Chapter Thirty-Four: Sober

The dancing girls had already retreated. Shen Chang'an gazed at the crowd in the hall, a flicker of expectation seemingly appearing on his face.

Deep down, he felt a sense of bewilderment; he could not quite grasp what these monsters were truly plotting. His entire focus remained on the group of captured people. Yu Qingxian had left him behind, but he had no idea if she had actually managed to rescue them. She had departed without a sound, clearly employing some hidden technique that even Shen Chang'an could not discern.

He suspected that from the very moment she had summoned him, she had intended to abandon him here. It was no mystery why: Shen Chang'an’s background and experiences were so bizarre that they had inevitably stirred suspicion in her. Yu Qingxian was, after all, an operative of the Demon Purification Bureau. Even if she had appeared pathetic before the Taisui, that was merely the result of being ensnared by its illusions; once she regained her senses, she was back on her own turf.

The Demon Purification Bureau was a murky place, a den of mixed characters funded by the vast wealth of the imperial court. Those who emerged from its ranks were capable of any sacrifice to achieve their objectives. Shen Chang'an never spoke of his origins, and a junior flag officer of the Bureau had died near the place where he first appeared. Though his arrival defied prophecy, he had still managed to obtain a divine sword. Such strange signs meant that Yu Qingxian harbored zero trust toward him. She had lured him here, and it was entirely possible she had intended for him to die in this place.

If Shen Chang'an could deduce that the divine sword might hold some hidden significance, how could Yu Qingxian not? Yet, his sword didn't even have a name. Was it truly nameless, or was he simply afraid to reveal it? Yu Qingxian had simply chosen not to dwell on it; she had tricked him into coming here to serve as bait.

Shen Chang'an did not fear death, nor did he believe the current situation made it impossible for him to fight his way out. However, he was deeply concerned that in her haste to rescue the captives, Yu Qingxian had left the ordinary people behind. If she truly intended to save them, taking only one person would have been the most convenient course of action.

"I hope you... will not disappoint me..."

Shen Chang'an sighed. While he felt surprised by Yu Qingxian's actions, he harbored no resentment. However, this incident only reinforced his conviction that the people of the Demon Purification Bureau could not be trusted. Having finally encountered someone like Yu Qingxian, who seemed to possess at least a shred of integrity, only to be sold out by her at the first opportunity—if he were to trust them again, he would likely find himself flayed and dismembered before he knew it.

As he pondered this, he heard General Blackwind speak from above: "Bring out that jar of fine wine."

A maidservant stepped forward and presented a jar of liquor. General Blackwind gently unsealed it, and a rich, fragrant aroma instantly permeated the air, causing the gathered demons to wear expressions of pure intoxication.

"That stuff... it smells heavenly..."
"I wonder what they mixed into it..."
"There must be dozens of potent medicinal herbs in there!"

Listening to the chatter, Shen Chang'an felt that none of them had hit the mark. If it were merely ordinary medicinal wine—or even spiritual wine—it would never have elicited such excitement from these creatures.

General Blackwind took a light sniff, a look of intoxicated bliss crossing his face as he whispered, "Dragon-kind is rare in this world. To procure dragon blood and dragon saliva to brew such a jar of wine—Young Master Hu's methods are truly impressive..."

Shen Chang'an was stunned, and suddenly, realization dawned on him. It wasn't that General Blackwind hadn't noticed something odd about him; he had chosen not to speak of it because he mistakenly believed Shen Chang'an was connected to the dragon clan.

The dragon was the most powerful and ancient of all mythical beasts. Even if the dragon clan could no longer recreate the glory of their past, they remained a formidable and terrifying race. A mere drop of dragon blood or saliva could incite the greed of any demon. This greed was rooted in their very genes, in the deepest reaches of their souls. It was a primal craving for evolution. Those who consumed dragon blood would naturally evolve.

This temptation was almost fatal for demons, though it held little appeal for humans. It wasn't that humans didn't desire evolution, but this primitive method of consumption was extremely ineffective for them. If a human were truly to absorb dragon blood, it would require far more than just a jar of wine.

As Shen Chang'an reached this conclusion, the demons in the hall turned their gazes toward him. The envy, jealousy, and subtle murderous intent radiating from them left him feeling as though he were sitting on pins and needles. He gave a dry cough and said, "It was merely a stroke of luck."

At such a moment, saying more would only lead to more mistakes, so he offered this ambiguous remark to brush the matter aside.

Fortunately, General Blackwind did not intend to dwell on the subject. He ordered the maids to pour a cup for everyone. Shen Chang'an exhaled in relief; the moment had finally arrived. Whether the "Dragon-Drunken Fragrance" could truly knock them all out in a single cup would be revealed now. If it failed, he would have to improvise. As long as he could save the commoners, he could leave whenever he pleased; no one here could stop him.

The jar was not particularly large, but it was more than enough to provide a cup for the twenty or so demons present. As the cups were placed before them, the aroma filled their nostrils. Many were already losing their composure just from the scent; a hulking, obese pig-demon had already raised his cup, nearly unable to stop himself from gulping it down. Yet, General Blackwind’s reputation was too great, and no one dared drink before he did.

Shen Chang'an could barely contain his impatience. One gulp of this wine, and the truth would be known. Could it really intoxicate them? With this question in mind, he kept his eyes fixed on General Blackwind at the head of the table.

The General slowly stood up, raised his cup, and said in a low voice, "I wish for us all to enjoy eternal immortal blessings and a lifespan equal to the heavens."

"Eternal immortal blessings!"
"A lifespan equal to the heavens!"

The crowd offered their toasts, then raised their cups and drank them dry in one breath. Then, they simply sat back down, returning to their meal and conversation as if nothing had happened.

Shen Chang'an’s heart plummeted. Yu Qingxian hadn't spoken a single word of truth. If she truly possessed a divine substance capable of drugging these monsters, why hadn't she snuck into the kitchen to mix it into their food and drink?

From the very beginning, her plan had been to use him as bait to distract the others so she could slip away and steal the bride!