Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 47 East Entrance

The spring cold was sharp, and Old Man Wu, wrapped in a cotton coat, sat on the ashen wooden chair gasping for breath. The alcohol-flag fluttered high in the chilly wind like a mudfish dancing weakly for a moment before hanging limp.

"There should be good business today."

In Yue Country, located in the south where the climate is warm and humid, snow in winter is a rarity. Last year’s heavy snow was even more unusual; it had compressed the entire ancient Lidao Road, making it impassable for horses and carts. Old Man Wu had only received three groups of guests all winter, but now that spring had arrived and the snow had melted, with a bit of cold still lingering, it was an excellent time for a drink.

Old Man Wu leaned back lazily in his wooden chair, scratching his back. The dilapidated chair creaked a chorus of complaints underneath him. Squinting his eyes, he peered through the window to see a cloud of yellow dust rising from the road in the distance.

He hurriedly got up, limping to the door, and shouted:

"Meat—— Wine——, Mutton——"

Seeing the carriage approaching slowly and stopping near him, Old Man Wu eagerly called out:

"Sirs in front, our inn has meaty wines and the sour and spicy side dishes are quite refreshing..." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

But as the carriage curtain was lifted, two men clad in fur cloaks emerged.

The man in front looked no older than seventeen, exuding youthful vigor, holding a long saber, his visage still somewhat tender, smiling radiantly at the sight of the tavern.

The man behind appeared to be in his mid-twenties, a precious sword hanging at his waist, decent-looking with bright, alert eyes, watching Old Man Wu cautiously.

"It appears to be an elder guarding a junior on an excursion. The young one seems to have some experience in the jianghu, quite cautious. And judging by that precious sword, they must be the young masters of two wealthy noble families. Today’s prospects look profitable!"

With this thought, Old Man Wu immediately devised a plan, offering a flattering smile, he said:

"Please come inside, sirs. Our inn’s specialty Snowflake Meaty Wine is a delicacy in these parts."

Having said that, he turned his head and called out loudly:

"Guests have arrived——"

The two guests took their seats at the table, and from upstairs two men ran down thumping, bowing and grinning obsequiously, standing behind Old Man Wu.

"Bring us a pot of Snowflake Wine and a few dishes."

Wan Yuankai placed his long saber aside and, watching Old Man Wu order his staff to prepare the food, cheerily explained to Li Tongya:

"This Snowflake Wine, you see, is made by thinly slicing the prime cuts of lamb and cooking them in fine wine until tender, finely chopped into a paste; it’s then mixed with lamb spinal marrow and kidney fats melted in a pot, and when serving, warm wine is used for soaking."

Wan Yuankai swallowed, speaking in a low voice:

"Five years ago, I came here with a clan brother and we ordered this pot of Snowflake Wine. It was so amazing that I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Back home, we go through the same few recipes over and over again, and I’ve grown utterly tired of them!"

Li Tongya, having endured the shaking carriage ride for several days and subsisted on dry rations and cold water, was excited by these words and couldn’t help but look forward to it.

After the two chatted for a bit, a clamor arose from outside the door, and several men dressed in cotton jackets swaggered in, boisterously taking their seats and loudly saying:

"Old Man Wu, bring out the wine!"

"Ah, the lords are here."

Old Man Wu hurried over with a smile, fawning over them one by one.

"This spring chill really gets to you, we’ve been guarding the eastern gate all night and nearly froze our balls off! Took advantage of the shift change to come up for a couple of drinks.",

the robust leading man laughed heartily, then continued speaking:

"Don’t know what’s up but the road’s been under strict watch these days. Several noble families from the county have sent people down, making it such that even the birds are too scared to peep!"

"Big Tiger, you just don’t understand, this happens every few years, you’ll get used to it! The Noble Families in the county tighten their grip, and it’ll be over in a few days,"

a voice emerged from that table, speaking slowly.

Wan Yuankai pricked up his ears to listen for a while, then said in a low, chuckly voice:

"Given that we’re close to Guanyun Peak, I reckon these men are the household retainers of the Xiao Family from the secular world."

Li Tongya nodded, picturing Xiao Yuansi in his mind, and couldn’t help feeling a bit more fondness for the group of men.

The waiter brought over a pot of hot wine, along with a few dishes and a bowl of snowy white mutton paste.

Wan Yuankai hurriedly took a small spoon, scooped lightly from the paste, placed it in his bowl, and poured the wine from the pot into the bowl. The tempting aroma of mutton immediately wafted about as the drink steeped.

The lead man, Big Tiger, sniffed and his eyes lit up as he praised:

"That smells amazing, it’s Snowflake Wine!"

Wan Yuankai did not pick up on the man’s words, but smacked his lips with satisfaction and gestured for Li Tongya to give it a try.

Li Tongya smiled helplessly, returned a polite smile to the man, and began to prepare the Snowflake Wine. After a gentle sip, the blend of the fine wine’s mellowness, the mutton’s freshness, and a faint milky taste instantly hit his taste buds. Li Tongya unconsciously finished the wine in his bowl and chuckled:

"Indeed, it has a delicious flavor."

The stout man saw that Li Tongya and the others were not paying him any attention, felt somewhat embarrassed, puckered his lips, and muttered softly:

"It’s just some stinking money..."

Looking enviously at the next table, Big Tiger swallowed his saliva, turned his head, and started chatting with his brothers.

Wan Yuankai had only taken a few sips when a commotion arose from outside the door, and a group of people led by a youth in magnificent brocade robes entered the tavern.

"Clan cousin! Don’t judge this shabby tavern by its looks. This Snowflake Wine is a rare find on the road. With these desolate hills and cold, empty surroundings, the tavern is one of the few places to find some amusement."

A gorgeously dressed man was bowing obsequiously in front of the brocaded youth, gesticulating as he spoke. Although the man appeared to be in his mid-thirties, he was bowing down and addressing the youth as ’clan cousin,’ which seemed rather comical.

"Hmm."

The youth in the brocade clothes had slightly long eyes, was attired in snow-white fox fur, and had a golden brocade pouch tied at his waist. His looks were fairly handsome, with the delicate and tender complexion of one well-bred and noble. He merely responded with a light affirmation to the words.

"Damn, what’s the house manager doing here!"

The expression of the man named Big Tiger changed instantly, and he turned his head away pretending not to know him. The whole table of stout men likewise lowered their heads, trembling and not daring to utter a word.

"That brocaded youth is most likely from the Direct Lineage of the great clan. The manager usually has an air of arrogance, but in front of this person, he’s like a dog,"

Big Tiger stealthily glanced at the group, and finally recognized two, both big shots among the Xiao Family’s clan soldiers stationed at the eastern pass, now standing respectfully behind the house manager, not daring to make a peep.

The youth in brocade clothes frowned slightly upon seeing the tavern’s interior, which frightened the middle-aged manager out of his wits, head bowed and not daring to speak.

After racking his brain for the right phrases for ages, the middle-aged manager was like in a dream when he suddenly heard the youth in front of him laugh, scaring him half to death.

"This clan cousin possesses the Spirit Aperture and has entered the Immortal Path. He’s always been full of himself. Staying in the town at the eastern pass for over ten days, I haven’t seen him smile once. Could it be a smile born out of extreme anger?"

The youth in brocade clothes, however, was quite polite as he made a bow with his hands, his face breaking into a genial smile, and softly said:

"I didn’t expect to see two Taoist Fellows in this remote tavern!"