Divine Tang Era

Chapter 177 has a strong aftereffect.

"A public relations crisis! How do we handle this emergency?"

In an instant, Xu Dan's mind raced.

The next second, his expression changed, his spine straightened, and he said resolutely and righteously, "How could that be? You must have misheard! I was just telling the guests about the exciting struggles of the Lord of Yinlong Pavilion. What does that have to do with Fengzhen Temple? Absolutely nothing!"

He denied it very readily.

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly changed the subject, saying, "You three are here for hot pot, right? Come on, there's a seat here, please!" As he spoke, he almost pushed and invited Kui Mu Xingjun and the two star lords to a table that had just become available.

Kui Mu Xingjun glanced at him, but didn't delve into it. He sat down casually and said expertly, "Give us a raw pot."

There were already some clever waiters standing by, who immediately went down to prepare the broth and ingredients upon hearing the order.

Xu Dan breathed a sigh of relief after getting away with it, and was about to make a quick getaway when he heard Kui Mu Xingjun say, "Don't go."

Xu Dan paused for a moment.

"Bring us a jar of wine," ordered Lord Kui Mu.

"Okay, just a moment," Xu Dan replied, and asked the waiter to bring over a jar of wine.

Kui Mu Xingjun glanced at it, frowned and said, "I don't want this kind. I want the good wine you gave me last time."

"Star Lord, that kind of wine has a very strong flavor; it's not suitable to open it in the shop." After saying that, Xu Dan stepped forward and whispered, "That kind of wine is very rare; every jar we drink is one less jar available. If everyone wants to drink it, where am I supposed to get it?"

"How about we have a small pot then?" said Lord Kui Mu.

"Can."

A small pot won't cause any problems; the aroma of the alcohol will only spread to a limited extent, especially since the room is filled with the fragrance of hot pot.

Xu Dan personally fetched a small wine pot, then took out a jade gourd from his storage ring, poured a pot of Everlasting Youth Wine that had been stored for who knows how many years, and handed it over. Looking at the three of them, he couldn't help but wonder, "Star Lord, didn't everyone from Fengzhen Temple leave? Why are you still here?"

"Naturally, you're here to guard Jingning. Otherwise, what if ghosts attack the city? Are you going to go up there and defend it?" Kui Mu Xingjun teased.

"Ha, when it comes to slaying ghosts, I'm no less skilled than you."

Xu Dan retorted, unconvinced: "Last time the ghosts attacked the city, I fired an arrow that changed the color of the sky and earth, dimmed the sun and moon, pierced through countless ghosts, and even flattened a small mountain behind it. Do you have that kind of power?"

"If it was Xue Gong who shot the arrow, I'll believe it. As for you, you're just a little kid, haha..."

Hearing his dismissive tone, Xu Dan didn't argue, but simply said, "You're all like those toads, only knowing how to look at the sky from the bottom of a well, unaware of the vastness of the universe. Have you ever heard of a seven-year-old child who, while bathing in the East Sea, killed a patrolling sea demon and extracted the dragon tendons of the East Sea Dragon King's third son? Have you ever heard of a child who, because his mother violated the heavenly rules, was imprisoned under a giant mountain, and through diligent practice of martial arts and supernatural powers, finally obtained a divine axe to split the mountain and rescue his mother, thus changing the heavenly rules? Do you know these things?"

"Never heard of it."

The two star lords beside him exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

"You're so ignorant! So, just because you haven't seen many things doesn't mean they don't exist, just like how I shot down countless ghosts with a single arrow." Xu Dan said proudly, head held high.

Ah, so that's where they were waiting.

The two star lords reacted instantly, speechless, and even Kui Mu Star Lord fell silent.

One of the star lords, no longer wanting to listen to his boasting, quickly changed the subject, saying, "Young master, your face is quite youthful!"

Xu Dan dislikes hearing people say he's fair-skinned and has a tender complexion the most, so he retorted irritably, "Wasn't your face tender when you were a child? Were you born looking like an old man?"

"Ha ha ha ha"

Another star lord laughed heartlessly, and Kui Mu Xingjun's lips also curled up slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

Xu Dan was too lazy to chat with them. He put down the wine pot and reminded them, "This wine has a strong aftereffect, don't drink too much." After saying that, he turned and left.

The two star lords had drunk all sorts of wine; did they really need his reminder? One of them took the wine jug, poured a cup for Kui Mu Xingjun first, then filled his own and his companion's cups, raised his cup to Kui Mu Xingjun in a gesture of respect, and then tilted his head back and downed it with a hearty, heroic tone.

Once the alcohol is swallowed, it transforms into a surge of vital energy that rushes upwards.

Their faces flushed instantly, as if they had applied a thick layer of rouge. They swayed slightly and barely managed to hold onto the table to avoid embarrassment.

Xu Dan caught a glimpse of this scene, shook his head, and sighed, "Alas, those who didn't heed my good advice are now paying the price!"

Lord Kui Mu picked up his wine cup and took a small sip. Looking at his two blushing subordinates, the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, as if he were chuckling. He seemed to have forgotten the time he secretly refined the wine's essence while drinking Crimson Blood Pearl last time.

As soon as Xu Dan walked away, he heard Cheng Ruxia at the next table beckon to him and say gently, "Young master, come here for a moment."

Xu Dan walked over and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with, guest?"

Although Cheng Ruxia was enjoying hot pot, he had noticed the commotion around Kui Mu Xingjun's place, especially the faint aroma emanating from the wine. Though not strong, it was remarkably unique. Being knowledgeable, he immediately recognized it as an extraordinary product, so he smiled and asked, "What kind of wine did you give those people? It smells quite good. Give me a pot to try."

"no problem."

Xu Dan readily agreed, then went to fetch a small wine pot, took out a jade gourd, and poured a pot for Cheng Ruxia. He explained, "This is a Longevity Wine, carefully brewed with the bones of ferocious birds and beasts, and infused with medicinal herbs unique to our borderlands." He added, "It not only greatly replenishes qi and blood, but also strengthens muscles and bones, and promotes blood circulation. However, this wine has a strong aftereffect, so be careful when drinking it."

"Thank you for the reminder, young man."

Cheng Ruxia took the wine pot, and the increasingly mellow aroma filled his nostrils. His spirits lifted instantly, and even his eyes brightened.

"No need to be so polite." Xu Dan waved his hand and put the jade gourd away.

"Hey! Don't rush to put it away!"

At the other table, Kuang Kui's loud voice rang out. He had brought two friends over for hot pot again today and had been listening intently to what was happening. He suddenly stood up and shouted, "Give me a pot too! Good things shouldn't be kept secret; everyone has to try them!"

This shout immediately attracted the attention of other customers in the store.

Mo Shiwei, who had brought a group of martial arts school disciples to support the event, put down her chopsticks upon hearing this and said, "That's right, good wine should be shared. How can we keep it to ourselves? Bring a pot for our table too!"

The guests at other tables joined in, saying, "We'll have a pot too!"

"Give me a pot here too."

"I'll have a pot too."

Xu Dan was speechless. What were these guys up to? He quickly explained, "Please don't misunderstand, everyone. It's not that I'm hiding anything! It's just that the ingredients used to make this wine are exactly the same as what you're drinking now, only it's been stored for a longer time. As for the taste... the taste isn't that different! You might as well drink yours, it's more affordable. This old wine is ridiculously expensive, it's not worth it!"

"Hmph, that's easy for you to say!"

Mo Shiwei didn't believe it at all. With her straightforward nature, she urged, "Whether it tastes good or not, we'll only know after we try it! Hurry up, bring a pot for our table!"

"Yes! Hurry up! Don't be stingy!" Kuang Kui chimed in.

The other guests also started making noise.

Xu Dan couldn't refuse everyone's requests, so he poured a pot of "Changchun Immortal Wine" that had been stored for who knows how many years for each table of guests. While pouring it, he specially explained, "I'm not lying to you, this wine is really almost the same as new wine."

"hehe."

The crowd sneered inwardly. Did they not know the difference between new and old wine? Did they think they were complete laymen who had never drunk alcohol?

Seeing that they didn't believe him, Xu Dan had no choice but to warn them to be careful, as the alcohol had a strong aftereffect, but unfortunately, no one believed him.

Everyone grabbed their wine jugs and poured themselves a drink. As the wine entered their cups, a unique and mellow aroma instantly filled the air, whetting the appetites of those who craved alcohol. Almost no one took Xu Dan's warning to heart, especially the martial arts disciples and Kuang Kui and his group, all of whom were heavy drinkers. Seeing the clear, fragrant wine, they couldn't resist any longer and immediately picked up their cups, tilted their heads back, and downed the rest in one gulp.

The result can be imagined.

"puff..."

"Cough cough cough!"

"Well..."

In an instant, the hot pot restaurant was filled with coughs and gasps as people choked on the food. Then, faces turned bright red at a visible speed, like shrimp just pulled from boiling water, eyes became glazed and unfocused, and bodies began to sway uncontrollably.

Looking at the "horrific" scene before him, Xu Dan said helplessly, "I told you it would have a strong aftereffect, but you just wouldn't listen. You're reaping what you sow..."

At that moment, those who gulped it down felt a surge of intense heat rushing up from their abdomens, instantly exploding throughout their limbs and bones with tremendous force. Their heads buzzed as if countless bees were buzzing inside.

Only then did they truly understand the meaning of Xu Dan's words, "It has a great aftereffect"!

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets.