Suddenly his voice rose sharply, "How should I know how it died?"
"I just saw a contract beast corpse lying on the grassland."
Before he could finish speaking.
"You clearly just said it was hopping around on the grassland!"
A follower immediately raised a question.
"Fifth Councilor, he's talking nonsense, not a word of it can be believed!"
Another follower said indignantly.
Fifth He frowned slightly, but then his brow relaxed. He didn't press further, knowing that asking more would yield no answer. Yet, he had already understood in his heart that the [Blood Fiend] was likely dead, and its death was undeniably linked to the drunkard before him.
Lu Fei, standing nearby, was utterly bewildered, like a spectator. Wait, the drunkard had actually seen that [Blood Fiend]? That was a level 100 contract beast, possessing extraordinary combat power, far beyond the mere commoners they had encountered tonight.
After a long silence, Fifth He slowly rose. He had essentially learned what he wanted to know, and he wasn't one to pry into what the other party was unwilling to reveal. After all, with so many reclusive powerhouses, most preferred to be left undisturbed.
Fifth He cupped his hands towards the drunkard.
"Thank you for your hospitality, old sir. We shall take our leave."
Lu Fei also stood up, his head feeling heavy, almost losing his balance.
"Fifth Councilor, you're leaving already? Aren't you waiting until tomorrow? What if you encounter that [Blood Fiend] you were discussing? Wouldn't that be too dangerous?"
Hearing Lu Fei's concerned words, Fifth He smiled. He held a very good impression of Lu Fei, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of apprehending him from the courtroom. Furthermore, from Lu Fei's words, Fifth He was certain that Lu Fei knew nothing about the [Blood Fiend].
"This humble abode cannot accommodate a great buddha," the drunkard said leisurely, sipping his wine. Everyone else was drunk, but he seemed neither drunk nor sober.
"Besides, with his abilities, does he fear a mere [Blood Fiend]? Wouldn't it be as simple as capturing it to accompany his drinks?"
Lu Fei shot the drunkard a glance, his lips moving, his mouth forming the word that was a polite gesture! Politeness!
Fifth He was not offended. He left the house with a slightly unsteady gait.
As he reached the threshold, the drunkard spoke as if to himself, "This handsome guy knew an artificial human before, but he was much more interesting than you, not as rigid and boring."
The drunkard feigned recollection.
"What was his name again?"
Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and raised his voice.
"Oh! Right! Zong Qian!"
Fifth He, at the doorway, paused and said to his attendant, "You all go outside first."
"Yes, Fifth Councilor."
They exited the courtyard gate.
Fifth He did not turn around, still with his back to Lu Fei and the others, but his voice now carried a suppressed intensity, "Old sir, you knew Zong Qian?"
The drunkard casually grunted, "Yes, we even drank together." He then burst into laughter, "That kid, he couldn't drink at all, but he drank so much that his brain practically smoked. It was hilarious."
Listening to his teasing words, Fifth He's lips curved into a rare smile. An image of a person flashed in his mind – his close comrade, his inseparable friend.
"Yes, that's just how he is. If there's something he can't do, he'll insist on doing it." Fifth He's eyes suddenly filled with a hint of sorrow. He looked up at the sky and murmured, "But, they're all gone."
"Pah, pah, pah! Who's gone? How inauspicious!" the drunkard interrupted Fifth He's melancholy.
Fifth He didn't seem to mind. "I didn't expect we'd have a mutual acquaintance, old sir. It seems there's some fate between us, hehe."
The drunkard pointed at Lu Fei and teased, "Doesn't he count?"
Fifth He was taken aback and then smiled sheepishly, "Young friend Lu Fei certainly does."
He sighed, "It's a pity Zong Qian isn't here, otherwise, tonight's little gathering would have been even livelier."
"Hey, you're a strange one. Why do you curse your friend to be dead?"
Fifth He's voice deepened. "To be frank, Zong Qian died several years ago. I presume you knew him a long time ago, old sir."
The drunkard grunted in confusion, "That's strange. I clearly saw him just two years ago. Could it be a different person?"
As his voice fell, Fifth He's body suddenly trembled, as if struck by an unprecedented blow. His neck stiffly twisted left and right, as if his CPU had suddenly short-circuited, looking somewhat eerie.
Lu Fei's scalp tingled. He was familiar with this scene. The last time Fifth He was abused by Huangfu Chenyi, his parts had malfunctioned in a similar way... although that time was more exaggerated, with parts scattering everywhere and his eyeballs falling out...
After a moment, Fifth He returned to normal. He seemed to have thought of something and was eager to confirm it.
Without a word, he strode out of the house. He walked towards the courtyard with a terrifying calmness. In the courtyard, he noticed a pile of contract beast bones carelessly discarded in an inconspicuous corner, still bearing remnants of uneaten flesh.
Fifth He stared at the pile of bones with astonishment, slowly exhaling.
Walking to the courtyard gate, Fifth He said to those inside:
"Old sir, I shall visit again another day."
Watching Fifth He's retreating back, the drunkard's eyes held a playful glint. However, as Lu Fei looked at him, his expression immediately reverted to its former indifferent demeanor.
"What were you guys talking about?" Lu Fei was completely clueless. After listening for so long, he felt like they were exchanging secret codes.
"Just a few scattered trivial matters," the drunkard chuckled. "Kid, come, have a few more jars with me."
Lu Fei quickly waved his hands in surrender.
"No, no, no, I've reached my limit." He quickly fled the room and ran towards his own.
In the simply decorated room, only the drunkard remained, drinking alone. He hummed softly.
"Right, wrong, human, demon, true, false, good, bad..."
He glanced at his empty left sleeve, laughed heartily, picked up his wine cup, and drank heartily.
The next day, Lu Fei woke up early and dutifully began preparing breakfast.
Before long, the drunkard emerged with a swaggering gait. He stretched and let out a comfortable groan.
"Handsome guy, up so early," Lu Fei walked over with a smile.
The drunkard cast a sideways glance. "So diligent." He picked up the pastries on the table and began to eat.
"Tell me, what did you come to see me for?"
Lu Fei sat down beside him. "Hehe, I want to learn from you again."
"Aren't you a student of the Beast Taming Academy? Did they expel you? And you've come to learn from a rustic bumpkin like me."
"How can you say that? You're no rustic bumpkin! You're clearly a reclusive master!" Lu Fei continued with flattery. "With the academy's teaching staff, how could they possibly teach as well as you?"
These words clearly pleased him. The drunkard raised his chin, looking smug.
"Go on, what else do you want to learn from me?"