However, Mo Han was quite fond of such a forthright personality. Thinking of this, Mo Han smiled and said, "Since that is the case, I shall defer to your kindness. I will certainly bring some strong liquor tomorrow for the Prince and all the esteemed sirs to sample."

Upon hearing Mo Han's reply, those in the hall instantly took a better liking to him, nodding one after another.

The tension immediately eased considerably.

Everyone proceeded to drink merrily together, and Mo Han’s tolerance for alcohol truly earned the respect of the Orcs. Mo Han single-handedly downed nearly five jin of strong liquor, yet he remained as if nothing had happened, chatting and laughing, which caused the Orcs to inwardly gasp, and they completely shed their initial disdain for him.

After all, among the Beast race, strength reigned supreme; if you possessed ability, you would naturally garner everyone's respect.

Conversely, you would face contempt from others—a situation hardly dissimilar to human society.

Time passed quickly, and by the dead of night, the First Prince arranged for someone to escort Mo Han back to the official guesthouse to rest. As he left, Mo Han inwardly puzzled over why the First Prince hadn't mentioned the negotiation at all, acting as if it had nothing to do with him. Could it truly have been just a simple welcoming banquet for him? Mo Han wondered with confusion, but after thinking it over for a long time, he found no answer. Shaking his head, he decided to let go of these bothersome thoughts; what is meant to come will come, and worrying about what won't arrive is utterly useless.

After Mo Han departed, the Lion-man seated on the right side of the hall spoke up, questioning, "Your Royal Highness, the First Prince, why did Your Highness not mention the matter of the negotiation during the banquet just now? Was the Prince’s original intention not to negotiate with this human envoy?" Hearing the Lion-man’s query, the First Prince smiled and replied, "Dalai, do you think this human envoy is so easy to handle? From his words and conduct just now, I have realized that this Mo Han is far from simple; on the contrary, he is quite formidable. If I had brought up those matters with him just then, I probably wouldn't have gained any advantage. Since that is the case, why waste my own energy on a meaningless endeavor? It is far better to leave him with a good impression; it might prove useful to have him indebted to us later on."

Hearing the First Prince's explanation, the Lion-man, Dalai, responded with admiration, "As expected, Your Highness the First Prince is far more thoughtful. It is I who have been foolish; please do not take offense, Your Highness."

Everyone in the hall quickly chimed in, praising the First Prince's sagacity and might.

The First Prince smiled, halting their praises, and spoke, "Hehe, you are all my trusted confidants; how could I possibly blame you? You should all be like Dalai—if there is anything you do not understand, you must speak up. Only then can we communicate better and maximize our collective capabilities, do you understand?" Hearing the First Prince’s words, everyone hastily nodded in agreement.

When the Lion-man Dalai heard the First Prince commend him, he became even more emotionally stirred, bowing low to the ground and proclaiming, "I am fortunate to have such a worthy master. From this day forward, I shall strive even harder to serve Your Highness faithfully, to be worthy of the Prince's great favor."

The First Prince quickly stepped down from his seat, personally helping Dalai up, praising his loyalty, and arranging a suitable reward for him.

If Mo Han had been present at that moment, he would not have considered the Beast race’s First Prince to be a man of open-hearted character. Instead, he would have marveled at the impeccable skill these high-ranking leaders possessed in managing their subordinates.

With a few effortless sentences, he had secured the complete loyalty of everyone, ensuring they would serve him even more devotedly in the future. Truly formidable.

After sending everyone away, the First Prince could not help but smile, murmuring, "Chen Mo Han, an interesting fellow, quite sharp. This will surely give my Second Brother something to chew on. Heh heh, Second Brother, I’d like to see how you plan to handle him?" After speaking, he turned and returned to his own chambers.

Meanwhile, Mo Han, upon reaching his room in the guesthouse, immediately fell into a deep sleep. Although he had his Dou Qi protecting him, drinking that much strong liquor had inevitably left him feeling slightly dizzy. After casting a protective barrier around himself, he collapsed into slumber.

Mo Han was awakened at dawn by Xiao Mo. To make things convenient the previous day, Mo Han had gone out alone; otherwise, walking through the streets with a little dog cradled in his arms would have invited endless laughter. The little fellow had been utterly stifled, and at the crack of dawn, he began whining insistently to protest. Mo Han smiled, picked up Xiao Mo, and said, "Little fellow, do you want to go out?" Hearing Mo Han’s question, Xiao Mo eagerly nodded, staring at Mo Han with hopeful eyes. Seeing this, Mo Han chuckled, saying, "Fine, fine, I surrender. I’ll take you out for some fresh air. Don't make it look like I'm abusing an animal, heh heh; if Daili and the others saw this, they’d beat me to death."

Upon hearing Mo Han’s response, Xiao Mo barked a few joyful yelps, then jumped down excitedly, whimpering a few times.

Seeing this, Mo Han smiled, shook his head, raised a hand to dispel the protective barrier he had set up, and took Xiao Mo out of the room.

Seeing Mo Han emerge, the guesthouse steward immediately stepped forward respectfully and said, "Envoy Sir, you are awake. Breakfast has been prepared for you; please follow me."

Mo Han quickly offered his thanks.

The steward waved his hands dismissively, saying, "The First Prince gave explicit instructions that we are to treat the Envoy with the utmost hospitality. Therefore, Envoy Sir, please do not be polite. If you have any needs or requests, feel free to tell me, and I will certainly do my utmost to satisfy your demands."

Mo Han’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing it was the First Prince’s order. He secretly sighed, noting how adept the First Prince was at winning people over.

But he wasn't someone who could be easily bought.

Still, Mo Han put on an expression of gratitude on his face and said, "Thank you so very much to His Royal Highness, the First Prince. Please convey my gratitude to him; tell him Mo Han..." The steward quickly nodded in assent.

After breakfast, Mo Han took Xiao Mo out for a stroll in the market. In truth, Mo Han intended to buy some small trinkets to give to Daili and the others when he returned, seeking out novelty items. Since he had made the rare trip to the Beast territory, he would feel it a pity to return empty-handed. Moreover, he was not short of money now; his pockets were quite deep, after all. Naturally, he also planned to buy some gifts for Shuiling'er and Liu Yanran.

The people on the street stared curiously at the unusual pair of Mo Han and Xiao Mo, but they ignored the attention, leisurely looking around with genuine curiosity toward everything. Xiao Mo was especially delighted, hopping and skipping about with unbridled joy.

Jumping up to...