There really was a tavern called "Youjian Tavern"—that was simply its name.
The tavern was rather run-down, and business was only so-so.
There were a few occupied tables inside, and two men caught Li Hao's attention.
One was a burly man with a full beard; the other was a dashing, handsome gentleman with impeccable manners.
The bearded man drank from a large bowl, with several empty wine jars scattered beneath his table. He was bold and carefree.
The other man, by contrast, held a silver flask and sipped from it, seeming refined and gentle.
Of course, Li Hao only glanced at them before looking away. They were both men, after all, and it was normal for men not to pay much attention to one another.
"Waiter, come here." As soon as Li Hao and the others sat down, Yan Shun called out loudly.
"Young master, what can I do for you?" The waiter was experienced and could tell at a glance that Li Hao was the one in charge.
"Bring us your best food and dishes. Serve some wine to those tables over there, but none for us." Li Hao pointed at the knights under his command.
As for Yan Shun, he was a late-stage Houtian expert, so Li Hao had him sit at their table.
These knights were bandits and bullies Li Hao had gathered along the way from Hengyang City. Every one of them had at least reached the Houtian realm.
The dozens of knights were seasoned hands in the martial world, each one ruthless and a veteran killer. Gathered under Li Hao, they made for a formidable fighting force.
Unless a Grandmaster appeared, ordinary Xiantian experts would never dare face them head-on.
"Thank you, young master." Dozens of knights crowded inside, and the tavern was instantly packed. The place, which had been rather quiet, suddenly came alive.
"Yan Shun, you've worked hard on this journey. Come, have a little wine to refresh yourself." Li Hao didn't ask for the tavern's wine, not because he didn't drink, but because he had something better.
After drinking at the Huiyan Tower last time, Li Hao had complained about it for days. Finally, he'd decided to make his own: he bought several hundred pounds of rice wine and distilled it, producing around three hundred pounds of high-proof liquor.
The liquor was rich and fragrant, but it was also fierce and hit hard.
That was how distilled liquor was, though. After sitting in the system space for a few days, its taste changed completely.
It went down smoothly without going to his head, and even Yan Shun had become hooked on it.
"Young brother, I'm Qiao Feng. May I ask where you got this wine? It's so rich and fragrant." Fine wine needed no introduction, especially when they were all in the same tavern.
"Qiao Feng? Are you the Beggars' Sect leader known throughout the martial world as Northern Qiao Feng, alongside Southern Murong? The Great Hero Qiao Feng?" Li Hao was astonished. This was incredible.
The man looked nothing like the version from the television series. But then again, no matter how well an actor performed, he could never capture the heroic spirit in Qiao Feng's very bones.
"I'm Li Xunhuan. I hope you'll forgive my boldness, but I'd also like to know where the young brother got that fine wine." The handsome, dashing man, so charming that even Li Hao felt a little inferior in looks, was none other than the Little Plum Blossom Examiner, Li Xunhuan—born to a family with seven jinshi scholars in one generation and three zhuangyuan scholars between father and sons.
"I've long admired the names of Great Hero Qiao Feng and the Little Plum Blossom Examiner, Li Xunhuan. Seeing you both today, I can tell the stories were no exaggeration. I'm Li Hao. I brewed this wine in my spare time. Since you two are clearly wine lovers, why don't we have a drink together?" Li Hao hurried to his feet and cupped his hands.
These two were renowned heroes. He had to befriend them properly.
Otherwise, if they learned what he'd been up to, Li Hao might as well find himself a fine plot of land to serve as his final resting place.
Ning Zhongze: This little lecher? A renowned hero?
"That sounds wonderful. Why don't we have a drink together?" Qiao Feng was delighted. Heroes appreciated other heroes, and Li Xunhuan's name was known throughout the martial world. As for Li Hao, anyone who could brew such fine wine was surely a chivalrous and righteous man.
"Then I'll impose on you." Li Xunhuan didn't refuse either.
Since there were women at Li Hao's table, and Qiao Feng's table was a mess, the three of them ended up gathering at Li Xunhuan's table and drinking together.
"Excellent wine! It's rich and fragrant, its aroma intoxicating, and its aftertaste lingers long after it goes down. It's truly nectar fit for the gods. I, Qiao Feng, have traveled far and wide and tasted all the finest wines under heaven. Only today have I realized I was like a frog in a well, mistaking my little patch of sky for the whole world. The first thirty-odd years of my life were wasted." Qiao Feng drained his cup and let out a heartfelt sigh.
If Brother Li Hao hadn't insisted on using cups instead of bowls, he would have made a fool of himself just now.
When Brother Li Hao first suggested using cups, he'd thought Li Hao was being stingy with the wine. Thinking of it now, Qiao Feng felt deeply ashamed. He hadn't expected that even he would judge a gentleman by his own mean standards.
"Indeed. If Brother Li's wine ranks second, there's probably no wine in the world that could rank first. I, Li Xunhuan, have traveled across the land, visited foreign countries, and even gone overseas, yet I've never tasted anything like it. This wine is peerless." Li Xunhuan swayed his head as he spoke.
Compared to this, wines like huangjiu, Fenjiu, Zhuangyuanhong, the Miaojiang Five Venoms wine, and the grape wine of the Western Regions didn't even come close.
"If you two like it, I'll give each of you a cartload. Drink as much as you like. When you run out, I'll send you more." Li Hao drained a cup and was already so drunk that he couldn't tell east from west.
Li Hao had quite the tolerance: one cup and he'd need a wall to lean on; two cups, and the wall would be walking while he stayed put. When I'm sober, I'm a man of the martial world. When I'm drunk, the whole martial world belongs to me.
"Young brother, you said your name was Li Hao. There's a new Amorous Swordsman in the martial world with the same name. I wonder if you're connected to him." Li Xunhuan suddenly set down his cup and asked.
"Haha, I never thought my infamous name would have reached Jiangnan. How embarrassing!" Li Hao was startled by the question. His reputation as the Amorous Swordsman wasn't exactly good. Surely these two weren't planning to uphold justice?
"How can you put yourself down like that? The stories say your lightness skill is unparalleled, and that no one can defend against your swordsmanship or hidden weapons. You're also said to be dashing and handsome as Pan An, straightforward, and devoted to those you care about. The martial world has even given you a new title: Young Master of Three Absolutes. Your lightness skill, swordsmanship, and hidden weapons are said to be peerless." Li Xunhuan took a sip of wine as he spoke.
The admiration in his eyes made it clear that he thought highly of Li Hao.
"Brother Li, you're mistaken. I, Qiao Feng, think the title Amorous Swordsman suits Brother Li better." Qiao Feng was getting a little tipsy too.
Hearing that, Li Xunhuan thought of how Li Hao had set out with three women and couldn't help agreeing.
Li Hao had thought they might uphold justice, but they didn't seem to mind that he'd killed the Seven Guardians of the Songshan Sect. If anything, his crippling of Wanli Duxing Tian Boguang had earned him more points in their eyes.
The martial world was a place where the strong preyed on the weak. If you weren't strong enough, your death was simply your own fault.
But people of the martial world had their own principles, too: they didn't prey on ordinary folk.
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