Seeing that there was no poison, Yin Que laughed heartily twice, picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. The moment the wine touched his tongue, a mellow aroma burst forth from his taste buds and spread throughout his body, as if he had drunk heavenly nectar, leaving an endless aftertaste.
"Fine wine! I always thought I was drinking better than the celestial nectar, but today, having the good fortune to taste this divine brew, I realize how ignorant I was." Yin Que licked his lips with relish, looking quite pleased, but then his expression turned sour, and he sighed, "Now that I've drunk this divine brew, all the fine wines of the past seem tasteless. What am I to do?"
After saying that, he sighed three times!
Is it really that delicious?
"That wine is for all the immortals in heaven; how can mortals compare to it?"
"If only I could have a sip of it! My life would be complete!"
…………
After Xu Le's body was continuously strengthened, his five senses became extraordinary. He naturally heard the discussions of the officials below and a smile appeared on his lips. How could you ancient people understand the wine made with modern technology!
However, to appease King Shang, Xu Le presented him with five bottles of Wuliangye liquor, which immediately pleased King Shang.
At this moment, a maid stepped forward and whispered a few words to Yin Que.
Upon hearing this, Yin Que seemed to remember something and clapped his hands, saying, "Immortal, the sun has set, it's time for dinner."
“Very well, Your Majesty may call me Xuanji!” Xu Le bowed and said, displaying the demeanor of a Taoist master.
And so Xu Le sat on the white tiger and entered the city with the officials.
………………
At the banquet, Yin Que sat in the main seat, and Xu Le sat beside him at the same height, which showed how much respect the King of Shang had for him.
The clear, melodious chimes rang out, and elegantly dressed maids danced gracefully in the shadows, presenting a classical beauty.
Xu Le was seeing this kind of classical dance for the first time and watched with great interest. Yin Que, who was standing next to him, clearly misunderstood Xu Le's interest and thought he was looking at the beauties.
As the song and dance ended, Xu Le suddenly spoke up: "This humble Taoist has also brought a gift for Your Majesty."
"What is it?" Yin Que asked curiously.
Xu Le smiled without saying anything, and clapped his hands. Yi Ming, who was sitting at the very edge, stood up and walked over with a large box.
Yiming San was considered a disciple of the immortals, so he was also given a seat, but because of his low status, he sat on the very edge.
Yiming carried the box, which was almost the same size as him, without any effort, as if he were only carrying a piece of paper. Yiming walked to the center of the hall, put the box down, and it made a dull thud when it hit the ground, indicating that it was not light.
When everyone saw that even one of the immortal's attendants possessed such divine power, they couldn't help but marvel at the immortal's boundless might.
The box was placed on the ground, and there were constant thumping sounds coming from inside, as if there were something alive inside.
Living creature!
Yin Que wondered if an immortal was going to give him a rare and exotic beast.
Xu Le didn't keep Yin Que waiting long and immediately had Yi Ming open the box. After the box was opened, a cage appeared in everyone's sight. Inside, a white pig was constantly banging against the cage, making slurping sounds, and its eyes were staring venomously at everyone in the hall.
"How could it be a pig!" an official couldn't help but exclaim, then realized he was making too much noise and immediately lowered his head to cover his embarrassment.
However, this also expressed the sentiments of the crowd. Although they didn't say it aloud, they were clearly puzzled by the idea of sending pigs to the Shang king.
"This...this...Immortal Xuanji, why is this?" Yin Que couldn't help but turn to look at Xu Le, demanding an explanation.
Xu Le looked at the white pig and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, don't be impatient. Let me use a spell." After saying that, a purple light shot out from his eyes and hit the white pig in the cage.
Pfft! Pfft!
The white pig let out a mournful cry and began to change its body. Its hooves and head slowly turned into human form, and after a moment it became a disheveled middle-aged man covered in filth. He gripped the cage tightly with both hands and roared at Xu Le, who was sitting on the platform watching.
"Your Majesty, this is Wutugu, the chief of the grassland tribe that attacked Qingquan Town. Please accept this."
"He is Wutugu." Yin Que could hardly contain his shock. He had also heard that the grassland people had attacked the Shang Dynasty's territory again, but they were all killed by the immortal's bean-to-soldier technique. He did not expect that Wutugu would survive and be turned into a pig.
The officials below the hall were in an uproar, their fear of the immortal's supernatural powers growing ever stronger.
Who would have thought that immortals could actually demote humans to livestock? This is a punishment far more terrifying than beheading. Just imagine being turned into a pig, unable to speak, only able to be fed, and eventually eaten. The thought sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Xu Le paid no attention, glanced contemptuously at Wutugu, who was like a wild beast in the cage, and asked again, "This man has offended the Great Shang territory, so I have demoted him to livestock. Is Your Majesty satisfied?"
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Chapter 43: Bathing
"I am very satisfied!" Yin Que was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses, raised the wine cup and drank it down in one gulp, and laughed.
He had long been annoyed by the constant probing of these nomadic peoples, but since launching a military campaign was a matter of national importance, and the nomadic peoples had no fixed abode and could move at any time, the attack was too difficult and he had to give up. Unexpectedly, this time the immortal had given him such a special "gift".
Although Yin Que was somewhat wary of the immortal's supernatural powers, he was relieved when he thought of the immortal's recognition of the Shang Dynasty.
However, he still had a question and couldn't help but ask: "What is the relationship between the immortal and the immortal who has helped the Shang Dynasty for four hundred years?"
Upon hearing this, the room fell silent instantly, everyone pricking up their ears and waiting quietly for Xu Le to give his answer.
"A relationship?" Xu Le smiled slightly, having anticipated that the King of Shang would ask this question. Before visiting the secret realm, he wouldn't have known how to answer, fearing he might reveal a flaw. But now…
"He was my master four hundred years ago. Now I'm going down the mountain to gain experience on his orders." Xu Le said with a serious face. Anyway, as long as he gets the three Xuan Iron Tokens and the inheritance, he can be considered half a disciple. It wasn't entirely a lie.
Yin Que suddenly realized, and a great weight was lifted from his heart. No wonder he had such a strong sense of identification with the Great Shang Dynasty. It turned out that he was a disciple of an immortal from four hundred years ago. He couldn't help but feel a greater sense of identification with him, and his toasts were filled with more warmth.
The banquet lasted until midnight. The crescent moon was obscured by dark clouds, but the palace was brightly lit, a veritable ancient version of a city that never sleeps.
Finally, Xu Le bid farewell to the King of Shang and went with Bai Hu to the Tianji Pavilion, which had been arranged for him.
Tianji Pavilion!