My Demon Friends-Chapter 607 - 581: Networking Event

"It's not that easy to achieve, right?" Zhou Li said.

"I think so too. Even Master Ming alone had a hard time with it back then. It's not easy to disseminate it on a large scale." Yin Le nodded, but then his tone shifted. "But if it's only applied to the higher-ups, those who control most of the wealth and power of humanity..."

There was no need to finish the sentence.

Human nature is complex. Greed burrows deep into the earth, while dreams soar high into the clouds, yet the two share many commonalities. With just a subtle shift in thought, who can truly tell them apart?

As Yin Le had mentioned earlier, immortality and flying are the ultimate dreams of humanity. People have gone mad and died for it throughout history. Who could stop them? If ordinary people are already like this, those at the pinnacle of power and wealth absolutely couldn't resist such temptations.

Ordinary people do it for their dreams, while they also do it for greed—with it, they can hold onto even greater wealth and power for a longer time.

Zhou Li couldn't help but imagine what that country across the ocean was like...

Yin Le sighed, head lowered. "I'm now actually hoping the Elm King wakes up..."

Listening to this, Zhou Li found it rather interesting, but he didn't speak out to mock him; after all, he was kind-hearted and simply said, "Aren't you able to awaken the Elm King?"

Yin Le shook his head. "We only have the capability. But in truth, we don't even know where the Elm King is sealed. It requires everyone to gather. The problem is that this era has just begun. It would be a feat if even three mature Heavenly Masters emerged from the Six Imperial Families. They simply don't realize the urgency of the situation and naturally wouldn't arrange to meet."

"Unless the seal loosens and there are signs in heaven and earth—only then, and we still need to ensure the unbroken lineage of our Six Families."

"Those fools from back then definitely didn't anticipate two World Wars happening later on; they probably thought their dynasty would last forever."

"Not necessarily, not necessarily," Zhou Li said repeatedly.

"Let's not talk about this. It's good that you know." Yin Le turned to look at Zhou Li.

"Alright." Zhou Li understood.

"Speaking of which, those two members from your 'Probability Society' are actually quite useful," Yin Le said, taking a moment to recall the name of Brother Nan's club—a rather disrespectful delay. "Xiao Hua's talent is even better than I imagined, only lacking in effort. After an initial burst of effort, as the novelty wore off, she gradually slackened, probably also tasting the bitterness of cultivation."

"And Su Jue?" Zhou Li asked.

"What surprises me is Su Jue."

Yin Le straightened his posture, his stride smooth as if paparazzi were photographing him on the street. "Initially, I thought he was a junior celestial master and not very useful... you know, junior celestial masters really can't compare to Orthodox Taoist Masters. But unexpectedly, this young man did well and is hardworking enough. He has made significant progress in combat skills and is now the strongest fighter among my subordinates. If Xiao Hua weren't holding him back, his progress would be even greater."

In ancient times, junior celestial masters indeed followed the path of martial strength, being natural Demon Warriors. There was a specialized system in ancient times to cultivate junior celestial masters; they developed rapidly, and once mature, their martial capabilities were not inferior to those of Orthodox Taoist Masters.

There's an example in his own home.

However, in ancient times, mere martial strength wasn't enough to earn them the same status as Orthodox Taoist Masters, which is why they were called 'junior celestial masters'—a name inherently derogatory.

Yin Le smiled at Zhou Li. "Love really distracts people."

So petty.

Zhou Li disliked petty people the most, but he chose to forgive Yin Le, nodding in agreement with his sentiment. "Master Yin, just a few days as an official and you already speak like a leader."

"..."

Yin Le stopped walking, no longer wanting to continue with him. "Remember to keep an eye out."

"I'll try."

"Skewers tonight?"

"I have plans."

"What plans? Dating? Beauty is a blade that scrapes the bone."

"Dorm gathering."

"Oh..." Yin Le knew about dorm gatherings from reading novels during junior and senior high school. He silently gave Zhou Li a look, doubting the guy had actually gone to a real university.

「6 p.m. Commercial Street. Sauerkraut and Pig's Feet.」

Many students chose to eat out at the start of the semester. Brother Nan had called early to reserve a round table on the second floor, ordered a big pot with extra meat, and even asked for a few stir-fried dishes and a dry pot from next door. The owner was already very familiar with Brother Nan—a tall, strikingly good-looking, big-spending customer with a distinctive tuft of hair—and didn't mind at all that Brother Nan ordered food from the neighboring establishment.

Rooms 502 and 106 sat around the table, boys on one side and girls on the other, all in good spirits.

It was already the second semester of their sophomore year. They had taken many classes together, copied homework, and helped each other with exams more than once or twice, so the two dorms were already quite familiar. The male students from Room 502, usually quite reserved around the girls, were now much more relaxed and joking around.

The lively chatter filled the air with the comforting buzz of everyday life.

Mianmian and Qianqian, these two deceptively demure girls, usually behaved impeccably outside, maintaining a ladylike demeanor. But whenever Brother Nan was there to back them up, they instantly transformed into little hellions. They would crack risqué jokes that even some boys from Room 502 wouldn't dare utter, and even clamor for alcohol—something Chen Yang, a tough guy covered in tattoos, wouldn't dare demand so openly.

Brother Nan was a bit of a rogue, and her followers, well, they were pretty much little ruffians themselves.

Under their influence, their table had indeed contributed quite a bit to the owner's drink sales. Chen Yang had sneakily approached Zhou Li before they set out, asking if he planned to drink that night, and only relaxed when Zhou Li said he wouldn't be.

However, a beautiful girl's persuasion to drink came with built-in armor penetration.

But Room 502's contribution clearly wasn't as significant as the girls from Room 106, even without Brother Nan.

Excluding Brother Nan, everyone else drank beer:

Chang Xiaoxiang had four bottles, Liu Zhengming had two and a half, and Chen Yang had one.

Even this was an overachievement, as they were often egged on by Cotton Swab. Not drinking wasn't an option; the young ladies were downing a glass at a time, and being young men themselves, how could they bring themselves to just nurse their drinks?

Zhou Li only drank half a glass. He was perfectly fine with nursing his drink, without a hint of shame.

It tasted awful.

In total, seven and a half bottles and one half-glass.

Yet Mianmian and Qian Qian together had eight bottles. Even Baozi, who was quiet and unobtrusive, slowly sipping away, had more than one bottle.

This made two of the guys from Room 502, Chang Xiaoxiang and Liu Zhengming, feel quite embarrassed.

Chen Yang was already drunk...

And Zhou Li felt nothing of the sort and couldn't understand their point of view at all.

Probably only those who think being a heavy drinker is some great achievement would feel embarrassed about not being able to hold their liquor, right?

The night air was cool.

Zhou Li stood by the roadside waiting for Brother Nan to settle the bill. Business was booming, and the owner was very busy.

Baozi's face was flushed red, like a soft red apple. She wasn't dressed warmly enough; the alcohol made her feel hot, and she broke out in a thin sweat, chilling easily whenever the wind blew.

Seeing that no one was watching her, she sneakily shivered but kept her expression composed. After glancing around for a few seconds, she took small steps over to Zhou Li and peeked at the top of his head.

"Zhou Li, have you noticed that I'm taller than you now?"

"Call me Cousin."

"Oh, Cousin, have you noticed that I'm taller than you now?" Baozi slightly lifted her chin, her gaze sweeping straight across the top of Zhou Li's head.

"You're not."

"I'm as tall as you."

"You're not either."

"I'm only a little bit shorter than you."

"That's true..."

Zhou Li looked down and saw the two bricks she was standing on.

This little cousin... she had crushed down the backs of her perfectly good canvas shoes, wearing them like slippers.

The bricks, which the owner used to secure a tent, weren't whole and didn't offer much surface area. After drinking, she was even more unstable on them. She was spreading her arms wide, struggling to maintain her balance, yet she stubbornly refused to step down, her gaze still stubbornly fixed on trying to see over the top of his head.

Then Baozi asked, "Do you know why?"

"Because you're standing on bricks."

"Because I drank myself taller."

Baozi, as if she hadn't heard his previous answer, calmly stated her prepared response.

Zhou Li pursed his lips and turned back to look inside the store.

Brother Nan had just finished settling the bill and came out. She immediately noticed Little Cousin's stubborn expression and pointed. "What's your cousin up to?"

"Being silly."

"And you?"

"I'm trying to ignore her."

"THUD."

The brick slipped.

Little Cousin fell on her butt.

But just like when Tuanzi fell, it looked pitiful, yet she herself didn't seem to feel any pain. She patted her butt, stood up, and quietly joined them, shivering in the cold wind.