Page 155 (1/2)

Chapter 155: The Benefit Concert

The Wine Master broke in to laughter He lifted his right hand and, with a slass appeared on the table before Lan Jue It looked handmade, of sophisticated and rare craftsmanship

The Wine Master lifted the bottle set before hiers of wine sloshed within

Lan Jue watched the display, his eyes bright “So is this ht”

Lan Jue lifted the glass and swirled its contents, watching as the rich red liquid swung around in a clockwise direction He dropped his hand and took a wiff “Very fine I quite like the Leoville Las Cases Certainly worthy of being called the best of the Bordeaux Super Seconds”

“What year, do you recon,” the Wine Master tested quietly

Lan Jue took a tentative sip, sloshing the fluid around histhe sides and tip of his tongue, down to the base before slipping down his throat

Lan Jue hesitated, and frowned “The Leoville is a the more balanced Bordeaux wines across the years They’re all quite good, so it comes down to which ones are exquisite, and which ones aren’t quite as wonderful But this one see, bland Thin aftertaste I can’t place a specific year, but this must absolutely have been produced in the seventies of the former era The seventies were the worst years for Bordeaux Only the 1970 and 1975 bottles were acceptable This wine isn’t one of those So one of the other eight years, then You really are stingy! This is definitely a the lowest quality Leoville there are Even coe wine”

The Wine Master clapped his hands in approval “Good Your analysis was very good But you’re here drinking my wine, so what is there to loathe? This particular bottle is froe of going bad I figured if we didn’t drink it noe never would Older wines have a specific taste all their own, you can take largeris certainly better than not drinking So other than this business with the West’s Paragons, where are we on your search for the product of the Three Masters?”

“Wait a few days after the Castle’s visit I’ for the Clairvoyant to co as well There likely will be some trouble in whole matter, but success will mean quite the benefit I really do hope the quality and skill of these masters will have been retained after all these years”

Lan Jue nodded “I have my doubts, truth be told They’re not masters, but the product of As for us what problem could we encounter? They’re wine makers, aren’t they? Not powerful Adepts”

“We’ve never met them, who’s to say what they’re like? In the end I trust the Clairvoyant’s visions Like recently with you, his visions claierous But he knows the state of things, and how they can change A person’s destiny can change as time marches inexorably forward In the end all we can do is face it with energy and positivity”

The Wine Master paused then, and snorted gently “There isn’t very much left in the realer However this, looking for the Masters and their progeny, has always been a drea after this drea tiht even still be with us”

“What?” Lan Jue shot to his feet, nearly overturning the crystal glass in front of him

“That’s impossible Nearly all of the Three Masters were born in the twentieth century of the Former Era The nineteen thirties, more or less It’s been over two hundred years, ales ahead of where they were, and even now a person only lives to about a hundred and fifty How could there possibly still be a Master auess, but that doesn’t on live?”

Lan Jue shook his head “I should ask you I haven’t reached that level Hoould I know?”

“In reality it’s different for each Paragon, in accordance with their own situations,” the Wine Master said, in answer to his own question “But I can tell you that if a Paragon truly cherished their life, they could employ their own protoe It’s not ilint in his eye “So you’re saying if these nore the possibility However, this is all still in the realm of conjecture More inforot your attention, no?”

Lan Jue chortled “I was a mercenary A spirit of adventure coet started”

The Wine Master nodded “If everything frooes smoothly, we could embark in a month and a half As for this matter with you and the West’s Adepts, don’t worry The Avenue will iven the short end of the proverbial stick If they’re truly interested in burying the hatchet, they’ll need to show sufficient sincerity”

Lan Jue sniffed a laugh, draining his glass in one gulp “Then I’ll leave the issue to you Let ers only equates to a few runtled resignation “I don’t knohy I never rata here like I always threaten”

Beep beep beep! Lan Jue’s coe

Coht a smile to Lan Jue’s face