The candlelight suddenly flared, casting flickering light and shadow on the expectation in the scholar's eyes.
The young scholar, seeing Mu Yun finish his drink, quickly asked, "How was it?"
As Mu Yun wiped his mouth, his fingertips caught residual wine. The night wind blew, and the lingering fragrance filled his nostrils, making him shiver. He repeatedly said, "Exhilarating! Exhilarating!"
The two "exhilaratings" carried different meanings. The first "exhilarating" carried Mu Yun's bravado from drinking after many years, the searing burn in his throat not yet fully faded ; the latter "exhilarating" was the surging phantom of war in his chest, as if a blood-drinking longsword was resonating along his meridians.
"Hahaha... Good!" The young scholar lightly tapped the table edge with his finger, making the residual wine in the luminous cups ripple with blood-like patterns. He clearly understood the sharp retort in Mu Yun's words:
Those pedantic scholars of old who wrote about the taste and color of wine, how could they compare to the two words of exhilaration from this young friend!
Saying this, he tilted the gourd, pouring out a crimson stream of light. The wine liquid, striking the cup wall, actually emitted a clear, ringing sword sound : "Drinking wine means brotherhood. How about you call me Big Brother Yumo?"
"Exactly my intention!" Mu Yun immediately raised his wine cup and said, "This younger brother is naive. This cup of wine is to Big Brother".
The crisp clinking of porcelain cups startled the night sparrows on the rafters. The rustling of wings mingled with the wine aroma, swirling around the beams.
"Tonight, let us drink three big cups!"
Yumo's Adam's apple bobbed as he drained the strong wine, the faint blue veins on his neck appearing like flowing ink under the candlelight.
"Haha... drinking tonight is truly exhilarating!"
The scholar laughed after draining his cup, then asked, "Young friend, seeing you so young, yet already in the middle stage of Body Tempering... may I ask who your master is, and where is your home?"
When Yumo mentioned the "middle stage of Body Tempering" realm, a faint tingling sensation suddenly appeared on the back of Mu Yun's neck. Mu Yun knew it was the Zeus system passively analyzing the fluctuations of the opponent's spiritual energy leakage. He shook his head with a bitter smile, his expression flawless.
"This younger brother's surname is Mu, and my given name is Yun. I've been haphazardly learning martial arts with my grandfather in the mountains..." As he spoke, Mu Yun dipped his index finger in water and drew characters on the wooden table.
Yumo's eyes fixated, following Mu Yun's finger. He thought to himself:
This surname Mu is an ancient, prominent surname. Just now, I felt an extremely sophisticated artifact-forging array protecting Mu Yun's body. Could this kid be related to the Mu clan...?
Never mind... everyone has their own fortuitous encounters, their own stories. Why dwell on this?
Holding this thought, Yumo did not delve deeper.
And Mu Yun had never heard his grandfather mention his own strength. Now, hearing Yumo mention his strength and cultivation, he couldn't help but feel a little excited and curious. So he continued to ask, "Does Big Brother Yumo know who the most powerful peers in Qingchuan City are?"
Yumo took a sip of wine, pondered for a moment, then smiled and looked at Mu Yun, saying, "One is Lei Yu, the son of Lei Gang, the head of the Fengyun Martial Arts Hall. He is fourteen this year and has reached the 'Awakened Eyes and Clear Ears' realm". Mu Yun couldn't help but recall the tall, imposing middle-aged man he had met a few days ago.
Then Yumo continued, "The second is Mu Lin'er, the eldest daughter of your Qingchuan City Lord Mu Feng... her strength is above Lei Yu's, in the 'Minute Realm'".
"As for the third one..." Yumo took another sip, and whispered, "This third one is also the strongest youth in your Qingchuan City currently, named Pei Heng. He has no powerful backing, so if you ever become his enemy, be extra careful!" Mu Yun secretly noted Yumo's words and said, "Thank you for letting me know, Big Brother!" After that, the two raised their cups and drank together.
...
Shopkeeper Li had actually returned long ago, but happened to witness that scene, so he wisely waited aside without disturbing them. He naturally heard Mu Yun and Yumo's conversation, and the more he listened, the more surprised he became. He was surprised by Mu Yun's cultivation, and even more by the experience revealed in the seemingly casual talk of the shabbily dressed scholar before him. After all, the greater one's strength, the richer one's experience!
At this moment, seeing the two men pause their conversation, he brought forth a jar of wine. "This is our shop's treasured sorghum wine". He placed the wine jar on the table, then lifted its lid himself and said, "Since you two esteemed guests do not disdain our humble shop, and have become acquainted through wine, I shall present this sorghum wine to you two for your enjoyment". Then he poured himself a cup and continued, "Tonight, I shall offer a toast with this wine: first, to this young brother, for his high cultivation at such a young age, his future is immeasurable". Shopkeeper Li then turned his gaze to the scholar and continued, "Second, to this brother, for his forthrightness, freedom, and unrestrained spirit". Shopkeeper Li genuinely dared not presume to guess the young scholar's thoughts, so he could only praise him through his character.
Mu Yun and the young scholar smiled upon hearing this, seeming to see through the shopkeeper's intentions, and both raised their wine cups.
The young scholar laughed, "Shopkeeper Li, what nonsense. As the ancients said, 'A mountain needs not be high; if there is a dragon, it is spiritual.' Although this shop is simple, it has Shopkeeper Li, and even more, this hundred-year-old fine wine". Having said that, he drained the wine in his cup. Then Yumo's expression became serious, and he continued, "Today, meeting and drinking with my brother, I am naturally happy, but I haven't broken my own rules yet. The wine money... I will naturally pay". Shopkeeper Li knew that the young scholar before him had seen through his thoughts, and his expression was slightly awkward, not replying.
No good deed goes unpunished, Mu Yun thought to himself.
This Shopkeeper Li must have seen Big Brother Yumo's extraordinary nature and is presenting this fine wine to curry favor. He couldn't help but feel a bit disdainful.
Shopkeeper Li, seeing Yumo's polite refusal, was quite understanding. After that, the three of them drank another cup together. Yumo said, "It's late. My brother and I have met late and wish to drink to our heart's content. Shopkeeper Li, how about you rest first...?"
Shopkeeper Li naturally understood. After another shared drink, he personally went to cook a few small dishes to accompany the wine, secured the doors and windows, and then left.
It was now deep into the night. The sound of the night watchman's gong in Qingchuan City reached Mu Yun's ears. Mu Yun was already tipsy, his cheeks slightly flushed, and his behavior involuntarily less restrained. The wine was not intoxicating, but he himself was drunk, for he hadn't drunk alcohol in decades.
"Big Brother Yumo, you haven't finished telling the ancient stories yet," Mu Yun flicked his wine cup with a finger, the remaining wine at the bottom swirling into tiny light spots.
The scholar leaned the gourd against the oil lamp, his eyes flickering in the candlelight. "You seem quite keen on old almanacs, young one".
Mu Yun pulled open his collar for air, the sweat-dampened strands of hair on his nape sticking to his skin. "It's thrilling to hear, keep going!"
The lamp wick suddenly crackled, and Yumo dipped his finger in wine, drawing lines on the table : "In those days, powerful figures could wave their hands and move entire mountain ranges to use as weapons". The wine lines on the wooden grain formed the shape of mountains.
Yumo continued: "There's a three-thousand-li long rift valley here; it's said to have been carved by a certain sword cultivator".
Mu Yun's throat tightened, and the bamboo chopsticks he clenched left deep indentations on the table. When he heard "time flowing backward," tiny bubbles suddenly floated in his cup of wine, as if stirred by an invisible force.
"The most terrifying part wasn't the fighting..." Yumo dug his fingernail into the old pine resin in the table crack. "It was later, when spiritual energy withered, and brothers turned against each other..." The sticky pine resin glued his pinky finger to the tabletop; he had to shake it to get free.
"Alas..." Yumo seemed to let out an inaudible sigh.
The boy's fist slammed the plate, making it jump : "You mean, current experts aren't even a tenth as strong as the ancients?"
Yumo didn't answer, just shook the wine jar, listening to the gurgling sound inside : "It's like this jar of wine... the steam rising from the jar's mouth condenses into a blurry human figure in the air, then is swept away by the wind in a blink".
"Just a fleeting cloud," Mu Yun sighed after hearing this. He picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and smiled: "The ancient past is too distant; one must drink a mouthful of wine to calm the nerves".
"But how did Big Brother know about such ancient matters...?"
Yumo took a sip of wine and said, "Because the history of this wine also comes from ancient times!"
It was the first time Mu Yun had heard of the history of wine in this world, so he shook his head, as if to clear his mind further.
Yumo's eyes seemed to reflect a sense of vicissitude as he said, "In the ancient wars, humanity had a supreme powerful being, whose name was Yu. Later generations, for his unmatched martial might and immense contribution to pacifying the chaotic ancient times, respectfully called him Emperor Yu!" Yumo's voice carried reverence and a hint of sadness.
"People only know that he led heroes to battle demons and powerful enemies, but they don't know that this wine was also created by him". Yumo took another sip of wine, his eyes slightly closed, repeatedly murmuring a phrase, "Slaying enemies casually in talk and laughter, drunkenly dancing and singing for a thousand years..."
"'Slaying enemies casually in talk and laughter, drunkenly dancing and singing for a thousand years...' " As if influenced by Yumo, Mu Yun's heart was also touched by this phrase, like an indelible imprint carved within him. After a moment, Mu Yun returned to himself. He saw Yumo still immersed in his own thoughts, so he did not disturb him. Slowly, the scenes of ancient times, those years of heroes rising and immortal-demon wars, resurfaced in Mu Yun's mind.
"Big Brother Yumo, are you a cultivator?" Mu Yun finally asked vaguely.
"Hmm?" Yumo was surprised.
"Yes," he answered after a long pause, his gaze deep, looking at Mu Yun, then through the door and window at the night sky.
"However..." Yumo turned back, about to continue speaking, but saw Mu Yun soundly asleep. He smiled, shook his head, and said no more.
"Warning!" The Zeus Genesis Neural System alerted in Mu Yun's mind. Neural inhibitory enzymes exceed threshold! About to fall into deep sleep.
...