189: Chapter 188 Master's Wine, A Midnight Fusion, Three Girls Terrified
The lights in that small building deep in the alley were still on.
Dim yellow light filtered through the window, casting a warm patch of light on the bluestone pavement.
Lin Feng walked to the door carrying two jars of wine.
The door wasn't shut tight, left slightly ajar; the sound of a radio drifted from inside—the warbling of Beijing Opera, specifically "Dingjun Mountain."
He pushed the door open and entered.
Zhao Ritian was the same as ever, sitting in his wheelchair, holding a purple clay teapot and drinking straight from the spout.
Hearing footsteps, he lifted his eyelids and glanced at the wine jars in Lin Feng's hands.
Those seemingly cloudy eyes lit up for a moment.
"You brat, you actually brought wine."
"I said I'd treat you to a drink, and I'm a man of my word."
Lin Feng placed the two jars of wine on the table and slapped open the clay seal of one.
The aroma of wine instantly filled the air, mellow and lingering, carrying the complex scent characteristic of thirty-year-old vintage—the smell of grain, the cellar, and a faint hint of flowers and fruit.
Zhao Ritian took a deep breath, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.
He reached out, grabbed a coarse porcelain bowl from the table, and handed it over.
"Fill it up."
Lin Feng poured him a bowl and then one for himself.
The Master and disciple clinked their bowls and each took a large gulp.
The liquid entered the mouth with a spicy sweetness, sliding down the throat and leaving the stomach feeling warm and cozy.
Lin Feng set down his bowl, feeling much of the day's exhaustion washed away by that mouthful of wine.
"I heard about the Zhou Family matter."
Zhao Ritian put down the teapot and leaned back in his wheelchair, his hands resting on the armrests.
"Those five old fogies from the Adjudication Division acted personally; it was quite a scene. Zhou Tiannan was taken away, and those Guest Elders and Elders of the Zhou Family were rounded up in one fell swoop. The manor has been sealed, assets frozen, and bank accounts drained. The current Zhou Family is nothing but an empty shell."
He paused and looked at Lin Feng.
"Word came from the Ministry of State Security that you're in charge of the Zhou Family's asset liquidation. Someone will deliver the property list tomorrow; what are your plans?"
Lin Feng picked up the wine bowl and took another gulp.
"I haven't decided yet. But don't worry, Master, I won't go soft."
"Go soft?"
Zhao Ritian laughed, a raspy sound like sandpaper rubbing against wood.
"You brat can actually go toe-to-toe with a Level 69 Japanese ninja now!?"
"I didn't kill that ninja; the people from the Adjudication Division took care of him."
Lin Feng corrected him.
"Also, the Medicinal Pills my Master gave me played a big role."
Zhao Ritian waved his hand.
"Medicinal Pills are just the icing on the cake; you are the blade itself. By the way, don't use that Giant of Light form or that 170-meter-tall Law of Heaven and Earth again for a while. Your Meridians haven't fully recovered; using them again might cause permanent damage."
"I know."
Lin Feng nodded.
"The Senior in the zhongshan suit said the same thing."
"The Senior in the zhongshan suit?"
Zhao Ritian was stunned for a moment, then realized.
"You mean Old Zhang. He's the head of the Adjudication Division's Medical Team, a Life Body with over 95% affinity for both water and wood attributes. He saved my life at the frontier back in the day. Since he treated your injuries, there shouldn't be any major issues, but you must be careful—his treatment can repair Meridians, but their resilience needs to be restored slowly by yourself."
Lin Feng poured another bowl of wine for Zhao Ritian.
"Master, regarding the Zhou Family, did you know all along that the Adjudication Division would act?"
Zhao Ritian picked up the wine bowl but didn't drink.
He stared at the amber liquid in the bowl and remained silent for a while.
"The Adjudication Division wasn't after you. The Ministry of State Security has been watching the Zhou Family's case for years. From Zhou Tiannan's eldest son colluding with overseas forces at the Void Realm frontier, to Zhou Tianhao hiring Baga Country assassins, smuggling restricted materials, and manipulating the Dungeon market—every single thing was in their files. They were just waiting for the right moment to close the net."
"And I was that moment?"
"You were the match that lit the powder keg."
Zhao Ritian took a sip of wine.
"You charged into the Zhou Family's gates, forcing Zhou Tiannan to use the Heaven-Burning Purple Flame and forcing that ninja to reveal himself—that Baga Country ninja, Sato Ichiro, is a major criminal wanted by the Ministry of State Security for years, with the blood of several Chinese soldiers on his hands. He was hiding in the Zhou Family, usually keeping a low profile so even the servants didn't know he existed. When you caused a scene at the gates, Zhou Tiannan panicked and called him out to help. That act confirmed the charge of the Zhou Family colluding with foreign enemies. The Adjudication Division was waiting for exactly this moment."
Lin Feng was silent for a moment.
"How do you know all this so clearly, Master?"
"I'm old, but my connections are still there."
As Zhao Ritian said this, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly with a hint of subtle pride.
"You think I'm just a senile old man sitting in a wheelchair drinking tea? Back then at the Void Realm frontier, I fought alongside those old fogies from the Adjudication Division."
Lin Feng looked at his Master.
This old man, who usually sat lazily in a wheelchair, lived in a dilapidated building, and drank cheap tea, suddenly seemed like a stranger in his eyes.
It wasn't because of the shocking things he said, but the nonchalant tone he used—as if those five powerhouses above Level 80 from the Adjudication Division were just old friends he'd shared meals and drinks with back in the day.
"Don't look at me like that."
Zhao Ritian raised his wine bowl.
"Once you reach Level 80, you'll get to know these people too; it's nothing special. Let's get down to business—when are you heading to the Void Corridor?"
"I'll leave as soon as the Zhou Family's affairs are settled."
Lin Feng said.
Zhao Ritian nodded, pulled a small cloth bag from his robes, and placed it on the table.
The bag was made of coarse cloth, washed until it was faded, with frayed edges; it looked ordinary.
But when Lin Feng took it, it felt unexpectedly heavy—not a physical weight, but something indefinable pressing down on his palm.
"What's inside?"
"Come back in three days, and you'll find out then."
Zhao Ritian raised his bowl and finished the last gulp of wine.
"I'm going out tomorrow to prepare something for you. The Void Corridor isn't an ordinary Dungeon; the Spatial Cracks inside will swallow any defense below the Law grade. You're strong, but you can't block Spatial Cracks. Come back in three days, and I'll give you something that can."
Lin Feng wanted to say something, but Zhao Ritian already waved him off.
"Alright, the wine's been drunk and the item's been given. Go back and rest."
Zhao Ritian closed his eyes and leaned back in his wheelchair as if he were about to sleep.
"You're not allowed to take that other jar of wine; leave it here for me to drink."
Lin Feng left the unopened jar of the two on the table and turned to leave.
As he reached the door, Zhao Ritian's lazy voice came from behind him.
"Don't forget, three days from now."
"I won't."
Lin Feng pushed the door open and stepped out; the night breeze brushed his face, carrying a faint scent of wine.
The streetlights in the alley were out, leaving only moonlight spilling onto the stone path, shimmering with a cold light.
As he walked out of the alley, he thought about what his Master had just said—the Void Corridor wasn't an ordinary Dungeon, and its Spatial Cracks required defenses at or above the Law grade to withstand.
Although the Taixu Shield was strong, it was essentially an energy shield, not a Law grade defense.
Could his Master really get Law grade armor? Where would he get it? Who would he go to?
These questions swirled in his mind for a few rounds before he finally suppressed them.
He'd find out in three days anyway; there was no use overthinking it now.