Old Roots, New Paths

"Junior Sister, how does it taste? Didn't I tell you it was good?" Jiang Daoyu asked with a smile, watching Chen Jinshu's relaxed expression and the faint flush blooming on her cheeks.

"This spirit wine is delicious! It's almost like fruit juice!"

"Fruit juice doesn't have this kind of rich and fragrant sweetness," Du Yi said as he raised his own cup and drank, a smile spreading across his face as he began to savor it slowly.

"This wine's spiritual energy is incredibly abundant—no wonder it sells for fifty spirit stones!"

Chen Jinshu could feel a few strands of spiritual energy suddenly surging into her dantian. It absorbed far more easily than pills and was even denser in spiritual power.

"Since Yingyue Tower dared to sell it, there must be something special about it. They wouldn't let us take a loss for no reason."

"Junior Sister, another cup! Let's celebrate our bountiful return from the cave!" Jiang Daoyu topped off their cups and lifted his own once again.

"Very well! May both of my Senior Brothers have a smooth cultivation journey!" Chen Jinshu hesitated for a moment, recalling the blood curse lingering in their bodies, but chose not to mention it here, not wanting to disrupt their mindset or spoil the meal.

"Indeed! A smooth path to immortality!"

The three of them drank casually in a private room at Yingyue Tower for about an hour and a half. Since they each had pressing matters to attend to, they didn't linger and prepared to leave.

Just before parting, Chen Jinshu hesitated again and finally told them about the blood curse. The two were initially stunned, their eyes flashing with panic. But after learning that the curse would only need to be dealt with before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, they calmed down.

"We've only just reached the Foundation Establishment stage. The Nascent Soul realm is still so far away—might take us hundreds of years to reach it! That's more than enough time to find a solution," Jiang Daoyu said calmly. This was fate, after all. Since it had already happened, they might as well focus on what was in front of them.

"Thank you for the warning, Junior Sister. We never expected that blood-colored jade to contain such a terrifying curse. We've never even heard of it."

"But Jiang is right. The Nascent Soul stage is still centuries away. No point in worrying now."

"You both have such open hearts. I truly admire you," Chen Jinshu said sincerely. She knew she couldn't take it so lightly. If it had happened to her, the pressure might've driven her forward obsessively—or crushed her entirely.

"It's not that we're unbothered—it's that we're helpless. We're only thirty-something and barely into Foundation Establishment. We know next to nothing about the curse."

"Once we return, we'll consult the master. He may know something," Jiang Daoyu added.

"Alright then! Weren't you asking about the wine recipe? I know a Senior Brother who was willing to sell his, though it was three years ago. Not sure if he still is," Du Yi said as something occurred to him.

During the banquet, Chen Jinshu had sung high praises for the Drunken Immortal Brew and said she wanted to find the recipe and brew some spirit wine herself.

"Thank you, Senior Brother! I was only half-serious. Whether I can get it or not, I'll leave it up to fate." A hint of shyness appeared on her face—she had drunk a few more cups than usual, and she was quite enchanted by the wine.

What's more, even after all that, she didn't feel drunk. Her mind was clear, and the spiritual energy she consumed during the day had been replenished quite a bit. Downing pills every day during cultivation could become monotonous. An occasional drink wouldn't hurt.

"That Senior Brother is also from Medicine King Peak, though his aptitude isn't great. He's over eighty and only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Probably won't ever reach Foundation Establishment."

Chen Jinshu was taken aback. Over eighty and still only at the sixth level? That was just above the threshold for outer sect disciples. Most reached Foundation Establishment between the ages of fifty and sixty. After that, one's qi and blood began to decline.

She thought of the Qingning Tea she was cultivating in her spirit herb garden—perhaps she had a chance to trade for the wine recipe. Even though Qingning Tea's life-extending effects were weak, long-term consumption had some benefits. Better than waiting quietly to die.

"No need to overthink it. That Senior Brother's been in Medicine King Peak forty years longer than I have. It's only proper to call him 'Senior.'"

"Besides, there are plenty of disciples in the sect with poor talent. We're considered lucky—our aptitude's decent, and we may even reach the Golden Core stage one day!"

"In that case, please tell me where to find this Senior Brother. I'd like to ask him for the wine recipe in person."

"He lives in the marketplace and runs a stall there. Makes decent money, but he has a whole family to support. While he didn't manage to advance much himself, he raised a son who reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. Seems like he wants to build a small cultivation family."

Chen Jinshu understood now. She had wondered why someone at that age was still stuck at the sixth level. Even if his aptitude was poor, he must be at least four-spirit-root or higher—should've reached seventh level by now with some effort. But he was supporting a family and planning a clan.

Shortly afterward, Chen Jinshu followed Du Yi to a stall in the marketplace run by a white-haired elder. Despite his white hair, the elder had a ruddy complexion, full of vitality. The items on his stall weren't bad either—he had a large number of mid-grade first-tier talismans and a few spiritual tools.

"Senior Brother Sun! You look more energetic than ever!" Du Yi greeted politely.

"So it's you, brat! Haven't seen you around my stall in ages. What brings you here? You're past mid-stage Qi Refining already—still need mid-grade talismans?" Sun Haoming said, laughing as he recognized him.

Watching their friendly exchange, Chen Jinshu guessed that Du Yi must've met this Senior Brother during his mid-stage cultivation and often came here to buy talismans, hence the familiarity.

"I've already reached Foundation Establishment. I brought a Junior Sister here to inquire about the wine you mentioned three years ago. Do you still plan to sell the recipe?"

Sun Haoming paused for a moment, and his gaze toward Du Yi became a bit complex. The kid who used to haggle over talismans was now in the Foundation stage. Time truly waits for no one. After eighty years of cultivation, he hadn't even reached late-stage Qi Refining.

"Guess I should call you Senior Brother now," Sun Haoming said with a trace of gloom.

"You've been in the sect longer than me and helped me a lot during my mid-stage. I should still call you Senior Brother!"

"Call me whatever you want. I haven't got many years left anyway."

"You're here for the wine recipe, right?" Sun Haoming turned to Chen Jinshu.

"Yes, Senior Brother Sun."

"My recipe isn't easy to brew. It takes several steps and requires five different elemental spirit fruits. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Chen Jinshu nodded firmly.

"It's called Five-Flavors Wine. Made from five different elemental spirit fruits and several spiritual herbs, fermented for six months. When drinking it, you can taste five distinct flavors, hence the name. Some also call it Five-Spirit Wine," Sun Haoming explained, rummaging through his storage bag until he pulled out a dusty piece of paper.

"How much do you want for the recipe?"

"Since you came on Du brat's recommendation, pay what you think is fair."

"That won't do. I'm the one purchasing it, so I should pay accordingly. I have twenty taels of freshly picked Qingning Tea. It's worth more than most wine recipes. Would you be willing to trade?"

Hearing the words Qingning Tea, Sun Haoming's dim eyes immediately lit up. "Absolutely! Qingning Tea has mild life-extending and body-strengthening effects. For a first-tier wine recipe, I'm definitely getting the better deal."

"In that case, I'll add fifty spirit stones as well."