Outside the window, the rain is still raining, and the clear dew is dripping.
Under the window, young and old sit across from each other, cooking wine while it is still warm.
The old Taoist poured a glass of wine for Xia Shang.
When the sake comes out of the pot, the aroma overflows, and it has the familiar taste of the essence of grains.
The old Taoist smiled and was addicted to wine. Before he drank, his cheeks were a little rosy, as if he was a little drunk, and his words were not as serious as before.
"I call myself the Drunken Immortal. It's best to have a sip of wine. I wonder if you can drink it?"
Xia Shang held up the wine and replied calmly: "You can drink it."
"The best drink. I have been in seclusion for many years. I never thought that the world would suddenly have a mouthful of Wuliangye. It is really the best wine in the world. Even the many tribute wines in the palace are not as good as this wine. It's just this.
Wine is extremely expensive, comparable to gold, which is really shameful. I don’t know which profiteer has defrauded so many people who are good at wine.”
"Ahem..." Xia Shang coughed awkwardly, but also wanted to defend himself, "This is the best aged wine in Wuliangye. It is said that one bottle is difficult to find among a hundred bottles, so it is naturally as valuable as gold. The old timer is not far away.
If you settle for the second best and insist on drinking the best, you will naturally have to pay a price."
"Oh? Do you want to drink this wine?"
"Of course, I drank quite a lot."
The old Taoist became interested: "Then do you think this Wuliangye tastes like cooking wine?"
Xia Shang smiled bitterly: "It changes after cooking. The aroma is lost and the essence is missing. A good pot of wine was ruined by an old man."
The old Taoist frowned: "I drank a glass of wine, and you didn't say so."
"But everyone has their own preferences when it comes to drinking. If the seniors think it tastes good, just cook it and drink it."
"Then tell me, how should I drink this wine?"
"It's best to drink it right from the pot."
"Then I've tasted such a good wine. I always have to try and find different ways to eat it."
"If you insist on changing the way you eat it, it's better to chill it. When the wine is over ice, the flavor becomes stronger and shrinks. After you drink it, it feels like needles pricking your taste buds. It's so beautiful, and it won't destroy the original taste of the wine, and it won't lose the aroma of the wine."
"Is this method really good?
"Of course, it's a pity that there is no ice now."
"Isn't it easy to get ice?"
The old Taoist smiled and raised his hand for luck, and a burst of white mist evaporated from his hand. The temperature in the side hall dropped sharply, as if he had traveled to the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month.
Xia Shang looked surprised and thought to himself, is there such a thing?
Within a moment, the warm wine began to emit a burst of cold air, and you could feel the coldness of the wine while sitting on the side.
However, when the wine that was heated first is chilled, the taste of the wine has actually changed.
Xia Shang wanted to tell Lao Tao, but he saw Lao Tao's expression, which seemed to be a smile but not a smile.
Xia Shang suddenly realized that it was not that the old man didn't understand wine, but he took the opportunity to show his ability to Xia Shang.
"Old seniors don't need to prove their abilities, juniors will naturally understand."
The old man narrowed his eyes: "I just like your aura."
"So, the old man is..."
"No rush!" The old Taoist suddenly interrupted, "Your performance is very good, but it doesn't mean that you can sit down as the owner of the village. The Hero Village is the inheritance of our group of old ghosts and our ancestors, and it is not trivial. I need to know more about you.
More. Moreover, there are still many untested in the previous tests. Basically speaking, your kung fu is your Achilles’ heel.”
"Didn't you say that it's not just about kung fu?"
"Although it doesn't all depend on kung fu, kung fu has to be looked at."
Xia Shang nodded: "I understand. Money is not everything, and money is everything, right?"
The old Taoist was stunned. This was the first time he heard such wonderful words. He smiled and said, "That makes sense."
"But I'm really not good at practicing martial arts, but I have many ways to do things that martial arts can't do."
"Martial arts is just a means of self-protection. It's okay if you have other alchemists who can protect yourself. I promised that once approved by me, I will give you the "Book of Heaven" that everyone in the world dreams of. This thing is not trivial, I want it
Determine whether you have the ability to protect the Book of Heaven."
"How to confirm?"
"It's very simple. Kill someone and show me."
Xia Shang frowned: "Who to kill?"
"You may not face ordinary people in the future, and I will give you one last test. Have you seen all the people who came today? They are your opponents, and they may also be your enemies in the future.
They are not lucky yet. I will give you one day to get rid of one of these people and bring back the head. Then I can safely hand over the Book of Heaven to you."
Xia Shang's heart sank, thinking that this test was indeed not that easy, but the final test turned out to be to kill an opponent!
"What? Are you scared?" The old Taoist saw Xia Shang's hesitation and whispered, "In terms of martial arts, you are not as good as any of them. But, if you want to prove your true ability, you will not be able to kill people. In this world
, if you want to live, you have to kill others first. I wonder if you understand?"
His anger became weird, and Xia Shang was silent for a while: "The old man's truth may be right at a certain time. But I can't agree to such a test. It's not that I'm afraid, but this is not the principle of my life. Others have no grievances against me.
Why do I want hatred from others? If you have to kill people if you want to live, there is no need to continue living in this world. Although I am not a saint, I always keep my heart. I just lost an important sister. This
I have been thinking about how to take revenge and how to kill people for a few days... But I thought of that girl's smile when she died, and I suddenly realized that I should not destroy the beauty of this world. If the old man insists on asking, then I can only thank him here.
Senior’s wine.”
After saying that, Xia Shang stood up, picked up the drink, drank it all, then turned around and was about to leave.
"What Hero Village wants is a hero. Having good intentions and sticking to your heart are the prerequisites for becoming a hero. If you agree to my test, then you have failed."
Xia Shang was stunned by Lao Dao's words. When he looked back, he saw Lao Dao smiling.
"Why are you still standing there? Sit down."
Xia Shang hesitated for a moment and returned to his seat.
"I have a strange nickname. I call myself the Drunkard Immortal, but no one knows my real name. My real name is Chu Fengtian, and I am one hundred and thirty years old this year."
"Chu Fengtian..." Xia Shang murmured to himself, always feeling that he had seen this name in some ancient book.
The old Taoist did not hide anything and reminded him kindly: "There was an emperor in the previous dynasty who sought immortality and became a demon."
"Chu Fengtian! The former Emperor Qingyuan!" Xia Shang was so shocked that he almost bit his tongue, his eyes widened, and his scalp was numb.
Xia Shang had read the history books of this era. Emperor Fengtian Qingyuan of Chu was the penultimate emperor of the previous dynasty. It was rumored that this man was deceived by a demon during his reign. He was obsessed with immortality and cultivating immortals. When he was only twenty, he abandoned the world to find the path to immortality.
It can be said that he was an extremely stupid emperor.
Rumor has it that he has disappeared. Who would have thought that he would still be alive after more than a hundred years?
"No need to doubt it, whether you believe it or not, I just want to ask you one question, do you want to learn martial arts?" (To be continued)