Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 307 - 307 306 Feeling of Loss

307: Chapter 306: Feeling of Loss 307: Chapter 306: Feeling of Loss Dugu Lan sighed, casting aside the gloomy thoughts in her heart—who could truly discern the matters of the heart between two people?

What she thought, others might not think, and perhaps it was just wishful thinking on her part?

She picked up a wine cup, filled it to the brim with fine wine, and placed it into the flowing water, letting it drift gently downstream; at the same time, Xiao Qiang did likewise, setting her cup afloat in the stream as well.

The only difference was that Dugu Lan wore red, and the wine in her cup was also as crimson as blood; Xiao Qiang wore green, and the wine in her cup was as green as spring, distinguishing them by color.

This was the theme of today’s drinking banquet, the flow not only representing the drifting of two cups of wine but also signifying their mutual probing.

Next, it would be up to the guests to respond.

The two wine cups drifted one after the other, gently flowing downstream.

The first cultivator they passed was an old cultivator from the Mu Shuai Mansion, who merely glanced briefly at them and then ignored them;

This was a game for the young, and it was inappropriate for someone as old as him to be eyeing younger prospects.

The cultivation world was full of unspoken rules; for him, taking a low-rank cultivator as a concubine meant nothing, but dreaming of a blooming Dual Cultivation partner from the Tongxuan level was pure folly.

With age, paths narrow—this was a harsh reality.

The cups continued to drift onward, reaching a group of giggling young female cultivators next, who were also close friends of the sisters before they reached the Upper Realm.

They too did not touch the cups, merely pointing and laughing merrily.

The third station was a young man with a handsome face and Tongxuan cultivation, bursting with youthful vigor; seeing the two wine cups floating towards him, he smiled slightly, pointed with his finger, and a stream of mana emerged, targeting the bottom of the cup.

Under the manipulation of his mana, the blood-red wine was pushed up by an inch, just above the rim, yet it did not spill, continuing its journey downstream.

After this display, he withdrew his hand, ignoring the green wine in the cup behind it.

The two wine cups continued their flow, observers along the way laughing, pointing, or trying their hand; slowly, the wine in both cups was pushed higher and higher by the onlookers, neck and neck, quickly exceeding a foot in height, yet neither spilled nor flowed over, simply swaying under the force of the stream, a sight that made onlookers worry about them tipping over at any moment.

This was the content of the game, where those who intervened intended to attract the favor of the beauties.

Those who were indifferent should not interfere needlessly; each intervention raised the wine a further inch, and now both cups had the wine pushed up over a foot, indicating that at least ten or so individuals were interested in each beauty, which served as an implicit indication of their intent.

The higher the wine was pushed, the more difficult it was to control the mana; maintaining its precarious balance in the flowing water was a true test of the cultivator’s fine control over mana.

If someone pushed the wine up an inch and it spilled, or if the cup tipped over during its travel, it meant defeat for the last cultivator who had acted, effectively indicating their withdrawal from the competition.

It was a subtle and unique approach, avoiding direct conflict between cultivators while also showcasing the differences in their abilities; it was clear that those with greater strength would last longer, persisting until the wine was pushed up several feet, possibly even over a yard.

It was a matter of who could laugh last, akin to the mortal game of stacking objects where layers are added one by one and the one who causes the stack to fall loses.

This was not a strict competition criterion, and if you disregarded the outcome afterward, no one would bother you, but in the cultivation circles, it was considered quite graceless not to accept the result.

If you intended to win by any means necessary, it would be better not to partake in such contests and maybe find a subtler way later, but if you participated yet refused to acknowledge the outcome, it spoke to a flaw in character, resulting in loss of respect.

Finally, the wine cups neared the position of Hou Niao and his companion, who remained indifferent.

Wang Daoist was slightly perplexed; as an insider in the Capital Commandant’s office, he had access to many secrets and knew that the Dugu sisters were indeed quite interested in Hou Niao—not a guaranteed victory, but a significant chance, evident from their several proactive engagements.

“Senior brother, really not going to make a move?”

Hou Niao spread his hands, “This isn’t fair.

I’ve recently attained Tongxuan.

How can I match the control of mana of those veterans?

Since defeat is inevitable sooner or later, it’s better not to go up and embarrass myself, and avoid others gossiping behind my back saying I’m a toad wanting to eat swan meat.”

He said it lightly, but Wang Daoist who had grown familiar with his temperament had a clear understanding of his heart; probably he had no fate with the two ladies, or perhaps he would end up like the Capital Commandant, dedicating his life to the Daoist Path alone, or possibly he still had an old flame, otherwise he wouldn’t be indifferent to such two beauties.

In terms of dual cultivation, the two women were considered top-notch, beautiful as flowers, with Tongxuan cultivation and family resources.

Getting involved with them could save him a decade of effort, and they even seemed somewhat accommodating.

How could he give up so easily?

This Hou Niao, if he truly liked someone, what Circulating Cup Art?

That would be direct wielding weapons type, how would he show weakness in front of others?

“In that case, let’s just watch quietly.”

The two watched quietly as two wine cups moved across the stream in front of them, indirectly expressing Hou Niao’s intention; they could be friends, but not dual cultivation partners.

From afar, Dugu Lan’s expression darkened; the bad news was, they had lost a highly potential cultivator; the good news was, she no longer had to struggle with whether to choose him or not.

This person was indeed hard-hearted.

He was one of the few who actively expressed a desire to get closer to them, but unfortunately, it was like playing the lute to a cow.

Xiao Qiang stood behind her, also observing his indifference from a distance, but unlike her cousin, she didn’t show it explicitly, instead turning her head and whispering with a close girlfriend.

In her opinion, the method of Circulating Cup Art was very hypocritical; it was clearly a transaction, yet they had to make it so cloaked and hidden; in this world, where is there a perfect transaction?

Either you think you’ve bought too expensive, or I think I’ve sold too cheap, hurting others while also hurting oneself.

She knew her cousin’s intentions.

If he hadn’t been so hard-hearted, her future brother-in-law might have been him because her cousin’s greatest weakness was curiosity, which often led her deeper and deeper.

She wasn’t against her cousin liking this person, but she always felt there was something not quite right about it.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t climb high enough to reach the Dugu family, but rather that the pond of the Dugu family was too shallow and might not accommodate a true dragon.

As for herself, contrary to what she outwardly displayed, she actually harbored her own thoughts in her heart.

Why must a woman necessarily rely on a man?

Why must they organize such gatherings, as if she couldn’t get married?

In the Cultivation World, there are plenty of cultivators, both male and female, who are solitary their whole lives.

Why couldn’t she have her own pursuits, her own life?

Before she lacked the ability to step out, but now she had it.