Confidence

"Ah! Help, help, help!"

"Mom, run! Dad's going to make us drink chili water again!"

Before Chu He could take the White Jade Wine Pot out of his Sea of Consciousness and put his new skills to practical use, he heard his six-year-old little sister making a huge fuss, accusing Old Chu of his crimes.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Taking two steps at a time, Chu Xi hurried down the stairs to the first-floor hall, her short legs racing and bouncing as she rushed along in a panic.

When she saw Chu He, her little face quickly changed from panic to anger. "Hey! Stinky Chu He!"

"It's all your fault! You made chili water again to torture me!"

As she spoke, her little legs pattered toward the leather sofa, and she threw herself straight into Chu He's arms, clawing and scratching at him with both hands.

It had been a regular show in the Chu family for the past two months, so Chu He already knew all of Chu Xi's moves.

He simply slipped both hands under Chu Xi's arms and lifted her high into the air.

After watching the little girl kick and flail for over ten seconds, until she started to lose steam, he set her down on the sofa beside him.

"Hmph! Stinky Chu He!" Chu Xi panted, turning her back to him and showing him the back of her head.

"Hey, Xiao Shuili, I can understand you hitting me, but when did you add 'stinky'?" Chu He asked, caught between laughter and tears.

"You're stinky, you're stinky! Dad drank chili water and turned stinky, so you drink it too. Sooner or later, you'll turn stinky as well."

"Don't worry, I won't stink. I'll just take a bath and smell nice again."

Laughing, Chu He remembered the inheritance he had just received. Excited, he picked up a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp.

As the wine slid down his throat, Chu He's expression turned complicated.

This wine... something was off!

Why did it suddenly have a sluggish, astringent feel to it?

Had he really turned stinky?

He glanced at Xiao Shuili, who was still sulking, then picked up the cup again and gave it a couple of gentle sniffs.

"The ginseng is too old, while the grain hasn't been fermented long enough, causing the wine's Qi Energy to stagnate."

Chu He thought back to the ginseng. He had dug it up in Changbai Mountain on the sly, using his Spiritual Force. It really was quite old.

"Also, the brewing equipment is too mixed. It's not that it hasn't been cleaned properly; it's that too many kinds of wine have been brewed with it, leaving the Qi Energy somewhat chaotic and tainting it with a hint of sourness."

Chu He knew this all too well.

From grain preparation to adding the starter, fermentation, and distillation... he'd used the same equipment to make hundreds of kinds of wine. It really was a bit of a jumble.

He gave it two more sniffs.

"Other than that, there aren't any problems. From the perspective of Mortal Wine, it's nearly perfect."

In just a few moments, the quality of the wine had been analyzed and turned into tables of data that flowed through Chu He's mind.

"Gasp!"

When he came to his senses, Chu He sucked in a sharp breath.

This Wine God Inheritance... really had something to it!

In just a little while, it had transformed Chu He from a complete novice at brewing and tasting wine into a Brewing Grandmaster?!

At that moment, Chu He finally felt at ease!

Ever since learning that this was the world of Swallowed Star, Chu He had used the self-discipline of an adult to force himself to work out every day...

But his aptitude was lacking. Even now, his understanding of the Family Blade Technique had barely reached the proficient level.

According to Babata's "Basic Level—Conception Level—Domain—World" progression, both his blade technique and Movement Technique were still stuck at the Basic Level.

He had even tried strengthening his character by reading old books, but he still couldn't cross the threshold into the Conception Level.

If things kept going this way, Chu He feared he'd lose the confidence to ever leave Earth.

He might have to go and cling to City Lord Luo.

In fact, if he hadn't seen the White Jade Wine Pot in his Sea of Consciousness, Chu He would probably already have been on a train to Yangzhou City in Jiangnan Base City, seeking protection from someone powerful.

After awakening his Spiritual Force, Chu He's memory had improved. He could recall the contents of the entire book, with its millions of words, in perfect detail.

It was now September 29, 2057.

The very day Luo Feng had entered the Ruins of Ancient Civilization No. 9.

Next, the Invincible War God would spend a year and three months in seclusion inside the ruins.

After emerging, he'd first kill Li Yao, then break through to the Planetary Level, and rush straight to Mist Island to fight over Wood Bud Crystals, making a name for himself.

Like a trapped dragon taking flight, he'd become unstoppable from that point on.

There were still two or three chances left to cling to him.

But now...

With the help of the Wine God Inheritance, Chu He finally had some confidence that he could grow stronger in this world.

An innocent little voice pulled Chu He back from his visions of venturing into the universe.

Chu Xi lifted her little face, looking cross, but her right hand secretly pulled a White Rabbit Creamy Candy from her pocket and held it out in front of Chu He.

"Here! The last few times Dad made me drink the chili water, this candy made it better."

Her tone was anything but polite, but when Chu He heard her words, it felt as though his heart had stopped for a beat. His whole heart seemed to melt.

He gently took the White Rabbit Creamy Candy from Chu Xi, quickly unwrapped it, and eagerly popped it into his mouth.

Then he closed his eyes happily and nodded with all his might.

"So sweet! The spice is gone already!"

As he spoke, Chu He quickly put away the cup and wine jar, then crouched in front of Chu Xi. "Thanks for the help, Xiao Shuili!"

"From now on, I won't make chili water anymore. How about I make you some sweet-and-sour, ice-cold fruit juice instead?"

Hearing that, Chu Xi stopped swinging her two little legs, which had been dangling and swaying in the air. She hopped down with a thump.

"Comrade Chu He, you'd better keep your word!"

"I'll be waiting for that juice!"

"Of course." Chu He nodded, scooped Xiao Shuili up, and carried her upstairs. "Come on, let's tell Old Chu that we're not making chili water for him anymore!"

"Come on, come on! Let's tell Old Chu! Then he won't be able to bully me anymore!" Chu Xi pointed upstairs, full of confidence.

"Bang!"

The door slammed shut.

Chu He had been turned away, and awkwardly rubbed his nose.

Who could have guessed that Dad had scared Xiao Shuili away with chili water just so he could discuss the Great Harmony of Life with Mom?

At least they hadn't barged in.

The siblings exchanged a disheartened glance.

"Hey, Chu He, why was Mom angry too just now? Her face was all red with anger!" Chu Xi tugged at Chu He's pant leg and asked softly.

"Ahem!" Chu He didn't know how to explain, so he could only answer vaguely. "Well... yeah, Mom was a little angry."

"Come on, Xiao Shuili. Let's pour out all of Old Chu's chili water!"

With his Brand New Version brewing techniques, all the wine he'd made before seemed riddled with mistakes to Chu He now.

He didn't feel bad about pouring it out at all.

It would also be a great way to distract Chu Xi!

Sure enough, Chu Xi's eyes lit up at once. "Come on! Let's pour all of Old Chu's chili water out!"

"I know he keeps it all in the basement. The key's on top of the doorframe!"