288: Qingyang Zhenren

Qingyang Prefecture, a borderland, Yunmiao City.

"Qingping Wine House."

"What a good name."

Before a multi-story, red-wood pavilion emanating the scent of wine.

A young man, appearing to be in his twenties, with a handsome and refined face, praised the plaque hanging above the pavilion.

After a moment, the young man stepped inside.

The first floor was the main hall.

Before he even entered, a young Junior greeted him.

"Senior, may I help you with anything?"

The young Junior bowed respectfully and asked.

"I heard Yunmiao City is famous for its Qingyun Spiritual Wine. Does your esteemed establishment have it?"

The young man smiled as he raised a hand and inquired.

"Yes, Senior, please follow me."

The Junior nodded quickly and led the way.

As they walked through, there were already many guests in the main hall.

Faint Spiritual Qi fluctuations occasionally emanated from some of them.

The young man merely glanced around, taking in his surroundings, but did not continue to scrutinize.

When traveling, idly prying into others' affairs could lead to unnecessary trouble.

They arrived at a table by a window.

The young man sat down under the Junior's guidance.

In less than a moment.

The Junior returned, holding a jade wine pot.

"Senior, this is the Qingyun Spiritual Wine you requested."

"Thank you."

The young man nodded in thanks.

He picked up the jade pot and poured a cup onto the table.

Fine wine foam bubbled in the cup, and a rich aroma of wine wafted out.

The young man took a light sip.

The Spiritual Wine was rich and heavy on the palate; as it went down, a sweet aftertaste lingered on his tongue.

"It's truly excellent."

The young man raised an eyebrow, his face showing delight.

"These Spirit Stones were well spent this time."

The young man secretly chuckled to himself.

Before this, on his journey, there had been so-called famous Spiritual Teas and Spiritual Wines, but after tasting them, he found that more than half were merely imposters.

Just as the young man finished one cup and was about to pour another to continue savoring it.

At an empty table behind the young man, two middle-aged male Cultivators arrived.

One was travel-worn, with a full beard on his face.

The other appeared somewhat down-and-out, dressed rather shabbily.

"Brother Yin, it's only been a few years, how did you end up in such a state?"

As soon as the bearded man sat down, his face showed some displeasure.

"Hehe~"

"Brother Liu, there's no need to ask further."

The shabbily dressed Cultivator gave a bitter smile, not taking the bearded man's blunt question to heart.

The two were close friends and naturally understood each other's temperaments.

"Even such a powerful Immortal Sect can be annihilated overnight; what does a small change matter to a small fry like me?"

The shabbily dressed Cultivator added another sentence.

The bearded man's heart stirred, knowing what he was referring to.

"That's true. Five years ago, in Xuanhua Prefecture, on Shenhua Peak, overnight, the vast Sect turned into a sea of fire, which burned for three full months before extinguishing."

"I heard some Cultivators, unafraid of death, wanted to go in and make a fortune, but after entering the sea of fire, they were never seen again. It's truly terrifying."

The bearded man lowered his voice, leaned forward slightly, and glanced around. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he continued his story.

Although the bearded man's voice was low, it still reached the ears of the young man, who was sitting with his back to them, quietly sipping his wine.

The young man smiled faintly, doing nothing.

"Brother Liu also knows about this?"

The shabbily dressed Cultivator named Yin was a little surprised.

The bearded man was not a Cultivator from Qingyang Prefecture, yet he knew so much.

"Of course, this matter spread widely."

"A single sword strike from the west, felling a Sect."

"What kind of grandeur is that!"

The bearded man's eyes were filled with longing, and his tone was quite emotional.

"I truly wish I could witness the demeanor of True Man Qingyang (Daoist Master Qingyang) with my own eyes."

The bearded man's words continued without pause.

"Brother Liu, True Man Qingyang (Daoist Master Qingyang) presides over Qingyang Peak; how could Juniors like us possibly meet him?"

"Not to mention True Man Qingyang (Daoist Master Qingyang), even the Disciples of the Immortal Clan Zhou family rarely get to see him."

The shabbily dressed Cultivator, however, repeatedly waved his hand.

"What's there to see in the Disciples of such prominent families? They are merely fortunate individuals who enjoy the blessings of their ancestors."

The bearded man said dismissively.

"Silence!"

The shabbily dressed Cultivator's expression changed slightly. He glanced around, and seeing no one looking, he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Brother Yin, there's no need to worry. Yunmiao City is just a small city; how could one so easily encounter Disciples of major powers here?"

"Besides, I didn't say anything; they can't possibly punish me for that."

Although the bearded man was somewhat afraid, he did not back down in his words.

The young man, sitting with his back to the two, paused with the hand holding his wine cup, but it was only for an instant before he returned to normal.

"I heard that an extraordinary tribe emerged in the neighboring Barren State. Now, the entire Barren State is unified, and rules have been established."

"Those who enter the Barren State but do not abide by its rules, if discovered, will not end well."

The shabbily dressed Cultivator quickly changed the subject.

"Those barbarians..."

As the bearded man began to speak, he realized that he himself was merely a low-level Qi Refining Cultivator, seemingly no different from those barbarians.

So, he lost the interest to continue speaking.

"After all is said and done, how does it concern us?"

"Come, Brother Yin, we haven't seen each other in years; let's drink, let's drink."

The bearded man raised his cup, inviting the shabbily dressed Cultivator.

However, what the two ordered was not Qingyun Spiritual Wine, but merely ordinary wine steeped with Spiritual Plants that contained a trace of Spiritual Qi.

"Good."

"..."

After some time.

"Clatter!"

In the center of the main hall.

The sound of something breaking emanated.

Everyone looked towards the sound.

The young man by the window and the two behind him did the same.

In the middle of the main hall, a young Junior lay sprawled on the ground, looking disheveled.

In front, several Cultivators of varying ages and appearances, dressed in uniform attire, sat upright.

"I asked for Qingyun Spiritual Wine! How dare you, Qingping Wine House, try to fool this lord with such inferior wine!"

Among the several people, a middle-aged Cultivator with fierce eyes poured all the wine from the pot onto the Junior.

He spoke with ill intent.

"Senior, spare my life, Senior, spare my life..."

"Senior did not say he wanted Qingyun Spiritual Wine; this Junior merely served the Red Cotton Wine as per Senior's instructions..."

The young Junior's voice was terrified.

In the main hall, listening to the Junior's words and looking at the attire of these few people, some understood.

Someone gently shook their head and sighed.

This Mortal Junior was merely an insignificant casualty in the power struggle.

"Don't be impulsive, those are people from the Peng Family."

Someone covertly warned those who seemed ready to step forward.

"Why is this?"

Some Cultivators new to the area did not quite understand.

"This Qingping Wine House is an asset of the Shen Family, but it has been in severe decline in recent years. Today, it seems the Peng Family is preparing to take over the Shen Family."

Both the Shen and Peng Families are Qi Refining aristocratic families in Yunmiao City.

"Let's go quickly."

Some people hurried away, not wanting to stir up trouble, nor wanting to be caught in the crossfire.