Divine Tang Era

Chapter 170 Since ancient times, love has only brought regret.

"Haqiu"

Xu Dan choked and sneezed, his nose still covered in a bit of dust.

But he didn't even brush it off, his eyes fixed on the depths of the warehouse.

Rows of wine jars were neatly stacked, and dim light slipped in through the window cracks, sweeping across the jars and revealing a warm luster that had accumulated over the years.

Although the mouths of the wine jars are tightly sealed with highland green clay, the aroma of aged wine, mixed with the scents of fierce birds and beasts, still seeps out from the cracks in the clay. It is as mellow as an inseparable, sweet love, and just a whiff of it makes one feel lightheaded.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled shadows on the wine jars, and even the dust floating in the air seemed to carry a faint aroma of wine.

It slowly rotated in the beam of light.

"How many years have these wines been stored?"

Xu Dan walked in and reached out to touch the nearest wine jar. The jar was icy cold, but a faint warmth was flowing through his palm.

He Rong patted the jar, the muffled sound echoing softly in the storeroom: "The shortest is one or two years, the longest is unknown. The shopkeeper likes to make wine, and he makes some every year and stores it. He didn't keep track of the dates when he made it before, and just piled them up randomly. Later, he forgot the time and slowly left marks on the jars."

"What kind of alcohol is in here?"

"The wine in this warehouse is made by soaking the bones of ferocious birds and beasts with medicinal herbs unique to the borderlands of our region. The wine is not only full of vital energy, but also has the effects of soothing the meridians, relieving pain, and strengthening muscles and bones. If it weren't for the abundance of grain here and the fact that every household brews wine, and we didn't know how precious this wine was, if we took it to the capital, the price would be ten or a hundred times higher."

As Ge Rong walked, he talked to Xu Dan about the wine in the warehouse.

Deeper inside, Xu Dan discovered a layer of glistening green moss growing in the crack of a wine jar's rim. He reached out and touched it; it was slippery and slightly cool.

"Is this wine... still drinkable?" Xu Dan was speechless.

"Why can't you drink it? This is a great thing for nourishing muscles and bones and healing old injuries. An ordinary martial artist can have energy for three days after just one sip."

Ge Rong then pointed to a row of wine jars covered in frost and said, "That row is probably the oldest; the wine is so thick it forms threads. I once tasted a few drops, and I couldn't sleep all night. What's worse, I woke up in the morning feeling perfectly fine, not at all like someone who had stayed up all night."

"That amazing?"

"That's right."

Xu Dan suddenly noticed three enormous bronze wine jars at the deepest part of the warehouse and quickened his pace to walk over. Upon closer inspection, the bronze jars were covered with intricate animal patterns, the highland clay sealing the jars had turned grayish-white, and a visible pale golden aura swirled around the mouths. The aroma of the wine was so strong it was like an impenetrable mist; just one whiff made one feel a warmth in their lower abdomen.

"What are these three cylinders?" Xu Dan asked curiously.

"When the shopkeeper first came to Jingning, he saw people brewing wine and became interested. So, he bought a demon bear, a demon tiger, and a demon ox to make wine. But at the time, he didn't know any better. After having someone remove the flesh, he sealed the entire skeleton, along with some of the unique medicinal herbs from our borderlands, into the wine. The wine jar was found by a treasure hunter; it's said to be an ancient wine vessel that makes the wine more mellow. Now the shopkeeper is smarter. When making wine, he always smashes and processes the bones to remove the fishy smell before using them. But in doing so, he loses some of the vital energy."

"This is good stuff!"

Xu Dan touched the bronze wine jar and exclaimed, "I'll take these three jars. Also, give me some fresh wine, including the ones with white frost, to keep for the customers in the shop."

"Those three cylinders are very expensive," He Rong kindly reminded him.

"Don't worry, I have money," Xu Dan said, patting his chest.

"Alright, take it! But be careful when you drink it. Don't be fooled by its good taste and smooth entry; it can have a very strong aftereffect."

"understood."

As Xu Dan left the grocery store after buying the alcohol, he glanced back and shook his head inwardly. He had thought he had plenty of money, but it turned out that just buying a little alcohol had nearly emptied his pockets. He still wanted to go to the capital? He'd have to save some money first; he couldn't possibly go there empty-handed and beg for food—that didn't make sense.

Back at the hot pot restaurant, the number of customers had decreased, and it wasn't as bustling as before.

Yunniang and Ruiwuni finally had time to sit down and rest for a while.

Little Magpie sat obediently beside her mother on a small stool, while Little Eagle sat beside her with his big, round eyes. As for the black bear, because it was quite large and had a lot of fur, Xu Dan didn't allow it to come into the hot pot restaurant when there were customers, so it had to stay inside obediently.

Lin Qing, the master of Yinlong Pavilion, was still drinking alone in the corner, while people were sitting at the tables and chairs next to him.

Xu Dan walked over and whispered, "Master, I've found another jar of fine wine. Would you like to try some?"

"Oh? What kind of fine wine is this? Let me see it." Lin Qing glanced at him and said.

Xu Dan took out a jar of Everlasting Youth Wine covered in white frost from his storage ring, broke the mud seal, and lifted the paper seal. In an instant, a fragrance of wine mixed with the scent of herbs and trees wafted out of the jar and spread into the air.

Lin Qing's nose twitched slightly, and he praised, "The aroma of this wine is quite unique."

"Of course! This is called Everlasting Youth Wine," made by infusing the bones of ferocious birds and beasts with unique medicinal herbs from our borderlands. It not only greatly replenishes qi and blood but also strengthens muscles and bones, and nourishes essence and marrow. Come, Pavilion Master, have a taste." Xu Dan grabbed the wine jar and poured half a bowl into his empty wine bowl. The emerald green liquid, like the water of a long-forgotten pool hidden in a deep valley, shimmered with a faint, clear light under the sunlight.

Lin Qing picked up the bowl and took a small sip. The wine went down his throat and turned into a warm current that rushed straight to his dantian. He couldn't help but exclaim, "What fine wine! Even among ordinary wines, it's one of the best."

"What ordinary item?" Xu Dan asked curiously.

"Any wine that lacks spiritual energy is called ordinary wine," while wine containing spiritual energy is called spiritual wine. Of course, this classification is based solely on the amount of spiritual energy present, and has nothing to do with taste. Even among spiritual wines, this one tastes exceptional."

"Oh, I see."

"This wine is good, I'll take it."

"Thank you, Pavilion Master." Xu Dan bowed in thanks and said, "This is my first time here, Pavilion Master. I'll treat you to this meal today. Next time you come, I'll give you a 20% discount." As he spoke, he made an "8" gesture with his right hand.

"Haha, thanks then."

Lin Qing laughed and took out a storage bag from his sleeve, tossing it to Xu Dan. "Consider the wine in here a congratulatory gift for your new store opening."

Xu Dan opened the storage bag and saw it was completely filled with wine. He couldn't help but give a thumbs up and say, "The Pavilion Master is so generous!"

Lin Qing then pointed to the jade gourd on the table and said, "I have refined this gourd for you. As long as you drip a drop of blood into it, you will no longer have to worry about being targeted by others."

Upon hearing this, Xu Dan took out a knife and prepared to bleed the person.

"No need for such trouble." Lin Qing waved his hand, and a drop of blood floated from Xu Dan's fingertip, falling into the jade gourd. The jade gourd suddenly shone brightly, then quickly subsided, becoming plain and unadorned.

In an instant, Xu Dan felt a strange connection between himself and the jade gourd.

He picked up the jade gourd, touched it, and chuckled, "Thank you, Pavilion Master."

"No need to be polite, I'm leaving now."

Lin Qing put away the Changchun Immortal Wine, waved his sleeves, and walked out with a flourish. But just as he stepped out of the hot pot restaurant, he couldn't help but turn back to look at Rui Wu Ni, then quickly turned and disappeared into the swirling snow, leaving behind only a barely audible sigh of regret.

Although he turned his head quickly, Xu Dan, with his sharp eyes, still saw it clearly.

Xu Dan glanced at Rui Wu Ni, then looked at Lin Qing's departing figure, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "Since ancient times, love has only brought regret, and this regret is endless. Lovers fly together across the north and south, and heartbroken people have other thoughts. Life is so hard, so hard, so hard."

Whether it was because he heard his "poem" or not, Lin Qing stumbled and almost fell in the distance.

"Master, be careful!" Xu Dan shouted hurriedly.

His response was a snowball flying towards him. Xu Dan wiped his face, utterly speechless. Indeed, outstanding people are always prone to attracting jealousy.

On the distant Mingfeng Tower, Shanzhu and Zhu Yuxian laughed heartily at the sight.

"Heh, I didn't know you could write poetry?" Kuang Kui appeared next to Xu Dan at some point and teased him. Beside him stood an extremely burly man and a refined scholar.

Xu Dan not only didn't take his teasing to heart, but also proudly declared, "That's right! From now on, please call me the Poet Immortal of Jingning."

Kuang Kui looked at him with a strange expression. "I've only ever heard of Li Bai, the Poet Immortal, but I've never heard of any 'Jingning Poet Immortal'."

Xu Dan rolled his eyes at him and said, "You're so ignorant! Li Bai is the Poet Immortal of the Tang Dynasty, while I am the Poet Immortal of Jingning, or Jingning Poet Immortal for short."

""

"With just those few lines you wrote, you dare call yourself a poetic genius? Do you think there's no one else in Jingning City?"

"Whether there is anyone else, I don't know, but within Jingning City, absolutely no one could write a poem like this: 'Since ancient times, love has only brought endless regret; this regret lingers on forever. Lovers fly together across the vast lands, a heartbroken person harbors a different kind of sorrow.'"

"Really?" Kuang Kui turned to ask the scholar.

"I don't know about other things, but this sorrow will last forever," is from the last line of Bai Juyi's "Song of Everlasting Regret." "Heaven and earth may end, but this sorrow will last forever," the scholar said.

"You dare to call yourself a poet immortal by using other people's sentences?" Kuang Kui's expression became even more strange.

"Why can't we say it? At least no one can come up with the line 'Since ancient times, love has only brought regret.'" Xu Dan said arrogantly.

"You really can't do it?" Kuang Kui asked the scholar again.

The scholar shook his head. "I don't know about others, but I really can't do it."

Xu Dan immediately became smug. "Did you hear that? If this line of mine gets widely known, I'll definitely be famous throughout the world, and maybe even go down in history. So, from now on, please call me Half a Poet Saint."

"Wasn't he just a poet? How did he become a poet saint?"

"When people mention the 'Poet Immortal,' they immediately think of Li Bai. But if you mention even half a 'Poet Sage,' they might think of me, Xu Dan, the venerable Xu Gongzu."

"Ha, I've known you for so long, and I'm only now realizing how much you can brag. If you keep going, you'll be exaggerating the size of the woolly cows in the wilderness."

Kuang Kui shook his head and walked out, with the burly man and the scholar quickly following.

"What bragging? Is it so hard to admit someone is better? Sigh..."

Xu Dan was still calling after them, but Kuang Kui and the other two disappeared into the snowstorm without looking back, vanishing in the blink of an eye.