Chapter 154 Drinking

"Jiang Chen, what is this? It looks delicious."

"This is called a Hu cake."

"Hu cake? Let me taste it, quickly, let me taste it."

Jiang Chen sighed helplessly and gave the two Hu cakes in his hands to Nvba.

Upon receiving the Hu cakes, Nvba couldn't wait to shove a bite into her mouth.

"Mmm, mmm, really delicious!"

"Jiang Chen, why didn't that person just now want my seashells? These are the most beautiful seashells I picked up from the East Sea."

"Perhaps he doesn't know their value."

"So that's how it is."

"Jiang Chen, what is this? It looks like it can be eaten?"

Jiang Chen pulled her away from the stall with an expressionless face.

"That is rat poison, for rats to eat."

"Why? Why can rats eat it but I can't?"

"..."

Yang Shu followed behind the two with an expressionless face, while Jianzhen's face was beet red as he struggled to hold it in.

Yang Shu glanced at him and said, "If you want to laugh, then laugh."

Jianzhen stammered, "This humble monk is a professional. No matter how funny it is, this humble monk will not laugh... unless I can't help it."

Jiang Chen and Nvba, walking in front, naturally heard the whispering behind them.

Nvba asked, puzzled, "What are they laughing at?"

"I don't know. Maybe their hemorrhoids are acting up?"

"Hemorrhoids? Can they be eaten?"

"They cannot be eaten. Don't think about eating everything."

"Oh, back in our time, eating was the most important thing, so whenever I see something, I want to know if it can be eaten."

For a moment, Jiang Chen felt a bit ashamed, but the next moment, his shame vanished.

Because Nvba continued, "For example, one time our tribe caught a piece of prey. It even claimed to be some Xiangliu. As it turned out, its meat was smelly and tasted terrible, it was poisonous, and its blood even ruined the farmland, so we knew this thing couldn't be eaten."

Good grief, so Xiangliu's cause of death was that it couldn't be eaten.

As Nvba was talking, her delicate nose suddenly twitched slightly, and she looked toward where the fragrance was drifting from.

"Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen, I want to eat this!" She pointed excitedly at a large vat in front.

Jiang Chen looked in the direction her finger was pointing, and two black lines involuntarily climbed onto his forehead.

That direction was clearly a tavern!

Jiang Chen originally wanted to find an excuse to take her away, but then he had a second thought.

Nvba just wanted to drink some wine. As an ancient person who had lived for thousands of years, her biggest hobby was eating and drinking; what was wrong with that?

So Jiang Chen nodded readily, "Alright."

"Jiang Chen, you are so good to me, I want to have children for you!"

Jiang Chen, a cultivator of the Life Wheel Realm, actually almost stumbled while walking.

"A girl shouldn't say that casually," Jiang Chen warned seriously.

"Why?"

"Because it concerns a girl's reputation."

"But many women said they wanted to have children for my father."

"...That is different."

"Alright." Nvba seemed to understand, yet didn't quite grasp it.

In the end, Jiang Chen bought a small dou of fruit wine from the tavern, filled two golden-yellow gourds with it, and handed one of the gourds to Nvba.

Nvba took the wine gourd, removed the wooden stopper on top, and began to guzzle it down.

This way of drinking left passersby dumbfounded.

"Hiccup~~ Jiang Chen, this stuff is really delicious, but why does it feel like my head is spinning? This feeling is really..."

Jiang Chen tapped Nvba's shoulder with one finger, channeling a trace of True Qi into her.

Instantly, most of the wine's effects on Nvba were dispelled.

"Wonderful! Hmm? What are you doing?"

Nvba glared at Jiang Chen.

"...It's nothing, continue."

Nvba continued to guzzle it down.

The group traveled like this for several days until they reached the territory near Qiao Prefecture.

...

Meanwhile, in the imperial palace of Chang'an.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang rested one hand on the dragon desk, gently stroking his forehead as he quietly listened to the report from the person below.

"...Finally, Jiang Chen said that the drought demon was not the culprit behind the droughts in Huainan and Henan circuits; the real culprit was someone else, and that drought demon was actually Celestial Lady Ba, who had survived since ancient times."

The Imperial Agents only spoke truthfully about what they had seen and heard, not daring to add any embellishments, let alone share any of their own thoughts.

As tools of the Emperor, they did not need to have their own thoughts, unless His Majesty needed them to have them.

"Celestial... Lady Ba..."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang pondered the name carefully and felt an ancient aura of history rushing toward him.

"Heh, Niu San, you tell me, were these two droughts caused by that drought demon?"

Niu San was the Imperial Agent who had come to report. Hearing Emperor Xuanzong of Tang suddenly call his name, he was instantly startled.

After thinking for a moment in his heart and swallowing a mouthful of saliva, he spoke cautiously.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the two droughts were indeed caused by the drought demon."

"Have I not said that I would clear away demons and evil, and return a bright and clear world to the Great Tang?"

"Your Majesty has indeed said so."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang slowly opened his closed eyes. His eyes were pitch black and deep, revealing no emotion at all.

"Since that is the case, how could he dare to protect this demon based solely on his own word?"

His words were light, but when Niu San heard them, he felt a chill down his spine, and his body couldn't stop trembling.

He could only kneel on the ground, burying his head deeply into the floor.

After a long time, he suddenly heard a voice from above: "You may withdraw."

He suppressed his fear and said respectfully, "Yes."

After speaking, he quickly stood up and backed out of the palace.

After Niu San left, the anger in Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's eyes finally showed slightly, though it was still restrained by him.

"Jiang Chen's cultivation has actually reached such a high level; even Cui Wei and Tian Tui are no match for him. He is worthy of being the Disciple of the Great Immortal Master."

"Still youthful and impulsive. He didn't even ask for My opinion before deciding to let that demon go. Is he not afraid that others will use this against him in the future and cause trouble before Me?"

Gao Lishi, who was behind him, thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, that is Celestial Lady Ba, after all, and Jiang Chen is Grand Master Sima Chengzhen's Disciple..."

"Enough. Am I some petty person? Since the original culprit is not Nvba, then let the Imperial Agents thoroughly investigate the original culprit!"

"In addition, the Three Sovereigns Sect, the Way of the Celestial Masters, and the Louguan Sect have all earned Karma this time. You shall go and convey My regards to them on My behalf."

"This servant accepts the decree!"

...

When there was no one else in the entire hall except Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, he gave a cold smile.

"Interesting. A drought demon turns into Celestial Lady Ba. Chiying, could this also be Wusheng Laomu's masterpiece?"

At this moment, an ethereal voice came: "Imperial Brother, Wusheng Laomu's actions were also beyond my expectations. I did not anticipate all of this beforehand."

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them again, with no emotion left in his eyes.

"Since the matter is already settled, then I shall see how much benefit your Wusheng Sect can bring Me."