C69 Gambling Poison to Harm Others and Oneself

"My life is a bleak expanse, devoid of hope."

Wang Yan sat on the bed, his gaze fixed on the nearby rice bucket, feeling utterly devoid of the will to carry on.

This creature could really pee—a mystery how it had so much in reserve.

Noticing Wang Yan's sour mood, Moon, who had been making the bed, came over, gently took his hand, and pressed it to her face.

"Ah, Moon, you're the best, not like those three lushes."

Wang Yan lifted Moon into his arms and planted a kiss on her cheek.

Green and Gold were so plastered they couldn't go on, so Wang Yan decided to camp right there.

Once the tent was pitched and the bedding laid out, he snuggled with Moon, contented.

If only that foolish, constantly peeing dog wasn't there, it would be perfect.

"But really, can booze hit that hard?"

Wang Yan was baffled. It was just a jar of wine; could it really knock someone out like that?

"Should I let Moon have a try?"

A daring thought crossed Wang Yan's mind. A fair and delicate little loli, gazing at you with hazy, drunken eyes—what would that be like?

"Here, drink this."

He took out a jar of osmanthus wine infused with the essence of the moon and filled a cup for Moon.

Moon obediently accepted the cup and downed it in one go, even letting out a little burp.

One minute passed...

Two minutes passed...

Five minutes passed...

Moon was unfazed, showing no sign of intoxication.

"It must be that Goldie and Green have a low tolerance for alcohol."

Wang Yan mumbled to himself and poured another full cup.

The aroma was rich and lingering, the taste deep and velvety.

Delicious, but not heady... not... heady...

After a cup, Wang Yan noticed Moon wobble slightly on his lap, her already docile face taking on an extra... hmm... something...

...

...

Dawn broke in the east, heralding the arrival of a new day.

Wang Yan glanced at Moon, curled up and fast asleep in his embrace, and couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.

Thank goodness for his transmigration; otherwise, he'd probably be living next to the proverbial stick in the mud.

After a full night's rest, Green and Gold had sobered up from their wine, and the rice bucket was back to normal. Wang Yan packed up his belongings and pressed on.

With the horned dinosaur slain, the primary objective of his journey to the Mystic Ice Realm was complete. Now, he set his sights on the central region to explore.

There, three massive cities stood, each under the rule of the Water God Sect, Ice God Sect, and Snow God Sect. The sects were locked in fierce conflict, each vying for dominance.

Wang Yan's purpose for visiting was the altar. The locals had told him that by offering Crystal Formation Water to the altar, one could receive treasures granted by the divine. The greater the quantity and purity of the Crystal Formation Water, the more exquisite the treasures bestowed.

This Crystal Formation Water was enigmatic, named for water yet in the form of ice, hidden within the snow. It could be consecrated to the Water God, Ice God, and Snow God simultaneously, which only reinforced Wang Yan's belief that the three sects were in fact venerating the same deity.

Each sect proclaimed their god as the Supreme, with the others being mere avatars. However, Wang Yan surmised that perhaps there were no gods at all, just believers using the divine as a pretext for their power struggles. Or, if a true deity existed, the strife among followers was merely a test of faith.

This was all conjecture, of course. Wang Yan's power fell short of the divine, and his wisdom could not compare to that of a god. His speculations were influenced by the myriad of novels from his past life.

"Boss, did anything odd happen after we took down the horned dinosaur yesterday?" Goldie asked, perched on his shoulder, ruffled by the brisk wind.

It sensed something off about Wang Yan's gaze but couldn't pinpoint what it was. Mulling it over, Goldie realized the only explanation might be that it had said or done something regrettable after imbibing the Osmanthus Flower Brew.

"Nothing to worry about," Wang Yan replied, turning his head aside, determined to block out the memories of the previous day.

The thought was unsettling. That infatuated bird had been coveting his allure.

"Hiss?"

Green's head peeked out, its mind filled with odd, disjointed fragments that it couldn't piece together.

Wang Yan gently pushed Green's head back down, his heart void of joy or sorrow, fear or pain.

Such was the nature of his thoughts and actions.

But as for color...

What color indeed?

Doesn't everyone know the harms of gambling?

Snakes slither, birds soar.

Wang Yan had examined Green and determined she was female, but as for Gold, he was at a loss.

He simply couldn't discern whether the foolish bird was male or female.

Rice Bucket moved with incredible speed, his form vanishing into the distance amidst the roaring winds in an instant.

Wang Yan wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Rice Bucket seemed a tad smarter today.

However, with Rice Bucket's limited intelligence, this slight increase in smarts was akin to a drop in the ocean—hardly significant.

He traveled swiftly, like a tempest or a bolt of lightning.

After three relentless days and nights, they finally laid eyes on three massive cities.

In the harsh environment of the Mystic Ice Realm, the majority of the population was concentrated here.

This place, unlike any other, was as warm as spring, a veritable paradise.

Legend had it that the Fire God met his defeat here during the epic battle of the four gods.

The Water God, Ice God, and Snow God were transformed into statues, pinning him beneath the earth.

The Fire God's followers were decimated, the survivors banished to the fringes.

The devotees of the Water, Ice, and Snow Gods built altars and cities around the divine statues, flourishing into the powerhouses they are today.

The irony was thick: the followers of water, ice, and snow basked in the warmth of the Fire God, while his own followers suffered in the biting cold.

Wang Yan had neither the time to vindicate them nor the inclination to pass judgment. He had come to the Ice God Temple, intent on summoning spirits.

Spirits were not categorized by levels, but by quality.

Their advancement was straightforward: an abundance of energy of the same element.

"Outsider, please present your heartfelt blessings to our deity!"

At the altar's entrance, an elderly priest from the Ice God Temple beckoned.

"Blessings? Any kind will do?"

Wang Yan inquired.

"Anything is acceptable as long as it's heartfelt. My God will overlook your boldness, provided there's no malice behind it!"

"Got it!"

Wang Yan nodded, pondered for a moment, and then declared earnestly, "I wish for the Ice God to be wed daily, to celebrate the wedding night ceaselessly, to be blessed with a brood of a hundred and eighty, filling the halls with descendants aplenty."

"Pfft! Cough! Cough!"

Upon hearing Wang Yan's words, the old priest nearly suffocated, struggling for breath.

"You... you... you..."

He pointed at Wang Yan, his face flushed and speechless for a good while.

Eventually, he could only wave his hand in resignation, motioning for Wang Yan to proceed inside.

Though his words were odd, they were indeed meant as a blessing.

The sentiment was genuine, straight from the heart.

It just seemed a bit unorthodox for a deity.

As he stepped into the temple, a towering statue came into view.

Standing at twenty meters, sculpted from mystic ice.

It held a lotus in its grasp, its expression stern—a veritable goddess.

"No wonder the old priest reacted like that..."

Wang Yan mumbled to himself.

Regardless, sincerity was all that mattered, not the specifics of the blessing.

And after all, for a woman, isn't a nightly visit to the bridal chamber even better?