Chapter 16: Truths Revealed After Drinking?

Yin Wangzhi's next move was delayed. He lowered his head and saw the white silk binding his waist, his eyes revealing a hint of surprise.

Clearly, he hadn’t expected Yu Sheng to take action. This Yu Yangzi, who had seemed dull and easily deceived over the past few days, even a bit foolish, had unexpectedly shown a serious and assertive side. Besides, who would seriously confront someone over a childish joke like a drinking party?

If he hadn't already confirmed identities through dreams, he might not have recognized the person in front of him as the elder from back then. After witnessing the tension and vigilance on Yu Yangzi's face, he even wondered if he had mistaken the person. The world had changed; he had returned to the old place but found it hard to regain the shadows of the past like the other two. His impatience, fermented over time, erupted at this absurd drinking party.

Yin Wangzhi felt the force; he couldn’t easily break free without some serious effort. The atmosphere became tense, with Wen Jiu frowning and preparing to act, just like Zhan Xiaotian next to him, as if they mistakenly thought Yu Yangzi’s action was a joke. They feared that the Ghost King might get angry and escalate the situation.

It was as if he were the villain, about to defy authority, while they, the obedient disciples, were ready to step in and protect their seemingly weak and innocent master.

Yin Wangzhi did not step forward. He slowly retracted his raised foot and turned to Yu Sheng, smiling instead of getting angry. “Do you want me to keep drinking?”

He didn’t strike back, threaten, or curse. He first chuckled lightly, then heard Yu Sheng respond with a carefree laugh, hinting, “After eating and drinking well, one has the energy to vent elsewhere, right?”

Then, his light laughter turned into hearty guffaws, devoid of any mockery or hostility, genuinely joyful.

In the astonished and confused gazes of the other two, Yu Sheng retracted his whisk, as if he had merely spilled a cup of wine, and sat back down. The youth's face showed no signs of what had just transpired, only simple emotions remaining—admiration for the food and drink, satisfaction in having someone to share it with, as if nothing else mattered.

In their banter, there were no traces of the surprising act, nor any signs of astonishment.

Yin Wangzhi also sat back down, his nearly lost composure stabilizing again. When Wen Jiu stared at him blankly, he impatiently shot a glare back.

One cup after another, all toasting to the elder Yu Yangzi, until the table was cleared, his gaze never leaving him.

He was the Ghost King, but without that ‘king’ title, he was just a more powerful ghost—different from others, never able to fully disperse, waiting in the spirit world for reincarnation.

Similarly, he had no past life. From the moment he became aware, he had always been a ghost, unlike others who had experiences and memories from their ‘previous lives.’

Yin Wangzhi felt that was why he could never get drunk. The first and last time he drank was solely because he faced a person—his benefactor, mentor, elder, and his desires.

But Yu Sheng was human. Being human meant there would always be a time to get drunk.

Once the gathering ended, Yu Sheng grew merrier, smiling as he gathered his disciples to continue their camaraderie, asking Wen Jiu to help Zhan Xiaotian back to their room to rest.

Zhan Xiaotian firmly refused, demonstrating his agility with a forward flip to prove himself, successfully escaping. Wen Jiu maintained a cold expression, seemingly uninterested in genuinely helping, insisting instead on cleaning up and doing the dishes.

After all, as a spirit, he maintained a human form with just two arms on the surface, but Yu Sheng could transform into eight arms with just a turn, working faster than anyone.

Yu Sheng appeared genuinely drunk, his steps unsteady, eyes slightly dazed, and he rolled out, spotting Yin Wangzhi standing at the door, striking the best pose and showing his profile from the most flattering angle.

He greeted him and approached.

Today, he was truly happy. Through the wine and the frivolity, he finally realized that his disciple, though looking different and grown, hadn’t changed at all. His awkwardness remained, and his introspective nature was still as persistent as ever.

In the past, he didn’t dare interfere or couldn’t interfere, fearing that a single move would disrupt everything. He had wished to complete his tasks and erase his existence from the protagonists' lives, drawing a conclusion more perfect than the sun.

Now, the system said it all had already unraveled; no matter how bad it got, it couldn’t be worse than it was now.

He could interfere, intervene, even fully participate. On a bad note, it was like smashing a broken pot; on a good note, it meant rebuilding from the ruins!

That feeling… was like the first time as a child when he got a pet, pouring all his heart and feelings into it, only to have his parents say, “No, you can’t keep it. You have to let it go,” and enduring the pain of parting.

Years later, he saw that pet come back, ragged, ears drooping, drenched in rain and muddy, yet its tail wagging like a propeller as it ran towards him.

He now had the most legitimate reason to accept it again; only by doing so could he treat it, bathe it, and provide for it.

Now, with such a lovely dog, he had three!

And they were the most extraordinary celestial dogs in the world!

This little thought almost exceeded the bounds of finding joy in suffering. Yu Sheng carefully concealed it, ensuring no one discovered it, not even the system. After an initial panic, it spiraled out of control.

Yu Sheng pressed his lips together, thinking he might be the first living person in this land to feel happy because someone had swept his grave or blown it up.

What else could he do? Only such an optimistic and broad-minded attitude could allow him to continue living like this.

Yin Wangzhi still held a cup of wine. Seeing Yu Sheng approach silently, his drunk eyes glazed over, staring blankly at the wine cup in his hand. He raised the cup slightly, testing the waters, thinking Yu Sheng hadn’t had enough to drink yet.

If it wasn’t enough, he could just give Yu Sheng his cup.

As the Ghost King, he had his pride and a commanding presence. If a regular person saw him willingly offering his cup, they would likely drop their jaws in shock.

He might even have an unconscious desire to see Yu Yangzi's surprised expression. After all, even earlier when he hadn’t acted but instead laughed and sat back down to drink, it hadn’t genuinely surprised Yu Yangzi. It seemed that everything about him was discounted or turned on its head in Yu Yangzi’s eyes; when he expected tension, Yu Yangzi remained calm, and when he wished for surprise, Yu Yangzi stayed composed.

In the end, Yu Sheng’s mind went blank. He lowered his head and saw the wine cup, opening his mouth to clink against its rim and drank a large gulp directly from it.

His second disciple was generous today, quite obedient.

Indeed, this drinking feast was beneficial for strengthening bonds between people.

Yu Sheng thought about this and felt quite happy. There were watermarks around his lips, and he looked up at Yin Wangzhi with a smile.

Yin Wangzhi froze, his hand shaking, and the wine cup fell to the ground.

This time, it was on the ground, not on stone bricks, so it didn’t shatter.

Yu Sheng exclaimed, “Oh!” as he chased after the cup rolling on the ground, quickly moving to the side. However, having lost his footing after drinking, just as he bent down to pick it up, his toe kicked it, sending the wine cup flying.

He gave up, not wanting to pick it up. It was too much trouble.

Yu Sheng shook his head at the sight ahead, pulled out his whisk and began to play with it, sighing, “Never mind, never mind, let it go. A little cup has such a temper; sigh, it’s better not to rush. I’ll wait for it to stop and then slowly find it again.”

Yin Wangzhi was pulled back to reality by this seemingly random remark, silently watching Yu Yangzi's back.

When Yu Sheng turned back around, pulling out a new wine jug to savor the flowers, Yin Wangzhi saw his tipsy appearance and those clear, penetrating eyes, realizing he might have been overthinking it. That previous comment was merely a drunken joke about the cup.

If his master were truly clever and capable of hinting at something, able to see the real situation, how could he be so carefree and relaxed, drinking right under his nose?

How could he be standing next to him, admiring the flowers, without a worry in the world?

But in the past, his master had known his animosity was real, his cruelty was real, yet he had helped him without a second thought, smiling as he said he would defeat him when he became strong enough.

Yin Wangzhi’s mind wavered again. He had been restless before today, and now he felt impulsive and restless. Unconsciously, he raised his hand toward Yu Sheng.

“Huh?” At that moment, Yu Sheng turned his head back, his bright, clear eyes looking at him, raising the wine jug in his hand. “Does the Ghost King want some more?”

“Mm.” Yin Wangzhi gathered his fingers and nodded, and then he was handed a similar wine jug.

Wen Jiu had scolded him for being impulsive and acting recklessly, while Zhan Xiaotian had been angry at his audacity and disregard for consequences.

But how could someone bold enough to act recklessly in front of others also be afraid of being impulsive only in dreams, worrying about being reminded of everything when they woke up?

“Senior.”

“What’s up?”

Yu Sheng smiled faintly and unexaggeratedly, his eyes still glazed with intoxication. He had deliberately drunk a lot, fearing that when he was too sober, someone might say something they couldn’t.

It was coming, he thought. Finally, it was time to have a heart-to-heart with his disciple!

The survival guide had not deceived him.

“After the memorial for my master… could you spar with me, Senior?”

Though he looked fierce, once they started talking, Yin Wangzhi was quite polite and serious.

“Sure.”

“A promise is a promise.”

Yu Sheng clinked his wine jug with Yin Wangzhi's. “It’s a promise.”

Yin Wangzhi suddenly tilted his head to look at him, as if he had more to say.

Yu Sheng thought he would say, “I believe Master is not dead.”

However, what he heard instead was, “Back then, I wanted to spar with Master here, but I didn’t have the chance. Now, I can only make this agreement with you, Senior, to fulfill that wish.”

Yu Sheng recalled the words he had interrupted years ago and felt a pang of nostalgia.

“Why do you want to spar so much?”

Yin Wangzhi’s lips curled into a smile. “To prove something trivial.”

Yu Sheng blinked, thinking to himself, Is Yin Wangzhi really that competitive? Wanting to prove he’s strong, that he’s ready?

Suddenly, Yin Wangzhi leaned closer, looking earnestly into Yu Sheng’s eyes and enticingly asked, “Do you want to know?”

Just as Yu Sheng was about to respond, he felt a sudden weight at his feet.

Looking down, he saw the little white fluffball that had disappeared for quite some time.

Yin Wangzhi's expression darkened as he watched Yu Sheng pick up the fluffball, cradling it in his arms and squeezing it, a silly grin spreading across his face.

Coldly, Yin Wangzhi cut through the moment with no mercy, “What are you doing holding onto Wen Jiu's? Don’t you find it awkward?”

Yu Sheng: “…?!”

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