Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

Li Qinglian tapped the wine jar with her fingertips and scoffed:

"As expected! I knew Hua Youwu only knew how to drink and couldn't teach anyone any insight into alcohol."

His swordsmanship is undeniable, but when it comes to brewing wine, he probably doesn't even know the basics of diluting yeast with water.

Xie Xiaoyi paused slightly in his hand holding the wine glass. Hua Youwu had been his mentor and teacher.

Even if Li Qinglian was telling the truth, such a light and casual denigration still left him feeling resentful.

snort!

I'm from another time!

The highest level of alcohol in this world is fermented wine, with an alcohol content as low as beer; there isn't even any distilled spirit!

If the method of brewing distilled spirits were explained...

That's not just an insight into winemaking; it could directly change the landscape of winemaking!

Upon realizing this, Xie Xiaoyi's eyes suddenly lit up, and he didn't keep her in suspense any longer.

"Senior, in my opinion, all the wines in this world are still lacking something."

"Oh?" Li Qinglian became interested, leaning forward slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Nowadays, winemaking is nothing more than fermentation and juice extraction. The wine is too mild, and drinking too much will cause bloating and lose its potency."

"Young man, speak quickly, what are your thoughts?"

"In my humble opinion, the key to brewing wine lies in 'enhancing the spirit'—using fire to distill the essence and discard the dregs!"

The fermented liquor is steamed and condensed into condensation, which is the real "shochu"!

This liquor is extremely potent; it cuts like a knife down the throat and burns like fire in the stomach—truly the ultimate in liquor!

As soon as Xie Xiaoyi finished speaking, the smile on Li Qinglian's face vanished completely, and he stared intently at Xie Xiaoyi—

After a while, he slammed his hand on the bluestone table, and with a loud bang, the wine jars on the table were shaken upside down.

"How do you distill it over a fire, condense it into dew? Kid, do you dare to come with me right now and distill a jar?"

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Xie Xiaoyi's wrist, pulling him towards the backyard.

Hidden in a corner of the backyard was a stone house. Pushing open the door, a strong smell of fermented grains mixed with aged wine assaulted the nostrils.

Inside were more than a dozen large earthenware jars, all tightly sealed with the fermented wine mash from Hantan.

"Right here," Li Qinglian released her grip, pointing to the jar in the very center, "Open it, get it!"

Xie Xiaoyi rolled her eyes, thinking to herself:

"This wine connoisseur is quite impatient, but his obsession with wine is admirable."

But before I transmigrated, I was just a student. I've never brewed wine before.

It seems I can only rely on the fragmented knowledge I've gleaned from my memory, feeling my way across the river step by step.

He rubbed his wrist, which was aching from being gripped so tightly, and without saying a word, he first moved a large iron pot and placed it on the stove.

They found another earthenware jar, placed a breathable bamboo mat at the bottom, and then poured all the wine mash from the jar into it.

"Find some wet mud and seal the gaps between the mouth of the jar and the bottom of the pot so that not a single ounce of air can leak out."

Li Qinglian, the immortal of wine.

In an instant, it ran faster than a rabbit, and in the blink of an eye, it brought over a large clump of wet mud. It squatted down and began to spread it, making sure it was completely covered.

Xie Xiaoyi then chiseled a small hole at the lowest point of the iron pot's groove and inserted a clean bamboo tube.

The other end of the pipe was aimed at the wine jar before the stove fire was lit. Then, he pointed to the groove:

"Pour cold water in here, and add more when it runs out; it must always be kept cool."

Li Qinglian became an apprentice, and without saying a word, she picked up the bucket next to her and poured the water into the groove, her eyes fixed on the iron pot without blinking.

The fire burned brighter and brighter, and soon fine water droplets condensed on the walls of the iron pot.

The liquid flows along the groove into the bamboo tube, and then drips into the pre-placed wine jars.

In less than half an incense stick's time, half a jar had been filled. The liquor was as clear as a fresh spring in a mountain stream. When shaken, the whole room was filled with the rich aroma of strong liquor.

Li Qinglian's breathing suddenly became heavy, her Adam's apple bobbed, and she stared intently at the wine jar, her hands trembling.

As soon as Xie Xiaoyi poured out a cup, he pounced on it like a hungry tiger, not caring whether it was hot or not, and gulped it down.

The pungent liquor rolled down her throat, sending a shiver through Li Qinglian. She slapped her thigh and shouted at the top of her lungs:

"Good! Good! Good! Now this is what you call strong liquor!"

After saying that, he picked up the half-full jar of newly brewed wine, tilted his head back and poured it into his mouth. The "thump thump thump" sound mixed with the aroma of the wine spread, and in no time, the half-jar of wine was empty.

Li Qinglian wiped the wine stains from the corner of her mouth, the alcohol rising in her throat. She stepped out of the stone house, facing the wind in the courtyard, and recited aloud:

"Have you not seen the fairy spring in the clouds coming down from the heavens, rushing to the vat to brew spring wine?"

Have you not seen the bright moon shining through the pines in the cup, and the immortal breeze in my drunken state opening up a new path?

When life is good, one should drink freely; lest the alchemical furnace be covered with cold ashes.

Even the finest koji can be harvested from the sacred mountains, and even the most tranquil spring water can be used to make tea.

We must drink three hundred cups in one go, and then lie drunk on the green cliff, our pillows resting on the mossy clouds.

Li Qinglian, in his loose Taoist robe, holds a ladle and urging you to drink.

Let me sing you a song, and let us get drunk and sober together:

What are the elixirs and secret formulas worth? I only wish to remain drunk forever and never wake up.

The path to immortality has always been lonely, with only drinkers leaving their mark.

I was once a guest at the fairy banquet on the Jade Terrace, and a jug of fine wine made me drunk in Penglai.

If you ask me about the pleasures of wine, I'll tell you that I return from gathering herbs deep in the clouds, their fragrance lingering on my back.

My worldly heart is broken, my wine-loving stomach is opened; in my drunken stupor, I will reclaim the universe myself, and drink with you to dispel a thousand sorrows!

Xie Xiaoyi couldn't help but clap and exclaim, "What a wonderful poem! Senior Li's recitation is so beautiful that even the mountain breeze would be intoxicated!"

The two decided to stay by the cellar and distilled three jars of new wine in one go, exactly the amount that the earthenware urn could hold at one time.

They drank heartily until they were completely drunk, and then slumped against the stone house doorway, leaning against the wine jar.

Xie Xiaoyi, feeling dizzy, rubbed his throbbing temples and said, "Senior, it's getting late, I should go back."

Li Qinglian squinted at him, her mind clear despite the alcohol, and suddenly asked, "You brat, you're at the ninth rank, aren't you?"

Xie Xiaoyi was stunned for a moment, then nodded in his drunken state: "Senior has a good eye, it is indeed the Ninth Grade Vajra Saint Realm."

Li Qinglian waved her hand, propped herself up with the wine jar, and stood up:

"Going down the mountain drunk and having to climb those mountain ridges will take half a day. I'll teach you a sword-flying technique to save you some trouble."

Xie Xiaoyi suddenly opened his eyes wide, sobering up considerably:

"Senior, I haven't yet entered the Upper Five Realms. Is it possible for me to fly on a sword normally?"

"Ordinary ninth-rank cultivators can't control a sword," Li Qinglian scoffed, a wisp of wine lingering on her fingertips.

"A ninth-grade swordsman needs either a naturally born 'immortal vein' like my nephew Lu Fang."

Either one possesses the "Sword Marrow Body" like that kid Yan Li from the Famous Sword Manor—only these two types of physiques can manipulate true qi to control objects.

As he spoke, he leaned down and poked Xie Xiaoyi's chest, his eyes shining.

"Although you don't have those two constitutions, you have both dragon essence and phoenix blood in your body, which is no weaker than immortal bloodline and sword marrow. You can fly for a short time without any problem."

That's it!

No wonder Yan Li's "momentary" sword was so obedient; its sword intent was so sharp it could cleave through the air.

No wonder my elder brother Lu Fang could use the Seven Swords to form the Heavenly Gang and even trigger lightning punishment.

One possesses the Sword Marrow Body, and the other the Immortal Vein; both are exceptionally talented individuals, one in a million!

I can't lose either!

Xie Xiaoyi immediately clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "Please teach me, senior!"

Li Qinglian laughed heartily, his eyes still clear despite the lingering effects of the wine. He strode to the center of the courtyard and shouted:

"Sword, come!"