"A wanderer at the ends of the earth, a lost soul; meeting by chance, why must we have known each other before? As long as we drink to our hearts' content, that is the greatest reason for our meeting. |//| After drinking, we each go our separate ways, perhaps never to think of each other again. A name is likely just a marker; what fortune is it to remember, what sorrow to forget?" Jun Xie remained immersed in his slightly mournful mood. Of course, he wouldn't give his real name, Jun Moxie, but if he did, who knew if this fellow would bolt away in the pouring rain? After all, the reputation of a Kyoto wastrel still carried considerable weight.

"Floating duckweed in this world is nameless; just enjoy the journey, my friend, and don't ask! A wanderer at the ends of the earth, a lost soul; meeting by chance, why must we have known each other before!" The middle-aged man recited the lines, his heart stirred. "Fine words, truly fine words! I didn't expect someone so young, Young Brother, to speak in such ready-made verses. Even a well-read scholar might not match this. I was rude," he said, looking at Jun Xie with a hearty laugh. "Young Brother speaks sense. I was too worldly. Allow me to make amends with another cup!"

Jun Xie quickly stopped him. "You've had one on the left and one on the right; I haven't even finished mine yet. Are you just looking for an excuse to drink my share, aren't you?"

The man paused, then threw his head back and roared with laughter, draining his cup in one go. Wiping his mouth, he declared, "Though this wine is unnamed, it's certainly a top-grade spirit. It has strength, it's sharp—this is the wine a true man drinks! Good, very good. For the sake of this wine, even if I have to invent a reason, I must have another cup."

"This wine? You call this good wine?" Jun Xie scoffed. "Brother, I fear you simply haven't tasted fine wine. This sort of stuff, if we only happened to stumble upon it and had no other choice, we'd only sip a little. If this counts as good wine, then doesn't that mean the world is flooded with fine wines?"

The man's eyes brightened. "Though Old San Song's tavern isn't large, this wine is famous in the Capital! Connoisseurs yearn for it. If it weren't raining today, this place would already be packed with distinguished guests! And because of that, we can enjoy this drink today. It's our good fortune! You should know, Old San Song only sells twenty jars a day—ten for the lunch service, ten for the evening. He absolutely won't sell a single extra jar! If Young Brother’s words reached Old San Song’s ears, I fear you wouldn't leave here peacefully."

"Hahaha... You're a good fellow. At a time when I was so gloomy, you actually made me laugh!" Jun Xie hadn't intended to smile, but at that moment, he found it hard to suppress his mirth. "It’s too hilarious! Such weak liquor is rationed? The absolute worst wine I've ever had before this would probably be a hundred times better than this!"

This wasn't entirely boastful. The wine barely reached the equivalent of twenty degrees on the standard liquor scale, and the quality was somewhat cloudy. For Jun Xie, accustomed to the world's finest vintages, it was indeed inferior—perhaps even undrinkable for any modern person, given its murky appearance, which seemed genuinely unclean!

The middle-aged man's expression soured. "Young Brother, I took you for a man of refinement. How can you speak such nonsense? One can eat carelessly, but words should not be spoken lightly! Know that I have tasted the wine served even in the Imperial Palace, and compared to this, theirs only possesses more ornate luxury but lacks this sharpness, this kick! It is less able to stir the hot blood in a man's heart. In my view, this wine is already an exceedingly rare delicacy! For Young Brother to say the worst wine you’ve ever had is a hundred times better than this—that is truly cutting deep!"

"Heh heh, oh? You don't believe me?" Jun Xie shot him a sidelong glance. "If you don't believe me, that's fine. I'm not forcing you to believe me, ha ha ha... But drinking! Drinking! Ha ha ha, my good sir, do you even know what drinking is? Do you understand what qualifies as drinking? Ha ha ha..."

The middle-aged man frowned, falling silent, already regretting the encounter. This kid was far too perverse. Someone was trying to make friends out of goodwill, and he wasn't accepting it at all! Moreover, he spoke with such arrogance. Even with some talent, he was merely an arrogant scholar who relied on his genius—he wouldn't amount to much!

Jun Xie snorted, his voice low. "True drinking is about the mood! Or perhaps the aesthetic! It’s not merely about pouring liquor down your throat; that’s just wasting the grain used to brew it! Wine, oh wine, wine, oh wine. I never imagined this world not only lacks fine wine but also lacks people who understand it; even less so those who know how to drink, let alone savor or appreciate it! The sages of old are always lonely; only the drinkers leave their names behind. Alas, in this vast heaven and earth, there is not a single true drinker! For this profound sorrow, I raise a large cup!"

After downing a gulp, Jun Xie rose, laughing toward the heavens: "Gazing out at a boundless vista of millions of miles, amidst tens of thousands in the endless sea of humanity; yet not a single soul is worthy to share this cup with me, nor is there a single vintage worthy of bringing me satisfaction! This world is truly mournful! Hahaha, in good company, a thousand cups are too few; when the conversation fails, even half a sentence too many! The wine is poor, and the company is even duller. What fun is drinking like this? I’m leaving."

This kind of garbage wine is rationed, and people actually object to that... Damn it! Jun Xie thought indignantly, feeling the sting of playing music for cattle. He felt the entire world was composed of nothing but bumpkins...

How could such people be worthy of sharing a drink with me, the Evil Lord?!

With a "snap," a silver ingot landed on the table. Jun Xie laughed wildly and swaggered out, plunging headlong into the vast mist and rain, vanishing in an instant.

Even the middle-aged man's superior composure was nearly shattered by fury. This young man was astonishingly arrogant! He himself was a figure of considerable standing, and the wine he cherished most, the wine he loved to drink, was dismissed by this youth as worse than refuse!? Did that not imply that he himself was...

Yet, he felt a tinge of envy for Jun Xie's unrestrained, carefree, almost wicked arrogance! When could he live life so wantonly? This Capital felt exactly like a massive cage...

"Though somewhat arrogant, he acts according to his nature. That sincerity is not without merit. The sages of old are lonely; only the drinkers leave their names behind"—truly a fine couplet!" the middle-aged man mused silently, raising his cup and drinking it down. Whether it was psychological suggestion or something else, he found that the wine he usually couldn't get enough of suddenly tasted quite repulsive today.

"They say the ancients composed poems in seven steps. I always thought that was just exaggerated praise for them. But seeing this fellow, to say he could compose in seven steps wouldn't be an overstatement, especially those last two lines, they are truly exceptional!" He murmured the verses softly: "...In good company, a thousand cups are too few; when the conversation fails, even half a sentence too many! Not bad, not bad. This 'Sour Scholar' truly has some genuine talent."

Saying this, the middle-aged man suddenly froze, then burst into self-deprecating laughter. "This fellow actually meant to say I am not his soulmate and that our conversation was discordant, ha ha... He cursed me upon leaving, a subtle, roundabout curse... What a true Sour Scholar! But looking across the entire Tianxiang Kingdom, including my Imperial Brother, there isn't a single person who dares to scold me to my face. This young man certainly gave me a taste of novelty."

In his entire life, Jun Xie had endured every kind of assessment—murderous fiend, Blood Demon—countless times, but the label 'Sour Scholar' had never once attached itself to him. Jun Xie himself certainly wouldn't have imagined that the few disjointed verses he uttered based on his current feeling would result in him being branded a 'Sour Scholar'! And one who curses indirectly, no less. If he knew, he would surely find it absurdly funny.

If the Evil Lord wanted to curse someone, he would always point at their nose. Why would he use roundabout language? Scolding to their face wasn't satisfying enough for him...

The middle-aged man laughed for a moment, then felt a subtle shift. He turned his head and saw a small, withered old man, his eyes slightly jaundiced, staring intently in the direction Jun Xie had departed. The old man was utterly still, his expression filled with regret.