As Yuan Shu's most loyal confidant, Shi A did not refuse Yuan Shu's reward.
Excitedly, he saluted Yuan Shu and said:
"Shi A thanks the lord for his generous reward!"
"Ding! Shi A's loyalty to the host has increased by 5 points. Current loyalty: 95 (Utterly Devoted)."
Hearing the system prompt, Yuan Shu knew that Shi A's gratitude was heartfelt, requiring no further words.
As the group led their horses away from the Royal Stable, Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang chased after them from inside.
They gifted saddles and riding gear and repeatedly reminded Liu Bei to contact them immediately if he needed anything, making it seem like a life-and-death farewell.
Liu Bei's acting was impressive as well. His Benevolence skill activated once again, and he parted with the two wealthy merchants in tears.
For Liu Bei's ability to cry on demand, Yuan Shu couldn't help but admire him.
After purchasing the horses, it was already close to noon. Yuan Shu booked an entire floor of Drunken Immortal Pavilion to host a banquet for Liu Bei, Gongsun Zan, and others.
Since he had decided to be extravagant, the display of wealth had to be grand.
Even Cao Cao was stunned by Yuan Shu's generosity today. Giving away several famous horses worth over a million coins each—who wouldn't be dumbfounded?
Thus, he also resolved to follow closely in Yuan Shu's footsteps.
As four carriages and five pure white stallions stopped at the entrance of Drunken Immortal Pavilion, they immediately drew the attention of passersby.
This convoy was simply too extravagant; just the setup alone was worth over twenty million coins.
Inside Drunken Immortal Pavilion, a waiter saw the distinguished guest who had booked the second floor arriving and quickly greeted them with enthusiasm:
"Young Master Yuan, the second floor has long been prepared for you. Would you like to take your seats now?"
Yuan Shu waved his hand grandly and said, "Take our seats! Same rule as always, just skip those cheap dishes and bring me one of everything else!"
"Got it!" The waiter beamed with joy and led Yuan Shu and his group upstairs.
Little Cai Wenji had never experienced such a thing before—booking an entire floor just for a meal. Curious, she followed Yuan Shu up.
The spacious second floor had already been cleared out, leaving only a grand table in the center filled with exquisite delicacies, which Yuan Shu had reserved in advance.
Cao Cao and Zhou Yi were accustomed to Yuan Shu's lavish lifestyle and said nothing as they followed him to their seats.
Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan, however, were different. They had never seen such extravagance before, their eyes frozen in shock.
After taking their seats, Gongsun Zan cautiously asked Zhou Yi beside him:
"Junior Brother Zhou, how much does this banquet set up by Junior Brother Yuan cost?"
Zhou Yi thought for a moment and replied:
"Just the venue fee and dishes alone are around three hundred thousand coins.
We haven't even ordered drinks yet. The final cost will depend on the wine selection."
"Three hundred thousand coins!"
Gongsun Zan was secretly astounded.
Three hundred thousand coins were enough for him to eat and drink well every day for ten years.
Yet Yuan Shu had spent his entire ten-year budget on a single meal—and that didn't even include the wine.
At this moment, Gongsun Zan suddenly gained a new understanding of the phrase "spendthrift."
It seemed his previous knowledge was lacking after all.
Once everyone was seated, Yuan Shu turned to the waiter and said:
"The wine must be the most expensive—bring us ten bottles of 'Immortal's Drunkenness' first!"
The waiter smiled apologetically and said:
"Young Master, you may not know, but we no longer sell 'Immortal's Drunkenness' at Drunken Immortal Pavilion."
Yuan Shu was slightly surprised. Even such a money-draining wine was discontinued?
He asked the waiter, "Oh? Then what is your finest wine now?"
Hearing Yuan Shu's question, the waiter's eyes lit up as he enthusiastically explained:
"Young Master, now all of Luoyang knows that the finest wine comes from 'Wanshan Distillery'—their 'Immortal Wine.'
However, most common folk don't know that Wanshan Distillery has even higher-grade wines above their Immortal Wine.
Our Drunken Immortal Pavilion has partnered with Wanshan Distillery, allowing us to offer exclusive fine wines that cannot be found elsewhere."
Hearing the mention of Wanshan Distillery, Yuan Shu became interested—wasn't that his own business?
Shen Wansan sure knew how to play the game, even doing limited editions and exclusive releases. Could it be that he was a transmigrator too?
Excited, Yuan Shu asked the waiter:
"Tell me, what are the wine series above Immortal Wine? Introduce them to me—I'll try them today."
Upon hearing that Yuan Shu wanted premium wine, the waiter was overjoyed and eagerly replied:
"Above Immortal Wine, there are three series: Green, White, and Red. Each level of wine varies greatly in quality."
Zhou Yi, who was also a lover of fine liquor, became interested upon hearing this and asked,
"What do 'Qing, Bai, and Hong' mean? Aren't they just three colors?"
The waiter smiled and replied,
"Young master, you are absolutely right. The three series are named after three colors: Bamboo Leaf Green, White Moonlight, and Smiling at the Mortal World.
Among them, Bamboo Leaf Green is priced the same as our previous Immortal Drunk, at ten thousand coins per bottle, but its taste is even better.
White Moonlight is much more expensive, sold at fifty thousand coins per bottle, making it unaffordable for most nobles and officials.
As for the highest-grade Smiling at the Mortal World, its fragrance is rich and mellow, making one linger in its aftertaste. Just one sip is said to make people forget all the worries of the mortal world, hence its name.
This wine is produced in extremely small quantities, with only a few bottles available each day, making it highly expensive at two hundred thousand coins per bottle.
Only top-tier young masters like Young Master Yuan are worthy of tasting it."
When introducing Smiling at the Mortal World, the waiter's expression was intoxicated as if he had personally tasted it himself.
Yuan Shu thought to himself, this Shen Wansan is truly a master businessman. Two hundred thousand per bottle?
Even if they split the profits 50-50 with Drunken Immortal Tower, they would still make a hundred thousand coins per bottle—why not just go rob people instead?
With business like this, the pressure on me as a spendthrift is immense! At this rate, my squandering might not even keep up with Shen Wansan's speed of making money.
At that moment, Yuan Shu made up his mind—he had to squander as much as possible! Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste of Shen Wansan's talent for making money?
Thinking of this, Yuan Shu proudly said to the waiter,
"Not bad. Only Smiling at the Mortal World is worthy of my status.
Bring me ten bottles to try first, and if it's not enough, I'll order more!"
Hearing that Yuan Shu was ordering ten bottles at once, the waiter said excitedly,
"Understood, Young Master! The wine will be here shortly!"
Ten bottles of Smiling at the Mortal World meant two million coins! This spendthrift's spending power was simply too terrifying.
And he even said, "If it's not enough, I'll order more"—just how rich must one be to spend like this?
With this sale, just the waiter's commission on the wine would be several thousand coins, enough to match a month's salary!
Not just the waiter, but even the people around Yuan Shu were shocked by his extravagant spending.
The one who found it hardest to accept was Gongsun Zan. Two million coins! They had only spent one million per horse when buying White Dragon Colts.
But Yuan Shu was about to drink away the equivalent of two White Dragon Colts in a single meal?
This was inhumane!
Gongsun Zan felt immense pain inside. As someone who loved horses, this was something he absolutely could not accept.
But he couldn't show it on his face, after all, Yuan Shu was spending his own money, not a single coin of Gongsun Zan's.