Chapter Ninety: Drunken Sword

When Yi Xiaochuan saw Yang Wenhao, it was as if he had met an old friend after many years apart, and he had endless things to say. Just as Yi Xiaochuan was passionately recounting his incredible experiences to Yang Wenhao, a figure darted into the room.

“Master!”

It was none other than the slave Yi Xiaochuan had purchased earlier. Round-faced and plump, he hardly looked the part; with a bit of grooming, he could easily pass for a young gentleman from a wealthy family.

“What are you doing here?” Yi Xiaochuan asked, eyeing the fat man.

“Master, since you bought me, I must follow you,” replied the man, who called himself Sanbao.

In Great Qin, trading slaves was not unusual. Slaves like him had typically signed a contract of servitude. If the buyer wished, he could even report the slave to the authorities, and the law would side with him.

“You don’t need to follow me. You’re free now,” Yi Xiaochuan waved dismissively.

Being a modern man, he felt uncomfortable with the idea of slavery. He had purchased Sanbao merely because he couldn’t bear to see him mistreated.

Upon hearing that Yi Xiaochuan was granting him his freedom, Sanbao immediately dropped to his knees.

“Master, please don’t abandon Sanbao!” he begged, grief written all over his face.

“Stop, stop!” Yi Xiaochuan quickly halted Sanbao’s cries. “You can follow me if you wish, but let’s be clear—you mustn’t call me ‘master.’”

“What should I call you then?” Sanbao asked, puzzled.

At that moment, Yang Wenhao interjected, “Since you don’t want to be called ‘master,’ perhaps ‘sir’ would be suitable.”

Yi Xiaochuan nodded in approval. “Yes, call me ‘sir.’”

“Then, may I ask your honorable surname, sir?” Sanbao inquired.

“Yi Xiaochuan. Enough chatter for now—I haven’t seen my brother in a year. Go fetch me a jug of wine,” Yi Xiaochuan ordered.

“Yes, sir!” Sanbao eagerly nodded, taking Yi Xiaochuan’s flask and heading to the counter for wine.

After Sanbao left, Yi Xiaochuan resumed his conversation with Yang Wenhao.

Yang Wenhao smiled faintly. “So, it seems you’ve met someone worth cherishing.”

He was not mistaken; after Yi Xiaochuan was taken to Tu'an, he had indeed developed feelings for that woman, Yushu.

Despite being well-versed in matters of the heart, Yi Xiaochuan felt a touch of embarrassment at Yang Wenhao’s remark.

—

“What about you, Brother Yang? Did you marry the young lady from the Lü family?” Yi Xiaochuan’s curiosity was piqued.

But to his disappointment, Yang Wenhao shook his head. “No, I did not.”

“What a pity,” Yi Xiaochuan sighed. “Both young ladies from the Lü family are beautiful as flowers.”

Yang Wenhao replied, “If you wish, you could marry one yourself. I believe Lord Lü holds you in high regard.”

Upon hearing this, Yi Xiaochuan quickly shook his head. “Forget it. Our paths are too different.”

Yang Wenhao laughed at his response.

“Why hasn’t the wine arrived yet?” Yi Xiaochuan wondered aloud, when suddenly Sanbao’s cries for help rang out nearby.

“Help! Help!”

Yi Xiaochuan leapt up and rushed towards the commotion. He was stunned to find an elderly man pinning Sanbao to the floor. “It’s you!” he exclaimed.

The old man, still groggy, opened his eyes and smiled faintly at Yi Xiaochuan. “We meet again.”

Yi Xiaochuan hurried over to help him up, finally freeing Sanbao from beneath him.

“I told you, we would meet again,” the old man said.

Yi Xiaochuan nodded. “Old Cui, it’s been a while.”

The old man chuckled. “I told you, as long as you follow the scent of good wine, you’ll find me.”

“I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Yang Wenhao. Brother Yang, this is Cui Wenzi,” Yi Xiaochuan said.

Yang Wenhao bowed respectfully. “I’ve long heard of the Immortal of Wine.”

Cui Wenzi’s mood brightened at the compliment. “Come, let’s drink—my wine.”

They all sat down, and Cui Wenzi produced his wine flask.

Yang Wenhao took a sip and praised it. “This wine is rich and full-bodied, with a lingering aftertaste.”

Yi Xiaochuan remarked, “But Old Cui, the wine tastes a bit different from last time.”

“You’re right,” Cui Wenzi replied. “This batch isn’t like the previous one. This time, I mixed various grains and chaff to brew it.”

Hearing this, everyone understood.

Yang Wenhao observed, “Brewing wine with premium grains is fine, but it’s flashy and lacks substance. Mixing various grains makes for excellent wine.”

—

“Indeed, Young Master Yang is right,” Cui Wenzi nodded in agreement.

Yi Xiaochuan and Cui Wenzi had much to discuss after their reunion. When their conversation ended, Cui Wenzi was deeply moved by Yi Xiaochuan’s experiences.

Sanbao, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up. “By the way, Master Cui, why did you knock me down so easily just now? I didn’t even have a chance to fight back.”

Cui Wenzi smiled softly. “When traveling, it’s easy to get into trouble when drunk. So I invented a set of self-defense techniques to avoid such mishaps.”

“Oh?” Yi Xiaochuan was intrigued. “Tell us more, Old Cui.”

Cui Wenzi looked at Yi Xiaochuan. “My techniques can only be learned when drunk. Are you interested?”

Yi Xiaochuan nodded. His martial skills were mediocre at best. “Why not set a time?”

“No need. We can start now,” Cui Wenzi said.

“Wonderful!” Sanbao cheered.

They found a quiet spot away from others. Yi Xiaochuan had hoped Yang Wenhao would join them, but Yang Wenhao declined—not out of disdain, but simply because such skills were useless to him. Learning them would do nothing to enhance his abilities.

Besides, these techniques were useful against common ruffians, but against true experts, they were futile.

If Yi Xiaochuan asked, Yang Wenhao could teach him some swordsmanship and other self-defense arts. With Yi Xiaochuan’s talent, after half a year or so of training, he could handle formidable opponents. Of course, matching Yang Wenhao’s skill was out of the question.

That day, Yi Xiaochuan dragged Yang Wenhao outside the city to practice swordsmanship in the bamboo grove.

Yi Xiaochuan insisted on sparring with Yang Wenhao, and as the latter had nothing pressing, he agreed.

“Let me practice once. Watch carefully and point out anything I do wrong, so I can improve.”

(End of chapter)