Chapter 74 Drinking Together

"Let's have a drink together," Ji Rong said, raising the earthenware jar.

Jiaojue tilted her head and moved to the side.

"Let's have a drink together." Ji Rong stretched her neck and brought her face closer.

Jiao Jue tilted his head, took out an exquisitely carved jade pot from his mouth, and said, "Put away that drool-filled broken pot of yours and drink this."

Ji Rong stared at the jade pot, then immediately put down the pottery jar, rummaged through the cave and pulled out two pottery bowls, exclaiming happily, "Good dragon, Lord dragon, give me some too!"

Jiao Jue looked at Ji Rong, whose face was flushed despite her seemingly incapable drunkenness, and poured a little into her bowl.

"Dry!"

Ji Rong, holding the earthenware bowl with both hands, boldly handed it to the corner of the jade, then took it back and pecked at it twice.

The rich aroma of wine blended perfectly with the spiritual energy, rising in Ji Rong's mouth. Ji Rong couldn't help but smack her lips and say, "Wonderful, good wine."

Seeing Ji Rong even happier after drinking the good wine, Jiao Jue picked up the bottle and poured a mouthful into his own mouth.

Ji Rong sipped the spirit wine, occasionally grabbing a gust of wind that passed by the reef island and swallowing it. When she spat it out, the spirit energy exuded a strong aroma of wine, which was carried by the wind to various parts of the island.

"Come on, Brother Jiaolong, let's drink some more!" Ji Rong, who was drinking with great enthusiasm, was so engrossed in his drink that he became even more out of control.

But as Jiao Jue listened to her words and looked at the campfire below, he felt that this wine was different from the ones he had drunk before, and he drank it with ease and comfort. So he turned around and clinked the jade bottle with her.

This touch made Ji Rong even happier.

She then held up the ceramic bowl with both hands and bowed forward, saying, "Brother Jiaolong, I'll drink first as a sign of respect." And she drank it all in one gulp.

After finishing his drink, Ji Rong handed the bowl to Jiao Jue again, saying, "Brother, your wine is really delicious, have some more."

Seeing the little bird clearly getting drunk, Jiao Jue couldn't help but laugh. His eyes crinkled up with pleasure as he poured the bird a little more.

Ji Rong, who had taken the wine, was clearly tipsy. He picked up the bowl and bowed again, saying, "Brother, drink up! I'll drink first as a sign of respect."

After saying that, she immediately took a sip from the bowl, and Jiaojue also squinted and took a big gulp.

Finally, the bird and the dragon drank the spirit wine from the bottle and then leaned against each other, falling into a deep sleep.

Before dawn the next day, Jiao Jue woke up.

He opened his eyes and found himself holding Ji Rong in his arms. Disgusted, he tossed the drooling little bird that had smeared all over him aside and flew into the sea.

Ji Rong, who had been abandoned, rubbed the ground beneath her like a soft-bodied animal, feeling much lighter, and then went back to sleep.

When a strong wind came from above, she would stand up like a roly-poly toy to swallow the wind, and then go limp and continue sleeping.

The entire island was filled with the subtle aroma of wine, and everyone got up late that day.

Gu Qingqing, Feng Qing, and Ji Zhuang returned together. They helped Ji Rong, who had fallen to the ground, to her feet and hurriedly called the sorcerer to help Ji Rong sober up.

Ji Rong's constitution is different from theirs, and the witches say they are helpless about it.

Fortunately, Ji Rong woke up that afternoon.

Upon waking, she excitedly searched the entire island for Jiao Jue, exclaiming, "Brother Jiaolong!"

Jiaojue pretended not to hear.

Ji Rong, hands on her hips, pointed at Jiao Jue hiding under the rocks and said, "Well, you dead dragon, you called me brother and sister when we were drinking, but now that you're sober, you don't want to admit it, do you?"

"Are you looking down on me? Let me tell you, you're a dragon's son, and I'm a phoenix's grandson! Humph!"

Upon hearing this, Jiao Jue's eyes widened, no longer narrowing. "What a dragon's son and phoenix's grandson!" he thought, his mouth twitching as he wanted to both laugh and curse.

After saying this, Ji Rong was about to leave when she remembered how the dragon had blocked her in the sea yesterday in a strange and sarcastic manner.

Having keenly grasped the point, she immediately decided to confirm it, saying, "You damned dragon, were you eavesdropping on our conversation yesterday? You hit me because I mentioned Wu Yue's mixed-race heritage, didn't you!"

Jiao Jue squinted and corrected, "You didn't even put up a soundproof barrier, and you were talking so loudly. I'm not deaf, of course I can hear you."

"A soundproof enclosure?" Ji Rong was immediately stunned. Her eyes darted around, and her face instantly changed to a friendly expression. "Big brother, what is a soundproof enclosure? Can you teach me? We don't know how."

Jiaojue wanted to refute this brat, but she was afraid that she would remember everything and shout loudly, revealing all the drunken words they had said last night.

He glanced at Ji Rong and said, "Your cultivation level is too low; you can't use it right now."

You'll be able to use it once you reach the Venerable realm.

Upon hearing this, Ji Rong lowered her head in dejection. The damned hierarchy of cultivation levels! Such exquisite techniques, and she couldn't even use them now!

Jiao Jue looked at the dejected Ji Rong, narrowed his eyes, and an idea that had been brewing in his mind for a long time came to mind. He said, "Take Feng Qing out for a while and let him find a spirit crystal mine."

"At that time, with treasures paving the way, you will have hope of reaching the Venerable Realm, and then I will teach you."

Upon hearing this, Ji Rong sat down on the ground and casually preened the feathers on her chest, glancing at him and saying, "Why don't you go yourself?"

Jiao Jue's breath caught in her throat upon hearing this, but fortunately Ji Rong didn't seem to care about the issue.

She stomped her feet on the ground with an air of authority, raised her neck high, and said, "I have my own spiritual veins. Besides, what use would your method be to me? I can't use it now. Let's find something more practical."

After reaching the Mortal Demon Realm, it becomes increasingly difficult for cultivators to advance their cultivation to higher levels.

Your Excellency, it sounds difficult, but it's actually even more difficult.

Even the major clans and main lineages of the Central Continent couldn't produce many Venerables with all their treasures, let alone someone of her background.

Now they've all drifted to the desolate sea to make a living, where are they going to find rare and precious materials to advance to the Venerable level?

Having dealt with Ji Rong for a long time, Jiao Jue quickly realized that this little bird had fallen into a short-sighted trap.

That's how birds are; if they don't see any immediate benefit, they don't want to move.

So, after a moment's thought, he leaned closer and said slowly, "After you find the spirit crystal mine, you lead the Wu tribe to mine it. I'll provide them with food and drink; you get 20% and I get 80%."

Upon hearing this, Ji Rong immediately raised her head and put her hands on her hips, saying, "No, it's fifty-fifty."

"You little bird, do you want to hear what you're saying?"

Look at how many people there are in this witch clan! They're all so weak. If they were all supposed to be able to mine spirit crystals, I'd have to use countless precious materials to raise their cultivation levels. It's a 20/80 split, no discussion!

Ji Rong thought Jiao Jue made sense. If they were well-fed and their cultivation improved, the Wu tribe people would naturally be willing to work.

But she still insisted, saying, "I know mining is a tough and dangerous job, and it's not easy to manage. You get 60% and I get 40%, it can't go any lower."

"no!"

“Then I’ll take three and you take seven, but besides supporting them, you also have to give them some money. You can’t let them work like slaves for nothing. They saved your tail!”

"They indirectly saved my life!" Jiao Jue thought to himself.

“You get two and I get eight. Besides food and drink, I can give them some hard-earned money.”

"Big brother is so good!"

"I get paid for my work!" Ji Rong thought happily. "That damned dragon is so easy to talk to."

Thinking of this, she added, "If we do the work, we should also be paid."

"Can."

"Deal." Feeling like she'd hit the jackpot, Ji Rong skipped and jumped for joy as she headed up the cliff to find Feng Qing.

Watching Ji Rong's cheerful figure disappear into the distance, Jiao Jue narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but think, "What a huge loss!"

This little bird is so poor and her cultivation is so weak, even if I only give her one or two tenths, she will definitely agree.

But thinking about it too much is pointless, Jiao Jue thought to himself. This bird saved him, and he absolutely cannot go out now. He might as well give it as much as he can.

Ji Rong flew up the cliff, circled once, and saw Gu Qingqing lying in the cave with Feng Qing. Her brother was nowhere to be found.

She flew in the air, looking left and right to make sure there was nothing else around before slowly flying down and happily strolling into the cave.