A Smooth Golden Basin Hand-Washing

On the seemingly endless official road, a man in a thin dark-blue robe walked along at an unhurried pace, a foxtail grass stem hanging from his lips.

His slovenly posture—hunched over, sword resting on his shoulder, one hand dangling over the blade—somehow gave off a carefree, unrestrained air instead.

"The scent of wine?"

That scent seemed to fill him with vigor. His eyes brightened, and he straightened his back.

"Over there!"

He tapped off the ground with his toes and shot forward.

Though he was racing across level ground, his movements carried the lingering rhythm of scaling cliffs.

Every step was steady, yet each held the subtle readiness to leap or change direction at any instant. Though he held his sword, his small movements never ceased, as if invisible obstacles lay ahead and treacherous mountains needed to be crossed.

Yet even so, he remained incredibly fast, seeming to skim along the ground.

An ordinary person moving like this would have long since fallen flat on their face.

"Excellent Lightness Skill!"

At the end of the road, inside a tavern, a burly, forthright man clapped in praise.

"Shopkeeper, bring wine! Three jin of Old White Dry!" The thin-robed man directly picked an empty seat and sat down.

"You have a discerning palate, sir!" The shopkeeper hurried to draw the wine. "Hengshui liquor has always been famous for its long history, crystal-clear quality, and dry, waterless finish. I never expected the name Old White Dry to have reached other provinces as well."

"If we're talking about flowery words, I can't compare to scholars. But when it comes to wine, I'd count as the top scholar among drinkers!" The thin-robed man took the wine and downed three large bowls in one go. "Excellent! A thousand households get drunk from its fragrance; open the