Chapter 38

Little Yuan Zhong stealthily went to the kitchen and grabbed a few kitchen knives, hiding them behind his waist. The last time those red-eyed war ghosts broke through the cave entrance with great momentum, they mercilessly cut him into several pieces and injured both the master and Big Zhong. This grudge could not go unavenged. He wanted to show these ignorant war ghosts what the wrath of a mechanical man looked like.

Stepping out into the snow, the path by the lake was desolate and covered in white, with not a single tree big enough to hide behind. Little Yuan Zhong wished he could bury himself in the snow and quietly crawl to the cave entrance, then ambush the war ghosts unexpectedly.

Unexpectedly, a figure slowly walked out of the small building. It was Yuan Zhong. He seemed to have just woken up, his clothes disheveled, with his outer robe hanging loosely off his shoulder. He yawned and stretched lazily as he walked towards the cave entrance.

“No, you can’t go!” Little Yuan Zhong jumped up and shouted, “Big Zhong…”

Just as he uttered two words, he suddenly felt as if something was stuck in his throat. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make a sound. Desperately, he grabbed his neck with his hands and jumped around like a frog.

“Don’t shout.” Tanyin’s voice suddenly appeared beside him. Little Yuan Zhong, in terror, ran towards her, pointing at his throat, almost in tears.

“It was me. Don’t shout,” Tanyin said calmly.

Little Yuan Zhong stared at her blankly, full of confusion.

She seemed to have countless worries. Although she had occasionally shown a heavy-hearted expression before, never had it been as overwhelming as now, barely held together by sheer will. He felt she might collapse at any moment.

His master was supposed to be intelligent, beautiful, and strong.

Little Yuan Zhong stared blankly at her thin body wrapped in white clothes, which were being tugged by the wind and snow, as if her body could be torn apart at any moment. Was she really so transparent and fragile?

“Don’t tell Yuan Zhong about what just happened.”

Tanyin’s voice was very low. She didn’t look at him; her eyes were fixed on Yuan Zhong’s increasingly distant back, filled with both longing and a sense of farewell.

What just happened?

Was she talking about planning to leave Yuan Zhong?

Little Yuan Zhong didn’t understand. She had clearly decided to stay.

Since she wouldn’t leave, why couldn’t he say anything? He didn’t want Big Zhong to be kept in the dark. At the very least, he wanted to give him a heads-up. In the simple, orderly mind of a mechanical man, relationships worked like this: Tanyin wanted to leave, she chose to stay, and to ensure she could never secretly leave again, he and Big Zhong needed to work together to strengthen their surveillance.

“Little Yuan Zhong, please don’t tell.” Her voice had a trace of pleading.

Little Yuan Zhong reluctantly nodded. Tanyin seemed to smile slightly and brushed the snow off his shoulder.

“Thank you.”

“Ah…”

Little Yuan Zhong’s blocked throat suddenly cleared, letting out a meaningless sigh. He watched as Tanyin’s figure turned into a clear light, almost instantly catching up with Yuan Zhong. She said something, helped him pull up his robe, and Yuan Zhong put his arm around her shoulder, their laughter echoing in the wind and snow.

The kitchen knives hidden behind his waist felt hard and unyielding. He remembered his intention to protect Big Zhong and the master, but he had no heart for these trivial matters now. Their skills had never needed his protection. Not causing trouble was good enough.

The sky grew darker, and the wind and snow intensified. Half of Little Yuan Zhong’s body was covered in snow. He repeatedly thought, back and forth, but still couldn’t understand what had happened.

He walked back and forth in the wind and snow, trying to figure out the cause and effect of Tanyin’s strange behavior. She had clearly cried; those tears were real. She clearly intended to leave; his plea was real. But now she had stayed without a word and forbade him from speaking about it. The complexity and mystery of human hearts, he could never understand.

The letter was sent by Lord Meishan.

Last time, Tanyin made a wooden eagle and specially sent two jars of Zhuisheng Mengsi wine. Maybe the wine was good, and the eagle was interesting. It was only now sent back by Lord Meishan.

The wooden eagle was dressed in an exquisite robe and wore a small floral hat on its head, probably made by Lord Meishan. The clothes glittered, and the hat was colorful, looking both comical and eye-catching. Yuan Zhong couldn’t help but laugh and gently flicked the wobbly hat. The wooden eagle screeched in displeasure—it was evidently quite satisfied with its current appearance.

“This Meishan, even mechanical birds can be led astray by him,” Yuan Zhong sighed, shaking his head.

Around its neck hung a meticulously wrapped oil-paper bag containing a letter and a delicate silk handkerchief with a small amethyst snake attached, lifelike and the size of a pinky finger.

The letter was written by Lord Meishan, lavishly praising the two jars of Drunken Life,Dreaming Death wine with ornate phrases, filling a page with nonsense. He also mentioned the wooden eagle, saying he liked it very much and had it dressed and flown out daily, more nonsense filling another page. The third page finally got to the point: the time for the annual Immortal Flower and Wine Festival hosted by the Master of Xiang Mountain was approaching, and the master had heard that the High Priest had left Fangwai Mountain and was wandering and had specially asked Lord Meishan to forward an invitation.

Unfolding the silk handkerchief revealed the invitation, with elegant handwriting and beautiful wording. The handkerchief was scented with green wood fragrance, its texture smooth to the touch. The Master of Xiang Mountain had always been an immortal who enjoyed indulgence.

Yuan Zhong held the silk invitation and pondered. When Tang Hua came to the cave for a surprise attack, Lan Xuan wielded the God-slaying Daggers, which were part of the Xiang Mountain Master’s collection. After Tang Hua and his group were driven out by Tanyin, the daggers remained.

This master was nearing old age, detached from worldly affairs, extremely stingy, yet liked to show off his collection of treasures. These daggers were among them. He had seen them at the last Immortal Flower and Wine Festival. Borrowing a treasure from the stingy Master of Xiang Mountain was nearly impossible. The place where he kept his treasures was heavily guarded. Tang Hua couldn’t have stolen them. How he managed to borrow the God-slaying Daggers remained unknown.

Yuan Zhong put the letter and invitation back in his sleeve, turned to Tanyin, and smiled, half-jokingly clasping his hands in a salute, “Today the gods descend, we are fortunate to unseal and present the world’s finest wine.”

Tanyin was taken aback, “Wha-what’s going on?”

Yuan Zhong winked at her, “Just a simple ceremony.”

The Fox clan had rules. Though they were good at brewing wine, the quality varied. Lower-quality wines, like Drunken Life, Dreaming Death, or those with a jade-like color, were for personal consumption or gifts among friends. The finest wine, named Tianxia Wushuang, could only be unsealed once every sixty years during a sacrificial ceremony. Even he couldn’t open it at will.

The stingy and cunning Master of Xiang Mountain wouldn’t easily divulge anything, even if Yuan Zhong brought the daggers. He’d have to present a few jars of Tianxia Wushuang to loosen his tongue. Conveniently, he had a goddess by his side, so it wasn’t breaking any rules.

The cave’s cellar held countless fine wines. Yuan Zhong quickly brought up four small white jade wine jars. Unlike the jars for lower-quality wines, these white jade jars were adorned with pearls, emitting a faint glow. Each jar was no larger than a baby’s head, indicating their preciousness.

“Goddess, may I have the honor of sharing a drink with you?” Yuan Zhong swayed a small white jade wine jar and smiled at her.

Tanyin also smiled. She was a goddess, and no matter how refined the wine of the mortal world, it tasted like water to her. She didn’t want to dampen Yuan Zhong’s enthusiasm, so she nodded in agreement.

Usually, pouring wine and cooking were Little Yuan Zhong’s tasks, but today, who knows where he had gone. Tanyin fetched two wine cups from the kitchen, carefully opened the seal of the white jade wine jar, and as soon as she did, an icy chill hit her face. A rich and sweet fragrance, like she had never smelled before, rose like mist, filling the entire room in an instant.

The wine poured into the tiny crystal cups was completely transparent. In those times, most wines had impurities and were colored—yellowish or greenish. This crystal-clear wine was a first for her.

Yuan Zhong gently clinked his cup against hers and whispered, “This has been my long-cherished wish; today feels like a dream.”

Tanyin watched him tilt his head back and drain the cup. A faint blush quickly appeared on his pale face, and he sighed softly, “Good wine!”

She boldly downed her cup in one go, and her expression suddenly changed—it was no longer like drinking water. The taste… it was strong liquor! Startled, she choked, coughing violently, nearly dropping her cup.

Yuan Zhong laughed heartily and flicked her forehead, “Silly girl, this is wine for the gods; don’t underestimate it.”

Tanyin finally stopped coughing, but the heat on her face didn’t fade. She wasn’t a heavy drinker, usually treating mortal wines like water because of her divine body. This sudden gulp of strong liquor made her dizzy at once.

She felt weak all over, unable to control herself, slumping on the table, tilting her head to watch Yuan Zhong pour himself another drink.

His thick, black hair, pale face, and the way the candlelight made him look like jade, along with those beautiful eyes that held a lively, proud, and intensely focused soul. His lips moved, murmuring something she didn’t catch. She felt like she was seeing his sober face clearly for the first time. Time seemed to fly by in her dizzy state. Was this a lifetime?

She didn’t want to leave. She really didn’t want to go. If this was a lifetime, how wonderful it would be. Even if her soul was scattered, she would die with him.

Suddenly, he stopped talking too, leaning on the table like her, shoulder to shoulder, face resting on his arm, looking at her face-to-face. His eyes had two clear reflections of her.

“What are you thinking?” he asked softly, the scent of wine in his breath.

Tanyin inexplicably wanted to laugh and murmured, “…good wine.”

“Besides that?” He stared at her.

She still smiled, her cheeks blushing, eyes like spring water, “Thinking of you.”

He squinted his eyes with a smile, as if hiding a star in them.

“You’re seducing me.” His voice grew softer.

“I think I’m taking the bait.”

Tanyin said nothing. She reached out her hand, gently tracing his features—his straight nose, his slightly pursed lips. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and, through her glove, gently bit her thumb.

Her thumb tingled slightly, a tiny jolt of electricity spreading rapidly from that point, radiating through her limbs. Once again she felt that soul-burning pain.

Come on, let it burn. She wasn’t afraid.

His lips gently touched her face.