Divine Tang Era

Chapter 169 The Unattainable Lord of Yinlong Pavilion

Xu Dan returned to the house, and before he could even use his internal energy to refine the effects of the Crimson Blood Pearl, he felt his head spinning.

She collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep.

Downstairs in the hot pot restaurant, Rui Wuni subconsciously looked up, her gaze seemingly piercing through the layers of wooden planks to land on the person inside. Seeing that his breathing was even and normal, a hint of warmth quietly spread through her somewhat cold eyes.

The three stars, Pleiades Star Lord, Winnowing Basket Star Lord, and Wood Star Lord, exchanged a glance and continued drinking.

At this moment, within Xu Dan's body, the power of the Crimson Blood Pearl's wine was transforming into surging, scalding blood and qi, like a wild dragon breaking free of its restraints, roaring and surging through his meridians, wantonly stirring up the waves of blood and qi, as if to shatter all the shackles of this body. But this frenzied power did not enjoy its triumph for long. The Hidden Profound Cauldron, located deep within the center of his body, trembled slightly, its mysterious patterns lighting up, absorbing all of this blood and qi power like a whale swallowing its prey.

In a short while, the violent power of the alcohol was refined into pure blood and qi, which gently sank into the dantian.

I don't know how much time passed.

When Xu Dan woke up, he felt an indescribable sense of comfort throughout his body. It was as if his meridians had been soaked in warm water. He was so comfortable that he couldn't help but stretch. He didn't have the usual headache and sluggishness that he usually felt after drinking.

Feeling that the Bloody Sauvignon was good, he decided to go to the general store and buy all the remaining wine.

His gaze swept over the headboard, and he suddenly paused, startled.

I got drunk last night and fell asleep as soon as I lay down on the bed. I don't know who took off my clothes and shoes, and put a new set on me, which was neatly placed on the bedside table and had a faint fragrance.

After getting dressed and opening the window, the blinding sunlight made him squint, only then realizing it was already noon.

In other words, he had slept for a whole day. He couldn't help but gasp: the potency of this Crimson Blood Pearl was far too strong, allowing him to sleep for so long.

"Hmm..."

Suddenly, he noticed that his strength seemed to have increased. He focused his mind and looked inward, only to see that behind the mysterious patterns that had been lit up inside the Hidden Profound Cauldron, another mysterious pattern was missing only a small corner before it could light up completely. In other words, the amount of blood energy contained in the Crimson Blood Pearl he drank yesterday was more than what he had replenished by eating beast meat for half a month. It was truly amazing.

It seems I need to eat more animal meat today to replenish my energy and blood, and try to light up the second mysterious pattern.

One pattern represents 100,000 units of force, two patterns would represent 200,000 units—just thinking about it is exciting.

With this strength, you can live a life of plenty no matter what you do, even if you're just a porter at the docks, you can still make a fortune.

He moved around a little, and his joints cracked. Going downstairs, he saw Little Magpie sitting at the top of the stairs, her little head propped up, with the little eagle and black bear obediently beside her. Hearing footsteps, Little Magpie immediately turned her head, her eyes lighting up when she saw Xu Dan. She happily exclaimed, "Brother, you're awake!"

"Hmm, have you eaten?" Xu Dan walked over and patted her head.

"I'm full," Little Magpie said proudly, puffing out her round little belly.

"Young master, you're awake?" Yunniang walked over carrying a stack of plates. Seeing him come downstairs, she greeted him with a smile, "You must be hungry after sleeping for so long. Go wash your face. I've left you some hot food."

"it is good."

After finishing his meal, Xu Dan returned to the restaurant and found it packed with people, with all the tables and chairs occupied.

Steaming hot pot vapors filled the air, mingling with the aromas of meat and wine, and the laughter of diners, creating a lively atmosphere that seemed to lift the roof off. Mother and Rui Wuni moved back and forth between tables and chairs, constantly serving guests.

Watching their busy figures, Xu Dan felt that the recruitment process needed to be sped up.

He had originally planned to move the statue of Xuanwu Zhenjun upstairs, but now it seems that's not an option.

Business is so good, they might as well clear out the upstairs area and convert it into private rooms. As for Xuanwu Zhenjun, they can simply build a courtyard in the back and move there. I suppose Zhenjun can understand his predicament.

As I walked to the door, I noticed that fine snowflakes were falling from the sky.

A cold wind swept across the street corner, carrying snowflakes, and the rooftops in the distance were quickly covered with a thin layer of white frost.

In the distance, amidst the vast snow-covered landscape, a figure in white slowly emerges.

The man walked through the snow, his robes fluttering in the wind, yet not a speck of snow touched him. He seemed to blend into the snow and wind, yet also stood apart from them, extraordinary and unique. His white robe rustled in the wind, and a piece of jade at his waist swayed gently with each step, reflecting a warm, jade-like luster against the snow.

Lin Qing's steps were neither hurried nor slow, yet he left no trace on the snow.

Fine snowflakes landed on my shoulders and melted away in an instant.

He slightly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the swirling snow and landing on the hot pot restaurant's signboard.

People say that one feels timid when nearing home. At this moment, though he has not returned home, his chest is churning with emotions more chaotic than the wind and snow.

Knowing she was so close, knowing this love would eventually fade away in the snow, my feet still moved forward involuntarily. Perhaps it was just to hear a familiar laugh, or perhaps just to confirm that her beautiful figure was still safe and sound—that was enough.

Although Xu Dan was surprised that he had come, as the shop owner, he felt obligated to greet his customers. So, he waved and said with a smile, "Master, it's been a long time. Would you like to come in and try our hot pot? I guarantee you'll love it and it will be well worth the trip."

Lin Qing looked at him, his eyes flickering with emotion, and finally simply nodded slightly and said, "Very well."

Once inside the shop, Xu Dan belatedly realized that the tables and chairs were already full. But this didn't stop him; the corner where the statue of Xuanwu Zhenjun was enshrined was still empty, and a few more tables could be placed there.

"Please wait a moment, Master, I'll go get the table."

After saying that, he ran upstairs, retrieved some tables and chairs from the room into his storage ring, and brought them down to set them up.

The once empty corner was instantly filled with tables and chairs.

As for the statue of Xuanwu Zhenjun, it had long been hidden by a screen, and could not be seen at all from the outside. Besides, it was all for business; Zhenjun should understand.

"Would you like your food raw or cooked?"

"Let's have some raw hot pot."

Lin Qing's voice was calm and even, clearly indicating that he had already heard about how to eat hot pot, saving Xu Dan the trouble of explaining.

He was happy to relax and turned around to bring over a hot pot. The remaining meat and vegetables were brought over by Rui Wuni and Yun Niang one after another.

When Rui Wuni walked over with the plate of food, Lin Qing's gaze fell on her. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, as if a thousand words were stuck in his throat, but in the end, he only managed a soft "thank you."

Please enjoy your meal.

Rui Wuni put down the plate of food, turned and left, her voice still calm, the hem of her plain skirt drawing a neat arc in the noise.

Linqing watched her retreating figure, a bitter feeling welling up inside him. A perfectly fitting Hokkien song, "Qian K Nai," drifted through the air with its melancholic melody.

"I walked this road alone; this relationship, how did it turn into helplessness?"

I don't understand, who caused my sorrow, this feeling of having nowhere to go, nowhere to retreat, wanting to speak but unable to utter a sound, wanting to reach out and try to salvage the situation? A final farewell, from now on, you and I, hand in hand...

Xu Dan seemed to sense something and looked at Lin Qing with a puzzled expression, but unfortunately, he couldn't discern anything from his face. Seeing him sitting there alone, he walked over and asked, "Sect Leader, would you like a drink?"

"What kind of wine do you have?" Lin Qing tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a faint smile.

"Red Blood Sauvage, it's incredibly delicious. Wait a moment, I'll get you a glass."

Xu Dan ran to get a wine glass, only to find that the shop had neither, nor a wine pot. The shop had opened hastily and had nothing; he'd have to buy some later. Since there were no wine glasses, he'd have to use a bowl instead, and as for the wine pot, he'd use the jade gourd he'd bought yesterday. The shop owner must be quite wealthy; he shouldn't be trying to rip him off with his jade gourd.

"Gurgle..."

The wine, once poured into the bowl, turned a bloody red and released a fragrant aroma.

"It tastes good." Lin Qing nodded.

"Of course, everyone from Fengzhen Temple was scrambling to drink it yesterday." Xu Dan finished pouring the wine, placed the jade gourd on the table, and was about to leave when he added worriedly, "Master, this jade gourd is a treasure of mine. You must keep a close eye on it for me and make sure no one takes it."

Lin Qing raised an eyebrow, scoffed, and said, "A mere broken gourd dares to call itself a treasure."

"Of course I can't compare to the Pavilion Master. Keep an eye on things for me." Xu Dan said, then turned and left.

Lin Qing picked up the bowl, and the blood-red wine swirled gently inside, releasing a rich aroma instantly. He took a small sip, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes—this wine was three times more potent than ordinary rice wine.

After finishing his work, Xu Dan suddenly remembered the benefits of Crimson Blood Pearl in replenishing qi and blood.

He was thinking of buying some more to keep, both to refine and increase his own power, and to make it a specialty of the hot pot restaurant. But when he excitedly ran to the general store, He Rong told him that those people from Fengzhen Temple had bought all the remaining Crimson Blood Pearls yesterday.

"These guys! They bought it all, leaving me nothing! They're inhuman! I curse them to have sons without an anus!" Xu Dan shouted angrily.

No wonder he was furious. Such a wonderful thing as Crimson Blood Pearl—if he drank more of it, wouldn't his strength increase dramatically? Then, taking down a kid with a single punch would be a piece of cake.

"No need, no need."

He Rong, standing nearby, advised, "It's just a little wine, there's no need to get so angry."

"Why not?" Xu Dan glared and said, "This wine is useful for my cultivation. Besides, if they buy all the wine, how am I supposed to do business with it?"

"We have more than just these in the shop. We have plenty of wine, to say the least," He Rong said with a smile. "Do you have any other good wines in your shop?" Xu Dan's eyes lit up.

"There are plenty. Come on, I'll show you." He Rong led the way, and Xu Dan quickly followed.

As they walked, He Rong explained, "Every year when the rice ripens, our manager hires people to brew some new wine to preserve. At this time, the ferocious birds and beasts in the wilderness are at their fattest and strongest, and it's also the time when the hunting harvest in Jingning City is at its peak. As a result, the prices of ferocious birds and beasts are driven very low every year at this time. Our manager takes advantage of this opportunity to buy a batch to make wine. The blood of those ferocious birds and beasts is made into Crimson Blood Pearl, the bones are made into Everlasting Youth Wine, the tendons are made into Longevity and Rejuvenation Wine, the bone marrow is made into Divine Life-Saving Wine, the life root is made into Priceless Treasure Wine, and the animal fetus is made into Yin-Yang Creation Wine."

"Wow! Putting everything else aside, the name of this wine sounds pretty impressive." Xu Dan was itching to try it, and his pace quickened.

"These were just things our manager took casually, don't worry about them. We've arrived."

He Rong led Xu Dan to a warehouse, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and with a soft creak, choking dust mixed with the rich aroma of aged wine wafted out.