Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 16 Five Treasures Honey
Before long, Zhui Fengzi and A Zi returned to the living room.

Azi held a tray with both hands, on which were six dishes, a small wine jar the size of a fist, and three cups.

He grinned and said, "Big ginger, can't you see I don't have any hands? Hurry up and put them on for me."

Jiang Mingzhe quickly took over and placed them on the table one by one.

The six dishes contained: steamed ham, fried dried fish, boiled dried tofu, pickled cabbage, pickled water spinach, and a dish of light purple sauce with a few freshly washed scallions laid out on top.

Zhui Fengzi laughed and said, "Junior brother is from Qufu. You have come all the way west. You must not have tasted the flavors of your hometown for a long time. This sauce is shrimp sauce made by me from small shrimp that I caught in the stream. It is a pity that I do not have the green onions from Shandong."

Jiang Mingzhe was also somewhat impressed, thinking that if Zhui Fengzi were born in later generations, he would be a good candidate for sales.

He said gratefully, "Your kindness, senior brother, is more valuable than ten bundles of green onions."

With a large pot in his left hand and a charcoal stove in his right, Zhui Fengzi carried a large pot and a thick charcoal stove. The pot was probably more than ten pounds in weight, and the stove was also quite large, filled with red-hot charcoal that radiated intense heat. However, Zhui Fengzi acted as if nothing was wrong, just like an ordinary person carrying two empty bowls.

Zhui Fengzi put the charcoal stove aside, placed the pot on the stove, and said with a smile, "I was afraid you wouldn't be able to wait, so I'll just stew it here. Let's eat and drink first and fill our stomachs."

He warmly invited the two to sit down, then sat down himself, picked up a small wine jar, shook it, and asked Azi, "You just said you would only eat the food and not drink the wine, does that count?"

Just as Azi was about to agree, she suddenly noticed that Zhuifengzi had a half-smile on his face, looking rather malicious. A thought struck her, and she stared at the small jar in his hand for a moment before asking in surprise, "Could it be that bar?"

Zhui Fengzi raised a slender eyebrow: "Guess."

He laughed and joked on the surface, but in his heart he felt a pang of heartache. However, he thought that he couldn't catch a wolf without risking his cub. The old thief was so old that he must dote on this illegitimate son. If he could befriend him, the old thief would definitely treat him differently. The benefits he would gain then would far outweigh the sacrifices he made today.

Azi, observing the situation, gradually revealed surprise and disbelief in her eyes: "No way, no way? Is Third Senior Brother going to show mercy today?"

Zhui Fengzi chuckled and said, "Your third senior brother has always been generous and magnanimous. Otherwise, would I dare to say that I would make arrangements for my junior brother based on just two large stone chickens?"

"Ah!" Azi suddenly jumped up and exclaimed excitedly, "The Five Treasures Flower Honey Wine is still available! It's so kind of you to take it out! Third Senior Brother, you, you, you are simply the most heroic and magnanimous disciple in our sect!"

His expression was excited, his eyes were burning, and he even seemed a little impatient.

Jiang Mingzhe was slightly taken aback. Five Treasures Flower Honey Wine, why does that sound so familiar?

He felt he had seen the name somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.

Then Zhui Fengzi shook his head and said, "You've seen my heroic spirit today, haven't you? Hehe, everyone says that we Xingxiu disciples have no feelings for each other, but I, your senior brother, insist on being a person of affection and righteousness. From now on, the three of us brothers and sisters will support each other, so that we can go far on our journey."

Azi nodded repeatedly, holding the small wine cup in both hands, looking just like a kitten begging for dried fish: "Yes, yes, yes, Third Senior Brother is absolutely right. From now on, Da Shengjiang and I will support you in everything. We will not only be loyal and righteous, but also reciprocate. If I, Junior Sister, receive any benefits, I will definitely not forget Third Senior Brother's share."

Seeing A Zi's condition, Jiang Mingzhe guessed that Zhui Fengzi must have really suffered a major hemorrhage, and couldn't help but ask, "Senior Sister, is there something special about Third Senior Brother's wine?"

“Of course there’s something to say about it!” Azi’s expression at this moment was like that of a brainless fan recommending their idol to someone else: “This wine is extraordinary. Our third senior brother spent five or six years figuring out the general recipe. When Master found out, he praised it highly and personally helped him adjust the recipe. He also bestowed many precious ingredients upon him, which is how a vat of wine was brewed. Master took most of it, and the rest was given to the eldest senior brother…”

With a sly smile, she said, "Hehe, but everyone's guessing that Third Senior Brother definitely has some in reserve, he just won't admit it..." Azi's smile suddenly vanished, and she said seriously, "Big Ginger, Third Senior Brother truly considers you a brother. In our Starry Constellation Sect, only Third Senior Brother is the most humane. After you join the sect, you must not forget how good Third Senior Brother has been to you! And you must never tell a fourth person about our drinking today!"

She was speaking to Jiang Mingzhe, and Zhui Fengzi could only see her profile. On the side that Zhui Fengzi couldn't see, A Zi blinked.

Jiang Mingzhe immediately understood: she was saying this to his third senior brother, telling him not to take it seriously.

At this moment, Azi was already overjoyed. Earlier, when some disciples asked her about Jiang Mingzhe's background, she deliberately gave vague answers to mislead everyone. Her intention was to set up a shield for Jiang Mingzhe, since no one dared to ask Ding Chunqiu for verification anyway.

Unexpectedly, there was an unexpected gain: the third senior brother, a big fish, was lured out and went to great lengths to befriend Jiang Mingzhe, thus benefiting himself as well.

I couldn't help but think: The old monk that Master killed last time said something about good deeds being rewarded and evil deeds being punished before he died. It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't come yet. Master said he was talking nonsense. Now it seems that he has a point. I took good care of Big Ginger, and now I've been rewarded.

Third Senior Brother underestimated Azi. He was overjoyed to hear her earnestly tell Jiang Mingzhe to remember her kindness. Little did he know that she would secretly wink at Jiang Mingzhe.

He glanced at Jiang Mingzhe and saw that Jiang Mingzhe nodded solemnly with a face full of gratitude, clearly remembering this favor. He was secretly very pleased.

So he pretended to be magnanimous and said nonchalantly, "You flatter me, Little Azi. It's nothing but a little wine. What's it worth? Come, come, please drink the first cup, Junior Sister."

As he spoke, he pinched open the wax seal on the bottle, pulled out the cork, and carefully filled the small cup in front of Azi.

The wine was as white as spring water, and as it was poured, an extremely strong floral and honey-sweet aroma quickly filled the air.

Jiang Mingzhe couldn't help but take a deep breath, then suddenly frowned. He smelled an indescribable fishy stench hidden beneath the sweet aroma, and was startled, wondering if the wine was actually poisoned.

But if I can smell it, there's no reason why Azi can't.

Azi eagerly picked up her wine glass and smiled at Jiang Mingzhe, saying, "There's a trick to drinking this Five Treasures Honey Wine: you have to drink it all in one gulp and go down quickly. If you try to savor it slowly, you'll probably throw up everywhere, and I'll be so disgusted I won't be able to eat anything. Watch closely, and you'll drink it just like me."

After saying that, he tilted his head back, gulped it down, closed his mouth tightly, slammed the wine glass on the table, closed his eyes and sat upright, made a hand seal on his lower abdomen, and began to practice his exercises, his breathing becoming longer and shorter, lighter and heavier.

Jiang Mingzhe stared in disbelief, then suddenly remembered the origin of the wine!

This Five Treasures Honey Wine, isn't it the same wine that Lan Fenghuang, the leader of the Five Poisons Sect, gave to Linghu Chong in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer?

It turns out that this recipe was also created by the Xingxiu Sect. It was probably by chance that it was later introduced to Miao territory. The Five Poisons Sect used it as a blueprint and made some improvements, turning it into their own intellectual property.

Looking at Azi's appearance again, Jiang Mingzhe already knew what was going on. This wine probably contained strong medicinal power and was very nourishing. Therefore, as soon as Azi drank it, she immediately had to use her internal energy to refine it.

He couldn't help but smile wryly and said softly, "Senior brother, am I worthy to drink this wine? I don't know any internal energy."

Zhui Fengzi said slowly and deliberately, "If you knew internal energy, I wouldn't be willing to take out this wine. It's fine if A Zi drinks this cup of wine, but if you drink it, you can save at least a year and a half of hard work."

(End of this chapter)