The man who had spoken was none other than Zhao Meng Long, Tian Xiang City's foremost salt merchant and the head of its Chamber of Commerce, a man known for his immense wealth and temper to match. Normally, his words carried weight wherever he went. But now, there was nothing but awe and raw desire in his tone.
The declaration was vulgar, shameless even, but no one in the hall laughed.
If anything, every pair of eyes that turned toward him shimmered with the same longing.
Each noble, duke, and chancellor was struggling to restrain themselves from doing the exact same thing: standing up and shouting, "Give me ten jars too!"
The scent still lingered in their nostrils, teasing their reason, making them restless. It wasn't wine anymore, it was temptation in liquid form.
So, instead of mockery, Zhao Meng Long's words earned a ripple of approving nods. Every man present silently admitted that, if not for their titles and the weight of decorum, they would have joined him.
Yet, among the crowd, a single voice cut through the haze like a blade.
"Sit down!"
The sharp command came from the second row, carrying the weight of a battlefield general.
Dugu Wudi, the legendary Great General of Tian Xiang, sat with a thunderous expression on his face. His broad chest heaved once, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Zhao Meng Long.
"Speak according to your surroundings! Making a fuss in front of nobles and officials, what next? Will you start dancing on the table? Have some restraint! Do you think this is how an aristocrat behaves?"
His tone was dark, and his face even darker.
In truth, Dugu Wudi was not angry for the sake of decorum. He was angry at fate itself.
He had come to this auction for two reasons. One to show some face to Jun Wu Yi, the crippled yet respected general. But his real purpose was to see Jun Mo Xie make a fool of himself.
He had even placed a private wager, confident that the Jun Family's so-called 'mystical wine' would flop miserably.
'One bottle worth ten thousand taels? Hah! A ridiculous dream! If that brat can sell it for that much, I'll eat my boots!'
That had been his thought when he first heard the claim.
But now…
The fragrance still clung to his beard.
The nobles' shining eyes betrayed their hunger, and Zhao Meng Long's rapture said it all.
This wine wasn't just going to sell; it was going to explode.
He could already see it. Not only would the wine fetch more than ten thousand taels a bottle, it would soar far beyond that… and with it, so would his debt, a debt of twenty-five million silver taels, according to the reckless bet he had made.
His fingers twitched and his jaw clenched. 'Heavens above, what kind of cursed wine is this?!'
His heart sank like a rock in a pond.
For the first time in many years, the great General Dugu felt despair gnaw at him.
'If only I'd kept my big mouth shut…'
He could practically hear Jun Mo Xie's mocking laughter in his ears, even though the brat was seated far away. In his mind's eye, he could see both Jun Mo Xie and Jun Wu Yi laughing themselves to tears behind their screen.
'Damn those two devils!'
Meanwhile, Zhao Meng Long had finally realized that his outburst had drawn the attention of the one man he dared not offend. He hiccupped, face redder than before, and quickly sat back down like a scolded schoolboy.
Though he was one of the richest men in Tian Xiang, even he wouldn't dare to cross paths with Dugu Wudi, the infamous head of the 'rude and unreasonable' Dugu Family.
With an awkward cough, Zhao Meng Long lowered his head and placed his empty cup on the table. Then, without hesitation, he reached for the two remaining cups before anyone else could, and drained them both in quick succession.
He exhaled deeply, eyes half-closed, his face glowing with unrestrained satisfaction.
"Ahh…" He sighed, voice full of bliss.
The room fell silent once again.
For all the wealth, pride, and power gathered under that roof, not one man could deny it—
The wine had conquered them all.
Dugu Wudi turned his head, his sharp eyes landing on his treasured daughter, only to find her smiling. That sweet, satisfied smile carried the unmistakable glow of mischief, as if she were delighted to see her father in trouble. The corner of her rosy lips curled upward, her eyes glimmering with barely contained amusement.
Dugu Wudi snorted, his thick brows twitching.
"If you keep smiling like that," He growled, half-teasing, and half-threatening, "I'll start arranging marriage interviews for you first thing tomorrow!"
The words hit like a hammer.
Dugu Xiao Yi's laughter came to an abrupt stop. Her big, shining eyes widened, filling with disbelief and outrage. In an instant, her pretty face darkened like storm clouds rolling in.
"Humph!" She huffed, turning her head sharply with a pout, her voice trembling with anger. "Look at yourself! Are you scared that you're going to lose?"
Her words came out fast and sharp, like arrows fired at point-blank range.
"Such a huge debt... I'd love to see how you pay it back. You won't be able to repay twenty-five million silver taels even if you sell everything we have!"
Dugu Wudi's face flushed red with part fury, part embarrassment.
"What pay back?" He barked, slamming a hand on the table. "Your father has plenty of means! You think I can't pay it off? Even if I sell everything, it's not that big a sum!"
He puffed his chest, his pride swelling as he declared, "If I really don't have the money, I'll just use my daughter to make that boy my son-in-law! That should balance the debt and make you happy, right? Humph!"
Dugu Xiao Yi's beautiful face turned crimson in an instant. She shot up from her seat, her hair fluttering with her movement, and shouted in a voice both furious and flustered, "I do not want that! Who would cherish that!?"
Her voice cracked at the end, betraying her rising panic. Though she liked Jun Mo Xie deep down, she refused to be offered like some prize in a wager. That was not how she had imagined her love story would begin, as repayment for a bet!
Her chest rose and fell quickly. Her throat tightened as tears welled up in her eyes. She bit her lower lip, trying to hold them back, but the emotion burst through anyway.
"Humph!" She stomped her foot, spun on her heel, and turned her delicate waist away. Her eyes shimmered, tears falling silently as she refused to even look at her father again.
Dugu Wudi froze. For once, the mighty general looked completely helpless. He had been carried away by his own temper and pride, forgetting he was speaking to his daughter, not his soldiers.
He reached out awkwardly, trying to comfort her, but she brushed him off, her back still trembling with anger.
The nearby attendants turned away, pretending not to notice.
The sight of the indomitable Dugu Wudi being defeated by his own daughter's tears was enough to make even the most disciplined soldier choke back laughter.
Even Dugu Ying Yi, who was sitting nearby, couldn't help but chuckle under his breath... until Dugu Wudi's boot found his backside.
"Laugh again, and I'll throw you off the balcony!" The general barked.
"Ah! I didn't even— ow!" Ying Yi yelped, clutching his rear as the others fought to suppress their grins.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
Spoilers for the next five chapters!
Chapter 161: Jin Yang Gang's Leader
Chapter 162: Challenge
Chapter 163: Mysterious Strategist
Chapter 164: The Prince's Shamelessness
Chapter 165: The Prince's Shamelessness (2)
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
📢 Author's Note 📢
If you're enjoying this story and want more chapters right now, I invite you to check out my Patreon. There you'll find:
✅ Daily updates – never miss a day of new content
✅ Advanced chapters – read far ahead of public releases
✅ Exclusive perks & extras – only available to patrons
Your support not only gives you early access but also helps me dedicate more time to writing and expanding this story. Every reader who joins makes a huge difference.
👉 Dive into more chapters today: patreon.com/Myth_Valley
Let's keep the adventure alive! 🔥📚✨