The security guards looked bewildered. Hadn't Yan Zhonghua just called them? They had no choice but to retreat.
"Sect Leader Guo! Please stay." Yan Wangshuang wanted to stop him, but it was no use.
Seeing this, Yan Zhonghua knew he had offended someone and hurried to block him. "Senior Guo! Please spare me, for my father's sake."
Guo Qiang kicked Yan Zhonghua away! "Who do you think your father is? Asking me to save face? Are you implying that I, this sect leader, should cower and act subserviently to others?"
Yan Zhonghua stumbled and fell. His mother rushed to help him, her face full of resentment. Yan Wangshuang quickly pulled his mother away. "What do you know, you foolish woman? What are you looking at? Get back!"
Yan's mother had no choice but to retreat. Yan Wangshuang berated him, "Zhonghua, apologize to Sect Leader Guo at once!"
Yan Zhonghua's eyes widened. "Father, I!..."
Yan Wangshuang slapped him across the face. "Do you want to get us Yan family killed? Apologize!"
Ming Zhitian said, "Senior Brother Guo, this scene is unpleasant. Let's go."
Guo Qiang nodded. "Indeed."
Yan Zhonghua blurted out and rushed forward, bowing ninety degrees. "Sect Leader Guo, I'm sorry! It was my foul mouth that spoke out of turn. Please be magnanimous and forgive this junior."
He watched Yan Zhonghua break out in a cold sweat, fearing another kick from Guo Qiang. Guo Qiang nodded. "A promising youth, indeed. It's a great virtue to correct one's mistakes. Control your mouth in the future; don't spout nonsense like others."
"Your advice is well taken, Senior!" Just as Yan Zhonghua was waiting for Guo Qiang to tell him to stand up, Guo Qiang said, "Apologize to Brother Zhitian too, and then this matter will be settled."
Yan Zhonghua dared not delay and turned to apologize to Ming Zhitian. He dared not look up, only seeing Ming Zhitian's knees. "Brother Zhitian, I'm sorry. Please don't take what happened just now to heart."
Ming Zhitian waved his hand. "Don't falsely claim kinship; I'm not your brother."
Yan Zhonghua gritted his teeth. "Please forgive me, Brother Tian!"
Ming Zhitian picked at his ear. "You can get up now."
Just as Yan Zhonghua was straightening up from his ninety-degree bow, Ming Zhitian called out, "Wait, that's not right..."
He then looked at Guo Qiang. "Senior Brother Guo, you should be the one to tell him to get up. I don't have the right."
Guo Qiang waved his hand. "He's apologizing to you, so you should be the one to tell him to get up."
"You do it, please, don't be polite, you do it, no, you should do it..."
The two kept pushing the responsibility back and forth. The humiliation was palpable. Yan Zhonghua had never endured such a slight in his life.
Seeing Ming Zhitian like this, Guo Qiang knew he had gone too far. "Since that's the case, you may get up."
Yan Zhonghua breathed a sigh of relief, twisting his stiff and sore waist, and straightened his back. "Thank you, Senior."
Yan Wangshuang then appeased the onlookers. "Everyone, please enjoy yourselves. Have some more drinks. I, Yan, have not been a good host. Please make yourselves at home."
Everyone resumed drinking and chatting amongst themselves.
Yan Wangshuang brought over a bottle of red wine to smooth things over. "Gentlemen, please stay. My son was rude, and as his father, I take responsibility. I'll drink this bottle myself."
Saying this, he opened the fourteen-degree red wine in his hand and began to chug it, even performing various tricks like drinking it upside down, spinning, and shaking the bottle.
Everyone was stunned. Ming Zhitian began to clap, and soon everyone joined in, cheering. "Good! Impressive!"
He quickly finished the bottle and held it upside down, indicating he had drunk it all, then let out a burp.
Ming Zhitian said, "Mr. Yan, you have a great capacity for alcohol."
Yan Wangshuang knew that Guo Qiang held his friend Ming Zhitian in high regard. He smiled slightly. "Thank you for your praise, young man. Are you satisfied now?"
Ming Zhitian said, "It's not about satisfaction; it's about your happiness."
Yan Wangshuang ordered a servant to bring red wine. "This is the latest vintage from Kairros. Would you like to try some, young man?"
Ming Zhitian waved his hand. "Sorry, I can't hold my liquor."