Chapter 47: East Exit

The spring chill was biting. Old Man Wu sat on a grayish-yellow wooden chair, wrapped in a cotton coat, panting heavily. On the roadside, the "Wine for Your Sons" flag, which had been flying high in the cold wind, danced twice like a loach before drooping limply.

"There should be plenty of business today."

The State of Yue was located in the south, where the climate was humid and hot. Snow was rare in winter, and the heavy snowfalls like those seen last year were even more exceptional. Last year, the heavy snow had rendered the entire Guli Road impassable for carriages and horses; Old Man Wu had only received three groups of guests the entire winter. Now that spring had arrived and the snow had melted, there was still a lingering chill—the perfect time for drinking.

Old Man Wu leaned back lazily against the wooden chair, which creaked and groaned loudly beneath him. He squinted his eyes and, through the window, saw a cloud of yellow dust rising from the distant path.

He hurriedly stood up, limped to the door, and raised his voice

"Meat—and—wine! Mutton—meat!"

Seeing a carriage and horse slowly approaching and coming to a halt, Old Man Wu quickly spoke up

"Honored masters ahead, this small shop has meat and wine, and our sour and spicy side dishes are quite refreshing..."

Just then, a curtain was lifted, and two men clad in fur coats stepped down.

The leader appeared to be under seventeen, radiating a spirited aura. He carried a long saber in his hand, and though his face still held a hint of youthfulness, he looked at the tavern with a beaming smile.

The man behind him looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six. A precious sword hung at his waist, and he possessed a fairly handsome countenance with bright, piercing eyes, watching Old Man Wu warily.

"It seems an elder has brought a junior out. This young man looks like he has some experience in the martial world; he's very alert. And looking at that precious sword, they must be scions of great noble families. Today will be profitable!"

Old Man Wu had already made his assessment. He flashed a fawning smile and said

"Please, come inside, you two. Our specialty, the Snowflake Meat Wine, is a delicacy on this road."

Having said that, he turned his head and shouted loudly

"Customers are here!"

As the two sat down at a table, two men came running down the stairs with heavy footsteps. They stood behind Old Man Wu, bowing and smiling obsequiously.

"Bring a pot of Snowflake Wine and a few dishes."

Wan Yuankai set his long saber down. Seeing that the old man had sent someone to prepare the food, he explained cheerfully to Li Tongya

"This Snowflake Wine... they take the prime muscle of a mutton, slice it into thin pieces, boil it until tender in excellent liquor, and then finely mince it into a paste. Then, they melt mutton marrow and kidney fat in a pot, mix in the meat paste, and when serving, it is soaked in warm wine."

Wan Yuankai swallowed hard and whispered

"Five years ago, I came here with a clansman. We ordered a pot of this Snowflake Wine, and it was instantly life-changing. I haven't been able to forget it since. At home, we only have a few ways of eating, and I've grown bored to death of them!"

Li Tongya had been sitting in a swaying carriage for several days, eating dry rations and drinking cold water every day. Hearing this, his appetite was piqued, and he couldn't help but feel expectant.

As the two were chatting, a commotion erupted outside. Several men dressed in cotton coats walked in, sitting down boisterously and shouting

"Old Man Wu, bring the wine!"

"Ah, you masters have arrived!"

Old Man Wu hurried forward with a smile, flattering each of them in turn.

"This spring chill is truly bone-chilling. We brothers have been guarding the East Gate all night; even the birds are nearly frozen off! We hurried up to grab a few drinks while the masters were releasing us during the shift change."

The burly man leading them laughed loudly and continued

"I don't know what's been going on these past few days, but the road is being strictly managed. Several great families in the prefecture have sent people out onto the road, making it so quiet even the birds don't dare chirp!"

"Da Hu, you don't understand. This happens every few years; you'll get used to it! The families in the prefecture are just tightening their grip; it'll pass in a few days," a voice drifted from another table, speaking slowly.

Wan Yuankai listened intently for a while, then whispered with a grin

"This place is near Guanyun Peak. I suspect these are the secular servants of the Xiao family."

Li Tongya nodded, and the image of Xiao Yuansi immediately surfaced in his mind, making him feel a bit more sympathetic toward the group of men.

A waiter brought up a pot of hot wine, along with several side dishes and a bowl of snow-white mutton paste.

Wan Yuankai quickly took a small spoon, scooped a bit of the paste, placed it in the bowl, and poured the wine over it. As it soaked, an enticing aroma of mutton immediately wafted through the air.

The leader, Da Hu, sniffed the air, his eyes lighting up. He praised aloud

"Smells wonderful! It is Snowflake Wine!"

Wan Yuankai did not engage with the man, instead letting out a satisfied hum and gesturing for Li Tongya to try some as well.

Li Tongya smiled helplessly, gave the man a polite nod, and prepared his Snowflake Wine. After soaking, he took a light sip.

The mellow fragrance of the fine wine, mixed with the deliciousness of the mutton and a faint hint of milk, instantly rushed to the tip of his tongue. Without realizing it, Li Tongya finished the bowl and said with a light smile

"It is indeed exquisite."

Seeing that Li Tongya and his companion were ignoring him, the burly man pursed his lips in slight embarrassment and muttered

"Just because they have a bit of filthy money..."

Glancing enviously at the next table, Da Hu swallowed his saliva, turned his head, and resumed chatting with his brothers.

Wan Yuankai had only taken a few sips when another commotion arose outside. A group of people approached from a distance, surrounding a young man dressed in luxurious silks and furs as they entered the tavern.

"Cousin! Don't look down on this dilapidated tavern; this Snowflake Wine is unparalleled on this road. This desolate wilderness at the East Gate is so lonely that this tavern is the only place for a bit of diversion."

A man dressed in extravagant clothing was bowing and gesturing obsequiously before the young man in fine silks. The man looked to be about thirty-five or thirty-six, yet he bowed and called the youth "Cousin," which looked quite ridiculous.

"Mhm."

The youth in fine silks had somewhat narrow eyes and wore a snow-white fox fur coat, with a golden silk pouch tied at his waist. He was quite handsome, possessing the delicate, pampered appearance of someone raised in luxury. He merely gave a soft response upon hearing the words.

"Oh no, why has the master's steward come here!"

The burly man named Da Hu's expression changed instantly. He turned his head away, pretending not to know them, and the entire table of burly men lowered their heads, too terrified to utter a single word.

"That youth in fine silks is most likely a direct descendant of a great clan. That steward usually acts so high and mighty, yet he's acting like a dog in front of this person."

Da Hu stole a glance at the group. He managed to recognize two of them—both were high-ranking clan soldiers stationed at the East Gate—yet they were now standing respectfully behind the steward, not daring to say a word.

Upon seeing the environment of the shop, the youth in fine silks frowned slightly, which terrified the middle-aged steward, who kept his head down in fear.

The steward spent a long time rehearsing his words in his mind, but as if in a dream, he heard the youth in front of him laugh. He was instantly struck with terror.

"This cousin possesses spiritual apertures and has entered the path of immortality; he has always been arrogant and overbearing. He has been guarding this East Gate for over ten days and I haven't seen him smile once. I fear this might be a smile born of extreme rage!"

However, the youth in fine silks cupped his hands quite politely, a kind smile appearing on his face as he said softly

"I did not expect to encounter two fellow Daoists in such a remote little shop!"

(End of Chapter)