Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 539 The Flame Empress's Voice Transmission

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Jiang Xuan was the first to stand up. He raised his wine glass from his seat.

"Young Master Lin, I would like to offer you a toast. Kunlun Domain welcomes your esteemed presence and guidance at any time."

Lin Chen smiled and raised his glass, "Definitely, definitely."

The two drank it all in one gulp.

Jiang Xuan put down his wine glass, glanced at Lin Chen, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something but then swallowed it back.

In the end, he said nothing, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and sat down again.

Lin Chen's eyes flickered slightly. Some things he wanted to say, he would say naturally; some things he didn't want to say, there was no point in asking.

Long Zaitian was the second to stand up, smiling as he said:

"Young Master Lin, Penglai Immortal Island has beautiful scenery, with vast blue waves and the sea and sky blending into one. It is also rich in spiritual energy, making it a good place for cultivation."

"If you have some free time, young master, you might as well stay on the island for a few days, enjoy the sea breeze, and watch the sunrise. It's a unique experience."

Lin Chen smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll go when I have time."

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Qingyunzi then raised his cup, stood up, and said with a smile:

"Young Master Lin, the tea from Qingyun Sect is excellent, a unique delicacy in Zhongzhou. If you come, I will personally brew the tea for you."

"Using the tender buds from the 100,000-year-old tea tree on the mountaintop, combined with the water from the spiritual spring behind the mountain, the brewed tea soup is bright green and clear, and a sip leaves a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth."

Lin Chen raised his glass in a gesture of respect: "Okay, I'll try it then."

Qingyunzi smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits.

The fourth gentleman, a swordsman, rose, cupped his hands in a fist salute, and...

"Young Master Lin, the swords of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion are quite good. If you come, I am willing to spar with you."

He glanced back at Jian Shisan behind him and smiled.

"Furthermore, we must thank Young Master Lin for the gift of medicine. If you have any requests in the future, the Heavenly Sword Pavilion will grant them without hesitation."

Jian Shisan held up his wine glass, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly—he was smiling.

Lin Chen glanced at Jian Shisan, then at Jian Junzi, and nodded with a smile.

"Okay, I'll definitely go when I have time."

Sword Gentleman's eyes lit up, as if he had received some incredible promise, and he bowed respectfully.

Master Xuanci rose, holding a cup of tea, and chanted a Buddhist prayer.

"Benefactor Lin, the vegetarian food at Mount Sumeru is quite good. Although it is light, it has a unique flavor. If you come, I will cook for you myself."

Lin Chen's lips twitched.

An old monk with a white beard, wearing a golden robe and apron, was cooking in the kitchen, holding a spatula...

Lin Chen quickly banished the image from his mind, coughed lightly, and raised his glass in a gesture of respect:

"You're too kind, Master. I'll definitely visit when I have time."

Master Xuanci nodded in satisfaction and drank the tea in place of wine.

One after another, the emperors of the four great dynasties of Zhongzhou arrived, offering toasts to each other.

The Emperor of Great Zhou didn't say much, only uttering one sentence:

"If Your Highness comes to Great Zhou, I will certainly welcome you with the whole country."

The Emperor of Great Xia was all smiles and talked the most.

He talked about the customs and traditions of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the delicious food and beautiful scenery of the Great Xia Dynasty, speaking with great enthusiasm and eloquence, like a storyteller.

The people next to him pulled him several times, but he didn't stop. Finally, they had to forcefully pull him down to sit, and one of them shouted:

"Young master, you must come!"

The Emperor of Qin was a man of few words; he simply clasped his hands in a fist and said, "The gates of Qin will always be open to you, my lord."

The Shang emperor, holding a teacup and using tea instead of wine, said with a smile:

"I am not a good drinker, so I will use tea instead. Please do not be offended, sir."

Lin Chen wasn't a petty person, and he smiled and clinked glasses with him.

The King of Ten Thousand Demons held a wine cup, his loud voice booming like thunder, making everyone's ears ring.

"Young Master Lin, we in the Southern Wilderness may not have much else, but we have plenty of demonic beasts!"

Nine-headed pythons, fiery lions, golden-winged eagles—we have it all! If you come, young master, I'll take you hunting!

He patted his chest, making a "thump, thump" sound.

"I guarantee you'll have a blast!"

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go then."

The King of Ten Thousand Demons laughed heartily, his voice echoing in waves, shaking the wine glasses on the table.

The Flame Empress rose from her seat, dressed in a red phoenix robe and wearing a phoenix crown. Her face was alluring, and her demeanor was noble.

She walked directly from her seat to the platform, her red skirt trailing behind her in a long arc, like a flowing red sunset or a burning river.

She walked up to Lin Chen, stopped, picked up her wine glass, looked at Lin Chen, and smiled slightly.

There was a light flickering in those eyes, like two tiny flames dancing.

"Young Master Lin, I'd like to offer you a toast."

The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, neither too warm nor too cold, but it possessed a captivating charm that made it impossible to look away.

It's as if she's not offering a toast, but casting a spell.

Lin Chen picked up his wine glass, clinked it with hers, and the two drank it down at the same time.

The Flame Empress put down her wine glass, her gaze lingering on Lin Chen's face for a moment.

Their eyes met, and her lips moved slightly, sending a whisper into Lin Chen's ears.

"Young Master Lin, I am still a virgin, and the Flame Empire is lacking an heir."

Lin Chen paused for a moment, his expression slightly surprised.

The Flame Empress's lips curved slightly, a smile devoid of shyness, coyness, or feigned reluctance, but rather one of frank and directness.

Like an empress negotiating a business deal, decisive and straightforward, without beating around the bush.

Then she turned and left.

The red skirt fluttered in the wind, like a burning flame.

Lin Chen watched her retreating figure, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.

Mei Jiu Niang came over from the side, her eyes sparkling like two searchlights, as if she wanted to see right through Lin Chen's mind.

"What did she say to you?"

Lin Chen glanced at her and said indifferently, "It's nothing."

Mei Jiu Niang pouted: "Liar, every time you say it's nothing, it actually is."

Lin Chen ignored her, and Mei Jiu Niang pouted again, saying nothing more.

Yan Ruyu sat down beside her with a teacup in her hand, took a sip, and the aroma of the tea spread between her lips and teeth.

She's lived for two thousand years, what hasn't she seen?

She saw right through the Flame Empress's intentions.

But this is Lin Chen's business; he has no right to interfere, doesn't want to interfere, and has no right to interfere.

Lingbo remained expressionless, but her gaze lingered for a moment in the direction where the Flame Empress had disappeared before she looked away and lowered her head to drink her tea.

Chi Meng remained expressionless, saying nothing and asking nothing.

She didn't care about Lin Chen's romantic affairs; she only cared whether Lin Chen had the energy to leave for her.

-

The banquet lasted from evening until late at night, and then from late at night until dawn the next day.

The stone lanterns in the square lit up one by one, illuminating the entire square as bright as day, making even a speck of dust in the corner clearly visible.

They drank jar after jar of wine until all the prepared wine was gone, and in the end, Ma Qiangteng had to urgently send over another batch.

The dishes were changed round after round, and the chefs were so tired that they could barely lift their hands.

Someone had drunk too much and was snoring loudly on the table, like thunder.

Some people got drunk and started calling the people next to them "brother."

Even though it was only their first meeting today, they acted like long-lost brothers, with tears in their eyes and clinging to each other tightly.

Someone got drunk...

Lin Chen drank from beginning to end, accepting all offers and emptying his cup each time.

One after another, the leaders, elders, and representatives of various forces arrived and paid their respects.

Lin Chen's wine glass was never empty; as soon as he put it down, someone else would fill it up, and as soon as it was filled up, someone else would raise their glass.

His alcohol tolerance was frighteningly high. It wasn't that he had a high alcohol tolerance; it was that the alcohol was broken down by Lin Chen's spiritual power as soon as it entered his throat. Otherwise, he would have been drunk to death long ago.