At noon the next day.
After finishing his meal, Chu Feng patted Xu Caichen on the shoulder. "Caichen, your master is going to start brewing wine. Come give me a hand."
Xu Caichen blurted out instinctively, "Master, you're actually serious!"
"You rascal, when have I ever gone back on my word? For us scholars, the most important thing is keeping our word. Let's go."
With that, Chu Feng lifted Xu Caichen up as if picking up a chick and walked off.
Seeing this, Nie Xiuyuan quickly got up and followed after them. "Chief Chu, please let me come along!"
The three of them soon arrived at the long-abandoned brewery in the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.
Looking at the dilapidated brewery, Nie Xiuyuan felt numb. Could you really brew good wine in a place like this?
Xu Caichen asked, "Master, you didn't drag me here just to make me clean up the brewery, did you?"
"Tch…"
Chu Feng said with exasperation, "Can't you have a bit more ambition? Would cultivators like us do the cleaning ourselves?"
As he finished, he casually uttered a single word, "Cleanse!"
A large character for "Cleanse" appeared in the brewery. Instantly, the dust vanished and the place became spotless, as if it had been carefully cleaned.
"Spoken into reality!"
Xu Caichen rubbed his eyes in awe. "Master, when will I be able to do things like you?"
Chu Feng replied casually, "Read more books, drink more wine. That's all."
As soon as he finished, the two others had different expressions. Xu Caichen looked bewildered. "Master, I went to state academy too. Don't try to fool me—I get the reading part, but what does drinking have to do with it?"
Nie Xiuyuan felt as if Chief Chu was hinting at him, but he had no proof and dared not ask.
Chu Feng laughed. "Why would a half-saint like me need to trick a mere scholar like you? In the old days, the Immortal Poet composed poems through drinking. The more he drank, the better his poems became. Just his 'Song of the Swordsman' alone could make an ordinary person into a cultivator, splitting mountains and stones."
Hearing how serious his master sounded, Xu Caichen grew curious. "Master, could I hear that 'Song of the Swordsman'?"
"I can't recite it without more wine."
Chu Feng patted his shoulder. "You go chop wood. Your master will start brewing."
"Alright."
Xu Caichen didn't fuss and quickly hauled over some firewood.
Seeing this, Nie Xiuyuan couldn't just stand by and joined Xu Caichen in chopping wood.
Chu Feng began preparing the spiritual ingredients and spring water needed for brewing.
An hour later, everything was ready. Since he wanted to brew the strongest wine, he naturally used spirit grain—sorghum infused with spiritual energy.
He had already perfected the art of brewing, and just a few moves left Nie Xiuyuan staring in amazement.
Chief Chu truly was a master brewer—his skill and technique surpassed even mine.
Even after brewing, Chu Feng still felt something was missing. Then he recalled a phrase his cheap master once said:
"The real purpose of wine is to bring joy to others, so you must pour your heart into the process."
When Chu Feng first heard that, he'd blurted out, "Old man, you totally stole that line from Little Master Chef."
Your heart, huh?
Chu Feng's lips curled in a faint smile. He focused completely on the process, pouring his will into the act of brewing.
Unconsciously, he became fully immersed in the joy of making wine.
Clang!
The hatchet slipped from Xu Caichen's hand, the handle clattering to the ground and the blade landing right on the stunned Nie Xiuyuan.
Nie Xiuyuan didn't notice at all—he just stood there, watching Chu Feng in silence.
When Chu Feng finished, he finally noticed the two of them standing dazed.
"What's wrong with you two?"
Nie Xiuyuan muttered, "Will… no, Dao intent… Chief, you actually used the true meaning of the Dao for fermentation just now."
"Oh."
Chu Feng looked unconcerned. "I got too into it and forgot myself. Fermentation takes more than a day anyway. You two keep chopping wood. I'll go put the mash in to ferment, and finish the process once it's ready."
With that, he continued working. Seven days later, Chu Feng finally began the last step.
On this day, everyone in the Miscellaneous Dao Institute gathered at the brewery, wanting to witness Chu Feng's wine for themselves.
After a few hours, a fragrant aroma of wine drifted through the air, making everyone present feel intoxicated.
Nie Xiuyuan, the wine fanatic, was already drooling and could hardly wait to taste this brew.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. Chu Feng soon came out carrying a gourd-shaped wine vessel and announced to the crowd:
"Tonight, I'll treat you all to Burning Blade!"
Everyone nodded in anticipation, already looking forward to evening.
Ha…
In the side courtyard, as soon as everyone took a sip, they gasped at the fiery burn.
Only Nie Xiuyuan shouted, "Excellent wine! So strong! I've never had such a powerful drink in my life!"
Chu Feng smiled. "If you like it, have some more."
"Then I won't hold back."
Nie Xiuyuan didn't stand on ceremony. He drank cup after cup as if it were water, leaving the others dumbfounded.
After Elder Bing finished her cup, she felt as if her whole body was burning, spiritual energy surging inside her. She felt as if she had boundless power—her meridians even seemed to expand a little.
She hadn't circulated her energy at all, but her spiritual power was suddenly at its peak?
No, this must be the effect of the spirit wine.
She said, "Sir, this spirit wine of yours is extraordinary. It actually lets someone at Nirvana level erupt with their full strength in an instant. Only the finest spirit wines have this effect."
Chu Feng gave Elder Bing a thumbs-up. "Worthy of the title, Elder Bing. Just one sip and you recognized it as top-tier spirit wine."
Elder Bing: "…"
After a moment's silence, she asked, "But you clearly only used ordinary spirit grain. How did you brew top-tier spirit wine?"
Nie Xiuyuan, who had been gulping down cup after cup, also paused and stared at Chu Feng in shock. He thought, That's right! Chief Chu only used common spirit grain—how did he end up with wine like this? This is just too unbelievable.
Chu Feng laughed. "Elder Bing, you still don't understand me well enough. I am the Chief of the Miscellaneous Dao Institute. Isn't it natural for me to have mastered the art of brewing?"
Everyone: "…"
For a moment, nobody knew how to respond.
After a while, Nie Xiuyuan suddenly stood up, stepped back, and knelt down to Chu Feng.
"Master, please accept me as your disciple!"
Elder Bing, who had just recovered, was stunned again. Just showing a little skill was enough for Senior Brother Nie to willingly ask to become a disciple?
Was this really the same Senior Brother Nie she knew, who never cared for anything beyond food and drink?
Chu Feng stood up and walked over to Nie Xiuyuan. "Very well. Today, I'll accept you as my disciple. But your status is unique, so from now on you'll be treated differently from Xiao Chen and the others."
"Yes."
Nie Xiuyuan then used wine in place of tea to offer a toast to Chu Feng.
Chu Feng drank it all, then set the cup down.
Nie Xiuyuan asked excitedly, "Master, when can you teach me to brew wine?"
Chu Feng smiled. "Anytime is fine. But in your current state, you won't be able to grasp the true essence of brewing from me."
"Please instruct me, Master."
Nie Xiuyuan blurted out subconsciously.
Chu Feng said, "If you want to reach my level in brewing, you must eliminate all distractions and focus on nothing but wine. But your mind is too scattered, and reaching that state will be as hard as ascending to heaven."
Nie Xiuyuan looked as if he suddenly understood, muttering, "Then Master, how do I get rid of distracting thoughts?"
Chu Feng didn't answer directly, but asked calmly, "When do you feel most clear-minded?"
Nie Xiuyuan fell silent. He sat there, pouring himself cup after cup, mixing all kinds of wine together.
Soon, his gaze became unfocused, but just as he was about to collapse, a trace of clarity flashed through his eyes.
"Master, I… I'm only clear in my dreams."
With that, he slumped onto the table, leaving everyone speechless.
Elder Bing asked tentatively, "Sir, can you really teach a disciple like this?"
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