Chapter 37: Apology (1)

Chapter 37: Apology (1) "I-I see..." Jehanne nodded, looking like she was holding back. "What is it?" Xu Tao, although surprised by the increase in his cultivation, turned to her and asked curiously. After all, earlier, she seemed angry about something and had been lightly venting at him. He was still unsure about what the reason behind that was, though. "T-That... Sorry for getting angry earlier..." she apologized, hanging her head as she twiddled her fingers. Her brows were furrowed, and her eyes shivered with anxiety. "I... shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions and said all that... You must be angry, walking away like that, right...?" "..." Again, Xu Tao didn’t even know the reason why she was angry, so he didn’t realize it was him she was talking about. Thus, to him, her earlier outburst was nothing but a mysterious phenomenon that didn’t have anything to do with him. "Don’t mind it," still, he gave a small affirmation, just like a boss would to any of his subordinates. "And I wasn’t angry in the first place. Though I was confused, well, it’s good enough that you admitted your mistakes," he added with a friendly smile. "Sir Tao..." And this casual gesture of friendliness actually made a certain maiden’s heart skip a beat. Her cheeks caught a faint blush as she averted her gaze, opening her mouth while hesitating about what to say. "L-Later... tonight..." But squeezing out all her courage, she stuttered out a heartfelt request. "P-Please come to my room..." and ran away as soon as she said up to this point. "Hmm?" Xu Tao frowned, tilting his head while watching Jehanne’s fading figure. ’Is there some problem with the Dark Elves she wants to discuss in private?’ he mused. After all, other than that case, he couldn’t think of any other reason Jehanne would call him to her room. He had no idea that it’d become an unforgettable night for the both of them... ???????????? "Qi Gathering Stage!" "Great Elder is amazing! Weren’t you still at the 9th Stage of Body Refinement earlier today?!" "This is a matter worthy of celebration! We should drink to this occasion!" Nighttime. After Xu Tao finished his cultivation, he completed the third Log House in under 15 minutes. Thanks to that, all three houses were completed. With regards to splitting up their areas, he decided to go with the simplest divide: one house for each "faction." The first house they made, furthest to the right, was, of course, taken by Xu Tao himself along with the five outer disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect. The second house right next to it was set for Jehanne and her knights. And finally, the third one furthest to the left of the first, was for Arthur and the "captured" Dark Elves. The division was balanced, so thankfully, there were no objections... though Jehanne did look a little disappointed at not staying in one house with Xu Tao. She didn’t bring this matter up. After dinner, everyone split up and returned to their respective homes. That’s when Xu Tao revealed his cultivation to the others, bringing about this scene. "Celebration, huh..." Xu Tao sighed, patting the little pumpkin resting between his legs. "Well, I think there are a few bottles of alcohol in the Medium Loot Boxes from before. I guess indulging for a bit wouldn’t hurt." "YAY!" "As expected of the Great Elder!" And just like that, in celebration of his breakthrough to the Qi Gathering Stage, a small feast began. It was literally small, though. They only had water, three bottles of wine, a few pieces of salted meat, and bread. But the problem didn’t rear its head until one of them took the first taste of the alcohol. "Woah! This... is strong!" One gulp and he felt like his throat was getting burned. In an instant, he felt his body heat up, and his face turn a shade redder. "But it’s amazingly delicious!" he added before taking another swig of his cup. "Really?" Xu Tao, curious about the disciple’s comments, also grabbed a cup for himself and sipped a few drops. "...!" And to his surprise, the words earlier didn’t carry any falsehoods. The alcohol was so strong it felt like his Qi was being lit on fire. His body began steaming—literally—as his blood flow increased. Sweat began pouring from his forehead, almost as if he were in a sauna. [You have consumed Heavenly Fire Wine. Increases Blood flow and enhances Qi circulation by 500% for 1 hour. Use with caution!] "Damn... This is no ordinary alcohol...!" Xu Tao shouted in a scratchy voice—but still drank his cup’s contents until not a drop remained. "AGHHH! That hits the spot!!!" He had tasted hundreds, if not thousands, of alcohols in his life. However, if he compared those to this one bottle, then all he’d been drinking before would be piss in comparison. ’Not only that, this alcohol speeds up Qi circulation. It’s good for cultivation!’ Every one of the disciples, however, quickly succumbed to their drink in about three or four cups. The alcohol was too strong, even for them. The last one standing, Little Wenwen, was all wobbly with a red face as she downed her sixth cup... and fell face-first toward the floor. SNOOOORE! "..." None of the disciples survived, leaving Xu Tao alone. He had brought out three bottles, but they hadn’t even touched the last bottle, and the party was wrapped up—prematurely. Having no reason to stop, however, Xu Tao continued on his drinking spree, literally downing an entire bottle afterward, slowly. Savoring every moment, every drop. "Oh." Then, just as he was about to retire for the day, he recalled the request that Jehanne made. "Right, she called me to see her tonight." The time was nearing midnight... but Jehanne didn’t indicate a "time" for them to meet anyway, so he decided it wasn’t his fault he forgot. "Ooo, ooops...!" As he stood, his steps faltered, almost making him crash into the ground. After a few steps, and with the help of the wall, he managed to stabilize enough to walk straight... but without a doubt, the alcohol had already reached his head. He was nearly dead drunk, not in a state for any "talks" or whatever. Still, other than a faint flushed face and sweating forehead, Xu Tao showed no signs of it. Even his steps now looked almost the same, showing off his absurd amount of control over his body. After leaving the door, the cold night air brushed his warm body, making him shiver lightly. "Oof, staying outside in this temperature is definitely not a choice..." he muttered, rubbing his arms as he headed next door. Knock! Knock! He gently tapped the door, wondering if Jehanne was still awake even. But to his surprise, it only took one second before the door gently opened inward. "Sir Tao..." And what awaited him inside was the sight of five beaten soldiers, half-dead and fainted, across the floor... and a single bunny girl. Updated from freewebnove(l).com