Dual-wielding! 100x proficiency, I'll grind my way to godhood!

The master's wife brought up a few dishes, set out the bowls and chopsticks, and stepped aside.

Director Zhou grabbed the Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) that Chen Mo had brought, turned it around in the candlelight, and his hand was a little unsteady, so the bottle hit the edge of the table with a soft sound.

He uncorked the bottle, took a sniff, squinted, and shook his head.

"This wine...smells delicious."

He took another sniff, clicked his tongue twice, and his tongue was already quite large.

"Where did you get this wine? There's absolutely no wine in town."

Chen Mo bowed slightly, his tone respectful.

"Reporting to the curator, it's homemade from my hometown, and it's been stored in the cellar for several years. I recently heard from my fellow apprentices that you enjoy drinking, so I brought some back for you to try and see if you like it."

The teacher's wife stepped forward and poured them both a cup.

The curator picked it up and brought it to his mouth, but the first time he missed and it hit his chin. Only on the second try did he manage to put it in his mouth.

His eyes were squinted into a slit, and it took him a while to open them.

"it is good."

He took another sip, and a few drops of wine spilled from the glass, landing on his clothes.

"it is good."

He took another sip, emptying the glass, smacked his lips, tapped his finger on the table, and missed when he tried to tap it a second time.

"good!"

Chen Mo raised his wine glass with both hands.

"Since I came to town, I have gotten to know my fellow disciples at the martial arts school and heard a lot about the headmaster from them."

This martial arts school is said to be the best in town, and countless young men are eager to get in. A disciple who can become a disciple of this school is said to have accumulated good karma from their ancestors.

Your disciple offers you a cup of wine.

Director Zhou paused for a moment while holding his wine glass, then burst into laughter, his speech becoming more fluent.

"I wouldn't dare say it's the best, but there's really no other place on these streets in town that can compare."

After saying that, he took another swig, his face glowing.

Chen Mo also took a sip, leaning forward slightly.

"I've also heard that the headmaster has already broken through to the Inner Strength Realm. There are only a handful of people in the entire town who have reached that level. I'm filled with longing just thinking about it."

Director Zhou was struck by those words; his eyes lit up, and even his drunkenness subsided somewhat.

He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table, and lowered his voice.

"Breaking through the Inner Strength Realm isn't that easy. Back then, I was stuck at the peak of the Qi and Blood Realm for a full three years. I practiced every day, I honed my skills every day, but I was just one step away from breaking through."

He picked up his glass, swirled it, spilling a few drops, then took another sip, splashing more wine onto the table.

"Then one time, I got really drunk, and suddenly my mind went clear, and I broke through on the spot. This thing, it depends on... it depends on enlightenment."

His tongue was swollen when he spoke, and his voice was sometimes high and sometimes low.

When he mentioned the word "comprehension," he pointed to his head with his finger, then put his hand down and groped around on the table for a couple of moments before finally finding his wine glass.

Chen Mo continued, following his lead.

"The curator is exceptionally talented; how could I possibly compare? If only I had half of Senior Brother Li's aptitude."

Director Zhou took another swig and started talking non-stop, but his speech became increasingly indistinct and fragmented.

"I...I only took Li Mingyuan as my personal disciple because of Old Master Li. Old Master Li...is a good person."

Back then, I fought off bandits and gained fame, but I had no money. He found me and said he was willing to give me money to help me open a martial arts school. I thought about it, and since I had nowhere else to go, I stayed.

He let out a burp, leaned back in his chair, and the chair creaked.

"But in the end, the Li family's willingness to help me wasn't for nothing. The Zhao family is the most powerful family in town, and the Li family wanted to find someone strong to stand with. I thought about it, and decided that forming a group is better than going it alone. Before I knew it, the old man of the Li family had been gone for several years. The Li family now... is just so-so."

Chen Mo didn't press for details, but simply offered a timely remark.

"The curator is kind and righteous."

Director Zhou snorted.

"What's the use of benevolence and righteousness? That kid Li Mingyuan has good potential, but he's been spoiled rotten by his family. If it weren't for the sake of Old Master Li..."

He waved his hand, not finishing his sentence.

Director Zhou then spoke intermittently with Chen Mo about some things from back then.

After several rounds, Director Zhou's gaze towards Chen Mo had changed.

From initially being seen as a "disciple who brought gifts," he became someone who "is quite good at chatting and seems like a nice person."

He reached out and patted Chen Mo on the shoulder.

Seeing that the time was almost right, Chen Mo sighed.

Director Zhou raised his eyelids, tilted his head to one side, and spoke in a muffled voice.

"Sigh, what are you sighing about?"

"I grew up in the village. The villagers had never seen much of the world, so they thought that being able to become a disciple of the martial arts school in town was a great achievement."

Chen Mo shook his head, his gaze falling on the wine glass.

"When I left home, my father stood at the village entrance and told me to train hard and try to make a name for myself so that the village could bring honor to itself. In all these years, the village hasn't even produced a person at the ninth level of Body Refinement."

He paused, his tone carrying just the right amount of self-deprecation.

"I only realized after entering the martial arts school that the ninth level of Body Refinement is nothing; there are also the Qi and Blood Realm and the Inner Strength Realm above it."

Director Zhou's hand, holding the wine glass, trembled slightly.

Chen Mo didn't wait for him to reply and continued speaking on his own.

"Now that I've finally been accepted into the martial arts school, I want to prove myself. Master, do you think I, with my current foundation, can reach the Qi and Blood Realm?"

Director Zhou stared at him for two seconds, his eyes unfocused as if he were trying to concentrate, and said with a muffled smile.

"You rascal, you're really something."

He picked up his glass and took another sip.

"What's there to be afraid of if you don't have a good foundation? As long as you're willing to practice, you'll be fine. I also came from humble beginnings, if it weren't for..."

He waved his hand, not finishing his sentence, but the meaning was conveyed.

Chen Mo continued, following his lead, her tone asking for his guidance.

"The curator is right. This disciple just wants to practice diligently and avoid taking detours. This disciple has heard that breaking through to the Qi and Blood Realm requires the guidance of a cultivation method."

The disciple thought that if he could receive guidance from the abbot, he could avoid taking several detours.

Director Zhou stopped holding his wine glass, opened his drowsy eyes a crack, and stared at Chen Mo.

The look in his eyes was no longer as unfocused as when they were talking about the past; it was as if a ray of light shone through a crack, chillingly cold.

Chen Mo felt a tightness in his back, as if something was pressing down on him, and even his breathing became lighter. His fingers froze on the wine bottle, and he almost knocked it over.

But after only a moment, Director Zhou reverted to his drunken state, his eyelids drooping, slammed his glass on the table, and burst into laughter.

"So that's what you were planning, kid."

He pointed at Chen Mo, waving his finger in the air.

The pressure on Chen Mo's back hadn't completely dissipated, and his fingers were still slightly stiff.

He steadied himself and poured Director Zhou another full glass.

"I was just asking casually, please don't take it to heart, Master."

Director Zhou picked up his wine glass, but didn't drink it; he just twirled it in his hand.

"You are not one of us, so this martial art is not to be passed on to outsiders."

The main room fell silent for a moment.

Chen Mo picked up his glass of wine with both hands and downed it in one gulp, not leaving a drop.

"I apologize for my rudeness. This cup is to apologize to the curator."

Director Zhou stared at him for two seconds, his eyelids drooping, it was hard to tell whether he was looking at him or at the wine glass.

Then I picked up my glass and took a sip.

His expression softened, and he returned to his drunken state, pointing at Chen Mo and waving his finger.

"You're a good drinker, and you're clever too. But you need to use your cleverness, and use it in the right place."

Chen Mo respectfully agreed.

He picked up the wine bottle and refilled Director Zhou's glass, then turned to chat about the local customs and culture of the town.

Director Zhou's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, his words became increasingly indistinct, and finally his head lolled to the side as he slumped onto the table, snoring loudly.

Chen Mo put down his wine glass and gently exhaled.

The back of my clothes was soaked with sweat.

Even if an expert in the Inner Strength Realm is completely drunk, he, a mere Body Refinement Realm cultivator, is not someone he can mess with.

He glanced at Director Zhou, who was slumped over the table, and then at his teacher's wife, who was standing at the kitchen door.

Since the curator said he wasn't one of them, then he'd make his master's wife one of them!

P.S.: Please add this to your bookshelf, urge me to update more, and leave a good review!