"Liquor God?" The corners of Ji Dong's mouth twitched slightly, but he soon regained his composure, "There's no relationship between us. Didn't you say that Yin Yang Demon Master is the noblest profession in the world? Then, why do you still address a bartender as sir?"
Yang Bing Tian had already steadied his emotions by now and he smiled gently. He replied, "That's because Mr. Du Sikang himself is a six-crown Yang Crown Ren water systems Heavenly Warrior, a famous Yin Yang Demon Master from the Northern Water Empire and a current power personage whose cultivation level surpasses mine. Also, the Five-Crown and Six-Crown mark a clear line of distinction, hence, it is only natural that I should call him sir. Now, let's hear your demands."
Ji Dong tried to cast aside his memories from his past life. He sternly told himself that he was now Ji Dong, not the previous Liquor God Li Jiedong; since he had come to this world, he must live according to its rules to make his return to the peak.
Having reaffirmed his belief, Ji Dong's eyes became clearer. He declared, "I have three conditions in total. First, I need a dedicated cocktail room and you should buy all the liquors available on the market for my use. This way, I can ensure that I will be able to mix top quality cocktails. Except for you, without my permission, no one else is allowed to enter the room. I will regularly work on my cocktail mixing there and I can't be disturbed. You have to guarantee a sufficient supply of liquor and bear all the costs."
Yang Bing Tian laughed heartily and replied, "As it should be. I agree."
Ji Dong lightly said, "The second condition, I will only mix one cocktail for you every day and you will bear all my other expenses."
Yang Bing Tian was momentarily taken aback and he awkwardly asked, "Why just one?"
Ji Dong gave him a glance and responded, "Don't you know that indulgence spoils the best things? One cocktail is enough for you to savor the entire day. What's the point of having me if you can't do even this?"
Yang Bing Tian seemed to be infected by Ji Dong's towering confidence, "Alright, I believe you. I agree to this condition as well. However, your expenses each month cannot exceed twenty gold coins. I do have a limit on my salary."
Ji Dong nodded and continued, "The third condition, as per your words, I will join the Li Fire Academy for study. I need you to assist me in completing my studies as much as possible and to help me amass the Yin Yang crown you mentioned, to graduate successfully. If, during these six years, I find that I am unable to compile the Yin Yang crown, I will leave anytime."
Yang Bing Tian looked at Ji Dong in surprise and commented, "Kid, are you really just eleven or twelve? Your minds is quite sharp, even comparable to that of this old man. I can help you in your cultivation process, but apart from assisting you to gather the Yin Yang crown, I will not instruct you on any magic skill. You should be aware of this beforehand."
"Magic skill? What is that?" Ji Dong asked in confusion.
Yang Bing Tian elaborated, "Before you gather the Yin Yang crown, you will not have any magic skill. It's only after you gather the Yin Yang crown that there will be a prospect for you to cultivate magic skills. Put simply, magic skill is the ability to draw on one's Yin Yang demon power. Ordinarily, after Yin Yang Demon Masters gather the Yin Yang crown, they take a mentor to learn magic skills, or they spend a lot to buy some magic technique books for study. However, the most useful magic skill is the one that suits you best. Moreover, you will hardly be able to buy powerful magic skills with money. Of course, you can also create your own magic skill. If you are successful, it will undoubtedly be the one that is most compatible with you. But it requires thousands of trials and tribulations."
Ji Dong inquired, "So, you are unwilling to accept me as your apprentice?"
A trace of pride similar to Ji Dong's lit up in Yang Bing Tian's eyes, "Let's keep things separate. The cocktails you mix are indeed outstanding, but if you aspire to be my disciple, you must display enough talent. The selection of disciples by Yin Yang Demon Masters is extremely strict, and so far, I only have one disciple."
Ji Dong extended his right hand towards Yang Bing Tian.
"What are you doing?" asked Yang Bing Tian, examining his hand.
Ji Dong stated, "Deal."
Yang Bing Tian chuckled, somewhat helplessly shaking his head. He, being a five-crown Bing Fire Department Grandmaster, though ending up at a disadvantage in a negotiation with a child which was quite unbelievable for him, had to hold back his dissatisfaction deep in his heart, for when he thought about the several thousand cocktail recipes Ji Dong had mentioned.
He gave Ji Dong's tiny hand a pat, saying, "Then, let's make it a deal."
Ji Dong proclaimed, "As a lover of alcohol, this could be the wisest decision you ever make in your life."
Yang Bing Tian smilingly replied, "I hope so too. Let's wait and see. Among those who have negotiated with me, you are definitely the youngest one."
Ji Dong asked, "When can I enter Li Fire Academy?"
Yang Bing Tian replied, "You are already in Li Fire Academy now. As the dean, I naturally reside in the academy, and this is one of my resting rooms. However, this place will belong to you from now on. I will order people to build a wine cabinet and get everything you need as quickly as possible. The school term starts in two days. For now, you should take the next two days to rest and recover."
The area of Li Fire Academy was not very large. After staying there for two days, Ji Dong had basically figured out the layout of the Li Fire Academy. The entire academy was composed of two teaching buildings, two dormitory buildings, two courts with a diameter of one hundred and fifty meters, and ten testing fields. Ji Dong had no clue about the purpose of those testing fields. They looked like big warehouse-like buildings and had a circular layout.
After eating well for two days, Ji Dong was considerably livelier in comparison to the time when he was brought back by Yang Bing Tian. His improved look became apparent when he saw his reflection in a polished metal mirror for the first time. The difference in his appearance in comparison to his past life could only be described as being worlds apart. He was ordinary to the extreme. The only consolation that Ji Dong had was that at the very least, he was not lacking any parts, and he had all that he should have.
Yang Bing Tian, worthy of being the dean, was very efficient in getting things done. Within a day, the wine cabinet was set up. His residence was the top floor of one of the two teaching buildings, and he was the sole resident, so there were plenty of rooms. As such, Ji Dong did not need to live in the dormitory and resided in the straightforward resting room. Of course, there was already a complete bar counter in the resting room now. All kinds of exquisite wines and tools for mixing cocktails were readily available. Quite a number of the wines were from Yang Bing Tian's collection.