LRAB Chapter 79 The Appearance of the Qilin and the Spirit Wine Feast
Chapter 79 The Appearance of the Qilin and the Spirit Wine Feast
Lin Yan returned to his villa in Deep Water Bay from the Workers' Union headquarters, feeling refreshed and invigorated; the visceral satisfaction of the punches still lingered within him. He suddenly had a thought: when things are this good, it's time to eat something good!
"Yuling," he called to Wang Yuling, "let's have hot pot tonight! You know, the kind where there's charcoal burning in the middle, and everyone sits around a table, cooking whatever they want."
Although Wang Yuling had never heard of "hot pot" before, she immediately grasped the essence after Lin Yan's brief description: "Is what you mean by hot pot, young master? I'll go prepare it right away!" With that, she excitedly ran to the kitchen and started fiddling around.
Seeing his young master's unusually good mood, Lin Er knew that he had made progress in his martial arts training and wanted to celebrate. He quietly instructed the servants to fetch some good wine from the wine cellar.
At this moment, Lin Yan had a thought, and his divine sense entered the space to pick up Xiao Qi. This time, Xiao Qi did not turn into a puppy, but appeared in the living room in its true form—a small Qilin with crystal-clear scales, jade-colored horns on its head, and amber eyes.
"Wow!" As soon as Xiaoqi came out, it excitedly rolled on the ground and looked around curiously. "Brother, where is this? Why is it different from where I used to live?" Its little tail wagged happily, and its scales reflected a rainbow of colors under the light, and even its fur shone with a golden luster.
Lin Yan crouched down and stroked Xiao Qi's soft little horns on her head: "We're in Hong Kong now. The villa here is huge, and there are no neighbors around. You can keep me company outside from now on." He added with a smile, "Look, to celebrate your brother learning kung fu today, we're having hot pot together. I knew Xiao Qi loves meat, so I specially invited you to come!"
Xiao Qi's eyes lit up at the mention of meat, but then she tilted her head and asked, "Brother, how can we eat meat without wine? Can we drink the spirit wine you asked me to brew?"
Lin Yan then remembered that he had indeed had the little guy brew a batch of spirit wine in his space a few months ago. Xiao Qi was particularly sensitive to spiritual energy and was a master at brewing wine.
"That's right!" Lin Yan's eyes lit up. "Little Qi is so smart! How's the wine you brewed coming along?"
Little Seven immediately raised its head proudly and said, "Brother, I didn't slack off! Following your instructions, I brewed five kinds of spirit wine, two vats of each, ten vats in total! They were all brewed with spirit fruits and grains from my space, and they smell amazing!" It quickly added, "I really didn't drink any!"
Lin Yan was amused by its adorable appearance and patted its little horn: "Alright, alright, you know Xiao Qi is the best. I'll make an exception for you tonight and let you have a little drink too."
Little Seven happily spun around in the living room, its scales shimmering.
Lin Yan instructed Xiao Qi to bring out one jar of each of the five types of spirit wine. Soon, five antique-style wine jars appeared on the coffee table, each with a red paper pasted on it bearing the wine's name written in seal script:
1. Nine-Turn Refined Essence Brew: Brewed with nine different spiritual fruits of varying attributes, the liquid is amber in color. This wine can greatly enhance the purity of a cultivator's spiritual power and aid in cultivation, but it requires extremely high physical strength; mortals who drink it will explode because they cannot withstand the pure spiritual energy.
2. Purple Mansion Concentrating Dew: A transparent liquid with a faint purple glow, made primarily from the seeds of the Pure Heart Purple Bamboo. It is specifically designed to nourish the spirit and expand the sea of consciousness, possessing remarkable effects on cultivating spiritual techniques. If mortals drink it, their spirit will be overwhelmed by the excessively powerful soul force, causing them to lose their minds.
3. Dragon and Elephant Bone-Forging Elixir: A thick, honey-like golden liquid brewed from dragon blood fruit and elephant bone grass. It strengthens bones and muscles, tempers the body, and after drinking it, the blood and energy throughout the body surge like a dragon or elephant. The ordinary human body simply cannot withstand such a violent medicinal power.
4. Five Elements Morning Glow Intoxication: A beautiful wine with flowing five colors, blending the essence of the five elements. It can balance the five elements in a cultivator's body and harmonize yin and yang, but for mortals without a foundation in cultivation, the imbalance of the five elements can directly lead to the rupture of internal organs.
5. Taiyi Longevity Wine: A rare and precious brew, as green as jade, made from the essence of longevity leaves and Yi wood. It prolongs life and slowly improves one's cultivation aptitude, but the vitality it contains is so immense that a mortal body will disintegrate due to the excessive vitality.
As night fell, the restaurant was filled with steam. A specially made copper hot pot bubbled in the center of the table, which was covered with various fresh slices of spirit beast meat and spirit vegetables produced in the space.
It was the first time Xiaoqi had appeared in its true form in the outside world. Excitedly, it lay on the edge of the table, its eyes fixed on the bubbling meat slices in the pot. Wang Yuling had even prepared a slightly higher seat for it.
Lin Yan personally poured a suitable cup of spiritual wine for each person. He gave Lin Er and Lin Gang Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Paste to help them strengthen their puppet bodies, Wang Yuling Five Qi Morning Glow Intoxication, and himself and Xiao Qi a mixture of Nine Revolutions Refining Essence Wine and Taiyi Longevity Wine—which would both enhance their cultivation and not harm the little guy's body.
"Come on, let's toast to our first gathering in Hong Kong, and to my achievements in martial arts today!" Lin Yan raised his glass.
Everyone raised their cups and drank together. The moment the spirit wine entered Lin Yan's mouth, he felt a warm, smooth current flow down his throat, then spread rapidly throughout his body. The pure spiritual energy of the Nine-Turn Refined Essence Wine surged like a tide to his limbs and bones, cleansing every meridian, while the life force of the Taiyi Longevity Elixir nourished his internal organs like spring rain. He felt every pore on his body open up, and his cultivation level improved imperceptibly, his control over his power seemed even more effortless.
Immediately afterward, the spirit beast meat from the hot pot entered his stomach, and his blood and qi surged even more powerfully within him, complementing the effects of the spirit wine and making him feel more comfortable than ever before.
After a few drinks, Xiao Qi was already a little dizzy. It swayed and lay on the table, its little paws still tightly gripping a bowl full of meat: "Brother...this wine is so delicious...and the meat is so tasty..."
Lin Yan affectionately patted its head: "Eat more if you like, but don't drink too much alcohol."
The atmosphere at the dinner table grew increasingly lively. Under the influence of the spirit wine, everyone felt their blood surging, and even the usually composed Lin Er had a faint blush on his face.
While cooking the meat slices in the hot pot, Wang Yuling said with a smile, "Young Master seems especially happy today."
Lin Yan ate meat heartily and drank wine with gusto: "Yes! This tangible sense of progress is more exhilarating than anything else!"
As night deepened, the steam from the hot pot still rose, and the rich aroma of Lingjiu permeated the entire restaurant. Everyone sat together, eating meat, drinking wine, and chatting happily. Even the moonlight that occasionally passed by the window seemed to be infected by this warm and lively atmosphere, becoming exceptionally gentle.
Looking at everything before him, Lin Yan felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He had loyal companions, an adorable "younger brother," room for improvement, and this kind of life—it was truly wonderful in this era.
Under the table, Xiao Qi was already fast asleep, clutching an empty wine bowl, with drool still hanging from the corner of her mouth.
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the curtains. Xiao Qi crawled out of Lin Yan's bed, rubbed its tiny, scale-covered head against Lin Yan's face, and then licked his cheek with its little tongue.
Lin Yan opened his eyes, feeling refreshed. The effects of the spirit wine from last night seemed to still be circulating in his body, and his cultivation had improved even further. He smiled and ruffled Xiao Qi's hair: "Awake? How did you sleep last night?"
"Brother, I slept so soundly!" Little Qi excitedly rolled over on the bed, revealing her soft belly. "And I feel so warm and cozy all over!"
Lin Yan got up to wash up, and remembering the spirit wine banquet from last night, a thought suddenly struck him. While wiping his face, he asked Xiao Qi, "Does the space have any medicinal wine suitable for ordinary people? The kind that can strengthen the body but is harmless to mortals?"
Xiao Qi tilted her head, blinked her amber eyes, and searched through the wine recipes in her inherited memories: "Yes, yes! There are several kinds! For example, tiger bone wine, which can strengthen bones and muscles, dispel wind and relieve pain; Qi and Blood Nourishing Wine, which can replenish qi and nourish blood; and ginseng, deer antler and wolfberry wine, which can replenish qi and strengthen yang, nourish yin and blood, dispel wind and remove dampness... Which one do you want, brother?"
Lin Yan thought for a moment. Master Ip Man had practiced martial arts for many years, so he must have some hidden injuries. Tiger bone wine would be just right. Qi and Blood Twin Wine and Ginseng, Deer Antler and Goji Berry Wine can also nourish the body.
He summoned Lin Er and instructed him, "Go to the spatial storage and retrieve a jar of tiger bone wine, a jar of Qi and Blood Twin Wine, and a jar of ginseng, deer antler, and wolfberry wine. Deliver these to Master Ye, saying it's a small token of my appreciation for his careful guidance. Be sure to tell Master Ye that these medicinal wines are very aged and potent; they should only be consumed in small amounts at a time, and he must not overindulge."
Lin Er accepted the order and left, soon returning with three antique-looking, well-sealed wine jars. Each jar exuded a rich aroma, clearly indicating it was no ordinary wine.
Upon arriving at Ip Man's training ground, Lin Er respectfully presented three jars of medicinal wine and conveyed Lin Yan's instructions.
"Master Ye, this is a small token of my young master's appreciation. This jar is tiger bone wine, which is said to dispel wind, clear the meridians, strengthen muscles and bones, and is beneficial for muscle and bone pain and numbness throughout the body," Lin Er explained, pointing to the first jar. He then pointed to the second jar, "This is Qi and Blood Nourishing Wine, which focuses on replenishing Qi and nourishing blood. The third jar is ginseng, deer antler, and wolfberry wine, which has the effects of replenishing Qi and strengthening Yang, nourishing Yin and blood, and dispelling wind and dampness."
Lin Er emphasized, "Young Master has repeatedly instructed that these medicinal wines are aged for a long time and have a strong medicinal effect. Please be sure to drink only a small amount each time, once or twice a day, 10-20 ml each time. Do not overindulge."
Seeing that Lin Yan was so thoughtful and gave such detailed instructions, Ip Man gladly accepted the gift and thanked Lin Yan for his kindness.
That evening, at the dinner table in Ip Man's home, his concubine looked curiously at the three jars of wine: "Is this the medicinal wine that Mr. Lin sent? It smells quite fragrant."
Ip Man smiled and opened the jar of tiger bone wine. Instantly, a rich and mellow aroma of wine mixed with the scent of medicine filled the air, invigorating everyone. Following Lin Er's instructions, he poured only a small cup.
"So little?" asked the eldest son, Ye Zhun, curiously.
Ip Man explained, "Mr. Lin specifically instructed that this wine is very potent and should not be drunk in excess."
He slowly drank the small cup of wine. At first, it tasted mellow and sweet; after a moment, a warm sensation spread from his stomach to his limbs, as if the warm current was gently clearing the meridians throughout his body. Having practiced martial arts for many years, he inevitably had some hidden injuries and old discomforts throughout his body, and under the effect of this medicinal wine, they all seemed to receive some relief. He could even feel several hidden injuries on his shoulders and elbows from his youth being slowly nourished by the gentle medicinal power.
"What excellent wine!" Ip Man exclaimed, feeling completely refreshed, all the fatigue of the past few days swept away. "This Mr. Lin not only possesses astonishing martial arts talent, but the items he brought out are also extraordinary."
Seeing her husband's praise, she curiously took a small sip and immediately felt a warm sensation spread throughout her body. She couldn't help but smile and say, "This wine is truly extraordinary; it warms me up completely after drinking it."
Ip Man carefully sealed the wine jar, his goodwill towards Lin Yan growing even stronger. This gift was not only precious, but even more remarkable was its thoughtfulness—it considered the needs of a martial artist while carefully advising him not to drink too much, fearing it might harm his health. This sentiment was more precious than anything else.