Chu Bai stood at the head of the hall, raised his cup once more, and drank it all in one go before everyone present.
"This cup is to the Great Zhou Universe, and to all of you, my comrades!"
The rich aroma of the wine intensified, obscuring the lingering snow outside the window.
Inside Fengyue Residence, the sounds of clinking cups and lively toasts were ceaseless.
During the feast, Chu Bai, holding a Cyan Porcelain Wine Flask, moved from table to table, offering toasts.
Although he had somewhat restrained the sharp aura he’d exuded upon his initial realm breakthrough, a sweep of his deep, dark eyes was still enough to make the guests from the various clans shudder.
"Lord Chu is truly a prodigious talent! To reach Late-stage Qi Cultivation before the age of twenty... one can count the number of such individuals in all of Dayuan Prefecture on one hand!"
"Why stop at Dayuan Prefecture? At this rate, in just three to five years, I fear Anping County will give rise to a new Foundation Establishment Family."
The representatives from the Noble Races scrambled to their feet to agree, their words dripping with flattery.
They schemed internally, ’Chu Bai has already gained power. With a powerful backer like Magistrate Zhang, his future is limitless.’
Furthermore, Chu Bai was still unwed. Amidst the clinking glasses, many a Patriarch began to probe, asking for Chu Bai’s birthdate for astrological matching, or hinting that a daughter of their own family was graceful, virtuous, and good-natured, hoping to secure a marriage alliance.
Chu Bai remained calm, deflecting each advance flawlessly with the excuse, "My heart is set on the Dao. I have no intention of marrying at this time."
’My goal is the Qingzhou Celestial Examination,’ he thought. ’Settling down in Anping County and getting entangled with the Noble Races is the last thing I want.’
The drinking continued for half the day, with several rounds of toasts being made.
The merchants and members of the Noble Races, each with their own agenda, had gradually departed. Only those who were truly close friends remained.
"Come on, Younger Brother Chu... another round!"
Pang Song, his face flushed crimson from the drink, staggered as he raised his cup, bellowing that he was going to drink Chu Bai under the table.
He’d been outshone by Chu Bai for over a year and was now determined to reclaim some dignity at the banquet table.
Chu Bai sighed, but had no choice but to indulge him for a few more cups.
However, his body was now incredibly tough. A mere circulation of his Spiritual Power was enough to completely neutralize the alcohol.
After just a few moments, the eyelids of Pang Song, the mighty warrior of the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, began to droop. With a THUD, he collapsed onto the table, the first to pass out drunk.
"Captain Pang never changes."
Han Xingmo, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but chuckle at Pang Song’s drunken state. He turned, lightly clinking his cup against Chu Bai’s, his expression full of myriad emotions.
"Junior Brother Chu, during the battle at the Sanmu River, if it weren’t for your warning, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been in a position to share in the credit."
"After that incident, Dayuan Prefecture sent specialists to clean house. The administration in the Water Department is much more transparent now. I rode your coattails, you could say. The official documents just came through; I’m being promoted to Junior Eighth-Grade [River Patrol Officer]."
Chu Bai raised his cup in congratulations. "A Junior Eighth-Grade River Patrol Officer, responsible for the water management of an entire region. Senior Brother, your career is soaring. This is wonderful news."
Han Xingmo downed a mouthful of strong liquor, his expression slowly turning serious. He lowered his voice, bringing up the aftermath of the Sanmu River case. "Junior Brother, do you know what the Water Department’s internal investigation actually uncovered?"
Chu Bai set down his cup, gesturing for him to continue.
"The Sanmu River basin is vast, spanning several counties."
"The area under our Water Department’s jurisdiction is not only extensive, but also environmentally complex."
"The reason that Sanmu Fairy was able to lie low for so long, even conducting mass living sacrifices, was because someone within the Water Department was covering for her. Aside from the substantial annual bribes, the root cause, unbelievably, was for the sake of their performance records."
Han Xingmo sneered. "Those useless officials, just filling their posts, were terrified they’d be blamed by the Prefecture City if trouble erupted on the Sanmu River. So, they reached a tacit understanding with that Demon God."
"As long as word didn’t reach their superiors, the deaths of a few commoners were just numbers on a case file to them."
"Now, although the culprits have been convicted and executed, the subsequent restructuring has left us short-staffed. Patrolling such a vast waterway with manpower alone is simply an impossible task."
He paused, a trace of hope in his eyes. "Therefore, after that high official from Dayuan Prefecture returned, he made a special application to the provincial authorities. A Regular Eighth-Grade [Stream Water Spirit] has been assigned to Anping County."
"A Water Uncle?"
Chu Bai raised an eyebrow.
In the Great Zhou Immortal Dynasty, anyone who could be called a "Water Uncle" had to be a Divine Spirit who had received an official imperial investiture.
Unlike the previous Pseudo-God who was privately worshipped, a Regular Eighth-Grade Water Uncle was a True God.
"Precisely," Han Xingmo nodded. "A Divine Spirit like a Water Uncle is empowered by the dynasty’s fortune, giving them a natural sensory advantage within their waterways. Moreover, they aren’t greedy and lazy like Mortals. As long as their incense offerings are stable, they are incredibly diligent."
"With this True God watching over things, future Spiritual Mechanism inspections and water management on the Sanmu River will be much easier for us in the Water Department. We won’t have to worry about anyone secretly colluding with malevolent entities again."
Chu Bai heard this and nodded in agreement. "To have an Imperial Decree True God assisting in regional governance is truly a great blessing for the common people."
But he couldn’t help but recall what Zhang Cheng had previously told him about that True Spirit.
’If not for that past incident,’ he mused, ’perhaps they would be bestowing a title now, instead of transferring someone from elsewhere.’
He wondered what sort of changes this new [Stream Water Spirit] would bring to the situation in Anping County.
Dusk descended, but the aftertaste of Fengyue Residence’s Spirit Wine still lingered.
「Deep night. Fengyue Residence.」
The banquet’s clamor had largely died down. The messy cups and dishes on the tables still held a lingering warmth from the festivities.
Chu Bai looked at his parents beside him, their faces etched with fatigue, and a wave of warmth washed over him. They were, after all, Mortals. Despite the nourishing Spiritual Cuisine, sitting through half a day at a banquet saturated with Spiritual Qi and filled with social obligations was too much for their Spirit, Essence, and Qi to bear.

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