Yinshan Record

Chapter 130 Wandering the Martial World
The top scholar's residence.

This is a three-story building with double eaves. Amidst the black tiles that are coated with a layer of oil, there are some weeds. It is almost autumn, and the stems of the weeds have turned a little yellow, but the leaves are still clear.

A couplet hangs on either side of the main gate: "Welcome guests from all directions with a smile, and receive wealth from all corners of the world with joy."

Inside, there is also a couplet that reads, “In drunkenness, the universe is vast; in a wine pot, the sun and moon float.”

Behind the counter in the dining room hung several wooden signs with the names of various dishes, such as "Stir-fried Drunken Chicken," "Braised Shrimp with Turmeric," "Braised Pork Knuckle," and "Steamed Meatballs."

The thick wooden lid of the wine vat was covered in grease, and a waiter with a white towel draped over his shoulder was flipping through the pages of a book.

The book cover was titled "The Illustrated Tale of Flying Swallow," and the illustrations inside were quite stimulating, making the young shopkeeper's blood boil.

This place cannot compare with the famous restaurants in the world, but it is already the best restaurant in Shanyin County.

There's a story behind the name. Back in the imperial court, when the imperial examinations were held, a scholar in his forties from Shanyin County won first place. Because his wife provided the money for his studies, and she cooked in the back room, the people in the county called his shop "Zhuangyuanju" (状元居, meaning "Top Scholar's Residence").

Back then, powerful families were even more prestigious than they are today. Under the intentional or unintentional suppression, this top scholar could only remain in a low-ranking position. A few years later, he simply resigned and went to Yuelu Mountain Academy to study and pursue his studies, eventually becoming a great Confucian scholar.

This residence, where the scholar first made his fortune, has been passed down through generations of his descendants.

On the third floor, the wine was still warm. Su Che tended a small red clay stove, slowly grilling beef on it with chopsticks. The hot beef fat dripped into the charcoal fire below through the cracks of the stove, and a puff of smoke rose up, creating an indescribable feeling of ease and joy.

The four sat by the window. Su Che grilled meat by the window, Lu Baiju slowly warmed wine, and Song Qi and Lin Jiugong, the two fellow disciples, drank wine and ate meat.

The autumn breeze was cool, the wine was warm, and the meat was tender; for a time, both host and guests enjoyed themselves immensely.

"Since I achieved success in my cultivation, I have drunk less alcohol." Lin Jiugong sighed, "It is rare for me to enjoy drinking and eating meat so freely today."

"Master Lin, then please have a few more bites. Since you haven't broken your vows for so long, you might as well eat to your heart's content." Lu Bai poured the warmed bamboo leaf green wine into his celadon wine cup. The fragrance of Fenyang wine became even more enticing after being warmed.

"Haha, then you should eat more."

Lin Jiugong picked up a piece of fatty beef and put it in his mouth, then downed the refreshing Fenyang Zhuyeqing liquor in one gulp.

Su Che looked out of the small building. Pedestrians were bustling about, and shops along the road were opening one after another. After the great disaster, Shanyin County was gradually recovering its former vitality.

Although there was a sense of desolation, like someone recovering from a serious illness, he had at least survived.

"Once you've tasted this, you'll probably never find this taste of home again."

Lin Jiugong put down his chopsticks, his words born of genuine feeling.

"In this world, where is there not the same sun and moon shining upon us, where is not our home? Junior brother, don't be too attached to appearances."

Song Qi didn't eat meat either; he just leaned against the window and drank wine intermittently.

Today's gathering is a farewell.

The person who delivered it was Lin Jiugong, a Taoist with one eyebrow who, feeling the inadequacy of his cultivation during the previous turmoil, decided to go to the East Sea.

Above the East Sea, cultivation sects are numerous, but there are no dynasties like the Great Liang and Great Wei of the Central Plains that intend to unify the world. They are either islands and sea ruins controlled by sects or small countries inhabited by demons and gods.

Above the East Sea, Qi cultivators soar through the air and descend to the earth, great demons gather Yin and Yang and breathe in the sun and moon, sword cultivators ride their swords through the air like a swarm of stars, immortal islands stretch across the nine heavens, and palaces are hidden in the mirage waves.

That is the true place for spiritual practice.

Lin Jiugong resolved to travel to the East Sea to seek the inheritance of the Shangqing lineage and continue his cultivation.

The paper-craft shop in Guobei County has been left to two apprentices. Qiusheng and Wencai are not skilled enough in cultivation and lack a strong Daoist heart, so they stay in Guobei County to take care of the family business.

"Senior brother, please take good care of my two good-for-nothing disciples."

Lin Jiugong raised his wine glass.

"I also have disciples, and I can't take care of them all."

Song Qi picked up the wine cup with one hand, touched it lightly with Lin Jiugong's, and then tilted his head back to drink it. The clear wine burned the old man's throat, and he coughed a few times.

"Your two disciples are both worldly in nature. The one named Wencai is a bit dull, but I can still take care of him. The one named Qiusheng is cunning and unpredictable. Whether he will be blessed or cursed in the future depends on his own actions."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiugong drank another cup.

The senior brother was aloof and stingy, and by saying this, he had already agreed to take care of the two disciples.

"Brother Yue, why don't we go to the East Sea together?"

Lin Jiugong looked at Su Che and said.

"Me?"

Su Che glanced at Lu Bai, who was warming wine beside him.

"Entangled in worldly affairs, my sword heart is no longer clear. I will hone my skills and then sail a small boat across the East China Sea to seek out Brother Lin's immortal traces."

Song Qi looked at Su Che with a cold eye.

"I'm returning your elixir." With that, he took a small bottle from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

Lu Bai's eyes lit up as he looked at the porcelain vase.

"What do you mean by this, Brother Song?"

Su Che frowned.

"Figured out."

Song Qi drank the clear, cool wine in his cup in one gulp.

"There's a poem that says it well: 'A person's life is less than a hundred years, yet he often worries for a thousand years.' I'm a person who thinks too much. I've lived for over a hundred years, but I haven't seen through wine, women, wealth, or power. I'm tempted by fame and fortune. Even if I continue to cultivate, I'm afraid I'll just become food for the demons."

Su Che saw that Song Qi's eyes were filled with turbidity.

A mere drop of bamboo leaf green would never cause a Xuanmen cultivator at the seventh rank to act so rashly.

This was a change in mindset; the innate spirit of the coffin shop owner, Mr. Song, had probably been completely exhausted at this moment.

Su Che suddenly remembered a saying he had heard in his previous life: some people live to be eighty-two, but he died at the age of twenty-eight. The Zhuangzi says: "There is no greater sorrow than the death of the heart, and physical death is secondary."

Su Che frowned slightly as he looked at Old Song's dejected eyes.

"Whether Old Song has the fortune to enjoy the Xuan You Dao Zhen Dan is another matter, but even if Young Hero Yue has a large family and great wealth, he probably wouldn't easily give it away to a mere seventh-grade cultivator."

Song Qi sighed deeply: "Throughout my life I have been proud of my wisdom and strategies, thinking that even if I did not practice Confucianism, I could still achieve the 'wise man sees the opportunity and the wise man understands his destiny.' I never thought that in the end I would be blinded by the two words 'life and death,' and I have been ridiculed by Mr. Yue."

Su Che smiled, took out a small bottle from his sleeve and placed it on the table, putting away the fake Xuan You Dao Zhen Dan that the little fox had.

"I have some methods to prolong life. This bottle of elixirs was obtained from Lady Xue, the Water Goddess of Canglang. One pill can extend one's life by more than ten years."

Su Che pushed the bottle of elixirs that Madam Xue had given him forward: "I'm just passing by and being a lucky charm. If Mr. Song wants to express his gratitude, he can prepare some pig's head and fat chicken to offer as a token of appreciation."

Upon hearing this, Song Qi trembled and stared intently at the bottle of elixirs.

"Brother Yue, you are truly both a god and a demon. With such manipulative skills, it's a real pity that you don't cultivate the wondrous art of transcending all limitations and instead choose the path of the sword."

Song Qi reached out and gripped the porcelain bottle tightly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Su Che looked at the old man who was practicing the Shangqing Daoist method. Although the elixir had not been ingested, a spiritual aura emanated from his eyes and brows.

Su Che was intimately familiar with this spiritual energy.

The Eastern Palace within the Azure Emperor's Treasure Garden was filled with this yang energy.

If Su Che had not had the Azure Emperor's Treasure Garden as a reference, and had not cultivated the Taiyin Dharma, he would not have been so sensitive to Yang energy.

Otherwise, one would miss the subtle change in Song Qi's brow.

A sense of vitality welled up in Old Song's heart, and a warm, masculine aura emanated from his brows.
Su Che lowered his head and drank the Zhuyeqing wine in one gulp.

"I wish Brother Lin a soaring success, and Brother Song even greater heights," Lu Bai chuckled, picking up the conversation. "Come, come, let's drink this cup to the brim."

After drinking and chatting, Su Che ordered a few more dishes from the waiter. The group continued drinking and chatting until sunset before parting ways.

Taking advantage of his drunken state, Lin Jiugong bid farewell to the three of them and headed straight for the East Sea without lingering. Su Che and Song Qi, along with Lu Bai, escorted him all the way to the East Gate.

Then Song Qi also bid farewell to Su Che, saying that no matter whether it was Mr. Yue or Mr. Liu in the future, as long as they needed his coffin shop, Old Song, they only needed to send someone to let him know.

Lu Bai, who was standing next to him, was completely confused.

"How does your first day in this carefree world of martial arts feel?"

Su Che and Lu Bai, carrying satchels, looked like a pair of merchants traveling together, heading towards Guo Bei County.

"If I could just eat and drink like this every day, I would really be willing to wander the world."

Lu Bai chuckled.

He was indeed a high-ranking officer, but his main responsibility was to oversee the prison. He spent a lot of time traveling around the martial arts world, but he didn't have much real experience in it.

"I arranged to meet Zhang San at the Yingyue Inn in Guobei County."

Lu Bai looked expectant: "I heard there are female ghosts there."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Bai gripped the dagger at his waist, took a slow step forward, and shielded Su Che behind him.

"When you're traveling, whatever you say really comes true..."

Su Che looked ahead and saw a beautiful woman holding a paper umbrella, leaning against a cypress tree by the roadside in the setting sun.

A pair of dark, oily eyes stared intently at him, their gaze filled with resentment, longing, and sorrow.

(End of this chapter)