FVN Chapter 47 Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Jade Spirit Wine
Chapter 47 Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Jade Spirit Wine
Chapter 47 Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Jade Spirit Wine
"My lord, stay here peacefully. Everything will be alright once it's all over."
Fang Shi tried to speak, but found that he couldn't make a sound.
Darkness pressed in from all sides, enveloping him completely and swallowing his voice as well.
"To keep my husband from getting bored, I set up a game for him inside. It will evolve into the most beautiful form according to my husband's wishes."
"There's also a gift I gave to my husband inside; I hope he'll receive it."
Fang Shi wanted to know what exactly was going on.
But his consciousness had begun to blur, and even as the sounds of clashing swords and screams grew louder, his consciousness gradually sank into oblivion.
"My husband, take care."
Qi Xueyi's last voice came, as light as a wisp of smoke.
Then, Fang Shi sank completely into darkness.
When Fang Shi woke up again, he found himself in a quiet alley.
At the end of the alley is a detached house with its own courtyard.
White walls and black tiles, a vermilion gate, two green pines and several clumps of green bamboo planted at the foot of the steps in front of the gate, are extremely elegant.
A person was standing at the door.
The man was about twenty years old, with delicate features, and wore an apricot-yellow Taoist robe embroidered with a three-colored cloud pattern—Fang Shi recognized that mark; it was the mark of a disciple of the Sanpan Temple.
Fang Shi recognized this person as Zhou Yan, who had arranged for Chen Santai to be the array cultivator and was supposed to die in the earth vein explosion.
Upon seeing Fang Shi, Zhou Yan immediately asked, "Are you Li Daoyuan, the one who specializes in formations?"
Fang Shi was startled.
He looked down and saw that he was wearing a clean and neat blue Taoist robe, with only traces of cinnabar from years of drawing talismans between his fingers.
Seeing that he didn't answer, Zhou Yan frowned even more, and his tone became somewhat impatient as he asked, "Are you Li Daoyuan, the one who specializes in formations?"
Fang Shi's mind raced.
He didn't know what Qi Xueyi was up to, but given the current situation, following the "Li Daoyuan" identity for now was the best course of action.
Since Qi Xueyi has set up this game, given her great abilities, it wouldn't be wrong to wait and see how things unfold.
Fang Shi cupped his hands and said, "This humble Taoist is Li Daoyuan. Greetings, Immortal Master Zhou."
Zhou Yanqing let out a soft "Huh?" and asked, "How do you know my identity?"
Fang Shi thought to himself: We are both from the Sanpan Temple, how come Li Daoyuan doesn't recognize Zhou Yan?
Just as he was about to explain, darkness descended once more.
When he woke up again, he saw the white walls and black tiles, and the vermilion gate.
Zhou Yan stood at the door and said, "Are you Li Daoyuan, the one who specializes in formations?"
Everything remains the same.
Fang Shi felt a chill run down his spine and subconsciously opened the panel.
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency - 1]
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency - 1]
【————】
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency - 1]
[Minor Breath Concealment Technique (Beginner): 62/72]
It dropped by 10 points.
Although it wasn't as dramatic as the 62 points I lost when I was with Qi Xueyi earlier.
But he remembered clearly that there was no fluctuation on the panel before Zhou Yan first asked the question.
A thought suddenly popped into Fang Shi's mind: even if the physical body is his right now, he is still playing the role of Li Daoyuan. Perhaps if he does something that is not in line with the identity of Li Daoyuan, he will have to start all over again.
The consequence is that the proficiency of the Minor Concealment Technique will be reduced more and more.
At the moment, the deduction is only 10 points, which is still manageable.
However, if you keep answering incorrectly and keep resetting, the Minor Concealment Technique will deduct more and more until it drops into a negative number, or even deduct several hundred at once.
By then, he was probably already deeply polluted by the foul air.
Even if he wanted to regain his senses and discover the anomaly through the panel, it probably wouldn't be as easy as he had experienced before.
Seeing that Fang Shi remained silent, Zhou Yan frowned again and asked, "Are you Li Daoyuan, the one who specializes in formations?"
Fang Shi quickly cupped his hands and said, "This humble Daoist is indeed Li Daoyuan. May I ask which immortal you are?"
This time, he did not utter the words "Master Zhou".
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan said, "My surname is Zhou, and my given name is Yan. I have a task for you to handle. Listen carefully, you can't try to fool me like you did with those rogue cultivators."
Fang Shi thought to himself: Just as I thought, Li Daoyuan doesn't recognize Zhou Yan.
He bowed respectfully and said, "Immortal Zhou, you flatter me. How could I dare to be sloppy? If you have any instructions, I will do my best and not slack off in the slightest."
Just as Zhou Yan was about to speak again, he suddenly saw a streak of light flash across the sky, like a shooting star falling to earth, and land right in front of him in an instant.
The radiance faded, revealing a young girl.
She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with bright eyes and white teeth. Her black hair was tied up with a jade ring, and she wore a light pink dress.
Fang Shi was startled again—wasn't that Qi Xueyi?
She had the same eyebrows and eyes, the same figure, but her clothes had changed to a light pink dress, and a jade hairpin had been added to her hair, making her look more youthful and lively.
Qi Xueyi skipped over, her face beaming with joy, and reached out to hug Zhou Yan's arm.
But just as her fingertips were about to touch her sleeve, she suddenly stopped, quietly withdrew, and took a small step to the side, creating some distance between herself and Zhou Yan, but the smile on her face did not diminish in the slightest.
"Senior brother! What are you doing here? I've been looking everywhere for you. Come on, let's go see a play!"
Seeing her take a half step back, Zhou Yan paused for a moment, then said, "What show are you watching? I don't have any money."
Qi Xueyi blinked, looking incredulous, and said, "There are people who can't afford to watch a play? Senior brother, don't try to fool me."
Zhou Yan remained silent, only shaking his head.
Qi Xueyi continued, "Then let's go for a drink! I've heard that the Biling wine at 'Zui Xian Lou' on West Street is incredibly fragrant. Although it's made with ordinary Biling rice, steamed and fermented, then buried in earthenware jars to ripen over winter, the aroma of rice is irresistible when you open the jar, and the taste is smooth and mellow—it's comparable to the flavor of wine brewed from top-grade spirit rice. A pot only has twenty grains of broken spirit rice; surely you can afford that, Senior Brother?"
Zhou Yan, unable to resist her pestering, could only sigh and say, "Alright, alright, whatever you say."
After saying that, he turned to Li Daoyuan and said, "I will come to find you again tomorrow. Don't make me wait any longer."
Just as Fang Shi was about to agree, Qi Xueyi suddenly rolled her eyes and looked at him, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Li, since we've bumped into each other, why don't we go together? It'll be more lively with more people."
Zhou Yan frowned and said, "What right does he, an outer disciple, have to drink with us?"
Qi Xueyi persisted, saying, "Senior Brother, that's not right. What's wrong with being an outer disciple? Outer disciples are still members of the Three Plates Temple. Besides, didn't you just say you had a task for Fellow Daoist Li? If you need his help, wouldn't it be easier to talk to him if you treated him to a drink?"
"My father always said that you should be kind and generous to others, especially to your subordinates. If you treat them well, they will be ten times more devoted to you. If you always act so aloof, who will be willing to risk their lives for you in the future?"
Zhou Yan was speechless after hearing her words, and said, "I'll do as you say."
Qi Xueyi then turned her head, winked at Fang Shi, and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Li, did you hear that? Senior Brother nodded."
"Come on, let's go together."
The private room was located on the second floor of Zuixianlou. The carved wooden windows facing the street were open, and the hustle and bustle of the city below could be faintly heard coming up, which made the room even more quiet.
Fang Shi had lived in Qiyuan Town for more than ten years. He had naturally heard of the name Zuixianlou, but had never stepped into it.
One meal here is enough for him to draw talismans for several days.
The three of them took their seats.
Qi Xueyi sat in the main seat, Zhou Yan sat to her right, and Fang Shi was moved to the opposite side.
The waiter quickly brought over a pot of Biling wine, along with several small dishes—a dish of salt and pepper spirit beans, a dish of braised spirit pork jerky, and a plate of stir-fried jade marrow mushrooms.
The pork jerky was sliced as thin as cicada wings, with translucent edges, and the meat was reddish and glossy, sprinkled with a few white sesame seeds.
This meat comes from a first-grade low-level Frostback Spirit Pig, named for its white, frost-like fat. The meat is firm and is rarely seen even by ordinary rogue cultivators.
Jade Marrow Ganoderma is a mid-grade first-level spiritual plant, its entire body is as white as jade, and its stems are crisp and tender. It can be made into a dish of green and white, full of spiritual energy, simply blanched in spiritual spring water and then stir-fried with spiritual oil.
Qi Xueyi picked up the wine pot, filled her own cup, and handed it to Zhou Yan, who also poured himself a cup.
Qi Xueyi raised her wine glass and said with a smile, "Senior brother, let me toast you first."
Zhou Yan shook his head helplessly, took a sip of wine, picked up a piece of jade marrow mushroom with his chopsticks, chewed it, and his brows relaxed slightly.
Fang Shi sat opposite him, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
He knew perfectly well that now that he was disguised as Li Daoyuan, he had no right to sit at the same table and drink with the inner disciples.
Although Qi Xueyi's words were meant to help him out of a predicament, he was ultimately just an outer disciple. Sitting here was already considered presumptuous, and if he continued to eat and drink without any restraint, he might displease Zhou Yan.
That would likely lead to mistakes and require starting all over again.
Qi Xueyi put down her wine cup and said, "Fellow Daoist Li, why aren't you drinking?"
She tilted her head, her gaze falling on Fang Shi, and said, "Is it that you think the wine is bad, or that you think this place is shabby?"
Fang Shi quickly replied, "No, no. I'm just... not very good at drinking."
Qi Xueyi laughed and said, "You only need to learn if you don't know how to drink."
95
She stood up, picked up the wine pot, walked around the table, and went to Fang Shi's side, saying, "Come, come, let me pour you a cup."
When pouring the wine, she stood very close, so close that Fang Shi could smell the faint fragrance of gardenias.
The clear liquor flowed from the spout and fell steadily into the glass without spilling a single drop.
Fang Shi's gaze unconsciously fell on her collar.
The neckline of that light pink dress was embroidered with several delicate clusters of orchids, the stitches fine and dense, with alternating shades of blue and white.
Beside the orchid, two butterflies with outstretched wings were embroidered, their wings adorned with fine silver threads that shimmered slightly in the light by the window, as if they were about to fly off the hem of the garment.
Zhou Yan, sitting to the side, watched this scene, his brows furrowing slightly. He said, "Junior Sister, why are you like this now—"
""
Qi Xueyi, carrying the wine pot, turned her head to the side, and a few strands of hair slipped from her temples, just touching Fang Shi's cheek, brushing against him like feathers.
She, however, was completely unaware of what was happening, and simply looked at Zhou Yan with a smile, saying, "Senior brother, what's wrong with me?"
Zhou Yan's brows furrowed even deeper, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it back.
He picked up his wine glass, downed it in one gulp, and as he set it down, his voice deepened. "How can you be like this these days—completely lacking in manners? Pouring wine is something the waiter should do; why do you have to do it yourself? Besides, he's just an outer disciple; what kind of talk will people have if word gets out that you're pouring wine for him?"
Qi Xueyi, however, did not take it to heart. She held the wine pot steadily and poured more wine into Fang Shi's cup before straightening up and slowly walking back to her seat.
"Senior brother, you're being too formal. We're all from the Three Plates Temple, why differentiate between inner and outer disciples? Besides, Fellow Daoist Li isn't an outsider—doesn't Senior Brother have some errands to assign him? I'm just pouring him a cup of wine to encourage him on his journey, what's wrong with that?"
Zhou Yan was speechless, stumped by her reasoning. He just snorted, picked up his wine glass, filled it for himself, and drank it in a sullen voice.
Amidst the clinking of glasses and the passing of several rounds of drinks,
Fang Shi was initially a little reserved, not daring to stretch his chopsticks too far or drink too quickly, for fear of making a mistake and having to start all over again.
But Qi Xueyi seemed to see through his thoughts. Sometimes she would put a piece of jade marrow mushroom on his plate and let him take a bite, and sometimes she would raise her cup to him from afar and let him drink half a cup.
After a few times, Fang Shi gradually loosened up and even dared to reach out for the dish of salt and pepper spirit beans.
Zhou Yan, however, became increasingly dissatisfied.
Every time he wanted to find an excuse to have a drinking contest with Fang Shi, such as "Fellow Daoist Li, if you toast me, I will toast you"—Qi Xueyi would interrupt unhurriedly, saying, "Senior Brother wants to have a drinking contest, why don't you ask me? I haven't had a good drink with Senior Brother today."
He then raised his glass, smiling as he waited.
Zhou Yan couldn't refuse, so he clinked glasses with her.
This happened several times. Zhou Yan drank most of his wine with Qi Xueyi, but hardly drank any with Fang Shi.
As the effects of the alcohol intensified, Zhou Yan's face turned from white to red, and then from red to crimson.
He became quieter, no longer as critical as before, and just kept drinking one cup after another in silence.
The wine jug was emptied and refilled, then emptied again; the waiter went in and out, and the jug was replaced three or four times.
Finally, Zhou Yan put down his wine glass, his gaze passing over the carved window frame and landing on the street outside.
The lights on West Street were still bright, but there were indeed fewer pedestrians than before. Occasionally, one or two would pass by the alley entrance, walking hurriedly as if rushing home.
Further away, several shops had already begun putting up their storefront panels, the creaking sounds carried faintly in the night wind, making the scene seem rather desolate.
Qi Xueyi followed his gaze and asked, "What's wrong, Senior Brother?"
Zhou Yan stared out the window for a long time before speaking, "Look, there are fewer and fewer people on the street. It was bustling just a moment ago, but now only these few lights illuminate the empty road."
Qi Xueyi's face was also flushed. She rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the street corner, and said, "There are fewer people on the street, but we're still here, aren't we? Senior brother, look, there's still half a pot of wine, and the crowd hasn't dispersed. What are you worrying about, looking out the window all by yourself?"
Zhou Yan didn't reply, but simply drank another cup.
Just as Fang Shi was about to say something befitting his status, he suddenly felt something touch his thigh.
He looked down at the table and saw a foot wearing a white silk sock pressing against his calf.
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