INE Chapter 128 Extra: Technique

After the banquet, the guests gradually dispersed.

Before leaving, Liu Ningxue was already dead drunk and completely unconscious.

Clutching the sleeve of Ji Rong’s robe, she mumbled hazily, “Senior Sister Ji, should I call you Senior Sister… or Sword Saint from now on?”

Ji Rong recalled the time when Liu Ningxue used to cling to her, calling her "mother", she almost blurted out, Why not just keep calling me mother?

Before she could utter such a shocking phrase, Wei Zongqiu and Gu Baiyi, who had both been standing nearby, moved simultaneously.

One hurriedly dragged Liu Ningxue away, while the other casually smoothed out the creases on Ji Rong’s sleeve and smiled gently. “Senior Sister, the night is lovely. Would you care to enjoy the moon with me?”

Ji Rong nodded. “Let’s go.”

To scholars, moon-viewing had always been considered an elegant pastime.

But to Ji Rong, seeing the bright moon hanging high in the sky always reminded her of the one who had created her.

That person had used energy to create many things.

The moon, the mountains and rivers, and the endless vault of the sky.

What was the Administrator thinking when she made all of this? When she looks upon this desolate moonlight, does she think of her home planet?

“Senior Sister, would you like a drink?”

Ji Rong only snapped out of her thoughts when Gu Baiyi handed her a cup. She nodded and took the Eternal Drunkenness from her hand.

She took a small sip. The wine was still as crisp and clear as ever, leaving a lingering richness on her lips and tongue.

Savoring the taste, Ji Rong thought back to the first time she had tried Eternal Drunkenness, and couldn’t help but muse, “In my last life, I really loved this wine when I first drank it. I thought it was rare and priceless.”

A god-tier item that added 10% damage in dungeons, well, it was pretty rare.

Snow was falling thick and fast in December, blanketing the ground in a layer of shattered jade.

Gu Baiyi lifted the hem of her robe and sat atop the Chonghua Pavilion. Turning her head toward Ji Rong, she smiled softly and asked, “And after that?”

“After that?” Ji Rong tilted her head back and drained the cup.

When the cup was empty, she turned and met Gu Baiyi’s eyes, her voice calm: “After that… it all lost its charm.”

Ever since she learned that this wine was named after her, Ji Rong had completely lost her taste for it.

She even started to wonder which selfish genius on the dev team had the bright idea of turning this wine into a god-tier item.

As she cursed the developers in her head, she reached for the wine jug, only to find it empty.

“Senior Sister, there’s no more wine.”

Gu Baiyi held the final cup in her hand, smiling gently at Ji Rong. “But drinking less is probably a good thing. Too much wine is bad for the body.”

Ji Rong stared wordlessly at her.

She knew this woman had sneakily finished off the wine just to stop her from drinking more.

The night wind carried flurries of snow. A few flakes settled on Gu Baiyi’s lashes.

When the diamond-like crystals melted, her dark lashes glistened with moisture, almost like tears about to fall.

Framed by the subtle curve of her smiling lips, the sight was bewitching.

Indeed, Ji Rong might be the Sword Saint, a true immortal who lived within legends, but that didn’t mean she was detached from the world like a monk.

Being a sucker for beauty wasn’t just a preference. It was a lifestyle.

To feel nothing in the presence of beauty was the mindset of an enlightened monk.

Once Ji Rong figured this out, she felt completely unburdened.

Reaching out, she gently brushed aside the wind-tossed strands of hair on Gu Baiyi’s face and said calmly, “Come a little closer.”

Gu Baiyi wasn’t sure why Ji Rong asked her to move closer, but she never refused her senior sister. She simply smiled and did as she was told.

“You’re still too far. A little closer.”

So Gu Baiyi, still holding her cup, inched nearer.

“Closer. Just a little more.”

Gu Baiyi couldn’t help laughing. Any closer, and her forehead would be touching Ji Rong’s.

Of course, she was happy to be close to her senior sister, but at this distance, she couldn’t see Ji Rong’s expression clearly, nor could she look into her eyes.

Only when their breaths mingled in the cold air, nearly brushing nose to nose, did Ji Rong finally say, “Today is December 25th. Do you know what day it is?”

Her voice was so close.

The faint scent of wine on her breath and the subtle fragrance of plum blossoms in her hair made Gu Baiyi feel dazed for a moment.

When she came back to herself, she answered honestly, “I don’t know.”

“That’s normal. People in the cultivation world don’t celebrate this holiday. In the world I lived in before, it was a festival celebrated by humans in the West. To them, it’s like our New Year.”

Gu Baiyi nodded. “Then it must be very important.”

“Mhm. Very important to them. And the most important part, supposedly, a white-bearded old man sneaks around giving gifts on this night.”

Ji Rong carefully chose her words as she tried to explain. “The old man is called Santa Claus. He wraps presents in red and green paper, then hides them in socks and gives them to people.”

“Socks?”

Gu Baiyi was clearly intrigued, though she didn’t quite understand this Santa Claus fellow.

If they were gifts, why would he put them in socks or shoes?

Ji Rong felt that Gu Baiyi had completely missed the point, so she said earnestly, “The focus isn’t the socks, it’s the gift. Today is Christmas. Even though the cultivation world doesn’t celebrate it, by the customs of that other world, you should still receive a present.”

“So, I’m giving you a gift now.”

“A gift?”

Gu Baiyi smiled. “Is Senior Sister trying to play Santa Claus?”

“Yes." Ji Rong replied without hesitation. “Today, I’ll be your Santa and give you an exclusive gift.”

She had originally wanted to say "limited edition." but figured that term might not be familiar to Gu Baiyi, so she changed her wording.

When she heard the word “exclusive." Gu Baiyi paused slightly. Then, blinking her eyes, she smiled and asked, “So, my Santa, what do you want to give me?”

“Close your eyes first, make a wish to the moon, and then I’ll tell you.”

Gu Baiyi couldn’t help but laugh. Who makes a wish to the moon with their eyes closed?

She knew Ji Rong was just making it up, but still, she went along and closed her eyes.

The moment her eyes shut, a soft pair of lips cautiously drew near and gently pressed against her own.

Something warm and wet brushed across her lips, ticklish, tentative, and slick. It slowly teased her mouth open, tasting the wine still lingering inside.

Eternal Drunkenness was an expensive vintage.

At first sip, it was richly fragrant and crisp, but it was, in truth, a strong liquor. The aftertaste left behind a dryness, a sharp, spicy heat on the lips and tongue.

Perhaps it was the intense aroma, or the way the taste lingered, it made Ji Rong act a little recklessly.

Recklessly enough to reach out and pull Gu Baiyi into an embrace, pressing her down onto the cold roof tiles. She leaned over, bodies pressed together, tasting those moist, glistening lips again and again.

Moonlight spilled across the rooftop like a veil of white gauze.

Gu Baiyi’s lips weren’t particularly full, cool to the touch, soft and pliant. As her lips were forced to part and tremble open, she gave off an air of helplessness… yet there was also a silent surrender.

Ji Rong, to put it plainly, was very happy.

Even Santa Claus wouldn’t be as happy as she was now.

Drunk and delighted, Ji Rong reached to untie the jade sash at Gu Baiyi’s waist. One hand slid downward along her waistline, the other clutched her wrist tightly, and then, 

With great agility, she snatched the wine cup Gu Baiyi had been holding.

The moment Gu Baiyi realized the cup had been stolen from her, she snapped back to her senses. Her eyes flew open, landing squarely on Ji Rong who was now sprawled on top of her.

Her own clothes were in disarray, but Ji Rong was still neat and composed, smiling triumphantly as she raised the cup and downed the last of the wine like a victor.

Completely blindsided.

Ji Rong reeked of alcohol now, looking well and truly drunk out of her mind.

And yet, emboldened by liquid courage, she reached up and caressed Gu Baiyi’s cheek, murmuring, “Junior Sister, exchanging a kiss for a cup of wine, that’s not too much, is it?”

Gu Baiyi looked her straight in the eye and replied honestly, “Not too much.”

Ji Rong was pleased. She gave Gu Baiyi’s cheek an approving little pinch, thinking her junior sister really knew how to play along.

But then Gu Baiyi smiled and said, “In that case, I should give Senior Sister something too, to make it fair.”

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Ji Rong suddenly felt that smile was too dazzling. Gu Baiyi’s voice was calm, gentle, and even innocent.

She’d already achieved her goal of drinking in front of Gu Baiyi, so she just gave a casual “mm.”

As snow danced in the wind, Ji Rong watched Gu Baiyi sit up and pull another flask of wine from her storage pouch.

Her eyes widened. Before she could scold her for hiding booze, Gu Baiyi had already tilted her head and taken a long sip.

Then she reached out, gripped Ji Rong’s nape, and pressed their lips together, pouring the strong liquor straight into her mouth.

At first it was fragrant and clean, but once it hit the back of her throat, it flared into a biting, burning heat.

The sting of that wine, sharp against the bite marks at her lips, burned all the way down her throat. Even her nose was filled with the overwhelming scent of it, leaving her breathless.

Slender fingers threaded through Ji Rong’s hair. This kiss wasn’t gentle. It carried a certain… retaliation.

Only when Gu Baiyi finally relaxed her hold did Ji Rong manage to cough, brows furrowed.

She felt like the wine was stuck in her throat, not going up, not going down, dry and burning all the way.

After coughing a few times, she felt slightly better. She touched her bitten lips and glared coldly at Gu Baiyi. “If you’re going to kiss, just kiss. Why do you always bite like you’re trying to tear my lips off?”

Gu Baiyi smiled slightly and was just about to answer, when Ji Rong, still deadpan, added, “Junior Sister, your kissing skills are seriously terrible.”

“….”

Truthfully, Gu Baiyi wasn’t quite sure what counted as good kissing skills. So instead, she changed the subject slightly. “How about… in other areas?”

The alcohol had gone straight to Ji Rong’s head, and she hadn’t used her spiritual energy to sober up.

She thought of certain mortifying memories and muttered with clear reluctance, “…Passable.”

Some indescribable moments began replaying in her mind. She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away, only to suddenly fall into a warm embrace.

She blinked, looked up, and met Gu Baiyi’s smiling eyes. Her annoyance flared. “What are you doing?”

Gu Baiyi reached out and naturally began loosening Ji Rong’s robe, smiling as she said, “Baiyi is aware that her technique is lacking. I feel deeply ashamed… so I hope to review it again tonight with Senior Sister, and maybe improve a little.”

The winter wind howled. Ji Rong looked around at their surroundings and shivered. “Right here?”

“Right here.”

“And how long do you plan to… ‘review’?”

Gu Baiyi loosened Ji Rong’s sash and laughed softly. “Until ‘passable’ becomes… far better than that.”