Chapter 858: Waiting for You to Propose a Toast

The Dragon Girl put Ji Yuan's calligraphy and painting into her sleeve, then began to play with the fan given to her by Zaoniang. With a gentle flick of her wrist, the folding fan opened in Ying Ruoli's hand. This time, however, she seemed to be intentionally controlling it, as there was no exaggerated burst of light; only a shimmering, blue-gold hue, like ripples on water, glided across the fan's surface.

Many guests at the banquet, having noticed the Dragon Girl's earlier reaction, were paying attention to the fan. Now that the light had receded, everyone could clearly see its original design, arousing curiosity even from the Old Dragon and several Dragon Lords.

Ying Ruoli gazed at the exquisite fan with her crystal-clear eyes. The embroidered image on it seemed to depict her holding a wooden branch, standing against the wind, with yellow jujube flowers dancing before her like dragons.

"Is this... is this me? How beautiful..."

Ying Ruoli gently brushed her hand across the fan's surface, only to find that everything around her seemed to change. A breeze stirred, and the scent of flowers wafted past, as if she had been transported to the Juyan Small Pavilion courtyard. Someone was wielding a branch like a sword under the moonlight by a jujube tree.

The wind responded to every movement: a gentle breeze swirled as the sword form flowed gracefully, yet turned into a fierce gale, blasting upwards and downwards, when the sword strike was sharp. The changes were unpredictable and extraordinary!

The slender branch in the dancer's hand seemed guided by invisible threads. Finally, with a flourish of his sleeve and a final sword swing, the clear breeze in the courtyard swept fallen branches and jujube flowers upwards and diagonally out of the small courtyard, transforming into a faint, greenish-yellow flower dragon soaring into the sky. Afterwards, the clear wind carried the flowers, letting them fall like rain…

'Is this the Juyan Small Pavilion? It's so beautiful…'

The scene of the sword dance sending flowers like a dragon faded in the Dragon Girl's eyes, and everything before her returned to being the fan's surface. In her peripheral vision, she saw only the guests at the Dragon Transformation banquet.

Zaoniang smiled happily.

"As long as you like it, Ruoli. I was worried you wouldn't."

"How could I not? As long as it's from you, Ruoli would love it even if it were just an ordinary fan. Besides, this fan is so precious! Ruoli finally has a handy magic artifact!"

Zaoniang paused slightly, her face flushing, and she spoke in a voice as tiny as a mosquito's buzz.

"I'm not entirely sure what powers this fan has, but it can certainly help you control wind and thunder…"

"It's fine, I'll figure it out myself! Don't forget, I'm a true dragon now, Ruoli!"

The Dragon Girl said, putting away the fan and holding it in her hand. She glanced back towards the main seating area before looking at Ji Yuan, who was in the Great Zhen delegation's section.

"Zaoniang, let's go."

The Dragon Girl didn't return to the main seats; instead, she took Zaoniang's hand and walked towards the Great Zhen delegation.

"Mr. Ji, Lady Ying is coming over," Yin Zhaoxian whispered to Ji Yuan, who nodded.

"No worries."

As Ying Ruoli and Zaoniang walked over, nearby guests watched the Dragon Girl, some even bowing slightly.

"Ruoli greets Uncle Ji!" The Dragon Girl first bowed to Ji Yuan, while the Great Zhen officials and Celestial Masters had already risen, bowing to the Dragon Girl.

"Greetings, Lady Ying!"

Ying Ruoli, of course, returned the bow to Yin Zhaoxian, then politely turned her gaze slightly to address everyone.

"Lord Yin, everyone, please be seated."

Ji Yuan sat back down. He felt no nervousness facing the Dragon Girl; he simply raised his wine cup towards her.

"I had anticipated this day, but it has arrived even sooner than expected, and you've achieved even greater success. Congratulations on your successful dragon transformation."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Yuan drained his cup.

Ying Ruoli casually took a cup from Zaoniang's table, poured it full of wine, and held it with both hands towards Ji Yuan.

"Uncle Ji, Ruoli toasts you…"

This time, the Dragon Girl did not cover her face with her sleeve while drinking. Instead, she closed her eyes briefly, heartily drained the cup, and then pulled Zaoniang to sit with her at the table.

On the Great Zhen delegation's side, as the Dragon Girl drank, they hastily raised their own cups and drank as well. Since the Dragon Girl was drinking at their section of the banquet, they dared not refuse to accompany her.

Ji Yuan looked at the adjacent table. The Dragon Girl was whispering with Zaoniang and had also unrolled his calligraphy and painting to admire it. The painting depicted a section of the Tongtian River's scenery, and the inscription praised the beauty of the entire river.

The calligraphy and painting was, of course, a treasure, but for the Dragon Girl, its artistic value was likely greater than its practical use. Yet, Ji Yuan could tell she genuinely loved it.

As the guest of honor, the Dragon Girl eventually returned to the main seats. The officials from Great Zhen, including Imperial Advisor Du Changsheng and the Celestial Masters, felt extremely honored. Regardless of whether it was due to their influence, it was a fact that Lady Ying, the main character of the Dragon Transformation banquet, had spent a significant time at their section of the tables.

As soon as Ying Ruoli sat down, Ying Feng left his seat and approached her, smiling as he offered a toast.

"Ruoli, besides bringing you back from the river mouth, I haven't officially congratulated you on your transformation. Come, let's drink a cup together."

"Brother…"

"Ruoli, drink."

Ying Feng drained his cup. Seeing that the Dragon Girl had also drunk, he said nothing more, sat down beside her, and, picking up the wine pot on the table, poured himself cup after cup…

The Old Dragon on the side snorted coldly, glaring fiercely at his son.

"Hmph, nonsense. With how you are now, you think you can transform into a dragon?"

The Dragon Son was usually very afraid of his father and would have shrunk back and retreated by now, but today he did not leave; he simply looked at the Old Dragon.

"Father, today is a good day. I just want to drink."

Saying this, Ying Feng poured himself another cup. The Dragon Mother on the side pulled the Old Dragon's sleeve.

"Husband, let him be today…"

"Hmph, as you wish."

The Dragon Girl also poured herself some wine and clinked cups with her brother.

"Brother, I'll join you."

"Hehehe, good, Ruoli is always good… This wine is also delicious. Only today can I understand why Uncle Ji likes drinking so much…"

Ying Ruoli drank her cup and then, on her own initiative, poured wine for Ying Feng.

"Brother, Mr. Ji drinks to savor the taste of the human world in his wine, not in the way you are drinking. He wouldn't enjoy wine drunk like this…"

"Ruoli, you're right. You truly are a real dragon now; your words contain more profound meaning. I admire you, brother. Drink, drink…"

The Dragon Girl frowned and placed her hand on her brother's cup. Her voice grew somewhat colder.

"Brother, complain if you must, and drowning your sorrows in wine isn't entirely forbidden, but there's no need to feign drunkenness and spout negativity. Father and Mother are watching, the dragons of the Four Seas are watching, and Uncle Ji is watching too. Who are you doing this for? For them, for yourself, or for me?"

Ying Feng was slightly startled. He looked up at his sister, seeing her clear eyes, like a spring, and felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his heart. His body trembled slightly.

"Ruoli, I…"

Seeing her brother's current state, Ying Ruoli released her hand from his wine cup, a smile appearing on her face, like red flowers blooming on snow-melting mountains.

"Ruoli has always believed in you, Brother. I did before, and even more so after becoming a dragon."

"Yes!"

Ying Feng drank the wine in his cup, stood up, and returned to his seat. He looked up at his sister; although she lacked their father's majesty, she could command such a grand occasion. He then looked at his father, who seemed to sigh softly, then unconsciously glanced in one direction below. Ji Yuan held a cup before his eyes, staring at the wine as if in a daze, holding it but not drinking.

"Brother," the Dragon Girl's telepathic voice echoed in the Dragon Son's ear. He paused, startled, before he could even turn his head, the Dragon Girl's voice came again.

"Brother, you should go toast Uncle Ji."

The Dragon Son nodded, picked up the wine pot, and stood up. As he was making his way out from his seat, the Old Dragon called out to him.

"Going to toast Mr. Ji?"

"Yes."

"Hmph, here."

The Old Dragon swept his sleeve towards the table, and the wine pot from his own table floated towards the Dragon Son. The latter instinctively caught the pot. After weighing it slightly in his hand, a thought stirred within him, and he looked at the Old Dragon with a strange expression.

"Father, why don't you go have a drink with Uncle Ji?"

"Go on. It's inconvenient for me to accompany him today. You represent me and toast him several times."

Although Ji Yuan was looking at his wine cup, he could see Ying Feng getting closer and closer in his peripheral vision, exchanging greetings along the way. Ying Feng then slightly bowed to Yin Zhaoxian before coming before Ji Yuan.

"Uh, Uncle Ji, you've been holding your wine cup without drinking. What are you doing?"

After Ying Feng bowed and saw that Uncle Ji didn't react, he sat down carefully across the table and asked. He saw Uncle Ji raise his head and look at him; though his eyes were pale, they were as clear as the Dragon Girl's.

Ji Yuan smiled and said,

"I was waiting for you to come drink with me. However, it seems the wine in your pot is better than what's on my table."

With that, Ji Yuan drank the wine in his hand and offered his cup to Ying Feng, who smiled and picked up his wine pot to fill Ji Yuan's cup. The wine that poured out was indeed ambergris.

After filling one cup, Ying Feng also poured for Yin Zhaoxian.

"Lord Yin, please also drink this wine."

Yin Zhaoxian smiled, looking at the wine in the cup, which was identical to the one he had in the Juyan Small Pavilion courtyard back then.