บท 22: Fine Wine Comes in Due Time
Chu Fan pulled up his many items and began to upgrade them one by one. He upgraded all his ingredients and started making his batch of wine.
While he was at it, he upgraded his philosopher stone too. All the upgrades only costed him 50 silver coins and the Dokimon Cards he acquired from the guard when he first arrived.
He started mixing his brew of wine, adding medicinal herbs here and there. When he finished, the rich aroma of a fruit and alcohol was very pronounced; he even began to sway as his cheeks flushed red.
"Woo! Even the smell of it is intoxicating. Great Wine!"
Fearing that he may get drunk off the fumes, he opened a couple of windows to air his room out. The scent of a fruity and delectable batch of wine danced about filling the courtyard with the pungent smell of wine. Slowly, the smell began to drift outside and into the surrounding areas.
Maids and eunuchs who walked past were entranced by such an unforgettable smell. They wondered who might have been lucky enough to have stumbled upon the nectar of the immortals. They began to gather and chat about where the smell originated from.
Chu Fan was ignorant of how much attention the smell of his wine was attracting. He happily continued mixing his concoctions until it was ready to be sealed and placed into his Time Capsule. He had made six jugs full of wine when he finished. He placed it all away where it would have to sit for two weeks before it could be consumed.
"Whew! Now to let it sit for some time. Ack! I feel so sticky, guess its time for a bath."
Chu Fan had worked up a sweat by this point and tidied up his room before heading out to take a bath.
Opening his door he found that a crowd had formed in his courtyard. Maids, eunuchs, guards, and even the emperor were present. They all were gulping drooling as they embraced the sweet aroma f wine.
"Chu Fan, did anyone by any chance come here with some wine?"
Chu Fan was puzzled by the emperor's question.
"Um....no. Is that why you have all gathered here today?"
Yao Tianshi gulped as he answered Chu Fan's answer.
"Chu Fan, please don't joke with me. D-did you perhaps make this wine?"
Chu Fan thought for a while and nodded his head to say, "Yes."
"Hahaha, that's my future son-in-law for you. You never cease to surprise me."
He began rubbing his hands together and chuckled lightly.
"Hehe. Chu Fan, might I have the opportunity to have a sip of your wine then. Just a sip!"
He pinched his index finger and pinky together begging for a drop of the wine. Chu Fan could only shake his head.
"I regret to say that royal father-in-law will have to wait for two weeks before tasting this wine."
Yao Tianshi was a bit infuriated, as a king, many people would ever deny him what he wanted. But a mere fat child was able to tell him, "No." without a second thought.
"But....not even a drop?"
Chu Fan shook his fingers.
"Nope, not even a drop. I cannot have my royal father-in-law taste an unfinished brew of wine. 'Fine wine comes in due time.' You will have to wait."
Yao Tianshi could only agree with him and give up. He suddenly remembered why he was there in the first place. He had wanted to ask Chu Fan what it was that Chu Fan wanted as an award.
"Chu Fan, I had forgotten to ask you what you wanted as an award for teaching me 'how to make bread'. Have you already thought of something?"
Chu Fan had never had a chance to tell the emperor of what he already took. Whenever he tried looking for the emperor, the latter was too busy spending time with his wives or doing his paperwork.
"Ah, royal father-in-law, I have already found what I wanted."
He presented the cultivation slip for "Birds of a Feather" to Yao Tianshi; the latter's eyes almost fell out of his socket.
"H-How did you get your hands on that?"
Chu Fan scratched his head and gave an awkward smirk.
"See, it's like this. Yao Lingyan showed me the puzzle to the library weeks ago and I stumbled across this cultivation slip. It's really profound, yet Yao Lingyan says that royal father-in-law and grandfather always seem disappointed when they see it."
*Sigh*
Yao Tianshi shook his head.
"Forget it. If you have found a purpose for it, then you can keep it. That's been a dark part of our history for a long time. I'll let you keep it as long as you never mention its origins. Deal?"
"Deal! And you shall receive a taste of my wine when it is ready. I promise you that, royal father-in-law."
Chu Fan gave a big thumbs up to Yao Tianshi. The emperor smiled from ear to ear at the sound of Chu Fan's words.
"Alright, I shall return to my business now. Everyone disperse."
"I'll see you out then royal father-in-law."
Chu Fan walked the emperor to the entrance and bade him farewell. All the others left the area with their heads held low; they would not get a drop of that sweet smelling nectar.
Chu Fan's residence turned silent again as the crowd dispersed. He went back to what he was doing and bathed. The rest of his day would be spent training.
............
Two weeks had passed since that day, with little to no events occurring. Chu Fan made more progress with his cultivation and knife skills. He had already come close to breaking through to the sixth level.
It was almost time to return back to the Skyward Sword Sect. He had notified the emperor and Yao Lingyan who wanted to return to the sect at a later time. He would be setting off first.
And so tonight, a banquet was being held in his honor.
Many of the officials were gathered today to say farewell to him. They wanted to see the face of such a bold and fearless commoner child that was able to proclaim himself to be the royal son-in-law to the emperor; and be able keep his head on his shoulders.
In his short stay there, Chu Fan had stirred up so much trouble and gossip, the citizens all knew of the "little fat dragon" and his ability to back his words.
Tonight Chu Fan was dressed in a set of black robes, making his figure slimmer than usual. He was seated in the grand hall to left of the emperor. Yao Lingyan was decadently dressed as she sat next to her mother on the top platform next to the emperor.
Many officials and their sons tried to size him up. They could not believe that such a fat commoner could be powerful and charismatic enough to gain the affection of the princess.
He was greeted by many officials who wanted to curry his favor. They wanted to get on his good side if he ever truly married the princess.
"Greetings young master Chu Fan. My respect for you runs deeper than the yellow river. May you and the princess last forever."
"Greeting young master. You really fit the description of a young dragon. One could even call you the carp that leapt through Dragon's Gate."
He would receive all manners of exaggerated praise and gifts. All of which he happily received.
"Thank you. Thank you. I am not worthy of such praise."
He would only respond with the same line as it was tiring to try and come up with new words of praise for the countless officials present. Eventually his voice began to grow coarse and all he did was chuckle and nod.
After all the officials were done greeting him, they all sat down and began eating. As they ate, dancers and a circus act performed their routines as a source of entertainment.
Eventually they finished and the officials children began displaying their talents: some danced and performed fist and weapon routines, while some played music whilst reciting poems written for this occasion, and some offered exotic gifts to the emperor.
When all was done, Chu Fan got up. It was the appropriate time for him to give his gift to the emperor now. He bowed to the emperor and everyone present.
"I, Chu Fan, thank everyone present at this banquet today. I also have a parting gift for the emperor today."
With a swing of his palm, he brought forth three jugs of wine. Yao Tianshi's eyes lit up as he knew what this jug of wine was, he had smelled it two weeks prior to this day. He stood up with excitement.
"Hahaha! Chu Fan you didn't forget our agreement. Come, let me taste your wine."
Chu Fan walked over to the table and grabbed a cup. He popped off the seal to his wine and the aroma gushed forth, sending the surrounding officials into a daze. The sweet aroma of fruits and the sting of dry alcohol nipped their noses.
Chu Fan began to pour his wine into the cup in his hand; the spectators could only gulp and salivate at the sounds of the wine drizzling into the cup.
In a flash, the emperor appeared next to Chu Fan. The latter handed the cup of wine to the emperor who received the cup of wine without any hesitation. The crowd was thrown into a frenzy.
"Wait, emperor. Let your lowly subject test out this alcohol first. It may be poisoned."
"Yes, I volunteer myself to test out this wine."
Many officials and guards began practically throwing themselves onstage; all in a desperate attempt at tasting this cup of wine.
"No need! I trust my future son-in-law enough to not poison me."
He gulped the cup of wine down and his eyes lit up. The taste of the wine was extraordinarily exquisite. It made him feel young again as his throat was first cold then came a surge of qi that warmed his insides.
It tasted like he had bitten into a forbidden fruit grown only for the immortals and deities to enjoy. Memories coursed through his mind of his youth; especially memories of his first love. The bittersweet moments of happiness and heartbreak were all brought back. He took a deep breath as he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him.
"Whoa! What an excellent wine! Great job Chu Fan!"
He placed the three jugs of wine in his spatial storage ring and returned to his seat. He shared a cup with all his consorts and his two sons and they all took a deep breath as their eyes turned red.
The banquet continued until nighttime where a grand fireworks display was the closing event.
The guests and officials returned to their homes and the palace was again filled with silence and peace.
Chu Fan was about ready to sleep when he heard a knock on his door.
He opened the door and in came Yao Lingyan. She invited herself into his room tonight. In the coldness of the night she was wrapped in a fur coat.
"What are you doing my sweetness? It's so late, you can't be seen with me at this time of hour. What will the people think if they saw you enter my chamber."
She pouted with her cheeks puffed.
"I just wanted to spend the night with you. After tonight, I won't be seeing you for another month. Is that too much to ask?"
Chu Fan blinked unresponsively.
"Yes, that is too much to ask of me. You might as well have me stretch my neck out and onto a cutting board while the emperor wields an execution blade."
Tears began to well up in her eyes. This girl had abandonment issues and Chu Fan had no way to cure her of it.
"Aiyah, well it's just one night anyways."
He got on the bed and patted the area next to his. She took of her fur coat to reveal the set of pajamas she was wearing underneath. It was a violet in color and made from the finest silk that money could buy.
She nervously sat on the bed and covered herself with the blanket.
The two children lay awake staring at the ceiling; they simply felt too awkward at the moment.
Thinking for a while Chu Fan had an idea. He turned onto his side and faced Yao Lingyan.
"My sweetness, would you like to hear a bedtime story?"
"Mmm, sure. What story do you plan on telling me?"
"It's a tale of romance and magic. Do you want to listen to it?"
Yao Lingyan nodded her head.
"Okay. Once upon a time, there lived a little prince. He was a person who could not see past the end of his own nose. He neglect his loyal subjects and they began to leave him, one after another. One day he stumbled across an old lady who needed help, she was poor and helpless. She asked for a simple piece of bread and a cup of milk. And he ordered his guards to lock her up for vagrancy and aggressive panhandling."
"Waah, what an unjust ruler. Does anyone ever punish him or overthrow him?"
Chu Fan continued telling his story.
"The old lady was in fact a deity sent to test the prince for any redeeming traits. As punishment, she transformed him into a pig, fated to live his life eating trash and feeding the poor until a fair maiden could redeem him with a kiss. He was sold to a farmer; and there he fell in love with the farmer's daughter. She was a caring person who helped everyone, she was a selfless person who loved all life. Seeing the errors of his own ways, he pleaded for the girl to help him."
Chu Fan grabbed Yao Lingyan by the face.
"Out of her goodwill, the farmer girl kissed the prince in his pig form. The prince transformed back into his original form and embraced the girl he fell in love with. With his new insight on life, he ruled selflessly for the people and lived happily ever after with the girl as his wife. The end."
He quickly kissed Yao Lingyan on the forehead before turning around and faking that he had fallen asleep.
Yao Lingyan blinked for a while. She realized that she had been tricked again by this fatty. She began to kick and punch him lightly as she blushed.
"Wake up right now. Did you just compare me to a pig?"
Chu Fan made snoring noises, only serving to irritate Yao Lingyan more.
She began to prod and poke him, where he would squirm because he was ticklish. They spent the rest of the night tickling each other until they were exhausted and fell asleep.
.............
Morning came and the two woke up. They swiftly got dressed and Chu Fan set off on his journey back to the sect. This time, only one guard sent him back as they rode on the back of a Cloud-Striding Qilin.
His trip back this time would take him a weeks time. When he arrived, there was nobody to greet him. He had arrived a month before anyone from Forest Peak would return.
Seeing it was near lunch time, he made his way to the cafeteria. A line was already forming as the many disciples were waiting for the lunch hours to start.
He made his way to the entrance where he was greeted by the various disciples.
"Yay! Our head chef is back!"
"We weren't expecting you to be back so early head chef. Had we known, we would have arranged something."
"Head Chef, we missed you so much. The sect is just too quiet without you."
Chu Fan smiled as he made his way to the entrance.
"I'm glad to be back! Maybe I'll make something for this happy occasion."
He rubbed his hands together.
"How about dessert!?"
The owner of such a voice was very high pitched. Chu Fan turned to see who said that and was amazed to see Hun Lian.
She was so happy to see the fatty standing before her that she ran and hugged him.
"Okay, dessert it is then."
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