Chapter 41: Brewing? Hundred‑Fruit Wine

"Madam, I'm back."

Long Ming came happily to greet, but when she saw her husband, she furrowed her brows, immediately covered her nose, and wore a disdainful expression.

"Go farther away. What's with the smell on you? Your son used you again for pill refining?"

Chen Yuan nodded bitterly: "This time is different from before; Chuyang gave me a pill to eat, and then that's it."

Briefly describe the appearance and effect of the Hundred Herbs Pill, focusing on its side effects.

When he finished, Long Ming fell silent, waved her hand, signaling Chen Yuan to stay away; it's too stinky, that smell is overwhelming, she can't stand it.

Chen Yuan, feeling helpless and uncomfortable, took out a green‑pear spirit fruit and a spirit‑root peach, and handed them to Long Ming.

"What is this?" Long Ming's eyes lit up, smelling a fragrance, she couldn't help reaching out to touch.

"These are the spirit fruits your son gave you; eat them quickly, they're good for your health."

Long Ming immediately took them, thinking that a son giving his own mother something must be good, certainly not cold‑hearted; she ate the two spirit fruits in a few bites. In her mind, Chuyang is fine in every way except his lack of zeal in cultivation, and she doesn't pressure Chen Chuyang. With two cultivation prodigies in the family, having one more or one less makes no difference.

Chen Chuyang's average cultivation talent is actually a blessing; he has fewer concerns, is sensible, and won't vie with his elder brother for the Chen Clan's authority or that position, which averts the worries they had.

This son eases their minds, especially Long Ming, who dotes on him; whenever something good appears, she first thinks of her son. Of course, she is fair in this regard— all three children are treated equally.

And Chen Chuyang is naturally fine with this mother; the first thing he has that's good, he offers his mother to taste—such as spirit fruits, some spirit medicines—except the Hundred Herbs Pill, which his son hasn't let him try, nor the Item.

This is the tacit understanding between mother and son: when testing medicines, they seek others, never the mother.

"Any more?"

Chen Yuan produced a green‑pear spirit fruit and said, "There are plenty of green‑pear spirit fruits; the fruits on your son's mountain have all ripened. This batch is the first harvest, not many. After you finish the spirit‑root peach pit, give it to me; I'll cultivate it for your son. In a few years, you can eat as many as you like."

Long Ming nodded approvingly, eyeing the green‑pear spirit fruit, her mouth watering, but she didn't eat it.

"Has Advancement and Chu Ran eaten theirs?"

"They all have a share; this is your portion."

Long Ming blinked: "Is this not right? After all, these are the family's spirit fruits."

Chen Yuan, not being pedantic, gave her a cold stare and said, "If you don't speak, I won't speak; who knows the quantity? Eat yours quickly."

"These also belong to your son and your daughter; I've kept a portion for you. Take it, and don't let those people in the family know."

Long Ming giggled, "Smart move."

Chen Yuan waved his hand, signaling his wife to promptly give the spirit fruits to the children, while he intended to discuss with other clan members how to handle this batch of spirit fruits, and also reminded his wife to remember to collect the pits.

Long Ming understood naturally; she took the spirit fruits and went to find her Baby daughter.

The Chen Clan began the spirit‑fruit allocation war.

Or rather, many people saw the results and the achievements, so they naturally agreed to continue supporting the Longshe Shan project. At the same time, they began focusing on seeking spirit fruits and spirit medicines, striving to cultivate the Chen Clan's Spirit Field and Spirit Mountain, which is the foundation for the clan's future rise.

After seeing the spirit fruits, they recognized Chen Chuyang's planting ability and also elevated his treatment and status; these were inevitable. The Chen Clan doesn't keep idle people—if you're useful, you get heavy employment and the rightful rank and identity.

The great clan is just that realistic.

In smaller families, it's even more realistic.

All this doesn't affect Chen Chuyang.

On Longshe Shan.

Chen Chuyang harvested other fruits on the mountain that hadn't reached spirit‑fruit level yet; they had absorbed heaven‑and‑earth spirit energy, gaining some spirituality, and may need time to advance into spirit‑fruit trees. These trees, nurtured long by Longshe Shan's spirit energy, can metamorphose.

It is estimated to take about ten to eight years; by then, all the mountain's fruit trees will be spirit fruits. At that point, the Chen Clan will truly have no shortage of spirit fruits, able to consume them internally and also sell them, boosting the clan's revenue.

Harvesting this batch of fruit took Chen Chuyang two days; he carefully stored them. He traversed every inch of Longshe Shan; those fruit trees aren't simple, and their planting spots have been altered to become nodes of the Flowing Water Mist Formation.

These trees naturally receive the nourishment of spirit energy, a inevitable process.

"There are many fruits, plus the spirit fruits in my hand; even if I eat all this, it won't help."

"Second‑grade spirit fruits only boost me a little; they're not as good as a Hundred Herbs Pill. The Hundred Herbs Pill's effect is indeed decent, but its side effects are huge and need revision."

In the short term, there's no need for Pill Refining; the formula must be altered, and once a brand‑new version of the pill recipe is ready, Chen Chuyang will resume Pill Refining.

With many spirit fruits, they can't be left idle; there's only one solution.

Brewing wine.

Chen Chuyang has several types of wine in mind; according to the pill formula's extrapolation, brewing wine isn't difficult.

Putting words into action, he began preparations, washing the spirit fruits.

This process took most of the day: washing, cutting, then dealing with the wine. Longshe Shan has a batch of wine, purchased long ago, some brought by third uncle, stored on the mountain, allowing spirit energy to age it, making it more precious.

Chen Chuyang dug out this batch of wine; it exhausted him.

"We have the spirit fruits and the wine; this batch is just right, third uncle won't blame me."

All the spirit wine was extracted, emitting a strong wine aroma.

It had been buried for two or three years, perfect for steeping into wine.

Chen Chuyang casually forged several large tile furnaces, using earth fire to melt them, shaping them by hand, then cooling them. The resulting large tile furnaces, though appearing ordinary, contain an inscribed Formation—a simple spirit‑gathering formation that gathers spirit energy to enhance the wine's effect.

One could say these tile furnaces are a kind of alternative artifact; if people learned that Chen Chuyang does such… forging, many artificers would likely berate him.

The steeping process is simple; it's not true brewing.

One step was omitted.

After all the wine was steeped, Chen Chuyang realized he had misjudged the amount of spirit fruits in hand; some remained.

The wine was exhausted; with no other option, he piled the spirit fruits together, added some spirit medicines according to the mental formula, sealed them, and waited for the catalyst of the fruits and medicines to birth spirit wine.

"Done."

"It shouldn't fail."

Chen Chuyang wasn't confident; simple is simple, but whether it succeeds, he had no certainty.

Everything was covered underground, buried, and now they just wait for time to brew and transform.