My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 082 – Snowbrew - Part 2

Nighttime.

Once back home, a swirl of intimacy ensued. Under the covers, two soft bodies pressed close, the warmth and lingering affection contrasting with the howling winter wind outside.

Moonlight filtered through the window, dimly revealing the silhouettes of furniture. Beyond the glass, gusts moaned over ice and snow, making the bed’s cozy embrace all the more comforting.

On Li Yuan’s right arm lay Yan Yu, petite and lovely; on his left, Xue Ning, tall and alluring. He was strong in body, and human desire was, after all, a simple thing. In the hush of the moment, he shifted his attention from one woman to the other.

When only one of them was around, that one might chat with him. But with both present, they mostly talked among themselves, ignoring him.

“Big Sis, I wasn’t wrong, was I? Our dear husband is so strong,” Yan Yu teased.

“Heh, I sure was lonely handling everything by myself before,” Xue Ning replied with a laugh.

“Hey, what are we eating tomorrow morning?”

“Who’s going to be able to get up early?” Xue Ning joked in return.

Li Yuan tried a couple of times to break into their conversation, but they paid him no mind. He thought for a moment and then said, “Yan Yu, Xue Ning, I’ve broken through to seventh rank.”

That quieted them both instantly.

He went on, “Pick a good day, and let’s finally hold that wedding banquet. Senior Li can officiate.”

The two women lit up with excitement.

Yan Yu clapped her hands. “Yes, let’s do it!”

Xue Ning beamed. “Husband, I believe ten days from now is an auspicious date.”

Then, as if realizing what he’d just said, she blinked. “Wait...did you just say seventh rank?”

Yan Yu had already known and was smiling happily. Xue Ning noticed her glowing face and repeated, “Seventh rank?”

Li Yuan leaned over to whisper, “I might be one of the strongest people in Gemhill County now.”

He’d never personally found anyone with a higher combat power than his own. Even though Tie Sha was weaker than him by 100 points, he suspected there could be hidden experts lurking somewhere.

Initially, he hadn’t told Xue Ning about his true strength. But over time, as their relationship deepened, and with plans for a formal wedding in the works, he decided to come clean.

Xue Ning was momentarily speechless. Her delicate face filled with shock. “W-what about the Dark Visage Elder?” she managed to ask.

Recalling the elder’s combat power of 165~185, Li Yuan replied confidently, “If we fought one-on-one, it’d probably just take me a single strike to beat him.”

“R-really?” She let out a shaky breath, voice quivering.

Yan Yu reached across Li Yuan’s chest to pat Xue Ning’s cheek, which had gone slack with amazement, and teased, “Look at you, so stunned. Not a sight I see every day.”

Xue Ning gave an embarrassed, playful shove. “Do you think he’s telling the truth?”

“Of course he is,” Yan Yu answered. “Our man is very powerful. But you can’t let that secret slip, okay? To outsiders, he’s just broken through to eighth rank. That’s how we’ll do business.”

It dawned on Xue Ning, and she nodded thoughtfully. Leaning against Li Yuan’s shoulder, she murmured, “Husband, you have no idea how safe that makes me feel.”

He ruffled her hair gently.

Finally, Yan Yu asked, “So about this wedding, how big of a banquet do you plan to hold?”

“That’s up to you,” he replied.

“Well...” Xue Ning started to speak but trailed off.

Yan Yu spoke first. “Let’s keep it simple.”

Li Yuan frowned slightly. “I’m worried it won’t be grand enough for the two of you.”

She laughed. “We’re more afraid you’ll want some big, flashy affair.”

He chuckled. “A person’s worth isn’t measured by the size of their wedding banquet. What about you, Xue Ning?”

Remembering all those starving refugees, Xue Ning couldn’t bring herself to spend lavishly on a celebration. She had already discussed it with Yan Yu. “I’m only worried about your reputation,” she admitted softly. “But truly, it doesn’t matter to us whether we have a huge wedding or not.”

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

The next morning, Li Yuan headed straight to the county office to file for an official brewing license for the tavern. It all went remarkably smoothly. After all, he was essentially in charge of Silver Creek’s public market, weapon shops, and local law enforcement, alongside Zhao Chunxin.

Previously, whenever someone applied for a brewer’s license in Silver Creek, Senior Wu would simply reject them all. There were plenty of local connected interests in the area, each with their own turf, and Wu Lian had no desire to get involved in that.

But now, with the new license approved, Ginger Tavern promptly posted an announcement, and the news caused quite a stir.

Very soon, Cicada's Cuisine heard about it. Although everything looked calm on the establishment’s main floor, the back rooms were already buzzing with tension.

A steward hurried upstairs and knocked on a private room door, calling repeatedly, “Master! Master!”

Only when a voice inside told him to enter did he open the door.

Within, a middle-aged man in fine clothes and a round cap was drinking with a guest. He was Zhu Tongji, the younger brother of the Dark Visage Elder.

Seeing the steward, Zhu Tongji frowned. “What is it?”

The steward leaned in and whispered, “Master, the Ginger Tavern has just become a fully licensed distillery.”

Zhu Tongji’s expression darkened. “Keep an eye on them,” he said.

The steward bowed and quickly left.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

A few days later, at midday...

Outside Ginger Tavern, a part-time server known as the wine master was shouting to passersby, “Come try our new brew—Snowbrew, our freshest batch! Limited for the season! A single cup will get you tipsy, a whole pot and you’re bound to topple. Don’t miss out!”

Soon enough, a curious customer asked about the price.

“Two large copper coins for one cup of Snowbrew,” the wine master replied with a beaming smile. “A full pot costs one tael of silver.”

“That’s really expensive!” the customer protested. “Usually, a whole pot costs just three large coppers.”

“It’s a brand-new brew, sir. Try half a cup first. If you like it, buy more.”

“Fine, I’ll try.”

Plenty of onlookers gathered to watch. The man took a small sip of the crystal-clear liquor. “There’s hardly any in here,” he grumbled. “It might not even have any flavor—”

Halfway through his complaint, he stopped. His cheeks flushed, and his body trembled.

This was winter-distilled liquor, spiked with the crisp taste of snowmelt, carrying both the pure essence of nature and a concentrated punch. At first, it felt cool on the tongue, but as it slipped down his throat, an intense heat followed, like a fiery blade scouring his insides. For people used to weak, watered-down wine, this sensation was entirely new—heady yet exhilarating.

“Wow...that’s good. Good stuff!” Forgetting his earlier show of bravado, the man dug out a full tael of silver. “I’m a regular here. Any chance you could give me a discount?”

The wine master smiled politely. “Snowfall in winter is unpredictable. We brew these limited batches of Snowbrew in small quantities, so one tael of silver per pot isn’t expensive at all.”

“All right, I’ll take one pot!” Without more fuss, the customer ordered a pot, along with some side dishes, and sat down to enjoy them.

Outside, more and more people gathered. Those who came out of curiosity left as flushed, tipsy souls swaying on unsteady feet. Men who boasted they could chug multiple jugs of weaker wine found themselves stumbling after just one pot of this new Snowbrew, grinning stupidly and calling it great stuff as friends helped them back home.

Even by dusk, the tavern was packed. In fact, it stayed open later than usual to serve the unending stream of customers.

Eventually, when the doors finally closed, Xue Ning—long legs crossed under the table, embroidered shoes dangling—flipped through the day’s accounts with an ever-widening smile.

Glancing at Li Yuan, she said, brimming with excitement, “Husband, we prepared 50 kg of Snowbrew for today. 40 kg of that is sold, netting us 180 taels of silver. After deducting costs, we’ve made over 150 taels...all in a single day. A single day!

“This was just a trial batch of Snowbrew. If we develop higher-grade offerings later, won’t that be even more profitable?”

Li Yuan chuckled. “Tomorrow, the trouble will probably start.”

Her face fell slightly. “What do we do then?”

“I’ll handle the civil side,” he said calmly. “If things get violent, Old Zhou can step in. I plan to make sure everyone knows that he’s part of my martial school.”

Xue Ning nodded thoughtfully, catching his meaning. “So your school is large enough to back you?”

“Not really,” Li Yuan admitted, “It’s basically just Senior Li, Old Zhou, and me.”

She blinked. “But...that’s too small to provide real protection, isn’t it?”

Li Yuan gave a soft laugh. “Nobody knows that. To outsiders, Old Zhou and Senior Li will make it look like my school is serious about supporting me. Nobody will suspect there are only three of us.”

She paused in surprise.

He then changed the subject. “In a few days, let’s open two more porridge stalls. Make them serve two separate lines—one for the general crowd, and one just for women, children, and the elderly. I’ve been down on my luck before and know how tough things can be. Now that we have the means, we should help where we can. It may not fix everything, but it’s something.”

Smiling, she agreed. “I’ll have people set up two more stalls at the neighborhood gates. We’ll get them running properly. But it’s already late tonight, Husband. Since you can’t make it back to the inner district, why don’t you stay here at the tavern?”

“Sure,” he said.

Moments later, the flame of a candle was snuffed out.

In the darkness, on the bed, the faint sound of creaking wood underscored the warmth of the night.

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