Chapter 77: Willfire Wine
Su Tianhao stood beneath the massive oak tree dominating his courtyard, its ancient branches stretching toward the sky like a weathered sentinel's outstretched arms. Tiny rays of morning sunlight pierced through the oak's dense canopy, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow across the courtyard's worn stone floor.
The entire space was eerily still—that peculiar silence broken only by the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze and the occasional melodic chirp of a distant bird. Su Tianhao's solitary figure remained perfectly positioned before his brand new bronze training dummy, the two disciples and servants who had delivered it earlier now long departed, leaving him to the peaceful desolation of Fei Wu Quarter that he had unexpectedly come to appreciate.
"I never realized the Patriarch could be so considerate..." Su Tianhao murmured with a warm smile as he ran his hand along the dummy's smooth, cool surface.
Earlier, he had inquired about the training dummy's specific capabilities and construction. From the two disciples who had delivered it, he learned that this was an Adept-level dummy—meaning it could withstand attacks from anyone below the Martial Adept Realm without sustaining damage. Even a Peak Martial Disciple would find themselves completely helpless against its solid, reinforced construction.
Such exceptional quality in a training tool would naturally cost a small fortune—only upon learning this did Su Tianhao truly grasp just how thoughtful Su Huiqing had been in his selection.
"With such an excellent training dummy, I won't need to worry about finding suitable practice tools even after the Qingyun Sect examination arrives," Su Tianhao muttered aloud, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns etched into the bronze surface.
"Haha, so this is the treatment clan geniuses enjoy?" Su Tianhao said with knowing amusement dancing in his golden eyes. "Not bad at all..." he added with a grin.
As this thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but recall the sudden, dramatic shift in how people treated him now. Even the two female servants who had delivered his meal earlier demonstrated this change perfectly.
In the past, they would bring him the same bland tofu or plain noodles with such monotonous regularity that he had gone completely numb to their taste—eating purely to silence his hunger rather than for any enjoyment. Today had been entirely different.
He had been served a magnificent feast: tender roasted duck with perfectly crispy skin, accompanied by roasted root vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes that practically melted on the tongue. The tantalizing aroma and exquisite taste had powerfully reminded Su Tianhao of life's simple pleasures he'd been missing during his year of isolation.
But Su Tianhao understood with absolute clarity that such pleasures could only be truly savored when one possessed sufficient strength to live free from constant threats and schemes.
'Strength is the foundation. Everything else is merely decoration,' he thought with cold pragmatism.
Just then, the peaceful atmosphere shattered as approaching footsteps echoed through the courtyard—hurried yet confident, purposeful and filled with barely-contained energy.
Su Tianhao didn't even need to turn around before knowing exactly who it was.
"You're late!" he called out without looking.
"Hahahaha!" The visitor's hearty laughter rang out, his distinctive silver hair catching the morning light and fluttering in the breeze.
Su Lei.
"I was simply making some preparations, that's all," Su Lei said with barely contained excitement radiating from his entire being.
"Oh?" Su Tianhao raised an eyebrow before finally turning to face his training partner properly.
Su Lei wore his signature silver robes that perfectly matched his striking hair color. His prized silver sword rested in its pristine white scabbard at his waist. But this time, he carried something different—something unexpected.
A gourd.
Not a weapon or training equipment, but a simple earthenware gourd stoppered with a cork and dangling from a leather cord.
"What is that?" Su Tianhao asked with undisguised curiosity, pointing directly at the unusual container.
"It's a gourd," Su Lei replied with a straight face, his brows furrowing slightly as if to say: isn't that obvious?
Su Tianhao shook his head with a wry smile. "I'm not asking about the container itself. I'm asking what's inside it."
"Oh!" Su Lei's eyes brightened with sudden realization, his entire expression transforming, lips curled into a proud smile. "This right here is Willfire Wine. I—"
"Willfire Wine?!"
Su Tianhao's voice rang out in genuine surprise, cutting Su Lei's explanation short mid-sentence.
"You actually know about Willfire Wine?" Su Lei asked, his silver eyebrows arching high with obvious shock. After all, Willfire Wine was exceptionally rare—not many people outside specialized circles had even heard of it, much less recognized it by name alone.
"Of course I know about Willfire Wine!" Su Tianhao scoffed lightly, though his eyes gleamed with interest. "Willfire Wine is a miraculous elixir-wine capable of restoring hours of lost stamina with a single small sip, while a full cup can keep a cultivator sharp and intensely focused through extended training sessions that would normally leave them exhausted."
His voice carried the tone of someone reciting well-known facts rather than rare, esoteric knowledge.
"I never expected you to be so knowledgeable about such things!" Su Lei exclaimed in amazement.
However, the truth was that Su Tianhao only possessed this knowledge because of his inherited memories—specifically, the extensive alchemical expertise flowing directly from his mother, Tian Yuexin.
Willfire Wine was indeed a rare stamina-replenishing wine particularly favored by dedicated warriors and cultivators who pushed themselves to extremes. Its primary ingredients included fire-root ginseng, stormleaf petals, and precisely one drop of salamander essence—all aged carefully in special spiritwood casks that naturally absorbed and circulated qi throughout the liquid.
According to Chenyuan's soul fragment, apart from being an extraordinarily talented sword cultivator, his mother was also a brilliant alchemist of considerable reputation in the Holy Central Continent.
However, although Willfire Wine provided incredible benefits, Su Tianhao also knew from those same memories that overindulgence could lead to inner qi imbalance or severe restlessness—making it as respected for its inherent risks as for its remarkable potency.
It was a symbol of unwavering determination—a drink exclusively for those willing to burn their very will like fuel to achieve their goals.
'But such rare wine can typically only be found within great sects and imperial families,' Su Tianhao thought with growing puzzlement. 'How could such a valuable treasure exist in this relatively small Oakwood City?'
"Su Lei, tell me..." Su Tianhao voiced his thoughts aloud, his curiosity overwhelming his usual reserve. "How did you manage to get your hands on Willfire Wine when it's so rare?"
"Hehe..." Su Lei chuckled with obvious pride upon seeing Su Tianhao's genuinely puzzled expression—clearly enjoying being the one with superior knowledge for once.
Hmph.
"Willfire Wine is indeed exceptionally rare, and you're right that it cannot be found anywhere in Oakwood City," Su Lei confirmed, his chest puffing out slightly with swelling pride.
Su Tianhao's frown deepened. "Obviously I already know it cannot be found in Oakwood City—that's precisely why I asked where you obtained it."
Su Lei smiled sheepishly, rubbing his nose in an unconscious gesture of embarrassment. "Hehehe... I begged Master relentlessly to let me have some from his personal bottle. Took nearly an hour of pleading! But I came fully prepared today—let's fight to our hearts' content without worrying about exhaustion!"
Su Tianhao didn't particularly care about the begging part of that story. He was far more interested in another specific detail.
"Did you just say 'Master'? You mean Third Elder Su Minghe, correct?" Su Tianhao said with obvious skepticism.
Hmph.
Su Lei snorted upon sensing Su Tianhao's doubt. "Master isn't as simple as you might assume and possesses far more connections than you could know. Also, Master absolutely loves fine wine—it's practically his greatest passion outside of swordsmanship."
"Third Elder Su Minghe is a wine enthusiast?" Su Tianhao raised an eyebrow in surprise. 'How did I never notice that trait before?' he wondered internally.
"Haha, enough talking! Let's get down to business already!" Su Lei declared with cheerful, booming laughter that echoed across the courtyard.
Without any warning, he uncorked the gourd with a practiced twist. The faint but unmistakable aroma of aged herbs and potent fire-root immediately rose from within the container—sharp, spicy, and somehow both earthy and ethereal at once.
He took a deliberately small sip—clearly savoring both the taste and the anticipation of what was to come—before casually tossing the gourd toward Su Tianhao in a smooth arc.
Su Tianhao reacted purely on instinct, his hand snapping up to catch it mid-flight with practiced ease.
"Nice catch!" Su Lei grinned with approval. "But don't gulp it down carelessly—this stuff is remarkably potent. A little goes a long way."
Su Tianhao examined the gourd in his hands with barely contained anticipation.
Carefully uncorking the container, Su Tianhao was immediately hit by the rich, complex aroma that rose to greet him—a sharp, sophisticated blend of earthy herbs mixed with hints of exotic spices that stung his nose pleasantly and awakened his senses like a splash of cold water.
"As expected of Willfire Wine," Su Tianhao murmured in appreciation. The effectiveness was apparent from the aroma alone, before even tasting a single drop.
Without further hesitation, Su Tianhao brought the gourd to his lips and took a small, measured sip.
The liquid fire burned warmly down his throat—not painfully, but with intense, invigorating heat that spread outward from his core. Almost immediately, a steady wave of revitalizing energy flooded throughout his entire body, chasing away the lingering exhaustion from his sleepless night of training.
"This—!" Su Tianhao's eyes widened with astonishment at the instantaneous effect.
He felt completely rejuvenated within mere seconds, his body suddenly light and free from all fatigue. The bone-deep weariness that had been slowly accumulating, simply... vanished. As if it had never existed at all.
"Pretty amazing, right?" Su Lei's grin widened considerably upon witnessing Su Tianhao's shocked reaction, clearly pleased that his surprise had landed so effectively.
Su Tianhao nodded slowly, still processing the experience. Although he had anticipated positive effects based on his inherited knowledge, he genuinely hadn't expected the wine to be this powerful and effective.
"Exceptional wine," Su Tianhao said with sincere appreciation, a smile crossing his features.
However, he couldn't help but feel tempted to take another sip—the sensation had been so pleasant, so invigorating...
Seeing Su Tianhao's hand beginning to lift the gourd again, Su Lei's expression immediately shifted to alarm.
"Do you have any idea how much I had to beg my master to part with even this small amount? You'd better manage it carefully so it lasts us for several days of training!"
"Yeah, yeah," Su Tianhao said dismissively with a casual wave of his free hand, though he did carefully place the precious gourd down—nestled securely between two thick roots of the ancient oak tree where it wouldn't be accidentally knocked over during their sparring.
As he turned back to face Su Lei, a flash of fierce battle intent ignited in his golden eyes—the kind of focused intensity that preceded intense combat.
"You're right, Su Lei," Su Tianhao said, his voice dropping to a more serious note. "No more talking. Let's communicate with our blades instead."
With those words serving as his warning, Shadowfang flew from its scabbard in one graceful, flowing motion. The distinctive sound of steel clearing leather cut sharply through the peaceful morning air—a sound that promised violence and demanded attention.
"I'll take you on with everything I have..."
Su Lei's expression shifted instantly to match Su Tianhao's intensity. His eyes narrowed to focused slits as his gaze locked onto the dark blade before him. His own hand moved to his weapon, and his silver sword emerged in a brilliant flash that seemed to capture and reflect the morning sun's rays.
The two swords hung in the air between them—poised like predators waiting for the perfect moment to strike, two opposing forces held in perfect, temporary equilibrium.
The atmosphere in the courtyard transformed completely. The air itself became charged with palpable tension, electric and heavy. The only sounds were the soft rustling of leaves stirred by spiritual aura beginning to leak from both combatants, and the controlled, measured breathing of two warriors preparing for battle.
The courtyard—mere moments ago a tranquil oasis of peace and morning calm—had been transformed into a crucible of pure intent where only skill and determination would determine the outcome.
Su Tianhao's lips curled into a predatory smile that would have looked more appropriate on his father's face. His voice carried absolute confidence.
"Let the training begin."
Then, without any further warning—he moved.