Chereads / The lord of life and death / Chapter 77 - 77. Water Monkey Wine

Chapter 77 - 77. Water Monkey Wine

As Rain waited in the room, Li Yanran, with a spring in her step, made her way up to the third floor and knocked on a heavy wooden door. No immediate response came, so she paused, listening to the sounds filtering through from inside.

A woman's voice spoke, clear and confident. "The information about the Water Monkey Wine we received has been confirmed."

An older man's voice responded, deep and authoritative. "The Water Monkey Wine could sustain three rounds of the auction. It's crucial—it has the potential to help Master Warriors break through to Grand Master status. News of this will draw every nearby Master Warrior to the event."

"Yes," the woman continued, excitement threading through her voice. "With the Water Monkey Wine, we could host one of the most significant auctions in Golden Treasure House history. But to secure the wine, we must first deal with the Water Monkey tribe."

Li Yanran shifted her weight, trying to stay patient as she waited for an opportunity to knock again.

The older man spoke up, his tone resolute. "Give the order, Miss. I will lead the guards to clear out the Water Monkey tribe and retrieve the wine."

The woman sighed, her voice steady but concerned. "The leader of the tribe is a first-order monster. To defeat it, we need a Grandmaster. If we request one from the main branch, it will take a month for them to send someone, and the auction is in just three days."

The older man's voice lowered, sounding both thoughtful and urgent. "What about the Grandmaster from the Black and White Holy Land?"

The woman responded sharply, "We can't let him know. He has no more than ten years left in his lifespan, and if he learns about the wine, he'll take it for the warriors of Black and White Holy Land to help them break through to Grandmaster."

The older man sighed, frustration evident in his tone. "We must find a solution." 

Li Yanran's heart raced as she sensed the conversation inside winding down. Steadying herself with a deep breath, she knocked firmly on the door once more.

A sharp voice called out, "Yes, come in."

Li Yanran pushed the door open and stepped inside. The woman who had spoken sat behind a desk, dressed in striking red robes that balanced both elegance and combat readiness. Her skin was pale as milk, and her exotic bronze hair shimmered in the light. Facing away from the door sat a sturdy, bald old man whose voice had resonated moments before.

Li Yanran bowed her head respectfully. "Manager."

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, assessing. "Yanran, what brings you here?"

"A customer wishes to sell a top-rank martial art," Li Yanran reported, keeping her gaze low.

The woman's eyes lit with interest. "Is he selling it outright or placing it for auction?"

"He intends to sell it to purchase 12 palm techniques—both low and middle rank—totaling 700 gold coins. He does not have enough money, so he offered to sell the top-rank martial art."

The manager's lips curved into a slight smile. "Oh, intriguing. Let's go and meet this customer. Old Gu, come along to verify if the martial art is genuine."

The older man grunted in agreement and rose from his chair. The manager walked around the desk and approached Li Yanran, pausing to look directly into her eyes. "Yanran, did you hear anything before you entered?"

Yanran's heart thudded, but she kept her composure. "No, Manager. I heard nothing."

The woman lifted Yanran's chin gently with her middle finger, their eyes meeting. "Good. Let's go."

"Manager, I need to take parchment and ink with me. He doesn't have the martial art bookand will write it for us."

The manager nodded. "Take it from my desk."

Li Yanran quickly gathered the parchment, ink, and feather pen. With the supplies secured, she followed the manager and Old Gu out of the room, their footsteps echoing through the quiet hall.

---

Rain waited in the room, the minutes stretching to fifteen before the door finally opened. A striking woman entered, followed by a stoic, bald old man and the server, Li Yanran. The woman took the seat across from him, exuding an aura that Rain recognized as belonging to a master warrior, though it felt diffused and less solid than others he had encountered. The old man stood behind her with a stony expression, and Rain noted that his aura bore a resemblance to the menacing presence of the Evil Crow—he was likely a half-step grandmaster. The fact that such a figure was guarding the woman hinted at her special status. 

Li Yanran efficiently cleared the table, placing the parchment, ink, and pen before Rain.

Xue Lin inclined her head slightly and spoke, "Hello, sir. I am the manager of this Golden Treasure House branch. My name is Xue Lin." 

Rain studied her, understanding the need for a guard, but the presence of a half-step grandmaster as her protector piqued his curiosity. This was merely a branch of the Golden Treasure House, and if such a formidable warrior guarded a manager here, the main building must surely be defended by grandmasters.

Rain responded, "You can call me Rain."

Xue Lin continued, "Sir Rain, I understand you wish to sell us a top-rank martial art."

"Yes," Rain confirmed. "It's a sword technique."

Xue Lin nodded, gesturing to the supplies on the table. "Please write the technique so we can authenticate it and determine a price."

Rain took the parchment and began writing. The room fell silent except for the soft scratch of the feather pen as he detailed the *Crow Sword Art*, illustrating each of the 24 intricate sword moves over the span of eleven parchments. After 20 meticulous minutes, he handed the completed work to Xue Lin, who passed it immediately to the old man standing behind her.

The old man, Old Gu, took the parchment with a practiced hand. His sharp eyes scanned the contents briefly before he fixed a piercing stare on Rain. "Boy, if this martial art proves to be a forgery, there will be consequences."

Xue Lin's expression tightened, and she addressed Old Gu sharply. "Old Gu, read the technique thoroughly before making threats to our guest."

Old Gu's eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded, replying, "Miss, this technique is called the *Crow Sword Art* of the Evil Crow Master. That master's power was said to rival mine."

Xue Lin's expression shifted to one of realization, her gaze hardening as she turned back to Rain. "Sir, if this technique turns out to be fraudulent, we will be compelled to take appropriate action against you."

Rain noted her tone and thought to himself that the *Crow Sword Art* originated from a half-step grandmaster of the Seven Evil Palace. If the Golden Treasure House had the power to challenge such formidable groups, then its strength was even more impressive. However, he remained unfazed. Leaning back in the chair, he relaxed further. "Old man, read the sword art first before you spout your nonsense."

Old Gu's expression turned fierce, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Boy, you do not have the privilege to call me 'old man,'" he said, releasing his half-step grandmaster aura into the room.

Rain, unaffected, leaned forward and rested his right hand under his chin. "Yeah? And what can you do to me?" He revealed his own aura, that of a grandmaster warrior.

Xue Lin, Old Gu, and Li Yanran's eyes widened in shock. But Xue Lin quickly composed herself, a look of excitement spreading across her face as if she had just found the answer to a long-standing problem.

Rain felt a shiver run down his spine at the way she looked at him. While Xue Lin was undeniably beautiful, Rain had long since become immune to visual allure, having come from the radiation world where genetic engineering had perfected human appearance. There, everyone possessed flawless beauty, making physical attraction secondary to wisdom and character.

Rain narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Xue Lin did not respond immediately. Instead, she exchanged a glance with Old Gu, who seemed to come to the same realization and looked at Rain with intense focus. Xue Lin turned back to Rain. "Sir, we can offer you all 17 palm techniques for free."

Rain had originally wanted only 12, but with the offer of all 17, he had no reason to refuse. Still, he knew there had to be a catch. "What do you want from me?" he asked. He understood that anything given for free often came with the highest hidden cost.

Old Gu handed back the parchment containing the *Crow Sword Art* that Rain had written. "We have a small request," the old man said. Rain motioned for him to continue, knowing that the decision would ultimately be in his hands.

The old man continued, "We recently discovered a supply of Water Monkey Wine, and we need your assistance retrieving it. The wine is intended to be auctioned in three days."

Rain was familiar with Water Monkey Wine, a rare concoction made from various fruits and herbs by the Water Monkey Tribe. Where such wine existed, it was always fiercely protected by the tribe. Rain got straight to the point, "You want my help dealing with the Water Monkey Tribe, and if you're asking me, that means their combat power must be on par with a grandmaster warrior."

Xue Lin nodded. "Yes, the leader of the Water Monkey Tribe is a first-rank monster."

Rain understood that in this world, animals that evolved to possess strength comparable to grandmaster warriors were classified as first-rank monsters. "When?" he asked.

Xue Lin replied, "Tomorrow morning. If you agree, these 17 martial arts techniques will be yours now, and after we retrieve the Water Monkey Wine and return to the city, we'll reward you with a top-rank martial art."

Rain considered her offer. "I want a palm technique."

Xue Lin smiled slightly. "Of course. Then we are at a agreement ."

Rain accepted the 17 palm techniques, glancing at the *Crow Sword Art* he had written. "There's no reason for me not to agree," he said, pointing to the parchment. "Can this be included in the auction?"

Xue Lin nodded. "Yes, we will auction it at the upcoming event" and she continued,"We'll meet at the city gate at sunrise tomorrow."

With that, and after a few pleasantries, Rain stood up and exited the room, heading toward the entrance of the Golden Treasure House. Just as he reached the door, he heard a familiar voice call out, "Sir!"

Turning, he saw Li Yanran approaching him quickly.

"Sir, here are 100 gold coins for the tiger skin," she said, handing him a pouch.

Rain accepted the payment with a nod. "Thank you." He left the Golden Treasure House and made his way to his horse, where Lian was waiting. He mounted alone, signaling that Lian was free to return her home. With a gentle command, Rain urged the horse forward and rode toward his house.