Eternal Saber

Chapter 427 - 33: Drunken Elder

From a courtyard in Langya Pavilion came bursts of hearty laughter.

Chen Tang, Song Wu, and Shen Zhiyuan ran to this place, instructing the servants to prepare some wine and dishes, and feasted heartily, drinking to their heart’s content.

"So the Brother Hetai that Old Song mentioned to me is you."

Shen Zhiyuan chuckled lightly and said, "After Old Song returned from Beiqian, he came to me, saying he made friends in Beiqian with some righteous and high-spirited people."

"At first, I didn’t really believe him and thought they were gambler friends he met playing dice..."

"Ahem!"

Before Shen Zhiyuan could finish, Song Wu quickly coughed twice and said, "Xiaoyuan, don’t reveal my shortcomings. After all, I am now in the army, give me a little face."

"What’s going on?"

Chen Tang became curious.

Shen Zhiyuan laughed and said, "Brother Chen is not an outsider."

Song Wu said, "I grew up in a poor family. My mother passed away early, and my father didn’t want me, so I picked up some bad habits, played dice, and gambled with people, eventually losing everything."

"At that time, no one looked up to me. I even thought about giving up on this life. Only Xiaoyuan kept helping me and encouraged me, saying that I would become a great hero in the future, ha!"

"Finally, one day, it was like I had a sudden realization. Under Xiaoyuan’s introduction, I apprenticed with a famous master, ventured into Jianghu, and later enlisted in the army."

Chen Tang chuckled silently to himself.

So Song Wu had such an embarrassing past.

Song Wu said, "In a way, Xiaoyuan is not just my friend but also my benefactor."

Shen Zhiyuan waved his hand and said, "I was just fooling you back then, saying that you would become a hero of the age. Who would have thought you actually believed it."

"Hahaha!"

Chen Tang burst into laughter.

After finishing, Shen Zhiyuan couldn’t hold back and laughed along too.

The three of them drank another cup heartily.

Shen Zhiyuan said, "Speaking of which, I don’t have such good wine as the ’Drunken Eight Immortals’ here."

"As long as you’re with the right people, any wine can be enjoyable to drink."

Song Wu added, "If the conversation isn’t agreeable, even the finest wine loses its flavor!"

Shen Zhiyuan expressed remorse, "You’ve gotten too fiery these days. You need to change; that wonderful ’Drunken Eight Immortals’ was flipped over in a flash by you."

"Can’t change it."

Song Wu smacked his lips and said, "In the Northern Expedition Army, without some tough methods, you can’t hold down that group of people at all."

The Northern Expedition Army was made up of a group of Jianghu heroes and Green Forest bandits, each unruly and aggressive. Without some extraordinary qualities and iron-fisted tactics, it’s impossible to command this army.

In the past, Ye Xuan managed to gather these people into a formidable fighting force, which in itself was a miracle.

"What’s the story behind this ’Drunken Eight Immortals’ wine?"

Chen Tang asked.

The question was somewhat abrupt.

Shen Zhiyuan didn’t know why Chen Tang brought this up, but he replied, "The ’Drunken Eight Immortals’ is a type of wine launched by the Drunken Immortal Tower in recent years. It is said that the Drunken Elder explored countless ancient sites and searched for ancient formulas, failing numerous times before creating this exquisite brew."

"Those fortunate enough to taste the ’Drunken Eight Immortals’ speak highly of it and have praised it as the finest wine of ancient and modern times."

"Brother Chen, do you have some doubts?"

Song Wu, being perceptive, saw the change in Chen Tang’s expression and asked aloud.

Chen Tang hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "There might be a problem with the wine."

He hadn’t tasted it himself, only relying on Ah Li’s intuition with no evidence.

If it were anyone else, Chen Tang wouldn’t have mentioned it.

Out of trust in the two in front of him, he chose to give a heads-up; it’s always better to be cautious, regardless of whether he’s right or wrong.

Shen Zhiyuan was slightly startled and asked, "What basis do you have for saying this, Brother Chen?"

Chen Tang shook his head, offering no explanation.

This matter was indeed difficult to explain.

He couldn’t very well tell them that he has a cousin whose intuition is exceptionally accurate and she felt something was off with the wine.

Such an explanation would sound too far-fetched and hard to believe.

Even he himself was merely suspicious.

Song Wu frowned, "The Drunken Immortal Tower isn’t just an ordinary tavern; it’s a top power in Jianghu with businesses in all major counties across the Six States. Moreover, every Drunken Immortal Tower quickly becomes the largest and most prestigious tavern in the area."

"If there’s a problem with the ’Drunken Eight Immortals,’ then it’s a major issue that could implicate the whole of Jianghu."

Shen Zhiyuan pondered, "Logically, it shouldn’t be possible."

"Many Sect Leaders and gang leaders in Jianghu have tasted the ’Drunken Eight Immortals’ and have sung its praises. So far, no one has reported any incidents."

Shen Zhiyuan added, "If there were a problem with the ’Drunken Eight Immortals,’ it would have surfaced by now."

"Besides, being a long-established Grandmaster with a strong reputation in Jianghu, the Drunken Elder certainly wouldn’t engage in something like this."

Chen Tang nodded.

What Shen Zhiyuan said also made sense.

Mei Zhenyu had previously mentioned to him that among those who traveled Huiji Mountain with the Sword Sect and Young Master Shen Yi back in the day was the Drunken Elder.

The Drunken Elder could become close friends with the Sword Sect and Young Master Shen Yi, traveling mountains and rivers together, which speaks volumes about his status and reputation.

"Ha, I knew you guys were hiding here!"

At this moment, a light chuckle was heard from outside.

Su Muzhe walked in holding a scroll with a smiling face, "It’s really unfortunate, you left too soon and missed a very spectacular scene."

"Stop selling the suspense and just tell us."

Shen Zhiyuan helplessly urged, "You were supposed to take care of the guests; why did you run over here?"

"Take care of what? It’s all in chaos now."

Su Muzhe vividly described the events that had just occurred, causing Song Wu to applaud and Shen Zhiyuan to be shocked and incredulous.

"Is this true?"

Shen Zhiyuan said, "I just glanced over at the time and didn’t really look closely."

Taking the scroll handed over by Su Muzhe, Shen Zhiyuan focused intensely, and just after a few glances, he felt his heart racing, with his inner Qi surging, as if a Sword Qi was naturally arising to confront it!

"Amazing!"

Shen Zhiyuan immediately closed his eyes.

"Brother Chen, you are quite something, keeping it so well hidden!"

Shen Zhiyuan reopened his eyes, both surprised and delighted, "Brother Chen, where do you live? I’ll come over tonight, and we’ll talk through the night by candlelight and have a good exchange!"

Chen Tang smiled knowingly, understanding that Shen Zhiyuan was also a lover of martial arts, seeing something exciting.

Their realms were not far apart, so exchanging insights would be mutually beneficial.

Chen Tang gave the location.

Shen Zhiyuan frowned slightly, a bit displeased, "What are the people of Langya Pavilion doing, treating Brother Chen so carelessly, placing you in such an area."

"It’s not their fault."

Chen Tang hesitated a little and then recounted his experience at the Sword Casting Manor.

"You killed the Fourth Manor Master?"

Su Muzhe clicked his tongue.

Shen Zhiyuan frowned, puzzled, muttering, "Sword Casting Manor has been around for a hundred years; how could they do such a thing?"

If the matter hadn’t come from Chen Tang’s mouth, they wouldn’t have believed it.

"This matter is a bit tricky."

Song Wu suddenly said, "Sword Casting Manor not only has a great reputation and high status in Jianghu, but many weapons in the Northern Expedition Army are also supplied by them."

"In the Northern Expedition Army, Sword Casting Manor has its own backing, and can’t be easily moved."

"I’ve heard..." Shen Zhiyuan glanced at Song Wu, as if hesitant to say more.

Song Wu nodded and said, "That’s right, Sword Casting Manor’s backer in the Northern Expedition Army is General Liu Daojian. General Liu is formidable, brave, and capable of winning battles, highly valued by the Commander of the Northern Expedition Army, considered the army’s top warlord with immense prestige."

After a pause, Song Wu added, "I happen to be working under him now."