Gamers Are Fierce

After finishing a crab, Bai Yongyan let out a satisfied sigh, followed by a long, contented burp. At the same time, everyone present let out a burp of the exact same loudness and length; even the contented look on their faces was identical.

"How was it, everyone? Did you find my crab-eating technique intriguing?" Bai Yongyan asked, smiling as he surveyed the guests. He picked up a silk handkerchief, dipped it in water, and began to wipe his greasy fingers.

The guests exchanged glances, unsure of what had just happened. They had only felt an intense craving in their stomachs, their limbs moving uncontrollably, mimicking Bai Yongyan's actions without being able to stop themselves. It was only now that they slowly realized something was amiss.

"Who would have thought Mister Bai is adept in the long-lost Irresistible Puppet Art?" a dark-skinned man, tall and imposing as an iron pagoda, said with a grim voice. "It uses a white peach as a medium, activated by an incantation. This renders the person under the art unable to control their body, forced to act as the spellcaster intends. Even if they see themselves jumping into a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, they cannot resist."

The man who spoke was none other than General Li Yushan, who led the Martial Virtue Guards protecting the Annam Diplomatic Corps.

"Pah."

General Li Yushan spat out a piece of white peach. His two lieutenants also followed suit, spitting the peach piece onto the plates before them. Their fingers were clean, free of crab grease. While everyone else was busily mimicking Bai Yongyan in devouring the crabs, they had merely watched coldly from the sidelines.

Apart from these three, Yu Qingqiu, as well as the monks from Yonglin Temple and the Annam Diplomatic Corps, had not partaken in the crab feast. However, the latter group did not spit out pieces of white peach; it remained unclear what method they had used to shield themselves from Bai Yongyan's art.

"You flatter me, General Li," Bai Yongyan said with a smile and a cupped-hand salute from under the tree. "Actually, this isn't truly the Irresistible Puppet Art. The authentic Irresistible Puppet Art requires only a strand of the target's hair or a drop of their blood to create a puppet and cast the spell. It subtly influences the subject to act in the spellcaster's favor, all without them noticing anything out of the ordinary. I simply took a shortcut. I used the white peach as an intermediary merely to stimulate your existing desire to eat the crabs. This is far from manipulating minds or controlling bodies."

Hearing this, the guests still looked somewhat displeased. They were either dignitaries or Magicians and Cultivators who prided themselves on their skills. Driven by both pride and self-preservation, they could not accept being manipulated by someone else.

Before anyone else could react, the Old Spider Dancer, his face a mask of fury, slapped the table. He stood up abruptly, pointed at Bai Yongyan under the tree, and shouted harshly, "You, Bai! How dare you use the Irresistible Method on the Prince's guests! Are you trying to ruin the reputation of the Royal Mansion—"

Before he could finish speaking, all the guests felt an itch in their throats. Like General Li Yushan and the others, they instinctively opened their mouths and spat out a piece of white peach, thus canceling the Irresistible Puppet Art.

Only the Old Spider Dancer remained afflicted, his eyes bulging and bloodshot, hands clutching his throat. He kept making choked, "URK... URK..." sounds, seemingly suffocating on the white peach. The pageboy by his side was sweating profusely in anxiety, constantly patting the Old Spider Dancer's back and on the verge of tears. Only when Bai Yongyan casually waved his hand did the Old Spider Dancer begin to cough violently—"COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!"—expelling a piece of white peach flesh streaked with blood.

"Brother Wei, next time you eat something, remember to chew it a bit more," Bai Yongyan said with a smile, leisurely adding, "The elderly should eat slowly and chew thoroughly."

A servant, unaware of what had just transpired in the hall, rushed in from the corridor and shouted at the top of his lungs, "The Prince has arrived—"

The Shu King, host of the banquet and the most revered person in all of Lvzhou and even the entire southern region, was about to make his entrance. The guests hastily tidied their attire and composed themselves, sitting upright and proper. The Old Spider Dancer's expression changed several times. After hesitating for a moment, he decided against pursuing Bai Yongyan's transgression, snorted coldly, and silently took his seat.

Bai Yongyan rose with ease. He reached out to touch the tree bark, and the entire tree shrank and withered at an extremely fast pace, right where it stood. Green leaves fluttered down, turning to ash before they hit the ground. The remaining roots and branches seemed to merge into the wooden floor, disappearing without a trace. After a few breaths, the peach tree that had reached the dome of the hall vanished as if it had never existed.

Moments later, servants lifted the curtains at the very back of the hall. A portly, middle-aged man with a wide frame and large ears walked in. His skin was pale and oily, his fingers short and chubby like radishes, and his excess flesh almost seemed to spill out of his purple robe.

"Haha, I, your humble king, cannot hold my liquor. I've been sobering up for a while," laughed the Shu King. "I've made a fool of myself before you all."

Everyone quickly shook their heads. Those with a bit of culture improvised a few lines of poetry, while the less cultured offered platitudes like, "Important people always arrive late," and "Not sweating the small stuff is the mark of a true king's character." After a round of flattery and boot-licking, the Shu King waved his hand, strode to his seat, and sat down.

Now that the host had arrived, the banquet could proceed normally. The sound of string and bamboo music filled the air, and dancers clad in silk skirts entered to perform, seeming to bring the banquet back on course.

After three rounds of drinks and five courses, the Shu King seemed to remember something. He slapped his forehead, put down his cup, cleared his throat, and said, "Ah, I almost forgot the main event of tonight."

The originally lively and noisy banquet instantly quieted. The music of string and bamboo ceased, and the dancers silently departed through the gaps between the guests' seats.

The Shu King, his face slightly flushed from drinking, said slowly, "Dharma Virtue High Monk, the Auspicious Beast you've brought is to be presented to His Majesty in the capital. In recent years, the world has faced many disasters and hardships, with incessant floods, droughts, and locust plagues. His Majesty is burdened with the cares of state, working from early morning until late evening, worn down by paperwork and physical toil.

"I've heard that your Annam Auspicious Beast can perform Divination to predict the weather and ward off misfortune.

"Why not let this King have a look and verify it?"

Here it is! Everyone present felt a jolt in their hearts. After waiting for so long, they finally heard this statement. Everyone knew that the current Emperor was naturally suspicious. The Shu King's hosting of this banquet, demanding that the Annam Diplomatic Corps demonstrate the Auspicious Beast's veracity, was probably also the Emperor's wish.

The Annam monks were also well aware of this part of the evening and naturally did not voice any objections. After a short discussion, eight young monks pushed a heavy iron cart into the hall. Placed on the iron cart, still covered with a canvas, was a huge iron cage. The cage was eerily silent, exuding an indescribable, ominous atmosphere.

The previously harmonious atmosphere in the hall vanished in an instant. All eyes focused on the iron cage. The young Annam monks swallowed nervously, gripping the canvas with a mixture of fear and reverence, and slowly pulled it away.