Solar Blood Masters (177)

Chapter 177 - Drink Off!

A large stone table dominated the courtyard. Julian Ringtail sat at one end with a mischievous glint in his golden eyes. Raphael and Lu Jade sat opposite him, while Gastaroid rested against a nearby wall, observing them.

‘This lemur… Julian. He’s unpredictable. I have to make sure Raphael doesn’t get too drunk. Or tricked. I’m well aware of Julian’s antics.’ Gastaroid’s thoughts were a silent promise to protect his teammate.

A comfortable silence settled over the courtyard, punctuated only by the chirping of insects in Julian’s ‘Patch of Eternal Youth’ garden.

There was a bowl of wine before Raphael. He took a small sip from his bowl. The liquid was sweet, with a fruity aroma. It was pleasant, but not particularly strong.

Julian, however, drained his wine gourd in a single gulp and threw it on a nearby cloud. Then he turned towards Raphael and spoke, “So, bull… What brought you here? Surely, you didn’t come all this way just to deliver sad news, correct?”

Raphael and Lu Jade exchanged glances. Even Gastaroid’s molten eyes narrowed slightly.

Raphael chose his words carefully.

“I have a deal with Sindoll, Emperor Julian. She’s going to craft me a Super Human Constitution in exchange for my 100,000 year blessing. And for her to do this, she needs three things: the Four-Faced Blood Sapping Cauldron, the Amethyst Silk Scriptures, and the Divine Blueprint Forge.”

“Oh? So, that’s why you’ve come.” Julian stroked his chin thoughtfully.

‘A Super Human Constitution? This bull… he wants to become human? But why? Isn’t he more powerful as he is?’ Gastaroid was puzzled.

Raphael continued, “I already have two of those items. All I need is the Forge. I know it’s in your possession, Emperor Julian. Please lend it to me. I only need it for a short while. Afterwards, I’ll return it. Just like I promised Pi Muram. I’ll keep my word.”

“Big Brother is trustworthy, Emperor Julian,” Lu Jade added. “He will keep his word. Even if it leads him to oblivion. He always comes back! You can trust us, sir!”

“Hmmm… Hmmm…” Julian tapped a finger against the table, seemingly lost in thought. Then, he raised his right hand. His staff flew out of the temple and into his grasp. He tapped its side and glanced at it briefly. The wine gourds adorning it jingled.

“Oh, so you wish to borrow this old thing… eh?”

Raphael gulped. “Yes, sir. It would mean the world to me. I’ll do… anything. Within reasonable grounds, of course.”

“Anything, you say?” Julian’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

A tense silence hung in the air.

“Then… how about… a drink off!”

“A drink off?” Raphael and Lu Jade exclaimed in unison.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. A drink off. If you can outlast me… till daybreak… then I shall allow you to borrow my staff.” He stamped his staff onto the ground.

A magical blueprint unfolded from its side. It stretched across the courtyard. Many intricate designs across its surface mesmerized Raphael and Lu Jade. They were seeing ancient recipes taking shape.

Even Gastaroid was entranced. ‘There it is. The Divine Blueprint Forge. I have to create something that can compete with that.’ He clenched his molten fists. ‘One day I will surpass even this divine relic.’

“So, what do you say, bull?” Julian’s voice brought Raphael back to the present.

“I’ll do it!” Raphael readily agreed.

“Big Brother!” Lu Jade hissed urgently. “Your liquor tolerance… Remember Qi Hawk’s Gala? You were… well… you were extremely drunk!”

Raphael shrugged off Lu Jade's concerns. "I can do this, Little Lu. Don't worry. My frame… It’s way bigger than this little lemur’s. And Shao Jin’s body… it’s resilient. I can probably get used to drinking in no time.”

“It’s decided then! Boboboboho! We’re having a drink off! Gastaroid, you’ll be the judge!”

Gastaroid sighed. “Fine.”

“Get ready for your stomach to burst, bull!” Julian yelled. He channeled his Solar Essence into the Divine Blueprint Forge.

Hundreds of wine gourds materialized. They filled the table and hovered around them.

“Boboboboho! Two hundred and fifty wine gourds! One hundred and twenty-five for me… one hundred and twenty-five for you! What are you waiting for, bull?! Drink up!”

He grabbed two gourds and turned them over his head.

GULP! GULP! GULP!

Raphael hastily snatched two gourds and followed suit.

The drink off was about to begin.

…

“Boboboboho!”

“Growl”

Julian Ringtail and Raphael drank with an almost savage intensity. Wine splashed everywhere. The courtyard floor was soaked, and broken shards from discarded gourds littered the area.

Clang! Clang!

The sounds of shattering gourds punctuated their boisterous laughter. Those shards that landed too close to Gastaroid were melted instantly by the heat coming from his molten form.

Julian burped loudly, then laughed and grabbed another wine gourd. He stood erect on his tail, spinning excitedly before flinging a gourd towards Lu Jade.

“You too, snake! Drink up!”

Under the immense peer pressure, Lu Jade cautiously lifted the gourd to his lips and took a small sip, then a large gulp. His gaze drifted towards Raphael who was already looking tipsy. His cheeks flushed red.

‘I don’t know how much longer Big Brother can last. He’s falling into a stupor,’ Lu Jade thought worriedly.

“Wow! Amazing wine, lemur!” Raphael exclaimed. A wide grin spread across his muzzle. He felt a burning, itchy sensation in his throat, and each gulp of wine soothed it momentarily.

‘Thank the heavens Gastaroid is so close. His heat is actually helping me to sweat out the excess liquor. But damn… this wine… It tastes amazing! I can’t stop myself!’

He finished his 120th gourd.

“More!”

“Boboboboho! I like your spirit, bull! More coming right up!”

Julian channeled his Solar Essence into the Divine Blueprint Forge.

Five hundred new wine gourds materialized, filling the table and hovering around them. Two extra-large gourds, easily ten times the size of the others, appeared beside Gastaroid.

“Bull Mountain Demon! These baths are for you! Come, everyone! Drink up! Drink up!”

Julian grabbed several gourds and began chugging them down, one after the other.

Gastaroid also picked up one of the massive gourds and took a long swig. Steam hissed from his nostrils and mouth. It was as if the liquor evaporated before it reached his stomach.

“Ahhh! That’s some good liquor!”

“Indeed! I could drink like this for three years straight! Bull, you have no chance of winning! Boboboboho!”

“Don’t write me off just yet, lemur!”

Raphael used his Abyss Nylon to grab a dozen gourds. He tilted them over his head and poured the wine down his throat.

Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

“Big Brother! Take it easy! You’re going to choke!” Lu Jade’s warning was lost in the gurgling sound of Raphael drinking with abandon.

“I’m not going to be beaten… by this liquor! It’s too tasty!” Raphael was now wobbling precariously in his seat, mumbling incoherently.

“Limiter… Off!”

Lu Jade quickly expanded and wrapped his tail around Raphael, steadying him.

Julian wiped his mouth with the back of his paw and burped loudly. Then said,

“Say, bull… What’s your favorite liquor? If I have it in my directory… I’ll brew some for you.”

“My favorite…? Hmmm… I’m not really a liquor specialist. But Grandma… she liked Sunshine Wine. And I enjoyed it too. My very first drink.”

“Sunshine Wine? Oh, I can brew some! Just watch!”

Julian poured his Solar Essence into the Forge. A hundred gourds filled with Sunshine Wine materialized before Raphael. And two hundred appeared on Julian’s side of the table.

“We’ll commemorate Thienika’s passing with these wines! DRINK!”

“Hey! You have way more than I do! Equalize it, you greedy lemur!” Raphael yelled.

“Big Brother, don’t…” Lu Jade hissed, trying to warn him. ‘The less liquor he has, the easier it’ll be for him to win! What’s wrong with his brain?!’

But Raphael was completely out of it. His usual cautious, thoughtful demeanor was gone, replaced by a boisterous, almost aggressive drunkenness.

He was becoming the ‘Raging Bull Drunkard’.

…

Loud, indistinct shouts and drunken laughter resounded from the peak of Julian Ringtail’s mountain.

“Hic! More wine!”

“Boboboboho! You’re a lightweight, bull!”

“Gulp… gurgle… I can… outdrink… you…”

Listening to these slurred sounds, four figures crept cautiously along the courtyard wall.

“What’s going on in there?” Sly Ringtail whispered curiously.

“Sounds like a party,” Ma Osu replied, sniffing the air. “And I smell wine! Strong wine!”

“And that heat… It’s intense!” King Wa added.

Ge Vanisher’s scales shifted nervously. “Could it be a trap?”

They reached a spot where they could peer into the courtyard.

And what they saw, shocked them.

Julian Ringtail sat at a table laden with wine gourds. And beside him… Raphael, Lu Jade, and Gastaroid were also drinking!

“They’re… drinking… with Father?” Sly Ringtail couldn’t believe his eyes. “But why? Father never drinks with me! Is it because they won the Great Divine Tribulation? That must be it.”

“That heat… it’s Gastaroid, see?” Ma Osu pointed a trembling claw. “He’s massive!”

“And look at all that wine! It’s a feast!” King Wa’s eyes widened greedily.

“We should join them, Boss!” Ge Vanisher suggested, eager to partake in the festivities.

“No, you idiot! We can’t just barge in! What if Father gets angry?” Sly Ringtail whispered.

…

Inside the courtyard, Raphael banged his hand on the table and laughed hysterically.

“Hahahaha! Your jokes… they are not funny at all, lemur! Your punchlines… They’re as dry as shit!”

“Boboboboho! My shits are always moist! And so are my jokes!” Julian slammed a wine gourd on the table, then flicked a shard towards Raphael with deadly accuracy.

Raphael's instincts reacted. He absorbed the shard into his Abyss Nylon and yelled, “Want to start a fight, damn Emperor?! I’ll crush you!”

“Big Brother! Don’t!” Lu Jade quickly restrained Raphael.

“Don’t interfere, snake! Let him come! I’ll use this little finger… to smash him back to Black Wind! Boboboboho!” Julian wagged his pinkie finger before grabbing another gourd.

“That tiny finger, I’m going to use it to pick my nose! Hahaha!” Raphael was completely drunk and swaying precariously.

…

Hours passed. More wine gourds materialized. The drinking continued.

The initial hostility between Julian and Raphael had dissolved into drunken camaraderie. Both of them were crying a river.

Lu Jade hiccuped and sobbed quietly while Gastaroid, seemingly immune to the emotional rollercoaster, continued drinking steadily. Steam rose from his nostrils and mouth as the liquor evaporated, leaving him perpetually sober.

“My… my 113th wife… she left me… for a… a… rock! Can you believe it?! A ROCK!” Julian sobbed. “Said I was… too soft… Too… fluffy… WAAAA!”

“My… Grandma… Thienika… She’s… gone…” Raphael’s voice cracked. “She… saved my life… so many times… during the Great Divine Tribulation… She even saved me… back at Dark Swamp Gorge… where we first met.”

“Dark Swamp Gorge?! Isn’t that the den of the Vampsquitoe Queen? That bull… He’s been there… and survived?!” Sly Ringtail and his crew were stunned.

“She… was… the best… Grandma… ever…” Raphael sobbed. He pulled out the Buddhist Pill Gourd and cradled it in his hands. “She… she taught me… how to use it… That stingy tree… Almeez Krishna… didn’t want to teach me anything…”

“A Buddhist Pill Gourd?! You managed to snag one from that stingy tree? Hmmm… I don’t like her either. Remember that time… she restricted my cultivation? It was horrible!” Julian recounted his bad experience with Almeez Krishna, exaggerating slightly to amplify the humor.

“That tree! So full of HERSELF! All those riddles! Such nonsense…” Raphael agreed.

“Let me see that gourd, bull.”

Raphael handed the Buddhist Pill Gourd to Julian.

“Hmmm… This is a versatile relic. Its attributes… they’re similar… to my Divine Blueprint Forge.”

“How so?” Raphael asked, intrigued.

“This gourd… It can brew potions, tonics… of the finest quality! Even from stale ingredients. It also comprehends the blueprint method of liquid formation.”

He tore a piece of blueprint from his staff and wrapped it around the Buddhist Pill Gourd’s slender neck. Then, he shook the gourd.

“Make me… wine!”

The blueprint glowed. The gourd hummed. And within seconds, it was filled with a golden liquid.

Julian poured the liquid into a bowl.

“Sunshine Wine! But how…?” Raphael and Lu Jade stared in amazement.

“Boboboboho! That’s the magic of this gourd when combined with a piece of my blueprint! Here, bull. Take this. It’s my gift to you. As long as that gourd comprehends my blueprint you’ll have an unlimited supply of Sunshine Wine! Just input some Solar Essence and it’ll do the rest.”

Raphael tried it. He channeled his Solar Essence into the gourd. It glowed, and within seconds, it was filled with Sunshine Wine.

“It tastes just like the real thing! Here, Little Lu. Try some.”

Lu Jade took a sip.

“Wow! It’s potent! Big Brother… that blueprint… It’s amazing!”

Gastaroid, who’d been watching them, smiled.

“Say, bull… What other treasures do you have hidden in that… Abyss Nylon of yours? Don’t be shy. Show us!”

Eager to impress in his drunken stupor, Raphael activated a small Black Pool. It spat out a pile of treasures: Thienika’s star leaves and oval bark, the Ignitor Sun Cycle, a Sonic Bowl, the Wukong – Banana Scythe, two golden Liu Fuuyi statues, sixteen colossal spider legs, a Turtle Shield, and an assortment of other valuable items.

“That’s… my Banana Scythe!” Sly Ringtail hissed. He wanted to rush out there and confront them, but…

“Stay put, Boss! You’ll anger Emperor Julian!” Ma Osu whispered urgently.

“Yeah, Boss. Let’s just watch…”

“Hmmm… that’s…” Gastaroid’s molten eyes widened as he stared at the sixteen spider legs. Their aura was ancient and powerful.

“Those legs… They radiate the essence of an ancient Emperor Calamity! Where did you find such treasures, bull?!”

Raphael shrugged. “I’m… extremely… resilient… you know.” He hiccuped, then recounted his adventures in Pi Muram’s Marble World, exaggerating slightly to amplify the humor.

“So, that’s how you got them…” Gastaroid stared at the legs. ‘With those… I could craft a divine weapon. Will this bull be willing to part with them?’ He was about to ask when Julian interrupted.

“Enough with the boasting of treasures! These wines… they are the finest treasures! Boboboboho! Come on, bull! Let’s get back to our contest! Drink! Drink! DRINK!”

The drinking contest resumed.

Hours blurred into a drunken haze. Wine flowed. Gourds shattered. Laughter and tears mingled in the night air.

And as daybreak approached, the question remained…

Who would emerge victorious?