C9 The Drunken Wine Became

Marmin Xin's face flushed a deep red as she stumbled backward. Despite her mouth being full of food, she couldn't suppress a startled noise.

Second Sister Li was somewhat steadier, and Ma Tianyi also expressed surprise, though not as dramatically as Marmin Xin.

All these reactions were anticipated by Ma Tianming.

After removing the bun from her mouth, Marmin Xin, puffing with indignation yet trembling, exclaimed, "You, you, you... What are you doing? You're scaring me half to death with these things!"

"These are specially for you," Ma Tianming said as he slid the cage closer to Marmin Xin.

"Ah! Get it away, get it away!" Marmin Xin shuddered, retreating to the wall, frantically waving her hands as tears welled up in her eyes, as if the creatures in the cage might launch themselves at her any moment.

As the cage shifted towards Ma Tianyi, Second Sister Li quickly pulled her ten-year-old son back. Yet, she didn't panic, trusting that her nephew wouldn't harm her son.

Second Sister Li, although not as visibly terrified as Marmin Xin, was clearly on edge, her anxiety palpable.

Ma Tianyi, however, gazed at the two snakes with clear, curious eyes, unfazed.

"This kid Tianyi really isn't scared at all! He's got a bright future ahead," Ma Tianming remarked as he swapped out the cages for the Flat-head Wind and lifted the cover. The snake, with its upper body erect like an open umbrella, was now in full view.

"Wow!" Second Sister Li gasped. The Flat-head Wind seemed far more menacing than the gold, silver, and iron snakes.

Ma Tianyi was momentarily taken aback, but quickly returned to staring in wonder at the Flat-head Wind.

With a hiss, the Flat-head Wind flicked its long tongue, taunting Ma Tianyi.

"Brother, what are you doing? Bringing these things back, you've scared us to death."

"Listen up, I've got something to tell you! In the past few days, I've been guided by a deity and have learned a type of magic," Ma Tianming explained. He didn't want to conceal the Wine God's teachings from Marmin Xin and the others, but knowing how unbelievable it sounded, he kept the explanation simple, though it was still a stretch for anyone to believe.

"This spell can prevent a snake from biting you and even make it heed your commands," Ma Tianming explained as he retrieved the prepared Drunk Dream Guiding brew and poured it into a jar. He then sliced his hand open, letting a few drops of blood fall in before donning gloves and lifting the Flat-head Wind from its cage to dip its head into the jar momentarily.

After a significant struggle, Ma Tianming removed the Flat-head Wind, which surely had mixed its saliva with the concoction. Sealing the jar tightly, he cradled it, silently invoking the "Drunk Dream Guiding" spell and sensing the wine reacting within.

"Done! Bring me a wine jug," he called out.

Marmin Xin and the others watched in confusion. Was this really spellcasting?

Ma Tianming filled the jug with the newly crafted Drunk Dream Guiding potion and then forced the liquid into the Flat-head Wind's mouth. The snake was now visibly intoxicated.

"So, the snake will obey commands now?" someone asked.

"It will only respond to mine," Ma Tianming clarified.

He signaled to the Flat-head Wind, preparing to issue a command, but the snake lay sprawled in its cage, listlessly rolling about, seemingly without any vigor.

"Is it drunk?" Ma Tianyi asked with youthful curiosity.

"Even snakes can get drunk," Ma Tianming replied, a touch of resignation in his voice. It seemed they would have to wait for the snake to sober up to determine the potion's effectiveness.

The Flat-head Wind remained inebriated for an extended period, right up until dawn the next day.

"Brother! What are you up to?" Marmin Xin asked, having just woken up and stretched, only to find Ma Tianming squatting outside the door.

Ma Tianming turned to her with a slow chuckle.

"Ah!" Marmin Xin gasped in surprise. The Flat-head Wind, which had been confined to its cage the previous day, was now slithering along Ma Tianming's arm. If the snake hadn't been rearing up its upper body, it would have been hard to spot it entwined around his arm.

"You... you... brother... what?" Marmin Xin stammered, her words tumbling out incoherently. She had seen the snake before, but it had always been caged.

"I've done it. The snake won't bite me now, and it listens to my commands," Ma Tianming announced triumphantly.

As he spoke, Ma Tianming passed the snake toward Marmin Xin.

"Ah!" Marmin Xin leapt back, crashing into the wall, yet she clung to it desperately. "Get it away! Get it away!"

"You really don't need to be scared. It won't even bite me, your brother, so why would it bite my beautiful sister?"

Despite seeing the Flat-head Wind behaving so tamely in Ma Tianming's hands, Marmin Xin was still too frightened to come any closer. Her shouting, however, managed to wake Ma Tianyi.

Ma Binn and Li Ermei had already left for their work at the Winery.

"Wow!" Ma Tianyi, rubbing his bleary eyes, stumbled out and was ecstatic upon seeing the snake, his mouth agape with surprise. He had been so intrigued by Ma Tianming's story about the Flat-head Wind that he had spent the whole night watching it, resulting in a restless sleep.

"Mr. Tianming, can I play with it too?"

Ma Tianming harbored some concerns. The Flat-head Wind might not bite him, but could it be trusted not to bite others? After all, it was a venomous snake whose bite could be fatal!

"No! Better not touch this snake. Pick a different one. You can choose from the remaining gold or silver ones. Which do you prefer?"

"The gold one..." Ma Tianyi, not fully grasping the difference between the gold and the silver, assumed from their names that the gold was more formidable and valuable. Naturally, he wanted to offer the best to Mingxin.

"I'll take the silver one. Save the gold one for Sister Mingxin."

Ma Tianming couldn't help but smile inwardly at the boy's cleverness in choosing the more venomous snake.

Ma Tianming then brewed another batch of Drunk Dream Guiding using Ma Tianyi's blood, while Marmin Xin was far too apprehensive to use her own blood for brewing.

Ma Tianming mused, "If she's unwilling, then we'll just have to wait. Who knows if the Flat-head Wind even has any venom left?"

"Tianyi, the silver one might take a while to sober up from the Drunk Dream Guiding. Remember, there's no need to rush testing it before it's fully awake. And even when it is, don't touch it with your bare hands. First, see if it obeys you, then use gloves to handle it."

Ma Tianyi glanced at the Flat-head Wind in Ma Tianming's grasp and then at the silver and iron bags, clearly eager to take his turn playing with them.

He seemed nothing like his father, appearing quite fearless.

"Xin, since you're at home, keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't mess around with anything."

"Got it!" Marmin Xin was aware of the snake's danger and had been cautious, but Ma Tianming's tone made her concerned. "Brother, won't you be home?"

"I need to be away for a few days. Remember, do not leave the house while I'm gone."