The "Soul-Born Flower" has a beautiful alternative name, "Drunken Time," sharing the name with the wine brewed from its nectar. It's a flower that can only survive in the ghost realm. If there’s any plant in the world that Wen Jiu cannot ‘fertilize and hasten to maturity,’ then these rare ghost realm flowers are one of them.
Yin Wangzhi stood proudly among the flower trees with his master, introducing, “The Soul-Born Flower is extremely hard to cultivate. It relies on the yin energy and evil aura of the ghost realm to grow. Its nectar is a natural yin wine that can intoxicate souls. If the yin energy is abundant, it will produce large amounts of nectar, harmless and beautiful. However, if it grows in a place lacking enough yin energy, it will actively hunt passing ghosts, using them as fertilizer.”
The yin energy surrounding the palace was evidently overwhelming, suffocating even. One could say that even if the entire ghost realm were short on yin energy, this place would never be lacking.
With previous experiences in mind, Yu Sheng's expectations had already dropped to nearly nothing. He comforted himself by thinking that, at least, the setting of “abundant yin energy in the Ghost King's palace” hadn’t gone astray.
The pink flowers were lush, blooming in abundance. Up close, the flower's center was almost too cutely shaped like a rabbit, but from a distance, it was just a sea of pink. The flowers were leafless, and the branches and trunks were bone-white. The way the branches forked didn’t resemble the plants of the human world but rather resembled the joints of a living creature’s bones—connected but capable of movement. When the yin wind blew, the flowering trees seemed to wave at those approaching.
Yin Wangzhi plucked one of the flowers growing on the 'bones' and offered it to Yu Sheng. The strong scent of wine filled the air, as if just one deep breath would be enough to intoxicate.
In this luxurious palace, the once fierce and proud high-ranking figure now bent low, offering a flower to a beauty. It should have been a beautiful scene, worthy of being remembered as a romantic tale.
But unfortunately, in this scene, the one being offered the flower was not some jade-skinned beauty but rather a white-haired elder who looked more like a mascot. Behind this 'age-defying romance' stood two glowing figures, whose strong presence and killing intent made them impossible to ignore—Yu Sheng’s fellow disciples, and rivals in love.
With this in mind, it was hard to say how much romance or ambiguity could really be found. Even if there was any, it probably wouldn’t last long.
Yu Sheng, however, didn’t think too much of it. He raised his hand and took the flower, bringing it close to his nose. As he sniffed, his expression froze. He was suddenly reminded of those years during the "Festival of the Dead" when torrents of wine would pour down...
He had often used his quick reflexes to catch the wine in cups and drink it. It was thanks to those experiences that he’d developed such fast hands.
Yu Sheng wasn’t particularly a lover of alcohol. His interest in wine was the same as his interest in any other drink—simply for the taste, with no regard for value. Naturally, he couldn’t recall whether the smell of those wine rains matched the scent of the wine in front of him now.
But it was still wine, and still Yin Wangzhi's work, so it was hard not to overthink it...
Seeming to notice his expression, Yin Wangzhi smiled slightly. "Does Master not like it? Your disciple has waited nearly a hundred years for the Soul-Born Flower to brew this wine..."
Yu Sheng had thought the matter of his fake identity and faked death was behind him, but now, he wasn’t so sure.
He held the flower, the nectar-like wine seeping out and wetting his fingers. Testing the waters, he asked, "A hundred years? Does it really take that long for the flower’s nectar to brew into wine?"
So, the previous wine rain must have come from another type of wine?
Yin Wangzhi nodded. "Does Master think a hundred years is long? To me, a hundred years is nothing. It's worth the wait."
Yu Sheng forced a dry laugh, his scalp tingling, unable to continue the conversation.
From the way the Ghost King spoke, there seemed to be something more implied. Yu Sheng couldn’t tell if Yin Wangzhi was talking about waiting for the nectar to become wine, or waiting for his master to reveal his true identity.
It was a simple conversation, but Yu Sheng started feeling tense. At first, he thought his disciples were giving him a hard time to force him to admit his identity and explain the faked death. But when they reacted normally, he thought it was over. Then, after the cliff incident, he had completely pushed aside the idea of revealing his identity.
Wait, hadn’t he still not explained why he faked his death or used a false identity? And it had already been confirmed that his disciples pushed him off the cliff because of the impending disaster in the Three Realms, unrelated to his disguise, so...?
Yu Sheng’s mind was in disarray. He suddenly didn’t understand what his disciples were really after.
His disguise? He had already been exposed. An explanation? They didn’t seem to have asked. He could explain later, if there was an opportunity, right? The cliff? He had already fallen...
But Yin Wangzhi’s gaze still made him feel something was off. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what, as if there was a fog obscuring the truth.
Maybe they were still upset after being deceived for so long? In the end, Yu Sheng reluctantly settled on this reasoning. If that was the case, then what his disciples wanted was probably to be coaxed? Comforted? Compensated?
That would be easy enough. The system's little scripts were full of tricks for that.
As they slowly walked toward the palace, the pink rabbit-shaped flowers along the road faded into the background. Yin Wangzhi didn’t ask anything more, but instead raised a hand to produce a white jade cup, casually collecting some nectar from the flowers in bloom.
The flower branches seemed to recognize him. As his cup approached, they obediently swayed, lowering their crowns to let the transparent liquid drip into the cup. In no time, two cups were filled.
It was two cups—not three, and certainly not four. No matter how wealthy he was, he wasn’t generous enough to share with the two rivals walking behind.
One of the cups was handed to Yu Sheng.
“Earlier, my subordinates were too reckless and offended Master. Please allow me to apologize with this wine. This cup of ‘Drunken Time’ is my offering of atonement.”
Ah, it smelled wonderful. So pretty. Looking closer, the wine even seemed to have a faint pink hue?
Yu Sheng held the cup with both hands, stopped walking, and stared into it. Moments earlier, he had been thinking of ways to placate his disciples, but now, Yin Wangzhi had easily made him smile.
Standing behind, Zhan Xiaotian’s displeasure was clear. He sniffed, his unhappiness mixed with a trace of greed, though he was too proud to ask for a cup himself. Beside him, Wen Jiu frowned, not out of jealousy but due to his sharp awareness of something else.
Just as Wen Jiu was about to ask or say something, a strange light appeared in the sky.
Silver-white, it flashed suddenly, then vanished just as quickly—like fireworks blooming to their peak, only to reverse and shrink into a single point before disappearing.
Upon witnessing this, Wen Jiu's expression changed. "Master, please rest here for a moment, I'll be right back." With that, he dashed off, disappearing from sight.
Seeing this, Zhan Xiaotian explained calmly, "That was a distress signal, a spirit detonating itself to send it out. Normally, spirits are naturally strong against ghosts, but this is the Ghost Realm. Other than Wen Jiu, the Holy Lord of the Spirit Realm, there’s probably no other spirit capable of saving them."
Just as he finished speaking, another flash of light exploded in the opposite direction, this time true fireworks, colorful and brilliant in the distant sky.
"What’s going on... a distress signal from the Immortal Alliance? Have the conflicts between the Three Realms been this frequent lately?" Zhan Xiaotian’s eyes showed a hint of frustration, and with no choice, he drew his sword. Before leaving, he shot a glare at Yin Wangzhi, warning, "Don’t let me find out this is your doing!"
Yin Wangzhi remained unruffled, "And if it is? If it’s me, will you just stand by and do nothing?"
Yu Sheng: ...
He was about to forget that this man was a villain. What to do.
Zhan Xiaotian’s eyes reddened in fury, left speechless. He quickly turned around and flew off on his sword, hurling a parting threat as he went, "Yin Wangzhi, you just wait!"
Yu Sheng stood there, watching his eldest disciple fly off, feeling helpless. He couldn't quite understand what was going on with his disciples. As the leaders of the Three Realms, wasn’t it normal for them to protect their people in the territories of others? Why did each of them seem so on edge, as if the Ghost King was going to do something the moment they left?
The level of mistrust between these brothers was too exaggerated. Shaking his head, Yu Sheng thought to himself, No matter what, they’re still my good disciples who care about their master. He believed that Yin Wangzhi, who had gone through so much trouble to pull him out of the cliff, fearing he would fall with the Three Realms Cliff, surely bore him no ill will.
Besides, even if they were competing to take care of this "elder," leaving for a moment wouldn’t decide anything in the end...
Just as Yu Sheng was puzzling over this, his view was suddenly blocked by Yin Wangzhi, who stood before him holding a cup of wine. Yin Wangzhi’s eyes were deep, like the waters of a summer night, mysterious and unreadable, yet reflecting the glimmer of stars and the moon.
Yin Wangzhi leaned in closer. Despite the palace being entirely empty, without even a single puppet in sight, he leaned in as if to whisper something secret, lowering his voice into a husky murmur, casting his shadow over Yu Sheng.
"Master, whether or not you step out from the cliff this year, whether or not the turbulence in the Three Realms comes, whether or not you choose to confess your faked death in the end, all the 'Drunken Time' flowers in this garden have always belonged to you. From the day they were planted, they were meant for you alone."
Yu Sheng silently looked at him, suddenly realizing two things.
First, the "starlight" he saw reflected in Yin Wangzhi’s eyes was actually the light from the wine in the cup he was holding.
Second, a century had passed, and it seemed the Ghost King had grown taller. How did a ghost manage to grow taller?
He suddenly felt foolish for shrinking his own height by an inch to look more like an old man.
But... what did he mean by "Drunken Time" was destined to be his?
Yu Sheng wasn’t good at this kind of conversation. After holding it in for a while, he finally squeezed out a simple, "Well... thank you, you've worked hard."
Yin Wangzhi continued looking at him, raising his cup and gently clinking it against Yu Sheng’s.
Everything seemed to be waiting for something. Yu Sheng also raised his cup and took a sip, thinking that perhaps once he finished this cup, the strange atmosphere around them would dissipate, and Yin Wangzhi would stop looking at him with those unreadable eyes.
The wine entered his mouth, its fragrance overwhelming. It was as if his tongue and mouth were touched by something delicate, like he wasn't drinking wine but kissing soft, dewy petals, drawing the flower’s fragrance deeply into his lungs.
No, more accurately, it felt like there was a sweet, intoxicating mist hidden within the heart of the flower. It first enticed him with its fragrance, then snuck into his body through his mouth and nose, like a tiny, skillful snake made of sugar, slipping into his organs and finally dissolving within him.
Only now did Yu Sheng understand what it meant for the Soul-Born Flower to intoxicate the soul.
For cultivators, if they didn’t want to get drunk, they wouldn’t. Their spiritual energy was too strong, easily able to expel the effects of alcohol. Even if they didn’t actively do so, their bodies were so resilient that they wouldn’t feel truly intoxicated unless they drank excessively. But this cup of "Drunken Time" worked directly on the soul and consciousness.
The moment you drank it, whether you were a powerful figure or a mere insect, you were no different from any other drinker.
The addictive allure of "Drunken Time" hit Yu Sheng the moment he tasted it. Without even realizing it, he was gulping down the wine, one sip after another, finishing the whole cup before he could stop. By the time he felt the sensation of the liquid passing down his throat, his eyes had already turned slightly red, like a person truly intoxicated.
Yin Wangzhi, having already finished his own cup, smiled and said, "There’s something I forgot to ask you, Master. Have you had anything on your mind lately?"
Yu Sheng blinked, confused. "On my mind?"
“Because this 'Drunken Time' doesn’t intoxicate based on how much one drinks, but rather the heavier and more numerous one’s worries are, the easier it is to get drunk,” Yin Wangzhi explained slowly. “I forgot to mention this to you, Master. That’s my oversight.”
“Ha ha, what worries could I possibly have?” Yu Sheng waved his hand dismissively, unconcerned. “There’s no need to apologize for such trivial matters.”
“Is that so...” Yin Wangzhi took Yu Sheng's hand, guiding him towards the branches of the flowers, patiently demonstrating how to refill his cup among the blooming pink blossoms, moving gracefully from one flower to another. “Then it seems it’s the disciple who has worries.”
The forest was vast, and there was plenty of wine; he wasn’t in a hurry.
“Master, there’s no need to be polite. Drink as much as you like. I have worries, so I shouldn’t drink too much.” Yin Wangzhi naturally placed his other hand on Yu Sheng's shoulder.
With the distance between them so close, Yu Sheng felt inexplicably tense. His mind seemed slower than usual, and he couldn’t figure out what he was nervous about. He instinctively changed the subject, asking, “By the way, what was that about the Chosen One they mentioned earlier... what’s going on?”
Yin Wangzhi replied, “It’s a widely circulated prophecy in the Three Realms, one of the most credible ones. Master, you must have been away from the cliff for too long to be unaware.”
A prophecy, in other words, a foretelling of this world.
With that, Yin Wangzhi began to recount the contents of two prophecies to Yu Sheng.
The first prophecy was similar to the information Yu Sheng received from the system, stating that a great disaster was about to strike the Three Realms. If this calamity were to occur, it would be akin to an apocalypse, plunging the Three Realms into turmoil, leaving no one able to escape unscathed. The remainder explained how the disaster would come, mainly through the separation and isolation of the Three Realms, leading to a series of ensuing problems.
The second prophecy stated that only one 'Chosen One' in this world could save it. It also mentioned that this person had an extraordinary background, transcending the cycle of reincarnation of the Three Realms. To ask the Chosen One to save the world, the strongest from the Three Realms would have to work together.
After that, everyone tacitly accepted that the world was doomed. Some began to indulge in revelry before the apocalypse, while others fell into despair. Only a tiny portion of the top-tier figures clung to a glimmer of hope, asking the leaders of the Three Realms, the Ghost King, and the Holy Lord to consider the greater good.
After all, everyone had witnessed the depth of animosity between these three figures over the past century. The likelihood of them cooperating and reconciling was far lower than that of the world ending.
This was truly bad...
Yu Sheng rubbed his forehead, feeling inexplicably ashamed. He seemed to realize... he might indeed, possibly, be the 'Chosen One.'
The Chosen One! He thought he only needed to secretly save the world under the system's arrangements, but he never expected there was more to it!
“Master, there’s no need to overthink,” Yin Wangzhi comforted. “The first part of the prophecy is the only credible part; the rest are just tricks to mislead people. You don’t need to take it to heart. Regardless of what the Three Realms ultimately become, I’m confident I can protect you for a lifetime.”
Yu Sheng looked at him with gratitude. “Good disciple, just having that intention is enough for me.”
Still, I’d prefer a lifetime of riches and glory; there’s no end to the points I can spend.
The two continued to stroll through the flower forest. Yin Wangzhi just refilled his cup, saying, “Master, since you’re so unwilling to interfere with worldly affairs, I assume you wouldn’t want the title of 'Chosen One.' I’ve already thought of this.”
“You’ve thought of this?”
Yu Sheng was a bit confused. After downing another cup, the refreshing fragrance filled his senses. Yin Wangzhi was too slow and casual in his actions to refill the cup, so Yu Sheng couldn’t help but reach for the flowers himself. However, at that moment, he was at a disadvantage due to his height; one flower just wouldn’t cooperate, and a couple of drops had already dripped down.
In frustration, Yu Sheng glanced around to confirm there were no outsiders, and he simply removed the layer of illusion, returning to his original appearance.
With this height, he naturally gained a little more stature; it wasn’t much, but it was enough. It wasn’t that he couldn’t rely on magic; it was just that with the alcohol affecting his head, he got caught up in such details. Turning back, he found Yin Wangzhi staring at him unblinkingly, mistakenly thinking the disciple was also dazed from the wine. He reminded him, “Just now, you mentioned you thought of something?”
“I thought... even if I were to invite you, Master, I might not even be able to find you. Perhaps you would hide away, refuse to leave, or maybe you would run away, never wanting to see me again.”
Yu Sheng was puzzled. “Why would I go to such lengths?”
Yin Wangzhi merely gazed at him, his eyes filled with unspoken words, making Yu Sheng stiffen. He suddenly felt guilty about the matter of faking his death.
“I...”
He wanted to explain or express his apologies, but Yin Wangzhi interrupted him, saying, “Master, today I’m fortunate enough to invite you here; it’s just borrowed luck from the impending end of the Three Realms.”
What kind of reasoning was that? Who borrows luck from an apocalypse...
Yu Sheng’s breath quickened, and for a moment, he couldn’t bring himself to think about what that statement implied.
Could it be... that Yin Wangzhi had planned one day to come to the cliff bottom and take him away?
Was he destined to never live a peaceful life at home?! How terrifying!
While Yu Sheng was lost in thought, they ventured deeper and deeper into the woods until they arrived at the heart of the flower grove. A towering tree stood before them, large enough for two people to embrace it. It was also full of pink Soul-Born Flowers, but because the tree was so tall, the blossoms hung high above their heads.
“Master, even if I hold such thoughts, would you still be willing to forgive me?”
Yin Wangzhi looked up at the towering tree, his voice low, almost like he was murmuring in a dream.
In the next moment, the Ghost King struck the tree trunk with a palm, producing a dull sound that shook the entire Soul-Born Flower tree violently. The branches creaked and crackled as they trembled.
With the rustling of the flower tree, the bell-like pink flowers swayed, and countless drops of clear wine cascaded down like the wine rain that would regularly fall on the day of the sun sacrifice.
The Soul-Born Flower can be brewed into wine, and its liquid can intoxicate the soul, hence the name 'Drunken Time.' Even the strongest cultivators cannot withstand its potency.
Yu Sheng looked at the overwhelming rain of wine and recalled the wine rain he received during the sun sacrifice, suddenly realizing that if he had grown accustomed to drinking from the rain and one year it changed to 'Drunken Time' like today, he would likely be completely defenseless and drunk to the point of losing consciousness.
Yin Wangzhi waved his hand, gathering the descending 'raindrops' with condensed shadow energy, suspending them densely in the air, while the trembling flower tree obediently quieted down.
As their cups clinked together, they lingered, the rims touching for a long time without separating. Yin Wangzhi looked at Yu Sheng, his pupils seemingly dissolving into ink.
“Master, this is the true gift I wish to offer you.”
Yu Sheng grasped his cup, speechless.
He wasn’t stunned or dumbfounded; he was desperately flipping through books in his mind.
He remembered this plot! He had an impression! He needed to find the 'correct answer' in the shortest time possible!
Yes, yes! It was right here; in that little storybook, there was a similar plot! The master and disciple were chatting happily, and then suddenly, the disciple would turn dark and reveal a terrifyingly extreme side, waiting for the master’s reaction!
If the reaction isn’t appropriate, it could very likely worsen the disciple's "condition." So, one must be cautious with their words and actions. At this moment, the disciple was at their most vulnerable, like a delicate flower that couldn’t withstand the slightest setback.
Yu Sheng took a deep breath, not allowing his gaze to stray from Yin Wangzhi’s face, nor revealing any hint of vigilance or disagreement. Instead, he smiled tenderly.
Should it be this kind of smile?! The description in the little storybook was truly difficult to understand—what does it mean to smile “tenderly as if illuminated by the morning sun, brightening the hidden heart”? These people… their literary jargon was infuriating!
What was the next step again?
Yu Sheng prepared himself, ready to follow the "standard answer" from the little storybook. He raised his wine cup once more and drank it in one go.
First point: he couldn’t show any disdain for his disciple.
He exhaled and smiled casually, “I really like this gift.”
Second point: he needed to express affirmation, understanding, and full acceptance of everything his disciple did out of good intentions.
Yin Wangzhi seemed somewhat surprised, holding his own wine cup and forgetting to drink. He frowned slightly, uncertain. “Master… you’re not angry?”
“Why would I be angry?” Yu Sheng asked calmly, thinking, I’ve already faked my death; is it that serious for my disciple to play a little trick, plotting for a hundred years just to get me drunk once? Even if it were worse, it would only be taking advantage of my drunken state to draw me out.
“Ultimately, it’s my fault,” he added.
It’s my mistake to have faked my death, to have deceived you, letting you harbor grievances.
Third point: alleviate the disciple's pressure and sense of guilt.
Yin Wangzhi shook his head. “No… Master is not at fault. You don’t know… you don’t know what I’ve done and how I plan to treat you.”
Yu Sheng raised his hand to lift his chin, his cool fingertips resting on Yin Wangzhi’s cheek. “I know.”
I know you want to swallow me alive and cook me, I know you hate me enough to blow up my grave at midnight, and I know you plan to force me out of my shell and expose my identity. It’s alright; it’s all in the past.
Finally, to forgive his sense of guilt, allowing the disciple to attain spiritual and emotional redemption and healing!
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