Nine Star Hegemon Body Art c1-2048

by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k

  Xia Youluo giggled, “Big brother Long Chen is very evil. That uncle fatty lost to him so badly that I couldn’t even keep watching. In the end, big brother Long Chen was so shameless as to even demand wine from him, and he cursed him when he didn’t give it to him. The two of them both cursed each other fiercely, but in the end, uncle fatty still gave the wine to big brother Long Chen. That’s why I feel that big brother Long Chen is eviler and fiercer than uncle fatty!”

  “Ungrateful person who forgets kindness, spit out all my wine,” demanded Long Chen frostily.

  “Tch, put out your hand and I’ll spit it out.” Xia Youluo stuck out her tongue at him and made a vomiting motion.

  “Youluo, pay attention to your manners. You are a princess.” Xia Yunchong pulled on Xia Youluo. How had this child turned so foolish as to make such an improper action?

  Zi Yan smiled slightly. “Long Chen is someone who likes to act naturally without caring about trifles. And sister Youluo is also very good. You’re kind and pure, so being casual is fine.”

  “Oh, big sister Zi Yan overpraises me!” Xia Youluo was incredibly excited to receive Zi Yan’s praise.

  Han Wenjun and Li Wanji exchanged a glance, both seeing the anger in the other’s eyes. The two of them were like shadows, completely ignored.

  However, their main goal in coming to the Grand Xia this time was to curry favor with the Wine God Palace. They had no choice but to follow them.

  As the welcoming disciple led the way, they crossed a large mountain, arriving in a flat land with a palace built on top of it.

  “Please go inside.” The welcoming disciple only led them to the gate before stopping and expressing that they could enter.

  Entering, the first thing they saw was a folding screen. There was a poem written on top of it:

  “Wine contains the great universe, the pot contains the passing of time. All things are in motion, freely changing. Clear wine is tasteless like water, turbid wine is dense like soup. Primal chaos devolves into clearness and turbidness. A hundred flavors brew within the sky. Wine allows one to escape the pathless chase of fame and fortune. To become intoxicated is to dream of ten thousand Daos, to wake is to see the world.”

  This poem was written using immortal characters. The strokes of the characters never paused, making the poem look like it had been written in one go. It looked a bit messy and also carefree. It was like it had been written to vent emotions.

  It was as if a master calligrapher had gotten drunk and written it without any care for tidiness. It was confident and easy, and contained its own Dao charm.

  Zi Yan and the others stood in front of the screen and were lost in thought as they looked over the words. Whether it was the actual words or the calligraphy, they all contained boundless Dao charm. If they could comprehend the profundities within it, it would benefit them for a lifetime.

  “This is a kind of peak realm and also an artistic realm. A flash of emotion and insight from the writer made them use this rapid and carefree method to express their comprehension. This kind of wisdom, this magical power…” praised Han Wenjun as he examined the writing.

  It was unknown whether he was doing it intentionally, but his huge mass of praise made Long Chen’s hair stand on end.

  Did he really have no shame? Even if he had to give praise, he should base it on the facts. The way Han Wenjun put it, it seemed like these words could bring the dead back to life.

  “You flatter me. As expected of the Grand Han’s prince, this imaginative power and brilliance with words are admirable. I wonder if the other friends can appraise this old man’s scribble?” An ancient voice rang out from within the palace.

  Everyone was shocked. For this person to be speaking from within the palace, it had to be the High Priest. It was unexpected that this poem had been personally written by the High Priest.

  “Senior’s calligraphy is carefree and uninhibited. The bold strokes are like coiling dragons expressing their own transcendent wills…” said Li Wanji.

  Following Han Wenjun, Li Wanji also began to overflow with praise, making Long Chen speechless.

  The High Priest’s voice rang out, “This old man’s calligraphy is very unskilled. For young friend to praise me like this makes me blush with shame. Do the other friends have anything to say? Please, don’t be constrained.”

  The High Priest’s voice was extremely kind and peaceful. He didn’t have any of the domineering air of a peerless expert. He seemed more like a kind elder.

  “This little one doesn’t understand calligraphy, but within the words, I can sense a boundless and majestic artistic realm. It’s very beneficial to my cultivation, so senior’s divine masterpiece has already greatly benefitted me,” said Xia Yunchong respectfully.

  “Young friend cultivates the Undefeatable Dao, which requires paying particular attention to the heart. To keep a heart worry-free is very difficult,” said the High Priest.

  “Long Chen, I…” Xia Youluo was a bit nervous.

  “It’s fine. Worst case, just say a bunch of nonsense. The High Priest is a very nice person; he won’t kill you.” Long Chen smiled at the pale Xia Youluo.

  Now even Zi Yan was speechless. Long Chen really did dare to say anything. Did he not know how to judge the situation first?

  “Haha, young friend, don’t be nervous. You can say whatever you want,” laughed the High Priest.

  “Then I’ll tell you the truth. I didn’t feel anything. I don’t even recognize most of these characters,” said Xia Youluo embarrassedly.

  “Hahaha, good. It’s rare to have someone be so frank. If you know, then you know. If you don’t know, then you don’t know. Considering the vastness of the world, who could possibly know everything?” laughed the High Priest, sounding surprisingly happy.

  “Many thanks, grandpa High Priest,” said Xia Youluo happily, being so intimate as to even change the way she called the High Priest, from senior to grandpa. But Xia Youluo did look cute, especially when she wasn’t being obstinate. She looked like a pure child who naturally had no schemes.

  “The Illusive Music Immortal Palace’s distinguished disciple, do you have any comments on my scribbling?” The High Priest’s tone was clearly different when it came toward Zi Yan. It actually had the feeling of him speaking to someone of the same generation.

  “Using the Wine Dao to approach the Heavenly Daos, attempting to break through.” Zi Yan softly opened her mouth and only said a few words.

  “Truly worthy of being a genius of the Illusive Music Immortal Palace. You even managed to see through my realm.” The High Priest seemed to greatly appreciate Zi Yan’s comment.

  “Young friend Long Chen, last time you came, I was in seclusion so we had no opportunity to meet. It was truly regretful. But I heard that you managed to plunder everything from my Wine God Palace’s disciples. This ability fills me with admiration.” Now the High Priest’s voice contained a joking tone.

  Long Chen immediately felt like his face was burning. It was as though he had tricked a child of their lollipop, and now their family head had come to ask what had happened. He awkwardly said, “Cough, In truth, it was just a social exchange. Yes, a social exchange.”

  Long Chen wouldn’t admit to something like swindling people even if he was beaten to death. That was his strongest point.

  “Haha, it was just a joke. I wonder if young friend can give me some comments about my scribblings?” said the High Priest.

  Long Chen thought about it for a moment and said, “Other than wine, there is nothing else.”

  When Zi Yan heard this, she became lost in thought. When she looked at those words once more, a flash of insight appeared in her eyes, and her lips curled up into a beautiful smile.

  “Other than wine, there is nothing else. Haha, other than wine, there is nothing else…” The High Priest laughed delightedly.

  The screen slowly moved away, revealing a bricked path. The bricks were so old that they were grey and covered in fine cracks.


  Behind the screen was a statue. It was around the same size as a real person.

  It depicted a man holding a wine pot in one hand and a wine cup in another, drinking without restraint. A tranquil and peaceful light shone in his eyes, along with divine light.

  Once they approached the statue, Zi Yan, Xia Yunchong, Han Wenjun, and the others all involuntarily knelt on the ground, dumbfounding Long Chen.

  Chapter 1200 The High Priest

  Damnit, why do we have to kneel? I’m not used to that. Looking at everyone else kowtowing to the statue devoutly, Long Chen couldn’t help being stupefied. He was too conspicuous now as the only one standing.

  He knew this was the Wine God’s statue, a symbol of the Wine God’s inheritance, as well as representing the Wine God’s Dao. Kneeling toward it was to display their respect to the god.

  This wasn’t a form of surrender, but simply etiquette. However, for a long time now, Long Chen hadn’t been able to force himself to kneel.

  But with everyone else kneeling, standing would make Long Chen appear rude. Long Chen repeatedly told himself that this was just a kind of etiquette, no different than a bow.

  He had only just managed to bend his knees when the High Priest’s voice suddenly rang out, “Everyone, come in. The wine has already been prepared, so I’d like to invite you to try it.”

  Thank you High Priest. You’re really handsome, graceful, and smart! Don’t worry, I definitely won’t swindle you of your wine. Long Chen was delighted to be able to dispense with the kneeling etiquette.

  Everyone only got up now. But seeing Long Chen, their expressions became odd.

  The reason why they had knelt was because they had had no choice but to do so. They hadn’t been able to stop themselves. It had come from a reverence in their souls toward a god, and only by kneeling could they calm themselves.

  “Long Chen, how brazen! Even the Wine God isn’t worthy of you kneeling?!” Han Wenjun directly insulted Long Chen upon seeing that he refused to kneel to the Wine God’s statue. He hoped to get the High Priest to expel him.

  “Does it have anything to do with you?” Long Chen rolled his eyes at Han Wenjun. He was truly a petty little person. What kind of crappy prince was he?

  Zi Yan looked at Long Chen in shock. She wasn’t jealous, she simply wanted to know how Long Chen could ignore a god’s divine might. Was he really so arrogant that he could even ignore a god?

  They quickly advanced forward after hearing the High Priest’s summoning. They had only just left the statue when…

  Crack!

  The statue suddenly became covered in fine cracks. The cracks were very tiny, and the sound was also very light. With their cultivation bases stripped, they ended up not sensing it.

  In truth, the instant Long Chen had started to bend his knees, the statue had quivered ever so slightly. And it was also in that instant that the High Priest summoned them in.

  Once they were inside the main hall of the palace, they saw a kind-looking old man with long white hair sitting and smiling toward them.

  “Disciple greets the High Priest!”

  They all hastily bowed. This High Priest was the one with the highest authority in the Wine God Palace. They all felt respect for him.

  “There’s no need to be so courteous. Please, sit.” The High Priest pointed toward the mats in front of him.

  From left to right, Zi Yan, Long Chen, Xia Youluo, Xia Yunchong, Han Wenjun, and Li Wanji sat down on the mats, looking at the High Priest before them.

  The High Priest looked like a very ordinary elder. No one could sense any cultivation base from him. He wore simple hemp robes and had a cane by his side. It looked to be made out of ordinary wood and was not a martial weapon.

  Sitting in front of the High Priest made them all feel exceptionally peaceful. They could be natural and familiar with him without constraining themselves.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken with guests. Today, I was lucky enough to speak so much with youngsters. It feels like I’ve even grown younger.” The High Priest smiled.

  “Grandpa High Priest, you’re not old at all.” The frank and outspoken Xia Youluo directly comforted him.

  “If you turn grandpa to big brother, he really won’t seem old at all.” Long Chen smiled slightly, but his expression quickly stiffened.

  He didn’t know why, but the words he had only been thinking inside had popped right out of his mouth. He looked in shock at the High Priest. Just what kind of ability was this?

  “Long Chen, don’t be rude.” Zi Yan glanced at Long Chen. He was going too far to even dare to joke at the expense of the High Priest. The others were too stunned to even react to that.

  “Hahaha,” the High Priest laughed, “It’s fine. Youngsters should act like youngsters. Otherwise, by the time you reach my age, you’ll regret being too cautious in your youth.”

  Long Chen was embarrassed, as well as apprehensive. The High Priest was probably even more terrifying than he had imagined. He wasn’t even able to be duplicitous in front of him.

  “Disciple Zi Yan pays her respects to the High Priest. I beg the High Priest for his guidance,” said Zi Yan respectfully.

  “This old man has nothing to teach you. The only thing I can do is give you a few jugs of old wine.” The High Priest shook his head.

  A jug suddenly appeared in his hand, and he poured a bowl of wine in front of each of them, gesturing for them to drink.

  Long Chen raised his bowl. He found that the wine seemed to be extremely turbid, but a careful examination shockingly revealed that the turbid entities were actually runes.

  The wine actually had runes within it. All its energy had been locked into the runes, and when the wine was swallowed, the runes instantly dissolved, their energy crashing throughout the drinker’s entire body.

  Buzz. Everyone’s bodies began to glow. Heaven and earth’s energy surged rapidly toward them, whirling around. But there was one exception. That was Long Chen.

  Long Chen felt the runes dashing throughout his body, constantly nourishing it. All his pores were opened as if to drink in heaven and earth’s energy.

  But that energy ignored him. It entered his body and then exited it, flying toward the other five. It was like there were six hungry hatchlings begging for food. The others were all fed but not Long Chen.

  “This is a wine I made in the prime of my life. It is able to connect to heaven and earth’s energy to temper the body. Here, try the second wine.” The High Priest poured another bowl of wine for them, but this wine was completely clear. It would be assumed to be water if it weren’t for the fragrance coming from it. Entering their stomachs, the wine energy slowly spread throughout their bodies.

  Compared to the previously fierce torrent of energy, this second wine was more gentle and mellow, leaving behind a rich aftertaste. Long Chen wasn’t able to sense the Heavenly Dao energy, but he saw Zi Yan and the others had content and relaxed expressions. They were clearly in a special state.

  Long Chen couldn’t help but bitterly smile inside. It seemed he had come for nothing this time. These final wines seemed to have no affinity with him.

  “This is the third wine. It is something new I’ve been developing over the past few years. Please, have a taste.”

  Long Chen raised the third bowl. When he drank it, he couldn’t help being dumbfounded. How was this wine? It was clearly water.

  Not only was Long Chen dumbfounded, Zi Yan and the others also did not comprehend. They clearly also felt like they had just drunk water. But comprehension suddenly flashed within Zi Yan’s eyes.

  “Many thanks for High Priest’s pointers. The starting point is also the end point. Rebirth, breaking out of the cocoon, leaping onto a new track in pursuit of higher points.” Zi Yan respectfully bowed toward the High Priest.

  “The true Dao is the peak of simplicity. It can be found in the curving of a square into a circle, in a surface broken by a dot, in a body covered by a surface. Even if it’s the inheritance
of a god, the Dao can still progress,” said the High Priest.

  Zi Yan once more bowed to the High Priest delightedly, filled with gratitude. “Disciple was lost and unable to break through the next barrier. Your pointers have allowed me to comprehend how to break through.”

  “Haha, I don’t have the qualifications to give you pointers. I just offered you a few bowls of poor wine.” The High Priest smiled. “The rest of you can wander around the other places of the Wine God Palace. Perhaps you will be able to make a few gains. I have a few things I wish to say to young friend Long Chen, so please stay behind for a moment.”

  Everyone was startled, looking at Long Chen with disbelief. The High Priest wished to speak to Long Chen alone?

  There was no way for them to refuse. Han Wenjun and Li Wanji were both jealous. Han Wenjun had come this time just to see the High Priest. For this, he had spent three years studying wine, completely mastering wine tasting, winemaking, and all kinds of etiquette and knowledge.

  Just by smelling it once, he could tell a wine’s craftsmanship, maturity, and composition. That was all so he would be able to appraise wine better and win the favor of the Wine God Palace’s disciples.

  But now, although he had managed to see the High Priest, he had only drunk three bowls of wine, without even gaining the qualifications to speak to him before being shooed off. He panicked.

  “High Priest, my Grand Han wishes to invite the Wine God Palace to establish a branch in my Grand Han, allowing the Wine God’s glory to shine in even more places,” said Han Wenjun hurriedly.

  “That’s a good thing. I will consider it,” said the High Priest.