He frowned slightly. “What do you need that for?”

  “For brewing, of course! A few days ago, I had a sudden stroke of inspiration and came up with a new method. But unfortunately, I can't enter the Hidden Spring myself, so I need your help.” Jiu Jue gestured animatedly, his excitement clear.

  “…Alright,” he sighed, unable to dampen Jiu Jue's enthusiasm. “The next time I pass by, I'll retrieve the ten-thousand-year-old ice for you.”

  "Fine, next time I pass by that pce, I'll get you the thousand-year-old ice," Zi Miao reluctantly agreed, not wanting to dampen his friend's enthusiasm.

  "You're truly my soulmate! But speed up! I can't wait," Jiu Jue grinned, spping his friend's shoulder in joy. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, when I passed through Daizhou City today, I saw continuous heavy rain, and the people were suffering. There's also that ke on the outskirts of the city; the yokaiinic aura is overwhelming. I wonder if a yaōkai is causing trouble. Shouldn't you go check it out?"

  "Why didn't you say this earlier?!"

  "Too focused on the game, I forgot."

  "..."

  Most of what they discussed was beyond my understanding, but I enjoyed listening to their voices. Even when they engaged in verbal sparring, their words were crisp and flowing, like the melody of a stream, captivating in their own way.

  I gnced at him, then at Jiu Jue, carefully watching their every expression, trying to piece together their world from the fragments of conversation I could understand.

  The faint scent of wine lingered in the air, swirling around my senses. A light dizziness crept in, my eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

  In the end, I couldn't fight it—I slumped over the stone table and drifted into a deep sleep.

  ------

  The Next Morning

  Delicate beams of sunlight filtered in through the cracks in the rock above, casting a soft glow over me. I slowly opened my eyes—only to realize something was very wrong with my sleeping posture.

  I had clearly fallen asleep on the table, yet somehow, I had ended up on the ground.

  More than that, I was entirely leaning against him, using his p as a pillow.

  And my hands—both of them—were still tightly wrapped around his calf.

  Did I actually sleep like this all night?!

  In an instant, I sprang to my feet, my face flushing red, utterly flustered and at a complete loss for what to do.

  "Hehe, did you sleep well st night?"

  He looked at me with a smile. "I didn't expect that fellow's new brew to be so potent—just the scent alone was enough to knock you out completely."

  "You… sat like that all night?"

  I stared at the wrinkles my weight had pressed into his robe, my voice timid.

  "Ah, you were sleeping so soundly; I thought it best not to wake you," he replied casually, patting his leg. He stood up, looked outside, and said seriously, "It's getting te. We need to leave right away."

  "Leave? Where to?" My heart skipped a beat, or rather, it should have been a feeling of surprise.

  "To Daizhou City."

  With that, he, as usual, took my hand and quickly led me out of the cave.