Since he joined the Taoist academy, and his Innate Divine Power triggered by chance, he heard a secret about this drunken old Taoist, and thus understood the other party's identity.
That secret was one of the only two Third Ring Level secrets he had in over a year.
"How come you're this drunk even in broad daylight? Master Tu? Old Tu? Old drunkard?"
Lin Yue stood in front of the recliner, shouting a few times, but found that the old Taoist was already so drunk that he was oblivious and didn't respond at all.
Seeing this, he didn't waste more words but instead smiled and picked up the wine pot in his hand, opened the lid, and gently shook it, allowing the fragrance of the wine to waft out.
Soon, the drunken Taoist, who lay motionless, suddenly twitched his nose, sniffing the aroma of the wine, abruptly opened his eyes, then sat up with a splash, staring intently at the wine in Lin Yue's hand.
"This wine..."
Master Tu sniffed the clear wine aroma vigorously, then praised, "Good wine! At least aged over seven years of Bamboo Leaf Green?"
"Sure enough, it couldn't escape the nose of an old drunkard." Lin Yue clicked his tongue and put the lid back on the wine pot.
"So it's you, kid." It seemed that Master Tu only then noticed Lin Yue, almost drooling as he gazed at the wine pot in Lin Yue's hand. "Did you bring this wine for the old Taoist?"
"What else?"
Lin Yue chuckled, "I don't drink wine, it's of course for you, this drunkard Taoist. It cost me six taels of silver."
Ever since hearing Master Tu's secret, he naturally catered to his preferences and now had an excellent relationship with him.
The other party wasn't fussy about small matters; calling him a drunkard was naturally nothing serious.
However, he was good to this old drunkard because the latter probably didn't have much time left to live, treating it as accompanying a lonely old man.
"Alright, I'll say you're a filial kid."
Master Tu chuckled and reached out, "Hand over the wine."
Lin Yue was just about to pass the wine pot over when suddenly he heard footsteps behind him, followed by a gentlemanly man's voice:
"Master Tu, it's been a long time, I've brought you a fine jar of wine, would you like to try it?"
Lin Yue couldn't help but turn his head to look.
He saw a young gentleman dressed in an ink-colored silk robe, smiling as he walked into the Taoist academy. The forbidding waist ornaments were conspicuous, his posture was upright, his appearance quite handsome, clearly a noble young gentleman from an official family.
Behind him followed a guard dressed like a Martial Artist in black clothing, holding a sword in his arms, his expression indifferent, his face slightly rugged by the elements, clearly exuding the demeanor of a top Jianghu expert.
Lin Yue recognized the other party.
Although they had never interacted, this person was the Third Young Master of the Qingdu governor's mansion, quite famous among the secular disciples of the Taoist academy. Naturally, he had heard of the name "Xu Mingli."
It was said that this young master's guards were first-rate Jianghu Martial Artists, and though the Chief of the Taoist academy was quite proficient in Daoist arts, he might not be a match for this guard.
At this moment, Xu Mingli was holding an elegantly sealed jar of wine, smiling as he approached Master Tu.
Lin Yue unobtrusively stepped aside, feeling somewhat puzzled.
This Third Young Master of the governor's mansion, although treating everyone with courtesy, was actually proud and aloof, rarely making friends.
Throughout the year, he hadn't interacted with Master Tu; why suddenly thought of giving wine to Master Tu today?
Xu Mingli walked up to Master Tu, catching a sidelong glance at the wine pot in Lin Yue's hand, saying nothing.
Instead, he bowed slightly to Master Tu and smiled, "Master Tu, I heard you're a lover of wine. Yesterday, while renovating the wine cellar at my home, I discovered a jar of very old Bamboo Leaf Green, said to have been aged for more than thirty years. It's rumored to be extraordinarily fragrant, though I'm not sure of its quality. I suddenly thought of you, an appreciator of fine wine, and hope you could help with a taste test?"
"Over thirty-year-old Bamboo Leaf Green?" Master Tu's eyebrows moved.
"Yes."
Xu Mingli nodded with a smile.
He then slightly turned his head and looked at the wine pot in Lin Yue's hand, gently asking, "Did this junior brother also bring some wine for Master Tu? Hmm, it's Bamboo Leaf Green as well. How many years has it been aged?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yue realized that this noble gentleman probably wanted to use his wine as a comparison.
Such acts of flaunting were only meaningful with a point of contrast to highlight the difference.
He didn't mind, instead saying with a face full of embarrassment, "I bought this from Fuyue Building, aged just seven years, costing only six taels of silver. It's incomparable to Young Master Xu's thirty-year vintage, hardly worth mentioning, my apologies."
"...It's fine, it's very thoughtful of you to bring something."
Xu Mingli hadn't expected this junior brother to be so tactful, making him appear somewhat overbearing.
He immediately offered a step down, "As the saying goes, the older the wine, the better the fragrance. Although seven-year aged Bamboo Leaf Green isn't difficult to find, it's truly a rare fine wine. Master Tu surely wouldn't mind."
"You make a very good point, Young Master Xu." Lin Yue wore a genuinely fake smile.
Don't hit a smiling face.
With such an influential young master, it's better to give way.
Otherwise, if conflicts escalate, tidying things up could be quite troublesome.
Xu Mingli didn't say much, he immediately picked up the wine jar in his hand, slightly unsealed the clay covering, and smiled at Master Tu, "Why don't you try it, Master?"
However, Master Tu, with his tipsy eyes half-closed, lazily waved his sleeve after giving Xu Mingli a glance and said, "No need, Young Master Xu should keep it for himself."
Xu Mingli was taken aback.