"If you lose, you will kneel here and kowtow, admitting you are forever inferior to me!"
Seeing Ye Cangtian readily agree, Nan Xi spoke the terms of the bet coldly. She had initially wanted him to commit suicide but felt he might not agree, so she abandoned the idea. However, being able to humiliate him publicly would not only satisfy her but also dispel the rumors outside. In this way, she could at least clear her name.
"And what if I win?" Ye Cangtian asked back.
"Then I will kneel and kowtow to you!" Nan Xi gritted her teeth.
"Deal!" Ye Cangtian agreed without hesitation.
He even magnanimously signaled Nan Xi to choose her drink now.
Hmph! Nan Xi snorted and pushed one of the two Bloody Marys in front of her towards him. Then, picking up her own Bloody Mary, she drained it in one go, wiped her chin of spilled liquid, and declared, "Whoever goes to the restroom first also loses!"
Ye Cangtian ignored her, smiled slightly, and without a word, drank his Bloody Mary as well.
Thus, the two began drinking Bloody Marys one glass after another. At first, neither paid much attention, but as time passed, more and more people began to watch them, and even cheers gradually emerged from the surroundings. Nan Xi's eyes were always filled with hatred, as if the person opposite her was an enemy, while Ye Cangtian's eyes continuously flashed with a roguish smile. They presented a stark contrast.
Of course, to the people around, it didn't appear that way. In their eyes, it clearly looked like a man teasing a woman. Some of those with status even recognized them instantly – wasn't this the Purple Cardinal of the Church of Light and the Xuan-level Deacon of the Dark Association, whose names had been circulating widely recently? Why were they together? It seemed the rumors were true; their relationship was indeed ambiguous!
"Hiccup..."
At some point, Nan Xi burped, and her expression finally changed. After all was said and done, the two had each drunk at least twenty-odd Bloody Marys, filling the air with the scent of blood. One must remember that alcohol contains a large amount of water, and drinking too much inevitably causes bodily reactions. Nan Xi now felt as if her stomach was about to explode. Damn it! I absolutely cannot go! This was her own proposition; if she went to the restroom first, wouldn't that be like slapping herself in the face? Enduring was Nan Xi's only thought at the moment.
However, she grew increasingly desperate as the urge to relieve herself became more unbearable. Yet, Xuan Qi opposite her seemed unfazed, continuing to drink glass after glass. In a moment of hesitation, she had already fallen behind by two glasses. She wondered where all that alcohol went after Xuan Qi drank it.
"Hey! Nan Xi, your drinking speed has slowed down considerably!"
"Can't drink anymore? Or do you need to go to the restroom?"
Just then, Ye Cangtian put down his glass and looked at Nan Xi teasingly. Judging by her drinking pace, he had already concluded that Nan Xi was reaching her limit, and this farce was finally coming to an end.
"Who are you calling unable to do it! Drink!" Nan Xi, always proud, could not stand being underestimated and forced herself to drink two more glasses. Unexpectedly, after downing the two glasses, the feeling intensified, even as if it were about to break free. This is bad... Nan Xi's face turned ashen. She glared at Ye Cangtian through gritted teeth and finally said, unwillingly, "You win." With that, Nan Xi turned and rushed out. She could no longer care about anything else; being embarrassed was one thing, but it was far better than holding it in and peeing herself right there and then! After all, she was a woman and a Purple Cardinal of the Church of Light. If she peed her pants in public, she might as well smash her head against a wall and die!
Seeing Nan Xi leave, Ye Cangtian did not stop her. He didn't feel any joy from it. To him, drinking with a woman and winning was not a feat. He gave Jasmine a look. Jasmine immediately understood, stepped forward, and smiled at the onlookers, "Everyone, the competition has ended, and the show is over. Please disperse!" The bar began to clear out. The surrounding people were sensible; none wished to get involved, and they all left.
A moment later, Nan Xi returned to the bar counter, but her steps were slow, and her expression was extremely grim. The reason she didn't take the opportunity to escape by feigning a need to urinate was that the last shred of her pride wouldn't allow it. Seeing that all the customers had left, with only Ye Cangtian remaining, Nan Xi was slightly taken aback. But she soon understood something and snorted, "No need for your feigned benevolence!" In her opinion, his clearing the area now was to save her face. To her, this was equivalent to charity. She, the esteemed Purple Cardinal of the Church of Light, when had she ever needed charity!
"Think whatever you wish," Ye Cangtian said calmly, ignoring Nan Xi's displeased expression. "But as for the bet, let's forget it. A drinking contest is meaningless. How about we bet on who breaks through to the Earth-level realm first?"
"You..." At his words, Nan Xi's body trembled, entirely from anger. His tone sounded even more like charity! She desperately wanted to refuse, but if she did, she would have to fulfill the bet and kneel to admit defeat. Although the place was cleared now, the spirits and the remaining divine envoys were undoubtedly watching from the sidelines! Wouldn't that still be equivalent to being humiliated in public?
"In that case, I will bet with you again!" Nan Xi gritted her teeth and declared, "If you win, I will be your slave and maid, serving you as my master! If I win, our bet is null and void!" Her pride wouldn't allow her to accept any charity; only by winning outright could she regain her honor.
Heh heh. Ye Cangtian chuckled. To resolve the entanglement, he asked, "A fight to the death, a one-on-one between us!" Nan Xi uttered these eight words, her face flashing with endless fighting spirit.
"What a deal! I really thought I was getting a great advantage from you!" Ye Cangtian shot Nan Xi a disgruntled glance. What a shrewd calculation! If Nan Xi lost, she could just die; how could kneeling and admitting defeat, or being a slave and maid, apply to a dead person? And if he lost, he would also lose his life, which had nothing to do with the previous bet!
Nan Xi's pretty face flushed with slight embarrassment, and she quickly said, "I can let you have the first move, how about that?"
"Do I need you to concede?" Ye Cangtian raised his eyebrows. Was she the only one with pride?
"Your obsession with the bet will likely cause you to lose focus and make mistakes during the fight. How about accepting a small punishment, and everything before this is null and void?" Finally, Ye Cangtian seemed to have an idea and proposed with a smile.
"Fine!" Nan Xi hesitated for a moment, then agreed. She didn't want to owe Ye Cangtian anything, so she didn't even ask what the punishment was.
Seeing this! Ye Cangtian's smile widened, and he slowly raised his hand. This... this scoundrel, he wants to slap me! Looking at Ye Cangtian's action, Nan Xi's eyes widened, and a look of shame and indignation flashed. She knew that the so-called small punishment was still a humiliation! However, compared to kneeling and admitting defeat, it was still better. Thinking this, Nan Xi closed her eyes as if resigned, her facial muscles tensing, ready to be hit. The humiliation now, she would repay tenfold in a fight to the death!
The next moment! A gust of wind struck, and Nan Xi was ready to scream. However, after a long while, she felt no pain. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that the other party had already stepped aside.
"You... what did you do to me..." Nan Xi frowned.