Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Delivering the Wine The Qi Family is undoubtedly tyrannical, and Village Chief Gao is hypocritical and sycophantic; he’s no good either. They’re eager for the two to go at each other like dogs fighting over a bone. At the scene, as the digging continued, the stench grew stronger, prompting many onlookers to disperse. Qi Hu seemed unfazed and rushed forward to inspect the corpse. Accompanying him was a youth with even more handsome features. This young man appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen, with eyes sharp like an eagle’s. He wore a red cloak, a black belt with gold patterns, and deer-skin high boots. He held a broad sword that was twice as wide as a regular weapon. Unbothered by the maggots appearing on the corpse, he carefully examined each body with focused attention. "How about it, Brother Qin?" Qi Hu, after all, was no professional and couldn’t discern anything unusual about his family’s corpse. The youth with the broad sword frowned and said, "It was indeed a beast that killed them; I can’t see any signs of human involvement." Upon hearing this, a trace of frustration flashed across Qi Hu’s face, leaving him without an outlet for his anger. "However, I find this residence extraordinarily grand, easy to defend and challenging to attack. Beasts that have become spirits and attained intelligence know to avoid danger, so logically, they wouldn’t attack here." The youth named Qin continued calmly and slowly. "Oh?" Qi Hu’s face showed intrigue, "Are you suggesting there’s more to it?" "If there’s anything peculiar, it must be inside this courtyard. Examine it thoroughly, and something will surely be discovered." The youth named Qin wiped his hands on the soil. He stood up and began walking toward other parts of the courtyard. ... ... Meanwhile, at Jia Family Manor. A rather luxurious grand hall within the manor. The floor was paved with blue bricks, red pillars stood tall, rosewood chairs placed on either side, an incense burner emitted winding blue smoke, and black-and-white landscape paintings adorned the front of the hall, covering the walls. "What do you think of Lou Yi, could he catch the instructor’s eye?" Landlord Jia sat at the main seat, his opulent attire and obese body filled the entire chair, a trace of anxiety appeared on his face. Beneath him, the steward in black maintained a surly expression as if everyone owed him money, and spoke slowly and steadily: "Based on my observations these past few days, Lou Yi conducts himself prudently, practices diligently, and coupled with his exceptional talent, he might indeed succeed." "Heh, might succeed, might succeed... However, nothing is certain in this world." Landlord Jia shook his head, "There’s no time left; having delayed the instructor for so many days, he’s likely running out of patience and might leave any time." "When he comes again, who knows how many years it will be, or if he will ever return. If we don’t extract something genuine from him, I won’t be satisfied." The steward in black listened expressionlessly by the side, without saying a word. "Give Lou Yi this last bottle of plum wine; let’s leave the rest to fate." Landlord Jia sighed, "Whether we succeed or fail depends on this moment." "Shall we have him sign a contract to serve the manor for ten or eight years?" The steward in black suggested. "If he is truly a dragon, a contract cannot bind him; it would only breed resentment. If he’s mediocre, he will naturally rely on our Jia Family, and a contract won’t be necessary." "Such insight from the Landlord." The steward in black left the grand hall and quickly found Lou Yi, who was practicing on the wooden dummy. "I’ve got something for you to deliver to the instructor, as directed by the Landlord." Lou Yi looked at the wooden box in front of him, about a foot long and wide, with a purplish-red color and a faint aroma of wood emanating from it. ’Is this rosewood?’ What could be inside the box that warrants the use of expensive rosewood for packaging? Lou Yi was pondering this when he heard the steward in black say: "Should the instructor offer you any benefit, remember, only ask for the Fundamental Skill." ’Fundamental Skill?!’ Lou Yi felt utterly perplexed and was about to ask for the specifics, but the steward in black left without a word. "Brother Lou, it’s a rare opportunity!" Nearby, Wang En with a face full of freckles approached with envy. "The instructor owes a debt to the deceased Landlord, hence his stay at Jia Family Manor. By delivering this bottle of fine wine, you’re representing the Landlord himself; perhaps the instructor might teach you some true mastery." "Even if you only learn a fraction, you’ll benefit for the rest of your lifetime!" Listening to Wang En’s words, Lou Yi remembered overhearing at the instructor’s courtyard that the man had a distinct love for alcohol. "Then how is it my turn to deliver this wine?" Lou Yi was self-aware, knowing that there were many others more suitable than him in the manor. "Wang En and I have delivered it before, but we only learned a little. Of course, even that little has benefited us endlessly." Cui Yuan came over, shaking his head. "As for the others, including some of the landlord’s nieces and nephews, whoever could go has gone already, and they weren’t even as good as us." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚 "Instructor Lin once said that his expertise is not passed on to the useless." At this, Cui Yuan and Wang En both looked a bit uncomfortable. Even though Instructor Lin was rumored to be a martial artist, being deemed useless by him was likely hard for anyone to bear. Lou Yi suddenly understood why the Jia Family was so intent on recruiting him. Aside from wanting him to work for them, Instructor Lin was probably a significant factor as well. However, when opportunity knocks, there’s no reason not to answer. Lou Yi carried the rosewood box and soon arrived outside the courtyard where Instructor Lin was. The guards at the entrance had left at some point. It was an ordinary courtyard, visible at a glance. In the hundred or so square meters, there were kumquat trees with fruit in the flowerbeds on either side, but no people in sight. A strong aroma of wine was the only thing that greeted him. Lou Yi did not step directly into the courtyard but cupped his hands respectfully at the entrance and said: "Junior Lou Yi is here to deliver wine to Senior!" A moment later. An aged voice came from the house at the back of the courtyard. "Come in." As soon as Lou Yi stepped into the courtyard, he found someone already standing there. Dressed in a crimson brocade robe, wearing black leather boots resembling clouds, with silver hair tied up with a white jade hairpin. His sharp eyes were intimidating, his stature robust, with an aura as imposing as an old lion still commanding respect. This was completely different from the image of a scruffy master he had imagined, Lou Yi grumbled inwardly. "Instructor Lin, here is your wine." Lou Yi respectfully handed over the wooden box. Before the box even touched the other’s hand, he felt a suctioning force, pulling it into the elder’s grasp. The elder gave a light tap on the box, which instantly shattered into pieces, revealing an unscathed wine jar inside. The wine jar was an unusual cold white, sealed tightly with wax at the mouth, its surface painted with several branches of ink-style plum blossoms, quite exquisite. Then, Instructor Lin eagerly opened the mouth of the jar. The next moment, a rich aroma wafted out, mingled with the sweet-and-sour and fresh scent of plums, making anyone who inhaled feel refreshed and savored endlessly. Lou Yi couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. Then heard Instructor Lin slowly say: "Jia Family’s green plum wine is no less than any famous wine in the world. It’s a grand wine brewed by ancient methods, supplemented by wild green plums from the deepest part of the Forest of a Hundred Beasts, and stored underground for over twenty years, with only a thirty percent chance of producing a good bottle." "Unfortunately, after the last patriarch’s death, the unique brewing method was lost, and this is probably the last bottle in the world." Instructor Lin couldn’t help but sigh. "The first time Jia Rong sent someone with this wine, I noticed some talent in him and pointed out a few flaws in his spear technique." "The second time someone was sent, despite his average talent, he showed some drive, so I helped him improve his fist technique." "But the people they sent in later instances were some rotten wood. Although I owed their father a favor, I absolutely wouldn’t teach those useless ones." "Your Qi-blood is abundant and you seem stronger than those before, considered a natural talent, deserving real instruction," Instructor Lin looked at Lou Yi, "Tell me, what do you want to learn." "The Fundamental Skill." Lou Yi replied without hesitation. Instructor Lin chuckled: "He still hasn’t changed, still eyeing my Cyan Eagle Howling at the Moon Technique. It’s a pity that there are rules, and it can’t be taught to outsiders. Besides, you are too old; your tendons and bones have already formed, making it hard to achieve much in the future." Hearing the words ’too old,’ Lou Yi felt a sinking feeling in his heart. But he was only nineteen years old. It seems that the age for ordinary people to learn martial arts is much younger than he imagined. "In light of this fine wine and past relations, I can give you a chance." Just then, Instructor Lin lightly tapped a large tree nearby, causing no less than a hundred leaves to fall. Lou Yi focused, noticing that these leaves had varying speeds and directions. Some went up, some went left, some down, some floated leisurely at an angle into the distance, while others dropped swiftly like hard objects. Then, Instructor Lin’s voice continued: "As long as you can ensure that not a single leaf falls to the ground intact before I leave, I will teach you the real skills." ...