Chapter 165 The Thumping Thunders of Winter (1/2)

The stove was using wooden charcoal, which production method needed many good materials, but its way of turning into charcoal and the timing control was more important.

This piece of coal was pure black, obvious use of the ”Stop Fire after Closing the Kiln” method. Its wooden structure was still whole, filled with many pores, making it moister, producing a considerable small flame, though not small like a pea. Yet it wouldn’t shoot choking smoke, enabling the little jug to sit on it, intake the heat from the flames and warm up the wine.

As the timing was right, the wine’s aroma intensified, the lady picked up the jug and with a stream of projectile, poured the wine into Shen Lian’s wine cup, filling the cup perfectly. The steam climbed up and dissipated, covering the lady’s pretty face.

In the blur, the word ”stunning” was not enough to describe her beauty.

After this ordinary wine was handled through her hands, even its aroma changed, with its smell mixed with a pure sweet aroma.

Shen Lian gulped it down. He felt thousands of tastes on his tongue, all rushing up, surrounded his tongue tip, tasting like the flavors of life. But the last taste was very refreshing, so cold that it could awake someone from a slumber and not care about any worldly things.

As Shen Lian finished his wine, his eyes opened bright, he could see her reflection very clearly.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoyu again, Shen Lian instantly felt that she looked different, with an added sense of human touch, but yet clearly unnatural, quite deliberate. Such act of politeness would signify a favor request, but Shen Lian did not want to know now.

Hence Shen Lian said straightforwardly, ”Never expected to see you tonight. Are you here on purpose or without purpose?”

Zhao Xiaoyu looked at Shen Lian with demise, without a hint of emotion, as if looking at plants without much care. She asked lightly, ”Is there any difference?”

Shen Lian replied, ”If you came with an intention, I have to ask you to leave because I do not to do or hear a thing about any business matters.”

Only at this moment, Zhao Xiaoyu’s pretty face had changed. Her rivalry with Shen Lian was all her doing. But she did not regret it, she even still thought that Shen Lian would not attain the Daoism path, even if he had extraordinary potential and mana capacity, or that he originated from ten thousand years of godly ancestry.

The reason was that Shen Lian’s lack of merciless.

He was not heartless towards himself, and not even heartless towards others.

The way of attaining Dao would vanish in a blink. If one was not heartless enough, he might lose this opportunity. For many people, once they lost this change, they would never retrieve it back.

She would not believe that Shen Lian did not understand this point.

She sighed lightly, a sigh so soothing that ‘its notes circled the slabs endlessly for three days’. She continued, ”I really cannot understand you Shen. Why did you help those worthless peasants? If you walked the godly path and earn the faith of the worshippers, may still be convincing, but you obviously weren’t doing. Just like you said, this was not a matter of benefits.”

Shen Lian downed another cup of wine. Zhao Xiaoyu automatically refilled the empty cup. Shen Lian drank, she drank as well. That drinking pose was enough to stunt all men in the world.

Shen Lian initially did not want to answer this. He just felt lazy to care about benefits today. It didn’t matter whether the person sitting in front was Zhao Xiaoyu or not. Regardless of Zhao Xiaoyu’s intentions, she could not affect him or any sorts today. Ironically, Zhao Xiaoyu was the one who should act upon his intentions.

He calmly said, ”You always think that all beings should be utilized as your tool to attain Dao, you would obviously not understand me. Actually, do you even understand yourself, do you study Daoism to stand higher and see further? Or you really just wanted to be above all beings?”

Zhao Xiaoyu replied with a smile, ”If Shen you are willing to be Daoist partner, no matter who I stand above, you will also be on top of me”.

This sentence was filled with fantasy, and the faintly discernible temptation, if a hundred men heard of this, there would be a hundred men saying yes to this request.

Shen Lian was also a man, but his heart remained still.

He had not gone through love, passion, which was why he was still alone and not yearning for those.

If he really encountered a lady who triggered his heart, he would not avoid either.

Shen Lian stared at her, ”Xiao Yu, a person like you, I dare not and will not be tempted, not because you are not good. Just because you had gone through the feeling of being moved, even you had feelings for someone, what will it be like?” Even if Zhao Xiaoyu was interested in a man, willing to be a Daoist partner with him, it would also be for benefits only, because she felt the need to do so, with no concern of emotions.

Zhao Xiaoyu kept her smiley expression, turned serious and said, ”I will kill him.” This was her reply, also her direct reaction, because she did not want others to influence her and shake her intentions.

Shen Lian said, ”Now that is your true nature, whereas I will accept her, attain Daoism and accept things that I like, which is not contradicting. When I pass a mountain, I see a lovely looking flower. Although I will not pluck it, I will still stop my steps for it, stare at it until I got bored or it gets boring, then I will leave”.

That was his thoughts, and would also be because that was Shen Lian.

Zhao Xiaoyu picked up a piece of peanut and put it into her mouth to chew as if she was thinking about Shen Lian’s words. Shen Lian also picked up a piece of vegetable to eat.