Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chen Anran looked at his senior sister's smug expression and shook his head helplessly, knowing that this matter was probably unstoppable. He looked at Zhang Nanshan and said solemnly, "Master Zhang, even if we are to investigate, we need to plan carefully to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"That's natural." Zhang Nanshan sipped his Erguotou. "I'll communicate with the person in charge of the archaeological team and intervene under the guise of 'assisting in the investigation of special geological structures and preventing damage to cultural relics.' With Longhu Mountain as a guarantor, the authorities will give us some face and make things easier for us."

He Qingyun added, "Master, should I send a few more disciples to provide backup?"

Zhang Nanshan calmly placed two bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) in front of his two disciples, saying, "You two can go with me on this matter; I won't get involved."

As he spoke, Zhang Nanshan lit a cigarette and handed one to Chen Anran. "I'm getting old and my legs aren't strong enough. You young people should do the kind of work that involves crawling through holes and climbing over pits."

"..." I see you're good at drinking, smoking, and playing games, so why do you say "I'm getting old" when it comes to serious matters?

Chen Anran smoked a cigarette, puffing out clouds of smoke, but inwardly he was full of complaints.

When Feng Xiaolu saw Chen Anran smoking, her eyes widened. She snatched the cigarette from Chen Anran's hand and said, "Do you believe I'll tell Senior Sister you smoke!"

Chen Anran stared blankly at the cigarette that had been snatched away, then looked at the angry Feng Xiaolu and said, "Then I'll have to tell Senior Sister about your drinking problem."

"..."

"I also told her you spent the whole night playing games at an internet cafe."

"..."

"Tell her again that you went to rob graves."

Feng Xiaolu was speechless after Chen Anran's series of "complaints," and her cheeks puffed up in anger, like an inflated pufferfish. She glared fiercely at Chen Anran, and finally, as if venting her anger, she stubbed out the stolen cigarette in the ashtray, then grabbed the bottle of wine, poured herself another glass, and gulped it down.

"Hmph! You win!" she muttered, but the guilt in her eyes was unmistakable. If her senior sister found out about her "glorious deeds" these past few days, she would probably be confined to the mountain to reflect on her actions.

Watching the two siblings bickering, Zhang Nanshan chuckled and smoothed things over, saying, "Alright, alright, you two have such a deep bond, it's truly enviable. But these things like tobacco and alcohol are indeed of no benefit to cultivation, so just a little is enough." As he spoke, he took a satisfying sip of Erguotou and then puffed on his cigarette.

He Qingyun and Mo Han exchanged a glance, both feeling helpless.

Watching this scene, Zhao Mengmeng felt both amused and touched. These people, whom she had imagined to be detached from worldly affairs and living a life of seclusion, were now sitting around a lively hot pot restaurant, arguing about winning games and bickering over cigarettes and alcohol. They were so vibrant and unrealistic, yet also incredibly genuine and endearing.

Zhao Mengmeng knew about Longhu Mountain, but not much about the Taoist priests there. So, now that she was very interested in the three of them, she took out her phone and started searching on Baidu. First, she entered "Longhu Mountain, Zhang Nanshan", but the search results made Zhao Mengmeng so surprised that she almost dropped her phone into an oil dish.

The screen prominently displays Zhang Nanshan's encyclopedia entry, with an alarmingly long list of titles: "63rd Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain," "Honorary President of the Taoist Association," "National Special Cultural Heritage Protection Advisor," "Honorary Professor of Several Universities," and so on. Below that is a long list of academic works and awards.

Zhao Mengmeng looked up and then at the old Taoist priest in front of her, dressed in Patrick Star beach shorts and flip-flops, slurping up duck blood and arguing with Feng Xiaolu about how many seconds to cook tripe for the best taste. She felt that her worldview had been severely impacted.

"What are you looking at so intently?" Feng Xiaolu noticed her unusual expression, leaned over to glance at her phone screen, and immediately understood. She chuckled, "Scared you, huh? Old Zhang loves playing this 'hidden in plain sight' trick. In his words, 'It's tiring to put on airs, it's much more comfortable this way.'"

Zhang Nanshan seemed to sense something, looked up at Zhao Mengmeng, and asked with a smile, "Miss Zhao, what did you find out?"

Zhao Mengmeng blushed and hurriedly put away her phone: "N-nothing... I just think that Master Zhang... is quite down-to-earth."

"Hahaha!" Zhang Nanshan laughed heartily, picked up the wine bottle and filled Chen Anran's glass as well. "Being down-to-earth is good; only by being down-to-earth can one cultivate spirituality! Come on, young friend Chen, let's have a drink!"

Chen Anran looked at the glass of clear, strong liquor, then at Feng Xiaolu, who was staring at him menacingly. Helplessly, he picked up his glass and lightly clinked it against Zhang Nanshan's.

The steam from the hot pot gradually dissipated, and the cups and plates on the table were emptied. Most of the twenty bottles of Red Star Erguotou had ended up in the stomachs of Feng Xiaolu and Zhang Nanshan.

Feng Xiaolu's cheeks were flushed, her eyes were glazed, and she was lying on the table, muttering incoherently, "...ancient tomb...treasures...all belong to my Yunyin Sect..."

Zhang Nanshan sat upright, but his Patrick Star patterned beach shorts stood out conspicuously under the hot pot restaurant lights. He stroked his beard, squinted, and looked unfathomable, only occasionally letting out a burp that revealed his true nature.

He Qingyun and Mo Han weren't particularly drunk, but their faces were filled with helplessness as they looked at their master and Feng Xiaolu.

Chen Anran looked at the mess and rubbed his temples. He hadn't drunk much; most of the drinks had been taken by the enthusiastic Feng Xiaolu and Zhang Nanshan.

"Master He, Master Mo, please escort Master Zhang back to rest," Chen Anran said to He Qingyun and his sister.

He Qingyun nodded quickly: "Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Chen, leave Master to us." He and Mo Han helped Zhang Nanshan up, who was not lying down but was obviously out of sorts.

Zhang Nanshan waved his hand cheerfully, "This old Taoist isn't drunk... uh... we'll discuss the ancient tomb matter again tomorrow..."

After seeing off the three from Longhu Mountain, Chen Anran looked at Feng Xiaolu, who was almost unconscious, and sighed. He bent down and carried Feng Xiaolu on his back.

A cool night breeze blew, and Feng Xiaolu, who was lying on Chen Anran's back, seemed to sober up a little, but she was still mostly dizzy from the effects of the alcohol. She mumbled incoherently, her warm breath brushing against Chen Anran's ear.

"Junior brother...you're still the best..."

Chen Anran reluctantly adjusted her position to make her more comfortable, while giving Zhao Mengmeng, who was helping to carry Feng Xiaolu's various bags, an apologetic look.

Zhao Mengmeng quickly shook her head and whispered, "It's okay. Fengxianshi... she's very cute."

Chen Anran sighed, looking troubled. "Cute? She's more like a troublemaker."

Zhao Mengmeng covered her mouth and chuckled.

Back at the hotel, Chen Anran settled the completely drunk Feng Xiaolu in the room next to Zhao Mengmeng's. Zhao Mengmeng carefully brought a damp towel and helped Feng Xiaolu wipe her face and hands.

Looking at her third senior sister, who was lying sprawled on the bed and occasionally muttering "tripe... my throat...", Chen Anran felt both annoyed and amused.