Chapter 68: The Taoist Buying Wine

The next day, after entrusting all the affairs of the medicine hut to Mo Mo, Liaochen sped back to Longchang. By now, his disciples had all ventured deep into the vast mountains to save lives and spread the Way, leaving Liaochen with no one to assist him. He realized that if he were to handle everything alone, he would surely be worked to death. He decided he had to drag Wang Shouren, who at least counted as a "government official," into the fray. After all, it was an act of immeasurable merit.

Wang Shouren was quite surprised to see Liaochen; the "True Man" before him was like a dragon that rarely showed its tail. Though he did not know why this living immortal had sought him out, he received him with great enthusiasm. Liaochen, however, had no heart for small talk. He produced a money box and said, "Master Wang, I have a favor to ask. Saving lives is like fighting a fire; I implore you to spare no effort. I need to procure sweet wormwood—the more, the better. Preferably from Yunnan or the southeast. Buy as much as you can find, and do not worry if the price is high."

Wang Shouren was taken aback. It was rare to see Liaochen, who was usually so calm and composed, in such a state of urgency. After a moment of contemplation, he responded, "I have read some medical texts, and there are mentions that green wormwood can treat cold and heat ailments. However, the efficacy is not particularly impressive."

Liaochen replied, "That is simply because the method is wrong. As long as you can procure it, I naturally have a way to use sweet wormwood to cure the disease."

"The student naturally trusts the True Man's words." Wang Shouren now regarded Liaochen as a god walking the earth, and this was no great matter. Moreover, saving lives was a deed of immense merit, so why not try? Having said this, he opened the money box Liaochen had pushed toward him. It was a good thing he did, for the sight startled him. There was nothing inside but flying banknotes from the Great Ming’s major banks, each worth one thousand taels. There must have been hundreds of thousands of taels here!

"True Man, how did you come by so much silver?" Wang Shouren asked, hesitating. He believed that Liaochen was not lacking in money, for at his level, wealth was easily attained. But for him to hold such a vast sum in a bank seemed unlikely, given Wang’s understanding of him. Liaochen did not strike him as someone who cared for gold and silver. Storing money was for landlords and the wealthy; if Liaochen needed money, he could have it at will, so why store it?

"Heh, this money belongs to your Prefect," Liaochen laughed, feeling no shame in his act of theft. "Taking it now can at least reduce some of his sins."

"Such a parasite who harms the people deserves to be executed!" Wang Shouren’s hair bristled with rage as he slammed the table. Then, looking at Liaochen, he added in a low, cautious voice, "True Man, such actions are perhaps unbecoming of a gentleman, are they not?"

Liaochen chuckled dismissively. "I am a man beyond the world; what use have I for the way of the gentleman? Do these corrupt officials not exist for the sake of wealth? I have simply left him with nothing but empty hands. I shall take this wealth to save lives; what is wrong with that? I did not expect you, the great sage Wang, to be so pedantic."

Wang Shouren blushed. He did not know why this man frequently teased him as "the great sage Wang" to his face. Could he have discovered the boastful words Wang had spoken as a child? But there was no need to mock him so. Harboring these thoughts, he muttered, "True Man, please do not speak of such sagely matters. How could a student like me be worthy of such a title?"

Liaochen laughed heartily. "If one can enlighten the masses, benefit the nation and the people, without harming others or acting for personal gain, then possessing a public spirit is enough to be a sage. Do not let it trouble you." He then added, "Everything here is left to you, Master Wang. I must be going."

Liaochen departed as quickly as he had arrived. Wang Shouren stood up in a hurry and asked, "Sweet wormwood is like roadside weeds; it is not expensive. Why do you need so much silver?"

Liaochen waved his hand as he walked away. "If you cannot spend it all, build a good academy here. It will not have been in vain that you spent these years here. You can enlighten the four directions and transform the barbarians into civilized subjects."

Seeing that Liaochen had vanished in the blink of an eye, Wang Shouren had to swallow his remaining words. He muttered to himself, "Even then, it would not be enough to spend it all!"

Once out of sight of the Longkou post station, Liaochen immediately hid his form, rose upon his sword, and flew toward Sichuan like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

Guizhou had never been a land of grain, nor was it a place for fine spirits. Although the later Maotai became famous, that was merely alcohol-blended swill. For the common people to drink real grain spirits was pure fantasy. Liaochen did not need high-quality spirits; he needed high-proof shochu—the kind that was cheap and abundant. The North would have been ideal, but it was too far. Liaochen had neither the time nor the energy. He had no choice but to buy it in Sichuan. If the alcohol concentration was insufficient, he could simply purify it himself.

In Chengdu Prefecture, Sichuan.

"Boundless longevity to the Heavenly Venerable," Liaochen said, walking into the largest winery in Chengdu clad in his Taoist robes. The winery staff and the manager were stunned. Taoists did drink, but it was rare to see one buying spirits in person.

"Greetings, Daoist. What kind of liquor might you be looking for? Our spirits are the most famous here. We have Apricot Blossom White, Sword Orchid Spring, Lang liquor, Longyan Chengang, Xinfeng liquor... we have them all. What would you like to buy?" the shop assistant hurried over to serve him.

"I want the strongest spirits you have," Liaochen replied.

"Uh! If it's strong liquor you want, that would be the shochu. How much does the Daoist require? I shall go and fetch it for you immediately," the assistant asked.

"All of it. As much as you have. How much stock does your establishment currently have? Sell it all to me." Liaochen waved his hand.

"Ah!" Liaochen’s words shocked everyone in the room. The assistant did not know how to interpret this. The manager approached and said, "Daoist, are you joking? Our shop may not be large, but it is well-regarded in Chengdu. While we do not have an excess of shochu, we have a significant amount—a full thousand catties. Do you truly want it all?"

"All of it. Calculate the price. I can pay a deposit now. I will pay the full amount when it arrives at the location I designate." Having said this, Liaochen placed a banknote on the table.

"It is getting late today. If you could deliver it three miles west of the city gate tomorrow morning, I will have people there to receive it. Is that acceptable?" Liaochen asked.

"Yes, yes, we shall deliver it by tomorrow morning, rest assured. Our shop has been a century-old establishment; we would naturally never do anything to ruin our reputation." The manager picked up the banknote, looking at the figure with a beaming, servile smile.

Liaochen nodded and turned to leave. Ancient merchants might lack a concept of national loyalty and were not above petty dishonor, but they rarely broke their word. This was not an age where gutter oil or poisoned milk powder could be sold.

Throughout the afternoon, Liaochen visited every winery in Chengdu. As long as it was shochu, he bought it all. While scattering gold, he left people whispering—where did such an incredibly wealthy Taoist come from? He had bought out all the shochu in the city in one go. Was he planning to build a lake of spirits to swim in?

Liaochen cared not for the merchants' gossip. On a remote hill outside the city, he began folding paper men and horses. Regardless, he had to keep up appearances for tomorrow’s hand-off. Otherwise, how could he explain how all that liquor was transported?