bookrandom Chapter 355 Bluffing
Chapter 355 Bluffing
A few minutes later, Zhong Ming sat comfortably on the luxurious sofa, almost completely immersed in it.
This is a magical artifact crafted from the hides of more than ten kinds of precious demonic beasts, solely for the purpose of displaying status.
Of course, you can always carry a sofa and throw it at someone if you want.
The only time this male cultivator used this magical artifact was to suppress a demon beast, literally sitting on its head.
The soft touch it sent through Zhong Ming into a blissful state, as if he were lying in the celestial palace he had imagined.
Zhang Youcai appeared very awkward. The chair he was sitting on was naturally spacious and luxurious, but he only dared to sit on the edge of it with a small part of his buttocks, his whole body straight, his head down and not daring to move.
The other two servants were slightly better, but they were still hesitant to cook the precious "Golden Wind". They had made the most important preparations, but wasn't the table a bit too expensive?
If this table were placed in one's own home, and used to hold offerings for one's ancestors, even the ancestors would rise from their graves to praise him for his success.
The female cultivator beside him kept taking out tableware from her storage bag. Some of the tableware were completely unfamiliar to Zhong Ming, and he had no idea how to use them.
However, having experienced many big scenes, he wasn't intimidated at all; instead, what he was thinking about was...
"If the two dragons were to cross the river, I'd set up this table atop Jisui Mountain, eating and watching—how wonderful that would be!"
Zhong Ming smiled at the male cultivator in front of him and asked, "How should I address this fellow Daoist?"
"My name is Sanyi Jushi. May I ask who you are?"
"True Man of Qu Hong".
"Nice to meet you." Both of them flashed their signature fake smiles.
Zhong Ming pointed to several pieces of tableware below and asked, "What are these tableware for?"
"Fellow Daoist, you're not from Cliff City, are you?" The male cultivator looked Zhong Ming up and down, trying to guess where he came from, but no matter how he looked at him, he seemed like a poor Qi Refining cultivator.
"Indeed, I come from the north bank of the Yelan River."
"Oh! Northerner, you are truly an outstanding person."
The northerners who were able to establish themselves here were naturally the northern geniuses who were recruited by the dynasty and came here to gain experience.
"It's not too far north, not far from the Nightfall River. Are you a local from Cliff City, fellow Daoist?"
"Yes and no. I am from Huling County, but since joining the army, I have been stationed in Jueya City. The years I have been stationed here have long exceeded the days I spent in my hometown. This place is my second hometown."
He held up a small curved hook and said, "This is used to hook the small wings of flying fish. Don't be fooled by the fact that these flying fish's wings are as thin as cicada wings; they are actually quite tough. You can easily cut your hand if you're not careful. Today... judging from the skills of those two, we probably won't need it."
The Hermit of Sanyi concealed his aura, and Zhong Ming did not bother to look at him, as this would be considered very impolite in the cultivation world. He simply took out a jar of fine wine and placed it aside.
I muttered to myself, 'You really got a good deal. Sitting on the sofa a few times won't break it, but if I finish my wine, it's really gone.'
As if hearing Zhong Ming's thoughts, the man took out some exquisite pastries and spiritual fruits from his storage bag and said with a regretful expression, "Fellow Daoist, it's not that I'm stingy, but although this golden wind is not fully ripe, it can still fill the stomachs of the few of us. We really don't have the appetite to eat spiritual fruits."
He gestured to the female cultivator with his eyes, and the girl immediately began to peel the spirit fruit, slicing it into thin pieces and distributing it to the plates of the group. She was both nervous and anxious, hoping to perform well so that she could get a piece of fish and meat in a little while, but also afraid that she might neglect this unknown distinguished guest and incur punishment.
Seeing this, Zhong Ming comforted them, "Relax, there's plenty of fish meat. Just cut a little bit, and everyone can wait to eat. Since I caught the fish, I said everyone should get a share. Does anyone have any objections?"
The Hermit of Sanyi laughed a few times, clapped his hands loudly, and teased, "Fellow Daoist, your methods of winning people's hearts are quite clever. I see the shadow of some old friends in you. I wonder who your master is?"
That talk about old friends is just nonsense.
Zhong Ming knew perfectly well that this person was just there to test the waters.
That's when you have to pretend, since you can't exactly have someone verify it on the spot.
"Alas, the path to immortality is fraught with difficulties. From the day I became your disciple, my master instructed me that if I were to travel the world in the future, I must never mention his name. I suppose if I don't mention it, others will just think it was an accident, and my master might be able to help me out. But if I do mention it, outsiders might think that my master is plotting against them. It's better to avoid trouble. It's best not to mention it."
Zhong Ming asked Zhang Youcai to pour wine for everyone, and before leaving, he took an extra exquisite plate and poured some wine into it.
"Fellow Taoist, what is this?"
"Hey, how can you drink a cup without gulping it down? That's no different from a country bumpkin. Offering a cup to appreciate the wine is a way of showing appreciation. Today we have heroes, beauties, a sea of clouds covering the sky, and thunderclouds as a congratulatory gift, so we'll skip this cup..."
The man was listening with great interest, but then he heard a bell ring out "Dismissed," and he looked puzzled. So what was this plate of wine for?
Zhong Ming continued, “The beauty of wine lies in its aroma. It can be that the fragrance can travel for miles after the jar is opened, or it can fill the heart and soul upon tasting. There are different ways to appreciate the aroma of wine. Some laymen like to warm it over a fire to bring out the hidden aroma within the wine. Some people sprinkle some flower petals or other accompaniments, so that the fragrance of flowers and wine intertwine and become indistinguishable, which is also a great pleasure.”
The talking stopped again. Zhong Ming snapped his fingers, and a new pot of wine appeared in his hand.
"But I am different. I use wine to infuse wine, making it as vibrant as spring and as dazzling as summer."
His hand trembled slightly, and a few drops of brand-new wine fell into the plate. Instantly, the entire plate boiled, the water droplets flew away and then fell back down, making a sound like a waterfall. The two aromas of wine fiercely battled each other. Taking a deep breath, it was as if the aromas of the two wines were opening a jar and fighting each other in one's nose, neither giving way, creating a wonderful spectacle.
At this point, the wine in the dish had become like a fountain. Zhong Ming then took out a small lotus seed and threw it in. It was immediately pushed up by the center of the "fountain," creating a delightful scene.
The lay Buddhist Sanyi watched with great interest, constantly praising Zhong Ming's refined taste.
"Fellow Daoist said there was no need to pour that cup of wine for appreciation, but now it seems that this wonderful wine already combines the three great refined pleasures of appreciation, smelling, and listening. The Dao is profound, the Dao is profound."
Zhong Ming: 'I must say, He Guang is really good at using his skills to pretend to be a scholar or poet.' He was very satisfied with his performance. Regardless of whether he was really good at it, it really fooled unprofessional people.
On the contrary, the female cultivator became more cautious, her tension tinged with fear.
'Oh no, this is a real young master,' she thought, looking at the platter she had carefully arranged with thin slices in her hand, and then at the other person's plate of wine, where lotus seeds were jumping up and down in the water, their outer skins gradually melting, and new changes were taking place.
Compared to him, this fruit platter is as rustic as can be!