Given Wen Jingshan's current status and position, his cultivation and strength, his popularity and connections, it was truly rare for him to remain so humble. It was no exaggeration to say that if he actively asked whether he was qualified to sit down, it would be a face he was giving to someone. Looking across the entire Qingyang Region, no one would dare not to accept it—including the leaders of the Five Great Clans, Seven Major Sects, and Ten Great Gangs present.
No one could have imagined that Gu Qingfeng would flatly refuse. And he refused so bluntly, his implication crystal clear: you, Wen Jingshan, are not qualified to sit here.
Utterly ungrateful.
That's what everyone present thought.
Perhaps not expecting Gu Qingfeng's refusal, Wen Jingshan was momentarily taken aback. A flicker of anger passed through his eyes, vanishing in an instant. He maintained his gentle, refined smile and said leisurely, "I am not qualified to sit. I wonder if this fine wine is qualified."
As he spoke, with a motion no one quite caught, a beautiful white jade bottle appeared in his palm. The bottle emitted a faint blue radiance, exquisite and small, with a profound pattern carved on its surface. When the crowd saw this pattern, they erupted in murmurs.
"That's the Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine from the Blue Spirit Winery!"
The Blue Spirit Winery was a famous winery in the Northwest Territory, occupying a rare Blue Frost Spirit Spring. The spring contained precious Blue Frost Spirit, and the Blue Frost wines it produced were renowned throughout the world. The Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine was one of them, and moreover, one of the three spirit wines among the Blue Frost varieties.
Since Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine was brewed from precious Blue Frost Spirit and was a century-old vintage, and most crucially, the quantity the Blue Spirit Winery produced each year was extremely limited, it often commanded astronomical prices on the market—easily a hundred thousand, several hundred thousand, even up to a million spirit stones per bottle. The key was, often even having money didn't guarantee you could buy it.
Everyone present was a leader of a great clan or gang, none lacking in wealth. But as for buying a bottle of Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine, none dared claim they could procure one. They all knew this item couldn't be bought with money alone; it depended on how extensive your connections were. In other words, it depended on how much face you had.
Everyone knew Wen Jingshan had built a great reputation during his years venturing outside. Seeing him produce a bottle of Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine now made them realize his fame outside was probably even more formidable than imagined. Otherwise, he could never have obtained this bottle.
"I've heard Your Excellency is also a connoisseur of fine wine," Wen Jingshan said with a faint smile, opening the Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine. Instantly, a refreshing fragrance wafted out, intoxicating like a cool breeze suddenly sweeping through a scorching hot day—utterly delightful. If the aroma alone was this good, how comfortable must it be to drink a cup?
Most importantly, Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine contained Blue Frost Spirit. A single sip would have effects far superior to many elixirs.
Holding the Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine, Wen Jingshan's palm produced another cup shimmering with iridescent colors. He gently poured a cup. The wine entering the cup was exceptionally pure, emitting wispy blue mist, utterly enticing.
Once the cup was full, Wen Jingshan placed it on the table and pushed it toward Gu Qingfeng, smiling. "Well? Does this wine have the qualification?"
Gu Qingfeng remained half-reclined as before, head tilted, legs crossed, saying nothing. At this moment, Ouyang Feiyue, sitting beside him, pushed the cup of Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine back. She smiled and said, "Young Lord Wen, you should drink this Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine yourself. It's true our Young Master is a connoisseur of fine wine, but I'm afraid he's not accustomed to such inferior liquor."
"Oh?" Wen Jingshan seemed somewhat puzzled.
"Inferior liquor? True Person Feiyue has quite the nerve!"
"Who doesn't know how precious Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine is? If Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine is inferior liquor, then what wine in this world can be called good wine?"
"Not accustomed to it? What wine are you drinking that you dare call Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine inferior liquor? What a joke!"
The surrounding crowd sneered one after another.
In response, Ouyang Feiyue shook her head with a smile. She glanced at Wen Jingshan and advised, "Young Lord Wen, I advise you to leave. Don't flaunt this bottle of Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine in front of our Young Master either... Really, just go."
"Flaunt?" Wen Jingshan chuckled dryly. "True Person Feiyue jests. I'm not flaunting anything. I merely wish to invite Young Master Gu to share a cup of wine."
Picking up the cup of Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine that Ouyang Feiyue had pushed back, Wen Jingshan said, "Just now, I heard True Person Feiyue call this Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine inferior liquor. May I ask what wine you two are drinking? Could you let me broaden my horizons?"
"Young Lord Wen, I'm doing this for your own good. Go back. Don't look."
"Heh... True Person Feiyue, I'm merely curious."
"You'll regret it if you see it..."
"I won't regret it..."
Ouyang Feiyue shook her head. "Then see for yourself."
With that, she unceremoniously pushed the half-full jar of wine on the table toward him.
It was a very ordinary wine jar, reddish-gray, looking somewhat worn and quite aged. Ouyang Feiyue didn't stand on ceremony either. With a *thump*, she opened the jar. Thick mist immediately billowed out. The mist resembled blazing flames yet also icy frost—fire within ice, ice within fire. Sensing it, the wine's aroma assaulted the nostrils, making one feel as if falling into a dreamlike state.
Heavens! Could this be...
Some seemed to recognize the name of this wine, their expressions turning to shock, eyes wide as if unable to believe it.
"What's the matter? Never seen the famous Millennium Ice-Fire Old Cellar before?"
With Ouyang Feiyue's words, the complexions of everyone present changed drastically.
It really was...
The Millennium Ice-Fire Old Cellar.
They had all cultivated for centuries and had broad experience. They clearly knew what the Millennium Ice-Fire Old Cellar represented.
If Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine was considered astronomically priced and required great face to buy, then the existence of the Millennium Ice-Fire Old Cellar was priceless. You simply couldn't buy it, no matter how much money you had. Forget having great face; even if you had heaven-defying face, it wouldn't work. Forget face; even if you were an Earth Immortal, you couldn't snatch it even if you tried to rob for it. Many had done exactly that in ancient times, all uniformly Earth Immortals. Back then, several large-scale clashes had even erupted over fight over this Millennium Ice-Fire Old Cellar.
Because no one in the present world could brew this stuff. All of it was unearthed from ancient cave dwellings over a thousand years old.
It was no exaggeration to say the value of the Millennium Ice-Fire Old Cellar could no longer be measured in money. Its existence was more precious than the Golden Core a cultivator refined. Don't doubt it; it was indeed so. Because the Millennium Ice-Fire Old Cellar was brewed from extremely pure Ice-Fire Spirit. A single sip was... if one could refine the pure Ice-Fire Spirit contained within, it would be equivalent to a hundred years of bitter cultivation.
No one had imagined this shabby jar contained the treasured Millennium Ice-Fire Old Cellar.
No one knew why Gu Qingfeng possessed this Millennium Ice-Fire Old Cellar, something you couldn't even find a place to rob.
What was even more shocking was that the man in white, that Gu Qingfeng, was drinking it sip by sip like it was plain water, drinking by himself.
This was an old cellar containing pure Ice-Fire Spirit! A Golden Core True Being might not even withstand a single sip, needing to seclude themselves for years to refine it. Yet he...
How could he...
No one knew. Everyone found it inconceivable and hard to believe.
Wen Jingshan stood there, though he no longer appeared gentle and refined. The warm smile had vanished from the corners of his mouth. His expression held shock, astonishment, but more than that, embarrassment and humiliated anger.
"I said you'd regret it once it was opened. Well? Do you regret it now?" Ouyang Feiyue chuckled, looking at Wen Jingshan's somewhat ugly expression and couldn't help but laugh. "I also told you not to come over here to show off, but you wouldn't listen... You could have taken that bottle of Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine to show off anywhere else. Why did you have to come to our Young Master's side to flaunt it? Now you've made a mess of things..."
Standing up, Ouyang Feiyue picked up the white jade bottle containing the Blue Frost Clear Spirit Wine and handed it back to Wen Jingshan. "Alright, take your wine and go do whatever you were going to do... Or, how about you go show off over there? The people over there aren't as experienced..."