Chapter Ninety-Four: Leisure Moments

On the second day, in the early morning, Zhou Qian awoke from his sleep. Due to his physique after absorbing the elixir, he only needed to sleep two hours a day. However, after months of travel and suddenly relaxing, coupled with the pleasures he enjoyed with Sister Zhao the night before, he slept until dawn this time.

Turning to his side, the woman was still sound asleep, her delicate face flushed with contentment. Carefully withdrawing his arm from her embrace, he caused Sister Zhao to furrow her brows slightly. She gently pressed a kiss on his rosy lips, then relaxed after a while. It seemed the previous night had been quite exhausting for her; her soft body bore many red marks, a sign of excessive indulgence. Zhou Qian blamed himself silently.

After dressing and washing up, he took the Broken Courage Sword and stepped outside. Luodu's terrain was excellent, with the Luo River and Si River intertwining, vast fertile fields stretching for miles, and eternal spring-like weather. Even under the sun of the second lunar month, the heat was not harsh, but rather pleasantly warm.

Holding the sword in his right hand, his steps neither hurried nor slow, he did not perform sword techniques but simply practiced simple slashes. To an outsider, his moves seemed crude and even awkward; yet to a master’s eyes, every strike was flawless and trace-free, each step and sword strike exuding a faint pressure and aura.

After practicing for about an hour, sweat faintly appeared on Zhou Qian’s forehead, and he finally stopped. At this level of swordsmanship, mere hard practice was futile; insight and timing were crucial.

“Sister Zhao, won’t you sleep a bit longer?” Zhou Qian turned his head, looking helplessly at Sister Zhao, who was already standing elegantly nearby.

“I’m awake and came to watch you practice. For some reason, I feel very satisfied,” she said calmly. Today she wore a plain-colored outer garment, tied simply with a sash, with two strands of hair left at her forehead, plain yet charming.

“Sister Zhao, you look beautiful no matter how you dress,” Zhou Qian complimented.

“You flatter me. Steward Sun called you for breakfast!” Sister Zhao smiled with pursed lips.

“Oh, let’s go together then,” Zhou Qian invited.

Sister Zhao shook her head gently, saying softly, “I am just a maid.”

“I don’t care!”

She shook her head slowly and firmly. The two stared at each other for a long moment before Zhou Qian sighed in resignation, “Then I’ll go alone. It’s no fun.”

Walking to her side, Zhou Qian quickly pecked her small earlobe, whispered something, then fled in a hurry.

Sister Zhao covered her face as if it burned, then after a long while, quietly sighed and muttered almost inaudibly, “You’re getting more and more slick with your words, talking about being a wife—all nonsense.”

Before entering the door, a pungent smell of alcohol wafted out. Zhou Qian was taken aback and looked around. A shabby, unkempt man was drinking wine while eating porridge—was this some kind of new eating style?

“Senior Wine Master?” Zhou Qian finally remembered this character after some hesitation.

“Hello, kid Zhou!” The wine master, tipsy, lazily greeted him.

“Third Young Master, the master ordered that this guest stay in the mansion for a while; please entertain him well,” explained Old Sun, standing by.

“Master? Isn’t he in seclusion?”

“Well, Old Sun doesn’t know either. The master gave special instructions this morning,” Old Sun said with a wry smile, clearly puzzled.

Zhou Qian’s impression of the wine master was from four years ago when his family brought him from the wine house to the Hu’er mansion to stay for some time. This man was elusive and mysterious, rarely seen, so how did the master order him to be entertained? What was the wine master’s true background?

“Sit down, why are you standing? Old Sun, hurry with the dishes!” The wine master, whether drunk or sober, barked orders loudly.

‘Does this even need entertaining? He acts as if he’s one of the family!’ Zhou Qian grinned.

“Senior Wine Master, do you have any plans today? Luodu has countless scenic spots to visit. Or perhaps you want to eat something? That’s my specialty!” Zhou Qian said confidently.

“What kind of good wine does Luodu have?” Suddenly, the wine master’s right arm slung over Zhou Qian’s shoulder as he burped loudly, his breath reeking of alcohol.

“Uh, well?” Zhou Qian looked helplessly at Old Sun.

“Luodu has hundreds of wine houses, but the most famous and best-tasting wines are four recognized throughout the city: Bamboo Leaf Green, Drunken Jiangnan, Hundred Family Brew, and Half-Step Drunk. Each has its charm—Bamboo Leaf Green is the most fragrant, Drunken Jiangnan the richest, Hundred Family Brew the softest, and Half-Step Drunk causes drinkers to stagger after just half a step,” Old Sun explained.

By the time Old Sun finished describing the characteristics, appearance, and origin of these four wines, the wine master’s eyes burned with excitement, completely sober now. His expression resembled Zhou Qian’s reaction when encountering exquisite recipes.

“Excellent! Today, I and kid Zhou will taste all the famous wines of Luodu, especially these four!” the wine master declared decisively.

‘I haven’t even agreed yet...’ Zhou Qian’s expression was full of misery.

After finishing the porridge without enthusiasm, Zhou Qian was dragged out of the Hu’er mansion by the wine master, who pulled and tugged him along. Zhou Qian had planned to use his recovery time to visit several old friends and elders in Luodu, but now all those plans were dashed.

The two traveled in silence through bustling streets filled with merchants shouting and pedestrians streaming by. The wine master said lazily, “Kid, did you find the mirror I borrowed from you that day useful?”

Zhou Qian was initially puzzled, then shocked. “Are you the immortal from that day?”

The wine master chuckled, flashing a golden light from his palm. The Heavenly Escape Mirror appeared, which he tossed toward Zhou Qian. “Check if this is it.”

Zhou Qian hastily caught the precious mirror. Without even looking, the wine master’s skill left no doubt about his identity.

Respectfully returning the mirror, Zhou Qian said, “I was blind not to recognize you earlier, Senior. I must thank you again for saving my life.”

The wine master frowned in dissatisfaction. “You’re too cautious, not carefree at all. You should learn from your second brother—free and unrestrained. That’s the best way. But I heard your second brother went to cultivate immortality? What a pity. He seemed rather promising.”

Zhou Qian smiled wryly. “Thank you? Even thanking you is problematic? Your temper is strange.” Then he said, “My second brother sent a flying sword message saying he went with a Great Wilderness True Immortal to seek immortality and ask the Dao.”

“Great Wilderness True Immortal Xu Jiao, a rare master of the left Dao, with a bright future,” the wine master nodded.

“What about you? Do you want to cultivate immortality?”

Zhou Qian was taken aback. “Me? Thanks for the offer, but I have no such intention right now.”

The wine master was amazed. “Your master and his brother are truly strange—one has no talent but is willing to risk his life, the other has talent but no interest. Today, I’ve really opened my eyes.”

“Kid, why don’t you want to cultivate immortality?”

“Though the sword immortal path is admirable, the mortal world also has many wonders I’m reluctant to leave behind,” Zhou Qian smiled.

“Ah, reluctant,” the wine master clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “Is it lust for fame and fortune in the mortal world? Or the beautiful lady in your room?”

“Both and neither,” Zhou Qian shook his head. “I once envied the sword immortals' earth-shaking skills and wanted to climb mountains and cross rivers in search of immortality and the Dao. But the more I think, the more I wonder: if one only pursues unmatched skill and mysterious magic, is that truly the way of cultivation?”

“Isn’t it?” the wine master asked with interest.

“Seeking immortality and the Dao is a state of mind—freedom without restraint, a heart with its own world. Even mortals in the secular world can reach this state. As for eternal life and boundless power, those are optional,” Zhou Qian scratched his head embarrassedly. “These are just my recent musings. Perhaps a frog in a well, worthy of ridicule.”

The wine master suddenly stood still for a moment. A blue light flashed in his eyes, shooting toward the sky. A tiny figure of a baby flickered past the back of his head, causing a startling vision. Clouds churned, and chaos erupted around them with people shouting, horses neighing, kneeling, fleeing—all kinds of commotion. Zhou Qian was at a loss when the wine master waved his hand, freezing the scene; all people and animals stopped moving. He pulled Zhou Qian to another street corner in an instant.

Before Zhou Qian could react, he heard the wine master laughing and scolding:

“Good kid, just a few words and you’ve disturbed this drunkard’s Dao heart—truly remarkable!”

Zhou Qian was speechless.

“Though your thoughts are wild, you’ve hit the spot for me—suddenly enlightened!” The wine master took a swig and laughed loudly.

‘Is that a compliment?’ Zhou Qian wondered.

“Looks like I misjudged you. You seem foolish but have the right nature for cultivation.”

‘That’s a compliment,’ Zhou Qian finally accepted.

“Come on, let’s drink!”

Frowning and squinting, Zhou Qian followed behind, silently cursing, ‘Wine, women, wealth, and lust top the list for this drunkard. How can an immortal like this?’

Far away, thousands of miles off, boundless black clouds roiled like a storm, spreading tens of thousands of miles. Illusions and visions flooded in, as if a demon lord had descended and countless demons gathered. Even those with deep Dao cultivation, if untested by a heavenly tribulation, could be influenced unwittingly.

Dozens to hundreds of beams of escaping light hovered outside the grand formation, continuously attacking with magical treasures and immortal arts. Various terrifying spells and forbidden techniques were unleashed—giant hands dozens of acres wide tore through the black clouds, stirring them. Heavenly fire, divine thunder, treasure light, fierce energy, sword rain—all formidable treasures and magic were used.

After seven days and nights of relentless assault, they only shattered a hundred feet of the dark cloud’s boundary. This cloud seemed an exquisitely mysterious defensive formation, expanding slowly whenever attacks ceased.

Even immortals had moments of powerlessness. Many righteous sword immortals ceased their incantations, breathing slowly to recover.

At that moment, over a hundred evil cultivators surged forth from the black clouds, their sword lights and escape arts radiating sinister energy, howls rising like ghosts and wolves. The battle erupted violently, the sky seeming to collapse and the earth to quake. The entire heavens burned and roared, sword rays tens of feet long clashing back and forth. Spells caused fires, winds, waters, and tremors spanning dozens to hundreds of miles, smashing mountains and crushing peaks. Demonic sounds bewitched souls; divine lights scorched and melted, with souls dissipating on contact.

A dazzling purple light blazed fiercely, killing relentlessly with no retreat, having slain several sword immortals from other sects.

A blue light blocked its right side, intercepting a dozen or so Yin Thunder bolts, thunder roaring and covering a hundred yards with dark fire and demonic energy.

From the blue light came a voice full of regret: “My Separation and Reunion Shield!” Seeing the purple light make a clever turn and bisect another demon, preparing to advance, the voice hurriedly called out, “Junior Sister Li Qionger, don’t get carried away and forget the deadly formation ahead!”

Deep within the vast formation stood a massive palace, where a light laugh was heard: “Just a small scene; the main players haven’t appeared yet, don’t you think so, Uncle Lu Mingzi?”

“The key lies with those nine children tainted by the Golden Crow’s energy. When that time comes, the decisive battle will begin...”