Du Wei

As evening approached, Zhou Yi no longer paid attention to the sacred aura above him but instead searched along the street for a place to stay for the night.

Because of the darkness, lanterns were hung on the doors of every household, casting a dim yellow light along both sides of the street.

Seeing the sacred aura above light up, the vendors on both sides of the street also began to pack up their stalls, preparing to go home and rest early.

Zhou Yi walked along the street for a long time before finally finding an inn and checking in. The accommodation fee here was much cheaper than at the post station, but still significantly higher than in Green Bamboo Village.

Thanks to the protection of the sacred aura, Zhou Yi did not set up the Three Talents Formation in his room this time. After all, if the sacred aura were breached, the Three Talents Formation would be of little use.

After three days of travel, this was the most satisfying sleep Zhou Yi had. Although the Vitality Realm only required a very short rest time to recover from physical fatigue, the continuous journey had left Zhou Yi's spirit feeling weary.

Zhou Yi slept straight through until noon. After having a meal at the restaurant from the previous day, Zhou Yi took the letter his master had given him and found the Provincial Governor's Office.

To Zhou Yi's surprise, Luoshi City was divided into inner and outer cities. The people coming and going in the inner city wore silk and satin, displaying their wealth. Even the carriages on the street looked several grades higher than those in the outer city, adorned with all sorts of decorations solely to showcase the wealth of those inside.

The buildings on both sides of the street were not as densely packed as in the outer city, and most were only one story high, not built very tall. The figures of constables could be seen from time to time on the street, indicating that even the security was much stronger than in the outer city. In the words of Zhou Yi's previous life, this was like a villa district.

The Provincial Governor's Office that Zhou Yi was looking for was located within the inner city, and in a position very close to the center of the inner city.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Provincial Governor's Office, Zhou Yi saw two guards dressed in black Martial Artist attire standing at the gate. Zhou Yi sensed their cultivation, and they were actually Martial Artists in the Strength Channeling Realm. It was truly extravagant to use Strength Channeling Realm Martial Artists as gatekeepers; one must know that a Strength Channeling Realm expert was considered a pillar of support in Green Bamboo Village.

Zhou Yi shook his head, no longer dwelling on it, and stepped forward to speak to one of the guards. "Excuse me, is Captain Du Wei here?"

Upon hearing that Zhou Yi was looking for Captain Du Wei, the guard was taken aback. He dared not be disrespectful and quietly inquired of Zhou Yi, "May I ask who you are?"

"I am a disciple of his old friend, here to pay a visit."

The guard was skeptical but still went inside to announce Zhou Yi.

At this moment, Du Wei was in the memorial hall of the east courtyard of the Provincial Governor's Office, reporting to his superior, Xie Tong.

The guard had no choice but to wait outside the door. Seeing Du Wei emerge, the guard stepped forward and said to Du Wei, "Sir, someone is looking for you. They claim to be a disciple of your old friend."

Du Wei was slightly stunned upon hearing this, then frowned, muttering, "A disciple of my old friend?"

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

Unable to figure it out, Du Wei followed the guard to the entrance of the Provincial Governor's Office. Upon seeing Zhou Yi waiting, he realized he didn't recognize him and frowned, asking, "Who are you?"

Seeing Du Wei come out, Zhou Yi had already taken the letter in his hand. When Du Wei asked, Zhou Yi handed the letter to him.

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

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

"Good, your master has already explained everything in the letter. I'll take care of your joining the Provincial Governor's Office." Du Wei said, patting his chest.

"Thank you, Captain Du."

Hearing Zhou Yi address him as Captain Du, Du Wei immediately waved his hand and said to Zhou Yi, "Brother Qu saved my life. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today. You don't need to call me Captain Du anymore; just call me Uncle Du."

Zhou Yi, seizing the opportunity, called him Uncle Du.

After hearing Zhou Yi's address, Du Wei's smile became even more exaggerated, as if his mouth was about to split to his ears.

"Good nephew, I'll treat you to a welcome dinner today."

Zhou Yi did not refuse. Du Wei then took Zhou Yi to a restaurant in the inner city.

Clearly, Du Wei was a regular at this restaurant. As soon as they entered, a waiter immediately came forward.

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

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

"Certainly."

Watching the waiter leave, Zhou Yi felt a bit speechless. He finally understood why Uncle Du and his master knew each other – they both loved to drink, but they were both the type who were bad at it but had a strong craving.

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

"It's fine, this is nothing yet," Du Wei said with a wave of his hand, full of bravado.

As they spoke, they sat down at an empty spot on the second floor. As soon as they sat down, Du Wei began to show off to Zhou Yi, "Good nephew, not just anyone can come up to the second floor of this restaurant. If it weren't for me being a small captain in the Provincial Governor's Office, I probably wouldn't even be able to get in. Look at the decor of this restaurant; isn't it much better than the outer city?"

Zhou Yi looked around. Indeed, the decor was much improved. Most of the wooden items visible inside the restaurant were made of expensive rosewood, and the edges of the tables were inlaid with golden patterns.

Seeing Zhou Yi looking around, Du Wei felt even more energized and continued, "The wine in this restaurant is no ordinary stuff; it's Monkey Wine."

"Monkey Wine?" Zhou Yi asked, confused.

"Yes, this restaurant is owned by the Huang Family, one of the Four Great Families of Luoshi City. The reason they can operate in the inner city is largely due to this Monkey Wine."

Zhou Yi didn't really pay attention to the details about the Monkey Wine, but he did notice the mention of the Four Great Families.

"Uncle Du, who are these Four Great Families?"

"They are the Li Family, the Huang Family, the Wang Family, and the Ning Family. All four families have experts in the Embrace Dan Realm, and they are extremely united, often acting in concert."

Saying this, Du Wei lowered his voice and said to Zhou Yi, "But don't worry, our Provincial Governor's Office isn't weak either. It's just that there's some disunity within, otherwise, how could the Four Great Families have such influence."

Zhou Yi wanted to ask more, but at that moment, the waiter arrived with a tray, serving the dishes. After placing the food, the waiter brought two jars of wine and placed them in front of Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi looked up and saw that Du Wei also had two jars of wine in front of him.

Seeing that Zhou Yi still wanted to ask, Du Wei said softly, "There are many eyes and ears here. I'll explain everything to you tomorrow when you start your job."

Zhou Yi nodded. "Okay, Uncle Du."

Seeing that Zhou Yi was no longer asking, Du Wei clapped his hand on the seal of the jar, then removed the oiled paper beneath it. Instantly, a fragrance of wine mixed with the scent of fruit wafted towards them.

"Good wine!" Zhou Yi exclaimed, then, following suit, he opened the jar and poured the wine into a bowl before him. The wine was pale yellow, and after being poured out, its fruity aroma intensified. Zhou Yi couldn't resist taking a sip.

The taste wasn't the usual sharpness of wine; instead, a gentle warmth spread through him. After swallowing, it settled in his stomach, and a fragrance then traveled from his stomach, back up through his throat, and finally out his mouth. It was truly refreshing.

He then looked over at Du Wei, who was already hugging the jar and drinking heartily.

Before long, the entire jar of wine was consumed by Du Wei.

After finishing the wine, Du Wei gestured for Zhou Yi to eat. The two continued drinking until the afternoon, only stopping when Du Wei had to go on patrol.

After bidding Du Wei farewell, Zhou Yi returned to the inn, pondering Du Wei's earlier comment about the Provincial Governor's Office's disunity.

Unable to figure it out, Zhou Yi stopped thinking about it. He would be reporting to the Provincial Governor's Office tomorrow anyway; he could investigate then.

Just then, the potent effects of the Monkey Wine began to take hold. Zhou Yi didn't use his Vital Energy to disperse the effects; instead, he let the potency brew within him, enjoying the feeling of being slightly tipsy.

Finally, just before going to bed, Zhou Yi used his Vital Energy to disperse the remaining effects of the wine and then lay down on his bed.

The silver my master gave me is almost gone. I'll have to find some kind of 'part-time job' to get by.

Zhou Yi pondered this for a long time before deciding to start with Talisman Spells. With his system, the success rate of drawing them wouldn't be too low, which would prevent wasting too much material. He could consider it a second profession.

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