The Understated Dragon Lord novel Chapter 527

Beauty was puzzled, not quite following the country boy’s strategy, so she couldn't help but ask, "What are you up to?"

"Well, certainly not you!" Daniel snarked back, which irked Beauty enough to want to tear his mouth to shreds.

While they exchanged barbs, Finn guzzled down another two jugs. He had already knocked back eight of the eighteen, while Daniel hadn't even taken his first sip.

Beauty was growing anxious. Initially, she wanted to see Daniel lose, but now, she didn’t want the country boy to lose. If he did, she’d never find someone so entertaining to toy with again.

"Country boy, you’d better start drinking! Finn's already down eight jugs; he’s about to win."

"Don't worry, Beauty. I have a plan," Daniel assured her casually.

"A plan? You have no plan! And if you lose, just watch how I deal with you!" Beauty retorted.

No sooner than she spoke...

"Sputter..."

Finn, having gulped down his liquor too fast, spat out a mouthful, which splashed all over the floor in a wet mess. Daniel had been waiting for just this kind of slip-up—caused by the mental trick he'd played on Finn without him realizing it.

"Brother, you just threw up. That spit takes away from the eighteen jugs you're supposed to drink. Now it's mixed with the dirt on the ground. Even if you got down on all fours to lick it up like a dog, you couldn’t get that back into the jug. So, this round – you lose," Daniel declared triumphantly.

After the last of the eighteen jugs were empty, Daniel asked with a smile, "Brother, do you concede? If you give up, you don’t have to drink those remaining eighteen jugs."

Having already spilled a mouthful and eighteen jugs of liquor weighing heavily in his belly, Finn could feel his endurance waning. Another eighteen might leave him drunk out of his mind.

Finn was a man who could accept defeat gracefully. Despite Daniel’s lucky win and his own misstep, Finn wasn’t one to cheat.

Big Dipper had seven challenges in total, and the country boy had only passed the second. There were still five more waiting for him, and Finn thought:

"Even if I let him through, there’s no harm. The other five brothers won't let him pass so easily."