Chapter 11: The Strange Tavern and the Mysterious Old Man

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Academy City.

Originally just a small town, it gradually grew into a vast city because of the presence of the Academy of Yin and Yang.

After several days of travel, Ye Xiao and his companions finally arrived at the gates of the Academy at noon.

“There should be one more day before the second round of tests. Look, many people are heading this way,” Feng Buxing pointed to a crowd slowly approaching nearby.

It seemed they had all passed the first trial in the Dark Dragon Forest.

“So, where do we go now?” Ye Xiao asked. Having never been here before, he was completely unfamiliar with the Academy City.

“Hehe, since we’ve come, there’s one place we absolutely must visit!” Feng Buxing chuckled.

“Where?” Ye Xiao inquired.

Feng Buxing glanced around; only the two of them remained together, as their other companions had separated after entering the city.

Seeing no one was paying attention, Feng Buxing took Ye Xiao’s hand and began walking toward a distant spot.

After passing through bustling streets, they entered a very secluded and quiet alley.

“This place?” Ye Xiao was puzzled.

Feng Buxing said nothing but motioned for him to keep following.

After a long walk, they finally reached the deepest part of the alley, where an old tavern stood.

Feng Buxing breathed a sigh of relief and without a word, went inside.

Ye Xiao hesitated at the door, noticing the dim lighting within the tavern.

But since Feng Buxing had already gone in, he followed without further thoughts.

They sat at a worn table with an oil lamp burning in the center.

“This place is…” Ye Xiao looked around, puzzled. Such a rundown tavern in such a remote location—could it even be profitable?

“Don’t underestimate it,” Feng Buxing smiled. “If my grandfather hadn’t brought me here once, I wouldn’t have known about it either.”

He then rapped his fingers thrice on the table.

Moments later, faint footsteps echoed from the direction of the kitchen.

Ye Xiao looked toward the sound and saw a hunched old man with white hair slowly approaching.

“What would you like, gentlemen?” The old man’s hoarse, aged voice sounded beside them.

Ye Xiao glanced at Feng Buxing, who smiled and said, “Old sir, we want some wine. As for what kind, you decide. We know the rules.”

The old man’s cloudy eyes studied them for a moment before nodding and turning away.

Ye Xiao was utterly confused. Since when had this tavern become such a place?

Seeing his confusion, Feng Buxing explained with a smile, “You don’t know, but this old man isn’t ordinary. Neither is the wine he serves.”

He paused, then continued, “There are eighteen kinds of wine here, each with a different effect.”

“Some cleanse the spirit and marrow; others heal wounds. But they all demand very strict physical conditions. If your constitution isn’t right, drinking them is useless.”

“So, what you mean is…” Ye Xiao hesitated but then a look of understanding crossed his face.

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“That’s right. I’m not sure exactly how powerful this old man is, but his insight is sharp. He can tell which wine suits you best!”

After hearing this, Ye Xiao nodded but soon grew curious again.

“If the wine here is so incredible, why is this place so… deserted?”

“Hahaha!” Feng Buxing laughed. “First, very few know about this place, and even if you come here, you can’t just meet the old man.”

He pointed at the spot where he had tapped the table. “Remember the three knocks? That’s the secret signal. If the old man wants to appear, he will.”

“But if he doesn’t, no matter how much you turn the tavern upside down, you won’t find him.”

Ye Xiao’s eyes widened, amazed at such a method.

Soon, the old man’s footsteps returned. He carried a cup of wine and placed it before Feng Buxing, then turned to leave.

“Hey, old sir, aren’t you missing a cup?” Feng Buxing called out.

The old man stopped, glanced at Ye Xiao, then said to Feng Buxing, “That’s right, only one cup.”

“This…” Feng Buxing looked at Ye Xiao, seeming a little embarrassed.

Ye Xiao shook his head and smiled at the old man. “Old sir, is it because of my constitution that I can’t drink your wine?”

The old man was silent for a moment, then shook his head. “No, it’s just that you probably can’t afford it.”

“Can’t afford it?” Ye Xiao looked at Feng Buxing, who was equally puzzled.

“Old sir, whatever kind of wine it is, I can pay for him,” Feng Buxing offered.

The old man shook his head again, then after a moment said, “Fine, come with me.”

Without further ado, he headed towards the kitchen.

Ye Xiao was curious, but Feng Buxing was visibly excited.

“Go quickly! This is a great opportunity!” Feng Buxing urged.

Following the old man into the kitchen, Ye Xiao found himself in a large wine cellar, filled with the rich aroma of liquor.

The old man casually took a stool to sit and then, with his cloudy gaze, looked at Ye Xiao.

“Are you… from the Ye family?”

Ye Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. How did this old man know about the Ye family? Or was there another family named Ye here?

“Sir, what do you mean?” Ye Xiao’s tone became more respectful, but also cautious.

“What do I mean? I can smell the madness of the bloodline—you think you can hide it from an old man like me?”

The old man’s eyes scanned Ye Xiao’s body. “You have less than three months to live. It seems you haven’t fully mastered that Killing Demon Sword yet.”

Ye Xiao was truly shocked.

He drew the broken sword from his back and asked gravely, “Who exactly are you? How do you know so much about the Ye family?”

The old man ignored the question and continued, “Moreover, your blood nerve cultivation was rushed. Though your progress was rapid, your foundation is unstable, and the killing intent is beginning to invade your mind.”

He sighed deeply.

“Enough. Since fate has brought us together, I’ll give that old fellow some face.”

With that, the old man beckoned, and a wine jar flew out from a corner.

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The old man poured a cup of wine and handed it to Ye Xiao.

“Drink this. It will extend your life by one year!”

“What?” Ye Xiao exclaimed. The wine before him could actually prolong life?

Who was this old man to have such a miraculous elixir on hand?

Though tempted, Ye Xiao shook his head and refused.

“Thank you, sir! But no reward without merit. Such a precious thing, I cannot accept. You were right; I can’t afford this wine!”

He then turned to leave.

“Wait…” Ye Xiao stopped and looked back at the old man.

The old man smiled suddenly. “I won’t charge you anything for this wine. I only ask one favor in return. How about that?”

Ye Xiao was silent. He knew the wine’s value well. If the elders at the brink of death in great families or sects heard of it, they’d pay a fortune.

Yet here the old man only asked a small-time practitioner like him, barely at the seventh level of the Profound Realm, to do a task?

Though eager for the wine—especially as he was about to break into the Open Mansion Realm—drinking this life-extending wine could grant him nearly two more years to maneuver.

“Afraid I old man would harm you?” the old man said lightly.

Ye Xiao shook his head. His concern was what the task actually entailed. If it was too dangerous, it might not be worth it.

After a moment, Ye Xiao asked, “Sir, do you know the Sword Keeper?”

The old man was clearly taken aback, then recalled something.

“Sword Keeper? That title suits that cold-blooded fellow well.”

He sneered.

Seeing Ye Xiao’s thoughts, he continued, “Don’t worry, I won’t send you on a suicidal mission.”

He stood up and pressed the cup of wine into Ye Xiao’s hand.

“I know that old fellow sent you to this Academy of Yin and Yang for the Haoran Righteousness Stone. I need you to retrieve something from the bottom of the pond behind the Academy’s back mountain after you enter.”

Ye Xiao frowned as he held the cup.

He knew nothing about the Academy, nor the pond or what the old man referred to. Yet the old man was willing to trade something so precious.

“What it is, I’ll tell you later. For now, drink the wine. If the aroma dissipates, its effect won’t be as good.”

The old man returned to his stool.

After a brief hesitation, Ye Xiao raised the cup and drank it all in one gulp.

At once, a warm current surged through his body, circulating once around his meridians before vanishing without a trace.

Yet Ye Xiao could distinctly feel that something inside him had changed.

It felt… pleasant.

“That’s enough. You may go now.”

…