Chapter 122: Isn't Master Afraid of Spraining His Tongue When He Talks?

The voice of the Shadowless Sword rang out in Lin Ruyan’s mind.

Lin Ruyan warily scanned her surroundings. After confirming that no one was nearby, she quietly closed the door and cast another barrier.

“You’re called Shadowless? How did you find your way here?”

Her gaze lingered on the Shadowless Sword, and a barely perceptible doubt flickered in her eyes.

Could this sword be the opportunity that had been destined for her?

The Shadowless Sword had been sent flying by the Ink-Evil Sword. As it drifted through the air, it happened to sense Lin Ruyan’s aura and began following silently behind her.

“Master, I discovered you along the way and followed you here. We share a common enemy. I sensed that your talent was extraordinary, and so I am willing to acknowledge you as my master.”

“A common enemy? Whom do you mean?”

“The one who bullied you. Does he not possess a sinister sword? My former master fought to buy you the chance to escape...”

Hearing this, Lin Ruyan understood that the enemy the Shadowless Sword referred to was Jiang Yan. Its former master, meanwhile, was the mighty cultivator who had exerted that overwhelming pressure.

The sinister sword must have been the long sword that had split open her mask.

“Between you and that sinister sword, which of you is stronger? Does that sword have a name?”

“Of course I am stronger! That sword is called Ink-Evil. Though powerful, it is neither wholly righteous nor wholly wicked.

“As for me, I am a supreme-grade spirit sword overflowing with righteousness. Since righteousness and wickedness have never been able to coexist, I am naturally the stronger of the two!”

The Shadowless Sword answered with absolute confidence.

The sword had no face, so it could deliver such self-assured claims without even blinking or blushing.

After hearing its words, all of Lin Ruyan’s doubts vanished like smoke.

She believed that the opportunity fate had granted her was certainly extraordinary.

With the Shadowless Sword in hand, her chances of defeating Jiang Yan in the sect tournament had increased tremendously.

Lin Ruyan gently stroked the blade and said, “Shadowless, I hope we will get along well from now on.”

...

Within the territory of the Black Bamboo Clan, Jiang Yan and the others followed Li Dabao to what appeared to be an ordinary bamboo house.

This was said to be the secret chamber where the spirit wine was stored.

“Immortal, please take a look. This is the secret chamber where our Black Bamboo Clan stores its treasured spirit wine,” Li Dabao said proudly.

Jiang Yan examined the so-called secret chamber.

He was somewhat puzzled. It was merely a bamboo house without any windows, so how had it become a secret chamber?

Lin Qi’s attention, however, had been completely captured by the neatly arranged wine jars.

He drew in a deep breath. The fragrance of wine from the innermost corner assailed his senses, and he could not help exclaiming, “What excellent wine!”

Upon hearing the praise, a brilliant smile blossomed across Li Dabao’s face. At last, the spirit wine of the Black Bamboo Clan had received recognition from the outside world.

“Immortal Master, your discernment is truly remarkable! The primary ingredient of this spirit wine is the essence of thousand-year-old spirit bamboo. Every drop is incomparably precious...”

Li Dabao excitedly began explaining the wine’s brewing process and wondrous effects to Lin Qi, becoming more animated with every word.

Jiang Yan interrupted his endless stream of chatter and asked, “Ahem. About the two jars we agreed on earlier—may we choose them ourselves?”

Li Dabao nodded. “Yes, Immortal. Each kind of spirit wine is different. Some have been aged for many years, while others were brewed more recently.”

“Master, you should choose them.”

Jiang Yan had never drunk wine and knew nothing about it, so he left the task of selecting the jars to Lin Qi.

“My good disciple, watch closely. I shall certainly pick out the two oldest and most fragrant jars of wine.”

Lin Qi secretly rejoiced as he walked over to the wine jars and sniffed them one by one.

Before long, he selected two jars and nodded with satisfaction.

Li Dabao’s eyes swept over the two jars in Lin Qi’s arms, and he could not help marveling inwardly.

As expected of an Immortal Master. He had found the two oldest jars of spirit wine so quickly.

These two jars were hidden in the innermost corner. Unless one knew the truth, no outsider could possibly recognize their value.

“Immortal Master, your nose is truly extraordinary! You chose them so quickly.”

Li Dabao spared no effort in praising Lin Qi once more, his eyes filled with admiration.

Lin Qi handed one of the jars to Jiang Yan and hugged the other tightly against his chest. Then he patted Li Dabao on the shoulder, a smug smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

“Kid, I’ve been a drunkard for years. Do you really think I don’t understand wine? The wine you have here is a true treasure.”

His claim of being a drunkard was no exaggeration. His love of wine had long since sunk into his bones.

Remembering the days when he could drink to his heart’s content in the Divine Realm, Lin Qi felt a pang of nostalgia.

If not for that incident, he would never have had to descend to the lower realm.

Alas, every word was filled with tears...

Now, all the fine wines that had once kept him company day and night were gone.

Here in the lower realm, he could only live a life of abstinence. Those days when the fragrance of wine filled the air could be savored only in his dreams.

The words “wine brings disaster” had continued to linger in his mind.

Yet he had never expected that such high-quality spirit wine could be brewed in the lower realm.

“My good disciple, may I taste this jar for you first?”

Lin Qi’s eyes practically screamed, I want to drink.

“Master, this jar is my gift to you.”

Jiang Yan’s words warmed Lin Qi’s heart. His good disciple truly was different from those other rebellious disciples.

He glanced at Ji Chuxue. “Chuxue, you should learn more from your sixth junior brother.”

With that, Lin Qi removed the lid from the wine jar, lifted it, and began pouring the contents directly into his mouth.

“Gulp...”

“Gulp...”

Li Dabao watched Lin Qi guzzle down the spirit wine, his heart aching.

This spirit wine could not only heal injuries; it was also a treasured legacy passed down through generations of the clan. Every jar had been aged for at least a century and brewed personally by their ancestors.

Jiang Yan and Ji Chuxue were equally stunned. They had never imagined that their master possessed such an astonishing capacity for alcohol.

“Ahh—this truly is excellent wine!”

After finishing an entire jar, Lin Qi’s face flushed crimson as he let out a satisfied belch.

“Master, are you all right?” Jiang Yan asked with concern, secretly wondering: His capacity is indeed astonishing, but can even a drunkard get drunk?

“Burp—the wine here... I’ll take all of it.”

With a grand sweep of his hand, Lin Qi stored every jar of spirit wine inside his spatial ring.

Seeing this, Li Dabao panicked and hurriedly tried to stop him. “Immortal Master, how can you do this? We agreed that you would receive only two jars. The rest would be given to you after you helped us restore the fortune of our mountain range.”

Belching drunkenly, Lin Qi waved a hand. “Restoring its fortune—burp—it’s a trivial matter.”

Yun Yun asked curiously, “But didn’t you say that fortune was something mysterious beyond understanding?”

Lin Qi threw his head back and laughed. “Burp—that only applies to you people.”

“...”

Ji Chuxue was speechless.

“...”

Jiang Yan fell silent as well, and a trace of worry crept into his heart.

Was his master not afraid of tripping over his own tongue?

All they could do now was hope that his master would truly be able to resolve the matter of their fortune...

“Come on. You... all of you... burp... follow me.”