Lu Yao carefully dismantled the barrel of Barrett's gun and maintained it meticulously, while Liao Qe studied with keen interest by his side.
At that moment, the eunuch Zhang Jin arrived to convey a message from Li Pei about her imminent return to the Imperial City:
"The Commandery Princess will be staying in the Imperial City for a few days and made a special point of having me to come and inform you. The National Martial Arts Association hopes you will take extra care."
Liao Ya solemnly bowed with fists clasped and responded, "We will do our utmost." Then he asked, "Your Highness... she won't be in trouble, will she?"
In broad daylight and in front of everyone, Li Pei had delivered a fatal blow to her betrothed—the Young Master Xiang. The news had already spread far and wide.
Zhang Jin forced a smile and said, "Master Liao need not worry; the Commandery Princess will return soon. I should not tarry; please excuse me."
After delivering the message, the Western-dressed eunuch clasped his fists in farewell and, before leaving, turned back to caution, "The Hailong Gang has been quite active recently, seeking a new opium merchant. You should be vigilant."
~~~~~~~
After he left, Liao Ya, with a grim expression, said, "With Sun Haoran dead, the Hailong Gang will definitely be looking for a new opium merchant. It's sickening to think how many scum are racing to take on such an inhumane business!"
Lu Yao inquired, "What's the story with the Hailong Gang? Doesn't the Imperial Court do anything?"
Liao Ya answered, "The Hailong Gang is wanted by the Imperial Court, but they have taken refuge with the foreigners' Opium Company and are under the protection of the 'United Kingdom', while they also bribe high officials with a lot of money. Nobody dares to act against their lawlessness."
Liao Qe, flipping her braids, shouted, "A bunch of beasts. Once I have mastered my martial skills, I'll wipe them out!"
Liao Ya took a deep breath and said, "I have been training tirelessly waiting for that day. By the way, our Golden Elixir Brew is ready to drink!"
~~~~~~
They moved the wine jar, and as soon as the lid was opened, the room filled with the fragrance of wine! Just from the smell alone, there was a sense of floating towards a celestial paradise.
Liao Yaxing's excited face turned rosy with anticipation:
"The Golden Elixir Brew was the favorite wine of the Han Dynasty's great writer Sima Xiangru. There is a poem that says, 'Amongst the servants, none thirst like Xiangru; if only to be granted a cup of Golden Elixir.' Today, we shall drink a cup!"
She immediately moved the wine jar and poured a large bowl for each person.
The liquor was the color of amber, its rich fragrance overpowering.
Liao Qe sniffed curiously and said, "I've never had wine before."
"Neither have I, let's try it."
The two girls eagerly downed their bowls, after which Liao Ya closed her eyes and took a long sigh of relief, her cheeks visibly turning red as she praised, "The taste is superb! The medicinal effect is also excellent: it opens the meridians and greatly benefits the circulation and the blood. It's of great help to those in the Marrow-Cleansing Realm! Another bowl."
Liao Qe's cheeks were rosy, and she smacked her lips, "Indeed, it's quite tasty. I'll have another bowl~"
Before long, the effect of the ambergris kicked in, and all three of them entered the state of Zuowang.
Although they had lost consciousness, their awareness of the surroundings was incredibly detailed, as if they were in a lucid dream.
Seconds later, when the effect wore off, Liao Ya was fast asleep on top of Lu Yao, even snoring lightly.
Lu Yao wasn't the type to take advantage at such a time, and he also feared being beaten to death by the two women once they woke up. Fighting off temptation, he carefully moved both sisters to the bed to settle them down.
Only then did Lu Yao breathe a sigh of relief, finally having the opportunity to drink his share of the Golden Elixir Brew.
He took only a small sip, which felt like swallowing a ball of flame that flowed from his mouth to his stomach, followed by a sensation of his entire body swelling up.
"That's an amazing effect... The potency is about four or five times that of normal restoratives!"
By then, Lu Yao felt even his fingers and tongue bloating from the powerful drug effects. He rushed to the yard to practice his punches, spending half an hour dissipating the surplus potency.
Sweaty through his clothes and the bloating gone, he felt as if all the pores of his body had opened, akin to having had a sauna followed by a full-body massage; he felt exceedingly refreshed.
He swung his fist mightily, and it produced a loud "bang", as if he had set off a firecracker.
Normally, it would take at least two or three seconds of gathering strength to make such a sound, but now just one second was sufficient!
When he could make a 'bang' without gathering strength, just casually, that's when he would be ready to challenge the Organ Refining level.
~~~~~~~
The two women slept for half a day before emerging from the room, rubbing their heads.
"What happened..."
"Did we get drunk?"
Liao Ya's face was a mix of confusion and embarassment as she clutched her left chest and furrowed her brows, feeling something odd there;
Whereas Liao Qe took a deep breath, her breathing growing fiercer, and then with both hands at her abdomen, she drew in a deep breath, and her body echoed with rolling thunderous sounds, letting out forceful "huffs" and "hahs".
"Haha~ My Five Organs Resonance! No wonder, the Golden Elixir Brew is really amazing!"
Delighted, the younger sister gathered her strength, then threw a punch with a "boom", actually causing an explosion in the air!
Liao Ya couldn't worry about the abnormal feeling in her chest anymore and circulated her inner breath through her body for a self-check. After a while, her eyes popped open in surprise:
"My progress has also jumped by a large margin! It couldn't be just the Golden Elixir Brew doing this, it must be the effect of those three demon beast eggs."
The two young women carefully hid the wine jar, realizing that this drink, which not only tasted great but could also enhance their cultivation, was truly invaluable.