Chapter 123: Young Master Yu

Before long, the waiter began to place the dishes on the table one after another; it seemed the earlier tip had been well spent. Hu San filled his wine cup, raised it to his lips, and downed it in one gulp. He felt a refreshing surge throughout his body, and even the circulation of his internal energy seemed to become more nimble.

"Excellent wine!" Hu San could not help but exclaim.

"Indeed! This is Spirit-Net Wine, a specialty of our Spirit-Net City. Once you leave the city, you won't find this taste anywhere else. Every year, countless big figures come to our Spirit-Net City just to savor it!"

The waiter quickly chimed in. He was about to continue, but his gaze suddenly froze. A moment later, Hu San noticed that the entire floor had fallen silent.

Following the crowd's gaze, Hu San looked toward the staircase. A young man in purple robes and a high crown was walking up, greeted by another waiter. Behind him followed a man and a woman, both appearing to be his guards. They looked imposing, and it was clear their cultivation was not weak.

"Is the private room ready?"

The young man's calm voice echoed through the hall. The waiter hurriedly bowed and scraped, "Rest assured, Young Master Yu, everything is prepared and waiting for you. This time, the manager has even brought out the Fire-Feather Wine that he has kept for years. You know, even when the Lord of Qi City visited personally last time, the manager couldn't bear to part with it. It just goes to show how much face you have, Young Master!"

"Heh, your manager is a sensible man! Bring the dishes quickly; I am famished."

With a light chuckle, the young man swept his gaze over the room. He paused briefly as he looked at the three tables of food in front of Hu San, then shook his head. Clearly, he shared the opinion of the crowd, viewing Hu San as some nouveau riche who had suddenly come into money. Without another look, he led his guards into the private room with the waiter.

Once the young master left, the second floor returned to normal, though everyone spoke and drank with heightened caution, as if afraid to disturb the person in the private room.

"Who is that?" Hu San ate a piece of food and tapped his chopsticks on the table, signaling to the waiter who had just regained his composure.

"Ah!" The waiter snapped out of his trance and smiled, "My apologies, sir, please forgive me. I didn't expect Young Master Yu to actually come; our manager will be overjoyed. Oh, you're asking who Young Master Yu is? Haha, you're an outsider, so you wouldn't know. This young master is quite famous in our Spirit-Net City; he is the second son of Master Yu from the Yu Family Manor."

"As for the Yu Family Manor, they are a household name in our city. You might not know this yet, but while Spirit-Net Grass looks the same on the surface, it is actually divided into high, middle, and low grades. Most are low-grade, and only in a few places can high-grade Spirit-Net Grass be found, with the Yu Family Manor leading the way. The rarity of high-grade Spirit-Net Grass is beyond imagination; it is said that it can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on white bones. Every year, countless people watch it with envy!"

"Would you say the Yu Family Manor is powerful? Here, even the Lord of Spirit-Net City treats Master Yu with great respect, not to mention that Master Yu himself is a supreme expert! Though Young Master Yu is young, he has already entered the ranks of first-class experts. Who in this city would dare not give him face?"

"The most important thing is that the Yu Family Manor, along with the other thirteen manors, controls the distribution of the first-press Aconite Spirit-Net Wine. It is said that this wine is a holy product for cultivating internal energy; it not only improves one's cultivation but also prolongs life. The reason Spirit-Net City is so lively these days is that two days from now is the day the Aconite Spirit-Net Wine is distributed. Many wandering heroes are eager to try their luck."

"Oh, so your manager is after this Aconite Spirit-Net Wine?" Hu San nodded, now understanding the young master's identity.

"Not at all! Our manager isn't a martial artist; even if he wanted it, he wouldn't have a way to get it. To be honest, we are looking for the Spirit-Net Wine brewed by the Yu Family Manor. While it's not as miraculous as the Aconite version, it is still of high quality. You wouldn't believe the lengths the taverns in this city go to in secret every year just to compete for the exclusive sales rights of their wine."

The waiter seemed excited, spilling the tavern's secrets like beans. "That Young Master Yu came today suggests our manager has put in a lot of effort. I suspect our Tianxiang Restaurant has a good chance this year."

"Then I should congratulate you! But I must ask, how is the Aconite Spirit-Net Wine distributed? Does one simply go to the door and buy it with money?" Hu San followed up.

"To be honest, you can't buy this with money. Aside from the fixed annual quotas for city lords and our royal family, all the Aconite Spirit-Net Wine is decided by the 'Thirteen Manors Treasure-Snatching Competition.' It is said that the reason the Yu Family Manor and others can produce high-grade Spirit-Net Grass and brew the Aconite wine is tied to the ownership of a certain mountain forest."

"Every year, the thirteen manors hold a competition to determine their share of that forest for the coming year. Each manor recruits three hundred martial artists to compete in a designated area. The total score is based on the quantity and quality of the treasures seized. Depending on the manor's ranking and the individual's contribution, every winner receives a portion of the Aconite Spirit-Net Wine as compensation."

"However, the Yu Family Manor almost always takes first place, so their team is the hardest to join. Martial artists spend the whole year pulling strings and finding connections just for a chance to join their team."

"Countless heroes have killed each other just for a token to fight for the Yu Family Manor, dying before they even caught a glimpse of the wine." The waiter sighed with emotion.

"I see. It seems Young Master Yu is truly no ordinary person. Very well, that's all. Please hurry with the rest of the dishes." Hu San nodded slightly and dismissed the waiter, pondering the competition while he ate.

Given the reputation of the Spirit-Net wine, the Aconite version should be quite effective. However, Hu San was on a tight schedule and did not want to stay behind alone, so he likely wouldn't have time to participate in the competition in two days. Even if he wanted to, the manors had likely already filled their rosters; trying to join now would be as difficult as reaching the heavens.

"If there's an opportunity, I'll just pay a visit to the Yu Family Manor myself. As for the Aconite Spirit-Net Wine, heh, I wonder if it will still be useful for my current cultivation?"

Shaking off these stray thoughts, Hu San looked out the window at the bustling street scene while finishing his wine and food. Despite the short time, thanks to the combined efforts of the kitchen staff and the waiter, all seventy-two dishes had been served. He couldn't help but marvel at the power of money.

A while later, to the stunned disbelief of the patrons on the second floor, Hu San set down his chopsticks with a sigh of relief. He drained the last of the wine and finished his meal. The three tables before him were a scene of carnage—he had devoured all seventy-two main dishes, leaving almost nothing behind.

"Refreshing. It's been a long time since I've been this full. The food here is much better than at the Tianluo Stronghold or Wu City. It was worth the extra coin."

Hu San wiped his mouth, stood up, and left the second floor, stepping back into the street as the crowd watched in silence. Since his cultivation had matured, his appetite wasn't as ravenous as before, though he still required significant nourishment; he simply had the control to suppress the urge.

From the moment he left Qilian Mountain with Ren Tang and the others until he departed Wu City, Hu San had maintained a modest intake to avoid unwanted attention. It was enough to stave off hunger, but nothing more. He only indulged himself when alone, making the journey quite difficult. Now that he had reached Spirit-Net City and severed his previous ties, he felt no need to hold back.

After this meal, perhaps it was psychological, but he felt more invigorated than ever. His Green Wood True Qi and Water Cloud Art seemed to flow more nimbly than usual.

"It seems I shouldn't treat myself so poorly in the future!"

With this thought, Hu San shook his head, glanced back at the way he came, and merged into the crowd to continue his stroll. It seemed he wouldn't be satisfied until he had walked the entire length of the street.

As he walked, his brow furrowed slightly. From some point on, the crowd on the street had begun to swell. It was now packed with groups of people, and although not yet shoulder-to-shoulder, it was becoming increasingly congested. As time passed, the further he went, the faster the crowd converged, as if some major event were unfolding ahead.

Scanning the people around him, Hu San noticed they all wore expressions of excitement and agitation, moving with haste as if there were a treasure waiting to be snatched.

Looking closely at the composition of the crowd, Hu San discovered something surprising: there were both ordinary civilians and martial artists. These two groups were mixed together without the typical barriers, all sharing the same expectant look, as if the event ahead made no distinction between their social standings.

Even more striking, street vendors simply abandoned their stalls to squeeze into the moving crowd. Their wives, wearing headscarves, could do nothing but stomp their feet and curse before angrily gathering their stalls and rolling up their sleeves to chase after their husbands. The entire street was in chaos, a scene of total pandemonium.