𝐷𝑒́𝑝𝑎𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡「LCF x MDZS」

Chapter 12 - 『Gege's Protection Squad』

The bustling streets of Gusu slightly overwhelmed Cale who almost fell off his horse as a merchant yelled beside his ear.

"Have a taste of Gusu's best wine, Emperor's Smile!" An old man says, offering a cup to Cale as the redhead drinks it in one go.

Cale hums, "It really taste good."

The merchant then smiles, "Isn't it good sir? I see you are from Yunmeng Jiang Sect?"

Considering they wear the crest in their clothes and the clarity bell wearing in their belts, it wouldn't surprise Cale if everyone would know who they are.

Jiang Cheng then furrows his eyebrows before answering, "We are. Do you need anything from us?"

"I dare not to ask something, dear sir. We are just holding an event since disciples from different Sects are coming to Gusu Lan to study, just a simple event that includes drinking."

Cale's attention was focused back to the old man as Wei Ying also perked.

"A drinking contest, I suppose?" Cale says which surprised the old man.

"How smart of you, Young Master. Perhaps you want to join on to our little event?"

Cale just chuckles, a feeling of melancholy washing over when the old man called him Young Master.

"I am just but a mere disciple, they are the Young Master and Young Miss of Yunmeng Jiang Sect." Cale introduces Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli, and if anyone noticed how proud his voice is, no one bothered to point it out.

"But I will take your offer...ahjusㅡmister."

"Oh! Can I join? Gege!"

Cale looks at Wei Ying who have his arm raised like he wanted to answer the question in a teacher's answer.

'Aren't you too young to drink?'

Though the redhead wasn't in the position to refuse since the original Cale Henituse started drinking at the age of fifteen, he just nodded hopelessly before looking at the Jiang siblings.

"We're staying behind to look after you two." Jiang Yanli says after waving goodbye to the other disciples who went to find the inn they reserved in advance.

"Young Master, Young Miss, will you join the contest too?"

"We'll be spectators and look after this two." Jiang Cheng says to the old man.

"A-Xian, A-Xun, the moment I see you become tipsy, I'm pulling you out." Yanli says with a smile, which only earned a nod from the nervous Wei Ying and stoic Cale.

Cale was then seated into a table with four chairs. It was filled with men wearing yellow, white-red, brown and violet robes.

'Ah, this guy...'

Seeing the familiar man in front of him, he could just sigh as he waited for the bartender to serve them their drinks.

The host explained the mechanics of the said event, it was basically the survival of the fittest and whoever finishes a jar first would win.

"Why am I even here?" Cale hears the man in brown robe mutter as he opens his fan, averagely the same as Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng's age.

And there's this timid boy who looks around as if he was lost.

"Then, young sirs. Let the game start!"

A man that seems to be the referee in their table stood beside Cale and the timid boy before serving each a jar of Emperor's Smile.

Cale didn't wait for the others as he have the gall to put a straw and take a sip of the drink leisurely, while the timid boy only choked before started drinking it more smoothly.