I'm already invincible, and you're telling me I just logged in?

Perhaps Dongfang Canghai forgot to use his internal energy to counteract the effects of the alcohol because he had gone astray in his cultivation.

After downing half a jar of strong liquor, his face turned red at a visible speed.

"Excellent wine! Truly excellent wine! This is what wine should be!"

He muttered to himself as he poured himself a drink.

The sound drew disdainful glances from patrons at a nearby table.

The waiter glanced at Xu Yan from afar and shook his head.

He couldn't quite understand it.

Xu Yan doesn't seem like a wealthy person, so why is he spending money to treat a beggar to drinks time and time again?

Last time, the lamb wine was fine, but this time it's their signature strong liquor, which costs one tael of silver per pound!

This money was spent without any sense of reason.

At the dinner table, Xu Yan also picked up a wine jar.

He frowned as he swallowed the liquor.

Having lived two lives, I still couldn't get used to this strong liquor.

Xu Yan put down the wine jar, picked up the old gourd that Dongfang Canghai had placed on the corner of the table, and slowly poured the remaining wine from the jar into it.

Before long, Dongfang Canghai finished his jar.

His face was ruddy, his eyes were glazed, and he stood up unsteadily.

Immediately afterwards, he began punching and kicking in the open space between the table and the aisle.

He was swaying and staggering, like a drunkard making random gestures.

The patrons at the next table all turned to look, and one of the men in shorts snorted and looked at them with disdain.

He was also a martial arts practitioner, and he could tell at a glance that Dongfang Canghai's set of punches and kicks was nothing more than drunken ramblings, not even worthy of being called a proper technique.

"Waiter," the man tapped on the table, his tone impatient, "aren't you going to kick this beggar out? Don't spoil our brothers' fun."

The waiter's heart tightened, and he quickly ran to Xu Yan, his voice somewhat troubled: "Young man, we've already had our drinks, could you perhaps take this gentleman out of here?"

He glanced again in the direction of Xu Yan's side.

Dongfang Canghai stumbled and fell to the ground, then struggled to his feet.

The waiter said worriedly, "Broken tables and chairs are one thing, but we mustn't let them run into those people over there."

"They're all trained fighters, not to be trifled with."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yan still stood up and walked towards Dongfang Canghai.

Regardless of the circumstances, he brought the person in, and if they really cause trouble for others, it will indeed be difficult to handle.

Just as Xu Yan reached out, preparing to support Dongfang Canghai's shoulder and lead him out of the tavern.

A fist flashed by.

By the time Xu Yan realized what had happened, his head had already been knocked to the side, leaving him in a daze.

Immediately afterwards, a dull pain came from my right cheek.

Seeing the swollen bruises on Xu Yan's face, not only Xu Yan but even the waiter was stunned.

After a few breaths, instead of gloating, he asked with a hint of concern, "Young man, are you alright?"

Xu Yan raised his hand to touch the wound, gasped, and waved to the waiter to indicate that he was fine.

He seized an opportunity and, half-supporting and half-dragging, pulled Dongfang Canghai up, inching him out of the doorway.

"Excellent wine! Excellent wine!"

The waiter chased after him, handed him the gourd, stood there for a while, and sighed softly.

"Sigh, what's the point of all this..."

Xu Yan exerted a great deal of effort and finally managed to carry Dongfang Canghai back to the wooden plank-built foothold.

After settling Dongfang Canghai in, he also sat down against the wall.

Looking at the person lying next to him still humming "good wine," Xu Yan shook his head and smiled bitterly.

I paid you to drink, and you punched me?

Once you've calmed down, I'll swindle you out of a Heaven-Rank martial arts manual.

Thinking this, Xu Yan subconsciously touched her cheek again, and her mouth twitched in pain.

This swelling probably won't go away for at least ten days to two weeks.

Not long after, Xiao Qi's small figure walked in from the alley entrance, carrying half a pancake in her arms.

This was left to her by the old lady who ran the pancake shop in the west of the town. If she couldn't sell all the pancakes before closing time each day, she would share them with her.

Xiaoqi was also sensible; she always handed over all the coins she had begged for that day, never taking them for nothing.

As she approached her landing spot, she suddenly stopped.

Not the father.

Her body tensed, and she instinctively became alert.

"it's me."

Hearing that it was Xu Yan's voice, Xiao Qi breathed a sigh of relief, somewhat surprised.

"Master?"

Taking a few steps closer, he crouched down, his voice full of expectation, "Sir, are you settled in?"

Xu Yan leaned against the wall and gave a wry smile: "No, I was kicked out, and now I've come to rely on you."

"what?"

Xiao Qi was clearly taken aback upon hearing this.

But he didn't ask any more questions. He tore off a piece of bread and handed it to Xu Yan, "Master, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

Although it is unknown why Xu Yan was kicked out of her home.

But he remembered that Xu Yan had helped him and his father out of a predicament some time ago.

So when Xiao Qi learned that Xu Yan had been kicked out of the house, she was neither disappointed nor disgusted; her heart was still full of gratitude.

Xu Yan shook his head. "I'm not hungry. You eat by yourself. I still have some money on me; I won't starve."

Xiao Qi listened and didn't try to persuade him any further. He took the bread back and squatted down next to Dongfang Canghai.

With his eyes closed, Dongfang Canghai was still muttering in his sleep, "Good wine..."

Xiaoqi wrinkled her nose, her eyes filled with doubt.

Wine? Where did the wine come from? Did Father go to the tavern to steal wine again?

"He's fine. I bought him some drinks; he's just a little drunk."

Xu Yan's voice came from behind, and Xiao Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned around, his voice full of gratitude: "Thank you, sir. I'll definitely pay you back the money for my father's drinks once I find a way to make a living!"

Xiao Qi looked serious. He knew that Xu Yan had been kicked out of his home and was in a difficult situation, so he didn't want to add any more burden to him.

"It's nothing, just a jar of wine."

Xu Yan sat against the wall, looking up at the narrow night sky above the alley.

He refused to believe that he couldn't survive without the Xu family.

I'll make do here for the night, and tomorrow I'll find a way to make a living without interfering with my martial arts training.

It's still better than being trapped in the stable and tormented by menial tasks day after day.

.......

The next day, Xu Yan was awakened by the sounds of the city gradually rising from the alley entrance.

When he opened his eyes, Xiao Qi was already gone, probably having gone out to beg early in the morning.

Dongfang Canghai was also gone; the space beneath that crooked wooden plank was empty.

Xu Yan sat up and looked down at the words carved on the wooden boards again.

No new panels popped up, it seems that these wooden boards only contain the incomplete "Unity of Man and Nature".

Feeling hungry, Xu Yan decided to buy some food first before thinking about making a living.

"My good buddy! I've got a treasure!"

Just as I reached the alley entrance, a gust of wind blew behind me, and Dongfang Canghai's voice caught up.

When Xu Yan turned around, the other person had already flashed in front of him.

Although Dongfang Canghai was delirious due to qi deviation, he clearly still remembered the incident last night when Xu Yan invited him to drink strong liquor.

So now that he has something good, he wants to share it with Xu Yan.

Dongfang Canghai displayed what he held, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Brother, there's definitely good wine in this!"

Xu Yan looked down and his eyes widened suddenly.

It is golden yellow all over and its shape resembles a treasure chest or a toad.

[Low-Tier Gold-Eating Beast]

"Quack! Quack!"

The Gold-Eating Beast struggled incessantly in Dongfang Canghai's hands, kicking its legs with all its might.