Chapter 002: The God of Wine

Yang Lao suddenly came to his senses and focused his gaze again. The little beggar who had been behind the bar was no longer there. He hurriedly turned around and grabbed Boss Zhao, asking: "Where is he?"

Ah? I don't know! Just now, everyone's gaze was fixed on the elderly Yang, who was tasting the fine wine. The little beggar, being small in stature, truly did not attract attention, yet in just this short moment, he had vanished.

The little beggar's right hand slowly lifted, yet the wine jug continued to spin rapidly in his palm, as if his hand possessed a magnetic pull. The liquid inside, due to the large amount of tomato juice, had completely turned red. As the jug spun swiftly, it resembled a red disc balanced on his palm

Old Yang did not have time to chat with Boss Zhao; with a swift movement, he was already at the bar's entrance, his entire figure vanishing like a red cloud.

He casually weighed the wine jug in his hand, taking a slight step back. In that instant, his eyes sparkled like two bright stars. With his left hand behind his back, he raised the crystal wine jug with his right hand. Suddenly, as he flicked his fingers open, the palm of his hand pressed tightly against the jug, and the crystal wine jug began to spin in his palm like a top.

Ji Dong's observation is certainly not as simple as merely looking; he is also smelling and listening. What he first needs to observe is the difference between the wines of this world and those of his previous world, as well as the flavors and characteristics of these wines. Indeed, as a small beggar, he cannot taste them. However, after crossing into this world, Ji Dong retained one ability, which is his significantly sharper sixth sense compared to ordinary people.

Old Yang instinctively took the wine, and the voice of the little beggar echoed in his ears: "True flames should ignite from within, not merely surface appearances, for they burn your emotions, not your vision; this is the true flame that consumes the heart"

It has been a month since arriving in this world known as the Five Elements Continent. Due to Ji Dong's original memories, language is not a barrier. However, this esteemed God of Wine must strive for survival, which was unimaginable in his previous life

During this month, in addition to gradually understanding this world, Ji Dong has been observing his surroundings every day in the fiery atmosphere of the Passionate Flame Wine. His knowledge of this world remains quite limited; he only knows that this is a country located at the southern end of the Five Elements Continent, with flames as its totem.

Ji Dong's memories are so simple that they are shocking. Memories before the age of five do not exist at all. After the age of five, he lived by begging on the streets. Apart from a red string around his neck, which has a white jade pendant carved with the two characters "Ji Dong" that seems to be worth something, he only has this patched-up garment with an unknown number of patches.

Once upon a time, I was a god of wine, yet now I have fallen to such a state. With a long sigh, the little beggar helplessly shook his head, and the expression in his eyes was not at all like that of an eleven or twelve-year-old child, and in fact, it was precisely so

What brings joy to Ling Ji is that the people here also enjoy drinking. In the time that follows, he sustains this new life with the cold, hard dozen or so steamed buns and some dried meat left by the original owner of this body under a bridge, carefully observing the Flaming Passion Bar every day

As he spoke, Yang Lao, as if fearing that someone might snatch his cup of wine, downed it in one gulp. Instantly, a surge of intense heat, akin to a fiery rage, welled up within him. The flames burning in his chest blazed fiercely, and it felt as though all thirty-six million pores on his body had opened up. After drinking this cup of wine, he was struck by a sense of having wasted his life. The earlier remark by the little beggar, calling the fiery passion "garbage," now seemed so fitting to him. Indeed, he realized that he had spent his entire life drinking nothing but garbage.

However, the expression of the little beggar showed no change whatsoever; his two hands seemed to have suddenly vanished, leaving only a faint shadow visible. In that moment, even Elder Yang could not discern clearly. The crowd felt as if their vision had blurred, and the fallen sun had risen once more. Astonishingly, in the blink of an eye, they found themselves staring at three suns. Indeed, three. The fallen sun had risen again, and in that instant, they were shocked to see three suns. Indeed, three.

His original name was Li Jiedong, and he did not belong to this world. In his original world, at the age of thirty-two, he was the world-renowned first god of wine. He created countless legends in the fields of bartending and wine tasting. The highest honor in the wine tasting community was originally the five-star gold diamond medal, but for him alone, the six-star royal diamond medal was additionally established, as his achievements were unmatched.

No one would doubt Elder Yang's judgment; he is not only one of the oldest patrons in Li Huo City but also among the few individuals with the highest status in the entire city. Boss Zhao was stunned, the bartenders were left speechless, while among the patrons, there was an uproar, with various discussions spreading throughout the open area

Suddenly, without any warning, a brilliant light burst forth from his eyes, as if two flames had ignited. He said, "Good, a fierce flame should be kindled from within the heart"

The little beggar handed the wine to Elder Yang, left those words behind, and then walked away, strolling down the street. He did not walk quickly, but his heart was filled with a sense of melancholy.

After adding these seasonings, the little beggar picked up the strainer, a faint expression of helplessness appearing on his face, yet he still placed it into the cocktail shaker. He sighed inwardly, reflecting on how long it had been since he last used this item, but now he had no choice but to use it.

In his previous life, Li Jiedong, who had never been apart from alcohol in his brief thirty-two years, was particularly obsessed with it. When he was invited to appreciate a millennium-old fine wine recently unearthed in his country, he could not resist the impulse within him and consumed a mouthful of the amber liquid, which had already turned into a paste, thus falling into an eternal slumber.

Old Yang's expression almost froze at the moment the wine entered his mouth, as if he stood there in a daze. His previously restrained aura completely vanished, and a flush of red instantly spread across his face.

Boss Zhao asked nervously, "Old Yang, how does this drink taste?"

Li Jiedong has no regrets at all; if given the chance to start over, he would still make the same choice. Even now, the enchanting taste of that viscous fine wine lingers in his mind. His last thought before falling into a deep sleep was that it was worth dying for.

The International Sommelier Association awarded him the unprecedented Six-Star Royal Diamond Medal due to his invention of the Six-Sense Tasting Method. According to his theory, wine tasting is not solely reliant on taste; olfactory, visual, auditory, tactile, and sensory perceptions can also be employed in the process. In fact, in that world, he was the only one capable of achieving this.

The transparent white liquor was poured into the cocktail shaker, and the little beggar's hand trembled slightly, lacking stability. Fortunately, no liquor spilled from the shaker. Yang Lao, Boss Zhao, and the bartenders all recognized that the bottle chosen by the little beggar was called Viper, a type of strong spirit. The term 'spirit' refers to a liquor that lacks aroma, characterized by pure and clean taste, which is quite common as a base for cocktails

Covering the pot, the little beggar took the cocktail shaker in his hands. His hands, after all, could not compare to those of an adult, and holding the shaker seemed somewhat strenuous for him, which further provoked disdainful snickers from those who did not have faith in him

He did not wipe away the sweat, for he could not soil his hands. With a natural elegance, he twisted open the lid of the pot and poured the slightly viscous blood-red liquid into a martini glass, neither more nor less, leaving just enough to rim the edge of the glass.

The sound of astonishment rose one after another, and it was evident that this little beggar was far from being as simple as most people believed

The little beggar did not rush to open the wine flask, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the surrounding crowd. Observing their astonished expressions at his trick, "Three Suns Reflecting the Moon," the corners of his mouth curled slightly upward, and the pride in his eyes seemed to swell even more. Only the sweat on his forehead indicated that accomplishing this was not an easy task

Through the transparent crystal decanter, one can see that the wine poured in by the little beggar occupies approximately one-third of the cocktail shaker's capacity, followed by six-tenths of tomato juice, one-tenth of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and finally one-tenth, where the little beggar quickly adds the desired Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a specific ratio.

Elder Yang brought the wine glass to his eyes, his nose twitching slightly. He was surprised to detect a faint smell of blood, a scent reminiscent of blood that emerged from a mixture of tomato juice, lemon juice, and alcohol. The little beggar did not mention it, but in fact, the cocktail he had concocted was also known by another name: Bloody Mary

Even more astonishing events were yet to come. The little beggar's hand, which was holding the wine jug, gradually rose upright. The continuously spinning wine jug naturally stood upright as well, yet it remained tightly pressed against his palm, spinning rapidly without any signs of falling. His right arm slowly swung up from the right side of his body, palm facing forward, carrying the high-speed rotating wine jug from right to left, from low to high and then back down, resembling the entire process of the sun moving from morning to noon and then returning to night. Throughout this process, the wine jug remained upright and spinning, firmly attached to his palm. No bartender present could replicate this single maneuver; they had never even seen anything like it. The young bartender who had previously mocked the little beggar now stared wide-eyed, fixated on the sun-like red disc. Yet, he could not discern how the little beggar accomplished it.

Just when everyone thought the little beggar's bartending would conclude in this dazzling manner, suddenly, the left hand that had been hidden behind his back emerged. The bottle in his right hand was thrown into the air while spinning at high speed, resembling the fall of the sun, instantly eliciting a chorus of gasps from the patrons.

It is well known that when mixing cocktails, the most important aspect is the cocktail recipe, followed by the technique. The ingredients that the little beggar added to the shaker just now were truly incomprehensible. As for the technique, given his unstable and pitifully small hands, he hardly seemed capable. Yet, despite no one having any faith in him, the little beggar's hands began to move.

I wonder who said, "Oh, where is that little beggar?"

Old Yang's gaze began to grow intense as he brought the glass to his lips and took a small sip. The eyes of the patrons and bartenders were all fixed on his face, waiting for him to make a judgment. After all, the ultimate criterion for a cocktail is its taste, not the technique. No matter how dazzling the technique, if the drink does not taste good, it holds no significance.

In the end, he still did not sell the jade tablet, as the memories of its original owner seemed to cherish it greatly. However, he needed to survive and eat; a dignified wine god could certainly not live by begging. Soon, he found the most famous bar in Fire City, the Blazing Passion.

His right thumb was pressed vertically against the inner side of the glass, while his index finger wrapped around the outer side, presenting the cocktail to Yang Lao with an impeccable standard posture

The only person present who could discern how the little beggar accomplished this was Elder Yang. With his keen eyesight, he noticed that the little beggar's palm was not merely moved by his arm; it was also in motion itself, albeit with a very small range of movement. The palm continuously adjusted and aligned, performing actions of contraction and elevation, while his five fingers trembled rhythmically like waves, each time accurately touching the rotating crystal wine jug in sequence. This was the secret to his ability to keep the jug spinning while maintaining its close contact with his palm.

However, it is easier said than done; even a slight disruption in rhythm can cause the wine jug to immediately fall from the hand. The little beggar's movements appear somewhat awkward, yet being able to persist in doing these things is quite a feat for a child of only eleven or twelve years old

Elder Yang looked at him, his expression revealing an excitement that was hard to conceal, and said: "This is the most distinctive cocktail I have ever tasted, and it is also the one that has left the strongest impression on me, because it truly makes me feel the flames burning within my heart. Only by actually tasting it can one appreciate its uniqueness. If I had to give it a rating, I believe two words would be most fitting." At this point, he paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the many patrons gathered around him, before he spoke with a firm and powerful voice: "Peerless." He paused slightly again, his gaze sweeping over the many patrons gathered around him, before he spoke with a firm and powerful voice: "Peerless."

Li Jiedong was never one to complain about fate. After three days, he gradually accepted his new identity. He even felt grateful to the heavens for giving him a chance to live again. At the very least, he had not been deprived of his memories or his passion for fine wine. Since he had arrived in this new world, he was no longer the old Li Jiedong. Therefore, he decided to adopt the original name of this little beggar and would henceforth be called Ji Dong

It appears that this glass of wine is not as transparent and dazzling as the "Flaming Passion" crafted by the previous bartender, nor does it have the flames on top as an embellishment; however, this blood-red liquid evokes a sense of an eerie restraint.

Just when everyone thought they were seeing things, with a soft thud, the wine jug had already landed back on the table

However, he did not die, and he himself did not know whether this was a blessing or a curse. When he regained consciousness, he discovered that he was no longer the legendary wine god Li Jiedong, but had transformed into a small beggar living by begging. His name had also changed to Ji Dong, and he even retained the painfully innocent memories of Ji Dong. What left him most helpless was that even the entire world had changed.