4. The gods are fighting

The long and slender hands holds the clear jade pot.

Gu Jianshen bent slightly, red sleeves fluttering, shadows appeared to be flickering as he poured out the wine like a shimmering river. This whole scene appeared ethereal.

Shen Qingxian nodded slightly and said politely: “Thank you very much.”

Gu Jianshen lifted the corner of his lips (TN: mild smirk, probably), at once the atmosphere in the entire hall heated up. “Please.” He said.

Shen Qingxian raised his cup. His posture of elegance set him apart from other casual drinkers. In his hands, the wine doesn’t seem like a substance to cause unrestrained behaviours but more of a passing of heavenly dao ritual. (TN: so basically it seems as if he’s drinking tea, not alcohol)

But knowing that this is wine, and seeing that person in question drinking it makes some people really want to destroy this pleasant atmosphere.

Gu Jianshen smiled even deeper, filling up Shen Qingxian’s cup immediately after he finished: ” Respected Lord, what do you think? Does it suit your taste?”

Shen Qingxian replied: “Yuzun nectar, mellow and fragrant.”

Gu Jianshen filled up his cup again: “Overstated.” (TN: ancient people are very courteous. The reply is supposed to sound humble like oh you’ve praised too much)

In the audience hall, two people talked with happiness, whilst everyone around them felt great pains in their hearts!

Ye Zhan and the rest of his companions were envious;(TN: I assume that’s what ‘eyes are green’ here means) how dare this demonic cultivator try to make our lord drunk!

Jian Lian and the rest of his companions were enraged; how dare this hypocritical white lotus dare to let his highness serve him! One cup after another!

Everyone clenched their fists, regret dripping out of their hearts.

——It’s all our fault, it’s us who caused our lord/your highness suffer this big humiliation!

After 2 more cups, Shen Qingxian felt a bit worried, even though the wine is good, the taste is peerless, it’s still written on the jade bamboo slip that they must both drink till they are drunk.

If Gu Jianshen doesn’t drink, this mission definitely can’t be completed. In addition, both of they must be drunk together.

Not to mention, anyone who reached the spiritual level both of them are at, getting drunk seems impossible.

Doesn’t matter if one’s alcohol tolerant is low, or high. If one’s cultivation level is high, then their alcohol tolerant will follow.

Doesn’t matter if this is the first time Shen Qingxian has drank in thousand years, doesn’t matter if he drinks a thousand cups in one sitting now, he just won’t get drunk.

Thinking about Gu Jianshen, it must be the same for him too.

How can this be resolved?

Shen Qingxian frowns, below, the disciples of Tiandao are again worried from the depths of their hearts.

How could we have been so incompetent? How could we have been so useless? How could we have let our lord suffer such indignation?

Even Zeng Ziliang, the one who doesn’t get many things, felt a thousand needles stabbing into his heart and found it difficult to breathe from the crushing guilt.

But they don’t dare to act rashly, lest taking for granted the lord’s benevolence to them and angering the lord as well.

Shen Qingxian thought for a while, deciding that it’s best to test out whether just fulfilling the ‘drinking together’ part of the mission is possible.

Gu Jianshen was just about to pour him another cup when Shen Qingxian asked: ‘Is your highness drinking?’

Gu Jianshen hesitated.

Shen Qingxian touched Gu Jianshen’s cup and said: ‘Such fine wine, why not enjoy it?’

Gu Jianshen poured himself a cup before raising the cup and said: ‘since it’s the lord’s will, then Gu mǒu (TN: another humble way to refer to oneself: Gu –> surname, rest is omitted) will obey.’

After that, he tilted his head back and downed the wine. In an instance, his sleeves fell back to the elbows, revealing fair and strong arms, truly eye-catching. (TN: or something of similar meaning…😇)

Shen Qingxian smiled widely while topping up his cup: ‘your highness really gets to the point.’

Gu Jianshen chuckled, drinking two more cups in quick succession.

Now it’s the Heart domain disciples to feel worried.

This white lotus is too deceiving! Not only does he let our highness serve him, but also let him drink with you?

As a Tiandao echoing bug(TN: opinion-less person, no brain, only follows), how dare he be so arrogant!

Shen Qingxian one cup, Gu Jianshen another. The two battled it out with wine and after some time, dozens of bottles are finished.

Below, the two groups of people felt pained. However, the ‘smart people’ started to talk amongst themselves.

For example, in Tiandao, some people began to communicate telepathically.

To explain, this type of communication cannot actually be hidden from great cultivators such as Shen Qingxian.

If Shen Qingxian wanted to, he could just tuned in to it, and would be able to hear Zeng Ziliang, Ye Zhan and company’s conversation loud and clear.

However, under normal circumstances, this was something he won’t do. As this is an active skill whereby he has to consciously turn it on. Since passively listening to all these random conversations will definitely tire one out no matter the cultivation level.

Therefore, unless it was some special circumstance, Shen Qingxian will never actively seek to eavesdrop on their secret meeting.

As for Gu Jianshen, it was impossible for him to listen in as Shen Qingxian would’ve naturally blocked his ability on anyone from Tiandao.

Hence the meeting proceeded on very smoothly.

Zeng Ziliang asked: ‘Our lord is actually negotiating with the demonic emperor!’

Ye Zhan rebutted: ‘What is there to negotiate about? It’s clearly a compromise!’

Zeng Ziliang: ‘You’re wrong! Who do you think our lord is? Even if lord is concerned about our safety and refused to clash with the demonic emperor, isn’t comparing alcohol tolerance a way to compare cultivation levels?’

Cheng Jing mused: ‘Makes sense.’

The type of wine that cultivators and ordinary people drank were in fact different.

The wine brewed for cultivators contained substantial amounts of spiritual energy, meaning that the strength of the alcohol is way more than normal.

The higher the cultivation, the better the tolerance, this was something nobody needs to mention. Hence, everyone agreed in unison that the battle in the audience hall had already started!

Whoever got drunk first, loses!

Even though no blood is spilled, whoever wins still gets to stand at the peak!

Zeng Ziliang’s words were hence believed by everyone.

Similarly, heart domain also has such ‘smart person’. Firmly believing that this drinking contest is just another form of a real battle. And that Gu Jianshen is fighting all out to bring back heart domain’s pride.

Thinking of this, blood on both sides starts to boil up.(TN: everyone became really excited to see the outcome basically)

Regardless of who started it, both sides began to compete in rounds of drinking contest.

They can’t let their lord(your highness) fight alone, they must also aid them!

Since they can’t interfere with the ‘fight of the gods’, at least they can do their part by settling the other small fries.(TN: 虾兵蟹将)

Ye Zhan finally had an outlet for his bottle of rage in his chest. Once someone challenged him, he, of course, did not back down.

Jian Lian immediately stood up to battle it out, as heart domain’s only chief protector, losing is not an option!

In the audience hall, the two main characters were in the midst of a ‘serious business’ while the two groups are also competing outside.

For a moment, it really did seem like a heated discussion.

After three days, three nights, only Gu Jianshen and Shen Qingxian were still sober, everyone else were down.

From the results, nobody won, nor did anyone lose, after all everyone was down on their knees. (TN: help me comprehend this–>半斤也就别笑八两)

Shen Qingxian looped down at the jade slip, sighing softly, not even knowing whether the first part can even be completed or not.

How to get drunk……

How to be drunk?

Gu Jianshen started: ‘Lord has great alcohol tolerance.’

Shen Qingxian replied: ‘Having good tolerance is not exactly a good thing.’. Such as now, wanting to get drunk but just can’t.

Gu Jianshen mused: ‘ Lord wants to get drunk?’

Shen Qingxian responded: ‘ Does your highness not want to…?’

Gu Jianshen replied: ‘To drink with a close friend, and wishing to get drunk is, a good thing.’

Shen Qingxian asked: ‘a close friend?’

Gu Jianshen: ‘Martial uncle? (TN: shī shū 师叔)

‘Never mind.’

The two of them continued to chat.

Frankly, at their cultivation level, getting drunk is a difficult thing, however, not entirely impossible.

Their cultivation suppressed their tendency to get drunk. But if their cultivation were to be suppressed, it will be possible.

However this ‘suppressing cultivation’ is another hurdle.

Who should suppress first? How to suppress? Why suppress? What happens next?

Shen Qingxian: to complete the mission; what about Gu Jianshen?

Ig Shen Qingxian were to get drunk, what would Gu Jianshen do?

The ambition of a wolf cannot be hidden.

Hence Shen Qingxian really can’t get drunk. Don’t talk about ascension, who knows what this wild wolf will do.

The previous conversation was just a testing the waters.

Nonetheless…this two people… really just want to get drunk.

Sadly, the trust between the two haven’t gotten to the point of confidant, haven’t gotten to the point of getting drunk together.

But they are getting nowhere, those below have already fallen asleep.

So, should they just retreat like this? Of course not.

The jade bamboo slip gave Shen Qingxian 4 missions and he has only completed one.

The last one is to be ignored, the second one, he has no time to complete, then the third…’Take a stroll with Gu Jianshen in XingHai'(TN: literal translation: sea of stars.) seems plausible?

As if their spirits are connected, Gu Jianshen and Shen Qingxian put down their cups at the same time.

Shen Qingxian suggested: ‘Let’s go out for a walk?’

Gu Jianshen agreed: ‘Sure.’

Even though Shen Qingxian initially disliked this traitor from heart domain, this meeting has made him realise that this person is actually very knowledgeable and not difficult to talk to. Leaving his with a trace of joy in his heart.

Drinking and getting drunk together might be difficult but it turns out this ‘strolling together in XingHai’ is not a trivial thing either.

Firstly…strolling together is not a difficult thing, but XingHai is so big.

Why to start and where to end?

In addition, XingHai is partial to Tiandao while Hujin is partial to heart domain.(TN: I think it is saying this place has 2 sections: one belonging to each sides) Even if Shen Qingxian did not set any traps here, how can he be sure that Gu Jianshen did not?

Shen Qingxian has to be cautious.

Two person stood at the border lines separating XingHai and Hujin, Gu Jianshen is surprisingly bright: ‘XingHai first bah.’

Shen Qingxian glanced at him: ‘Your highness……’

Gu Jianshen looked at him: ‘en?’

Shen Qingxian looked at him with eyes full of questions: ‘Your highness is not worried that the area might be filled with traps?’

Gu Jianshen asked frankly: ‘ does the lord intend to kill me?’

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