Asking for Rewards

Jiang Qi's reason for recommending himself was simple: the other party wanted to piggyback on Zhang Xuezhou.

Whenever Zhang Xuezhou ate meat, he would simply drink a sip of soup.

Normally, Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't reveal much, after all, Jiang Qi had also held a similar position and knew very well that the fortuitous opportunity Zhang Xuezhou could bestow were mostly limited to those below the Divine Ability Realm.

But Zhang Xuezhou, who stole the show at the centennial celebration, is a different story.

Jiang Qi didn't need to think to know that Zhang Xuezhou's move was likely a Great Perfection, and he might have gathered all the resources he needed for cultivation.

It's not surprising that he wanted to freeload off of it.

At times like this, Jiang Qi is willing to do any dirty or tiring work, and he has completely forgotten about all past grudges.

Grudges are hard to resolve, and it depends on who you have them with.

If he could take revenge, Jiang Qi would naturally be happy to kill Zhang Xuezhou's entire family, but he is truly incapable now, and it's already quite kind of Zhang Xuezhou to be willing to give him a way out.

Being punished requires standing at attention; Jiang Qi quickly reflected on his actions and changed his mind just as fast.

Since Zhang Xuezhou rarely needed odd jobs, he tried every possible way to participate.

The group moved from the Wondrous Dharma Palace to the brewery in Kunlun Ruins, and within moments they were already proficient in brewing.

"Holy Son, you have so many rare and precious fruits! These treasures are extremely rare; people would fight tooth and nail to get them outside!"

Seeing Zhang Xuezhou constantly taking out spiritual fruits and herbs from his Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag, Jiang Qi was filled with envy.

Zhang Xuezhou's spiritual fruits and herbs have good effects even when taken alone, let alone when combined and brewed.

Spiritual fruits and herbs are rare, but what's even rarer is that Zhang Xuezhou took them out in bundles, as if they were just ordinary items.

"I fought tooth and nail to get it!"

Zhang Xuezhou's reply left Jiang Qi somewhat speechless.

But the thought that such a grand event would inevitably involve tampering made him quickly agree.

"Holy Son, you overwhelmed everyone at the grand event, your divine skills were unparalleled and you were virtually invincible. What methods did you use to achieve this?" Jiang Qi asked curiously.

"That's naturally thanks to my unparalleled good looks," Zhang Xuezhou shamelessly declared. "The contestants at the event trusted me the moment they saw me and were willing to listen to me. When I told them to take poison, they eagerly volunteered and fought to drink it, which allowed me to defeat all sorts of opponents along the way!"

"That's amazing!"

Jiang Qi exclaimed in amazement.

He glanced at Zhang Xuezhou's face and felt that Zhang Xuezhou's appearance was not as outstanding as his own.

It's extremely difficult to attract people with such looks, but Zhang Xuezhou was full of confidence, while Jiang Qi had indeed heard that some contestants had ingested poison in Kunlun, resulting in their direct elimination.

He hadn't used the Water Mirror Technique to observe the scene, and he'd only heard rumors. So when Zhang Xuezhou explained, he didn't suspect anything. He just felt that Zhang Xuezhou's trump card was probably seductive arts, which would catch others off guard and ultimately trick them into drinking the poison.

Jiang Qi reasoned it out and felt that things were correct.

He couldn't help but flatter Zhang Xuezhou several times, to which Zhang Xuezhou responded with a smile.

Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't do anything foolish; he still had the Eye of the Ba Snake in his pocket, and he harbored some resentment towards Jiang Qi for stealing his eye.

He believed that Jiang Qi had no ill intentions towards him at this time, but Zhang Xuezhou also did not doubt that Jiang Qi had taken advantage of his misfortune when he was down on his luck.

Jiang Qi's ability to endure such a loss, which allowed Venerable Zhu Jiuyin to suffer in silence, far surpassed that of ordinary people, and also made Zhang Xuezhou extremely wary.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that there was nothing wrong with his attitude. Of course, even if he was wrong, he felt that he hadn't lost anything.

As for Jiang Qi, he didn't suffer any loss. After all, it was up to him whether he revealed his trump card or not. As long as he wasn't targeted, Jiang Qi's misjudgment wouldn't amount to much.

"The first step in brewing is soaking, allowing the dried herbs to fully absorb water. The second step is steaming, which involves cooking over a fire. The third step is adding water to cool the herbs, then mixing them with yeast and adding Drunken Peach. The fourth step is covering and fermenting, and only then does the fifth step take place—distilling the wine!"

Although Nine Treasures Wine has the name of wine, it is actually a powerful medicine.

Only by using alcohol as a catalyst can this potent medicine quickly exert its effects.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that the Emperor's initial purpose was likely to make medicine, but he went astray and, due to factors such as decadence, the purpose changed.

However, being decadent is not entirely a bad thing. With the Emperor's brewing skills, he really couldn't brew wine if he didn't spend his days in decadence.

The fourth step in Zhang Xuezhou's brewing process is covered fermentation, which produces the yeast starter. This is a time-consuming process, taking anywhere from five to seven days to ten days to half a month.

If the brewing process is rushed, the fermentation step becomes difficult to perfect, and the subsequent fermentation process can only be guided by storing the wine in a jade bottle.

Zhang Xuezhou has already figured out the Emperor's brewing techniques, so why would he do something like this?

He continued to instruct everyone, guiding them step by step, especially since Zhang Xuezhou would inevitably have time to return to reality, and this period was perfect for allowing things to ferment.

He first created a sample, and then repeated the process, making sure everyone followed the instructions.

Everyone readily agreed and quickly got to work.

"This fragrance is so refreshing!"

Sha Li licked his lips.

He had been eating Myriad Dharma Lotus his whole life and rarely touched other rare fruits and herbs. It was only at Zhang Xuezhou's place that he drank some inferior Nine Treasures Wine.

Even so, Sha Li benefited greatly from drinking the wine.

This time, Zhang Xuezhou's brewing was noticeably different; the pure flavor left Sha Li somewhat intoxicated.

Compared to Jiang Qi, who constantly inhaled smoke, he felt that inhaling medicinal energy was the proper way for a demon to live a good life.

If Zhang Xuezhou were to brew a few cups for them, Sha Li thought that would be a wonderful life.

His blissful expression contrasted sharply with Jiang Qi's repeated frowns as he swallowed. The Golden Toad Dharma King glanced at Zhang Xuezhou from time to time, then at Jiang Qi, before chopping the wood in his hand into even smaller pieces.

The relationship between the Golden Toad Dharma King and Zhang Xuezhou has been completely severed by the Emperor, but the relationship between the Golden Toad Dharma King and Zhu Shiyin has not been severed.

It is unknown what kind of fortuitous opportunity led to the meeting of the Golden Toad Dharma King and Zhu Shiyin at the Wondrous Dharma Palace in Kunlun.

Jiang Qi was very familiar with the Golden Toad Dharma King, and the Golden Toad Dharma King was also very familiar with the former Zhu Shiyin. After a long period of contact, he was able to judge Jiang Qi's true identity.

Whenever the Golden Toad Dharma King behaved abnormally, Jiang Qi would understand everything.

While brewing wine, the Golden Toad Dharma King appeared somewhat silent, yet he was also very diligent, constantly working.

Whether in the Xieluosi River Holy Land or in Western Kunlun, his habit of working as a servant has never changed.

"Holy Son, I've heard you defeated experts from the three Sacred Land of the Northern Kuru Continent. What would you like to ask for?"

After Jiang Qi gave him several meaningful glances, the Golden Toad Dharma King gritted his teeth and asked in a low voice.

"Is there something you want to obtain?" Zhang Xuezhou asked with a smile. "I have another opportunity to make a request at the Xieluosi River Holy Land. If you want anything, I can retrieve some treasures for you!"

Zhang Xuezhou's only request to the Xieluosi River Holy Land was to obtain the method for the Venerable One to quickly master the Yang Soul Incarnation Technique.

As for Zou Bugui's predicament, it's not much different from that of the Peacock Great Wisdom King. Even if Zhang Xuezhou asked Zhu Jiuyin for people, Zhu Jiuyin would not only refuse, but Zou Bugui would most likely not leave either.

Ultimately, this demand for victory is not something that forces one party to lose, but rather something that is given as a gift if both parties can reach an agreement.

If he could obtain the method, Zhang Xuezhou would have no other desires.

If the Golden Toad Dharma King wants something, Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't mind giving away another qualification.