Red Dust Wine

Gu Yuanqing remained silent for a moment, then calmly sat down and said indifferently, "How could I dare not accept the invitation from the King of the Underworld?"

King of the Underworld remained silent, and two three-legged bronze goblets appeared on the table, while a flask of wine appeared in his hand.

Pour it in slowly, and a faint aroma of wine will spread out; the color of the wine is like amber.

King of the Underworld put down his wine jug and gestured for him to join in.

Gu Yuanqing raised the wine glass with both hands.

"This wine is to thank King of the Underworld for his help last time."

"I am not here to help you; you must seek your own fortuitous opportunity." King of the Underworld' tone was indifferent, his voice old and rough.

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "Let's drink first as a sign of respect."

After saying this, he drank it all in one gulp.

The wine tasted extremely bitter, like bitter herbs going down my throat.

King of the Underworld smiled calmly, "Aren't you afraid I'll harm you?"

Gu Yuanqing said calmly, "If King of the Underworld wanted to kill me, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths."

That's not necessarily true.

As the words fell, the smell of alcohol spread throughout the body, like a thousand sharp blades piercing it, even the Divine Soul seemed to be stimulated, causing unbearable pain.

Gu Yuanqing's face was slightly pale, and his body trembled slightly.

"Do you regret it now?" King of the Underworld asked with a smile.

Gu Yuanqing slowly asked, "What is the name of this wine?"

King of the Underworld murmured, "The mortal world."

Is the world all suffering, sharp as a knife?

"A cup of Red Dust Wine, a lifetime of passersby. Legend has it that in ancient times, before reincarnation, a wandering soul would drink a cup, stand on the Looking-Home Terrace, recall its past life, and let go of its last lingering attachment. Alas, it tastes different now."

King of the Underworld picked up his wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and then refilled it.

"Dare you drink again?"

Gu Yuanqing's hand trembled slightly as he said calmly, "What is there to be afraid of?"

With each cup of Red Dust Wine he drank, Gu Yuanqing felt as if his entire body and Divine Soul were being tortured by Thousand Cuts.

However, he did not panic. Although the knives were sharp, they did not cause any serious injury. Despite the pain, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief, as if an invisible burden had been lifted from his body.

"May I ask, Lord King of the Underworld... what brings you here?" Gu Yuanqing carefully considered his words. A King of the Underworld had World-Breaking to come; surely he couldn't just be asking him for a drink?

King of the Underworld, his entire figure shrouded in black mist, asked, "Do you possess an Ancient Mirror from the Underworld?"

Gu Yuanqing did not hide anything and replied, "There is indeed such a thing."

Are you willing to part with it?

"If the King of the Underworld has any need, this junior will naturally offer it." Gu Yuanqing did not hesitate and smiled lightly. This mirror had been in his hands for a long time, but even after years of tempering his true Primordial Spirit, he still did not know how to use it. In his hands, it was no different from a piece of trash.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Mysterious Light Mirror appeared in his hand and was handed over.

King of the Underworld took it and laughed, "Since you have willingly offered this mirror to me, I cannot refuse you. This pot of Red Dust Wine will remain for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Yuanqing suddenly felt the effects of the alcohol, and the scenery before his eyes became blurry.

It seemed as if they said something else.

Finally, I faintly heard an aged voice echoing in my mind. "The ways of others are ultimately external things. Forgetting your own heart, do you want to live as another him?"

The next second, Gu Yuanqing felt his consciousness sink, as if he had suddenly returned to the time of his birth in his previous life.

At first, I was an observer, but gradually I joined in, walking the path of life once more from past life to this one.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he opened his eyes.

His eyes gradually cleared from confusion, and as he recalled the past, he was drenched in sweat and still felt lingering fear.

Looking back on this period of time, he developed a deep wariness of the Dao Soul in the Boundless River.

I don't know when, in the pursuit of increasing spiritual attainment, I lost myself and changed my nature without realizing it.

In the end, even when his true intentions were exposed, he remained indifferent and unmoved, and even the affection of his family could not sway him.

He couldn't help but think of the Heavenly Demon Sword. How different was this from the other sword?

Gu Yuanqing shook his head and smiled bitterly, "The path of the Great Dao is fraught with peril at every step. This peril does not come from enemies, but also from oneself. If one cannot guard one's true self, everything will be in vain. If one lives as a different person, what difference is there between that and death?"

Gu Yuanqing naturally did not believe that his views would remain unchanged.

Perhaps one day his Dharma Assembly very different from today's, but such a change can come from life experiences, not from external things forcibly erasing memories.

"This is what they mean by 'only now do I realize who I am.'"

The thoughts I've had over the past few days surfaced in my mind, and I couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

In his view, this short period of experience was far more terrifying than any of the formidable enemies he had encountered before.

However, it wasn't without its gains.

The progress in his cultivation has far exceeded the original estimates.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on the ground beside him.

It was a wine jug.

"Red Dust Wine!"

Gu Yuanqing's gaze narrowed slightly. Just now, he had been reviewing events from the past few decades, and the end of his journey was to this great hall to cultivate. He had not touched upon the matter of the King of the Underworld's visit.

Seeing this wine now brings back memories.

However, the memory was somewhat blurry; he couldn't quite recall what was said or what King of the Underworld looked like, as if it were a dream.

He probed the Storage Bag with his Divine Sense and found that the Ancient Mirror was gone.

He paused for a moment, then stood up, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply.

This is called an exchange, but in reality it's an act of kindness done to oneself. How can something external compare to helping one return to one's true nature?

Regardless of what's hidden here, for Gu Yuanqing, this matter is tantamount to saving his life.

He reached out and beckoned to the wine pot, immediately realizing that it was also a Law Artifact, containing Heaven and Earth within, and a great deal of wine.

Gu Yuanqing seemed to be deep in thought, then his eyes lit up.

"The passage of time within the Dao Soul erodes the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, but the Red Dust Wine allows one to reminisce about the past, thus resolving any hidden dangers. He left this wine, presumably with this intention."

"The debt of gratitude involved is immense!"

Gu Yuanqing remained silent for a moment before putting it back into his Storage Bag.

Then he slowly walked out of the main hall.

Looking at the surrounding scenery again, Gu Yuanqing felt as if he had been transported to another world.

Different State of Mind bring different charms.

Comparing the two, it seemed as if he had gained some insight.

The Dao Mechanism flowed through his body, and his Dao Resonance was slowly transforming.

Previously, his aura was as ruthless as the Great Dao, running like the Sun and Moon, with everything operating according to the most rigorous Rules, without bias or deviation.

At this moment, he seemed both detached from worldly affairs and immersed in them, like an immortal in the mortal world.

As he strolled down the path, some birds flew over, hovered fearfully for a moment, and then hopped excitedly onto him.

Some Mountain beasts watched from afar, then, after observing tentatively for a while, joyfully ran over.

It was evening when he arrived at the courtyard and saw Li Chengyi carrying a jar of wine.

He laughed and said, "Father, my son and I haven't had a proper drink in a long time. Why don't we get drunk tonight?"

Although Gu Yuanqing felt like he had just sobered up, he smiled at his son and said, "Very good!"

Li Chengyi was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. "Father, you... you... you're better."

Gu Yuanqing chuckled, "I've made you all worry!"