Chapter 232: Resolving Doubts

After returning to Candao Sect, Su Tongxiao had Fang Yu lead the disciples back to Chaoyang Hall while he went to report to the sect's higher-ups. After all, the trial had been cut short unexpectedly, and as the highest-cultivation person present, he naturally had to provide an explanation to the sect.

In particular, four disciples had their physical bodies destroyed. Although there were reasons for it, he, having accepted favors from others, could not completely absolve himself of all responsibility.

Han Li was unwilling to get too involved in this matter, so after bidding farewell to Su Tongxiao, he went directly to Jingyun Peak and entered the side hall deep within Taixuan Hall.

The side hall was as quiet as ever, the door half-closed. That slovenly old man was leaning back in a large chair behind the desk, looking utterly bored.

"Fine wine is good, but one shouldn't overindulge... It's only been a few days, and it's almost gone again..." The old man muttered, holding a vermilion gourd of wine and taking occasional sips.

Han Li walked to the hall's entrance and happened to hear the old man's complaint. He paused for a moment, then raised his hand and pushed the door open to enter.

"Boy, it seems you've completed the third task too. Quick work. Did you take a fancy to any young lady?" The old man looked up at Han Li as he entered and said.

"Some accidents occurred during the trial, so it was terminated early. But at least nothing happened to the disciples. I wonder if this counts as completing the task?" Han Li briefly recounted what had happened in the Xuanbing Mountains, then handed over his elder token.

"Whether they completed the trial has nothing to do with you or me. As long as you did your part, the task is naturally complete." The old man said as he took the token.

He opened the merit register and quickly recorded the task's merit points for Han Li, then tossed the token back.

Han Li said nothing more, caught the token, and put it away.

He glanced at Old Man Hu Yan, then at the spiritual medicines on the desk, but made no move to leave, showing no intention of departing.

"What, boy, haven't you had enough of the steward tasks? Finished three and want a fourth?" The old man shot him a glance and said testily.

"Senior, you jest. About the matter of the Dao soldiers we discussed earlier, could you..."

"Stop, stop! If you can't come up with a decent wine recipe, nothing you say will work. I won't reveal a single word about the Dao soldiers." Before Han Li could finish, Elder Hu Yan waved his hand to cut him off.

"Senior, don't be so quick to refuse. I've finished my task today and have nothing else to do. Could I perhaps have a drink with you here?" Han Li, having anticipated this, smiled and tested the waters.

"I've been terribly busy lately and haven't had time to brew. There's not much wine left—every cup counts, and I don't even have enough for myself! Last time, in a moment of joy, I let you drink cup after cup, and I regretted it for a long time after you left... Don't think about my Dao soldiers anymore. Be off with you, be off!" As he spoke, Huyan Elder's face darkened, and he quickly hung his vermilion gourd back at his waist, issuing an order of expulsion.

"It's not that I'm asking you to share a cup with me, Senior; rather, I wish to invite you to have a drink," Han Li said with a smile.

"Invite me for a drink? The wine worm in my belly is quite picky. If it's just ordinary spirit wine, don't bother showing off. If it spoils my appetite, not only will the matter of Dao soldiers be completely off the table, but I might even kick you off this Jingyun Peak," Huyan Elder said, raising an eyebrow.

Han Li was not perturbed. He simply reached out his hand and lightly brushed it over the low table before him, whereupon two emerald-green jade wine cups appeared.

The cups were flawless and translucent, with an even distribution of green color. Within them, strands of golden threads coiled, forming peculiar patterns like flower petals, looking quite extraordinary.

"Oh... Gold-thread琉璃 cups, not bad..." The old man started to say something more, but upon seeing the two jade cups, he let out a soft exclamation.

Han Li said nothing. With a twist of his wrist, a fiery-red exquisite wine bottle appeared in his palm.

He raised his other hand and pulled out the wooden stopper from the bottle.

With a soft 'pop,' a very peculiar yet intensely rich aroma of wine instantly spread, filling the entire side hall.

Huyan Elder's slightly reddened nose immediately wrinkled, and a gleam of unusual interest rose in his eyes.

His body involuntarily leaned forward, rising from his seat, and he half-clambered onto the red low table, bringing his head close to the wine bottle in Han Li's hand, sniffing deeply.

"Quick, quick, quick! What are you standing there for! Hurry up and pour me a cup—this flavor... the greedy worm in my belly is about to crawl out..." Huyan Elder licked his lips, his eyes shining, and called out impatiently.

Han Li naturally dared not toy with the old man. He leaned forward slightly, tilted the mouth of the white wine bottle, and poured the wine into the two Gold-thread琉璃 cups on the table.

Huyan Elder quickly picked up one of the cups and brought it before his eyes to examine it closely.

The fine wine in the cup was a vivid red, emitting a flame-like glow. The liquid was clear and bright. When he gently swirled the cup, he could see specks of red light reflecting on the surface, like leaping flames.

He eagerly brought the cup to his lips, took a small sip first, and immediately his eyebrows shot up, a look of delighted surprise appearing on his face. Then he tilted his head back and downed the entire cup in one gulp.

As the wine entered his belly, a strange warm current flowed through his limbs and meridians, spreading throughout his body. The old man's slightly reddened nose deepened in color at once.

He closed his eyes slightly, savoring the lingering aftertaste of the fine wine between his teeth and cheeks, and a look of satisfaction involuntarily appeared on his face.

Han Li watched this scene, and a faint smile also curled at the corners of his mouth.

"Nectar of the gods, nectar of the gods... boy, where did you get this fine wine? This old man has never tasted anything like it before." The old man, coming back to his senses from the lingering charm of the wine, immediately said.

"This wine is called 'Fire Nectar,' produced in the Barren Continent. However, because the recipe has been lost, it is now very hard to come by." Han Li explained thus.

"What... the recipe is lost?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Huyan was struck as if by a thunderbolt, his voice rising by an octave.

But soon, he calmed down, turned his gaze to Han Li, and asked, "Since it's lost, how did you come by this wine?"

"Senior need not ask about that. This junior only wants to know whether this recipe for Fire Nectar Immortal Wine is enough to exchange for the knowledge of Dao soldiers that you possess?" Han Li asked directly.

"This..."

After hearing this, the old man lowered his head slightly and sat back in the large chair, a hesitant expression appearing on his face, as if caught in a dilemma.

However, Han Li noticed that the corner of his eye was constantly glancing at the exquisite fire-red wine bottle in his hand, clearly wanting to take both the recipe and the bottle of wine into his possession.

Sure enough, the old man then said:

"Enough, enough... This old man finds you somewhat congenial, boy. As long as you hand over the recipe and that bottle of Fire Nectar Immortal Wine to me, then the knowledge of Dao soldiers... I might as well teach it to you."

"Senior, that won't do. Our previous agreement only covered the recipe. Moreover, I only have this one bottle of Fire Nectar Immortal Wine; I can't just give it away to you for nothing." Han Li said decisively.

"Not for nothing? Boy, speak plainly, what else have you set your sights on from this old man?" Elder Huyan immediately caught the implication in Han Li's words, glared, and asked.

"This junior would also like to learn from Senior how to plant these spiritual medicines in the pot?" Han Li gave a dry laugh and spoke his mind.

"Haha... I thought it was something serious. That's nothing; I'll teach you." Elder Huyan said with a hearty laugh.

Han Li was somewhat surprised by his generosity.

But after hearing the method of planting, he understood why this slovenly old man had been so straightforward.

Because the method of planting potted spiritual medicines was not complicated; the difficulty lay in finding a suitable container for the spiritual medicine and concocting a spiritual liquid that could provide sufficient spiritual power to the medicine.

The jet-black round pot used for Elder Huyan's potted plant was itself a magical treasure capable of absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, thus able to sustain the spiritual medicine, keeping it alive even when separated from the earth.

Moreover, this planting method was only applicable to a very few special spiritual medicines, not suitable for all.

"I never thought there would be so many restrictions. What a pity..." Han Li sighed.

"I've already told you. Hurry up and give me the Fire Nectar Immortal Wine and the recipe." Elder Huyan chuckled and urged.

Han Li first handed over the wine bottle, then flipped his hand to produce a pre-copied recipe and placed it on the table.

Elder Huyan first took the wine bottle, pulled out the cork, and sniffed it repeatedly; then he picked up the recipe and examined it carefully, muttering from time to time: "Indeed, it uses ten-thousand-year Arhat leaves... and it even requires adding Jiaoyan flower... So that's how it is..."

Seeing him so absorbed, Han Li did not disturb him. His gaze fell on the glass of wine poured for him on the table, and he reached for it, but before his hand could get there, Elder Huyan slapped it away.

"This wine is now all mine." With that, the slovenly old man snatched the glass and downed it in one gulp without a word, then repeatedly praised, "Good wine, good wine."

"Now, Senior, can we talk about Dao soldiers?" Han Li naturally would not argue with him, and changed the subject.

"I really didn't expect that you, boy, could actually get such a good recipe. Tell me, what do you want to know?" Elder Huyan put away the Fire Nectar Immortal Wine and the recipe, and said seriously.

"These Dao soldiers... they resemble puppets, yet are vastly different. What exactly are they?" Han Li thought for a moment and asked.

"What exactly are Dao soldiers? That question is hard to explain. They come from many sources, such as voluntary indentured servant cultivators, powerful demon beasts, specially made puppets, contracted heavenly demons, mutated fierce ghosts, self-cultivated artifact spirits... and even spirit races born in spiritual domains, all fall under the category of Dao soldiers." Elder Huyan pondered briefly and said.

"That type of Dao soldier that can transform from yellow beans into Yellow Turban Warriors, which category does it belong to?" Han Li nodded and asked again.

"Oh, you mean Bean Soldiers. They belong to the immortal plant type of Dao soldiers among puppets. They require both innate planting and postnatal refinement, combining the two. Depending on the length of time the beans are nurtured and the strength of the inscribed formations on their surface, the power of the Bean Soldiers will vary." Elder Huyan explained.