This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 218 Clues Emerge

Flames roared continuously from under the large iron plate, and faintly, a furious roar seemed to be howling, deafeningly loud.

However, Ruoxue's sword was like an indestructible mountain, pressing firmly against the iron plate, making it impossible for anyone to see what was happening below.

However, the deafening roar made it clear that Old Man Chen below had probably woken up, because in Xiao Xingchen's perception, the ground seemed to be trembling, as if an enraged beast was struggling.

"Everyone, make way. Looks like the old man's finally awake."

Ruoxue smiled and said to the strongmen watching the commotion outside.

Laughter and cheers filled the area outside the distillery as people began to back away, seemingly anticipating a spectacular performance. After everyone had left the distillery, Ruoxue turned to Xiaoxingchen and said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm sorry you had to see this, but that old man deserved to be beaten."

"It's alright, it's alright, you can continue." Xiao Xingchen also took a few steps back. He didn't know what Ruoxue was going to do next, but judging from the expressions of those warriors, it seemed that she was about to do something amazing.

"Okay, wait a little longer, I'll pull him out." This time, Ruoxue mustered all her strength, and the sword pressed against the lid suddenly began to tremble violently, like a long-suppressed dragon eager to break free of its restraints. Then, with a "whoosh," the sword darted through the lid and into the wine cellar like lightning.

Immediately afterwards, countless sword energies and flames, accompanied by the alluring aroma of wine, erupted like a volcanic eruption, causing Xiao Xingchen to frown. Ruoxue was a fifth-level expert; such fierce sword energy would make it difficult even for him to escape unscathed. As for the situation below, he couldn't help but worry.

"Aren't you coming out yet?" Ruoxue frowned, as if she had been provoked.

However, before she could make another move, with a deafening roar, the liquor, like a ferocious dragon, burst through the suppressing lid. The raging flames were instantly extinguished by this dragon of liquor aroma, and the pervasive fragrance became even richer, like a refreshing breeze that intoxicated the senses.

The long stream of liquor completely engulfed all the flames below, and apart from the broken lid at the entrance, it was almost unremarkable from what it had been before.

The longsword flew back to Ruoxue's hand like a meteor. At the same time, an angry shout came from the ground: "You unfilial and disobedient wretch! You come home and try to kill me with a knife. How could I have such a troublesome daughter?"

The voice was hoarse, as if it came from the deepest hell.

An old man with disheveled hair, looking as if he had just come out of a bathhouse, and reeking of alcohol, slowly emerged from his body.

"Look, this is my old man. I hope you won't laugh at me."

Ruoxue shook her head helplessly and said to Xiaoxingchen. Xiaoxingchen dared not underestimate the old man in front of him. Since arriving at the ant cave, everyone he had encountered seemed to defy common sense.

Take this old man for example. Although he was just a brewer, the long stream of wine vapor he emitted was like a dragon emerging from the sea, easily neutralizing Ruoxue's methods. The difference was obvious. You must know that Ruoxue was a fifth-level expert. To so easily turn everything into nothingness, it's no wonder that these people weren't worried about the old man's safety at all.

"Hey kid, who do you think you are? Are you trying to steal my cabbage?"

"Greetings, senior. I am Xiao Xingchen, a friend of Ruoxue..."

"No need for further words. I don't care who you are. Take this big cabbage of mine with you right now. I approve."

Xiao Xingchen was taken aback, while Ruoxue was furious.

"You bastard, if you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll sever our father-daughter relationship!"

"You still know you're my daughter? Have you ever seen a daughter who would set her father on fire? Luckily, I still have some self-defense skills, otherwise you would have committed the heinous crime of patricide today!"

"Oh dear, my wine! All the aged wine I've accumulated over the years, you've burned it all down with that fire! I'm so angry! Even if you're my daughter, I will never forgive you, hmph!"

After saying that, Old Man Chen fell straight down like a kite with a broken string, clearly having no intention of coming back up. This struck Ruoxue like a thunderbolt, leaving her standing there awkwardly.

"It's alright. Since the old man likes to stay inside, let him be. I was originally planning to discuss winemaking techniques with him and introduce him to a few fine wines."

Xiao Xingchen winked playfully at Ruoxue.

"What kind of wine?" Ruoxue knew perfectly well that if a hard approach didn't work, she would have to try a softer one.

"I have a kind of wine called grape wine, which is made from grapes through careful fermentation."

"I also have a kind of wine called beer. This wine has a mellow taste, like fine wine."

He deliberately raised his voice, not believing that he couldn't arouse the interest of Old Man Chen below, a man who was addicted to alcohol.

"Is it really as miraculous as you say?"

Ruoxue responded with feigned surprise.

"That's for sure. These wines all come from another world. It's just a pity that Old Man Chen is not fortunate enough to enjoy them."

Xiao Xingchen stopped there, then winked at Ruoxue, signaling them to leave together.

Sure enough, the moment they turned around, they both noticed something strange coming from behind them.

"Kid, what did you just say? Wine from another world?"

Xiao Xingchen's heart skipped a beat. By the time he realized something was wrong, Old Man Chen was already enveloped in a strong smell of alcohol, standing behind him like a ghost. He hadn't noticed at all until he turned around and saw a face slightly flushed with the smell of alcohol.

"Greetings, senior!"

"Tell me, how did you come to know about these two types of wine?"

At this moment, Old Man Chen's alcohol fumes were like a surging torrent, forming a unique aura that locked him tightly in place.

A powerful sense of crisis erupted within Xiao Xingchen like a storm, and the Fusang tree swayed violently against his chest, like a spirit dancing in the wind.

As the hibiscus swayed, the various elemental forces on its branches seemed to awaken from their slumber. Like nimble little snakes, they converged through the hibiscus trunk, forming a powerful torrent that amplified the power of the battle sword.

With a clang, the sharp sound was like a sword being drawn from its sheath, releasing its boundless sharpness under the pressure of the alcohol.

With a single sword strike, a myriad of sword lights flashed, like a meteor streaking across the sky. He didn't give the drunken air any face; he attacked directly.

"Huh?" Old Man Chen let out a soft exclamation, and the aura of alcohol surrounding him clashed and pounded like war drums. This sudden clash enraged Ruoxue, who, like an angry phoenix, directly intervened between the two.

"Stop! What are you doing?" Seeing Ruoxue in front, Old Man Chen snorted coldly, his alcohol-fueled aura bursting like a fragile bubble.

Naturally, Xiao Xingchen had no choice but to withdraw the power of his battle sword. He was surprised to find that, with his breakthrough, the power of his battle sword seemed to be getting out of control.

He had clearly been holding back his strength, but faced with the crushing pressure from the front, the Fusang tree swayed on its own, unleashing the power of the battle sword.

Moreover, his battle sword seemed to have undergone some kind of strange change. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was different, but he could sense that once the power on the sword was fully unleashed, it would be like a volcanic eruption, destroying the world.

"Nothing, kid. How do you know about beer?"

Old Man Chen's gaze was like that of a hawk, fixed on Xiao Xingchen without ever leaving him for a moment. Even when Ruoxue stood in front of him, it could not change his gaze in the slightest.

He seemed determined to know the answer before him, as if it were a mystery concerning life and death.

"You know about beer?" Xiao Xingchen was overjoyed, as if he had seen a ray of light in the darkness, and it seemed that he was getting closer and closer to his guess.

"Nonsense! I've been immersed in the art of wine all my life, like a fish swimming in water. How could I not know all the fine wines in the world? But you do know? Tell me, who sent you?"

At this moment, Old Man Chen was like an enraged lion, with a murderous intent spreading like a tide, leaving Ruoxue completely bewildered. Her brows furrowed, her eyes blazing as she stared at the two of them, racking her brains to figure out what had happened and why her father had suddenly become so unfamiliar.

"Before answering your question, I'd like to know how you know about beer?" Xiao Xingchen was not to be outdone, showing no sign of backing down despite Ruoxue's presence. After all, this answer was crucial; if the existence of beer were confirmed, the consequences would be unimaginable... "Hmph, do you want to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit?"

"Shut up, both of you!" Ruoxue was furious, her anger erupting like a volcano. She felt completely ignored by the two of them. "Girl, stand up! This man is definitely suspicious, I have to take him down."

"Go to hell! Get back to your tavern! This is my friend, I just brought him back, and you're already trying to lay a hand on him! You...you...you...you're infuriating!"

"Stop making a scene, this person really has a problem," Old Man Chen said, his voice lowering involuntarily as he saw Ruoxue's uncontrollable anger. "He has a problem? I think you're the one with the problem!"

"Ruoxue, let me speak." Xiao Xingchen made a quick decision and stepped forward, because this was a matter between him and Old Man Chen. "You speak? What can you possibly say? Why are you suddenly shouting for violence? Is it all because of that beer?" Ruoxue was still full of doubt.

“Actually, since I came to this winery, I have discovered many problems. I am very concerned about the origin of this wine, as it involves a lot of deep issues. I wanted to see your father to ask him where you learned the craft of making this wine.”

"Haha, as expected, you really are from that side. Very well, since that's the case, there's no need for further words. Prepare to die!"

Upon hearing these words, Old Man Chen's face turned deathly pale. He then burst into wild laughter and made a sudden move, which shocked Ruoxue and Xiaoxingchen, turning them ashen-faced.

As soon as Old Man Chen made his move, the wine here seemed to come alive. Whether it was the fine wine in the wine pool or the wine in the winery, all of them were summoned and surged into the void like a tide, gathering and condensing behind him.

In an instant, a colossal water dragon descended from the sky, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, its momentum menacing.

"You're insane! You're all completely insane!"

Ruoxue roared, and the long sword in her hand shot out like a meteor, blocking the two of them. The sword energy of the fifth level raged like a storm, trying to block the gathering of the wine aroma in the area.

“Young lady, you’re new here and don’t know how treacherous people can be. This man is cunning and treacherous, with a heart of stone. I’ll take him down and then give you an explanation.”

"Nonsense! Get down right now, or don't blame me for being rude to you."

Ruoxue was equally unyielding, responding sharply to his point. This made Xiaoxingchen's lips twitch, and he sighed inwardly, thinking that like father, like daughter, the two had the same temperament.

Faced with the overwhelming pressure of the alcohol fumes, the Fusang tree seemed to sense the provocation and began to sway violently again. Xiao Xingchen hurriedly stepped in to stop it.

All of this points to one fact: Old Man Chen has mistaken his enemy for someone else. This means that another group of enemies also knows the origin of this liquor, or rather, they also understand beer.

This discovery was like a lightning bolt piercing the night sky, sparking Xiao Xingchen's intense interest in the clues of his past life. The previously perplexing situation suddenly became clear at this moment.