Hearing the manager say this, Nan Zhi gave a cold sneer and turned to leave.
“Is this the attitude with which your Wang family asks someone for help? As for women not being allowed in the wine cellar, you'd better save that to tell the female ghost. I'd like to see which is more important: your rotten rules, or your own lives.”
The distillery manager broke out in a cold sweat from anxiety and hurried forward to stop her:
“Ai, ai, ai, Little Immortal Nan! It is all the fault of this wretched mouth of mine, spouting nonsense—I deserve a beating, truly! Little Immortal, you are an expert cultivator brimming with immortal aura. How could you be compared to ordinary women? It's just that the rule of this wine cellar was set down by the ancestors originally, and the master has repeatedly ordered that women must never step down into the cellar...”
“Spare me the flattery. I am a woman, my mother is a woman, and my mother's mother was also a woman. We are unclean, so we aren't worthy of entering your wine cellar.”
Nan Zhi gave a faint, mocking smile and glanced at the distillery workers:
“I have an idea: tonight, when that female ghost leans by your ears to sing again, just pray for your ancestors to crawl out from the ground to save your lives.”
At those words, the faces of the surrounding workers turned pale.
They had been terrified by that female ghost over the past few days, dreaming every night of a disheveled ghost demanding their lives.
Unable to sleep well at night, they had even less energy to work during the day.
If this went on, not only would their health break down, but the master's family would also dismiss them.
Seeing that they couldn't keep Nan Zhi from leaving, the crowd grew as frantic as ants on a hot pan. The quick-witted among them had already hurried off to fetch someone who could make the decisions.
Just then, Young Master Wang strode into the distillery's backyard accompanied by a woman dressed in the attire of a married lady. Before he even arrived, his reprimand drifted over:
“What are you all doing, crowding together instead of working? The Wang family pays you wages every month—did we hire you to drink wine and fool around here?”
Nan Zhi had met this Young Master Wang once before.
Today, he was dressed lavishly in silk scholar's robes, wearing a jade crown on his head and fine jade at his waist.
The woman was also quite beautiful, with the delicate charm of a humble background, her eyes revealing a touch of shrewdness from frequenting the marketplaces—the kind that wasn't disagreeable.
Young Master Wang seemed to only just notice Nan Zhi. His face lit up with a smile, and he made a gesture to welcome her inside:
“The household servants are short-sighted and failed to recognize a true deity, actually not inviting Lord Nan inside for tea and a detailed discussion? Uncle Li, you are an old hand of our household as well, so how could you be so muddleheaded?”
Young Master Wang gave the manager a moderate scolding. Catching on, the latter hastily bowed to Nan Zhi:
“Aiya, in my rush about catching the ghost, this old man forgot to invite Little... Lord Nan to take a seat of honor for tea! I was truly muddleheaded. Lord Nan, please, this way, this way.”
With that, the manager ushered Nan Zhi, moving to lead the way toward the back.
Nan Zhi watched with a cold eye as master and servant played along with each other, offering no response.
News of her joining the Demon Suppression Division had not yet spread far, yet the Wang family was quite well-informed.
“Inviting Lord Nan here today to catch the ghost was something I should have personally visited your residence to request. However, due to this haunting, the distillery has thrown everyone into panic, and our dozen-odd wine shops have been thrown into complete chaos. I only returned from outside this morning.”
Seeing Nan Zhi give no response, a flicker of irritation flashed in Young Master Wang's eyes, and his smile stiffened slightly:
“My father also fell ill over this matter and is currently taking herbal medicine. Otherwise, he would certainly have written a formal visiting card to invite Lord Nan to our manor for a detailed discussion.”
“Master Wang is ill?”
Nan Zhi asked in return, “Does it have anything to do with the ghost causing trouble in the Wang family?”
“Thank you for your concern, Lord Nan. My father is merely suffering from anxiety and pent-up worry, an old ailment of chest pain.”
Young Master Wang shook his head with a sigh, putting on a deeply worried expression:
“Allow me to explain to Lord Nan. Under our Wang Family Distillery, there are a dozen wine shops and over a hundred workers, producing thousands of vats of fine wine each month. The only cellar where trouble occurred is the one used to store ‘Immortal Brew.’ Inside that wine cellar sit ninety-nine jars of top-grade Immortal Brew, worth not merely a thousand gold, but difficult to exchange even for ten thousand gold. That was why Uncle Li spoke as he did earlier. Moreover, this rule was not intentionally aimed at you, Lord Nan, but has been the standard for distilleries since ancient times. It is not that I am pedantic; rather, since the rules left by our ancestors have been passed down to this day, there must be some reason behind them.”
“Then why did your family bother inviting me to catch the ghost? Young Master Wang has such a silver tongue; everyone says you have the talent of a top scholar. Women can't enter the wine cellar? Yet how is it that I heard over a decade ago, the Qu Family Distillery had a daughter of the Qu family who also brewed excellent wine?”
Nan Zhi found it laughable and mocked:
“Why not, when it haunts you again, have Young Master Wang reason with that female ghost properly? ‘Aiyoyo, Bodhisattva female ghost, I am truly terribly sorry, but according to the rules of our Wang Family Distillery, women are not allowed in the wine cellar, and neither are female ghosts. Could we trouble you to swap in a male ghost to cause trouble instead?’”
“Lord Nan, what a sharp tongue you have. I was merely reasoning with you; why bring up an irrelevant person?”
Being mocked to his face, Young Master Wang's complexion turned beet red, yet a trace of wariness flickered in the depths of his eyes.
He had no idea why Nan Zhi would suddenly bring up the Qu Family Distillery.
Yet recalling his past engagement with that Qu family girl, Young Master Wang glanced at the wife beside him, feeling guilty despite himself.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, the woman beside Young Master Wang suddenly bowed gracefully toward Nan Zhi and smiled:
“This humble woman is the Young Mistress of this household, Ma Chunxiang. Greetings, Lord Nan; I pay my respects. I have heard that Lord Nan is a heroine among women, having slain a demon tiger and joined the Demon Suppression Division as a female official, commanding immense prestige. Previously, I only regretted that fate had not allowed this humble woman to meet you. Meeting you today, I realize the people outside spoke true: Lord Nan is indeed extraordinarily valiant, unlike ordinary women. Lord Nan, the servant was ignorant and offended you. Why not stay for a cup of tea? Treat it as this humble woman making amends on behalf of our household manager, how about it?”
Ma Chunxiang was beautiful, and her smile was deeply charming.
Her polite pleasantries were watertight, choosing only the pleasing words people loved to hear.
So this was the daughter of the Ma family?
Nan Zhi raised an eyebrow.
She had heard that the one previously betrothed to Young Master Wang was a girl of the Qu family.
She simply didn't know whether Ma Chunxiang had snatched another's love, or Young Master Wang had had a change of heart.
Or perhaps both?
Nan Zhi had no interest in delving into their grievances and entanglements, but remembering something, she agreed:
“Alright. It just so happens my mouth is dry, so drinking a cup of tea at your establishment to moisten my throat will do nicely.”
Ma Chunxiang was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Nan Zhi to relent all of a sudden.
Just a moment ago, she was clearly fuming with rage, so how did she put on a different face after a few gentle words?
Could it be...
This Lord Nan liked to hear flattery?
“Aiya, what are you standing around for? Quickly serve tea to Lord Nan!”
Young Master Wang shot a meaningful glance at the people beside him, stepped ahead to lead the way, and guided Nan Zhi toward the back of the tavern.
During the Great Song period, the commercial economy developed rapidly, and the urban markets were extraordinarily bustling.
Even in a small county like Dingyuan, when night fell, taverns and restaurants would be decked with lanterns and colored streamers.
And the Wang Family Distillery's main establishment, “Taihe Tower,” stood three stories tall and was built in an imposing fashion.
The timber building featured red lacquer and green tiles, exquisite yet grand, with upturned eaves resembling the half-spread wings of swallows.
In front of the door hung a banner reading “Immortal Brew,” offering wine, lodging, listening to songs, drinking tea, conversing, storytelling, and all manner of entertainment.
The second floor comprised private booths. If guests wished to summon musicians upstairs for entertainment, layered gauze drapes and folding screens partitioned a private space for them.
Looking from outside, shadows flickered within the building as musicians holding pipas played across the windows. The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments mingled with the chatter of guests, like an earthly paradise, a realm of ultimate bliss.
—A standard like this could have thrived even in Dongjing.
Therefore, Nan Zhi had never understood why the Wang family, having made a fortune through “Immortal Brew” and even obtained qualification for imperial wine selection into the palace, was still content to stay holed up in this small Dingyuan County.
Rate on N.U.
