125 This Would Either Make or Break! (1/2)
”Until today, those six pots that had made it into the market have all been added to various wine lovers’ collections, never to be seen in the open again. As for the remaining three pots, nobody knows where they have gone to. However, the Empire of Yutang’s Marquis Yun has unintentionally saved someone when he was out one day, thereon forging an unexpected friendship. On the eve of their separation, that person has gifted a pot of wine to Marquis Yun. Not coincidentally, that wine, of course, was the Prime of Wine!”
”It has already been a hundred and twelve years since Feng Xiange brewed this wine.”
Yun Yang smiled.
The elder could not hold it in anymore and said loudly, ”What are you trying to say after so much banter? Could it be that this wine of yours is the Prime of Wine? Utterly ridiculous!”
Yun Yang smiled, ”It looks like old sir is not from Tiantang City.”
”Yes, and what about it?” The old man's tone was aggressive.
”If you were from Tiantang City, you must know that the Marquis of Heavenly Clouds, with his formidable sword skills, has an only son called Yun Yang.” Yun Yang continued, ”This Young Master Yun Yang is handsome and graceful, his lips rosy and his teeth pearly; he has an extraordinary flair, an elegance that sits within his good-looking features. He is indeed one of the most handsome men in this world. Perhaps, if there were a beauty pageant for beautiful men in this world, Young Master Yun Yang would be crowned king without even having to participate!”
The old man could barely keep his anger in check, almost erupting in rage. ”You’re still spewing nonsense, complimenting others to the ends of the Earth!”
Since he could praise this Young Master Yun Yang so highly, he couldn't possibly the man himself.
How would there be a person in this world who could praise himself so highly? That would be overly shameless!
Since he was not Yun Yang, what good could he be? He was still missing out on the Prime of Wine!
Yun Yang said grinning, ”Old sir, it is fate that we would meet like this. Let me introduce myself, I am Yun Yang. I am Marquis Yun’s only son whom we were discussing and praising earlier.”
The old man was close to coughing out loud.
His words were very bizarre indeed.
All those compliments and they were all about you?
How could such a shameless person exist in this world?
The old man almost laughed from the exasperation. He looked at Yun Yang and said mockingly, ”So you’rethe Marquis of Heavenly Clouds’ young master Yun Yang? According to what you’ve just said, this pot of wine would be the Prime of Wine? One of the remaining nine pots?
”That is incorrect.” Yun Yang said without hesitation.
The elder was stunned yet again. ”If not then what are you bullsh*tting about?”
Yun Yang continued, ”According to what I know, while those six pots were auctioned off to connoisseurs in wine, they were all severe alcoholics. They had long emptied this superior liquid of dreams! Nobody knew where the remaining two pots were, no one knew if they still existed in this world.”
Yun Yang said in a light voice, ”So this pot of wine could be called the only pot of the Prime of Wine left in the world. I wouldn't be exaggerating even if I say it’s the sole unique pot.”
The old man was in a daze. ”Is this really that pot?”
Yun Yang replied indifferently, ”There’s naturally only one way to verify it. Since old sir is a wine lover too, you must have heard that the moment the clay seal is broken, the aroma of Feng Xiange’s Prime of Wine would form a phoenix spreading its wing, about to take off in the air. This is Feng Xiange’s exclusive mark. I believe no one could imitate this for the few remaining pots of wine…”
The old man’s interest was whet; he could not sit still, salivating at the thought of the wine.
He watched as Yun Yang’s palm struck the cover with a pop.
The clay seal was broken, an indescribable aroma diffusing in the air. The old man took three steps over, his nose wriggling with urgency.
Sniff, sniff, sniff…
The aroma of wine rose as an image of a phoenix spreading its wings as if about to soar appeared in the air; although it was only an illusory impression, the aloofness was contained in its gaze as it looked upon the world proudly.
”It’s… it’s re-really… the Prime of Wine!” The old man’s eyes were bulging, his breath quickening as he looked at the phoenix that slowly dissipated in the air.
With a flick of his hand, his straw hat flew off his head.
What was revealed was a chiseled face that age had left its mark on but his gaze was clear. His eyes were like that of a four to five-year-old child; they were clear and distinct, black and white, tinged with some naivety.
The old man’s hair was indeed grayed like what Yun Yang had seen, but looking at it now, it did not look old but revitalizing. The vicissitudes of life etched on his face seemed to say that he had gone through everything there was to go through in life.
A quick once-over spoke of the thick and thin in life as well as loneliness but a more careful look told of a handsome face, especially his eyebrows that were raised at a slight angle yet without conveying the air of violence.
However, if they were to be raised, the intimidation within was still formidable.
Yun Yang was more assured when he saw his face.
”Of course it’s Prime of Wine.” Yun Yang began to break the last seal on the wine pot slowly, cutting a thumb size gap using a dagger.
Appreciation surfaced on the elder’s face.
Those who had never sipped Feng Xiange’s wine would never know the intention to do so.
It would be an extreme waste to even let the slightest bit of the aroma of Feng Xiange’s wine go.
What Yun Yang had done looked like a thumb-sized gap from above but it would only be a soybean-sized hole going downwards. Pushing a cork into the cut after pouring the wine would perfectly save the aroma from spreading into the air.
Yun Yang smiled and said, ”It’s Feng Xiange’s Prime of Wine after all, of course, I have to appreciate it more.”