This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 220 Master Zhu

Leaving the village chief and Ruoxue outside, Old Man Chen and Xiao Xingchen slipped into the house like ghosts. As soon as Xiao Xingchen stepped inside, his vision blurred as if looking at flowers through a fog. When he opened his eyes again, the two had disappeared from the house like phantoms.

"You're really cautious, little girl. It seems your old man's secrets are no less than the treasures hidden in the deep sea."

The village chief outside the house revealed a meaningful smile, recalling how Old Man Chen had started to make his fortune ten years ago. Ten years had passed, and he hadn't even realized that such a terrifying crocodile was hidden in this distillery.

"To be honest, village chief, this is the first time I've ever seen this side of my father,"

Ruoxue's expression was equally solemn. The two of them dissipated like wisps of smoke, clearly having been moved to a secluded place. Such a method was beyond her reach. To possess such a method, one not only needed unparalleled strength but also a powerful lineage.

"Father is really cautious. This great move was as smooth as a gazelle's horns hanging from a tree without causing the slightest disturbance. You've kept it well hidden."

Regardless of what's happening outside, Xiao Xingchen decided to make the best of it since he was already there. The more skillful Old Man Chen's methods were, the more certain he became that the person Old Man Chen had mentioned ten years ago must have had an extraordinary background.

"You're not bad either, remaining calm and composed in the face of my overwhelming aura, which is like strong liquor. You were certain that the village chief would make a move, weren't you?"

"Of course, after all, this is his territory. If he could just ignore your unbridled behavior, that would be truly strange."

"You're a smart kid. Now tell me, who are you? And why do you know all this?"

Both of them were transported to an unknown void. They stood facing each other like statues, gazing at each other. Mysterious smoke swirled around them like a veil, and they could not see anything else. All they could see was chaos, as if it were the beginning of the universe. Only the place where they stood was not swallowed by the chaos, like a bright pearl.

"Before that, Dad, you need to tell me how you brew baijiu, and who this amazing person is who told you this magical method?"

"You're dreaming. Your life and death are like a grasshopper in my hand. When did it become your place to tell me what to do?"

“Dad, we have to reason with him. If you don’t tell me, how can I bring it up? I need to have a starting point. I already have a guess about the person behind you. Believe me, we are not enemies.”

Xiao Xingchen helplessly spread his hands, but behind these words lay his confidence. Ever since the Fusang Tree was moved, it had been moving like a group of mischievous children without wind. The power hanging from those branches seemed ready to burst out of his body like a wild horse at any moment, breaking the current stalemate. Moreover, upon arriving in this unknown space, he felt that the Fusang Tree within him had developed an excited and eager emotion, as if something here was radiating a fatal attraction.

"I don't believe it," Old Man Chen said through gritted teeth, causing Xiao Xingchen to frown and press for an answer.

What will it take for you to believe me?

"Prove to me that you're not that vicious pursuer,"

"Proof? Sir, you've really put me in a difficult position. I don't even know who my pursuers are, so how am I supposed to prove it?"

"Then there's nothing to talk about. This matter is of great importance. You cannot prove your innocence, and I cannot trust you."

Old Man Chen's stubbornness made Xiao Xingchen hesitate. If the person Old Man Chen mentioned was a transmigrator, then the pursuers were the demons who hunted transmigrators. Among the piles of white bones in Xiao Jianxian's tomb, there must be pursuers. But what kind of people were the pursuers?

He needed to know about those people to prove he had nothing to do with them. Looking at Old Man Chen's unyielding attitude, it seemed he wouldn't say anything unless he could prove it.

"I don't know who the pursuers are, so I can't prove it, but I do know some key clues, and I hope you can understand them, Old Man Chen."

Ultimately, Xiao Xingchen chose to reveal some information about the transmigrator in advance to gain trust. However, how much Old Man Chen understood was beyond his control; he could only rely on keywords to help Old Man Chen make a judgment.

“Alright, go ahead,” Old Man Chen had no objection.

"The first one, the Cangshan Dragon Vein,"

This is the burial place of the transmigrator's remains. If Old Man Chen had any connection with the transmigrator, he would surely know this. Unfortunately, all he got in return was Old Man Chen's expressionless face. Seeing this, he could only continue.

"The second one had no offspring."

The inscription on Xiaojianxian's stone tablet warned that transmigrators could not have offspring. After saying this, he continued to observe Old Man Chen.

Old Man Chen continued to shake his head, which made Xiao Xingchen ponder whether he had really guessed wrong and whether Old Man Chen had nothing to do with the transmigrator.

"The third one is Master Zhu Wu,"

He simply revealed the transmigrator's name. Sure enough, upon hearing the name, Old Man Chen's face subtly changed, which delighted Xiao Xingchen.

"The ancestral temple of Yong'an City, the Demon-Suppressing Prison, and Master Zhu Wu's alliance with demons to resist Heaven."

Since Master Zhu had caused Old Man Chen to change, he continued to delve deeper, recounting all the information he knew about Master Zhu in one go.

Sure enough, Old Man Chen's previously calm emotions suddenly erupted, and he questioned him in an incredulous tone.

"You even know this? Looks like you're not the pursuer after all."

"So, Dad, the person you're talking about is Master Zhu Wu?"

Master Zhu knew that this was another transmigrator besides Xiao Jianxian.

Based on the timeline, Master Zhu Wu should have existed before Xiao Jianxian. This was the first time he had come across a clue about time travelers since leaving the Silent Temple.

"You even know about Fifth Master? That really piques my curiosity. You're still so young, how could you know so much?"

Old Man Chen waved his hand, and the hostility subsided. Then, the scene before them changed again, and when they reappeared, they were back inside the house.

"Sit down." Old Man Chen lowered his guard and casually sat down to the side.

“Old man, I really don’t know who Master Zhu Wu is. I only know that I once went down to the Silent Temple and learned from there that when the demons were exterminated, Master Zhu Wu fought alongside the demons. Moreover, he and I are from the same place. This is why I insisted on meeting you after I saw that you can brew baijiu. It is also the reason why I know about beer and wine.”

“Yes, I know. He once said that if anyone mentions beer in front of me, they are either the pursuers or one of his own. Now it seems that you are undoubtedly one of his own. After all, the pursuers do not know that his name is Master Zhu Wu. Only those he trusts would call him by that name.”

Old Man Chen's explanation also confirmed Xiao Xingchen's speculation that Master Zhu Wu was not his real name.

This is why Xiao Xingchen ordered Huayulou to investigate for a long time, but they found no records or traces of Master Zhu Wu. If the name is not this, then it can be explained. Now there is only one crucial question: if Master Zhu Wu met Old Man Chen ten years ago, then it means he is not dead.

The inscription on Xiaojianxian's monument states that all time travelers have perished. Isn't this conclusion wrong? If Master Zhu Wu is not dead, or if there are many more time travelers who are still alive, the information that can be unearthed is enormous.

"Ten years ago, did Father really meet Master Zhu Wu?" Xiao Xingchen hurriedly asked for confirmation. "Yes, Master Zhu Wu, he was indeed the person who changed my destiny."

"Please tell me in detail, Father, what kind of person is Master Zhu Wu?"

"Alas, that's all ancient history from over ten years ago. Since you're connected to him, I'll say a few words. But I expect you to keep today's events to yourself. If his whereabouts are exposed, not only will this place be reduced to ruins, but it will also bring utter destruction to Master Zhu Wu."

Old Man Chen solemnly instructed,

"Can't Ruoxue do it either?"

“Of course, I’m talking about everyone. I’m telling you this because you mentioned the name Master Zhu Wu. Otherwise, I would rather die than reveal his whereabouts. After all, the people who are hunting him have never stopped tracking him.”

"Alright, I understand. I'd like to hear more details!" Xiao Xingchen nodded solemnly in agreement. If he could find any clues about Master Zhu Wu today, it would be of immeasurable value to his understanding of transmigrators. It would be of great significance to Xiao Jianxian, other entrepreneurs, or even himself.

"As you can see, I am a madman who loves alcohol more than life itself. I wandered here ten years ago. As for the reason, I didn't want these fine wines to be sullied. Someone had to know that such good wines existed in this world. But I dare not show them to others easily outside. Only here, in this secluded space, do I dare to take out these fine wines and share them with everyone."

"You mean, you didn't meet Zhu Wu here?"

Old Man Chen nodded.

"Back then, I was just a refugee like a stray dog, coming from the Western Regions. On my way of fleeing, when I passed by the Lanjiang River, I caught a glimpse of a person lying on the riverbank. I felt pity and rescued him. Little did I know that this rescue would completely change my fate. And this person was none other than Master Zhu Wu."

"What a twist of fate! I never dreamed that the person I casually saved would have such an illustrious background. Seeing my passion for wine, he generously shared his knowledge and taught me the art of brewing baijiu. During his recovery, we traveled together, diligently learning the art of brewing as we went. Lanjiang and Yong'an are thousands of miles apart, and we endured wind and rain, trekking through mountains and rivers for a whole year before finally arriving in Yong'an."

"Just when I was overjoyed, thinking that I could finally make these liquors famous throughout history, he flatly rejected my proposal. He told me that once these liquors were seen, I would surely die without a burial place. Because these liquors were branded with his mark, those pursuers would follow these marks and swarm in like hungry wolves, and then destroy everything."

"At first, I didn't believe it. In my eyes, wine is my life. Such fine wine, if it can't be enjoyed by others, wouldn't that be a waste? Although I verbally promised him that I would never share the wine, in private, in order to earn some money, I still secretly sold some. I never expected that this would lead to a huge disaster."

As Old Man Chen spoke, he couldn't help but sigh, helplessly raising his head to look out the window, his thoughts surging like a tide.

"Ten years ago, Yong'an?" Xiao Xingchen tried hard to recall. If what Fifth Master Ruozhu said was true, the outflow of these wines would indeed cause a great disaster. So, what exactly happened in Yong'an ten years ago?

He painstakingly searched through Xiao Jianren's memories and was shocked to discover that ten years ago, two massacres of entire families had occurred almost simultaneously: one involving Ling Feiyuan's Ling family, and the other involving the Wu family. These two great military families suffered annihilation at almost the same time, and afterwards, the stated reason was rebellion. Emperor Wu even personally ordered the execution of the entire families of both families.

Old Man Chen turned around,

"Yes, because of my selfishness, hundreds of people died. Only then did I realize how much trouble this wine could bring."