Jianghu Demolition Squad

Eleven Yanyu Pavilions (Part Two)

Jie Qianchou immediately puffed his beard and glared, declaring, “This is my house. How is it sneaking around when I come here? You little girl, don’t talk nonsense!” He refuted Qing Jiu’s words about ‘sneaking around’ but didn’t deny the act of stealing wine.

Despite his esteemed reputation and widespread respect within the jianghu, Jie Qianchou was notorious for his insatiable thirst for alcohol. His craving had become an incurable addiction, deeply ingrained in his very being.

Ever since he met the legendary Wine Ghost, Jue Mingzi, whose brew no one in the world could match, it spoiled his taste, making all other wines taste bland in comparison. After the Wine Ghost disappeared, Jie Qianchou finished all his hidden stash of wine and has not drunk since. Firstly, because he was depressed from thinking about his lost friend, and secondly, he had no good wine at hand. Even the most famous fine wines from the wineries tasted like plain water to him.

It had been many years since he last drank, but instead of curing his wine addiction, this suppression made his craving even stronger. To the point that Qing Jiu’s single cup of wine stirred up his appetite, making him restless with desire.

Despite offering everything under the sun during the day, Qing Jiu remained unmoved. Jie Qianchou couldn’t sleep, having tasted the essence and remembering the aroma of the wine lingering in his nose as he tossed and turned. Even a great martial arts master couldn’t resist the urge to sneak into a woman’s room to steal wine, only to be caught on the spot. It was truly embarrassing.

Qing Jiu merely smiled, having seen through Jie Qianchou’s true nature. Although he was an elder of jianghu, looking solemn and dignified when not speaking, as soon as he started talking and mentioned wine, he resembled an old child.

Jie Qianchou pressed, “Don’t beat around the bush. Answer me clearly, where did you get that wine from?”

At this point, although Jie Qianchou tried to put on a stern face and exude the authority of a generation’s grandmaster, he couldn’t hide his craving expression. “In all my years of tasting countless wines, I’ve never encountered one that could compare to the one in your gourd…” He shook his head, actually considering the wine in the gourd to be the best in the world.

Yu’er asked in confusion, “Even the wine made by the legendary Wine Ghost…”

Jie Qianchou frowned, a hint of reluctance in his expression, yet he shook his head, convinced that not even the legendary Wine Ghost’s brew could compare.

Qing Jiu suggested, “Maybe it’s because of the Qing Huang Wine Cup.”

Jie Qianchou neither agreed nor disagreed, adding, “But truth be told, the taste and style of this wine is very similar to that of the Old Ghost, but upon closer examination, it surpasses any of his finest creations.”

Having said that, he looked at Qing Jiu again, demanding an explanation from her.

Qing Jiu said, “I brewed this wine myself.” It’s just that the brewing method was taught by someone else.

Upon hearing this, Jie Qianchou was greatly disappointed. “If it were brewed by someone else,” he thought miserably, “I could try to track them down. But this girl brewed it herself! She already refused to share. I can’t very well rob a junior, especially considering my status. Besides, I’d only get one gourd. What about the future? The memory of that exquisite taste would haunt me forever! But I can’t steal it, and she won’t budge, no matter what I offer in return. I’m doomed to yearn for it, forever out of reach.” His heart ached at the thought.

Refusing to give up, Jie Qianchou attempted another strategy, “How about this old man doing you a favor? If you give me this wine, I promise to help you with one thing. As long as it’s not against morality, anything is fine.” Given Jie Qianchou’s status in wulin and his profound skills, this promise was equivalent to having a golden token of immunity.

Qing Jiu responded indifferently, “Elder already owes us a favor. Moreover, you already mentioned this topic during the day.”

Jie Qianchou was both anxious and angry. In his life in the jianghu, people had always sought him out, never the other way around. Now, he had no choice but to suppress his temper and pester Qing Jiu, “Ah! How can you be so difficult, little girl? Tell me, what will it take for you to agree to give me this wine?”

Having strung him along to this point, Qing Jiu felt it was enough and stood up tall, “I want a layer of Elder’s martial arts cultivation.”

Jie Qianchou was stunned for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed loudly, his voice deep and resonant like a bell, “What an arrogant girl! So, this is what you’ve been waiting for!” Jie Qianchou intentionally displayed his power. While laughing, he didn’t conceal his internal energy at all. The powerful sound waves shook the wooden house, creaking like a withered tree in the wind, as if it could collapse at any moment.

Tang Linzhi, who was staying closest, had long sensed that something was amiss. She swiftly moved to the door and called out, “Qing Jiu, Yu’er.”

Qing Jiu reassured, “It’s nothing.” Tang Linzhi peeked inside, saw Jie Qianchou, and decided to stay by the door, curious but wary.

Qing Jiu said, “I can give Elder the method to brew this wine.”

Jie Qianchou’s eyebrows twitched, but he held back. His face remained calm as he stroked his beard with one hand behind his back, “This old man has one foot in the grave. No matter how strong my cultivation is, I can’t take it with me to the coffin. This lifetime of cultivation isn’t that important. But…” Jie Qianchou paused, his voice deep, “If you have heard, you should know that this old man’s lifelong cultivation can only be matched by three people in the jianghu. If someone were to obtain a layer of my cultivation, the various sects in the jianghu would certainly come forward and be willing to exchange any conditions for it. Rare treasures would be no different from yellow dirt. I’m not exaggerating. I just want you to know how arrogant it is for you to exchange a wine recipe for a layer of my cultivation.”

Qing Jiu asked, “So, Elder is unwilling to make the exchange?”

Jie Qianchou’s brows twitched again, and he hurriedly wanted to wave his hand in denial but managed to stop himself. He had originally wanted to suppress Qing Jiu’s arrogance, but Qing Jiu remained indifferent and unaffected, not budging either way. Yet, he himself had his weakness grasped by her. He was reluctant to be led by the nose by a junior, but he craved the wine recipe so much that his internal organs were itching for it. So, he said, “This old man’s cultivation isn’t something just anyone can withstand. You…”

Qing Jiu said, “The one Elder will be passing the cultivation to isn’t me.”

Jie Qianchou, surprised, asked, “Not for you?”

Jie Qianchou didn’t believe it. Cultivation was a valuable thing. Although not everyone could handle it, and the process of passing it was fraught with dangers, and it wasn’t easy to refine and integrate the received cultivation with one’s own after receiving it, who wouldn’t want to gain someone else’s powerful cultivation for free? Especially his, Jie Qianchou’s, internal energy. Even if it was just one layer, it was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Who wouldn’t be tempted? “You’re going through all this trouble just to benefit someone else? Who has such great honor?”

Qing Jiu smiled and clarified, “My apologies for not making it clear. If Elder wants to exchange the wine recipe, you must pass a layer of cultivation to her.”

Jie Qianchou followed Qing Jiu’s gesture to a person sitting on the bed beside her, even younger than Qing Jiu, and he frowned, “You’re mocking me now! Do you think I can just transfer my power to anyone?”

He had previously exchanged moves with Qing Jiu and saw that her foundation was not weak. Considering passing cultivation to her was feasible. Otherwise, if her aptitude was slightly inferior, not only would the recipient be in danger, but the one passing the cultivation would also be at risk.

Qing Jiu gently suggested, “Why not see if it’s possible first?” Jie Qianchou, half-convinced, stepped forward to grab Yu’er’s left hand. Yu’er, surprised by Qing Jiu’s intention to transfer power to her, stood up in shock. Seeing Qing Jiu’s smiling eyes, everything done for her sake left her both stunned and delighted, unable to utter a word, just staring at her.

After checking Yu’er’s pulse for a moment, Jie Qianchou raised an eyebrow and exclaimed, “Oh? This is good!” He felt Yu’er’s forearm, nodding, “Indeed, rare,” and then checked her other arm, adding, “Not bad.”

Jie Qianchou had not taken a close look at Yu’er before. Now, examining her features carefully, he frowned, pondering, “Why does this child look so familiar?”

The more he thought about it, the more familiar she seemed, yet he couldn’t place her.

Qing Jiu asked, “Does Elder agree?”

Although Jie Qianchou was very satisfied, he was unwilling to simply accept it and fall into Qing Jiu’s trap. He lightly snorted, flicked his sleeves, and said, “This old man’s cultivation can’t be casually passed on to others.” With that, he actually leaped out of the window and elegantly left.

Yu’er called out, “Qing Jiu.”

Qing Jiu shook her head and smiled, “Let’s sleep. No one will disturb us again tonight.”

The two of them settled back into bed peacefully. Yu’er curled up under the covers, her bright eyes peeking out, stealthily watching Qing Jiu’s sleeping face. Qing Jiu didn’t offer any explanation for the events of the night, but everything was understood without words. Yu’er, gazing into the dim contours of the room, held her prayer beads close to her heart, feeling a warm stream of comfort.

The next day was New Year’s Eve. Naturally, everyone didn’t want to spend it too plainly, but Jie Qianchou’s secluded residence only had some rice and noodles, a small amount of cured meat, and melons and vegetables.

Qi Tianzhu, Tang Linzhi, Mo Wen, and Yan Li went hunting in the mountains, while Qing Jiu and the remaining three stayed in the house to clean, creating a lively atmosphere of preparing for the New Year.

After tidying up the living quarters, Yu’er went to the main hall and found Hua Lian kneading dough on a wooden board. Yu’er asked, “Are you making dumplings?”

Hua Lian smiled, “Does Little Yu’er want to eat dumplings?” Kneading dough required strength. The dough was rolled into a ball and flattened in Hua Lian’s hands, his technique very skilled. Hua Lian turned his head and smiled at Yu’er, not panting at all as he spoke.

Yu’er said, “I’ll help.” She picked up another piece of dough and started kneading it.

“This isn’t for making dumplings,” Hua Lian explained, “Qing Jiu plans to make longevity noodles with it. If you want dumplings, we can save some dough, and ask Qing Jiu to make them for you.”

Yu’er puzzled, “Longevity noodles? Is it someone’s birthday today?”

Qing Jiu walked in from outside, carrying a bamboo basket with a few blocks of tofu. Seeing the two of them kneading dough, she set the basket aside.

Seeing Qing Jiu enter, Yu’er called out, “Qing Jiu.”

Qing Jiu pinched Yu’er’s cheek and wiped away the flour on her face, saying, “Alright, no need to knead anymore.”

Yu’er’s heart raced, feeling a burning sensation where Qing Jiu had touched her. She quickly diverted her attention and asked Qing Jiu, “Hua Lian said you’re making longevity noodles?”

“Mhm.”

Hua Lian rinsed his hands and shared, “Qing Jiu’s birthday is in the first lunar month. She likes to amuse herself by having a bowl of longevity noodles. Later on, Yan Li and the other two didn’t know their birthdays, so they deliberated and decided to celebrate together on New Year’s Eve, joining her for a bowl of noodles. That’s why I started participating as well, adding to the liveliness.”

Then, he suddenly recalled, “Yu’er, you should know when your birthday is, right?” It dawned on him that in the nearly a year they had all spent together, Yu’er had never mentioned her birthday. Given their group’s laid-back nature, they hadn’t delved into the matter, leaving Yu’er’s birthday a mystery.

Yu’er slightly lowered her head and shook it, indicating that she didn’t know her own birthday, avoiding looking at the two of them. In fact, she did know, but she wanted to share the same birthday as everyone else, so she kept it a secret. That’s why she was too embarrassed to look directly at Qing Jiu.

Hua Lian thought she was feeling sad recalling her past experiences and felt pity for her. He said, “Then let’s all celebrate together tonight!”

Smiling at Yu’er, Hua Lian remarked, “By that count, you’re also fifteen now.”

Yu’er understood there was a deeper meaning to Hua Lian’s words, but before she could think further, Qing Jiu softly interjected, “Fifteen is the age for the hair pin ceremony, becoming a grown woman.”

Old enough to get married.

Yu’er looked at Qing Jiu, her mind momentarily going blank. When she came back to her senses, she unconsciously blushed, feeling inexplicably shy. She quickly turned her face away.