Divine Tang Era

Chapter 181 Drunken Ambergris

Mo Jian, Ku Moli, Ye Jingzang, Lin Qing, Cheng Ruxia, and others gathered around to offer their congratulations.

Xu Dan bowed and thanked them one by one.

Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Xu Dan felt a warm glow in his heart and suggested with a smile, "Thank you all for your care and support. How about this, I'll treat you all to a few drinks at my hot pot restaurant today? I recently acquired a large jar of fine wine that's been stored for who knows how many years. The aroma alone makes you feel like a wine connoisseur. Would any of you be interested in coming and trying it?"

Before anyone else could react, the eyes of Fengzhen Temple and his two companions were already shining.

One of the star lords couldn't contain himself and asked eagerly, "Is this wine as good as the last jar?"

"Pshaw, what kind of wine is that!"

Xu Dan waved his hand dismissively and said, "Whether it's the soaking of raw materials or the aging process, my newly acquired wine is far superior to that wine."

Recalling the rich flavor of the wine from last time, the two star lords and Lord Kui Mu felt a little hungry. Unexpectedly, this wine was even better than last time, and the three of them couldn't help but swallow.

"Hot pot restaurants are too crowded and noisy. Why don't we go to Zhuan Yu Lou? It's quieter there, and it's easier to talk there," Zheng Zhu suggested softly.

"Alright."

Xu Dan nodded in agreement, then turned to the crowd who had come to offer their congratulations, cupped his hands and smiled, "I hope you will all do me the honor of joining me today. I will make sure you all have a good time drinking."

Everyone readily agreed.

Xu Dan then turned to invite the onlookers around him. Since he was going to invite them, he figured he might as well invite a few more. Besides, these people had come all this way to witness his assessment and had even offered their congratulations; it was only right and proper that he treat them to a meal. Although he didn't like socializing, he still understood basic social etiquette.

Most of the onlookers were from the county government. Since even important figures from higher levels and the city had accepted the invitation, they naturally didn't refuse and accepted with smiles.

The weather is cold now, and business at Zhuanyulou is slow. But seeing so many customers come in, the shopkeeper and staff are all energized and greet them warmly.

Although there were many people, there were only five tables in total, so they couldn't eat much.

So, Xu Dan very generously told the shopkeeper, "Bring up whatever signature dishes you have. I'm not short of money." Zheng Zhu, seeing his feigned generosity, couldn't help but giggle.

Soon, various dishes were served one after another. Xu Dan took out a bronze wine jar that he had obtained from He Rong last time from his storage ring.

Before it was even opened, a rich and mellow aroma of wine quietly wafted out. The three from Fengzhen Temple immediately surrounded it, closing their eyes and inhaling the aroma with a look of pure bliss.

Kui Mu Xingjun was alright; after all, he held a high position and managed to maintain some composure. The other two star lords, Tianying Xing and Dishou Xing, however, disregarded this and pressed their noses directly to the whitened-out plateau mud, greedily inhaling the aroma of the wine.

"what?"

Ku Moli caught sight of the bronze wine jar, and suddenly exclaimed in surprise. He got up from his seat and walked to the jar, carefully examining the intricate animal-shaped patterns on its surface.

"Master, what are you looking at?" Xu Dan asked curiously upon seeing this.

"These patterns... they seem to be demonic script." Ku Moli stroked his beard, pondering slowly.

"Demon script? The script of the demon race." Xu Dan's eyes widened, his expression incredulous. He looked at the patterns again, unable to believe that it was a kind of script.

"Hmm, judging from this style, it should be the script of the ancient demon race, which is very old," Ku Moli nodded and said.

Those nearby, upon hearing that the animal-shaped patterns on the bronze wine jar were demonic script, curiously gathered around to see what was going on.

"What does it say here?" Xu Dan's curiosity was completely piqued, and he kept asking questions.

"It's nothing much, just three words engraved on it: 'Drunken Dragon Saliva'," Ku Moli replied.

"Drunken Dragon Saliva?" Upon hearing this, Zhengzhu pondered for a moment, then turned to Linqing and said, "I seem to remember there's a kind of wine called Thousand-Year Drunken Dragon Saliva, isn't that right?"

"Um"

Lin Qing nodded and said, "Legend has it that there is indeed a wine called 'Millennial Dragon Saliva.' It is said to be made by using a drop of ancient dragon saliva as a base, supplemented with hundreds of kinds of spiritual fruits and herbs, and aged for a thousand years. An ordinary cultivator who drinks a cup will be intoxicated for three years without waking up, but he can also comprehend the Dao in his dreams, nourishing his soul and strengthening his divine consciousness."

"Good heavens, could this jar of wine... be the legendary 'Millennial Dragon's Saliva'?"

The Earth Beast Star Lord's eyes widened, filled with anticipation.

"You're overthinking it." Xu Dan poured cold water on him in an annoyed tone. "This wine jar was dug up from the wilderness by a treasure hunter and was later bought to store wine. It doesn't contain any thousand-year-old dragon saliva."

"Ah...no way?" The Earth Beast Star Lord's face fell instantly, his disappointment evident.

"Don't you think about it? If it were truly a thousand-year-old Dragon Saliva, how could it have survived until now for you to come across? It would have been snatched up and drunk up long ago," the Heavenly Hero Star Lord joked from the side.

"Too."

The Earth Beast Star Lord scratched his head, then quickly perked up and looked at the wine jar, saying, "However, this wine was soaked in a jar that once contained 'Millennium Drunk Dragon Saliva,' so it should have absorbed some of the wine's aroma. I wonder what it tastes like? Young man, please open it and let us have a taste. You wouldn't be thinking of taking it back, would you?" After saying that, he stared at Xu Dan warily.

"Hmph, am I that petty?"

Xu Dan glared at him, then ordered the waiter to bring a wine pot and a jar. He personally broke the seal, took out the Changchun Bulao wine, poured it into the wine pot, and had the waiter distribute it to each table.

Once the wine was served, Xu Dan poured himself a cup of tea, walked up to everyone, and said loudly, "Thank you all for coming. Here, I would like to offer you a toast with tea instead of wine."

After saying that, he drank the tea in one gulp.

He added, "Everyone, eat and drink well, but this wine has a really strong aftereffect, so drink it slowly and don't accidentally get drunk here."

"Hehe, young master, you underestimate us too much!"

"I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."

"I drink alcohol like it's water, so how could I get drunk?"

As they bragged about their wares, Xu Dan didn't refute them, but simply added, "This wine not only has a strong aftereffect, but it also greatly replenishes your qi and blood. If you feel you can't handle it, go outside for a run to dissipate the effects of the alcohol; or try to circulate your internal energy to neutralize it. Don't try to tough it out."

After saying that, he said no more and turned back to his seat.

Everyone at the table had already poured their drinks, but no one touched them; they were all waiting for him.

After sitting down, Xu Dan said to everyone, "Everyone, please drink as much as you like. Don't wait for me. I've quit drinking now."

"Young master, wouldn't life be much less interesting without wine?" The Earth Beast Star Lord said, shaking his head. He raised his wine cup, about to drink it all in one gulp, but suddenly remembered the embarrassing situation he had when drinking last time. His hand paused abruptly, and he took a small sip instead.

In an instant, the wine transformed into a surge of vital energy that rushed into his stomach, an effect even more intense than the last time he drank.

Before the Earth Beast Star Lord could speak, he quickly closed his eyes and circulated his energy to refine the wine's essence.

Seeing his appearance, the Heavenly Star Lord couldn't help but shake his head, but he didn't dare to be careless. He simply brought the wine cup to his lips, tasted it gently, and then slowly swallowed it along with his saliva. That way, he didn't make a fool of himself like he did.

Kui Mu Xingjun held up his wine cup and slowly sipped it; Ku Moli, Lin Qing, Xue An and others also took small sips, their expressions full of enjoyment.

Zhengzhu took a small sip, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes, and asked, "This wine is indeed excellent. Where did you get it?"

"I bought it by chance, and now I can't find the seller anymore," Xu Dan replied very sincerely.

"Oh..." Zhengzhu gave him a meaningful look.

"If you like it, you can take the rest of the wine! But you have to give me back the wine jar, I need to use it to make wine!" Xu Dan said again.

"You've already given me such good wine, why would I care about a wine vat?" Zhengzhu joked.

"Sister, this wine jar is an antique, it has great sentimental value."

"Heh"

Zhengzhu glanced at it disdainfully, took out a plum-green jade bottle from her sleeve, and with a wave of her hand, all the remaining wine in the bronze wine vat flew into the bottle. She carefully sealed the bottle and put it away before saying, "Don't be so reckless as to take out the whole vat of wine in the future, or you might get robbed."

"We're all acquaintances, it's not that serious," Xu Dan said.

"I'm not talking about us, I'm talking about those troublemakers in the restaurant. It'll be troublesome if they get targeted," Zhengzhu scolded.

Xu Dan thought about it and felt that what she said made sense. In martial arts novels, many unpleasant things start in places like restaurants.

At the tables outside, as soon as the wine pot was placed on the table, some people eagerly picked it up and poured themselves a drink. Some took a sip and immediately realized it was a rare and fine wine; others, just smelling the aroma, couldn't bear to drink it and quickly asked the waiter to bring a container to pack the wine in their cups, intending to take it back to their younger relatives. Perhaps this cup of wine could help their juniors break through to a higher realm.

Some people, in a moment of indulgence, drink the entire bottle of wine in one gulp.

Unexpectedly, the alcohol was so potent that the overwhelming force of the qi and blood caused some to faint on the spot. Others remembered Xu Dan's instructions and, upon noticing something was wrong, immediately went out for a run to dissipate the alcohol or found a quiet place to circulate their qi and refine it.

The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely during the meal.

Xu Dan's fame spread, and the hot pot restaurant benefited from it, with business booming.