Du Wei

As dusk drew near, Zhou Yi stopped paying attention to the auspicious image overhead and began searching along the streets for a place to stay that night.

Because of the nightfall, every household had hung lanterns from their doors, their hazy yellow light illuminating both sides of the street.

Seeing the auspicious image light up overhead, the vendors lining the streets also began packing up their stalls, preparing to go home and rest early.

Zhou Yi walked along the streets for quite some time before finally finding an inn and checking in. The lodging here was much cheaper than at the post station, though still far more expensive than in Green Bamboo Village.

With the auspicious image protecting him, Zhou Yi did not set up the Three Talents Formation in his room this time. After all, if even the auspicious image was breached, the Three Talents Formation would be of little use.

After traveling for three days, this was the most satisfying sleep Zhou Yi had had. Although someone in the Vitality Realm needed very little rest to recover from physical exhaustion, the nonstop journey had still worn down Zhou Yi's mind.

Zhou Yi slept straight through until noon. After eating at the tavern from yesterday, he took the letter his master had given him and headed for the Provincial Governor's Office.

To Zhou Yi's surprise, Luoshi City was divided into an inner and outer city. The people coming and going through the inner city all wore silks and satins, flaunting their wealth. Even the carriages on the streets were several grades above those in the outer city, adorned in every conceivable way solely to display the riches of those riding within.

The buildings on either side of the streets were not packed together as tightly as those in the outer city. Most were only one story tall rather than built high, and constables could be seen from time to time on the streets. Even the security was clearly much stronger than in the outer city. In terms from Zhou Yi's previous life, it was a villa district.

The Provincial Governor's Office Zhou Yi sought was located in the inner city, in a position extremely close to its center.

When he arrived at the entrance to the Provincial Governor's Office, two guards dressed in black Martial Artist uniforms stood outside. Zhou Yi sensed their cultivation and found that they were Strength Channeling Realm martial artists. Using Strength Channeling Realm martial artists to guard the gate was truly extravagant. In Green Bamboo Village, someone in the Strength Channeling Realm could already be considered a mainstay.

Zhou Yi shook his head and stopped dwelling on it. He stepped forward and asked one of the guards, "Excuse me, is Captain Du Wei here?"

Hearing that Zhou Yi was looking for Captain Du Wei, the guard froze for a moment and did not dare slight him. He asked Zhou Yi in a low voice, "May I ask who you are?"m.

"I am the disciple of an old acquaintance of his, here to pay him a visit."

The guard was half-convinced and half-doubtful, but he still went inside to report Zhou Yi's arrival.

At that moment, Du Wei was in the study of the Provincial Governor's Office's eastern courtyard, making a report to his superior, Xie Tong.

The guard had no choice but to wait outside. When he saw Du Wei emerge, he hurried over and said, "Sir, someone is looking for you. He says he is the disciple of an old acquaintance."

Du Wei was slightly taken aback after hearing this. Then he furrowed his brows and muttered, "The disciple of an old acquaintance?"

Hearing Du Wei's murmur, the guard replied, "Yes, that is what he said."

Unable to make heads or tails of it, Du Wei followed the guard to the entrance of the Provincial Governor's Office. Seeing the waiting Zhou Yi, whom he did not recognize, he frowned and asked, "You are?"

Seeing Du Wei come out, Zhou Yi had already taken the letter into his hand. Once Du Wei asked, Zhou Yi handed it over.

Du Wei opened the letter on the spot. After reading it, his brows relaxed, and a warm smile appeared on his face. "You're Big Brother Qu's disciple? How has Big Brother Qu been recently?"

Zhou Yi replied, "He's doing well."

"Good. Your master has explained everything in the letter. Leave joining the Provincial Governor's Office to me." Du Wei patted his chest as he spoke.

"Thank you, Captain Du."

Hearing Zhou Yi call him Captain Du, Du Wei immediately waved his hand. "Big Brother Qu saved my life. Without him, I would not be where I am today. Don't call me Captain Du either. Just call me Uncle Du."

Zhou Yi readily went along with it and called him Uncle Du.

After hearing Zhou Yi call him that, the smile on Du Wei's face became even broader, as if the corners of his mouth were about to reach his ears.

"Good nephew, I'll treat you today and welcome you properly."

Zhou Yi did not refuse. Du Wei promptly led him to a tavern in the inner city.

Clearly, Du Wei was a regular at this tavern. The moment he entered, a waiter at the side immediately came up to greet him.

He said to Du Wei, "Captain Du, what would you like today?"

"The usual, but bring two extra jars of wine."

"Right away."

Watching the waiter leave, Zhou Yi was somewhat speechless. He finally understood why Uncle Du could be acquainted with his master. Both loved drinking, yet both had terrible tolerance and enormous cravings.

Thus, Zhou Yi tactfully said to Du Wei, "Uncle Du, isn't this a little too much wine?"

"It's nothing. This is barely anything." Du Wei waved a hand, his bold spirit soaring to the clouds.

As they spoke, the two sat at an empty table on the second floor. The moment he sat down, Du Wei showed off to Zhou Yi, saying, "Good nephew, not just anyone can come up to the second floor of this tavern. If your uncle here were not at least a minor captain in the Provincial Governor's Office, I probably could not even get through the door. Look at the decor here. Isn't it a whole lot better than the outer city?"

Zhou Yi looked around. The furnishings really were far better. Nearly all the visible wooden items in the tavern were made of costly rosewood, and even the edges of the tables were inlaid with golden patterns.

Seeing Zhou Yi looking around, Du Wei grew even more animated and continued, "The wine in this tavern is no ordinary wine. It's Monkey Wine."

"Monkey Wine?" Zhou Yi asked in confusion.

"That's right. This tavern belongs to the Huang Family, one of Luoshi City's Four Great Families. The reason they were able to open in the inner city owes no small part to this Monkey Wine."

Zhou Yi did not pay much attention to the part about Monkey Wine. Instead, he noticed the Four Great Families Du Wei had mentioned.

"Uncle Du, which four families are the Four Great Families?"

"The Li Family, Huang Family, Wang Family, and Ning Family. Each of the four has experts in the Embrace Dan Realm, and the four families are exceptionally united, often joined branch to branch and breathing the same air."

At this point, Du Wei lowered his voice and said to Zhou Yi, "But don't be afraid. Our Provincial Governor's Office is no pushover either. It's just that there is some internal disunity. Otherwise, how could the Four Great Families have their day?"

Zhou Yi wanted to ask more, but the waiter had already arrived at their table carrying a tray. After laying out the dishes, the waiter placed two jars of wine before Zhou Yi. Looking up, Zhou Yi saw that two jars had likewise been placed before Du Wei.

Seeing that Zhou Yi still wanted to ask, Du Wei softly told him, "There are too many people here, and too many eyes and ears. Once you report for duty tomorrow, I'll explain it to you."

Zhou Yi nodded. "All right, Uncle Du."

Seeing that Zhou Yi was no longer asking questions, Du Wei slapped the clay seal off the top of a jar, then removed the oil paper pressed beneath it. At once, a rich fragrance of wine mixed with the scent of fruit rushed toward them.

"Fine wine!" Zhou Yi praised. He then copied Du Wei's actions and opened his own jar, pouring the wine into the bowl before him. The wine was pale yellow, and once poured, its fruity aroma became even stronger. Zhou Yi could not help taking a sip.

There was none of the usual harshness of alcohol when it entered his mouth. Instead, a warm and mellow sensation spread through him. Once it slid down his throat and into his stomach, another wave of fragrance rose from his stomach, passed through his throat, and returned to his mouth. It truly left him refreshed and clear-minded.

When he looked over at Du Wei, Du Wei was already clutching the jar and drinking wildly.

Before long, Du Wei had drained an entire jar into his belly.

After finishing the wine, Du Wei called Zhou Yi to eat. The two drank until afternoon, only stopping when Du Wei had to go on patrol.

After bidding Du Wei farewell, Zhou Yi returned to the inn, thinking about what Du Wei meant when he said the Provincial Governor's Office was internally divided.

Unable to figure it out, Zhou Yi stopped thinking about it. He would be reporting to the Provincial Governor's Office tomorrow anyway. Wouldn't he find out for himself then?

At that moment, the aftereffects of the Monkey Wine began to rise to his head. Zhou Yi did not use his Vital Energy to dispel the intoxication. Instead, he let it brew in his heart and enjoyed the faintly tipsy feeling.

In the end, only when he was about to go to bed did Zhou Yi use his Vital Energy to dissolve the alcohol's effects, then lie down on the bed.

"The silver Master gave me is almost gone. Looks like I'll have to find a 'part-time job' to do first."

Zhou Yi pondered for quite a while and decided to start with talismans. With the panel at his disposal, his success rate in drawing talismans would not be too low. That way, he would not waste much in costs, and it could serve as his second profession.

Having made his decision, Zhou Yi lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.