"Heed my advice, just pretend nothing happened, finish this jug of wine, and have a good dream."
Luo En advised solemnly, casually taking off the wine jug from his waist and tossing it to Pan behind him, releasing goodwill.
The fickle-faced shepherd god caught the wine jug, took several hefty gulps, and grumbled discontentedly with his neck stiffened.
"So all my offerings have been in vain?"
In his hands though, he clutched the dog leash unwillingly, showing no intention of parting with his beloved hounds, seemingly not ready to bear another loss.
Luo En disdainfully glanced at the shepherd god, who was lustful, stingy, cunning with a hint of cowardice, and snorted coldly,
"If you really want to marry a beautiful goddess, it's not completely hopeless."
The moment he heard this, Pan sprang to life, staring intently at the man before him.
Luo En rolled his eyes, unenthusiastically reminding,
"Why insist on those untouchable nymphs? Aren't there marry-able goddesses present?"
The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intentional.
Thinking of the Muses' unrestrained dances and joyful songs, Pan's eyes sparkled, and a new train of thought opened.
"Right! They are far more beautiful than the nymphs, and their figures! Marrying one would be even better, wouldn't it?"
The lustful half-man, half-goat deity became more excited as he spoke, with a gleam in his eyes as if a fierce fire was burning in his heart.
However, just as Pan was lost in his fanciful thoughts, Luo En once again poured a bucket of cold water over his overexciting brain.
"Heh, even if the Muses are marriageable, it doesn't seem like it's your turn, does it?"
"What do you mean? You're looking down on me?" Pan's eyes reddened as he panted heavily, his face filling with indignation.
"I'm merely stating a fact." Luo En spoke languidly, "They are Apollo's lesser deities. That God of Light is not only handsome, but his accomplishments in music, poetry, and medicine are unparalleled. In what aspect can you outdo him to make him willingly give up one of his own?"
Upon hearing this, Pan was at a loss for words.
Being recognized as a male god on Olympus, Apollo was not merely a figurehead. To think of winning a beauty from that God of Light was nearly a fool's dream.
At the turn in the conversation, a glimmer of hope once again sparked in Pan who had just deflated, he eagerly looked at the man in front of him.
Yet, Luo En didn't respond, simply spreading his hands behind him.
Immediately, Pan got the hint, awkwardly smiled, and quickly handed back the dog leash with careful attention.
But after receiving the dog leash, Luo En still didn't speak, his gaze on Pan even more full of contempt.
"Haha, that was just something entrusted to you to deliver to Lady Artemis. Surely the journey wasn't meant to be in vain!"
Realization dawned on Pan, and he forthrightly spoke.
"What caught your eye on my farm? Feel free to choose!"
Upon hearing this, Luo En's expression instantly cooled, and without hesitation, he grabbed the dog leash and walked towards the cave entrance.
Pan, seeing the situation going south, hurriedly stepped forward to hold back Luo En who was trying to leave, then fumbling over himself for a while, he bit his lip and took out two glossy black ram horns from the opened Magic Circle Diagram.
These were his cast-off divine objects, filled with the rich Divine Power of the shepherd god, originally meant to be kept for forging his own Divine Artifact.
Now, in order to win a beauty, he had to painfully part with these valuable items, handing them over as a gesture of thanks for advice.
Seeing the miserly lustful goat finally willing to cut a slice of his own flesh, Luo En contentedly took the ram horns and nonchalantly spoke.
"You want to marry a Muse, but it's not impossible. Challenge that God of Light to a wager, with marriage to a Muse as the stake. If you win, you get her."
"Why would he agree to such a contest?"
"Of course, he will. As long as you challenge his authority in his field of expertise, like music, poetry, medicine... one of these."
Upon hearing these words, Pan's eyes lit up, nodding as if struck with realization.
True, considering the God of Light's proud nature, he would never tolerate outsiders questioning his proficiency.
But Pan, naturally suspicious, still harbored concerns.
"But what if he doesn't agree?"
"Then first question his authority, then propose a contest; once the dust settles, you can make your conditions."
"What if he refuses to honor the bet?"
"That's why you have to win squarely, and not only in his area of expertise, to leave him no room to argue. If you're still unsure, then find some witnesses."
Luo En rolled his eyes at Pan and waved his hand wearily, yawning as he headed for the cave entrance.
"Alright, I've got to deliver these hounds. Whether to try or not is up to you."
With that, he led the hounds out of the valley, and his figure gradually disappeared into the deep night.
After seeing off this newly ascended deity, Pan recalled the Muses' fiery figures and beautiful visages, his mouth dry and his tongue parched as he took several large swigs of wine.
Voices, tangible and not, echoed in his mind, a hot surge rising from his abdomen and storming his sheep-brain.
Muses, oh Muses! Such beautiful goddesses, why should Apollo monopolize them all!
If only he could set the wager and best that fellow, everything could be his!
Pacing the cave, Pan murmured to himself, his eyes glowing red in the darkness, slowly conjuring confusion and mania until with a heavy thump of his shepherd's staff to the ground, a smug, cold smile spread across his face.