Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1564 - 1564 0914 Have Confidence in Yourself

Chapter 1564: Chapter 0914: Have Confidence in Yourself Chapter 1564: Chapter 0914: Have Confidence in Yourself Chapter 0914: You Must Have Confidence

As Li Qingping spoke, he gestured to Lu Songsheng to open the seal of the jar.

Lu Songsheng didn’t find anything amiss with this request. When he had examined the jar of wine earlier, he had scrutinized the entire packaging very carefully from top to bottom and found no traces of tampering on the jar’s exterior. That meant the wine was in the same condition as when it was sold, and thus, the content should be fine. However, he still felt uneasy. Since Li Qingping had asked him to open the seal, he naturally followed the request smoothly. In front of everyone, he unsealed the jar of Five Spirit Wine, and immediately, a rich, heartwarming fragrance wafted out from it, making everyone salivate.

“Good wine, it really is good wine.”

Embracing the jar, Lu Songsheng was full of praise. He turned around, pouring a full cup into the wine cup in front of Li Qingping, and said, “One should not forget who dug the well when quenching one’s thirst. Today, we can enjoy such fine Five Spirit Wine, all thanks to Mr. Li’s good fortune bringing it to us. No matter what, this first cup of wine should be for Mr. Li to drink first.”

Li Qingping remained impassive, as if he had no idea there was any hidden meaning in Lu Songsheng’s actions. He cooperatively picked up the wine cup and said, “Cellared for a hundred years, this Five Spirit Wine is indeed top-notch, hard to find on the market. I was thinking of letting everyone here drink a bit more, but Vice President Lu has insisted so warmly that I drink first, so I won’t be polite. Later, if anyone here drinks a few sips less, don’t blame me—it was Vice President Lu’s idea.”

Everyone showed a smile, as if amused by Li Qingping’s words.

Li Qingping stretched out both of his hands, even deliberately shaking his arms, exposing his wrists and palms completely before lifting the wine cup and bringing it to his lips, downing it in one gulp. Then he revealed a contented smile and said, “Truly worthy of being a good wine valued at three thousand middle-grade spirit stones.”

Lu Songsheng placed the wine jar beside him, not continuing to pour for the others, but instead said, “Mr. Li, it’s been over a hundred years since the last time we met, hasn’t it?”

Li Qingping replied, “Not a hundred years. It’s been sixty-three days short of a hundred years since we last met.”

Lu Songsheng raised a thumb in praise, “Indeed, you are worthy of being a senior, not only knowledgeable with a strong memory, but also broad-minded. You even remember the exact time of our last meeting with someone as insignificant as myself, so thoroughly. I, as your junior, can’t help but admire you.”

Li Qingping said, “Vice President Lu, you are too modest. As the esteemed Vice President of Wanjie Commerce, if you still consider yourself insignificant, then wouldn’t I also become an ant in the eyes of some? You must have confidence, not just you but Qi as well. You both will be remarkable figures in the future, illuminating around the world and shining through the ages.”

“Well said by the senior, cheers to that.” Saying this, Lu Songsheng picked up the wine jar and poured another cup for Li Qingping.

“All this talk, you just want to ply me with drink, don’t you? Fine, I’ll drink,” Li Qingping said with a chuckle, shaking his head. He picked up the wine cup and once again drained it in one gulp.

After making Li Qingping drink two large bowls of wine in succession, Lu Songsheng kept observing him. He never spotted Li Qingping discretely taking an antidote, nor did he notice anything amiss about him. Could his suspicions have been wrong? Was Li Qingping truly and sincerely apologizing to Qi Tian, without having tampered with the wine?

Lu Songsheng glanced at Qi Tian. In the presence of Li Qingping, he couldn’t discreetly send a message to Qi Tian, so he could only hint at Qi Tian with his eyes, signaling him to make his own decision about whether to drink the wine or not.

Qi Tian smiled faintly and said, “Sister Yan, didn’t you just mention that you were going to pour drinks for everyone? Why not hurry and bring the wine over and fill everyone’s cups?”

Huang Liuyan let out an “oh,” as if she had just reacted, and quickly stood up, picked up the pot of wine, and began pouring for everyone.

After everyone in front of them had a bowl of wine, Qi Tian took the lead by raising his cup and said, “It is a great honor to be invited by Mr. Li, and I have nothing with which to repay the kindness except to drink this in respect to you first.”

That’s exactly what Qi Tian said, and what he did. He directly drank all the wine in his hand until it was clean.

Lu Songsheng knew that Qi Tian was a careful and cautious man. If Qi Tian could do this, he could be sure that there was nothing wrong with this jar of Five Spirit Wine. Since Qi Tian had finished his drink, there was nothing for him to worry about. To be honest, he too was eager to properly taste what a hundred-year-old Five Spirit Wine was like.

For a while, cups and laughter intertwined, as the group drank heartily. The only one who didn’t drink a drop was Huang Liuyan as she continued to pour wine for everyone.

The jar of wine seemed plentiful, but with Qi Tian, Lu Songsheng, Li Qingping, and Li Rusen, four strong men drinking down, it quickly reached its end. Qi Tian, Lu Songsheng, and Li Qingping all appeared a bit red-faced, showing signs of slight intoxication. In contrast, Li Rusen drank less and appeared quite sober.

Li Qingping, without any reservations, wrapped his arm around Qi Tian’s neck and said, “Qi, may I call you brother without it being too presumptuous?”

Qi Tian replied, “Not at all, not at all. It is my honor to have you as an elder brother.”

Li Qingping laughed heartily and said, “Great, from now on we are good brothers, true companions. Brother, don’t you think I made quite an effort today? Wasn’t I sincere? Not only did I bring Li Rusen in person to apologize to you, but I also brought out such fine wine to entertain you. Doesn’t it show that I am truly sincere?”

Qi Tian responded vaguely, “You are sincere, but I always feel like it’s missing just a tiny bit of something.”

Li Qingping said, “By saying that, you are implying that my sincerity isn’t enough. Well then, let me show even more sincerity. This small town is close to the Holy Land, attracting cultivators from around the world. Despite its small size, it is a gathering place for all kinds of treasures. When you go out later, feel free to shop to your heart’s content. No matter the cost, it’s on me. How about that?”

Qi Tian’s eyes widened with an avaricious look. He nodded repeatedly, saying, “That’s a good idea. I like it. In that case, Sister Yan, since you don’t like drinking, you don’t need to stay here. Go out and stroll around the market. If you see anything you like, buy it without worrying about how much it costs. You heard it too—today, all our expenses will be covered by my elder brother. What are you waiting for? The quicker you go, the more you can buy and the more my elder brother can spend.”