Chapter 205: Debauchery is an attitude

The engagement ceremony for Ice Spirit is finally being officially planned, no longer the secret maneuvers of Oscar. Even the maids in the royal palace have started sewing festive ice silk and red satin.

It was an order from Xue Cangbo.

Not because of Wang Feng's face with Lakfu; Lakfu is just a commoner among the whale clan, making a living by 'pimping' on land, relying on his whale identity. Xue Cangbo needs such people and can tolerate their slight arrogance, as long as they make money quietly. However, this doesn't mean he really looks up to him.

Wang Feng can make Lakfu afraid, perhaps because he happens to know a few whale characters in Aurora City. This doesn't mean much, but the problem is that Xue Cangbo can no longer find any reason to oppose Wang Feng's engagement to Xue Zhiyu.

As for the elder... he never intended to reveal the truth. Xue Cangbo doesn't believe the elder agreed to the engagement just because of Zhiyu's capriciousness. Fortunately, it's only an engagement, so he'll take it one step at a time. But Xue Cangbo doesn't want to see this guy more than necessary.

There's nothing wrong in the Holy Sanctuary, nothing wrong with the king, everything is harmonious inside and out. Even Xuecai and her sister were taken by Abuda Jiebie to be tested on their studies.

With no one to disturb him, Wang Feng suddenly found himself free and easy, enjoying a couple of days of peace.

He hasn't reported the fusion rune yet. It was initially created just to support Xue Zhiyu's performance before the throne. Besides, the conditions of the Holy Sanctuary in Ice Spirit Kingdom are not sufficient to appraise it. It would be better to wait until he returns to Aurora City and handle it slowly, which could also please Da-ge.

Bored during the day, he dozed off in the lab for the afternoon, lazily answering Deder and Timols' various questions. But at night, he was radiant and full of energy.

Life is tough, so one must find some fun. The 500,000 Lakfu sent hasn't been spent much, and the president of the Sea Star Association also gave him a sum. With money in his pocket, he's been frequenting the Ice River Bar every night these days.

It has to be said that Oscar's old methods really worked. After arranging the golden boy and jade girl ice sculptures in Ice Spirit City, Old Wang instantly became a well-known celebrity.

These days, whenever he goes out on the street, anyone with eyes will give him a second look. This isn't an exaggeration. Not only people, even the riding beasts seem to want to sniff him, as if they're curious about whether this human, who looks exactly like the city's ice sculptures, tastes the same.

"Look, that's Wang Feng, who's going to be engaged to our princess!"

"I heard he has a lot of clout among the sea clans, a big shot..."

"Hello, Mr. Wang Feng!"

Wherever he went, people paid attention and gossiped, especially some middle-aged women who looked at him with hungry eyes, making even the thick-skinned Old Wang feel a bit uncomfortable.

Finally managing to run into the Ice River Bar, the place was buzzing with activity. With the dim, swirling lights, he finally felt less conspicuous.

He had been frequenting bars these past few days and knew this place well.

Old Wang casually found a table and ordered two bottles of alcohol. Before the drinks arrived, he saw a familiar guy walking by, flanked by two curvaceous girls. The guy was holding one of the girls’ hips and telling a joke: “... So that guy just gave in, kneeling down in front of me to ask for apprenticeship. Ha! Teach the apprentice and starve the master… huh?”

As he was speaking, he noticed a boy staring at him, looking somewhat familiar. Turning his head, he saw it was Wang Feng, and he laughed.

“You’re about to be engaged to a princess, yet you’re still here?” Fu Liye said with a smile. “Don’t you care about maintaining your purity?”

The previous nights he hadn’t run into Fu Liye, but now seeing him, he was indeed back to his usual style of having a girl on each arm. His charm was truly awe-inspiring, though Old Wang wasn’t too shabby himself. Fu Liye won in quantity, while Old Wang won in quality.

“Brother, marriage is the grave of love!” Old Wang laughed. “I’m still young, only eighteen. This is an engagement, not a marriage!”

“Hahaha!” Fu Liye laughed. “You always have something interesting to say. Come, I’ll drink with you, but… why are you staring at my girls?”

“About to get married, and still coming here to play, with eyes that aren’t clean,” the two girls, with their perfect figures, chimed in with a playful scold. “Rogue! How can you face our princess?”

“Hey, it depends on how you look at it!” Old Wang said seriously. “If I like the girl in Old Fu’s arms, you could call me a rogue. But if I like the girl who happens to be in Old Fu’s arms, wouldn’t that make me a devoted lover?”

The two girls were momentarily stunned, still trying to wrap their heads around his logic.

“So that’s the point!” Old Wang slapped his thigh. “I came here openly, which means what? It means I have a clear conscience. My heart for the princess is as pure as the sun and moon. Let others misunderstand as they will.”

“Well said! That’s how the world works, black and white, just a matter of what people say.” Fu Liye laughed heartily, sitting down next to Old Wang and pushing the girl on his left toward Wang Feng. “Today’s drinks are on me, and I’ll share a girl with you.”

The girl’s eyes sparkled, and she didn’t resist, sitting down gracefully beside Wang Feng and wrapping her arms around his neck, teasingly: “We’ll see if you, the prince consort, are just talking the talk.”

The girls from Ice Spirit were beautiful, playful but not promiscuous. They could drink, chat, and joke around, and the best part was that they didn’t cost a penny. It was all about mutual attraction and excitement, which was exactly what Old Wang liked.

Old Wang immediately perked up and waved his hand, "I'll teach you a game!"

"What game?" the two girls asked in unison.

"Truth or Dare!" Old Wang laughed heartily and pulled out the five-colored cards that Fu Liye had given him last time. "Draw cards!"

Old Wang explained the rules: whoever drew the lowest card had to either drink or answer a question. The three of them listened with great interest and quickly started playing.

These were Fu Liye’s specialty cards, and he always drew the winning cards. Although Old Wang wasn’t as skilled, he still managed to win more often than lose, thanks to the two novices at the table. Before long, he had the two young girls thoroughly defeated.

At first, they could still answer some normal questions, but as the game progressed, the questions became increasingly outrageous, making the girls blush and forcing them to drink. Soon, they were completely drunk and passed out on the table, unable to be woken even by slaps on the face.

These two girls were recently picked up by Fu Liye. Without the distraction of women, the two men could quietly enjoy their drinks. Fu Liye sized up Wang Feng, "You really are a disgrace to the Holy Sanctuary."

For some reason, it sounded quite fitting coming from Fu Liye.

"You can't say that. In our hometown, there's a saying: 'Wine and meat pass through the gut, but Buddha remains in the heart.' Many things shouldn’t be judged by appearances."

"Appearances? Once a war breaks out, what use will you be?" Fu Liye said coolly.

"War isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If humanity doesn’t unify, internal conflicts will continue, and it’s only a matter of time before we destroy ourselves."

"Ha ha ha!" Fu Liye burst into laughter, "That doesn’t sound like something a disciple of the Holy Sanctuary should say."

Old Wang chuckled, "I mean, the Holy Sanctuary should eliminate the Nine Gods and unify the world!"

"But it could also be the Nine Gods who eliminate the Blade," Fu Liye countered.

"Then so be it, better to have a quick pain than a lingering one." Old Wang took a sip of wine: "It's just a change in rulers. When the hearts of people are united, humanity will usher in an era of great peace and prosperity."

A glint of sharpness flashed in Fu Liye’s eyes as he said half-jokingly, half-seriously: "You’re really not cut out to be a hero."

"Hero? What is a hero?"

"That’s what I should be asking you." Fu Liye laughed: "You are a genius of the Rose Holy Sanctuary, and now the prince consort of Bing Ling. Shouldn’t being a hero be your next goal?"

"Bullshit genius, I just had good luck." Old Wang laughed heartily: "There’s only one kind of hero in this world—someone who understands the truth of the world but still loves life and pretends to be full of confidence about the future. As for me, I live for today, and tomorrow I’ll continue being the prince consort. That’s my kind of hero!"

Fu Liye burst into laughter, a bit exaggeratedly, "Wang Feng, you don’t act like someone in his late teens at all. This kind of insight isn’t innate; you’re a freak," he said, patting the table and raising his glass for a big gulp: "Even though this world looks shiny on the outside but is rotten inside, there are always some people who pretend to have ideals and want to change things. It’s not about the outcome, but the process!"

"Brother, you’re too serious." Old Wang didn’t intend to delve into Fu Liye’s inner thoughts and just smiled: "When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. The most vulgar is the most refined. We’re just drinking buddies, so here’s a penalty drink for you!"

Fu Liye was taken aback, "The most vulgar is the most refined, hah! Your off-the-cuff remarks are so profound. What penalty drink? For that line alone, I’ll penalize myself with three drinks!"

"Haha, brother, I’ll join you for three drinks!"

Old Wang felt every bone in his body tingling with pleasure. After spending so much time with those young hot-blooded guys in the Holy Sanctuary, sometimes Old Wang felt his brain couldn’t keep up. It was more fun to hang out with someone like Fu Liye, where a few words could sum up a whole life, no need for complicated identities, just understanding each other. To put it crudely, you could tell what kind of fart it was just by the sound.

Bang bang bang!

They clinked glasses three times. It was already deep into the night, and the bar wasn’t as crowded. A girl on the round stage below was playing a soft, romantic song.

"This song doesn’t fit the mood!" Old Wang was getting into the spirit, feeling a bit high.

Fu Liye shouted, "Ah Hong!"

Sister Hong walked over with a flirtatious sway: "You’ve been chatting all night, and only now do you remember me?"

Fu Liye burst into laughter, about to suggest that the girl on stage change her tune, when he heard Old Wang enthusiastically ask, "Sister Hong, can we play with those drums down there?"

Hong He was slightly taken aback but smiled and replied, "The drummers have all finished their shifts. If you want to play, go ahead."

Old Wang stood up, "You stay here, Fu. Watch me work my magic!"

"You know how to do this?" Fu Liye was genuinely surprised.

"Are you kidding? Do you think you're the only one who can charm girls? Sure, you're a bit more handsome, but I've got talent!"

Old Wang hopped onto the stage, first asking the girl to stop playing, then gathering a few drums together.

There were still quite a few patrons in the bar, most of them already well into their drinks and in a relaxed mood. They chuckled, "Sister Hong, are you changing your musicians?"

"Holy cow, isn't that the Prince Consort..."

Upon hearing it was the Prince Consort, even more attention was drawn to the scene.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Feeling the alcohol, Old Wang picked up a stool leg and tested the drums. Though not as versatile as a drum kit, they were close enough.

At first, everyone was stunned, then erupted into laughter.

The drums in Ice Spirit weren't drum kits but hand drums, and no one had ever seen someone use a stool leg to play them. But since it was the Prince Consort, they had to give him some face.

"Ha ha ha, the Prince Consort's stool drum is quite creative!"

"Try seven beats, Prince Consort, can you handle it?"

Old Wang paid no heed, swaying his head and tapping out the rhythm. He was really going to stay in this world, whether it was real or not; he had to be happy!

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

"In my youth, I was reckless, always wanting to drift and wander freely."

"Stumbling and fumbling, each step has its own merit; my future is determined by me alone."

The tune of Old Wang’s song sounded strange to others, but he didn’t care at all. What was there to care about? He was singing for himself, but his voice carried a story.

"Who wins and who loses on life’s journey, it’s all about living without hesitation."

"Seeing through the world’s illusions, winning oneself means winning the world."

The Ice Spirit people in the bar couldn’t understand, only finding it a bit odd, but Fu Liye and Red Lotus were different. Only those with rich lives in foreign lands could truly understand, feeling more and more isolated as they listened.

"How many things in this world fall into loneliness, envying others’ happiness."

"Every day, walking in others’ footsteps, over and over, I don’t cry..."

"Success and failure need not be sung by oneself; let others recount them, right and wrong, fleeting and empty."

"Breaking through the red dust’s illusions, one can win the world..."

...

A slightly hoarse voice sang a song imbued with the vicissitudes of life, yet it pierced straight to the heart. Success and failure need not be sung by oneself; let others recount them, right and wrong, fleeting and empty...

Fu Liye raised his glass to hide his expression.

Red Lotus’s eyes were complex. Such a person... was actually a traitor to the Nine Gods, making him even more deserving of death!

She glanced at the man on stage, still swaying and tapping the hand drum, and couldn’t resist a quick flick of her wrist, a silver needle clasped between her fingers.

But before the needle could fly, a large hand grabbed her wrist.