Chapter 1: Ten Years of Flowerless Wine

 

No one knew when Shanggu's love of wandering the lower realms had disappeared. By the time the gods of the ancient realm realized what was happening, True God Shanggu had already spent over a decade leisurely admiring the setting moon and sinking stars in her Star-Picking Pavilion.

Yue Mi knew this, and having a respectable hobby of collecting treasures, she often wandered into Shanggu Palace to pilfer some valuables and bring them back to her own residence. Shanggu didn't bother arguing with her, turning a blind eye—until Yue Mi, that mischievous devil, set her sights on Flowerless Wine.

As the name suggests, Flowerless Wine is made from the flowers and fruit of the fig tree. This tree is both delicate and difficult to cultivate, bearing fruit only once every fifty thousand years. The wine it produces would intoxicate even true gods. Truly a rare treasure.

Yue Mi, a wine lover, had been begging for figs at the Fig God's mansion for years, only to be bitterly dismissed by the cane-wielding Fruit God. It wasn't until the tenth year that she overturned the old Fruit God's cave and used his cane as fuel for a fire, prompting the Fig God to burst into tears and complain.

"Oh, my High God Yue Mi! The Ancient True God has been guarding this place year after year, picking every fig until they're all gone. If you have the guts, don't try showing off your power here with me, a mere deity. Go to the Ancient Temple and cause trouble! You can't contend with her! Even though I've been guarding my own doorstep for over a decade, I haven't found a single fig left..."

So, furious, High God Yue Mi—the unrivaled plunderer of the divine realm—entered the Ancient Temple. Audaciously, she furtively searched the temple's treasure vault and winery, but couldn't find even a single fig core. Not only did she alert the guards, but she was also dragged before the Ancient God.

"Aren't you ashamed? You stole, and you did it so openly. And you got caught by the divine guards."

Shanggu clutched her teacup, her face aloof and godlike. Yue Mi rolled her eyes and chuckled. "How could I possibly surpass you, even if I were a scoundrel? The Fig God hasn't harvested a single fig in ten years, and you dare say that?"

Shanggu narrowed her eyes, understanding. "You want fig wine?"

"After hundreds of thousands of years of friendship, a few jugs?" Yue Mi sat upright and began to court her favor.

"No," Shanggu refused without hesitation, beginning to chase her away. "I've only brewed ten pots in ten years. Forget it."

"If you don't like wine, what's the point of hoarding it?" Yue Mi, a clever woman, somehow noticed Shanggu's absent-mindedness, her eyes fixed on the Peach Abyss Forest. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she leaped before Shanggu. "Where were you looking just now?"

Shanggu raised a meaningful eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Yue Mi gasped, pointing at the Peach Abyss Forest, her hand trembling. "It's not what I thought, is it?"

Bai Jue loved wine, especially Flowerless Wine—a fact known throughout the realm.

"Just what you thought," Shanggu's voice chimed in perfectly.

Yue Mi was momentarily stunned, then realized she had facilitated this good thing.

Ten years ago, on her birthday, in a moment of compassion, seeing Bai Jue's pitiful wait spanning tens of thousands of years, she'd taken Shanggu to witness the scene. Shanggu took one look and left without a word. She'd thought it was hopeless, and mourned Bai Jue's chances for several days. Little did she know that Shanggu would take notice.

Yue Mi thought that as the matchmaker, yet kept in the dark, she had every right to be furious. "You two are so polite when you sit together on ordinary days, just short of treating each other with formal respect. You're a pair of model True Gods, yet you're so secretive!"

Shanggu stroked the fur of the female gods' pets running around in the Star Pavilion and pointed toward the Peach Abyss Forest. "Why are you angry? You knew before him."

Yue Mi froze and turned back blankly, quite unbelieving. "He doesn't know?"

"He doesn't know."

"Did you send him your wine?"

"I sent it, every year."

"Is he stupid?" Flowerless wine was a real treasure. Even if brewed with a True God's power, it was difficult to preserve even one in ten, consuming enormous amounts of divine energy.

"Oh, when I sent someone to deliver it, I said it was a gift from Zhiyang. He doesn't know I brewed it."

Yue Mi was puzzled and touched Shanggu's forehead. "Are you stupid? You've secretly liked someone for more than ten years and done so much for him—why didn't you tell him?"

Shanggu shook her head seriously. "It's not enough."

She looked toward Taoyuan Forest. In that peach forest, the True God in white sat against a tree. He had black hair and a beautiful face, the finest in the six realms.

"It's not enough." Shanggu repeated and turned her head. "A mere ten years. How dare I go to him and claim to repay ten thousand years of time and waiting?"

Yue Mi glanced at Bai Jue and understood the ancient words' meaning.

To be loved by such a person for tens of thousands of years—even a supreme god like Shanggu would be at a loss and feel uneasy once she knew it.

He really likes her... or maybe it's more than just like... Yue Mi looked at Shanggu and curved her eyebrows.

What a pair of idiots, worrying their little friend to death.

God Yue Mi did not obtain the Flowerless Wine, but smiled as she left Shanggu Temple.

Half a month later, a small disturbance broke out in the human world. Twilight, the Lord of the Heaven Realm, reported the matter as usual. The memorial was intercepted by Yue Mi, who oversaw war disasters in the three realms. She made a prompt decision and sent a memorial to Bai Jue's temple, declaring that war disasters in the lower world were continuous, and Bai Jue, as a true god, should patrol. Bai Jue cared nothing for the thirty thousand people in the secular world. Over the years, Bai Jue had ignored Yue Mi's unreasonable demands. However, Yue Mi's memorials arrived three times daily and floated into the temple like snowflakes. The whole world of gods looked on with awe, thinking the three realms were in chaos and the mortal world had fallen. Bai Jue was so annoyed that he quietly found an early morning and descended to the mortal world.

Since he had descended to the mortal world, with Bai Jue's personality, he would not go in vain. He transformed into a mortal and headed eastward toward the capital. He was relieved to see the joy of the human world along the way. Half a month later, he arrived in Chang'an. It was the Lantern Festival. The human world was decorated with lanterns and the New Year atmosphere was strong.

The world of gods did have its lively days, but he was a true god with a cold personality. No one dared be presumptuous before him, so he had lived a dull life for tens of thousands of years. When he suddenly arrived in the human world and saw the hustle and bustle, he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

"No wonder you haven't returned home for hundreds and thousands of years. It turns out you've been captivated by the mortal world."

After touring the world and watching the excitement, Bai Jue thought he could leave. However, before he finished speaking, there was a roar of laughter from the crowd ahead, accompanied by a domineering voice that was so familiar it couldn't be more familiar.

"Boss, if you lose again today, these ten jars of Daughter's Red wine will all be mine. Don't cheat—the people of Chang'an are watching us!"

Bai Jue's calm eyes rippled. He stepped forward with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering, and he forcibly cut a path through the sea of people and walked to the front of the crowd.

A young man in Jin clothing with tall phoenix eyes stood before a tavern with his hands behind his back, looking arrogant. It was Shanggu in male disguise.

He was used to seeing her in long-sleeved divine robes, but this kind of dress was rare.

Bai Jue would never admit that just now, he, a dignified true god, was almost so anxious he nearly used divine light to shine everywhere, so that everyone would make way and let him see the person he was thinking about.

Since Yue Mi's birthday ten years ago and Shanggu's return to the divine world, they had occasionally met, but always accompanied by other gods, never alone together. Although it was also bustling with people at this time, it was the lower world after all.

In the crowd stood the small Qin Chu Tavern, with a banner proclaiming "A Century of Family Heritage." Though small, the aroma of wine was intoxicating, especially from the ten dusty jars of Daughter's Red wine gathered before the tavern. Even Bai Jue couldn't resist a sniff.

Listening carefully to conversations around him, he finally understood the source of the bustle.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, which also coincided with the centennial of the Qin Chu Tavern, the owner had brought out ten jars of Daughter's Red wine passed down from his ancestors and set up a ten-day competition. He declared that all taverns in the Central Plains could bring their own wines to compete. Anyone who could match the Qin Chu Tavern's Daughter's Red wine could take home a jar. However, on the very day the competition was established, a young man in Jin clothing appeared in Chang'an—a man of extraordinary appearance. He arrived daily with wines of unparalleled quality, yet was able to compete with the ten jars of Daughter's Red wine.

Within a few days, the reputation of the young man in Jin clothing spread, even reaching the palace. Today being the final day, the people of Chang'an were already waiting eagerly. The nearby high-rise teahouses were packed with sons of the rich and powerful, and even members of the royal family had come to enjoy the excitement.

Sure enough, when the time came, the young man in Jin clothing arrived, bearing wine. The nobles in the teahouse were no ordinary folk. Seeing the young man's demeanor, which evoked the spirit of a remnant of the Wei and Jin dynasties, they were delighted, believing him to be from a prominent family. They all wanted to make friends, and so sent people to inquire about his background.

At the Qin Chu Tavern, the owner, having tasted fine wine for nine days straight, was also deeply impressed by the young man. Despite his outspoken words earlier, he smiled now.

"Sir, if you have any good wine, please bring it out. The Qin Chu Tavern has been around for a century. If I lose, I'll be convinced." He gazed eagerly at the jar of wine in the young man's hands, almost ready to unveil it himself.

Bai Jue, standing nearby, was also curious. Though mortal, the ten jars of Daughter's Red wine at the Qin Chu Tavern were every bit as good as the precious wines of the divine realm, surpassing even half his own cellar. Where in ancient times could one find such a vast supply of fine wines to rival them? Even if there were, after nine days, it would be hard to find another wine that could surpass the Qin Chu Daughter's Red wine. Given Bai Jue's profound knowledge of wine, if he said there were none, it meant there were none.

Under the streetlights, the young man in Jin clothing glanced at the jar in his hand, a look of regret in his eyes. Five thousand years of cultivation—was she just giving it away to the people of this city?

With a wave of her arm, she tossed the jar into the air, the seal opening. The entire jar spun in the air before landing steadily in the young man's arms. In a split second, the aroma of the wine filled the streets, captivating the crowd.

Smelling the wine and seeing the people's intoxicated expressions, Bai Jue was stunned. It was fig wine.

Figs were so rare in the divine realm that for the past ten years, they'd been used by Zhiyang to brew wine and sent to his temple. How could Shanggu have them?

"Boss, try it! My wine is called Flowerless. Might it be better than your Daughter's Red wine?" Shanggu shoved the fig wine toward the owner of the Qin Chu Tavern with a flourish, his expression truly heroic.

The Qin Chu owner couldn't live without wine, and the lure of fig wine had already captivated him. Overjoyed, he was about to accept the wine when a thought suddenly occurred to him. "There's a story I've heard before. Could you shed some light on it?"

"What is it?"

"Ten years ago, the Zhao family in Guanxi; nine years ago the Bai family in southern Shanxi; six years ago the Hu family in Mobei; and three years ago the Liu family in the Central Plains—all were defeated in drinking contests. May I ask if you belong to your household?"

Over the past ten years, the imperial winemaking families, including the Qin Chu Tavern, had been decisively defeated. Judging from age, it couldn't be the young man before them, but he was certainly related.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding people gasped, and the young man in Jin clothing looked even more remarkable, making everyone wonder which clan in the imperial dynasty could possess such power.

Shanggu was stunned. She hadn't expected that her several drinking contests in the lower realms would reveal her whereabouts and attract attention.

"Boss, today's drinking contest is just between us. Why bring up all these old stories?" Shanggu waved her hand impatiently, spilling a few drops of wine. "Are you still going to drink this Flowerless wine?"

"Hey! Drink, drink, drink!" Pavilion Master Qin Chu had only asked out of curiosity. Heartbroken as the wine spilled onto the ground, he hurried to catch it. "I'm waiting to taste it!"

But before he could take it, a hand reached out and steadily claimed the jar.

Pavilion Master Qin Chu's reach was empty. Furious, he looked up, then froze, stunned.

The young man in white, dressed in a flowing waistcoat, with dark phoenix-like eyes, was handsome and unparalleled—a true nobleman.

He stood beside the young man in Jin clothing, his slender hand picking up the wine jar, and looked toward the Qin Chu tavern owner.

"My younger brother is young and naive, yet he stole our family heirloom. There's no need to continue this round; we've lost."

He said this, with a slight nod to the Qin Chu tavern owner, holding the wine in one hand and grasping the still-dazed Shanggu in the other, as he walked out of the crowd.

He exuded an air of transcendence, and wherever he walked, the people made way.

The Qin Chu tavern owner watched the two brothers, who had come and gone so suddenly, depart, feeling both happy and regretful. He was happy to finally have the last jar of the heirloom, but saddened that the fig wine, which smelled extraordinary, would never be tasted. What a great regret!

Bai Jue, dragging Shanggu away with him, disappeared into the bustling streets of Chang'an, leaving behind a sea of gazing citizens and admiring children of the powerful.

Shanggu hadn't noticed when she was dragged away from the Qin Chu tavern, and only after taking two steps did she realize something was wrong. She stared at her held hand with interest, wondering: Had this fool finally figured out that the fig wine was hers? Did he understand her feelings? Was he going to make a bold confession? What would he say next? This was too sudden. How should she respond? Should she be reserved or bold? Since today was such an auspicious day, why not just take him back to Shanggu Temple and seal the deal?

The Ancient True God, who had lived for over a hundred thousand years, was just strolling around, her mind racing with excitement, yet her face remained expressionless and remarkably calm.

After walking halfway down Chang'an Avenue, until the hand he held grew warmer, Bai Jue suddenly realized he was holding the hand of another True God. He turned back leisurely, and as Shanggu raised her head in anticipation, he finally spoke his first words.

"Nonsense! Fig wine is brewed with the power of the scorching sun. If you use it to compete with mortals, a mortal who drinks it will add a hundred years to their lifespan, or even ascend to immortality. You'll even disrupt the Book of Life and Death, causing trouble in both the ghost and immortal realms. After being the supreme god for tens of thousands of years, how can you still be so childish?"

He said this while naturally straightening Shanggu's slightly disheveled collar.

Bai Jue had always been aloof, and even when admonishing Shanggu, his expression was gentle. However, the protectiveness in his words and the intimacy in his gestures, which Shanggu hadn't noticed then, were now clear to her.

Although none of the words she expected were spoken, Shanggu was filled with joy. She tugged at Bai Jue's sleeve, subduing the noble and unbridled spirit of a world master, showing a rare naiveté of youth.

"It's just to bring more good fortune to these people. They brewed good wine, so they deserve this reward."

If such a skilled winemaker died young, who would brew for Bai Jue? Shanggu knew what was going on. If Bai Jue hadn't gotten in the way of her spreading blessings, she would have happily kept these mortals healthy.

Bai Jue knew she was unconventional and, assuming she was just young and impulsive, stopped scolding her.

"Where did you get the fig wine? Did you ask Zhiyang for it?"

Shanggu had just been full of ambition, but when she realized Bai Jue hadn't seen through her intentions, she immediately became cowardly and laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I don't know what's wrong with the boss these years. He's obsessed with making wine. I was bored, so I asked for a jar to drink with him."

"If you want it, just come to my temple and get it. He sends me a jar every year, and I still have four or five left in the wine cabinet. Why bother asking him for it?"

Shanggu was a lazy person. A simple drinking contest was fine, but spending ten years in the lower realms searching for wine was clearly amiss. Could it be...

...she knew Bai Jue's personal tastes? He was suddenly startled, then filled with unbelievable joy.

Was Shanggu collecting fine wine just for himself? The thought, still for a thousand years, stirred a wave of emotion, and he felt a sense of bewilderment.

Afraid Bai Jue would notice, Shanggu nodded repeatedly, intent on changing the subject.

But Bai Jue's voice suddenly deepened, and he pressed the point. "If you don't like wine, why are you having a drinking contest in the lower realms?"

Just as she feared, Shanggu took a deep breath, trying to hide her feelings. She said casually, "You all like wine. I'll win some back to the divine realm as a birthday gift."

You all like wine? At the mere words "you all," Bai Jue's eyes darkened, his surging emotions forcibly suppressed, their dark pupils returning to a state of tranquility. He remained silent for a long moment, until Shanggu sensed something was amiss. He then took a step back, his gaze calm and composed.

"I see. Then, on your birthday this year, I'll be waiting for your gift."

Of the four True Gods of the Ancient Realm, Tianqi, besides Bai Jue, also enjoyed wine.

He had initially thought she was interested in him, but he feared he was overthinking it.

Bai Jue rolled up his sleeves, but before he could laugh at himself, someone grabbed his hand. Shanggu, still dressed as the young man in Jin clothing, hadn't yet returned to her celestial form. She grasped Bai Jue's hand, her smile clear.

"It's a rare opportunity to descend to the mortal realm. Today is the Lantern Festival in the human world. Accompany me to observe the people's sentiments before returning to the divine realm."

She said this, pulling the young man into the surging crowd. The young man's eyes were etched with that smile, and he tightened his grip, never letting go.

The fifteenth day of the Lantern Festival marks the time for human reunions—this saying has always been true.

In the Ancient God Realm, at Yue Mi's residence, she watched the scene unfold through her water mirror, chewing melon seeds while shaking her head. She sighed, aching with disappointment.

"Two pieces of wood! I've spent so much time, effort, and even so many favors trying to bring them together, but they still can't figure out their true feelings... Their combined ages are older than the God Realm itself. I wonder what they've been fed..."

The Star-Moon Goddess lamented to herself. Another six months passed, and it was almost time for Bai Jue and Tianqi's birthdays.

Shanggu had long ago instructed the palace guards to deliver the fine wines she had collected over ten years of drinking competitions in the lower realm to Bai Jue Palace, including the nine bottles of premium Daughter's Red wine she had won at the Qin Chu Tavern.

Wine vessels emerged from the Ancient God Temple and paraded through the streets, filling three carts and blinding the entire God Realm.

Shanggu thought: while she couldn't compare to Bai Jue's tens of thousands of years of devoted, secret waiting and guarding, she had saved up enough dowry for ten years, so she should have some confidence to propose. So she lay in the Star-Picking Pavilion, awaiting Bai Jue's birthday, hoping for the auspicious day to enter his palace and happily claim her husband.

Bai Jue, surprised and delighted upon hearing the news, didn't dare act presumptuously. After a moment's hesitation, he instructed the divine guards,

"Please report back regarding the number of gifts Tianqi Hall received."

A short while later, the divine guards arrived with the report.

"Yesterday at 3:00 AM, three carts of wine entered the back door of Tianqi Hall. The gatekeepers say they're all top-quality."

The divine guards reported anxiously, not daring to raise their eyes. Silence fell in the upper chamber, only a sigh escaped.

For the sake of someone he truly loved, he had been used as a cover.

For unknown reasons, in year 137,800 of the ancient calendar, True God Bai Jue descended to the mortal realm to travel. He hadn't returned for years, and no one knew where he was.

Shanggu's ambition to find a husband was ultimately unfulfilled, so she spent her days lamenting in Yue Mi's mansion.

Yue Mi, for some reason, had recently become particularly disdainful of her, constantly rolling her eyes.

"Oh, it's so hard! Why is finding a husband so difficult? Men's hearts are like needles in the sea. Where the hell did he go?"

Shanggu asked the same question every day. Yue Mi leaned against the corridor, gazing northwest, unable to help muttering.

"If I had known your methods were so unreliable, I wouldn't have followed your lead, learning all this silent devotion. I've ground an iron rod into a needle, sent three carts of fine wine, and nothing has happened. I've toiled through the three realms and the vast wastelands for over a decade, and he won't even return for his birthday..."

She was looking toward the Apocalypse Hall.

Shanggu, preoccupied with the departed Bai Jue, ignored Yue Mi's murmurs, only waiting for Bai Jue to return to the divine realm, so she could declare her love and win him back.

The two waited for years in Star-Picking Pavilion, but neither Bai Jue nor Tianqi returned.

Perhaps fate had determined that year, before Tianqi's birthday, he remained alone in Qiankun Pavilion. Hearing of the impending catastrophe of chaos, he descended into the mortal realm, never to return.

Instead of Bai Jue's return, Shanggu received news that Tianqi had cast his world-destroying formation in the lower realms, threatening the three realms. Upon hearing the news, Zhiyang and Tianqi returned to discuss countermeasures.

From that day on, the goddess of Yue Mi's palace lost her frivolous smile and her penchant for looting treasures.

The day before Shanggu decided to sacrifice herself to save the three realms, she and Yue Mi drank in Star-Picking Pavilion.

Yue Mi asked her, "Bai Jue's back—why haven't you told him yet?"

Shanggu was silent for a long time, finally replying, "I'm the master of a realm, a True God of the Three Realms. There are things I must do. If I'm destined to lose something, it's better never to have possessed it."

She suddenly turned and looked at Yue Mi beside her.

"There's something I've wanted to ask you for years."

"What is it?"

"You don't like wine, so why did you ask me for fig wine that year?"

Yue Mi was stunned, then fell into a long silence. Finally, she smiled. "I never thought that even a blockhead would finally understand. No need to guess—it's just what you think."

True God Tianqi loved wine, and this fact was also known throughout the realm.

She turned and left, leaving the ethereal voice of the Star-Moon Goddess on the long steps.

"Like you, I didn't find a good opportunity either. All these years, I wasted and missed it. Shanggu, no matter what happens, protect him for me."

Shanggu didn't understand the meaning of Yue Mi's words. If she had, she wouldn't have regretted it for tens of thousands of years.

She ultimately failed to achieve her intended sacrifice the following day. Supreme God Yue Mi, along with a host of other gods, descended to the mortal realm, perishing in Tianqi's apocalyptic formation. The only one who managed to return to the ancient divine realm alive was a humble little phoenix. At that time, she wasn't yet Queen Wuhuan, but merely a divine beast ridden by the ancient gods.

The day the news arrived was a bright, sunny day. Holding the jar of fig wine that Bai Jue had seized long ago, the ancient god gazed at the residence of the Star-Moon Goddess, drunk and alone. No one dared to dissuade her.

And then, all this story began.

True God Shanggu perished, the ancient world sealed in dust. True God Bai Jue survived alone, beginning a long wait and watch that lasted for over sixty thousand years.

Sixty thousand years later, when all was settled, Tianqi retrieved Shanggu's three hundred years of dust-locked memories from a statue weathered for tens of thousands of years in the Sky Realm. He never understood why a tear had been found within the statue of the goddess, sixty thousand years dead.

He always assumed it was a gift from Yue Mi to Shanggu.

There were many things he never knew. Not sixty thousand years ago, not sixty thousand years later.

There's a saying in Shanggu that rings true:

If you're destined to lose something, it's better not to have possessed it at all.

This was not only Shanggu and Bai Jue's choice, but also Yue Mi's final choice and relinquishment.

But ultimately, it was too much of a tragedy.

Shanggu finally waited for the words, "I am Bai Jue."

But what about Yue Mi?

The three-cart wine dowry she had carefully collected for ten years now lies sealed in the wine vault of the Tianqi Temple, unopened for over sixty thousand years.

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