Wine Does Not Intoxicate

Du Chengfeng rarely drank.

There was no other reason: drinking gave him headaches, and getting drunk could make him botch things. Compared to the unrestrained abandon of drunkenness, he preferred a calm kind of relaxation.

Reading a couple of books, drinking a cup of tea—such leisurely diversions were what he was used to.

So when preparing his household supplies, Du Chengfeng had not included alcohol. If he absolutely needed something with alcohol in it, there was only the cooking wine used in the kitchen.

Clearly, what the great saber in his hand needed was not something of that caliber.

Thus, even though it was already deep in the night, Du Chengfeng had no choice but to head out, making straight for Carpenter Li's home.

"Old brother, open the door. Your brother needs a favor."

"Brother Du? What happened?"

Though still bleary-eyed, Carpenter Li hurried out to open the door the moment he recognized Du Chengfeng's voice.

Seeing that Carpenter Li had not even had time to put on his shoes before opening the gate, Du Chengfeng felt even more apologetic. But since he was already here, he could only grit his teeth and handle the matter first.

After hearing what Du Chengfeng needed, the flustered Carpenter Li finally relaxed.

"So you're borrowing liquor. I thought it was something serious... But if Brother Du really needs alcohol, why not just ask the Yang family?"

Carpenter Li was not trying to shirk him off. There truly were differences between wines. As an ordinary commoner, Carpenter Li's meager income only allowed him to stock up on cheap liquor, which he drank by the cup now and then to satisfy his craving. But the cellar reserves of the Yang Clan of Jizhou—even if they could not compare to the finest jade nectar of the imperial court—were still far, far better than the cheap liquor common folk drank.

If wine was needed, then surely good wine was called for. This cheap liquor that gave one headaches after drinking it was still too...

"It's different, old brother. It's different."

Faced with Carpenter Li's confusion, Du Chengfeng merely shook his head.

He had considered asking the Yang family for liquor. After all, if he wanted the Yang Clan to do something now, it only took a word from him—but he had the feeling that not even the Yang family's finest cellar reserves, not even true imperial jade nectar, could compare with the few jugs of loose white liquor Carpenter Li had handed him.

Du Chengfeng could not tell good wine from bad, but he knew that these jugs of loose white liquor had been dug out on the spot by this old brother of his, who had forgone sleep in the middle of the night for him.

"Thank you, old brother! Your brother will be off, then!"

Drawing a deep breath, Du Chengfeng found himself at a loss for words. He could only cup his fists in salute, then lifted the wine jugs and turned to leave.

But at that moment, Carpenter Li followed him out.

"Brother Du, drinking alone in the middle of the night is no fun. If you're going to drink, make it lively!"

Du Chengfeng could not help but laugh awkwardly at that. So this old brother had mistaken his borrowing wine for wanting to drown his sorrows.

It was no wonder Carpenter Li thought so. Du Chengfeng truly had things weighing on his heart. The shadow of death still hung over his head. Who knew when that monster called Hexi Qing would come for him? Who knew whether he would survive that life-and-death battle?

What Du Chengfeng had not expected was that the pressure hidden in his heart had already shown on his face.

That was not a good thing.

At that moment, Du Chengfeng inexplicably recalled sharpening the Broken Horse saber. That saber wielder named Liu Qingyun had been the same. Though he wore an air of calm indifference, before dueling the swordsman Cui Yuan, he had still gone and sharpened his saber once, ensuring nothing was left to chance.

Indeed, it could be seen as making plans before taking action, as a sign of thorough preparation. But to some extent, it also showed that Liu Qingyun lacked confidence.

Because pressure still lingered in his heart, because his subconscious had already clearly realized that he might not be able to do it, he placed his hopes on external things. He tried every possible way to seize that thread of illusory security.

Even though that sense of security was so unreal.

"Looks like I'm still quite a ways from those true geniuses."

Thinking this, Du Chengfeng could not help uncorking a jug and taking a gulp.

Drinking could spoil affairs and damage the body, but a little drink truly could let his taut nerves relax for a moment.

Though it was only cheap liquor, it gave Du Chengfeng some spirit. Riding that buzz, he simply went to stir-fry two dishes to go with the wine, then drank and talked with Carpenter Li in the little courtyard.

Beneath the bright moon, before the wine table: one man, one saber, one kindred spirit.

Du Chengfeng suddenly felt that his life right now was not so bad after all.

"So Brother Du wanted the liquor to sharpen your saber."

Seeing Du Chengfeng take a jug of wine only to pour all of it over the great saber, Carpenter Li realized he had been mistaken before.

But this time, looking at that fierce, Baleful Intent-laden great saber, Carpenter Li inexplicably felt no fear.

The last time he faced this saber, he had stepped forward too. But back then, he had mainly trusted that Brother Du was not a bad man and would not swing that great saber to cut him down. As for this saber that had slaughtered so many, he had always kept a respectful distance from it. It was precisely because he feared the saber that he had once even dared not visit often.

Yet now, Carpenter Li somehow felt that after a jug of wine had been poured over it, the great saber suddenly did not seem so frightening.

It was as though the entire saber had fallen asleep at that very moment.

Even the chilling Sha Qi along its edge had softened. Yet that softness did not mean the Sha Qi had dispersed. Carpenter Li felt that it was more like something was brewing—something even more dangerous.

To suppress the tension of facing danger, Carpenter Li could not help drinking two more cups.

Then he slumped across the table.

Carpenter Li's limit was only two taels of liquor; two cups already counted as wild drinking for him. Fortunately, he still remembered why he had come, so he forced himself not to fall asleep just like that.

"Um... Brother Du."

After several rounds of drinking, Carpenter Li spoke far more freely.

"I know about your worries too. Even now, I still don't understand why you always think the Hu people will come attacking, but if you truly have such fears, why not find someone to help?"

"Who? The Yang family?"

Du Chengfeng could not help shaking his head with a laugh.

Relying on the Yang Clan of Jizhou would be worse than relying on himself to improve his own strength. In a battle at this inhuman level, ordinary people had no right to intervene at all.

In fact, the involvement of these ordinary people might instead make Hexi Qing stronger.

After all, the principle that killing people could make one stronger had been discovered by Hexi Qing himself. That terrifying man had even begun spreading this method among the soldiers under his command. If the two sides truly came to blows, the people of Yang Family Fort would not merely be unable to help—they might instead become nourishment for Hexi Qing's growth.

So the only one who could face this battle was Du Chengfeng himself. It could only be him.

As for anyone else...

"If the Yang family won't do, then go find Commander Liu."

Just as Du Chengfeng was about to continue drinking, Carpenter Li spoke.

"Commander Liu has governed Jizhou for so long. He must have a way to deal with those Hu people."