Chương 224: Blazing Fire Liquor

Plum Manor. After the Yun family departed, Boss Song spent the following days living as freely and leisurely as he always did. Through Yun Xi's explanation, he finally understood. The hosts of the Yaochi Tea Party—the Heavenly River Sword Sect and Alliance Leader Zhao—cared deeply about cultivating the younger generation of the Yangnan Circuit.

That was why, upon hearing that Du Ruhui of the LingJiang Gang had dared to set up a secret ambush, obstructing an invited guest from attending the banquet, those at the top were genuinely infuriated. If Old Du wasn't also part of the Nine Rivers Alliance's establishment, they definitely wouldn't have let him off lightly this time. Despite Du Ruhui's strenuous denials, he was placed under strict surveillance for the foreseeable future.

Without a legitimate reason, daring to attack Song Que out of pure jealousy meant the Nine Rivers Alliance and the Lingying Temple would absolutely not let him off. This guy was now completely bound hand and foot, forced to behave. Grandee Song was happy to enjoy this newfound leisure, taking advantage of this rare free time to strengthen himself and train his subordinates. Even the Yang sisters and his pets were dragged into his rigorous training regimen.

As young ladies of a wealthy family, Yang Mi and Yang Zi had been nurtured since childhood, giving them an incredibly solid foundation. Despite their young age, these two little lasses already possessed close to one force of Horsepower. With Boss Song's Tesseract providing assistance, their breakthrough to become true martial artists in a short time was a given. Then there was Knife. Since he had become a trusted subordinate, Song Que didn't hold back in teaching him.

This guy's martial arts had advanced by leaps and bounds; breaking through to the Fourth-Tier within a few months shouldn't be an issue. Only Li Xin... Whenever Grandee Song thought of this guy, he could only smack his lips and sigh. Having been tortured to the point of trauma by Qin Wu here, Li Xin spent his days finding excuses to sneak back into the city. Today he was 'learning gang management from Shen Ziming', tomorrow he was 'visiting his mother'... he truly didn't give anyone peace of mind....

Wind Welcoming Pavilion. The plump Boss Xu had suspended all business for the day. Dressed in highly presentable attire, he had been waiting by the door since morning. Today, esteemed guests were gracing his establishment.

"Young Master Song! You've arrived!" Seeing Boss Song appearing at the end of the street leading Tie Feilong, Shen Ziming, Nie Feng, Xiong Ba, Zhong Hong, and Fan Yiwang, Boss Xu hurriedly squeezed out a beaming smile and rushed forward to greet them.

"You're too polite, Boss Xu. Has business been good lately?" Song Que greeted him amiably.

"Thanks to your blessing, Young Master Song, everything is going swimmingly." Boss Xu replied, his eyes narrowing into happy slits. He immediately ordered the servants to take the reins of their seven horses before turning to gesture the way:"Young Master Song, my lords, please follow me. I have already prepared the private room."

"Alright, sorry for the trouble, Boss Xu," Song Que nodded with a smile, leading his men upstairs. His purpose for coming today was to invite Xu Qing, Wu Tian, and the city's parent-officials for an intimate meal, taking the opportunity to ask for a few favors. The appointment was for noon, and as the hosts, they naturally arrived early. Not in a rush, he sat in the room chatting about gang affairs with Old Tie, Old Shen, and the others. Before long, the esteemed guests arrived together.

Three people entered the room. Besides Xu Qing and Wu Tian, there was a new face. Seeing them step inside, Old Xu immediately made the introductions:"Song Que, this is our newly appointed County Commandant, Lord Shi Shouheng. Lord Shi, this young talent here is the renowned Pavilion Master of the Moon-Lacking Pavilion in our Qinghe County, Song Que."

"Greetings, Lord Shi!"

"Pavilion Master Song! A pleasure to meet you!" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work! After exchanging pleasantries, they quickly took their seats under the servants' guidance. After chatting for a while and once all the dishes were served, Song Que finally took out the wine and handed it to Fan Yiwang to pour for everyone. A rich aroma of wine immediately permeated the air.

Only then did Grandee Song raise his cup and speak:"Thank you, my three lords, for giving me face and coming here today. With this first cup, I'd like to take the liberty of welcoming Lord Shi to Qinghe County."

"Haha, excellent! Cheers!" The group raised their cups and downed the liquor in one gulp. As the liquid hit their stomachs, Xu and Shi's eyes instantly lit up:"This wine..."

"Haha, Lord Xu. The favor I want to ask today revolves entirely around this," Boss Song smiled, satisfied with their reactions. At that moment, Old Fan placed three fresh jars of wine in front of the three officials.

"This wine is called Blazing Fire Liquor; I brewed it myself. We will be opening a workshop to sell it in the coming days, so I hope you lords can look after us."

"Incredible, truly incredible. Song Que, not only are you a master of both the pen and the sword, but you also have quite the knack for business. Truly impressive." Having tasted the wine, Xu Qing immediately understood its value and couldn't help but utter three 'incredibles' in admiration.

"Just a small achievement, nothing worth mentioning. I'll still be relying on you lords for your continued patronage."

"With the prestige of your Moon-Lacking Pavilion, it should be you looking after us old men instead." Xu Qing smiled:"Rest assured, once this item hits the market, even I, the County Magistrate, will likely bask in its reflected glory. Naturally, I will fully support you, kid."

"Haha, then I'll thank Lord Xu in advance!"

"Just call me Uncle Xu, like Old Wu does. There's no need to be so distant."

"Hehe, thank you, Uncle Xu!" Song Que naturally had no reason to put on airs.

"Haha, that's more like it. Old Wu, Old Tie, you two are far too unauthentic. To think you hid such good stuff and didn't share it with me! If this wine weren't about to go on sale, heaven knows when I'd ever get to taste it." Xu Qing nodded in satisfaction with a smile, not forgetting to turn and complain to Wu and Tie, leaving the two with unspoken grievances. They—especially Old Tie—had only just found out about this themselves.

Old Wu was slightly better off, having sneaked a taste of the wine Wu Yi brought back previously. But the quantity had been so pitifully small that it wasn't even enough to satisfy his own cravings, let alone share it. Facing Xu Qing's questioning, they could only brace themselves, clasp their hands, and apologize for their 'oversight'. The group then happily enjoyed the feast. Shi Shouheng wasn't familiar with Song Que yet, so he was hesitant to speak much.

However, with Old Fan and Old Zhong keeping him company, he quickly blended in. By the end of the meal, he had been coaxed into downing quite a bit of liquor. Fully sated with food and drink, Song Que and his men escorted the three parent-officials to the door. Before they left, he gifted each of them ten jars of wine, leaving the trio overjoyed. Boss Song was equally satisfied. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone playing dirty tricks on his business here in the future.

Moreover, he had also brought up the matter of setting up a toll road at Eagle's Sorrow Ravine earlier, and all three had patted their chests, guaranteeing their utmost support.... Autumn passed, and winter arrived. Winter once again descended upon the vast lands of the Great Yan. This year, the cold came particularly early. Though it was only the tenth month, the common folk could already feel the bone-chilling frost biting at their faces.

But for wine lovers, especially the drunks of Yangnan Circuit, they could happily hum 'the winter is not cold' from the comfort of their homes this year. The reason was that a few days ago, after a long period of marketing and building hype, the Yun Family Merchant Guild's exclusive Blazing Fire Liquor officially hit the market.

Unlike the rice wines and fruit wines flooding the current market, this special distilled liquor that could actually catch fire—with a taste so fiery it burned the gut—naturally caused a massive sensation the moment it appeared. The 5, 000 jars that flowed into the market were snapped up completely within a few days as its explosive reputation spread. Truly, a single drop was hard to come by. Rumor had it that the Sea of Clouds Pavilion had priced it at fifty taels of silver per jar.

But just a few days later, some people offered a hundred taels and still couldn't buy a single drop. To this day, the vast majority of people had only heard its name without seeing its shadow, left to vividly imagine this fine liquor in their minds. Because of this, the small county town of Qinghe had become quite bustling with pilgrims lately. Countless merchants and wine enthusiasts, hearing that this was the birthplace of the Blazing Fire Liquor, didn't mind the long, arduous journey to try their luck here.

It had to be said that a few lucky souls did get their wish. To successfully launch the reputation of the Blazing Fire Liquor, Song Que had specifically designed an exclusive retail shop in the city, steadily selling a small amount of wine every day. Naturally, there was a limit of one jar per person, but even so, it allowed many to taste this new, exquisite liquor. Now, the line of people pleading to buy a jar every morning stretched endlessly.

More than a few people even threw hands over their spots in line, forcing Xu Qing and Wu Tian to dispatch specialized constables to maintain order. A massive horde of martial artists fiercely flooded into Qinghe County once again, leaving Old Xu in a state of painful bliss. He had a headache because these grandmasters were causing trouble every few days, threatening to turn the commoners' lives upside down.

Yet, he was simultaneously thrilled because, unlike the Demonic Cult incident last time, this was purely a matter of prestige. It allowed him, the County Magistrate, to suddenly bask in the limelight once more. Fortunately, the men of the Moon-Lacking Pavilion stepped forward to intimidate the troublemakers. Overall, life in the city remained orderly and structured. With the influx of visitors, the business of local merchants and commoners improved significantly as well.

The other day, Zhong Hong couldn't close his mouth from smiling as he bragged that the business of his casinos had doubled, bringing a moment of joy to Pavilion Master Song as well.