Chapter 27

Bai Zhantang hugged the wine jar, still smeared with a bit of mud, and walked over reluctantly.

Pop~~

As the wine jar was unsealed.

A rich, mellow fragrance spread through the air.

"Fine wine!"

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he took a deep breath of the wine's aroma.

Li Taibai could not help but praise.

"As long as you like it."

Hearing the compliment.

Tong Xiangyu immediately broke into a beaming smile.

At the same time, she did not forget to signal Bai Zhantang with her eyes to pour the wine.

The moment she saw Li Taibai arrive, Tong Xiangyu seemed to become a different person.

Bai Zhantang, feeling rather sullen and resentful, dawdled along.

But upon seeing the man-eating glare shot his way.

He immediately, properly and obediently, reached out to pour the wine.

Whether intentional or not, no one knew.

As he poured, Bai Zhantang seemed to drift off.

Just as the wine was about to overflow.

Li Taibai suddenly raised his hand and steadied the wine jar.

He gave him a look laden with meaning, and earnestly admonished.

"Little brother."

"A beauty must not be taken liberties with, fine wine must not be wasted—these two things you must remember well in the future."

Having said that.

He picked up the wine bowl on the table.

Savoring it, he took two deep sniffs.

Tipped his head back and drained it in one gulp.

Bai Zhantang froze, his face a picture of bewildered admiration.

Looking again at Tong Xiangyu and Guo Furong.

They seemed to be stunned by those words.

The look in their eyes as they gazed at Li Taibai grew ever more worshipful.

Not only them.

Even Lü Xiucai and Li Dazui, as well as the diners who had returned to their seats but kept their eyes fixed on this spot.

All nodded in deep agreement, their eyes full of adoration.

Ximen Wudi, who had taken in this whole scene.

The right hand holding his teacup paused slightly.

He shot Li Taibai a glance that was both annoyed and amused.

His expression was strange, his face a picture of helpless laughter.

He remembered clearly.

These were words he himself had once said to him.

Except the original had been, "A fine view must not be taken liberties with, fine tea must not be wasted."

But in the other's mouth.

It had become capital for him to show off.

Truly, a small knife slicing open the buttocks—what an eye-opener.

However, regarding this.

He did not expose him.

Instead, with great interest, he sipped his tea and watched the show.

As if wanting to see what other outrageous words the man would come out with next.

He did not have to wait long.

Guo Furong, who had long been in awe of Li Taibai, stepped forward from the side.

She piped up with a grin.

"Sword Immortal, Sword Immortal, um... could you show us some swordsmanship, let everyone have a look?"

As she spoke.

Her face was filled with anticipation.

"A sword is a weapon of slaughter, swordsmanship is a killing technique—no matter how gorgeous the flourishes used to dress it up, that remains the truth."

"Compared to that truth, I still prefer drinking wine and chatting with the Misses—what do you think?"

Li Taibai shook his head slightly.

Under her somewhat disappointed gaze, he took a swig of wine and said with a smile.

"Right, right, fighting and killing really is beneath a gentleman of letters."

"Compared to all that, I'd much rather know—is the rumor in the jianghu that 'once you meet Taibai, you miss out on a lifetime,' and that poem, true or not?"

Lü Xiucai, who had been standing aside the whole time without getting a word in.

Upon hearing this.

He nodded in agreement and asked respectfully.

Once these words were spoken.

Whether it was Tong Xiangyu and the others, or the diners in the main hall.

They all turned curious gazes toward Li Taibai.

Their eyes flickered with the eager fire of gossip.

It was Ximen Wudi instead.

After hearing this question, he nearly couldn't hold it in and almost burst out laughing on the spot.

As for the reason, it was very simple.

This fellow had always been narcissistic.

Coupled with his love of bragging.

The three excellences of poetry, swordsmanship, and immortal grace were gradually no longer enough for him.

So, he simply used the vast intelligence network of the Yongqinglong Society to blow his own reputation as a great lover of romance far and wide.

For this purpose, he even went so far as to write a narcissistic poem.

'The steed trots proudly through fallen flowers, a flick of the whip brushing by chance a five-cloud carriage.'

'A beauty smiles and lifts the pearl curtain, pointing afar to a red tower as my home.'

Compared with his other poems.

This one was written with what one might call utter bluntness.

The gist was that, one day, he was riding a fine horse, preparing to go for a spring outing.

As it happened, when he raised his whip, he accidentally struck an oncoming horse carriage.

The owner of the carriage was a very beautiful lady from a good family.

She had originally wanted to ask what had happened, but just as she lifted the pearl curtain at the carriage door, she happened to catch sight of Li Taibai's face.

She fell in love at first sight on the spot.

She raised her hand, pointed at a red tower not far away, and said, 'Come to my home and sit for a while.'

Although quite a few people questioned the truth of it.

But there was nothing for it—Li Taibai's fame was simply too great.

The vast majority of onlookers still chose to believe him.

And so it was.

Li Taibai once again shook the Nine Provinces with his renown.

There were even quite a few Misses who wished to meet him but could not!