"So fast?"
Xu Mu was a little surprised and glanced at Chen Xuan, who was already sitting on a tiny stool.
"We'll talk more when we meet in person. You're free tomorrow, right?"
Jiang Huihui's voice came through the phone.
"Yeah, I'll call you tomorrow," Xu Mu replied and hung up.
Right then, Dai Xingluo parked her Mercedes AMG right behind Xu Mu's car.
The moment she got out, all the people eating barbecue around the stall turned to look.
In a big city like Jiangyang, Dai Xingluo's elegant, vintage beauty wasn't that rare—but in this small county town, it was like seeing a goddess descend.
Her classical looks drew every eye; some people even stared, dumbfounded.
"Brother!"
Dai Xingluo jogged over, wrapped her arms around Xu Mu's arm, and said with a shy smile, "I got the cultivation manuals—thank you."
"No need to thank me. We're all on the same side," Xu Mu said with a casual wave.
"Now that we've survived all that, let's get married!"
Dai Xingluo swayed his arm playfully, glancing at him with bashful, teasing eyes before looking away, her every move full of charm.
Meng Wanyue's chopsticks suddenly snapped in her hand, her expression turning cold.
"Let's… just sit down and eat first," Xu Mu said awkwardly.
He was in a bind—there was Jiang Huihui's martial-arts marriage challenge on one side and Dai Xingluo proposing marriage on the other.
He couldn't handle both, and he wasn't even sure if Dai Xingluo was serious or just joking.
After they sat down, a middle-aged woman with permed hair approached, holding a small notebook and menu.
She smiled politely. "What would you like to order?"
Xu Mu looked at the others. "You order first."
"Brother Mu, you do it—I'll just eat whatever," said Chen Xuan with a grin from across the little table.
"Manager Xu, I'll go with whatever you decide."
"Whatever Brother eats, I'll eat too," Dai Xingluo said sweetly.
…
Xu Mu skimmed the menu. "Alright, twenty beef skewers, twenty lamb skewers, ten vegetable skewers, one grilled carp, grilled eggplant, four squid, two plates of grilled leeks, and ten oysters."
He just picked some of the basics, then looked at Chen Xuan. "Beer?"
"Beer? Nah, I've got something better in the car," Chen Xuan said, heading off.
He returned with a woven bag, pulled out a mineral water bottle, and placed it in front of Xu Mu.
Xu Mu eyed the yellowish liquid inside. "What's this?"
"My master brewed this himself. He's gone now, but there are still dozens of jars back in the village. I filled a few bottles before coming down the mountain."
Chen Xuan poured a plastic cup full and handed it over. "Try it."
Xu Mu lifted it to his nose and sniffed. "Good heavens—this smells like it's made from rare heavenly herbs."
"Exactly. A bunch of rare ingredients. It's a great tonic—lots of experts used to visit my master just to drink this wine."
Chen Xuan nodded proudly.
Xu Mu took a sip. "Whoa! That's strong! I can literally feel my power rising!"
"Brother, I want to try too," Dai Xingluo said, smiling playfully.
"Nope. You're driving," Xu Mu said, waving her off.
"Sister-in-law," Chen Xuan said cheerfully, "I've got two more bottles in my bag. I'll give you one before we leave."
Dai Xingluo's face lit up immediately—Chen Xuan clearly knew how to read the room.
Meng Wanyue, however, frowned slightly. She knew what was happening.
She was too passive—she wanted Xu Mu to take the initiative, but Dai Xingluo was always the one making bold moves.
Before long, the barbecue arrived.
Xu Mu and Chen Xuan ate and drank together.
Ordinary alcohol wouldn't affect martial artists like them—they could resist most poisons and intoxication.
But wine brewed from heavenly materials and earthly treasures was a different story—it was like directly consuming those ingredients.
Its effects were overwhelming, almost uncontrollable.
After a single plastic cup, Chen Xuan collapsed onto the table.
Xu Mu chuckled and shook his head. "You've got a long way to go. This is real wine—satisfies your cravings and boosts cultivation."
He poured himself another and downed it in one gulp.
"Manager Xu, stop drinking—you're drunk," Meng Wanyue warned.
"Drunk? Nonsense. I'm just hitting the perfect buzz," Xu Mu said with a laugh. "You two, hurry up and eat."
But the moment he said that, he slumped over the table.
Dai Xingluo and Meng Wanyue exchanged glances—then simultaneously reached out and each grabbed one of Xu Mu's arms.
"What are you doing? Brother's drunk—I'll take him home!"
Dai Xingluo glared coldly at Meng Wanyue. "Let go!"
"You let go! I live near Director Xu, I'll take him home!"
Meng Wanyue tightened her grip, already suspecting Dai Xingluo's intentions.
If she took Xu Mu away, she might drag him to a hotel and take advantage of him.
She couldn't let that happen. She had to protect Xu Mu's virtue!
The people around them froze, bewildered.
They had assumed these two men and two women were couples—but apparently not.
At a nearby table, a few shirtless men with tattoos stared enviously.
One burly, tattooed man with Guan Yu inked on his back grinned at his buddies, then swaggered over.
"Hey, beauties, don't fight—you'll tear him apart," the fat man said with a sleazy smile.
"How about this? You let go of him, and I'll let you tug me instead. I'm way stronger than that pretty boy."
"Get lost!"
Dai Xingluo and Meng Wanyue turned their heads in unison and shouted together.
"Ha ha ha!"
The men at the other table burst into laughter.
The fat man's expression darkened. "You dare yell at me? Then none of you are leaving tonight!"
He wasn't that drunk—just bold and mean.
He'd noticed Xu Mu and Chen Xuan earlier showing off after drinking, so he hadn't bothered them then.
But now both men were passed out—these delicate women couldn't possibly put up a fight, right?
"I'll give you one last chance. Get lost, or I won't go easy on you!"
Meng Wanyue was already angry, especially since Chen Xuan had just called Dai Xingluo sister-in-law. That still annoyed her.
"Oh yeah? You won't go easy on me? What are you gonna do, pinch me like a crab?" she sneered.
The fat man laughed, and his drinking buddies stood up, moving to back him up.
But neither Dai Xingluo nor Meng Wanyue even looked at them.
They were still gripping Xu Mu's arms, unwilling to let go.
"Come on, sweetheart, hurry up! Your brother can't take it anymore—come be rough with me instead!" the fat man taunted as he walked closer.
Boom!
Meng Wanyue's kick landed square in his gut, sending him flying backward and crashing into a table.
His weight alone smashed it flat.
"F*ck!"
The fat man howled in pain on the ground, then roared, "You dare hit me?! Get them, boys—cripple them both!"