Chapter 14: Brewing Wine and Practicing Swordsmanship

Cao Kong returned to Leopard Head Mountain laden with large and small bags, all filled with materials for brewing wine—sorghum, corn, barley, and wheat. Beyond that, he even brought back seeds of various grains, intending to plant and harvest them himself. Leopard Head Mountain was home to a host of demons and abundant in spiritual energy.

Compared to the mortal realm, this place could be called a land of spiritual vitality. If he were to sow and reap grains here, he imagined they would be far superior to those of the mundane world.

It was worth mentioning that during this trip to Yuhua City, Cao Kong had also caught sight of a blacksmith’s shop, crafting all manner of iron implements, though curiously, swords were the only thing missing. So he left silver there, arranging to collect a sword in a few days.

As for Ao You, after returning with her stick of candied hawthorn, she made no mention of leaving. Since Cao Kong had learned the art of summoning wind and rain from her, he found it difficult to urge her to depart. Besides, the technique itself left him with a lingering sense of fascination.

Thus, he sought out the Yellow Lion Spirit, inquiring whether Ao You could be given a cave to stay in, and also whether there was any land suitable for cultivation. The Yellow Lion was momentarily taken aback. Hadn’t the two just met yesterday? How was it that they were now on such good terms, already arranging living quarters for each other? This leopard, he thought, is quite the operator.

He recalled how the Nine-Spirits Sage had come asking about Cao Kong, speaking with a tone of admiration, and how, despite Cao’s formidable strength, he had given the lion every courtesy. The Yellow Lion, therefore, agreed readily: “Nothing could be simpler. Brother Cao, you can choose any spot you like for farming; as for the cave, let the lady dragon live right next to you.”

Cao Kong was puzzled—was there even a cave beside his own? Wasn’t his dwelling flanked entirely by rocky cliffs? But with a sweeping gesture, the Yellow Lion summoned a pangolin, who proceeded to carve a new cave into the rock with remarkable efficiency, completing the work in less than half a day.

Seeing Cao Kong’s amazement, the lion thought to himself, even at my best, I could only manage something like this, and the result would damage the rock and make the cave unstable. Yet the pangolin’s handiwork was not only aesthetically pleasing and solid, but he also cleaned out every last speck of dust, leaving the interior spotless.

Cao Kong couldn’t help but marvel—there was indeed a unique skill to every trade, and pangolins were born for just such a craft. Naturally, carving out such a large space so quickly left the pangolin quite exhausted, but the mention of a reward of cotton clothing and wine revived him at once. Simple pleasures for the simple folk of Leopard Head Mountain.

“Heh, Brother Cao, that’s about all I can do for you. From now on, you and Miss Ao You will be neighbors—make the most of your opportunity!” The Yellow Lion winked and, while Ao You was inside inspecting her new cave, whispered slyly, “That’s all the help I can offer. Don’t waste your chance, Brother Cao—this dragon girl’s beauty is truly unmatched.”

At that moment, the Yellow Lion bore a striking resemblance to those mischievous friends of Cao Kong’s in his previous life.

“Just a misunderstanding,” Cao Kong muttered under his breath.

Just then, Ao You emerged, casting a glare at the lion, who forced a polite yet awkward smile and made a hasty retreat.

As for Ao You’s attitude toward Cao Kong, there was naturally nothing amiss—after two days, their relationship was as innocent as could be.

Soon after, Cao Kong took some of the sorghum and began preparations for brewing wine. He found a tranquil spot and, with a flow of spiritual power, hollowed a large rock into a basin. He placed the plumpest grains inside, then used the rain-summoning technique to wash and soak them.

Since the soaking would take half a day, Cao Kong seized the time to cultivate the Golden Core method, drawing in the six vital energies of heaven and earth according to the hours.

A faint, spectral voice suddenly sounded—it was Ao You, the ink-black dragon. Startled, Cao Kong grumbled, “Must you always sneak up on people?”

Ao You curled her lip. “I’m bored.”

“Drink some hot water if you’re bored. I’m brewing wine.”

Ao You didn’t quite understand what boredom had to do with hot water, but when she heard about brewing wine, her eyes sparkled. “That sounds interesting—let me help you.”

“No need,” Cao Kong replied, well aware that the dragon girl was just looking for amusement. He brushed her off lightly and resumed his cultivation.

In his leisure, he took out the Sword Manual to study. Beside him, Ao You peeked over, trying to steal a glance. Cao Kong, caught off guard, suddenly found her little head right next to his shoulder.

“What’s this? There’s not a single word in it, yet you’re reading it so intently.”

Cao Kong glanced at the exquisite manual, filled with the deepest sword principles, then at Ao You’s disappointed expression, and realized she was telling the truth. No doubt, it was the handiwork of his master, the Supreme Lord of Salvation—secrets not to be passed to outsiders.

He couldn’t help but marvel at the methods of the immortals.

Thus, Cao Kong alternated between breathing exercises and contemplating sword techniques. He was of a tranquil nature, pursuing longevity and the Way; every moment spent sensing his own progress was a joy, never tedious.

At present, he had absorbed three of the six vital energies; the remaining three could only be gathered by night. When all six were united, he could gather the Seven Treasures—which referred to sun, moon, and five stars, or the seven luminaries, and also to the kidneys, heart, spleen, lungs, liver, gall bladder, and the “mud pill” center of the brain.

Thus, when night fell, he would seek the stars and gather their light to merge with his own seven treasures.

While pondering sword principles, he had no real sword, so he broke off a tree branch to serve as one. He practiced moves from time to time, each posture proper and precise.

Bored, Ao You suddenly picked up her bamboo skewer from the candied hawthorn and thrust it forward. Cao Kong, startled, parried with his branch, but immediately felt overwhelmed—as if every one of his moves was riddled with openings.

In the end, the girl’s skewer was pointed straight at his throat. Seeing his astonished expression, she smiled mischievously and provocatively lifted his chin with the skewer.

“Don’t be so surprised—I know plenty. That day at the foot of the mountain, you just struck too quickly for me to show my full skill,” Ao You said, clearly pleased with herself.

Though their acquaintance was brief, Cao Kong knew that the girl before him, cold as she seemed, was good-natured at heart, no different from a little child.

Seeing her so pleased with herself, he couldn’t resist teasing her. He wiped his chin with mock seriousness and said, “Your swordsmanship isn’t bad, but there’s saliva on your skewer.”

Outraged, Ao You attacked again, demanding, “Apologize!”

Cao Kong recalled the sword techniques from the manual and struggled to defend himself. He had to admit, Ao You’s swordsmanship was truly impressive—not something he could match with mere forms alone.

One fought for sport, the other to practice moves—and so the time flew by.

After half a day, Cao Kong ceased their mock duel, raising both hands in surrender. “Miss Ao You, your swordsmanship is superb. I am in awe—please spare my humble life.”

Ao You flicked her sleeve, affecting the air of a grandmaster. “I am merciful by nature; I’ll let you go this time. But your swordplay still needs much work.”

Though she said this, inwardly she was astonished by Cao Kong’s talent. At first, she’d found it easy to overwhelm him, but by the end, she had to exert real effort. For all that it was only a fraction of her strength, she was no novice—she had learned the sword for years under a great master.

Cao Kong, too, was brimming with spirit—he felt that sparring with others brought far greater progress than studying alone.

He thought, “Who knows how long Ao You will stay? I should seize the chance to gain as much experience as possible while she’s here.”

At that moment, Ao You shivered for no reason, unable to fathom why her dragon body—normally immune to heat and cold—should suddenly react so.