Chapter 010: Flowing Spring Fine Brew
"Such delicious food, how can it be without wine?" The old Taoist indeed has quite a few demands, but Zhu Wuzhao was already prepared: "Look, what is this?" Unexpectedly, the usually disheveled Taoist, who would light up at the sight of fine wine, now regarded it as worthless: "How can such inferior wine be worthy of such exquisite food?" Zhu Wuzhao retorted angrily: "You old fool, don't speak nonsense: this is twenty-year-old Daughter's Red, which I spent a fortune to buy after coming down the mountain today." The old Taoist chuckled, reached into his robe, and pulled out a large green gourd: "Here, take a look at this."
"Zhu Wuzhao! What are you doing here?" It turned out that the person who had pulled him aside was the one he was looking for. Zhu Wuzhao raised a finger: "Shh! Lower your voice, come, I’ll treat you to some dragon ear marten." He lifted the prey in his hand, while his other hand carried a jar of wine, which, judging by the seal on the lid, was a fine wine.
The old Taoist removed the stopper, gently shook the gourd, and a wave of leisurely fragrance slowly wafted out, enveloping the three of them, lingering for a long time. Zhu Wuzhao, also a master of wine, immediately recognized it as fine wine; he twitched his nose a few times and exclaimed, "Good wine, good wine, an unparalleled good wine!" Even Gu Sheng could detect it; the aroma was certainly not that of an ordinary substance. "What kind of wine is this?" The old Taoist carefully replaced the gourd's lid, fearing that he might accidentally spill even a drop.
The ancient ascent through the secret passage was fortunate; it is a good thing that this old Taoist priest has become somewhat muddled.
Zhu Wuzhao, just like before when dealing with wild rabbits, skinned the prey, removed the fur, and cleaned it up. Then, he pierced it with a wooden stick and a * picture * book, brushed it with seasoning, and placed it over the fire to roast. Gu Sheng stared in astonishment at the scene before him; if a beast cultivator were to witness this, one could only wonder what their thoughts would be.
Although this flowing spring brew is clear and sweet, it has a strong aftereffect. The three individuals, indulging in the mysterious fine wine and feasting on the flesh of the tragically slain spirit beast, soon found themselves staggering in drunkenness. A small spirit beast was quickly consumed by the three, leaving hardly any bones behind. The reason for this was that Zhu Wuzhao, in his inebriation, stubbornly gnawed on the bones as if they were twisted dough sticks, truly fortunate for him to possess an indestructible set of iron teeth!
The old Taoist took out three wine cups. Gu Sheng watched as he pulled the cups from his dirty clothes and immediately frowned: "Shouldn't you wash these cups?" The scruffy Taoist chuckled, unfazed: "Then don't drink from them." Gu Sheng shook his head, feeling helpless against him
This is indeed Zhao Laosi's treasured gem, a fine brew aged for one hundred and fifty years. As the old Taoist spoke, Zhu Wuzhao showed no reaction, but to Gu Sheng, it was akin to a thunderclap: the illustrious fourth-generation God of Wine had become Zhao Laosi. In the Valley of the God of Wine, there is a miraculous spring, and the mountains are abundant with wild fruits; aside from the extraordinary secret technique of Drunken Sun, which is a superior martial art, the generational brewing skills passed down are unparalleled in the realm of cultivation. Particularly, the fine brew made from spring water and wild fruits, crafted according to the "Divine Brewing Method," is renowned worldwide. However, the God of Wine Valley has always been quite stingy, making it rare for outsiders to taste this exquisite brew. The one hundred and fifty-year-old fine brew is not something just anyone can obtain. The fourth-generation God of Wine, Zhao Zhuoran, is not only stingy but has also mastered the Drunken Sun technique to the seventh level, making him an exceptional expert at the Nascent Soul stage.
The old Taoist priest held a tray in one hand, with three cups floating in mid-air. A green gourd opened, and three streams of clear spring water flew out from its mouth, landing steadily in the cups. "Hey, do you want to drink?" the old Taoist asked Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng observed that the cups appeared quite clean, and besides, such fine cups and exquisite wine would be a pity not to enjoy. "Drink, of course I will drink." The old Taoist smiled, having anticipated this response. He waved his hand, and the three cups of wine flew off in different directions, one for each person. Zhu Wuzhao grabbed his cup and downed it in one gulp. The old Taoist shook his head disapprovingly: "Your reckless drinking truly wastes my fine wine." Meanwhile, Gu Sheng appeared quite professional, slowly sipping the wine, swirling it around his tongue to let all his taste buds savor the exquisite flavor before carefully swallowing it. The old Taoist shook his head again: "Your reckless drinking truly wastes my fine wine." Gu Sheng continued to display his professionalism, slowly sipping the wine, swirling it around his tongue to let all his taste buds savor the exquisite flavor before carefully swallowing it.
"This thing is quite valuable, isn't it?" Zhu Wuzhao asked right away. The old Taoist disdainfully replied, "Hmph, all you think about is money. This is a treasure of the old Taoist; you needn't set your sights on it." With his thoughts exposed, Zhu Wuzhao, no matter how thick-skinned he was, felt a bit embarrassed. He chuckled awkwardly a couple of times and fell silent, waiting to drink.
Zhu Wuzhao, without further ado, dragged Gu Sheng to the cliff where they often had barbecues. He started a bonfire on his own. Gu Sheng watched as he really intended to roast the dragon-eared marten, and a strange feeling arose in his heart: "You can't be serious, can you?" "Why not? I came here to eat. If I don't eat, it would be a waste to throw it away! Look, I even bought a jar of good wine!" "You went down the mountain without permission..." Gu Sheng quickly shut his mouth, glanced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping, and then whispered, "I was wondering why I hadn't seen you all day; turns out you went down the mountain to buy wine."
Of course we must eat! The slovenly Taoist leaped up from the ground and exclaimed, "Such delicacies, one might not have the chance to taste them even in nine lifetimes, how could I not eat!" He was as carefree as Zhu Wuzhao. "Then you just sit down and keep your mouth shut!" The old Taoist obediently sat down.
Zhu Wuzhao did not care about much: "Damn it, it was meant to be eaten, so why not eat it? It’s not easy to catch such a prey, and I was feeling quite pleased. It’s all because of that old rascal Jiusheng, who just had to recognize this as a young dragon-eared marten. Alas, why is my life so bitter? If I had not known, it would have been fine, but now that I know... Gu Sheng, you must remember my kindness; this meal is worth at least several thousand or even tens of thousands of taels of silver, right?" Zhu Wuzhao said pitifully, still not forgetting to count the money at this moment. Gu Sheng could not help but laugh: "You are right; just think, for thousands of years, those who have dined on such a grand feast are probably just the two of us!" His words carried a certain boldness, the aura of the foremost figure in the demonic path unconsciously emanating from him, which also influenced Zhu Wuzhao. This little rascal immediately puffed out his chest: "Exactly, throughout history, who else has eaten the meat of top-grade seven-segment spirit beasts and *illustrated* books?" In the end, it all came down to one thing: eating. It’s fortunate that he had such boldness!
Such a master, despite his exceptional skills, is quite stingy. He personally guards the entrance to his wine cellar every day, fearing that others might steal his fine wine. Gu Sheng was astonished: who is this scruffy Taoist who is able to obtain the fine wine of Old Zhao?
Before long, the meat was fully roasted. I must say, the abundant spiritual energy within such a spiritual beast made the aroma wafting from the roast fill the entire hillside, lingering for a long time, far surpassing that of an ordinary half-wild rabbit.
"Wow, it smells so good!" Accompanied by a sound of twitching nostrils, a scruffy old Taoist descended from the sky and plopped down beside Zhu Wuzhao, grinning as he asked, "Wuzhao, what are you roasting?" Zhu Wuzhao, in a bad mood, rolled his eyes and replied, "Guess!" "It smells so good. In my lifetime, I, the old Taoist, have traveled all over the land, yet I have never encountered such a fragrance..." His expression changed suddenly: "I heard you shot a young dragon-eared marten. This wouldn't be..." Zhu Wuzhao rolled his eyes again and said, "Guess!" "It smells so good. In my lifetime, I, the old Taoist, have traveled all over the land, yet I have never encountered such a fragrance..." His expression changed again: "I heard you shot a young dragon-eared marten. This wouldn't be..." "That's right. Do you want to eat? If you don't want to, that's just as well. It's so small; the two of us wouldn't have enough anyway. Please take your leave."
The aroma was intoxicating, the taste crisp as it slid down the throat, reaching deep into the organs! It had been a long time; truly, it was a fine brew from the God of Wine! Gu Sheng praised, although he knew of this exquisite spring brew, he had never tasted it before; this was his first experience. The old Taoist had already brought the wine cup to his lips, but upon hearing Gu Sheng's words, he suddenly paused and asked, "How do you know this is brewed by the God of Wine?" Gu Sheng thought to himself that it was bad; he had revealed too much. "Did you not just say that?" "Did I say that?" The disheveled Taoist, already somewhat tipsy from the wine, was a bit muddled and could not recall clearly. He pondered for a moment; he was not a very discerning person to begin with and had not thought it through, unsure if he had actually said it or not. He shook his head and downed another cup of wine.
Zhu Wuzhao was already preparing to make a move to snatch it. He had a leg of spirit beast meat in his mouth and was about to rush forward with both hands. The old Taoist hurriedly protected the wine gourd with one hand, saying, "Don't rush, don't rush. Since I have taken it out, I naturally intend to share it with you. You have eaten and drunk for free here for quite some time, and today you have had spirit beast meat, so I should show some appreciation." Only then was Zhu Wuzhao satisfied, saying, "Now that's more like it!"
The entire day passed without a glimpse of Zhu Wuzhao, and after a period of lively activity, the Wuwei Sword Sect gradually fell silent. As night descended, the cultivators began their evening lessons amidst the sound of a melodious bell, each retreating to meditate and cultivate, including Weiming. Gu Sheng intended to search for Zhu Wuzhao once more, but unexpectedly, just as he slipped out of the mountain gate, he was pulled into the shadows by someone.
This wine cup appears to be extraordinary, with a flowing azure light along its walls and a purple vortex swirling at its center. Zhu Wuzhao's eyes immediately lit up; although he did not recognize this "Qingming Ziyun Cup," he could tell at a glance that this cup was not an ordinary item
The aroma grew increasingly intense, and the meat was already roasted. Zhu Wuzhao's originally gloomy mood began to improve gradually with the enticing fragrance. He tore off a hind leg and offered it out; the old Taoist reached out to take it, but Zhu Wuzhao shot him a glance and handed it to Gu Sheng instead. The old Taoist was unfazed, chuckling to himself. It was only when Zhu Wuzhao and Gu Sheng each held a hind leg and began to gnaw on it that he started to eat a front leg himself.