Li Changfeng resided on the fifth floor, not the fourth floor where Zhang Yang and the others were located.

The fourth floor housed standard suites, but Li Changfeng's quarters were among the few luxurious suites on the cruise ship; they boasted significantly more space and were sumptuously decorated, covered in golden carpets and golden walls, resembling a palace.

Correspondingly, the price for such a room was extremely high. There were only a handful of these accommodations on the entire vessel, and Li Changfeng occupied one of them.

"Gentlemen, please come in!"

Opening the door, Li Changfeng offered a polite, inviting gesture. Learning that the trio hailed from ancient, thousand-year-old families brought him a slight measure of relief.

With similar backgrounds, they would surely not become enemies, even if they didn't immediately become friends.

Zhang Yang and Long Feng glanced inside before stepping in.

Once the three had entered, Li Changfeng excused himself again. He went to find a steward to order some items and requested they deliver some delicacies to the room.

There was a table in the room, not large, but certainly adequate for the four of them. Li Changfeng first directed Zhang Yang to rest on the sofa while he busied himself.

Before long, he placed two ancient, yellowed wine jars on the table, along with several small bags containing what appeared to be dried mountain fruits, though Zhang Yang wasn't entirely certain what they were.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Long, please, come and be seated!"

Li Changfeng soon finished his tasks and beckoned Zhang Yang and Long Feng with a smile. The table was just right; seated around it, the space felt neither cramped nor too vast for the four.

"What are all these?"

After a moment of hesitation, Long Feng couldn't help but ask. He couldn't recognize any of the items; they all looked rather unremarkable.

"These are all specialty products from Mount Shu. I originally left the mountain to visit an old friend, and these were intended for him. Unfortunately, he wasn't home and had disappeared off somewhere enjoying life; so, I had to bring them back. It works out perfectly for us!"

Li Changfeng smiled, and as he spoke, he unsealed the yellow jars. A pure, mellow fragrance of wine immediately permeated the room.

The richness of this aroma was in no way inferior to the scent emitted by his Youth-Restoring Pills, perhaps only slightly less potent than true spiritual medicine.

"Monkey Wine?"

After just a few deep sniffs, Long Feng exclaimed in surprise.

Li Changfeng appeared slightly smug and murmured softly, "Brother Long has discerning eyes. This is the unique Monkey Wine of Mount Shu. This wine is exceptionally difficult to brew. Please, both of you, try some first!"

Saying this, he filled the wine cups before him. Shan Dian and Wu Ying had now scrambled onto the table, gazing longingly at the cups.

The scent of the wine had captivated them both as well.

"Monkey Wine?"

Zhang Yang's heart also stirred slightly. He had heard the name of this wine before but never knew it was a specialty of Mount Shu.

What Li Changfeng said was true: Monkey Wine was difficult to brew. It involved the monkeys of the mountain collecting a hundred kinds of fruit and depositing them into a brewing pool, where they fermented for a year.

These hundred fruits were no ordinary produce; many were rare delicacies seldom seen in the mountains, and several were high-grade fruits that, while not heavenly materials, possessed a trace of spiritual energy.

Just like the Resurrection Grass and Dragon-Guiding Grass Zhang Yang possessed, objects infused with spiritual energy could make the wine significantly more fragrant and mellow.

Furthermore, Monkey Wine had excellent body-strengthening effects. An ordinary person who drank a cup would remain free of illness for two to three years; if a practitioner of Internal Energy consumed it, it could consolidate and enhance their power.

This was one of the few substances, not classified as spiritual medicine, capable of boosting Internal Energy.

Most importantly, however, was its taste; everyone who had ever tasted Monkey Wine had praised it highly and longed to drink it again.

Seeing Shan Dian and Wu Ying perched there, Li Changfeng quickly poured a cup for Shan Dian. He paused, hesitating briefly before pouring a cup for Wu Ying as well.

He couldn't discern Wu Ying's identity, but anything accompanying a Fox-Tailed Marten and Zhang Yang surely couldn't be a simple animal. For now, ensuring he showed equal courtesy was the best course.

Fortunately, he had done so. Had he only given a cup to Shan Dian and neglected Wu Ying, Wu Ying would have immediately blasted him with an outward burst of Internal Energy, allowing him to experience the sensation firsthand.

Spirit beasts are intelligent, but they certainly don't waste time reasoning with you.

"Brother Li, as far as I know, the annual yield of Mount Shu's Monkey Wine is quite limited. To carry two jars with you suggests your standing within the Li family is not low," Long Feng remarked, picking up his cup but refraining from drinking immediately.

Li Changfeng was momentarily stunned, then smiled again. "Status this or that—it's all due to the favor of my elders. Because the friend I'm visiting this time is very close, I managed to secure two jars. It’s a shame he can’t enjoy this fortune. Come, let us drink!"

With that, Li Changfeng drank a cup himself, closed his eyes, shook his head slightly, and wore an expression of deep satisfaction.

Long Feng was correct; the production of Monkey Wine on Mount Shu was extremely scarce, totaling only about forty jars annually. This was because the wine had to be brewed by the Mount Shu macaques. The family could only collect half; the other half had to be left for the monkeys.

In exchange for taking half, the family protected these monkeys, and the primates were happy to have such powerful guardians, thus not minding the portion of wine taken.

But it could only be half; these monkeys were not easily fooled. If too much was taken, they wouldn't have enough, and they would cease the arduous labor of brewing this precious wine. Many of the fruits required for the brewing process could only be gathered by the monkeys themselves.

If only half was counted, the Li family's annual harvest amounted to a mere twenty jars. The Li family had more members than just Li Changfeng, unlike the sparse numbers of the Medical Saint lineage. If these jars were divided strictly, even one jar per person might not be guaranteed.

If some of this wine was set aside for other purposes, or used as gifts, the remainder would be even smaller. This was why Long Feng had asserted that Li Changfeng's position in the family was significant; being able to present Monkey Wine as a gift proved he was an important figure in the Li family.

Long Feng paid little mind to Li Changfeng's exact status, nor did Zhang Yang dwell on it.

Both followed suit and took a sip of the renowned Monkey Wine. Upon entering the mouth, a fragrance shot straight to the brain, and after swallowing, this aroma transformed into a cool stream, gently caressing the body downwards.

"Magnificent wine!" Long Feng exclaimed involuntarily. The family had received Monkey Wine before as a gift from the Li family, but as a younger generation, and being quite young at the time, he had never tasted it. He had only smelled it when his elders drank it, recognizing its quality and memorizing the scent.

"Truly excellent wine," Zhang Yang sighed as well. This wine was exceptional, and Zhang Yang's understanding went deeper than Long Feng's.

This wine contained the essence of a hundred fruits, none of which were ordinary. Their combined effect was greater: not only could it stabilize Internal Energy and enhance it, but it also helped the body avoid some self-inflicted damage during cultivation.

Cultivating Internal Energy was rarely smooth sailing; similar to physical exercise, overdoing it caused harm to the body. Internal Energy was the same; self-inflicted harm necessitated recovery and rest, halting further practice.

The most severe form of self-harm was Qi deviation (zǒuhuǒ rùmó), which could result in loss of cultivation or, worse, death.

Monkey Wine possessed this medicinal quality, allowing the body to adapt better, thereby reducing the possibility of Qi deviation. This effect alone made it a priceless treasure. Li Changfeng had indeed brought something genuinely good, and Zhang Yang and the others now owed him a favor for enjoying such fine provisions.

Shan Dian and Wu Ying had also consumed some wine; the little ones' faces were slightly flushed, and there was a spark of delight in their eyes. The wine tasted wonderful, and even they had taken a liking to it.

Beside them, Long Cheng was already quite intoxicated by the wine's aroma.

This wine benefited both Zhang Yang and Long Feng, let alone him. His newly broken-through mid-stage Internal Energy could be stabilized further by drinking it. In essence, the wine’s effect was no less potent than the pills Zhang Yang had previously formulated for them. Zhang Yang's pills, after all, contained heavenly treasures like thousand-year ginseng, which these wines lacked.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Long, please, try a few of these dried fruits as well. These too are Mount Shu specialties, unseen outside. The trees producing each fruit are over a thousand years old," Li Changfeng said, smiling as he gestured toward the inconspicuous small bags on the table. Seeing the reactions after everyone had tasted the wine, a touch of pride colored his face. These individuals were stronger in cultivation, but at least his offerings had impressed them.

"Thousand-year fruit trees?" Long Feng nodded slightly, showing less astonishment this time.

Their Kunlun Mountains also held many thousand-year fruit trees. Ordinary ancient trees were naturally not heavenly materials, but millennium-old trees deep in the mountains were numerous; one could simply cut them down to prepare spiritual elixirs. Though not heavenly materials, after a thousand years, they all acquired a trace of spiritual energy—perhaps slight, but present nonetheless.

Fruits from such trees were also very beneficial to the body, and gathering them from the deep mountains was a customary chore for their families.

The dried fruits all tasted excellent. After sampling a few, Zhang Yang and Long Feng silently gestured towards Shan Dian and Wu Ying, who, after finishing another cup of wine, extended their paws toward Li Changfeng, asking for more. Seeing their gesture, Li Changfeng was initially surprised, then burst into loud laughter.

Spirit beasts were spirit beasts; they were truly different from other animals.

Li Changfeng refilled their cups and couldn't help but study Wu Ying for a few more moments. He was now almost certain Wu Ying was also a spirit beast, but he couldn't determine its exact species. Wu Ying differed from Shan Dian, whose Fox-Tailed Marten features were too distinct to mistake.

While he was contemplating this, several service staff entered from outside, carrying platters of delicious food. These were the dishes Li Changfeng had ordered on the ship. He had fine wine and fruit, but no main courses; serving only drinks and snacks was inappropriate, so he had asked for the food to be brought to the room.

With the arrival of these dishes, dinner officially commenced. Li Changfeng poured more wine for everyone. Soon, the first jar was empty, and he opened the second.

Monkey Wine was not high in alcohol content, but its after-effects were potent. Neither of the little creatures had much tolerance; after two cups, they were fast asleep. Zhang Yang could only offer an apologetic nod to Li Changfeng and carefully placed Wu Ying into his canvas bag. As for Shan Dian, he simply let it rest in his arms.

"Treasure-Seeking Rat? It’s a Treasure-Seeking Rat?"

As Wu Ying slipped into the canvas bag, the color of its fur shifted unnaturally for a moment, something Li Changfeng happened to observe. In that instant, he finally deduced Wu Ying's identity, crying out in shock.