Chapter 715: Drunkard Battle 1

Chapter 715: Chapter 676: Drunkard Battle 1

The group that had come targeting Wang Shifeng was ecstatic. Wang Shifeng’s face was deathly pale. ‘It’s over, it’s over. I’ve lost every last shred of dignity. How am I ever going to show my face around here again?’

It wasn’t just him; Zhan Yingluo and the others were dragged into it as well.

Zhan Yingluo was there, of course, but she was disguised and hiding in the crowd, quietly watching the scene unfold. The situation looked a little bleak, but she wasn’t particularly worried. ‘Wang Meng must have a plan. I have complete faith in him.’

‘But that price… It really is outrageous.’

Ji Ruyan was there, and so was the Little Princess. However, the two sisters were disguised as handsome young gentlemen. Of course, it was Ji Ruyan who had insisted on coming. Now that their marriage engagement was confirmed, how could she possibly sit still? She was determined to find some evidence of Wang Meng’s crimes, which was why she’d come. Jin’Er was just tagging along.

Ji Ruyan wore a faint smile, while Ji Jin’Er clenched her small fists, wishing she could rush forward and shout that the wine was actually delicious.

“Hey, ladies! Since we can’t have a taste, you’ve got to tell us what’s so damn special about this Drunkard Wine. If you’re going to charge such an outrageous price, you at least have to let everyone know why, right?”

Someone else chimed in. It wasn’t really about bullying the two sisters anymore; the whole situation was just too bizarre. The crowd of onlookers was growing, and everyone was eager to see what would happen next.

Wang Meng’s return to Haojing had been quite the event, but he had been keeping a relatively low profile since, making everyone think he had truly changed his ways. Who would have guessed he was the same as ever—silent, until he did something that would shock the world!

Zuojing and Youjing exchanged a glance. Coming from a merchant family, they had naturally asked Wang Meng about his strategy, but he had refused to say a word.

“This wine is only for those who understand,” Zuojing said through gritted teeth. Even she felt that if this kept up, they were going to get jumped by the crowd.

‘This isn’t selling wine; it’s asking for a beating.’

At this, the crowd grew even more clamorous.

Two young men appeared in the crowd. They had merely been passing by but were drawn in by the commotion. The moment they arrived, they immediately captured everyone’s attention.

It was Golden Saint Yanl Luoqi. Beside him stood an unfamiliar young man, but his Artifact Refiner robes were exceptionally eye-catching. Most importantly… he was an Artifact Refining Master!

He didn’t look a day over thirty.

Yanl Luoqi was precisely the kind of person who lived for this sort of spectacle. The moment the crowd saw him, they grew even more excited. Without Zuojing or Youjing having to open their mouths, people started chattering all at once, filling him in on the details.

Wang Shifeng desperately wanted to step forward and offer an explanation, but he knew a personage like Yanl Luoqi wouldn’t give him the time of day. He was filled with despair. ‘This is going to be the biggest joke in Haojing this year, and I, Wang Shifeng, am one of the punchlines. I’m completely and utterly humiliated.’

Hearing the story, Yanl Luoqi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He might be generous, but he wasn’t a fool. However, the young man beside him reacted to the news.

“Brother Yanl, could you lend me three hundred thousand gold? I’ll pay you back within a month,” the young man said.

“Haha, Brother Pang, you’re joking,” Yanl Luoqi laughed. “Why speak of lending and returning over a mere three hundred thousand gold? Take whatever you need.”

Yanl Luoqi smiled as a Qiankun Bag appeared in the young man’s hand. This was the newly promoted Artifact Refining Master who had recently achieved a record second only to Zhuo Meng, shaking the entire Artifact Refining Pavilion to its core. While the common people of Haojing might have only heard his name, he was a household name throughout the upper echelons of society.

The Wang Family had already poached Zhuo Meng, making the other great families burn with envy. Now, another such genius had appeared—who wouldn’t want to win him over? To a talent like this, money was inconsequential; his worth couldn’t be measured by material wealth.

The young man took the Qiankun Bag and walked forward. The entire street fell silent. ‘Is someone really going to buy it?’

Zuojing and Youjing were stunned. Wang Shifeng, meanwhile, clawed his way back from the brink of despair. ‘This person looks a little familiar,’ he thought.

Everyone’s heart was in their throat. Zhan Yingluo clenched her fists tightly. If no one else had stepped up, she would have done it herself.

The young man placed the Qiankun Bag in Zuojing’s hand. In a daze, Zuojing handed the jug of wine to him, completely dumbfounded. ‘Someone really bought it?’

“Is the owner in?”

“The master is just inside,” Zuojing replied, almost subconsciously.

The young man respectfully set the wine jug down, then dropped to his knees on the spot.

The entire street went dead silent. “Disciple Pang Hong pays his respects to Martial Uncle! Congratulations on your grand opening!”

The entire street instantly erupted in an uproar. He was Pang Hong???

Who was Pang Hong??

The second-youngest master in the Divine Artifact Pavilion’s hundred-year history!

Second only to Zhuo Meng, he was hailed as one of the Gemini Stars of the Divine Artifact Pavilion. His rise had greatly enhanced the Pavilion’s prestige, and in just a few short days, he had become the prize the great families were all fighting to win over. How else could he be worthy of standing side-by-side with Yanl Luoqi?

‘Holy crap, who’s the owner of this place? Wasn’t it Wang Rencai before?’

‘What’s all this “Martial Uncle” nonsense? What the hell is going on?’

Yanl Luoqi was also dumbstruck. ‘You can even do that?’

Ji Ruyan was at a loss for words. ‘How could Pang Hong possibly be connected to Wang Meng? And he’s his junior?’

She had heard of Pang Hong’s reputation—a heaven-sent genius. Rumor had it the Pavilion Master of the Divine Artifact Pavilion wanted a personal audience with him, which spoke volumes about his talent. ‘A person like that should be impossibly arrogant, and yet…’

“Heh, have a taste. The wine is quite good.”

“Yes, Martial Uncle.” Pang Hong respectfully opened the wine jug.

The moment he broke the seal, a faint aroma of wine wafted out. But instead of dissipating, the fragrance grew richer and richer.

In Pang Hong’s mind, Wang Meng was a being as great and unfathomable as a god. If Wang Meng told him to drink, he would drink without question.

However, once it was open, he found himself genuinely captivated by the fragrance. Furthermore, having experienced resonance before, Pang Hong was extremely sensitive to objects that contained the Power of Order. The moment he broke the seal, he knew this wine was something extraordinary.

Zuojing offered him a bowl, but Pang Hong didn’t take it. Instead, he raised the jug and began to drink in large gulps. The aroma instantly intensified. Under the sunlight, the liquid looked so incredibly rich and mellow that more than a few onlookers started to drool.

It wasn’t that Pang Hong didn’t want to stop; he simply couldn’t. He could sense something contained within the wine. It was an extremely faint presence, but for Pang Hong, it was an invaluable source of inspiration.

In the blink of an eye, Pang Hong had finished the entire jug. An unusual light burst forth from his eyes. Several problems that had been troubling him for days suddenly became crystal clear. Without a second thought, he sat down right there at the entrance, leaning against the wall.

The crowd was completely baffled. What was going on?

Yanl Luoqi, however, seemed to have figured something out. ‘There’s something strange about this wine.’

“Hehe, young lady, I’ll take that jug in your hands. And where might the next one be?”

Yanl Luoqi asked. The crowd was stunned. If you could argue that Pang Hong was just putting on a show because of some special connection to Wang Meng, well, Golden Saint Yanl Luoqi didn’t need to give face to anyone.

“The third jug of Drunkard Wine… costs two million gold.” Youjing barely knew if she should even say the words. ‘A price like that will definitely scare him away.’

Everyone felt the urge to vomit blood. Two million gold! Would drinking this wine make you ascend to godhood or something?!

Far from being scared off, Yanl Luoqi’s interest was piqued. “Oh? That’s quite a price. Why don’t you bring it out for me to see? As for this jug here, I’ll take it.”