Inside the latrine.
Jiang Che transformed.
But not a second after transforming, he immediately canceled it.
āIt worked... The effects of the alcohol are completely gone!ā
Jiang Che rejoiced internally.
If he had really tried to outdrink those old hands, he definitely would have lost.
But then he had a thought. Since his Transformation could grant him immunity to all poisons...
...couldnāt it also make him immune to the effects of alcohol?
And now, it seemed his guess was correct!
After getting dressed, Jiang Che returned to the table.
"Come on, come on! Letās keep drinking!"
Seeing Jiang Che return, someone immediately poured him a bowl of wine.
Without a word, Jiang Che picked it up and drained it in one gulp.
"Refreshing! Another!"
Jiang Che suddenly became boisterous and hearty.
"Now thatās more like it!" Qin Yue laughed.
After downing more than ten bowls in a row, Jiang Che excused himself again.
This time, however, no one said much.
After all, he had already put away over twenty bowls. His tolerance was impressive.
Even they themselves were starting to feel a bit fuzzy.
When Jiang Che returned, he showed no signs of drunkenness. He even started challenging others to drinking contests.
One by one, he drank the hardy men under the table until only Qin Yue and Li Rushan were barely hanging on.
"You kid... youāre something else! I, Qin Yue... Iām... Iām impressed!"
Qin Yueās eyes could barely stay open. He gave Jiang Che a thumbs-up before slumping onto the table, fast asleep.
Li Rushan wasnāt doing much better, but as a Force Integration Artist, his recovery rate was fast. After a short rest, he felt a bit more clear-headed.
"Little Brother Jiang, I didnāt realize you were hiding your talents! Even if you couldnāt drink much, Master Qin would have still taken you along, though he might not have taught you much. But after a performance like that, I bet heāll be willing to teach you even his most secret techniques!" Li Rushan said with a laugh.
"Honestly, I wasnāt thinking that far ahead. I just wanted to get a general understanding of the Black Beast situation," Jiang Che said.
In truth, he would rather hunt Black Beasts on the mountain by himself.
However, he knew nothing about it. If someone could guide him initially, helping him learn the terrain and where Black Beasts of different Realms were located, it would be much more convenient for him to act alone later.
After all, his goal wasnāt to become a real Black Beast Hunter, but simply to gather some Black Crystals.
ćFive days later.ć
Jiang Che, with Kunji on his back, arrived before a spacious courtyard inside Seven Stars Castle.
Three horse-drawn carriages were parked side-by-side in the courtyard.
Over a dozen tall, sturdy Martial Artists were loading the carriages with stacks of supplies: weapons, dry rations, iron cages, traps, tents, and more.
Their Qi Blood was potent; surprisingly, all of them were experts of the Iron Skin Realm!
One of them, a bald, burly man with a thick beard, was holding a thread-bound notebook, taking inventory and making notes.
This manās Qi Blood was the most vigorous of all. It was Qin Yue.
Seeing Jiang Che arrive, he nodded and smiled.
"Little Brother Jiang, youāre here!"
He held Jiang Che in high regard.
He didnāt look like much, but he had managed to drink an entire room of people under the table!
Heād seen plenty of men who could fight, but this was the first time heād ever seen someone who could drink like that.
This kind of talent was exactly to his liking!
"Master Qin!" Jiang Che cupped his fist in respect.
"That saber on your back... why is it so big? How many jin does it weigh?" Qin Yue was suddenly taken aback when he saw the blade on Jiang Cheās back.
"Two hundred jin," Jiang Che answered truthfully.
If he had understated the weight, his lie would be exposed the moment someone else tried to lift it. It was better to be honest.
"Two hundred jin?!" Qin Yue was incredulous.
He was a dignified Peak Martial Artist of the Iron Skin Realm, yet his own saber only weighed a hundred jin.
Two hundred jin... that was a blade only a Force Integration Martial Artist could wield!
"Haha, Little Brother Jiang, you sure like to joke."
Qin Yue shook his head with a smile, assuming he was kidding.
If it had been anyone else bragging like that in front of him, he would have taught them a harsh lesson.
But Jiang Che had earned his respect with his drinking that day. From the bottom of his heart, he had accepted the kid. A little joke was harmless.
He quickly dropped the subject and began talking to Jiang Che about the precautions necessary for hunting Black Beasts.
Jiang Che felt a bit helpless but didnāt dwell on it.
When the other men saw Jiang Che, they also came forward one after another to greet him with smiles.
They had all been part of the drinking contest that day, and every one of them was thoroughly impressed by Jiang Che.
Seeing the large saber on his back, they all teased him a bit, but no one actually believed it was a two-hundred-jin blade.
Besides, it was true that some people liked to have their blades made larger to look more imposing.
As for how to make them, you could use lighter metals in non-critical parts or even hollow out sections.
They just figured that with his youthful Temperament, Jiang Che wanted to look a bit more impressive, which was perfectly normal.
After all, when they were young, theyād done plenty of similar things to show off.
Once the supplies were packed, the group set out.
The carriages were for the supplies, so everyone traveled on foot.
Jiang Che and Qin Yue walked at the very front.
As they walked, the two of them chatted about interesting happenings in the Jianghu.
Martial Artists were fast on their feet, and it didnāt take long for the group to leave the city.
"Not all mountains have Black Beasts. And different mountains have different types of Black Beasts. Around here, there are four main mountains where you can hunt them." Qin Yue pointed to the surrounding peaks. "They are Black Wind Mountain to the southeast, Coiling Dragon Mountain to the north, Luoyan Mountain to the northwest, and Moon Viewing Mountain to the southwest."
"Black Wind Mountain? Isnāt that Horse Bandit territory?" Jiang Che asked curiously.
"Thatās right. The Horse Bandits built Black Wind Castle at the foot of the mountain. You have to pass through it to go up, so Black Wind Mountain is off-limits for us," Qin Yue said, shaking his head.
"What about Luoyan Mountain?" Jiang Che suddenly recalled the sheepskin map. It now seemed that it depicted a location deep within Luoyan Mountain.