Chapter 119: The Earth Bear

Yu Mu paused his actions, looking curious.

"It is like this!" the proprietor explained. "My humble shop has a record. Once, a person drank eight jars of this Drunken Immortal Liquid in a single day. I observed that your tolerance is truly astonishing, and since you have already consumed six jars, it would be a pity not to attempt a challenge."

Yu Mu was quite intrigued. However, these were sensitive times, and his earlier impulsive behavior had already drawn unwanted attention. Even if this place was relatively safe, being too conspicuous was not a good thing.

Thinking of this, he said, "I appreciate your kind offer, but my wife and I are in a rush to get to Fengji City. We truly cannot afford any further delays. Let me attempt the challenge another time."

An Shu felt a flare of irritation upon hearing this, thinking to herself, 'This guy has truly become addicted to pretending we are a married couple. Doing it before was a necessary evil to hide our identities, but to keep saying it here is clearly just taking advantage of me!'

Unaware of An Shu’s inner thoughts, the proprietor urged Yu Mu, "There is no rush to get to Fengji City! I will personally escort you to the teleportation array later, ensuring no time is lost. Besides, if you succeed in the challenge, you will receive a large vat of millennium-cellared Drunken Immortal Liquid as a reward. It is a rare opportunity; wouldn't it be a shame to miss it?"

Upon hearing that both points mentioned by the proprietor would be highly beneficial to him, Yu Mu stopped hesitating and said, "Fine, since your hospitality is hard to refuse, I shall give it a try."

The proprietor was overjoyed and shouted, "Bring the wine, quickly!"

In a moment, the wine jars were set down. Yu Mu broke the clay seals and began to drink deeply. By the time he reached the second jar, a waiter brought someone in from outside.

The newcomer was a burly man with a thick, bristly beard. His body was covered in knotted, bronze-colored muscles that radiated explosive power. His appearance bore a striking resemblance to Meng Fang, which made Yu Mu instinctively take a few extra looks.

The big man seemed to be a regular here and was highly respected. As he entered, people gave way, clearing a path for him. The man, unceremonious, walked straight up to Yu Mu and watched him drink.

Yu Mu did not want trouble, so he accelerated his pace. He lifted two jars simultaneously and poured them into his mouth; in a short moment, the wine vanished as if poured into a bottomless pit.

Yu Mu put down the jars and asked the proprietor, "Shopkeeper, does this count?"

The proprietor, who had been standing there stunned, snapped out of it and exclaimed, "Of course it counts! Not only did you break the record, but you also shattered the time limit. The last time this record was set, it took a whole day! You did it in the time it takes to eat a meal—you are incredible!"

The proprietor was so excited he was nearly incoherent.

In truth, Yu Mu did not know that this place was a renowned land of fine wine, and the quality of their liquor was beyond question. Since every shop had its own signature flavor, years of comparisons had failed to determine which was objectively superior. Thus, they could only compete based on reputation.

Where there is fine wine, there are drinkers. Over time, the custom of wine-dueling flourished. Although the potency of the liquor varied from shop to shop, every proprietor kept a mental tally, and the competitive spirit remained. Every time someone broke a record in town, it became a local sensation and a source of great pride.

If a drinker with such capacity frequented their shop, it was considered a tremendous honor. While outsiders might find their obsession trivial, it was a long-standing local tradition.

The proprietor suddenly noticed the big man who had just entered. He stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed heartily. "Haha, Brother Earth Bear, your record has been broken! Hahaha—twenty years, a full twenty years!"

Yu Mu was amazed. Could it be that the previous record was set by this man?

The man called Earth Bear ignored the proprietor, instead giving Yu Mu a thumbs-up. "Fine drinking capacity! I haven't met someone with such a bottomless tolerance in a long time. My hands are itching to join in. Brother, would you mind sharing two more jars with me?"

"This..."

Seeing Yu Mu’s hesitation, Earth Bear immediately added, "I am already impressed by your tolerance. This drink is not for competition; it is simply because it is rare to meet a kindred spirit. If we don't have a drink together, I would be doing a disservice to the 'wine worm' in my gut. Hahahaha..."

Seeing that the man had no malicious intent and truly felt a sense of camaraderie, Yu Mu replied boldly, "I feel like I’ve met a true friend in you, brother. Let us drink to our hearts' content today."

'We are being hunted, and he still has time to drink with strangers?' An Shu could not fathom this rough-and-tumble martial arts culture and frowned secretly. Having no other choice, she sat down to join them.

The two sat down and exchanged names. The big man was called Yang Zhi, nicknamed Earth Bear. Yu Mu also shared his name honestly; such was his nature—when he met someone of a similar temperament, he was ready to open his heart completely.

As soon as Earth Bear sat down, he urged, "Brother, hurry and ask the shopkeeper for your reward. It has been over twenty years since I last tasted the millennium-cellared Drunken Immortal Liquid. My cravings have finally been stoked, hahaha!"

Yu Mu was also eager to taste this legendary vintage and immediately said, "Right, I'll call him now."

Just as he was about to call the proprietor, he saw him walking over, dragging a massive wine vat.

"Wow, such a huge vat!"

Yu Mu was dumbstruck. This vat was even larger than the one he had seen at 'Drunken Immortal' when he was healing; it must have held nearly two hundred pounds of wine. Although his gourd had grown significantly since he first picked it, he wasn't sure if it could hold so much. Thinking this, he manifested the gourd and began to draw the wine from the vat. By the time the gourd was full, there was still a third of the wine left in the vat.

Earth Bear laughed heartily. "Years ago, it took me a whole year to finish one of these. But I rarely drank it alone; I usually shared it with friends."

"Let’s each take three jars from this, and the rest is for you, brother," Yu Mu offered.

Earth Bear was delighted. "Then I must thank you, brother! They don't sell this aged vintage to just anyone. Only major clients can buy a few jars a year."

"Oh, so that's how it is!"

After dividing the wine, there were still six or seven jars left. Earth Bear did not stand on ceremony; he tucked them into his spatial pouch and stowed them away.

As they drank, Yu Mu asked, "Brother, are you a local? What do you do for a living?"

Earth Bear shook his head. "I am not from here. I am a deputy commander of the Sandstorm Mercenary Group. We make our living in the desert. Our group is small, and we don't have grand ambitions—we are all brothers who have lived and died together for years, and we just don't want to part ways."

"I see," Yu Mu nodded. "So, did you come here just to drink?"

"That’s right. My group is heading out on a mission in a few days, and we will be gone for a long time. Before every mission, I come here to drink to my heart's content and bring some wine back for the brothers. What brings you two here?"

"We are heading to Pearl City, just passing through. We’ll be leaving soon."

"Pearl City! That’s a bit of a detour from here. How long do you plan to stay? Perhaps after I finish my mission, I can go there to visit you."

"Actually, my true destination is the center of the continent, Dragonfall City. Pearl City is just a stopover; I don't think I'll stay long."

"Dragonfall City!" An Shu was shocked. She never expected that Yu Mu's destination would be so far away. For someone stepping out into the world for the first time, Dragonfall City was an impossibly distant place. If she knew Yu Mu's true final destination, her eyes might have popped out of her head.

Earth Bear remarked, "To get to Dragonfall City, you have to pass through Emerald City, which is opposite Pearl City. That is our destination for this trip. We are escorting cargo, though, so we have to travel on foot. It’s a pity we can't accompany you, brother."

Yu Mu asked curiously, "Brother, is there any other way to get to Emerald City?"

"Of course. A few hundred miles southeast of Pearl City, there is a desert outpost called Sand-Singing Station. It is a route specifically used for large cargo shipments. However, the route crosses thousands of miles of the Black Desert. Unless one makes a living this way, no one is willing to enter that dangerous place known as the Sea of Death."