Minglong

Chapter 260: Today I have wine, now I am drunk

The night is getting darker.

The two-story building is located diagonally above Yinlongtan, offering a bird's-eye view of the entire scenic area. Surrounded by bamboo forests, it was originally a quiet and elegant place to receive important guests.

However, Xie Jinhuan underestimated his current fame. As news of his arrival at Fengshan spread, many female warriors and their wives flocked to the vicinity of the residence to see the handsome man, and a few nosy girls were even shouting:
"Thank you, my love... Thank you, my love..."

The sect leaders who had met at the confluence of the three rivers also came to pay their respects one after another. Xie Jinhuan was a little overwhelmed with them. In the end, it was Duan Yuechou who helped to block out the wandering martial artists who wanted to make friends. He also sent several disciples to stand guard at the intersection so that they wouldn't be disturbed and unable to sleep.

The two-story building was brightly lit, and the tables were laden with a sumptuous feast, mostly wild game from Fengshan.

Coal Ball squatted on the table, engrossed in showing off, while Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo examined a wine jar on the table.

The wine jar contains the renowned "Number One Under Heaven," a masterpiece by the wine sage Fan Tusu, corresponding to Hero's Tears, but with a completely different level of scarcity. It is said that only a few jars are produced each year, and without the ability of "Number One Under Heaven," one cannot even smell its aroma.

According to Duan Yuechou, this jar of wine was something he had kept when he was young, and he originally intended to open it only after becoming the number one person in the martial arts world. However, after meeting Xie Jinhuan, he felt that he would never have the chance to open it in his life. Since Xie Jinhuan had helped him a lot today, he decided to use this jar of wine to entertain him.

Xie Jinhuan thought that even his father probably wouldn't dare to eat this thing if he saw it. He examined it carefully and asked:

"MoMo, have you ever drunk this wine?"

Linghu Qingmo had never seen this wine before and was also eager to know why it could attract so many immortals. After a moment's consideration, he said:
"It is said that only the best people in the world can taste this wine. I estimate it is stronger than a hero's tears, and ordinary people cannot withstand it. This jar of wine has been stored for decades. Why don't you leave it unopened for now and open it after you reach the summit of the mountain, so as not to waste it?"

Xie Jinhuan's motto was "Enjoy life while you can," and as for reaching the pinnacle of power, he was already the best in the world; why would he lack such things? He turned his head immediately:
"Your Highness, would you like to try some?"

Zhao Ling wasn't sitting in the living room, but rather in the bathroom next door, looking quite conflicted.

"Not all alcohol tastes the same. There's nothing particularly good about it. You decide for yourself."

Xie Jinhuan saw his landlady go to take a shower while eating, and he understood what she meant.

Zhao Ling has always been the type to throw parties whenever he has free time. Without fine wine, life would be just as boring as without a close female friend.

Now that such a rare item as "the best in the world" is on the table, its allure is no less than that of ten wives standing side by side in front of him, stretching like cats. If he is not allowed to touch it, it would be the death of him.

When the wine was delivered, Zhao Ling's eyes lit up, just like Coal Ball's when he saw a table full of dishes.

However, Zhao Ling obviously couldn't open such a rare item on her own initiative, nor did she want him to see that she was craving it. That's why she pretended to be indifferent and ran to the side to avoid making things difficult for him.

Xie Jinhuan was already curious, and seeing that the two girls were the same, it was clear that this jar of wine couldn't be kept any longer. So he unwrapped the red cloth sealing the package:
"Drink today, for tomorrow we die. This jar of wine weighs three catties. Let's drink one catty today, and take the rest back for Wanyi and the others to try. We'll also give Da Biaozi and the others a cup or two each..."

Seeing that Xie Jinhuan had already opened the wine seal, Linghu Qingmo didn't say anything more. He leaned closer, smelled it out of curiosity, and the result was:

boo~
Xie Jinhuan turned around and stole a kiss on Mo Mo's cheek.

Linghu Qingmo frowned, but considering Xie Jinhuan's outstanding chivalrous behavior today, he did not use electrotherapy and even secretly bit Xie Jinhuan in the face.

Bobo~
As the two secretly flirted, the wine was unsealed, and a faint fragrance wafted into the room.

The aroma of the wine wasn't strong, and it didn't feel as pungent as Hero's Tears, to the point that Xie Jinhuan wondered if it had evaporated due to improper sealing.

Linghu Qingmo was also a little puzzled. He picked up a wine ladle and scooped up the clear, jade-like liquid to examine it:
"It's so weak, it smells almost like fruit wine..."

Wow~
Before Xie Jinhuan could even give his opinion, he heard the sound of water splashing in the bathroom. It must be that the landlady had discovered the wine had been opened and couldn't resist coming out to taste it.

As expected, in the blink of an eye, the door to the room behind was pushed open.

Looking back, I saw the landlady, wearing a knee-length nightgown that revealed her two large, white arms, walking barefoot out of the house. The bright red fabric was not transparent, but it was extremely smooth, and the outline of her waist and hips was faintly visible as she walked, so I guessed she was still wearing nothing underneath...

?

Xie Jinhuan was slightly taken aback. Before he could get a good look, his girlfriend covered his eyes, and then he heard her shy and reproachful words:

"Ling'er, are you crazy? How could you run out dressed like that..."

"I didn't expose anything, what are you afraid of..."

Zhao Ling casually took a thin blanket from the clothes rack and draped it over her back as a shawl. She sat down at the table and noticed that Qing Mo was holding a wine ladle in one hand and covering his eyes with the other, the ladle tilting slightly. She quickly steadied him.
"Don't spill it."

He leaned closer to smell it and explained earnestly:

"What do you mean it's similar to fruit wine? This is just freshly opened and the aroma hasn't dissipated yet."

Linghu Qingmo was somewhat speechless. She raised her hand and pulled her skirt down past her knees, covering her fair legs.

"Yes, you know best. I don't know who was it that said there wasn't much to drink..."

"Since it's already open, I naturally have to check it out..."

……

Xie Jinhuan's eyes were released, and upon seeing this, he shook his head and smiled. Since they were all quite curious, they took out the wine set and poured a cup for each of them to taste together.

Xie Jinhuan was knocked out on the spot when he first drank Hero's Tears in Danyang, but this jar of wine was of a higher grade, so he was naturally not careless and took a small sip first.

Surprisingly, compared to the fierce and spicy Hero's Tears, the best in the world is much milder. It leaves a lingering fragrance and doesn't feel too stimulating. It gives people a sense of tranquility, like reaching the pinnacle and settling all grudges, leaving no ripples in their hearts.

Linghu Qingmo took a sip and found that it really didn't have much of an effect, which made him wonder:

"Are you sure this isn't fruit wine?"

After taking a sip of the wine, Zhao Ling could feel the lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth, and a slight warmth in her chest and abdomen. It was indeed a rare and excellent wine, but compared to the "best in the world" she had imagined, it was still a bit disappointing. So she took another sip and savored it carefully.
"Hmm... Could this title of 'Number One Under Heaven' be a warning from the Wine Saint Fan Tusu to future generations that once you reach the peak, all that remains is loneliness and boredom, with no more of the magnificent journey you took?"

Xie Jinhuan pondered it carefully and felt that it did have some meaning, then chuckled softly.

"No wonder we don't have the skill of the best in the world; we can't really appreciate the taste. We're at the age where we're still trying to make our way in the world, so we really can't understand this flavor. But it's good this way; it saves us from worrying about it every day in the future."

Zhao Ling had long coveted the title of the world's number one, but now that he had broken his vow, he felt that he had not met his expectations and was quite disappointed.

However, since the wine had already been opened and tasted quite good, they didn't say anything more and started toasting and drinking with Xie Jinhuan as usual.

The idea behind "Number One Under Heaven" is indeed about returning to peace after being invincible. The three of them felt this way as soon as they took a bite, and that was certainly true.

However, it is clear that the three of them overlooked a very important issue—Fan Tusu was a wine sage, not an old scholar who preached all day long. Taste and name of wine are just extras. The original intention of winemaking is to let people drink to their heart's content.

During cultivation, the body becomes so strong that even spells and magic spells can hardly induce hallucinations, let alone ordinary alcohol. Once one reaches the upper three ranks, ordinary alcoholic beverages can hardly stimulate the body. Therefore, drinks like Hero's Tears are 'alcoholic beverages' made with various medicinal herbs, with the aim of allowing even the most advanced ancestors to rediscover the feeling of being on cloud nine.

The best in the world is the "equality of all beings" celestial brew. Its taste is not special, but its power is so strong that even immortals can drink it until they have a lisp.

After a few drinks, Xie Jinhuan noticed his blood rushing to his head, fine sweat appearing on his forehead, and a tingling sensation spreading through his limbs. He gradually began to appreciate the wonders of the wine.

Linghu Qingmo and Zhao Ling also gradually realized that the wine was unusual, but by the time they realized something was wrong, they were already intoxicated.

Then the three of them got lively. Xie Jinhuan got up, grabbed some musical instruments, and started playing Daqian electronic music to liven things up.

Zhao Ling, slightly tipsy, stood up and danced the butterfly steps to the rhythm, with Linghu Qingmo joining in as well.

Coal Ball was eating when it saw the three of them starting to go crazy. Big Momo even wanted to pull it by the wings to dance to Paradise, so it quickly grabbed its roasted lamb leg and hid to the side, leaving the three of them dancing wildly in the dimly lit room...
-
Meanwhile, outside the small building.

The circular, cold pool reflects the starry sky and moonlight. There are no longer any tourists watching, only a stone statue standing on the edge of the pool.

Dressed in a long red dress, Ye Hongshang stood on the terrace, holding an umbrella, gazing at the shimmering cold pool, a hint of doubt in her beautiful eyes.

After gazing at it for a long time, he flipped up his right hand and a transparent crystal ball appeared, which he pointed at the pool of water below.

The crystal ball was originally empty, but as it covered the pool, the scenery inside began to change through the transparent sphere: the grass and trees shrank back into new buds, and then the dead wood turned into new trees.

People come and go in a blur, and there are always people offering prayers towards the pond.

After retreating in this way for an unknown period of time, the surrounding buildings and statues disappeared, and the surrounding area turned into a desolate wilderness. Occasionally, people would stop here and then leave, until they retreated back to the starting point of everything.

The mountain remains the same mountain, but an eight- or nine-year-old child, clutching a bundle of firewood, floats shivering in the pool. At the edge of the pool, a black bear roars angrily downwards but dares not jump into the bottomless depths.

The child held the machete with fear in his eyes, but there was nothing he could do. After an unknown period of stalemate, it seemed as if God suddenly opened his eyes.

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the otherwise ordinary pool. The black bear, its eyes filled with bloodlust, turned and fled into the forest as if it had seen a dragon or python. The child also looked at the bottom of the water in panic. After confirming that they were out of danger, they climbed ashore and kowtowed to the pool to thank the gods for their protection.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the rippling pool, golden scales faintly emerge, reflecting a pit on the mountainside.

The child followed the directions to the pit and found a ball of white light. When he returned, the strange phenomenon at the bottom of the pool had vanished without a trace.

The child was puzzled by this, but from then on, he would carry firewood to the pond every day and kowtow several times. As the years went by, he grew bigger and started to practice his knife skills by the pond, then he would meditate and practice his skills, and then he would fly and disappear...

As their power grew, the children would often call out by the pool, hoping to see the deity who had once granted them this opportunity again.

But the visions he had witnessed in his childhood never reappeared, and the child could only talk to himself, recounting his recent deeds to the gods.

From his initial bold acts of slaying demons and upholding justice, to later quelling wars, unifying the north and south, and then suppressing various schools of thought, establishing his own religion and claiming ancestor status...

Although the childhood vision was never seen again, the child seemed to have come to understand, as he grew up, which deity had given him the help he had in his childhood.

Therefore, the last time the child appeared by the pond, he was now an old man with white hair, holding two iron maces, and offering his final prayer by the pond:
“The God saved my life and bestowed upon me a lifetime of glory. I should repay him with a thousandfold gratitude, but as a human being, I cannot disregard the fate of heaven and earth for the sake of attaining immortality. I can only forge these twin maces and leave them here, hoping that the God can find another destined person.”

After speaking, the child, whose life was nearing its end, dispersed his energy and disintegrated by the icy pool. His flesh, blood, skin, and bones transformed into endless spiritual energy, scattering into mountains, rivers, valleys, and every blade of grass and tree, leaving only his two maces lying beside the empty pool. There was no response from within the icy pool, as if it had never cared about saving a child's life, nor whether the child would repay the favor.

Perhaps in the eyes of the gods, He was just bored and casually gave some advice to a seemingly capable little bug.

Then, as time passed, someone unexpectedly came to this place and picked up the double maces. Then, the Duan family ancestor found this place, and many buildings and statues appeared in the surrounding area.

Countless martial artists came to visit, making the area around the pool crowded. Among them was a young scholar with a sword who, imitating others, threw a copper coin into the pool.

As the copper coin fell into the water, the scholar unexpectedly discovered a fleeting golden scale at the bottom of the pool, as well as a mountain wilderness in the Western Rong region.

The two strange phenomena were not very different, but nearly two thousand years had passed in the human world below the mountain...

……

Ye Hongshang put away the crystal ball, looked down at the cold pool below, his eyes thoughtful, and he roughly understood the origin of the pool.

However, since her memories were sealed away, she still had some doubts and muttered to herself:
"How could I know these things... Could it be that I am also a chosen one...?"
-
The next day.

The rising sun illuminated the snow-capped peaks of the mountains and also spilled onto the terrace of the small building.

The coal ball stood on the railing, facing the wind. Perhaps it had eaten too much, for its amber eyes revealed a hint of despair.

Inside the small building, wine glasses, dice, and musical instruments were scattered haphazardly throughout the living room.

In the bedroom, three breaths rose and fell evenly.

Xie Jinhuan lay on the floor, his cheeks still flushed from the hangover. His eyes blinked as he dreamt a sweet dream: Luo Jing's small building, his left arm around Bing Tuozi, and his right arm around Sister Bu. His ghost wife was even performing a celestial dance in the living room with red ribbons hanging from her arm—how delightful!

However, the ice block in the dream was a little disobedient; it even pushed his hand away when he touched it.

As for Sister Bu, she was more well-behaved and didn't react much except for holding his hand...

Xie Jinhuan was initially enjoying himself, but as time went on, he suddenly realized that something was wrong with the dream.

In reality, Bing Tuozi is the God of Supervision, while Sister Bu is a mature and sophisticated woman.

But the modeling in the dream seems to be reversed!
?

After Xie Jinhuan noticed the inconsistency, more anomalies appeared, such as Bing Tuozi's figure being a size smaller, and Sister Bu's chest size being incorrect, etc.

After the doubts reached their peak, consciousness returned to the mind, and the person opened their eyes groggily.

The rooftop came into view, the subtle fragrance of dark orchids filled the air, and the imposing ghost perched above my head, its eyes carrying a hint of mockery:

"You're awake? Did you sleep well?"

"Uh……"

Xie Jinhuan clearly had a blackout. After thinking carefully, she remembered drinking wine with her landlady, Mo Mo, last night, and then...

The landlady and Momo...

hiss……

Xie Jinhuan suddenly woke up and then realized that there were indeed two warm and soft bodies leaning against him.

Looking to the left, Mo Mo was also lying on the floor, her white robe spread open, revealing her undergarment and thin trousers. She was leaning on a shoulder, her cheeks flushed and still unconscious.

His hand slipped inside his pants, and it was hard to pinpoint exactly where it was warm, but it was definitely moist...

Xie Jinhuan's expression stiffened slightly, and his gaze shifted to the right, where he could see that the landlady was alright and had not taken off her clothes.

But yesterday, the landlady rushed out to taste wine, wearing only a red nightgown. Now, she's lying on her side, using his arm as a pillow, with her right leg draped over him. As she lifts her leg, the loose nightgown slips down to her waist, revealing her egg-like thighs and full-moon curves. She's also wearing a pair of shorts with a bow...

He was clearly not behaving himself in his sleep; his hand was on his conscience, but the landlady grabbed it, and his brow furrowed slightly, clearly sensing the intrusion of his bodyguard…

Damn it...

Xie Jinhuan realized something was wrong and quickly looked up at the ghost wife, asking what he had done.

Ye Hongshang shrugged slightly: "Don't worry, I didn't do anything, I was just drunk and acting crazy."

As she spoke, she picked up the crystal ball and played back the scene of the three of them having a party last night.

Xie Jinhuan looked closely and saw that he was fine at first, but as the alcohol took effect, he transformed into a pipa king, and the two girls swayed and bounced around.

Then the scene became increasingly bizarre; he started drinking upside down and performing acrobatics, taking big strides and shrugging his shoulders to play with lumps of coal like basketballs...

The landlady played rock-paper-scissors with Coal Ball to bet on dried fish, and she won every time, which made Coal Ball so angry that it flew away...

Mo Mo got a little tipsy and, following his advice, unbuttoned his collar and poured the wine into his chest, making him drink milk wine...

The landlady wanted to learn, but was chased and beaten by Momo, who was possessive of her food...

Oh my god...

Xie Jinhuan looked surprised, worried that a double whammy might follow.

Fortunately, the alcohol was really strong, and soon all three of them were too weak to jump around. He took the two of them back to their room to rest, and then they all collapsed on the way.

Xie Jinhuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that the situation was a bit difficult to explain, he tried to quietly withdraw his hands and get up, but as soon as he made the movement, he heard noises from both sides at the same time:
"Whoo~"

Zhao Ling had drunk a bit too much and only vaguely woke up when she noticed the person next to her acting restlessly. Her expression froze, and she abruptly sat up, looking at the person beside her with a slightly dazed expression.

"Xie Jinhuan? You... why are you sleeping in my room?"

Linghu Qingmo had slept with Xie Jinhuan before, so she didn't think much of being woken up. She just instinctively pushed her hand away, and only woke up instantly when she heard a sound from nearby.
"Ah—Waaaaah~"

Xie Jinhuan quickly sat up and covered Momo's little mouth:

"Shh~ There are so many people outside, don't shout. I'm dressed, I didn't do anything, I was just lying down and resting after getting drunk..."

Zhao Ling quickly checked her clothes and found that her skirt had almost slipped up to her waist. She hurriedly pulled it down, her face flushed and her words incoherent:
What did you do to me?

"I didn't do anything, I'm still dressed. I just drank way too much last night..."

Stab~
A burst of lightning!

Linghu Qingmo had no memory of what happened last night, but judging from the fact that both sisters were disheveled, this lecherous man must have gotten away with it. She immediately transformed into Pikachu, her eyes turning slightly cold:
"Ling'er is the eldest princess of the Great Qian Dynasty, how dare you offend her like this..."

"I didn't mean any offense, I just lay down for a bit... Ouch~"

Xie Jinhuan was pinched on the lower back by Mo Mo. Since he was in the wrong, he couldn't dodge. He just quickly helped the two of them up.

"Drinking really leads to trouble. I can't do that again. I have important things to do, so I'd better get ready..."

Zhao Ling didn't remember what she had done last night, but she did remember where Xie Jinhuan's hand had been. And in her hazy state, it seemed someone had touched her tiger-like body, which is why she grabbed it, and then moved it elsewhere…

"..."

Zhao Ling's face flushed red and her mind was in turmoil. She didn't know what to say, so she got up and ran behind the screen to find her clothes.

Linghu Qingmo hurriedly closed his clothes and pushed Xie Jinhuan's shoulders with both hands:

"Get out of here! I'll settle the score with you later..."

"Sigh, I really didn't do anything..."

Click~
Xie Jinhuan was pushed out the door, and before she could say a few words of comfort, the door was closed.

Then came rustling sounds and conversations from inside:
"I told you not to dress like that, but you insisted it was fine. Now look what happened!"

"Didn't you say it was fruit wine? How was I supposed to know it would have such a strong aftereffect..."

……

Xie Jinhuan felt slightly embarrassed and didn't want to interrupt, so he coughed lightly, straightened his robes, and began tidying up the living room to avoid being laughed at by the host family later.

But after tidying up for a while, he noticed Coal Ball standing on the balcony, staring at him with a slightly fierce look in his eyes!
"Uh……"

Xie Jinhuan knew the reason, and feeling guilty, he picked up the leftover dried fish:

"Are you hungry? Come and get something to eat..."

"Gooji!"

Seeing that Xie Jinhuan had regained consciousness, Coal Ball went up and used a "hawk's claw" move, followed by "double wings piercing ears" and "eighteen dragon wings," hitting Xie Jinhuan's head like a basketball. Along the way, it even practiced the "Iron Mountain Lean" move with its back turned, for reasons unknown...

Crackling...

(End of this chapter)