Neither the bar nor the alcohol seemed like things that should appear within this Black Mirror Vortex.
But with two lucky stars in the team, well…
They actually did find an abandoned bar deep within the town. Of course, plenty of senseless monsters kept approaching along the way, but now that Zhao Guogu and the others had found their group, they no longer needed to cautiously hide. He Guxia and the Demon Vine sisters had already cleared out all the monsters active in their vicinity.
Although a bar had appeared, it obviously had its own monsters too. A hill-like slime monster loitered at the bar's entrance. It had no facial features nor any tentacles, merely squirming its body like sludge, leaving a trail of dark brown mucus on the ground.
He Guxia was quite unwilling to use her sword on such a disgusting monster. This type of slime monster was extremely afraid of fire. Mu Anqi threw a Molotov cocktail and burned it to ashes.
Vines whipped out, smashing the bar door open. Mu Anqi and the others stepped inside. The sofas and booth seats here were covered in dust, so Ye Jingmeng manipulated vines to briefly sweep them a few times. Then, she stared excitedly at the dazzling array liquor cabinet—"These should be drinkable, right?" She casually took down a bottle. Although she couldn't read the words on the label, that didn't stop her from slicing the cap off bare-handed, tilting her head back, and gulping down a large mouthful.
"Ha, refreshing! It would be even better with ice."
"Pity. Maybe next time we can look for a player with an ice-making ability," Ye Muyun remarked with a sigh as she took the bottle and also drank a few mouthfuls.
Everyone found seats. Ye Jingmeng vaulted over the inside of the counter with one hand, getting a palm full of dust. She manipulated vines to grow from behind the counter. Immediately, these vines skillfully took out several cocktail shakers and rinsed them, while other vines took down bottles and started shaking them.
Although there was no ice, these vines simply poured drinks for everyone. Ye Jingmeng didn't know how to mix drinks, and no one here—whether Ghost King, Demon King, or player—had that particular hobby, so they could only drink randomly.
"This one looks like fruit wine. You should drink this." Ye Jingmeng controlled a vine to specifically pick out a bottle that looked like fruit wine. She poured a little for herself first, took a sip to confirm it was low-alcohol fruit wine, and then poured a glass for Qing Tian too.
…Even though Qing Tian wasn't a minor, she just looked so young.
Qing Tian touched the glass, watching the pink liquid sway slightly, tiny bubbles scrambling upwards from the bottom. She leaned over, sniffed it, and then carefully took a sip.
The four-leaf clover hairpin on her head suddenly stood straight up. Qing Tian's eyes lit up, and she clasped the cup with both hands, drinking earnestly. She finished the entire glass in one go, then let out a satisfied little burp.
"My alcohol tolerance isn't good," Fang Xunjiu said, looking utterly dismayed as his Demon King poured him a full, large glass of liquor.
"You're the big brother; you have to set an example!" Ye Jingmeng retorted seriously, then added, "If you really can't drink it, then don't. No one's forcing you to finish it."
Fang Xunjiu, feeling wronged, fell silent. Fang Yunjiu, sitting beside him, patted his shoulder comfortingly and took a few small sips of her own drink, finding it acceptable.
Unlike the Demon Kings, ghosts like Ji Huaichu and He Guxia couldn't get drunk. Alcohol held little appeal for Ji Huaichu; she preferred juice or milk tea. However, Ji Huaichu never liked revealing her preferences in front of outsiders, so she silently downed the drink in front of her without showing any expression. As for He Guxia, although she was a sword cultivator, she had always been ascetic. Firstly, she inherently loved only the sword and had no other desires. Secondly, the Sword Sect was traditionally poor; what little savings they had were mostly spent on forging divine swords and crafting scabbards. They naturally didn't indulge in dishes made from spirit fruits or herbs, let alone touch spirit wine. What? You ask why they didn't drink ordinary wine?… In their world, cultivators did not consume mundane food or drink.
But now, there weren't so many restrictions. It was just that He Guxia herself didn't care much for culinary pleasures. In the lively atmosphere where everyone was eagerly drinking and chatting, she merely took a few small sips and sat quietly to the side.
"The Paradise Banquet is coming up soon. You'll all be going, right?" Jiang Yuexia downed a large gulp of wine and started conversing with everyone. This kind of gathering was clearly meant for drinking, chatting, and exchanging information. "The mainstream Demon Kings in Mingdu still don't have a favorable view of you from Taiyin. The arena matches at this banquet are probably going to be quite spectacular."
"Didn't some Ghost Kings also dislike Mingdu? Especially those from a century ago," Ye Muyun said nonchalantly. "After all, if they weren't so powerful, they wouldn't have had the chance to establish themselves in Shattered Mirror Continent at all."
Shattered Mirror Continent gradually developed into its current mode of coexistence between ghosts and demons. When the Black Mirror Vortex first appeared, it was nothing short of a natural disaster for the creatures of Shattered Mirror Continent. And the ghosts that emerged from it… whether rational or not, were rejected by the native creatures. Even now, a small number of extreme Demon Kings within Mingdu's borders completely eradicate any appearing Black Mirror Vortex—regardless of whether it contains rational Ghost Kings or not.
"Fighting won't really break out, so what's the point?" Ye Jingmeng muttered under her breath. The more time passed, the less likely it became for Taiyin and Mingdu to go to war. Especially now with the Nirvana Space involved, and the players from other worlds being a new force.
"Not necessarily. The frequency of the Black Mirror Vortex appearances is increasing. Even if war doesn't break out, Shattered Mirror Continent will struggle to accommodate the ever-growing number of ghosts," Jiang Yuexia shook her head and said. She glanced at Ji Huaichu. "General Ji should know about this, right?"
"Mm." Ji Huaichu nodded. "However, the Black Mirror Vortex itself is also undergoing mutations. The number of ghosts that can be brought out hasn't increased proportionally with the frequency of the Vortex appearances."
"Who knows what the future holds? Isn't the relationship between Taiyin and Mingdu gradually easing? When the Black Mirror Vortex becomes more and more formidable, the two sides will probably unite against a common enemy," Bai Yulai said lazily, sprawled over the bar counter, lightly swirling her glass. "Rather than worrying about that, it's better to look forward to seeing who will participate in the arena matches."
"Doesn't every faction have to send someone, just for show? He Guxia, aren't you attending this banquet again?"
"I am," He Guxia said. "I have a disciple now. I can't remain this poor forever."
"I will also participate," Ji Huaichu said calmly. "We've developed a new game. Need to secure some resources. Expanding our territory would be even better."
"…Then this one will probably be very exciting," Ye Muyun couldn't help but sigh. She and her sister were both laid-back, and besides, the combat prowess of the Demon Vine wasn't particularly strong—they lacked suppression abilities against Ghost Kings. So, this time, they were purely going to watch the spectacle.
While the Ghost Kings and Demon Kings were discussing matters of the Paradise Banquet, players like Mu Anqi and the others didn't even know what the Paradise Banquet was, so they naturally didn't interject.
"I've never had alcohol before; my family wouldn't allow it," Xia Yun said softly. Her face flushed easily from drinking, and just a few sips had already turned her cheeks bright red. She looked quite excited. "It feels amazing."
"I think you might be drunk?" Fang Xunjiu couldn't help but say. "Stop drinking." No sooner had he finished advising her than he saw Fang Yunjiu throw her head back and down another full glass, then slam it onto the table with great bravado: "Refill! Refill!"
"…Little sister, I think you might be drunk too?"
"Ha~ Haha~ Preposterous! I am… the Evil God! How could I possibly get drunk!" Fang Yunjiu laughed, refilled her own glass, then snapped her fingers, covering the liquid with a ghostly purple flame. She raised the glass high, watching the purple fire burn in her hand. "Behold! The Wine of the Evil God, the Evil God's blessing! You! Drink it!"
Fang Xunjiu: "…No, I won't drink."
"You dare refuse my reward? How vile! I shall… I shall inflict divine punishment upon you…"
Wu Sansheng, her face expressionless, grabbed Fang Yunjiu's hand and absorbed all her chaotic emotions. Fang Yunjiu, muddled, sobered up in a daze, and the purple flames on her hand dissipated.
Under the influence of her absolute rationality ability, Wu Sansheng felt no drunkenness no matter how much she drank. She silently looked after the players who were drinking, ready to use her skill to absorb their emotions and sober them up at the first sign of anyone acting out. Of course, she had tact. She wouldn't disturb pairs like Zhao Guogu and Si Suying, who were excitedly drinking arm-in-arm.
Mu Anqi hadn't drunk much. She sat quietly beside Ji Huaichu, listening to the talk about the Paradise Banquet. The topic had already been derailed by Ye Jingmeng, shifting from worries to gossip about which Demon Kings and Ghost Kings might participate. "Can players attend the Paradise Banquet?"
"Yes. Being able to recruit powerful players also reflects a Ghost King or Demon King's charm," Ji Huaichu said. "Do you want to participate?"
"Of course!" Mu Anqi said excitedly. "I think I'm totally qualified to participate! If I buy some anti-control equipment before then, I should make a splash, right?"
Ji Huaichu chuckled softly. "Matchups aren't arranged based on game completion count."
"I'm not worse than anyone else," Mu Anqi said. "Let me give it a try, since you're participating too. General, will Lady Red also go? And Miss White and Mr. Black?"
"They will. The illusion dungeons of White and Black also need resources to sustain them. Lady Red's vast territory wasn't obtained for nothing; there are still many newly ascended Demon Kings and Ghost Kings who covet it," Ji Huaichu explained. "There are also some Demon Kings and Ghost Kings you haven't met yet, though some of the old-timers probably won't participate."
"I'll participate too," Bai Yulai chimed in, leaning closer. "I want to open some branch shops and recruit more players." As she said this, Bai Yulai glanced at Wu Sansheng, but Wu Sansheng's attention wasn't here at all, and she clearly hadn't heard. A bit annoyed, Bai Yulai fiddled with her glass, her fox tail puffing up slightly.
Mu Anqi couldn't help but laugh; she hadn't expected the Fox Demon King to have this side to her. She was about to get up and remind Wu Sansheng when she stood and noticed the texture under her feet felt strange—
The entire floor of the bar was covered in green! Dense clover carpeted the ground. Mu Anqi looked with astonishment towards Qing Tian, who was sitting in the far corner, hugging her glass, giggling foolishly, and continuously drinking. The clover sprouting around her was already half a person tall! And it was swaying relaxingly!
Could Ye Jingmeng's vines not see this? Why were they still pouring drinks for Qing Tian?!