“Can you tell what it is? Flower dew? Spirit liquid? Or wine?” Mu Chenze poked his arm.
Jiang Yao smacked his lips, tilted his head back to finish the last drop, and handed the jade cup to Gu Ningyun. “I couldn't tell, but I think I should have another cup to be sure.”
“You couldn't tell?” Mu Chenze was stunned. Now he was curious.
All five of them had been to Gu Ningyun's Cloud Residence. Although they hadn't gone inside, they had a deep impression of the Spirit-Heart Peach Tree in front—the one that bloomed like a brilliant pink sea of flowers, incredibly flamboyant and eye-catching.
As soon as the green jade jar was opened, he had keenly caught the fragrance wafting out; it was very similar to the scent of Spirit-Heart Peach blossoms.
But after careful discernment, he found that compared to the blossoms on the tree, this scent was crisper, like a clear spring deep in the mountains, carrying a unique purity and freshness.
Its calming effect on the mind was even more pronounced, as if it could unravel every tense heartstring and cluttered thought.
He had instinctively assumed the liquid sealed in the green jade jar was wine; after all, the 《Almanac of Heavenly Wonders》 recorded that both the blossoms and fruit of the Spirit-Heart Peach could be used to brew wine.
But now, Jiang Yao had finished three whole sips and still couldn't tell what it was. Could it be that this wasn't wine at all?
Or... Mu Chenze gave Gu Ningyun a suspicious look. Could it be that Ningyun's brewing skills were so poor that she had produced a failure?
Gu Ningyun simply chuckled upon receiving his undisguised look.
She refilled Jiang Yao's cup to eighty percent and then filled the remaining four cups in turn. “Why don't you all give it a try?”
Mu Chenze was the first to pick up a cup. Taking a small sip, he immediately understood why Jiang Yao couldn't identify it.
As the translucent pink liquid entered his mouth, he was first met with the full fragrance of Spirit-Heart Peach blossoms, followed by a light sweetness.
This sweetness wasn't cloying at all; instead, it made the floral fragrance seem even more elegant.
The cool liquid slid down his throat, and the unique spirit energy of the Spirit-Heart Peach blossoms seeped into his limbs and bones, circulating through his meridians.
Mu Chenze felt the spirit energy within him become calm and abundant. His primordial spirit in his sea of consciousness stretched out, as if he could enter a meditative state the very next second to comprehend the Dao.
From the aroma to the taste, the entire cup of liquid lacked the spiciness and intensity of spirit wine, yet it wasn't overly sweet and thick like flower dew.
After savoring it for a long time, Mu Chenze slowly opened his eyes, his gaze flickering with doubt. “Ningyun, you aren't going to tell me this is the wine brewed from Spirit-Heart Peach blossoms, are you?”
When he was young, he had seen the elders in his family drinking spirit wine. As soon as those wines were unsealed, a rich aroma would burst forth.
Even a light sniff made him feel like he was drowning in the scent, nearly drunk.
For that reason, every time the elders drank, they would chase the children away.
Mu Chenze had been curious for a long time but never had the chance to take a sip.
“Exactly,” Gu Ningyun nodded affirmatively.
Seeing Mu Chenze's stunned expression, a mischievous smile played on her lips, as if a small scheme had succeeded.
“What!” Mu Chenze couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief. A spirit wine with no hint of alcohol—how was that possible?
Jiang Yao stroked his chin and smacked his lips again.
Before coming to Xiaoyao, he had drunk plenty of wine in the mortal realm, including the strong stuff in the military camps.
Even if spirit wine was different because it contained spirit energy, it was still wine. The difference shouldn't be so vast that there was no taste of alcohol at all.
After pondering for a while, he squeezed out, “You've got to be kidding me.”
Mu Chenze nodded slowly and heavily, in total agreement.
Jun Luo remained silent, holding his white jade cup and staring at the clear pink liquid, his brow slightly furrowed in confusion.
Gu Ningyun's eyes crinkled with laughter as she enjoyed their reactions.
Only Wen Xuan remained remarkably calm.
Her fingers holding the white jade cup were steady as she swirled the wine in a rhythmic pattern.
At the same time, she extended her divine sense to sense it carefully, as if deciphering a mysterious pill formula.
“Based on my two years of experience in alchemy, the spirit energy in this liquid is gentle and stable, with a unique circulation pattern. It's quite different from the dense energy of flower dew.
I've never encountered wine before, but I instinctively thought spirit wine should be intense.
It turns out such a gentle and elegant spirit liquid can also be a fine wine.”
“So, the taste and effects are pretty good, right?”
Gu Ningyun sat down and picked up the jar to refill their cups.
“I found this recipe on the west side of the third floor of the library after searching for a long time.
This wine recipe was created by a senior who once lived in Tingfeng.
According to her records, when she lived in Tingfeng, she had been pondering how to use Spirit-Heart Peach blossoms to brew wine.
But she searched the library and all the recipes available on the market, and most of the wines brewed according to those recipes had a strong aroma and high alcohol content.
While she could handle it, it wasn't suitable for drinking with her friends.
The few recipes that produced a lighter aroma and lower potency failed to fully bring out the effects of the Spirit-Heart Peach blossoms, making them somewhat like a chicken rib—not worth the effort.
Her family was originally a brewing family in the cultivation world.
Having been influenced by her family since childhood, she was very familiar with drinking and brewing.
When she was two years old, she stole a sip of the spirit wine in her father's cup out of curiosity.
Her father was terrified, thinking she would sleep for seven days and nights.
To his surprise, she had an extraordinary natural tolerance and woke up after only half a day.
From then on, her talent for wine was revealed.
Not only was her tolerance exceptional, but her talent for brewing also far exceeded everyone else in her family.
She could learn any wine recipe after seeing it once, and she could describe the brewing steps of any fine wine after just a single sip.
It was as if the brewing process manifested before her eyes with every drink.
By the age of four, having officially studied brewing for only two years, she could research and create new wine recipes on her own.
Every wine made from her recipes was of the highest quality.”
As Gu Ningyun spoke, her expression and tone carried a hint of admiration.
Wen Xuan and the others sat down at the table and listened while they ate.
Gu Ningyun took a sip of her wine. “Unable to find a suitable recipe on the market, this senior plucked nearly half a tree's worth of Spirit-Heart Peach blossoms and went into seclusion in Tingfeng for three months.
When she emerged, she had this wine.”
Mu Chenze couldn't help but ask, “What is the name of this wine?”
“The wine is called Green Ant.”
“Since the wine is pink, why is it called Green Ant?”
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