridiculous.

Besides, that person was engaged to Tang Yunhui, not me.

If we just continued pretending we didn't exist to each other, the whole thing would naturally fade away.

She probably wanted that too.

"Or maybe I could introduce—"

"Not happening."

"I didn't even finish my sentence."

"You were going to ask if I wanted to be introduced to someone, weren't you?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Respect the hierarchy. You should get married first. Then I'll follow."

"I'm not interested in marriage at all."

"Then neither am I."

"Ugh! You always have a comeback for everything."

The more drinking buddies, the better.

My drinking buddy arrived a few shichen (hours) later.

"Apologies for being late, Young Master. Some old acquaintances kept dragging me back, so I had to shake them off before coming."

"U-Uncle Tang Gon!?"

Tang Gujin, who had been on the verge of passing out, instantly sobered up.

Tang Gon smiled faintly.

"We meet again, Lady Gujin. I should have greeted you properly after the search operation, but I was delayed. My apologies."

"No! I should have been the one to greet you first!"

Tang Gujin anxiously sent me a voice transmission.

『Your drinking buddy… was Uncle Tang Gon?!』

The same sister who had proudly claimed she'd teach me the way of drinking had now completely disappeared.

『Didn't you say you'd show me the true path of alcohol? Hehe! I look forward to it.』

『Shut up! Why didn't you tell me it was Uncle Tang Gon?!』

『You never asked?』

『You little—!』

This was going to be fun.