Chapter 721: Sitting Quietly in the Wine Tavern

Long Zhongzheng took Chen Changsheng strolling through Ximing City.

The place was much more desolate.

It had truly undergone a massive change.

Eroded by the passage of time and the chaos of the world, the population had plummeted. The bustling liveliness of the past was nowhere to be seen.

They spent the afternoon wandering like this, stopping here and there.

As the sky darkened, Long Zhongzheng headed home; he didn't dare wander the streets at night.

Chen Changsheng, however, said he wanted to go see his friend.

Seeing this, Long Zhongzheng didn't say much, only telling him to be careful.

Du Aniang's Wine Tavern was open. At this hour, not many people had arrived to drink yet, so the tavern was still fairly quiet.

Du Aniang sat behind the counter with her eyes closed, seemingly taking a nap, but in truth, she was engaged in Cultivation. The thin Spiritual Energy in the surroundings surged toward the tavern from all directions.

After walking through the door, Chen Changsheng did not disturb her.

He found a seat and sat down.

Then, he took out the blank book and brush he had bought earlier in the day.

'I forgot to buy ink...'

Chen Changsheng muttered in his heart. He shook his head, then put the tip of the brush into his mouth to moisten it.

Relying on the faint light falling through the window, he began writing in the blank book.

When his brush touched the paper, Chen Changsheng didn't even know what he wanted to write. He simply wrote whatever came to mind, frequently stopping to cross things out or make corrections. He would finish a section here, only to flip back and revise something earlier. For him, a simple wipe of his hand was enough to erase any mistakes, making the process quite convenient.

People gradually began trickling into the Wine Tavern.

It was a bit noisy at first, but the moment they saw the shopkeeper sitting with her eyes closed behind the counter, they immediately quieted down.

Not disturbing the shopkeeper when entering seemed to be an unwritten rule of this tavern.

They took their seats one after another, gathering around a table to chat in low voices. They were very well-behaved—likely regulars.

The sky gradually darkened until all the light was gone.

Someone groped around, found the oil lamps hanging on the surrounding walls, and lit them with a fire striker. Only then did the tavern brighten.

It was also at this moment that Du Aniang woke up.

"Oh, the shopkeeper is awake."

Du Aniang glanced at them and said, "I slept a bit too long. Come pour your own wine. I just woke up and don't feel like moving."

"Hehe, coming, coming! We were just waiting for you to say that, shopkeeper."

As soon as Du Aniang woke up, the Wine Tavern immediately livened up. The patrons raised their voices freely, no longer needing to hold back.

However, Chen Changsheng, sitting by the corner, seemed entirely deaf to their clamor. He kept writing without pause, continuing to scribble and revise.

Having gathered her wits, Du Aniang noticed Chen Changsheng sitting at his table.

She paused for a moment before walking over to him.

Seeing that he was completely absorbed in his writing, she simply stood behind him and watched for a moment.

But her figure blocked the light, drawing Chen Changsheng's attention.

Chen Changsheng stopped his brush and turned his head to look.

Du Aniang smiled. "It seems I've disturbed Senior."

"What are you saying?"

Chen Changsheng smiled, not minding it at all.

Du Aniang then sat down and asked, "What is Senior writing?"

Chen Changsheng looked down and said, "Just writing whatever comes to mind. It's merely some of my own insights."

Du Aniang nodded and asked, "When did Senior arrive?"

"Just recently."

"You don't look like you just arrived."

Chen Changsheng smiled and said, "It makes no real difference."

Du Aniang chuckled, then said, "I'll go get some wine."

Chen Changsheng nodded.

Du Aniang soon returned, carrying the wine.

Du Aniang, who usually never stepped out from behind the counter, was actually sitting out in the shop drinking with someone.

This surprised everyone present.

Some of them had already seen Chen Changsheng yesterday. Seeing this happen again today inevitably sparked their suspicions.

A few of them even felt a bit jealous, muttering, "Isn't he just a pretty boy?"

How could Du Aniang not hear them? She immediately raised her voice and shouted, "Oh? Let me see who's over there getting jealous!"

At these words, several people immediately lowered their heads in embarrassment.

"The shopkeeper's ears are way too sharp."

Du Aniang shot them a glare and snapped, "Stop running your mouths. This is my Senior. Speak nonsense again, and I'll tear your mouths wide open!"

"We won't say it, we won't say it..."

The crowd in the Wine Tavern hurriedly waved their hands, laughing it off before returning to their drinks.

Once they knew the truth, they no longer felt so upset.

In the hearts of these jianghu wanderers, the shopkeeper was their shopkeeper, and they were her patrons. For a stranger to suddenly appear and be so close to her naturally caused a bit of displeasure.

Chen Changsheng smiled. "Du Aniang, your prestige is as formidable as ever."

Du Aniang laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment from Senior."

Chen Changsheng smiled. Du Aniang's bold and straightforward temper truly made it impossible to dislike her.

Chen Changsheng drank a few cups of wine with Du Aniang, and after that, they didn't chat much further.

Seeing that Chen Changsheng wanted to keep writing, Du Aniang didn't bother him any longer. As she stood to leave, she asked one last question.

"It's a bit noisy out here. Why don't you go write in the back? It'll be quieter."

Chen Changsheng shook his head and said, "It's fine right here. Besides, it's unlikely they could disturb This Chen."

Only then did Du Aniang remember that this Senior was no ordinary person. Perhaps it was because his casual conversation was so normal, or because the aura he gave off was entirely ordinary, that she had simply forgotten.

Seeing this, Du Aniang didn't worry about it any further and went back to sit behind her counter.

She still preferred her old spot.

A shopkeeper was a shopkeeper, after all.

Chen Changsheng simply sat in that spot and wrote long into the night.

Until the Wine Tavern was packed with people.

And even as they trickled out one by one, he never stopped his brush.

It wasn't until it was very late.

Chen Changsheng looked up, saw that there was barely anyone left in the Wine Tavern, and finally took his leave.

He took a jug of wine with him on his way out. Du Aniang still refused to take his silver taels, but this time, Chen Changsheng stubbornly shoved the money into her hands.

He couldn't keep taking advantage of her hospitality.

Because of this, Long Zhongzheng was often able to enjoy a drink at night. After drinking, he forgot many of his worries and found it much easier to fall asleep.

Over the next few days.

Chen Changsheng stayed in Ximing City the entire time, not even stepping out of the city gates.

During the day, when he was free, he would go sit in the Wine Tavern and write his things.

Once he sat down, he made no sound, staying until the tavern was about to close in the middle of the night before finally leaving.

He would always take a jug of wine with him.

Du Aniang gradually grew used to it.

And the regulars in the Wine Tavern also took notice of this frequent visitor.

Through word of mouth, they learned that this man was the shopkeeper's Senior, so none of them approached to bother him.

However, everyone had already formed an impression of him.

In fact, there were a few who wanted to find a chance to chat with this 'Senior'.

To be honest, they were quite curious.

Not only were they curious about this 'Senior', but they were even more curious about the shopkeeper's own identity.

Up until now.

No one knew exactly where the shopkeeper had come from, or just what kind of abilities she possessed.

And the less they knew, the more they itched to find out.