Chapter 157: Tasting Only

Cloud Mountain is named for the clouds and mist that shroud it. When the sun is just right, the mountain is enveloped in a thick fog, and from the higher peaks, the view of the misty mountains resembles an ocean, truly a breathtaking sight.

The most renowned spot on the mountain is Cloud Mountain's Mist-Viewing Peak. However, Smoke Haze Peak, where the Cloud Mountain Temple is located, is also quite pleasant, though its more outward position makes it slightly less desirable. Given a choice, anyone wishing to hike and view the mist would certainly not pick this location.

Moreover, Cloud Mountain is home to wild animals. While there have been no reports of tigers, dangerous jackals and leopards do inhabit the area.

In Bingzhou, where farming provides a comfortable livelihood, few people risk their lives to make a living from the mountains. As a result, Cloud Mountain, which is not particularly deep by Jizhou standards, feels remarkably sparsely populated.

It was still early when Daoist Qingsong and Qi Wen left the county town with Ji Yuan. However, Ji Yuan used no magical abilities to enter the mountain with them, so even without accounting for the climb itself, reaching the foot of Cloud Mountain required a seemingly long journey of over twenty li.

Fortunately, although Qi Xuan and Qi Wen did not practice formal martial arts, they regularly performed Taoist body-strengthening exercises, similar to the Eight Brocades known in Ji Yuan's previous life, which have health benefits. Therefore, both had good stamina and entered the mountain in a short amount of time.

Along the way, they chatted about various topics, from Physician Qin Zizhou in Jizhou to how Daoist Qingsong recovered from his illness, how long it took, and how he eventually returned to Bingzhou.

By the time they entered the mountain, the sun was clearly setting. Carrying strips of meat and a large fish, Ji Yuan, walking along the mountain path, jokingly asked the master and disciple, "What time do you usually return? It's such a long journey from Dongle County; you don't usually get back after dark, do you?"

Having walked together the whole way, and with Ji Yuan's amiable nature, the master and disciple were no longer as reserved as before. Hearing Ji Yuan's question, Qi Wen immediately complained, "Mr. Ji, you've hit the nail on the head! Sometimes, when returning to the temple with master, it gets dark before we've even finished climbing the mountain. Look, I've got two machetes in my basket, just in case of wild animals!"

Ji Yuan had never displayed any immortal arts or marvelous techniques in front of them. In fact, Qi Wen mostly regarded Mr. Ji as a highly skilled and kind-hearted scholar.

Daoist Qingsong, however, was different. He had always believed that Ji Yuan was no ordinary person. Hearing his disciple complain about him in front of Mr. Ji made him quite embarrassed. "It's only occasionally, just now and then," Daoist Qingsong interjected. "Most of the time, it's not dark yet. Besides, I only set up my stall every few days now, sometimes visiting nearby villages. I spend most of my time cultivating in the mountains."

"Oh, cultivation? I'm quite curious about that. How do you Taoists cultivate?" Ji Yuan was genuinely curious when he asked this question. From his understanding of the martial arts world, some Taoist temples were also martial sects, incorporating martial arts into their cultivation. For a seemingly relaxed temple like Cloud Mountain Temple, what did the two Taoists usually cultivate? Surely it wasn't just fortune-telling?

"Cultivating the Tao, naturally, one aims to attain enlightenment and become an immortal... uh..." Daoist Qingsong suddenly trailed off, instinctively glancing at Ji Yuan, who was hiking with them. Although he hadn't seen Mr. Ji perform any immortal feats in the past few years, he was absolutely certain that Ji Yuan was an immortal. Talking about cultivating immortality in front of an immortal felt very much like showing off one's meager skill before a true master.

"Hehe... attaining enlightenment and becoming an immortal is a fine idea. Please, continue." Ji Yuan smiled, unconcerned. From his perspective, he didn't consider himself a true immortal, but merely a cultivator. Most immortal abodes, sects, mountains, and islands were much the same.

Daoist Qingsong became much more cautious in his speech now, only speaking after careful consideration. "Actually, what Taoists cultivate is nothing more than a clear and tranquil mind. In the mountains, we neither worship gods nor seek wealth. The stars of the heavens and all creation are what we Taoists revere and respect. The idea is for body and mind to become pure and merge with nature, achieving a balance with all things in heaven and earth. This is our haven of peace and tranquility."

Ji Yuan slowed his steps, pondering Daoist Qingsong's words carefully. The two Taoists instinctively slowed down with him. Daoist Qingsong felt a slight apprehension, wondering if he had said anything wrong.

"I was momentarily lost in thought," Ji Yuan said. "Upon reflection, many cultivators pursue similar things, and some don't even grasp it as well as you do. Daoist Qingsong, you've spoken very well: 'Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows what is natural.'" After speaking, Ji Yuan quickened his pace again, and Daoist Qingsong and his disciple quickly followed suit.

Daoist Qingsong continued to murmur: "Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows what is natural..."

At Cloud Mountain Temple, Daoist Qingsong had truly gone all out to prepare dinner. The meat was bought from the county, the vegetables were grown in their own backyard, the firewood was collected from the mountain, and his cooking skills were honed through daily practice. There were five dishes and a fish soup in total. They looked and smelled quite good, and while the taste couldn't compare to the Dragon Lord's banquet, they were fresh and delicious.

Ji Yuan didn't stand on ceremony with them, and the two Taoists also ate without restraint. The three of them enjoyed their meal heartily at the Eight Immortals table in the temple kitchen, eating from daylight until the oil lamp was lit.

Once he saw that Daoist Qingsong had eaten a good amount, Ji Yuan mysteriously reached into his satchel and pulled out a wine flask. "Come, come, Daoist, hold off on eating for a moment and see what this is! Hmm, Qi Wen, you keep eating."

"Oh..." Originally, seeing both his master and Mr. Ji put down their chopsticks, Qi Wen had mimicked them. Now, hearing Mr. Ji's words, he resumed eating, spooning soup over his rice, while his eyes, like his master Qi Xuan's, remained fixed on the object in Ji Yuan's hand.

Daoist Qingsong examined the earthenware bottle, which was wider at the base and narrow at the neck, its opening tightly sealed with a cork wrapped in red cloth. "Mr. Ji, is this a wine bottle?"

"Ha ha ha... It's a wine bottle with wine in it. The focus isn't the bottle itself, but the wine inside."

Qi Wen, poking at his rice soaked in fish soup with his chopsticks, asked blankly, "Is this wine very expensive?"

Ji Yuan smiled, looking at him, then at Qi Xuan, who also wore an expression of curiosity mixed with contemplation. "Expensive? This wine has no name and is not sold. Only one person in the world knows how to make it, and those without destiny, no matter how powerful, cannot taste it." Ji Yuan silently added to himself, "More accurately, only a dragon knows how to make it."

"Of course, this wine is quite difficult to make, and it's rather potent, so it's very easy to get drunk. I only have a few cups' worth. Qi Wen, you'll need to clear the dishes, so best not drink any. Daoist Qi Xuan, how about two cups for you?"

Qi Wen took him seriously, but Daoist Qingsong had started to understand. The implications of Mr. Ji's words, upon careful consideration, were not trivial. So, he tentatively asked, "Will Mr. Ji also drink with us?"

As expected, Ji Yuan smiled and shook his head. "I won't be drinking. This was brought specifically for you, Daoist. Don't decline!" At Cloud Mountain Temple, Ji Yuan had no need to maintain his illusion. His eyes, now fully revealing their true azure hue, gazed at Daoist Qingsong, rendering him unable to refuse and giving him a vague premonition.

Ji Yuan had already retrieved an empty bowl from the stove and returned to the table. Since the wine was meant to extend Daoist Qingsong's life, there was no need for delicate sips from a wine cup; a single gulp would do.

As he unsealed the bottle, Ji Yuan inexplicably ran his fingers around the rim twice before pulling out the cork. He tilted the bottle and poured the liquid into the bowl. The wine was a peculiar greenish-blue, and a remarkably subtle fragrance of alcohol wafted through the air.

"Heh heh heh... Come, come, Daoist Qingsong, taste this wine. My friend, though old, is far more skilled at brewing this than you are at cooking!"

Daoist Qingsong looked at Ji Yuan, then at the wine in the bowl before him. The liquid still rippled gently, occasionally reflecting the light from the oil lamp on the table. In a daze, he seemed to glimpse a faint mist rising from the surface of the wine. "Then... I'll listen to Mr. Ji and try some?"

As Qi Xuan tentatively asked, Qi Wen interjected, "Master, don't you never drink alcohol?"

"Young Daoist Qi Wen, you are mistaken," Ji Yuan countered. "I'm not asking Daoist Qingsong to drink heavily, just to have a taste. There's no harm in a taste; I know my limits. Please, Daoist Qingsong!"

"Ah, alright!" Qi Xuan carefully picked up the bowl and sniffed the aroma of the wine. The faint mist entered his nostrils, immediately causing a slight daze. In his mind, he heard what sounded like crashing waves, or perhaps the melody of immortal music.

Seeing his somewhat dizzy state, Ji Yuan quickly placed a hand on his back, infusing a trace of his spiritual energy and a wisp of spiritual qi into Qi Xuan's body. "Don't sniff it, just drink it directly."

Qi Xuan cleared his head and tilted the wine bowl to his mouth. His tongue immediately touched the liquid, and an infinite array of flavors bloomed within, causing his eyes to narrow in pleasure. However, before he could savor it further, he suddenly felt a strong force pushing on the bowl.

"Ugh..." Ji Yuan directly grabbed the bowl with his right hand and tilted it upwards, while gently patting Qi Xuan's back with his left. "Gulp, gulp, gulp..." About half a bowl of wine was directly poured, as if dumped, into Daoist Qingsong's mouth. He put down the bowl, turned to stare blankly at Ji Yuan, then swayed and slumped forward in less than a breath, falling onto the table with steady breaths.

Qi Wen, standing by, was stunned by Ji Yuan's actions. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed Mr. Ji had just forcefully poured wine down his master's throat.

"Oh, this wine is very potent," Ji Yuan explained with a bright smile to Qi Wen. "Your master was drinking too slowly; if I hadn't done that, he would have collapsed before finishing. Now, let's continue eating."

"Uh... alright..." Qi Wen cautiously glanced at his master's peaceful sleeping posture, not daring to utter a sound.