33 Is the wine the Memento?

Ben Li waltz right into the private room that was massive as a backyard belonging to some rich noble. Spanning over 3 kilometers by 100 meters, the room was cascaded under the luminaries of sky chandeliers, floating lanterns and diamond pillars supporting the ceilings.

Hundreds of people, ranging from young to old, all elegantly dressed for tonight's party had teemed the room with their numbers. And their seemingly endless chatters and laughters had suffocated the silence that once permeated the room.

"Look, isn't that Ming Jian Ming?" someone from the crowd of hundreds asked lowly as he happened to see Ben Li walking by.

"Really? Where?"

"Yes, that is Ming Jian Ming! The current wielder of the 12 ranked amongst the 30 Conferred Sword Knights!"

"What? He can't be Ming Jian Ming. He's not wearing the conferred Uniform of the Conferred Sword knights. Besides, doesn't he look more of a lady wearing men's clothing to you?"

"What are you blabbering about? Of course, that's Ming Jian Ming! Long purple hair, silver black eyes, an impeccable sword aura breathing out from his skin. If that's not him, I'd kill myself! I managed to see him perform his spectacular Swordplay in public 4 years ago and his dashing figure that I burned deeply in my eyes still manages to awe me until today!"

"Yes, you're right. I happen to be there too. And I dare say I have never seen someone as capable with swords other than him. He was able to perform the 'Swords of Hundred Chaos Generals' at such a profound level, even managing to manifest a Sword Paragon in the process. We thought his potential had reached its acme but to think he still has room to grow. Truly worth calling Limitless Talent!"

"Ah! He looked at me! Such sharp staring eyes akin to the gleam of two silver swords looked at me!"

"What are you talking about? He looked at me!"

"No, it was me!"

"All of you are fighting like hens over a roster's gaze while I manage to capture his bedazzling smile. What do you think about that?"

"""What?!"""

Ben Li walked passed the crowd and waves his hands to those coming to greet him. But what he didn't know was that such simple actions conducted by him caused a mass ripple upon the crowd and beget the hysterical bickerings between the beautiful branches of ladies.

Ben Li was embarrassed by it all and he paced a bit faster until he arrived where he was supposed to be before a middle-aged man.

Who Ben Li was facing a middle-aged man sitting proudly on a regal-looking chair. Staring back at him with faint yet arrogant smile on his face.

He was cladded by his military uniform with the color of black as its base and the color of red as its skin and the color of gold as its high-lighted outlines. It had a coat of arms embroidered near his shoulders, depicting a sword raised upside down underneath a small palace made of graceful-looking leaves. The sword raised upside down was the symbol of chivalry and earnest sense of justice while the small palace made of leaves below symbolizes grace and nobility under conferred majesty.

The images of the sword and palace complemented well with each other, forming an emblem worth embroidered with honor and pride commendable only to those worthy of his majesty, the emperor's grace.

The man before Ben Li also had commemorated medals strapped on the left side of his bosom that reminded everyone the heroic achievements he brought to the empire.

With such a man in his prime cladded in his merits with a proud smile on his face, it was no wonder he was arrogant. But it would be a mistake to assess this middle-aged man with what he wears now because his arrogance did not stem from his merits.

It actually stemmed from his power as a genuine Holy-Saint realm Daoist!

The middle-aged man exuded a nigh-treacherous azure aura reminiscent to a million tiny blue ferocious tigers pouncing all over his body, ready to become tides of tsunamis to sweep away his enemies.

Not to mention the tens of Sword Laws revolving around him like planets around the sun, akin to sharp swords spinning and flashing like luminous tornadoes, the middle-aged man looked indomitable and invincible. and if Ben Li were to compare to the first Holy Saint Daoist he saw, Helios Dragon Sect's current Leader, Sunray Holyman, then he believed that this middle-aged man before him was almost on par with or even equal to sect leader.

And such a middle-aged man was but a subordinate under the endless sea of subordinates under the reign of the empire... One can only imagine how frightening the Empire's true prowess was.

"Good to see you, old friend." said the middle-aged man. "I was worried that you wouldn't come. I thought that I would have to drag your ass in here if I have to."

"Don't even think about dragging my ass here, Tyrant." Ben Li scoffed at him fearlessly. "I only came here because someone said you brought the infamous Purple Wine of Evil Dragons. With such a delicacy under your possession, how could I not come? So, cough it up, will you. Or else..."

It was at this point that murderous intent began to flicker in Ben Li's eyes. Wherever his sharp eyes stared had its void ripped apart by its sharpness and the middle-aged man, Tyrant being stared by Ben Li, felt his formidable aura chipped away bit by bit by his sharp gaze. Then Ben Li continued. "I might have to spare a blood bath for it, right?"

Despite facing a powerful Holy Saint Daoist, Ben Li was dauntless and unafraid to wreak havoc just to get what he wanted. It wasn't because his identity as Ming Jian Ming herself was powerful enough to contend against super beings at the upper realms but because of the many facts about her mastery in Swordplay.

And to Tyrant who had crossed blows with Ming Jian Ming many times in the past years, his Swordplay was subpar compared to hers. Like a thumbtack against a razor blade, the difference between their Swordsmanship aren't worth comparing at all.

And because of that, he had never won against her in terms of Swordsmanship. Thus, striking awe and admiration into the hearts of his fellow comrades who were beloved by the sword.

To master wonderful Swordplay that can defeat the sword prowess of Holy Saint Daoists while in the level of Power Core realm just goes to show the tremendous potential Ming Jian Ming has in the Art of the Sword. To the point where it could even frighten other Daoists pitted against her in the battlefield.

One must take note that when entering the realm of Daoist means that one can grasp the principles he cultivates and control them in his fingertips. Considering that Tyrant was a Holy Saint Daoist with tens of Sword Laws controlled with his thoughts, he couldn't even defeat a Power Core cultivator like Ming Jian Ming in terms of Swordplay?

What a terrifying case of talent Ming Jian Ming has.

Tyrant was not offended of Ben Li's fearlessness as in fact it wasn't his place to be offended. A lesson he learned in a painful way. Thus, his arrogant smile only stiffened when his most prized wine was brought to mentioned.

Purple Wine of Evil Dragons! A delicacy infused with divine indulgence worth beholding.

It was a wine purple in color. With a legend that awed millions of wine-brewer connoisseurs.

Legend stated that there was a Demonic race called The Evil Yin Winged-Dragons. And once every 5 thousand years, these Demonic overlords would go their prime Lake of Dragons and mate with their partners for a whole month straight until the lake was brimming with their essences.

170 years ago, a wine-brewer managed to venture deep within the Demonic lands and obtained a bottle of the lake water belonging to the Prime Lake of Dragons. That very wine-brewer believed to have used the Lake water as the main ingredient to brew his most prized invention and stirred the whole country into hysteria when they sniffed a bit of aroma sourcing from his laboratory.

When the wine was finished, the wine-brewer first gifted this to an aristocrat and that aristocrat went addicted to this wine and shared it to his friends. Eventually, it managed to reach the hands of his majesty, the emperor and was given the finest commemoration of wine-brewing in history.

Sadly, the wine-brewer was believed to have died without a chance to receive this wonderful honor alive and so did his secrets of wine-brewing the Purple Wine of Evil Dragons.

There weren't many of that wine produced and only a few out the thousands had managed to get their hands on it in secrecy. Which managed to provoke a civil war amongst the influential clans of the Empire and thousands died to vie for the possession of one wine.

Some experts attempted to clone the wine yet they failed again and again as they couldn't replicate the same living flavor manifested by that wine even when they had countless experiments with the lake water of the Prime Lake of Dragons.

50 years ago, the Purple Wine of Evil Dragons were believed to have run dry and no one except for some super experts had possession of it and the legend of that wine was buried over stronger legends along with its gruesome tales.

That was until this arrogant, smiling idiot in front of Ben Li came along and brought that superb wine in the light of day again.

Ben Li's voice was so low and quiet that it seemed only Tyrant could hear. Yet, the mere mention of the Purple Wine had caused the crowds of hundreds to shut their mouths silent like a rippling pond gone frozen solid. And they all stared at Ben Li with all kinds of faces that expresses their disbeliefs.

Hundreds of Informations sent via telepathy scattered around the room and agitated countless wine connoisseurs into a frenzy.

"No way! That legendary wine is in the hands of Tyrant?!"

"It can't be! No one has been said to have that wine for more than a century. Is it really true he has it?"

"So, that mythical wine does exist! I thought it was only a false rumor among the Gods but to think it really does exist!"

All kinds of discussions were taking place in instant and in secrecy and greedy notions were brought into discussion until it died down when they looked at these two colossal figures with swords imbedded into their skins. They couldn't help but shiver from the thought of taking the wine from them so they all shut up and changed the topic.

Tyrant stared at Ben Li with a piercing gaze and appeared calm with his stiff smile. Yet, if one took a very close look, one may see that a single bullet of sweat was trickling down his bangs.

A second later, Tyrant heartedly laughed as if he heard the funniest joke today. He said to Ben Li. "Comrade, I didn't think you were the type to believe in rumors."

"I believe that good friends offer their best wine to their comrades when celebrating the new year. Don't you think so, Tyrant?" Ben Li snapped back.

"Well, I agree that it is the best etiquette to offer the best wine to your comrades..." Tyrant nodded as if he agreed and then said. "But whether I do have this infamous wine or not depends in my fortune. And whether I do offer this wine depends on my mood as well.

"So, I believe that it is my best interest to offer you what you ask. However,..." Tyrant pause for a bit as he squinted his eyes. "I only have enough for two wine glasses unfortunately. One is for your master and the other is for you, you're welcome. If you want it now, I can give it to you."

"Then what are you waiting for?" said Ben Li as he grew impatient with all his yammering. "Pour me some right now."

Tyrant said nothing more and took out a wine gourd from his private void space. He took a wine glass from the table and poured the contents from the gourd into it.

The living aroma tickled the noses of everyone present and those who couldn't tolerate it fell drunk to its formidable flavor. Some felt the sea of energy inside their bodies had boiled like hot lava and some felt their hot blood growing cold as if to freeze as ice. Even some of the ladies couldn't bear the aroma anymore and fainted on the spot with ecstasy on their faces.

As everyone looked at the purple-colored contents poured into the wineglass, they caressed their dry lips with their tongues and gulped in trepidation. Even Tyrant himself was being extremely careful with his movements. Sparring no drop of wine in the process.

Eventually, the wine glass was almost full and Tyrant stopped pouring and quickly put the wine gourd into his void. Then he put down the wine glass down in front of Ben Li as he gestured it him and said. "Comrade, please enjoy."

Ben Li looked oddly at the wine glass and turned to everyone present. He could see that everyone was watching him in anticipation. And he couldn't help but feel peculiar by the atmosphere.

Geez, making a big deal over some wine that's not even a century old. And who knows if this wine is genuine or not?

Ben Li did know that the Purple Wine of Evil Dragons did exist since he had written it. But because it was only a figment of his imagination, he didn't know what it looks, smell or even taste like. At best, he thought that it was perhaps better than the cans of root beer he had been drinking once a week back in his previous world.

Getting his hands on the wine glass, he stirred it for a bit and catch a bit of its fragrance.

"Incredible!" immediately, he was already intoxicated.

He did catch a bit of its aroma when it was poured but he paid no heed to it. Only when he got sniff all its fragrance for himself did his nostrils died from pleasure. And he found out that he could smell nothing else but this wine alone.

"Wait, is this Yin Essence?" Ben Li was baffled by this discovery.

It wasn't like he was imagining things. He truly thought the substance permeating from the the wine was truly pure in quality. Yet, he seemed to track something very familiar from its its quality. And it wasn't long till he found out that it was Yin Essence. The same essence sourced from the pitch-black rose back in the real world!

"That... I don't remember writing about Yin essence being permeated from the Purple Wine. Could it be this isn't the Purple Wine but something else entirely? Could it be that the secret to making good wine has something to do with Yin Essence?"

Ben Li mused for a bit before shrugging at the thought.

"Whatever, it's good wine even if it's not the genuine. And perhaps... This may even be the Memento of this sets of memories playing!"

Ben Li heaved a sigh of relief and couldn't wait to secure the memento by chugging down through his throat.

While Ben Li was contemplating with a satisfied smile on his face, a dignified man wearing the same military uniform compared to Tyrant, rushed into the scene in a flicker and appeared nearby Ben Li and launched a fierce grabbing attack.

"Stop! What are you doing taking my share of wine, Ming Jian?!"

Before Ben Li could drown himself in pleasure, the wine glass in his hand was swiped away from him by the hand moving as swift as a lightning sword.