After entering the fort, the group took a pause wondering where their companions might be.

HISS. HISS.

Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang raised their heads, their forked tongues flickering as they sniffed the air. A moment later, they both gave a small nod, their eyes glinting knowingly.

"Looks like they’re nearby," Lin Mu muttered, catching their meaning.

The group followed the twin serpents’ lead until they stopped before a particular building.

"This is the place?" Meng Bai raised a brow, studying the structure with a doubtful look.

"They said they would be in a tavern, but this one?" Daoist Chu added, equally surprised.

The building in front of them was technically a tavern, but it looked more like the canteen of the military garrison.

The plain wood-and-stone structure carried none of the usual flourish of common taverns that welcomed merchants and travelers. Instead, it seemed a restricted facility meant primarily for guards and soldiers. From what they could see through the open windows, almost everyone inside wore the uniform of the dynasty’s army.

"Should we go in?" Meng Bai asked, noticing the curious glances being thrown their way by the soldiers stationed outside.

"Shouldn’t be an issue," Lin Mu replied. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and pushed open the doors.

CREAK.

The wooden doors swung open, and a rush of noise spilled out. To their surprise, the sounds inside were not of discipline and order but of revelry.

"DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!"

THUD.

"HAHAHA! ANOTHER ONE!"

"SHE DID IT! SHE REALLY DID IT!"

"NINETY-ONE!?"

"Is she even human!?"

Lin Mu and his companions blinked at the sight before them.

There, standing proudly atop a table, was none other than Cattaleya. She tilted her head back, holding a massive mug of beer, and downed it in one breath. Around her were dozens of empty mugs, foam dripping off the table’s edge.

The soldiers surrounding her erupted in cheers, laughter, and disbelief. Some clapped, others shouted encouragement, and more than a few simply stared with wide eyes, stunned at the sheer quantity she had consumed.

Seeing the scene, Lin Mu exhaled deeply, rubbing his forehead.

"Well, that’s Cattaleya for sure..." Meng Bai muttered, his voice a mix of amusement and exasperation.

Monk Hushu only pursed his lips, shaking his head in silent disapproval.

"Where’s Elyon, though?" Daoist Chu asked, glancing around but finding no sign of the wolfkin.

HISS.

"There." Xiao Yin flicked her tail in a direction under one of the tables.

Following the indication, Daoist Chu’s eyes fell upon Elyon sprawled on the floor, his cheek resting on one arm. A half-empty mug sat beside him, its contents forgotten as the wolfkin gave a half-hearted groan. His ears twitched weakly, but he made no effort to get up.

Lin Mu took in the sight of his two companions, one carousing at the center of attention and the other half-drunk under a table, and let out another resigned sigh.

"It has only been a few days since we split up, and they already found themselves trouble," he murmured.

Meng Bai chuckled. "At least they seem alive and well."

The moment Lin Mu’s group entered deeper into the canteen, Cattaleya spotted them immediately.

Her sharp eyes widened in recognition, and then a broad grin spread across her face. Without hesitation, she raised her empty mug into the air and shouted over the rowdy guards around her.

"Alright boys, time to pay up!"

A groan rippled through the gathered crowd.

Several of the soldiers exchanged pained looks, as if their purses had suddenly grown ten times heavier. Still, one after another, they began pulling out pouches of immortal stones, coins, and even a few trinkets.

Some handed them over with good humor, chuckling at their own foolishness. Others did so while grimacing, their shoulders slumping as though they had just lost a battle.

Lin Mu and the others did not need anyone to explain what was happening. They had already pieced together the situation. A muscular woman with an aura like a mountain, combined with the tables full of empty mugs, left little room for doubt.

"She set a wager," Meng Bai whispered with a smirk. "And it looks like she fleeced them clean. Seems like she can rob pockets as well as she raids vaults." He said with a chuckle.

Lin Mu nodded silently, his lips twitching ever so slightly. It was not exactly difficult to guess the outcome of a drinking competition when Cattaleya was involved.

Cattaleya, after all, was a body cultivator of great talent.

Where others might falter after a jug or two of strong liquor, she could down thirty bottles of immortal-grade spirits and still have the clarity to spar or wrestle. Against mere beer, the contest was laughable. The liquid probably digested inside her faster than she could even pour it down her throat.

As the guards reluctantly handed over their bets, Lin Mu tried his best to ignore the chorus of groans and muttered complaints. Instead, he focused on the towering woman who now hopped down from the table with the grace of someone far too lively for the amount of alcohol she had supposedly consumed.

"What exactly is going on here?" Lin Mu asked, crossing his arms.

His tone was calm, but there was a faint edge of weariness to it, as though he already suspected the answer and dreaded hearing it aloud.

Cattaleya’s grin widened. "Just having a bit of fun while waiting for you all."

Lin Mu’s eyes flickered toward the floor, where Elyon was sprawled out under the table like a discarded rug. The wolfkin’s tail twitched faintly, one ear flopped against the wood, and his mug sat abandoned just inches from his paw-like hand.

"And what about him?" Lin Mu asked pointedly. "Why is he half dead, and why are you both in a military canteen of all places?"

Cattaleya let out a laugh that boomed across the room, causing several nearby guards to wince and clutch their ears. She planted her fists on her hips and gave an unapologetic shrug.