C6 The Effect of the Blood Qi Divine Wine Was Great!

The Wang Family Tavern was a modest enterprise; there was no way they could come up with eighty taels of silver all at once.

"Hahaha..." Liu Shi also laughed. "Old Wang, do you really think you can afford all four jars?"

"I've reserved them all; they're all reserved," Old Wang stubbornly insisted.

"The wine's already been distilled. It's ready to go, available for immediate purchase. What's the point of reserving now?" Liu Shi argued. "Pour me a pound; I want to drink it right this moment."

Liu Shi had already pulled out a tael of silver. He had the desire to splurge and buy the lot, but he wasn't the kind of rich heir who could casually spend a fortune.

Ma Binn accepted the silver tael.

"I'll take a large jar."

Old Wang would have to scrape together the funds, even for twenty taels of silver.

Old Wang felt a pang of distress. He knew that once the wine was displayed, it would be snapped up by others. With few people around at the moment, he hurriedly appealed to Ma Binn, "Brother Ma Binn, we've known each other for years, we're neighbors. You have to reserve a jar for me!"

"Oh, Uncle Wang, you're asking me to hold back wine from selling? That's not very fair! The best goods go to the quickest buyer. Isn't that right, Uncle Ma?"

Liu Shi nearly called him 'Brother Ma Binn'.

Ma Binn glanced inside, feeling overwhelmed. He was hoping Ma Tianming would step in, but Ma Tianming had made it clear that he wouldn't sell the wine himself, nor would he let others know he was now the owner of the Winery.

Ma Binn steeled himself and said, "No worries. As long as there's wine left, it's for sale to anyone who comes."

Old Wang knew Ma Binn, but they weren't close, so it wasn't his place to prevent Ma Binn from selling his wine.

But then, a lightbulb went off in Old Wang's head, and he excitedly proposed to Ma Binn, "Ma Binn, your wine is excellent, but your Winery is quite small and not well-known. It might be hard to sell. How about this: I'll have the Full Blessing Restaurant buy all your remaining wine. From now on, you'll only sell your steamed Mei Wine to me and the Full Blessing Restaurant. I'll even pay you an extra tael of silver for each jar."

If that's the case, we'll be at the mercy of Old Wang's Winery and Full Blessing Restaurant... They'll surely charge whatever they please.

Liu Shi's face was etched with irony as he said, "You think you can call the shots for Full Blessing Restaurant?"

"I'm on good terms with Manager Li from Full Blessing Restaurant. He's a connoisseur and would certainly be willing to pay an extra tael," I responded.

Full Blessing Restaurant? Ma Tianming, overhearing from the back, paused in surprise. The Full Blessing Restaurant was a prestigious establishment frequented by the elite. And it was the arch-rival of Celestial Fragrance Restaurant, owned by the Mei Jiangshan Family. Securing their wine supply would be a financial windfall. Perhaps the initial price of 100 wen per tael of wine was set too low.

Ma Binn hesitated to accept Old Wang's proposal, saying, "I need to think it over."

Just as Ma Binn was about to excuse himself to consult with Ma Tianming, Old Wang interjected, "What's there to think about? Selling wine to Full Blessing Restaurant is an opportunity every winemaker dreams of!"

"I'll go get the wine."

Ma Binn, not being a businessman, was unaware that prestigious establishments like Full Blessing Restaurant typically overlooked small wineries like theirs. If the White Family, who previously ran the winery, knew Full Blessing Restaurant was interested in their wine, they'd be ecstatic.

Ma Binn sought Ma Tianming's advice, to which Ma Tianming promptly replied, "Accept the offer!"

Ma Tianming's current concern was whether he could consistently produce this steamed plum wine. Just last night, he had used up all his strength to transform the last four large jars into steamed plum wine and hadn't yet recovered. While the wine did help with recovery, it wasn't nearly enough.

Thus, Ma Tianming had been scouring his mind for a recipe that could help him recover quickly. He did find one promising formula for a Qi and Blood Divine Wine, but brewing it required several medicinal herbs.

Ma Tianming was eager to sell his wine so he could use the proceeds to purchase the herbs required for brewing Qi and Blood Divine Wine and Drunken Wine. Old Wang took away a large jar of wine, handing over twenty taels of silver before departing. Having promised the Full Blessing Restaurant the sale, Ma Binn closed up shop, simply waiting for their representatives to arrive.

It worked out well, as closing up meant Ma Binn didn't have to be seen around, avoiding drawing attention to himself. Ma Tianming filled a jar with nearly two jin of steamed Mei wine and left with ten taels of silver in his pocket.

He needed to find a pharmacy to procure the necessary medicinal ingredients for his brewing. Having crossed Mei Jiangshan and Zhao Mu, Ma Tianming preferred to keep a low profile, opting to use the secluded alleys on his way to the pharmacy.

The ingredients for the Qi and Blood Divine Wine were easily acquired, but the Drunken Wine recipe was missing two key components: Mandala Flower and King Pearl.

"This young man!" The pharmacist, unfamiliar with Ma Tianming due to the shop's out-of-the-way location, examined the Drunken Wine recipe Ma Tianming had written down. "Mandala Flower and King Pearl are quite rare. You might find Mandala Flower at a larger pharmacy in Xunzhou. As for King Pearl, I must admit I've only heard of it and never actually seen it. If anyone were to have it, it would likely be Ann Sisheng, the Guangnan Divine Doctor, known for his collection of medicinal herbs from all over."

Guangnan Divine Doctor Ann Sisheng! Ma Tianming was familiar with the name but had never had the opportunity to meet the man.

"Please prepare the other herbs for me. Regarding the Mandala Flower and King Pearl, could you describe what they look like and where I might find them?"

The doctor was taken aback by Ma Tianming's request. "Little brother, are you planning to gather them yourself?"

Ma Tianming hadn't considered this initially, but the suggestion sparked his interest, and he nodded in agreement.

"Little brother, I'm not sure where you might find King Pearl, but if Mandala Flower does exist in Guangnan, it would likely be on Top Touching Mountain."

"Top Touching Mountain?" Ma Tianming was genuinely taken aback. It was far from being a pleasant place.

"Thanks for the heads-up!"

It might not be a great place, but if there was potent medicine to be found, Ma Tianming had no qualms about making the trip.

After the doctor described the Mandala Flower and the King Pearl's properties, Ma Tianming committed the details to memory and departed.

He also made sure to inquire at other pharmacies, only to find that the responses were consistently the same.

Ma Tianming had no choice but to immerse the medicinal herbs for the Blood Qi Divine Wine into the wine and coax it with the power of the Wine God.

He sought out a secluded, tranquil spot and opened a wine jar. The original steamed plum wine now exuded a fragrance tinged with medicinal notes.

Ma Tianming took several gulps, quickly consuming nearly half the jar.

With the medicinal wine in his belly, he instantly felt a warm current emanating from his stomach, gradually spreading throughout his body. The effect of the Blood Qi Divine Wine was significantly more potent than that of ordinary steamed plum wine.

Typically, drinking stronger spirits left him feeling invigorated, but now, as he drank the Blood Qi Wine, Ma Tianming could feel a power growing from within, slowly rising.

Since brewing the steamed Mei Wine with the Wine God's power the previous night, Ma Tianming had been plagued by a sense of weakness. At last, he was regaining his strength.

Eager for more, Ma Tianming drank another half jar, feeling the strength continuously welling up inside him.

This was far superior to the effects of the Soul Gathering Pill, Pei-Yuan Pill, and Qi Yuan Pill distributed by the academy.

As the power flowed through him, Ma Tianming began to throw punches and practice push-ups effortlessly.

"Wow!" After a short time, Ma Tianming nearly yelled out in excitement: his strength was fully restored!

At this rate, he could potentially brew another four jars of steamed Mei Wine!

That was certainly doable, but since the Winery's stock hadn't sold out yet, there was no immediate rush.

The most urgent issue at hand was to confront the treachery of Mei Jiangshan and Mei Zhengyao.

Despite the Blood Qi Wine, Ma Tianming knew he wouldn't easily ascend to a Grade Five expert—he hadn't even undergone bone tempering, let alone become a martial artist.

Therefore, it was essential to stick to the plan and locate the snake.

He was uncertain whether the Drunken Mist Wine, missing two essential herbs, could tame the snake into a well-behaved pet.

It was worth a shot: even if the snake couldn't be domesticated as a pet, having it as an ally against foes would still be advantageous.