Chapter 72: A Century-Old Fine Wine

Two hundred thousand words have been written, and here I want to thank everyone for your constant support and encouragement. Special thanks to Master Qiao Sheng, the king of votes, to Gong Jun, who tops the reward list, and to Miao Miao, the most passionate commentator! A new reader group has been established—199696020. If you apply, I’ll approve it right away. Love you all!

Upon hearing that Ye Dong would be going with Master Wei for his tomb-robbing internship the day after tomorrow, he looked into the distant night sky and said meaningfully, “Disciples, your master will take you to meet your grand-uncle.”

“Grand-uncle, Master Wei Zi Daoist!?” Ye Dong’s face was full of excitement. After all, aside from Master Jing Xin, they had never met anyone of higher seniority than their own master.

“We’re about to meet a big figure—my heart is all a flutter!” Da Chun chuckled, glancing at Chen Yao. “Should we buy some fruit or something as a gift?”

“No need for such formalities,” Chen Yao smiled slightly. “Just bring along those two bottles of fine wine from my room.”

A barely perceptible slyness flashed in his eyes as he glanced at the time. “Let’s set out now.”

The late-night breeze remained pleasant, but the orphanage had long lost its daytime bustle. Beneath the mysterious ancient well, within the Tomb of Immortality, dark currents surged—an enormous conspiracy was quietly emerging. In the darkness, good and evil clashed, swords drawn and tensions high, though no one could see the true face of their adversaries.

“These stone doors are so well hidden, even their own mother wouldn’t find them!” Ye Dong muttered as he stroked the doors entangled with withered vines. “Anyone who doesn’t know would think it’s just a fence!”

“Disciples, watch carefully as I unlock the mechanism of these stone doors,” Chen Yao smiled, rolling up his sleeves and reaching toward the four stone doors.

Ye Dong and the others instinctively stepped back two paces. Da Chun asked, “Master, how can you open these doors without a pass? There are traps everywhere inside!”

Xiao Bao was worried too. “Yeah, I remember Wan Tianze said you need a jade pendant to open the stone doors.”

Chen Yao smiled. “Your master has his own clever tricks—I'm not just any tomb robber.”

He explored the door for a moment, calculated with his hand, then murmured, “Yes, this is the one.” As soon as he spoke, he pressed with all his strength, and the stone door creaked open!

“Master, what’s the secret of this stone door? It’s so wondrous!” The four doors began to move!

Under Ye Dong and his companions’ gaze, the doors rotated several times, and one slowly opened. Chilly air seeped out, sending shivers through their skin.

“Amazing!” Ye Dong was full of admiration. “Master, among the four doors, how did you know it was this one?”

“Heh,” Chen Yao said proudly. “This secret entrance isn’t hard, as I taught you—the ‘Four Positions in Harmony.’”

“I remember!” Ye Dong answered first. “Metal corresponds to the west, the White Tiger, and the Moon…”

“Alright, alright, we all remember,” Xiao Bao interrupted. “But isn’t ‘Four Positions in Harmony’ mostly used for houses?”

Xiao Bao’s question sparked inspiration in Ye Dong, who smiled. “I get it! The stone doors aren’t set up with conventional ‘Yin Residence Curses,’ but with the harmony of four positions. First, the tomb is the home of the dead, so using the harmony of four positions makes sense, though it’s rare. Second, this method misleads tomb robbers—if you use the conventional curse to open the door, it’s easy to fall into a trap.”

Chen Yao was delighted by Ye Dong’s clear explanation, nodding repeatedly. “Very good, Dong’er, your analysis is excellent!”

Seeing Ye Dong steal the spotlight, Xiao Bao glared at him and hurried to add, “Master, we thought of it too, but Ye Dong always jumps ahead.”

“Exactly!” Da Chun chimed in. “Why rush to answer? It’s not a quiz show! If you’re so talented, why not join a variety show?”

“I…” Ye Dong started to retort, but Chen Yao’s smile cut him off. “Each of you has your strengths. You all make me proud. Let’s move ahead.”

After Chen Yao smoothed things over, they exchanged smiles, faces full of pride. “Master truly is the most considerate in the world—having him as our master is worth everything!”

So naive.

After opening the stone door and walking a few meters, they finally saw the place Wan Tianze had described—“insert a coin, and the whole place lights up.” It was about the size of a small rice bowl, glowing red, and seemed to have aged over time.

“Is this thing really so magical?” Liang Lingzhi shone his flashlight on the bowl. “There aren’t any conductors in here, so how does it light up?” He took a coin from his pocket and dropped it in. The whole stone path glowed with phosphorescent light!

“Amazing!” Ye Dong was full of curiosity. “Master, what’s the principle behind the lighting when you insert a coin?”

Chen Yao shrugged and shook his head. “That, I don’t know.”

Hearing such a careless answer, Ye Dong and the others were exasperated. Chen Yao laughed, “I, Sun Hui Daoist, am certainly impressive, but the mysteries of the metaphysical arts are vast—I can’t claim to understand them all.”

“Right, right,” Liang Lingzhi grinned. “Master’s right—learning never ends!”

“Hmm?” Chen Yao’s face darkened. “So you’re saying your master has no skill now, huh?”

“Oh no!” Liang Lingzhi panicked, waving his hands. “Our master’s skills are boundless!”

Chen Yao finally smiled. “Say that sooner and there’d be no problem.”

Seeing Liang Lingzhi breathe a sigh of relief, Chen Yao laughed loudly. “I was just teasing you. In a moment, follow my footsteps carefully—don’t make a mistake.”

The sound of water droplets echoed as Chen Yao led the four of them cautiously past stone corridors lined with desiccated corpses. Greenish ghostly light filled their vision, and as Wan Tianze had described, eight characters were clearly carved into the stone wall above the pool: “Ghosts keep away, leave at once.”

“So this is the ‘Yin-Yang, Ice-Fire Water’!?” Ye Dong saw the entire pool shrouded in cold mist—the stone cave under the green light was eerily chilling.

Chen Yao nodded. “Exactly. This water can seep into the body; don’t touch it.”

“It’s so gloomy here!” Da Chun rubbed his hands. “The dampness is overwhelming. Doesn’t grand-uncle fear rheumatism living here so long?”

“What are you saying?” Ye Dong glared at him, turning to Chen Yao. “Master, where’s grand-uncle?”

Chen Yao raised his hand and chuckled. “Over there!”

“Where?” Ye Dong and the others opened their eyes wide, but couldn’t spot Master Wei Zi.

Da Chun was puzzled. “Where? I don’t see him. Dong, do you?”

Ye Dong shook his head. “No, just green light over there, but no sign of anyone.”

Seeing his disciples searching in vain, Chen Yao laughed, “I was kidding—he’s over there. I’ll take you to him!”

Following Chen Yao, Ye Dong and the others cursed in their hearts, “Our master is never serious—no wonder Nian Xue always scolds him, he deserves it!”

Just as they exchanged glances and complaints, Chen Yao suddenly turned, his cold eyes staring at them. He said icily, “Just now, were you cursing me in your hearts?”

“No, no, not at all!” Xiao Bao and Da Chun, who had been the most critical, broke out in cold sweat, shaking their heads vigorously.

Seeing their guilty expressions, Chen Yao thought to himself, “Last time at the dog yard, you all cursed me and wished me ill—do you think I’d forget after so long? Today I’ll teach you a lesson!”

He dropped his cunning look, his face softening into a kindly smile. “Disciples, it’s cold here—have a few sips of wine to warm yourselves.” He handed them the century-old brew.

As soon as Chen Yao spoke, Ye Dong felt the cold seep into his bones. “Master, you’re right, it really is chilly here!”

He was about to take the wine but hesitated. “This is master’s prized treasure—he never drinks it himself. Why is he suddenly so generous? Something’s off!”

“Take it, silly disciple!” Chen Yao laughed, shoving the wine into Ye Dong’s hand. “Drink up—if you get sick, it’ll be troublesome.”

Ye Dong took the wine and reconsidered. “If I judge my master’s kindness with suspicion, wouldn’t that be ungrateful?”

He thought it over and took a few hearty gulps.

Indeed, after those sips of fiery liquor, Ye Dong immediately felt warmth spread through his body.

“Potent stuff!” Ye Dong took a few more swigs before passing the wine to Liang Lingzhi and the others, who each took a turn, drinking most of it.

The happier they drank, the more satisfied Chen Yao became. He shook the flask Da Chun handed back and squinted with a smile. “There’s still more—finish it all. Don’t be shy. If the cold invades your body, I’ll feel sorry for you!”

“Ah! Master is so good to us!” The four were moved by Chen Yao’s “loving concern,” their eyes brimming with emotion. “Master!!”

“Silly disciples, don’t be shy with your master!” Chen Yao patted their shoulders. “Come now, no tears—grown men shouldn’t cry. Drink up!”

Overjoyed, the four split the flask, soon finishing it to the last drop. Ye Dong smacked his lips, praising, “This century-old brew is truly marvelous. After drinking, it’s as if a fire’s been kindled in my belly—so warm! I feel a bit tipsy!”

“Indeed, this wine packs a punch!” Xiao Bao nodded in agreement. “I’m burning hot—my gut feels like it’s about to erupt. I think I need the toilet!”

Da Chun, slightly drunk, was equally excited. “Exactly! My stomach’s churning, heat flooding downward—it’s not cold at all now!”

Suddenly, the four exchanged fearful glances. “Oh no! This wine is too strong—our stomachs can’t take it!”

Their abdomens cramped with pain; as they were about to drop their pants and unleash a torrent, Chen Yao called out coldly, “Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing!?”

Xiao Bao clutched his rear, face contorted. “Master, your wine is too fierce—we can’t take it! We need to act fast!”

Hearing their anxious cries, Chen Yao secretly laughed, feigning concern. “Yes, this century-old brew is wonderful, but if you drink too much at once, it’s easy to get diarrhea! Oh dear, I made a mistake!”

Though aggrieved, none of them had time to blame Chen Yao’s “carelessness”—all they wanted was to resolve their stomach turmoil.

“I can’t hold it—I’m about to explode!” Xiao Bao was about to drop his pants when Chen Yao’s voice stopped him. “You mustn’t! You mustn’t!”

“Why not!?” The four demanded in unison!

Chen Yao’s face showed difficulty, though he was greatly amused. “This is an ancient tomb—if you relieve yourselves in the home of the dead, aren’t you afraid of the ghosts haunting you? There are plenty of vengeful spirits here, my dear disciples!”

“Oh heavens!” The four shuddered, clenching tight and forcing their urge back inside.

“Master, it’s so hard to hold on!”

“Can’t we go up and sort it out first?”

“Master, with your great abilities, surely you can protect us from the spirits?”

Faced with their desperate pleas, Chen Yao suppressed his urge to laugh, shaking his head. “Defecating in a tomb is utter disrespect to the spirits. If someone did that in your living room, would you forgive them?”

Ye Dong nodded vigorously. “Of course! Even if someone did it on my bed, as long as it’s unavoidable, I’d understand! Right, brothers?”

“Right, right! Ye Dong’s words make sense!” Liang Lingzhi and the others echoed tearfully.

“Ah, Ye Dong’s not playing by the rules!” Chen Yao was thinking how to stop them when a hearty old voice rang out, “Hahaha! You youngsters are hilarious! Yao, just let them relieve themselves.”

A white-haired elder strode in energetically—it was none other than Master Wei Zi Daoist.