The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 198 Wine

“But every year there are still lands, or the souls of the Lingnong are scattered.”

The woman in red spoke casually, glancing at Ding Lin with a look that was half a reminder and half a warning, carrying a profound meaning.

As we spoke, we passed through the peach grove.

A small, emerald-green pool appeared before them, spanning five miles in circumference, lying between two peach groves. The surface of the pool was shrouded in mist, with wisps of spiritual fog rising from it.

The surrounding spiritual energy suddenly became denser, and the difference in perception was more than ten times stronger than when I first entered the Peach Garden from the outside world. In other words, the spiritual energy within this small pool was a hundred times stronger than outside and a thousand times stronger than in the mortal world. One day of cultivation here was equivalent to three years in the upper and lower realms.

"We've arrived," the red-clad fairy said, stopping at the edge of the pool. "This is the area you will be in charge of from now on. This pool is used to irrigate the purple-veined peaches. The water in the pool is also extraordinary; it is water from the Pure Bottle. The daily usage and water level will be handled by designated personnel, so you don't need to worry about it. You only need to check the water-taking order at Chenshi (7-9 AM) every day. At other times, you can allocate the water as you see fit."

“Remember,” the red-clad fairy’s voice became serious, “this water is limited. Every month at the beginning of the month, the Jade Pool Angels will come to replenish it. When you are cultivating, it is fine to take some spiritual mist, but you must not take the pool water directly, let alone enter it. If you pollute the water source, no one can save you!”

"Thank you for your guidance, sir," Ding Lin said.

"The rules of Heaven dictate that everyone has their own duties and should not leave their posts without permission. I know that you demons of the mortal realm are generally undisciplined. Let me say this one last time: no matter what you were like before, this is Heaven. Once you're part of the system, you must abide by the rules. As the local deity, you should guard this pool properly and not wander off," the red-clad fairy concluded.

Is that true?
Ding Lin's eyes flickered, but he still obediently agreed.

"So be it." The red-clad fairy waved her sleeve, and her figure vanished.

"See the master off!" Ding Lin paused for a moment, then bowed, as if he was a beat late.

It took him a long time to straighten up again.

Alone again, his gaze returned to normal. He looked around, first at the peach grove he had come from, then at the opposite side. Most of the 1,200 purple-striped peaches were laden with fruit, the size of a baby's fist, bright red, dotting the jade-like peach leaves. The abundant fruit made one's mouth water, wondering which set of teeth would eventually devour them.

Ding Lin's eyes were deep and unfathomable. He was lost in thought for a moment, then pulled himself back and slowly strolled around the pool.

On the other side of the pool, near the nine-thousand-year-old peach, there is a small pavilion, which should have been the residence built by his predecessor.

Ding Lin stopped in the pavilion. This side was different again; perhaps because it was closer to the Purple-Veined Peach, the spiritual energy was nearly half again as concentrated. He estimated that one day of cultivation here would be equivalent to five years in the upper and lower realms.
There's a reason why the pavilion was built here.

Simply getting closer has such an effect; what a scene it would be if one were actually in that peach grove.

What would it taste like to take a bite of a peach?

May you live as long as the heavens and be as old as the sun and moon!
Ding Lin recalled the description of the purple-veined peach in the original novel.

He looked away.

Do not act without authorization.

Right now, these things are naturally beyond his reach, but times change, and who can say for sure what will happen in time?
The small pavilion is equipped with a table, a stone bench, and all the necessary furniture.

Ding Lin sat down on the stone bench, pondered for a while, then closed his eyes, ceasing all other thoughts. He appeared to be dozing, but in reality, he resumed his cultivation.

...Eastern Continent of Divine Victory, Flower and Fruit Mountain.

The clamor and rampage of demons drowned out the thunderous roar of the waterfall.

The once blessed land has become filthy and desolate. Hundreds of thousands of demons wield swords and have turned Flower Fruit Mountain into a mess, with demonic energy soaring into the sky.

Inside the Water Curtain Cave, guests and hosts took their seats.

The stone monkey occupies the main position.

“Brother, your presence here is growing ever stronger.” A bird-headed, human-bodied demon laughed from the guest seats. “You’ve outshone us older brothers. We’re still just playing around, but you have such an impressive presence, elder brother.” Peng Demon King looked at the bull-headed, human-bodied demon at the head of the table. “Brothers, you’re all very knowledgeable. The youngest brother’s presence here is not much different from those demon kingdoms in Beiju Luzhou, is it?”

"Next time we meet, I'll probably have to call you Lord Sun," said the Bull Demon King, picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks.

"Haha!" The stone monkey grinned, revealing two rows of sharp teeth, and laughed heartily. However, he pretended to be modest and said, "Big brother, third brother, why say such things? Back then, we became sworn brothers simply because we met on the road and hit it off. What country or lord? Today, at this banquet, let's just talk about our brotherhood and not anything else!"

As he spoke these words, the smugness on the stone monkey's face could not be concealed. Or rather, he never intended to hide it. He was like a smug child, listening to the sounds of battle coming from outside the training room, shaking his head and swaying his head. The pheasant feathers on his purple-gold crown swayed, and his golden armor was fully displayed.

"Let's drink!"

The Bull Demon King raised the large bowl,
"Let's drink!"

Sun Wukong and Peng Demon King raised their cups together, the wine swirling in mid-air before being gulped down in one go, seemingly displaying great generosity.

Opposite the Bull Demon King, the man in blue took a small sip.

"Second Brother," the stone monkey said somewhat discontentedly, "you're always like this, never even enjoying a drink!"

Fu Hai didn't speak, but put down his wine bowl and glanced at Sun Wukong. The latter immediately shut his mouth. He had been beaten by Fu Hai before, and just now, fueled by the wine and flattered by the two demons, the Bull Demon King, he had become a little arrogant. Normally, he would never have dared to say such things.

“Just drink your own wine,” Fu Hai said.

"Seventh Brother, you know your Second Brother doesn't like drinking. You just wanted to keep me and Big Brother company while we ate, but you had to be nosy and got scolded by Second Brother." Peng Demon King chuckled.

Today, the Water Curtain Cave is just a regular banquet, not a gathering of the seven demons. Therefore, not all the demons have gathered; only Sun Wukong, the Bull Demon King, the Roc Demon King, and the four sea-overturning demons are present.

The Bull Demon King picked up the large bowl, took a sip of wine, nodded in satisfaction, and changed the subject: "This monkey wine is quite good. It is clearly just a mortal fruit, but it has the taste of celestial brew. Apart from lacking spiritual energy, it has almost no flaws."

"This wine is quite good," the Bull Demon King smacked his lips and nodded in satisfaction. "Brother, your winemaking skills in the mountains are getting better and better. The taste is not much worse than the celestial nectar."

"The nectar and jade liquor are just famous. I've drunk it a few times, but it's just showing off its spiritual energy. If you ask me, this monkey wine, apart from lacking spiritual energy, tastes better than the nectar!" said Peng Demon King.

"I've never tasted heavenly wine before," the stone monkey said longingly.

(End of this chapter)