Half a day later, a group of people had shrunk into a corner of the hall, huddled together, every face pale. Chen Qian and the other female elder were trembling uncontrollably.
Yang Kai stared at the figure inside the great hall with a look of sheer horror. She held an Emperor-grade Treasure sword in one hand and a wine jar in the other, dancing about with the grace of a spirit, her movements soaring and dipping. Swallowing with difficulty, he said, "What… is going on?"
The figure lurched and swayed, barely keeping her balance, her eyes burning red. She took a swig from the jar now and then, calling out "Good wine!" and at particularly fine moments, couldn't contain herself—her sword blossomed into flower after flower of cold light.
Di Rong said hoarsely, "Junior Brother Yang, you joined the Palace late—you probably don't know about the Three Great Taboos of our Divine Temple. I can't believe you've already witnessed one on your very first day as an Elder. Truly… congratulations."
Yang Kai was stunned. "Three Great Taboos? Which three?"
Chen Qian whispered, "The Palace Master's birthday, Senior Brother Qiu losing his temper, and… Senior Sister Gao drinking!"
"What kind of taboo is that?" Yang Kai exclaimed in disbelief. He glanced at the figure again and felt the image of this woman—noble and saintly in his mind—crumble to dust in an instant. She looked like a complete madwoman now. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he asked, "Why does Senior Sister Gao seem like an entirely different person after drinking? Could she have been possessed by some sinister entity?"
"It's not that serious…" You Kun hastily waved his hands, his expression oddly strained. "It's just that Junior Sister Gao…天生 cannot hold her liquor."
"Seriously? Senior Sister Gao is at the Emperor Realm, Second Level—no matter how potent the spirit wine, she should be able to neutralize it with Emperor Yuan easily. How did it turn into this?"
Chen Qian sighed. "It's all the Palace Master's fault."
"The Palace Master's fault?" Yang Kai was incredulous—he felt like everything he knew was being turned upside down today.
Chen Qian said, "Senior Sister Gao was raised by the Palace Master from childhood. You should know that, right?"
"Mm, I've heard something about it." Yang Kai nodded.
Chen Qian's expression turned sorrowful, and she continued, "When Senior Sister Gao was little, the Palace Master would force her to drink. Every time, she'd get blackout drunk. Once, she drank too much and went mad for days and nights before recovering. Since that incident, whenever Senior Sister Gao touches alcohol, this is what happens."
In just a few sentences, she had sketched out the tragic childhood of Gao Xueting—enough to make anyone who heard it weep.
"Simply… unconscionable! Outrageous!" Yang Kai cursed indignantly. His words resonated deeply with the gathered elders, who all nodded, the contempt on their faces making no attempt to hide their feelings toward the Palace Master.
After a pause, Yang Kai said, "If she can't drink, she ought to know that herself. So where did she get all this spirit wine?" As he spoke, he caught a whiff of the aroma and couldn't help praising it. "This is spirit wine that's been aged for several hundred years. Tsk, tsk—what a waste."
"Who knows where she got it?" Chen Qian looked like she was about to cry. "She must have been in a good mood these past few days. Last night she even flew over to my Spirit Spring Peak and chatted with me until the small hours before heading back."
Another female elder chimed in, "She came to see me in the second half of the night…"
Yang Kai sighed. "What do we do about this state she's in? When will she burn through all that energy?"
Chen Qian said, "Once she finishes all the wine, she'll be fine."
Yang Kai scanned the room and groaned, "There are still a hundred jars left. How long will that take? At her current pace, it'll take at least several days and nights."
"There's no other way." Chen Qian shook her head.
Yang Kai thought for a moment, a look of firm resolve crossing his face. He rose to his feet.
"Junior Brother Yang, what are you doing?" You Kun cried in alarm.
"Drinking with her. The sooner the wine's gone, the sooner this ends." With that, he strode forward. Though a thousand enemies stood in his way, he would still go!
The elders' faces instantly filled with admiration as they watched his retreating figure, momentarily awestruck.
"Youth…" Di Rong shook his head with a sigh.
"Enough talk—while Junior Brother Yang has her occupied, let's get out of here." You Kun signaled to the group with his eyes, then glanced over at Yang Kai, who had just been seized by Gao Xueting, his neck clamped under her arm while she pried open his mouth and poured wine straight down his throat. He quickly looked away, unable to bear watching.
Junior Brother Yang, we'll remember your sacrifice. There will be a worthy repayment someday!
Everyone understood the unspoken signal. Holding their breath and treading as lightly as possible, they began creeping toward the exit.
They had barely reached the hall's entrance when a flash of sword light slashed toward them like a bolt from the heavens, streaking past You Kun's face—several strands of black hair were severed, fluttering through the air, while a deep furrow was carved into the ground. If not for the protective formation, that single strike could have brought the entire hall crashing down.
"You think you can leave?" Gao Xueting's face was cold as ice, as if a gale from the depths of the underworld had swept through, freezing the very air itself. Her frigid voice echoed in everyone's ears, plunging each of them into an icy pit that made their whole bodies shiver. "Take one more step—I dare you."
Chen Qian gazed at Gao Xueting with a pitiful expression and said softly, "Senior Sister Gao, you're drunk…"
Gao Xueting flung Yang Kai aside, her figure flickering as she appeared in front of the doorway, blocking their path. She pointed her sword downward and fixed Chen Qian with an imposing glare. "Who's drunk?"
"You—you… I—" Chen Qian stammered, completely flustered. A dignified Emperor Realm cultivator was now acting like a mouse caught by a cat, unable to form a single coherent sentence.
"Stop talking. Come drink!" Gao Xueting grabbed Chen Qian, tucked her neck under her arm, snatched up a wine jar, and began pouring it straight down her throat.