...

Following this, Wang Shouzhe and the three others got off the carriage together. After exchanging greetings with clasped hands, Lei Yangyu immediately found an excuse to leave, and even Xu Anbang casually made up a reason to depart the carriage.

This caused Lei Yangyu to glance at him sideways: "Brother Anbang, isn’t this your carriage?"

Xu Anbang shrugged helplessly.

What else could he do?

Ah~ It’s not easy being a noble family head these days~

Meanwhile, putting their subtle exchanges aside, Wang Shouzhe invited Xiahou Hongde into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the two sat facing each other.

Faced with Xiahou Hongde’s slightly sharp gaze, Wang Shouzhe maintained a calm and serene demeanor, as if the Lord City Guard opposite him wasn’t here to cause trouble.

He elegantly brewed a pot of Spirit Tea, and served a cup with folded sleeves: "This is ’Jade Hook Green,’ a treasured tea from Patriarch Xu of the Changning Xu Family. It’s refreshing and subtly bitter, with a lingering taste, most suitable for savoring in this crisp autumn weather."

The tea leaves resembled small jade hooks, perfectly complementing the mutton fat jade porcelain tea bowls in which it’s served.

Xiahou Hongde remained silent, keeping his majestic stance. He took a sip of tea and slightly frowned: "It’s bland."

"Perhaps I didn’t consider enough." Wang Shouzhe chuckled lightly, warm as jade, "Xiahou City Guard, being a hero from the military family background, values grandiosity and strength beyond measure. Naturally, the mild taste of this Spirit Tea isn’t to your liking."

"Strength beyond measure? That’s grand!" Xiahou Hongde’s eyes lit up, revealing a longing expression, "Could this be the feat of some senior from the Purple Mansion? But, I doubt even a Purple Mansion Ascendant could move a mountain. Maybe a senior specializing in War Body could manage a smaller one?"

"..."

Wang Shouzhe’s eyelids twitched, he almost couldn’t keep it together.

I was talking about mental realms, and you’re discussing the feasibility of practical operations? Are these the same thing?!

However, he understood.

The education received by those from military family backgrounds is vastly different from that of local Black Tortoise Clans, leading to differing perspectives.

They emphasize passion, courage, military discipline, and camaraderie.

No wonder the statement resonated with the counterpart.

Immediately, Wang Shouzhe brushed his storage ring and brought out a flask of wine, pouring a glass with the finest glassware: "Xiahou City Guard, try a taste of my personally brewed ’Fire Crystal Burn.’"

Fire Crystal Burn?

Xiahou Hongde fixed his gaze on the transparent glass, in which the wine was a fiery red color, with its potent aroma soon permeating the carriage.

He frowned slightly: "It seems to be spirit wine brewed from Red Crystal Spirit Rice, like ’Red Flame Mist’ but with a more intense fiery color and clearer wine."

Red Flame Mist, a spirit wine wildly popular among officers in the military camps, famed for being available at the Hundred Flavors Pavilion.

As for why officers prefer it? Naturally, it’s because the modest pay of ordinary Profound Warrior Soldiers cannot afford "Red Flame Mist."

"Indeed, my ’Fire Crystal Burn’ is also brewed from Red Crystal Spirit Rice." Wang Shouzhe introduced with a smile, "However, the method and craftsmanship differ greatly. Xiahou City Guard, please have a taste first."

Truthfully, at today’s night banquet, the Huangfu Family also served excellent wine, and Xiahou Hongde drank quite a bit. With cultivation at his level, getting drunk wasn’t easy.

He truly didn’t think Wang Shouzhe would have something superior to the treasured wines of the Huangfu Family.

However, for Wang Shouzhe to bring it out so earnestly, this wine must have its uniqueness. Besides, it did seem particularly rich in aroma.

Slightly curious, Xiahou Hongde picked up the wine glass and drank half in one go.

"Hiss!"

The wine slid down his esophagus into his stomach like silk, first leaving a refreshing cool sensation, then burning fiercely in the stomach as if set aflame. For a master of Xiahou Hongde’s cultivation level, even he felt his blood abruptly quicken, and a uncontrollable flush bloomed on his face.

His eyes widened in astonishment.

After a dozen or so breaths, he finally relaxed, letting out a comfortable breath, eyes bright with praise: "A fine ’Fire Crystal Burn’ indeed! Truly excellent wine, with enough strength! Compared to this, Red Flame Mist is for the little ladies."

He was full of praises for Fire Crystal Burn, completely forgetting how much he once loved Red Flame Mist. He clutched the glass tightly, his gaze fixed on Fire Crystal Burn, as if having found a new passion.

No wonder he had such a reaction — Fire Crystal Burn was not made through ordinary brewing methods, but was a high-proof spirit distilled by Wang Shouzhe.

Coupled with the flame energy contained in the Red Crystal Spirit Rice, it naturally achieved the refreshing smoothness of high-proof alcohol upon entry, followed by the delightful sensation of fiery burn.

The renowned "Red Flame Mist" is merely akin to rice wine with an alcohol content of little over ten degrees, while "Fire Crystal Burn" ranges from sixty to seventy degrees, hot enough to be ignited.

Incomparably different.

"You, young man, indeed know how to gauge people’s hearts, truly a skill." Xiahou Hongde, half a glass of Fire Crystal Burn down, already felt somewhat elated, his speech less guarded and more genuine, "No wonder, with you at the helm, the declining Ping’an Wang Family could transform so drastically in just ten years."

Talking about this matter, Xiahou Hongde couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.

He has been seated at the City Guard’s position in Changning Guard for seventeen years.

During the first seven of those, he barely noticed the so-called Ping’an Wang Family. In his view, it was merely a small, declining family struggling to survive in the remote corners of Ping’an Town, on the brink of collapse.

Yet he never expected that one day, this declining small family would rise. The two other families residing in Ping’an Town suddenly disappeared, just like that...

If it was just that, it wouldn’t be remarkable in Xiahou Hongde’s eyes. But he could hardly imagine how the family continued to soar, not only becoming an Eighth-Grade Noble Family, but growing to its current stature, possessing the capability and qualifications to influence the affairs of Changning Guard.

This time, he secretly stirred the winds and clouds, involving most of the powerful families of the Changning Guard. Through unique negotiation, he indirectly confronted the Huangfu Family, causing the esteemed Celestial Person Huangfu Family to suffer a major blow.

"Xiahou City Guard praises me too much." Wang Shouzhe smiled and respectfully filled his glass with wine, "Shouzhe is only the Patriarch of the Wang Family, and I merely strive to let my clansmen live better lives, hardly anything worth calling skillful."

"However, don’t think I’ll forgive you so easily."

After the praise from Xiahou Hongde, he immediately became serious, his immense Profound Qi surged out, enveloping the entire carriage.

The mighty pressure descended on Wang Shouzhe like a mountain.

"You secretly stirred up trouble, causing great waves in the Changning Guard without mentioning it. You even dared to use me, the City Guard, as a knife, involving even the Patrol Second Battalion and Patrol Third Battalion as tools in your family’s power struggle. Wang Shouzhe, tell me, how should I deal with you as the City Guard?"

He was somewhat embarrassed and angry, realizing unknowingly, he had been maneuvered by this kid! He really wanted to ask him, where do you place me as the City Guard? Perhaps you’d like to be the City Guard instead?

Anyone else at the Spirit Platform Realm, facing the overwhelming pressure of a Celestial Human Realm practitioner, would likely be drenched in sweat.

However, Wang Shouzhe remained calm and steady amidst the pressure, like a lone boat in the stormy waves, seemingly dangerous yet unable to be overturned by the towering waves.

He smiled calmly: "Xiahou City Guard jokes. I believe the City Guard, having served in Changning for nearly twenty years, must be familiar with Changning’s situation and know much about my Wang Family’s past."

"My Ping’an Wang Family just wants to quietly farm, develop the economy, and earn more resources to secure a good future for the descendants. But as they say, when the tree desires calm, the wind won’t cease. My Wang Family’s actions are merely to avoid repeating past mistakes. I hope the City Guard can overlook the incident where he was offended."

Wang Shouzhe did not deny his actions, while he manipulated events from behind the scenes. Yet among the big figures of the Changning Guard, who is there merely eating for nothing?

"Forget it, forget it." Xiahou Hongde, seeing that he begged for mercy, his anger dissipated, and he drank the Fire Crystal Burn in his cup in one gulp.

In reality, he also had no way to deal with Wang Shouzhe.

This kid handled things flawlessly, although using the Patrol Camp and Xiahou Hongde as knives, the actual engagement with the Yin Sha Sect was well-proven.

"The Qianma Huangfu Family indeed brought their misfortune upon themselves." Xiahou Hongde waved his hand, licked his lips, still reminiscing about the Fire Crystal Burn, saying, "Let’s see, a hundred jin, no, two hundred jin of Fire Crystal Burn, and then the City Guard will forgive you."

Wang Shouzhe couldn’t help but silently laugh.

Xiahou City Guard, your forgiveness is a bit too cheap~

Although Fire Crystal Burn is brewed from Red Crystal Spirit Rice, the expense isn’t insignificant, but the cost of two hundred jin of wine is at most a few hundred Qian Gold. Compared to the worth of a Celestial Human Realm practitioner, it’s really nothing.

However, he didn’t respond directly, instead bringing out a Mutton Fat Jade Porcelain Flat Sea Bowl, filled it with more than half a bowl of Fire Crystal Burn, and said, "Just now, the way to drink Fire Crystal Burn wasn’t authentic, let me show Xiahou City Guard the traditional method."

Xiahou Hongde’s attention was immediately drawn in.

He stared at the Sea Bowl, curious to see what tricks Wang Shouzhe could play?

Wang Shouzhe took out a piece of Fire Spirit Stone, operated Profound Qi to ignite it, and the Fire Spirit Stone immediately burst into flame.

Then, Wang Shouzhe placed the burning Fire Spirit Stone into the Sea Bowl.

In an instant.

The Fire Crystal Burn in the flat Sea Bowl spontaneously ignited without warning, flames blazed, forming a beautiful blue flame at the mouth of the Sea Bowl.

"This, this, this..."

Xiahou Hongde was shocked; the Fire Crystal Burn could actually catch fire, no wonder it was so fierce.

Xiahou Hongde didn’t know that only high-alcohol spirits above fifty degrees could ignite. For liquors at seventy degrees, the flame they produce when burning looks very impressive.

"Honorable City Guard, please drink this wine while it’s hot."

Wang Shouzhe made a gesture of invitation.

Xiahou Hongde hesitated slightly. He had lived a lifetime and never drunk burning wine before.

This was just so thrilling~

However, driven by curiosity, he relied on his cultivation in the Celestial Human Realm, steeling his mind, he picked up the Sea Bowl and tossed back the Fire Crystal Burn and Fire Spirit Stone in one go.

Wang Shouzhe looked on, twitching his mouth.

Intense flame flavor instantly ignited Xiahou Hongde, sliding down the throat into his stomach, he felt engulfed by flames, his whole face flushed red.

All over his body, the pores opened in an instant, faint streams of water vapor began to emerge.

This fierce stimulation was something he had never experienced in his two hundred-plus years of existence.

Long after, he finally regained his senses and excitedly slapped his thigh: "Good, good wine! This is Fire Crystal Burn! The authentic way to drink Fire Crystal Burn. Enough punch~! Though pairing it with a piece of Fire Spirit Stone each time is a bit costly~"

"Um..." Wang Shouzhe wiped the sweat from his forehead and softly said, "Honorable City Guard, did you eat the Fire Spirit Stone too?"

"I did, it feels quite exhilarating." Xiahou Hongde smacked his lips, savoring it but furrowed his brows, "It’s still burning in my stomach, I can only wrap it with Profound Qi... what’s next? Digest it?"

"This, this this..."

Wang Shouzhe was speechless, indeed a monster of the Celestial Human Realm.

He coughed, cautiously explained, "Honorable City Guard, you’d better find a secluded spot to spit it out later. It was just meant for ignition..."

Alas~ invited for a drink, and lost a Fire Spirit Stone.

...