524: Chapter 524 Fusang Fireproof Cloth

Young Tribe Leader Ju Yunxiu stood up.

The five female Giant Clan warriors behind her, who had been saved by Ling Hao that day, left their seats simultaneously. The six of them held wine bowls and filed to the table in front of Ling Hao.

Without unnecessary words, Young Tribe Leader Ju Yunxiu held her cup with both hands and knelt on one knee. The five warriors knelt simultaneously, their movements uniform. Their knees hitting the bluestone floor made a dull thud, which was exceptionally clear in the slightly quiet banquet hall.

Even while kneeling on one knee, because of Young Tribe Leader Ju Yunxiu's height of over eight feet, her line of sight was still half a head higher than Ling Hao's as he sat behind the table.

Ling Hao had to tilt his head slightly upward to meet her gaze, her light amber-gold eyes shining under the candlelight.

The same vermilion cross-collar long dress with wide sleeves, the same thin gauze cardigan—yet worn on her, it was completely different from her mother's. Her breasts were equally full, but firmer and more lifted, supporting a young and plump curve beneath the lapels.

The slender and supple curves of her waist were identical to Matriarch Ju Yingluo's, yet they lacked a bit of the over-ripe plumpness, possessing more of the firmness unique to a young maiden.

Beneath the long dress, the lines of her hips still carried a touch of youthful firmness, not as round and full as a full moon like her mother's. The two faces were carved from the same mold, yet the two figures were like a ripe peach and a freshly picked fruit. One was like deep, still water, and the other like a wind rushing through the forest.

As for the other five, they were all varied in their beauty, each possessing their own charm. Of course, this was relative to the Giant Clan's own physique.

In Ling Hao's eyes, each of them was more than half a head taller than him, and even while kneeling, they still looked like five small hills.

Ling Hao's gaze shifted between the five, then returned to Young Tribe Leader Ju Yunxiu's face.

Young Tribe Leader Ju Yunxiu held the cup with both hands, looking down at Ling Hao, and then lowered the wine cup until it was level with Ling Hao's gaze. The candlelight danced like two tiny flames in her light amber-gold eyes:

"Lord Moonshadow, if you hadn't intervened that day, my five sisters and I would have long been buried in the mouths of the True Demons. This cup is to thank you for saving our lives."

After finishing, she tilted her head back and drank it all, her throat bobbing once, and the empty bowl was turned upside down.

The five women behind her raised their bowls simultaneously and drank it all in one gulp, the sound of the bowl rims clinking together crisp and uniform.

Ling Hao stood up to return the toast, holding his own wine bowl, and smiled:

"There is no need to be so solemn."

"It is only right!"

Young Tribe Leader Ju Yunxiu put down the empty bowl, her voice clear and bright, her cheeks flushed with a faint red from the wine.

"Furthermore, Lord Moonshadow is willing to exchange large amounts of Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring and Moon Essence with us. Such precious spiritual items—we are all very grateful!"

The five female warriors behind her nodded in unison.

At the banquet, the Giant Clan women sitting nearby also raised their bowls in agreement, their voices echoing in the hall for quite a while before gradually dying down.

After the toast, Young Tribe Leader Ju Yunxiu and the other five women returned to their seats. Ling Hao watched their backs, then swept his gaze over the Giant Clan women who were still stealing glances at him, and couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

This Giant Clan was truly too enthusiastic.

Whether it was the gauze clothing that draped down when they leaned over while toasting, or the unabashed, appraising gazes he could still feel from across half the plaza, it all gave him the illusion that he was the prey being hunted.

Beside him, Yu Linglong leaned over, one hand propping up the edge of the table, and said teasingly:

"It seems our Sect Master is feeling regret—regret that he couldn't capture them immediately and bring them to justice right on the spot?"

Ling Hao picked up his wine bowl and took a sip, glancing at her: "You talk too much. Drink and eat, don't let the Giant Clan think we can't hold our liquor."

Yu Linglong gave him a charming, sideways glare: "Of course, we must. Only by eating and drinking our fill will we have the strength, so that we can be more enduring."

Ling Hao put down the wine bowl, a wicked smile curling the corner of his lips: "Don't be too arrogant."

"Whether it's confidence or arrogance," Yu Linglong extended a fingertip and tapped the table surface lightly, "you will know soon, Sect Master."

Yu Lingshuang was looking down, picking up food nearby, her mouth twitching slightly.

Her Senior Sister just loved to bicker with him, especially in bed; she was defeated to the point of crying every single time, yet she had no intention of repenting, and would come back for more as soon as she woke up the next day.

She shook her head, too lazy to care about this bickering couple.

Nangong Mei, separated by two tables, glanced at Baili Qiao sitting next to her and tilted her chin toward Yu Linglong's direction. Her voice was tinged with the laziness of wine: "Little Linglong, if you are defeated, I can join you, along with Qiaoqiao, for a 'Three Heroes Battle the Sect Master,' okay?"

Baili Qiao's cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned her face away: "I didn't agree to that."

Ling Hao picked up his wine bowl and raised it toward Nangong Mei: "I'll oblige."

As soon as the words fell, he suddenly felt something. He looked down and saw a cup of wine pushed toward him.

Ling Hao turned his head and met Yu Zhaohua's ice-blue eyes—it turned out that Yu Zhaohua had taken the jade pot from the table at some point and poured him a full cup of wine.

Ling Hao looked at her, smiled, picked up the wine cup and took a sip, then handed the cup back to her: "Drink from it."

Yu Zhaohua took the wine cup and lowered her eyes to look at the rim.

There was a very faint water stain on the rim, the spot where Ling Hao's lips had just touched.

She slowly raised the wine cup, pressed her lips to that spot on the rim, tilted her head slightly, and drank the remaining wine in the cup.

Ling Hao took the empty cup and poured himself another one.

The two were separated by half a table, their sleeves gently brushing against each other in the firelight.

Baili Rou watched this scene from afar, her gaze landing on the empty wine cup at Yu Zhaohua's lips, her throat bobbing slightly.

Zhu Jin said in a whisper in her ear: "Don't even think about it; we're sitting too far away, we can't get over there."

Baili Rou sighed gloomily, looked down and picked up a piece of venison, putting it into her mouth and chewing absentmindedly. "I really envy the Grandmaster..."

Yue Xinlan was sitting not far from Ling Hao, taking it all in. She muttered expressionlessly: "So many tricks."

Then she reached out to grab the wine bowl on her table and downed it in one gulp.

The moment the wine entered her throat, a fiery burning sensation rushed straight up her throat, making her eyes heat up and almost causing her to choke and cough on the spot.

The Giant Clan's wine was unexpectedly strong; her small body simply couldn't handle such spiciness. She hurriedly circulated her spiritual power to quickly refine the alcohol's potency. The heat faded from her cheeks, but a thin layer of redness remained.

She put down the wine bowl, pursed her lips, and cursed inwardly. Damn it, this child's body!

As the drinking reached its peak, the sound of drums suddenly rose.

A troupe of dancers dressed in Fusang Crimson Cloud Skirts entered barefoot. Their pleated long skirts swayed gently with their steps, and the gold bells on their ankles chimed in rhythm with the drums, crisp and melodious.

Their dance was dignified and agile, the skirts swirling open like blooming crimson clouds, the darkly embroidered Fusang flowers appearing and disappearing in the candlelight. As they bowed and tilted their heads, the curve of their collarbones was vaguely visible where the collars were slightly open, appearing and disappearing under the interplay of candlelight and thin gauze.

Dancing to the front of Ling Hao's table, the lead dancer suddenly spun around, and the crimson pleated skirt on her body flowed and faded away like water, instantly replaced by a moon-white gradient gauze skirt. The upper body remained a cross-collar narrow-sleeved short garment, with a pleated long skirt of the same color below. The skirt hem was embroidered with silver Fusang flowers, and when she spun, the silver flowers scattered like stars on the skirt, flowing with brilliance.

Ling Hao was slightly stunned. He hadn't sensed the slightest fluctuation of spiritual power in this method of instantly changing clothes.

He remembered that when Young Tribe Leader Ju Yunxiu had changed from her armor-binding skirt to the moon-white cross-collar long-sleeved dress earlier, it had also been silent and traceless. Presumably, the clothing itself contained some mystery. He turned to look at Matriarch Ju Yingluo on the main seat, his gaze inquiring.

Matriarch Ju Yingluo met his gaze and, without waiting for him to speak, took the initiative to explain: "This is clothing made of Fusang Fire-Washed Cloth."

She raised her wrist and turned over a corner of the cuff lining. The fabric glimmered with pale golden patterns under the candlelight, with delicate weaves vaguely visible. "Fusang Fire-Washed Cloth is woven from the remaining fibers of dead Fusang roots mixed with spiritual silk. Once a garment is made, other garments can be refined into it, pre-setting several styles. After binding it with a drop of blood, it can be changed instantly according to one's will, without the need for spiritual power to drive it."

Opposite Ling Hao, Young Tribe Leader Ju Yunxiu put down her wine bowl and added: "Lord Moonshadow, you have seen what we look like when we fight. The Giant Clan cultivates Protective Aura, not spiritual power. Once the battle is intense, ordinary clothing will inevitably be shredded. If there is no spare clothing, there would be nothing to wear after the battle. Fusang Fire-Washed Cloth expands and contracts with the body, and with multiple sets of clothing pre-set within it, there is no need to worry about this problem."

"Furthermore, the Giant Clan is composed entirely of women. If our clothing were damaged during battle... it would always be inconvenient."

She didn't continue, but Ling Hao already understood what was left unsaid.