Aimless Ascension

Gale frowned at the two women. He was sure he heard one of them swearing at him. But as he drew his eyes to them, all he found were two women eager to have the drink of their lives.

"Is it ready?" Xiaolin asked.

"It is ready after I prepare some medicine for you," Gale said as he brought out a few specific herbs from his void lock.

"Medicine?" Wang Li snorted, reaching for the glass. "I don't need no medicines."

"Well, your behaviour suggests otherwise already," Gale said as he moved the glasses away before she could grab any of them. "Besides, if you want more benefit from the drink, wait for a couple more minutes."

Wang Li was about to snort again, but a burp came out of her mouth‌ instead. She was taken aback by the unexpected sound and Gale's laugh. Her face grew bright red, and she quickly turned away, embarrassed.

"Fine, fine, make your medicine."

Well, it wasn't really anything complicated. Gale crushed the herbs using his Qi quickly, one after another, and mixed them into a solution in the right proportion. The drink would simply help them to keep their minds awake for a time after they ingested the wine. Or else, she would simply get intoxicated and would feel unconscious at a point.

"Okay, done," Gale said, handing them the medicinal drink first. "Drink this first, then you can have the ambrosia."

Xiaolin's nose wrinkled as she looked at the deep gray drink, which gave her a whole new bitter vibe even before she drank it. It reminded her full well of everything her master had her drink the time she was wounded.

"Come on, drink up," Gale said. "I assure you this will be worth it."

The older woman, who was clearly not in her right mind, took the medicinal drink and gulped it down in one swallow.

"Gah!" She groaned immediately as the bitter taste ravaged her tongue. But it wasn't without its results. Soon she felt her mind clearing out as her spirit became spontaneous.

The intoxication cleared out of her head, but it wouldn't last for long. She needed to give her brain time to rest and adjust.

She didn't wait for Xiaolin as she needed something to relieve the bitterness in her throat. She reached for the glass of diluted ambrosia, and this time Gale didn't stop her.

Wang Li grabbed the glass and drank the content in one gulp. With each sip, she could feel the power of the spirit wine coursing through their veins. The effects of the spirit wine were immediate and powerful.

Spirit energy surged through her channels, overwhelming her as sweat beads formed on her body.

"Start cycling already," Gale urged her.

Wang Li was wide awake the moment she ingested the medicinal drink, but after ingesting the divine wine, she felt like losing herself to the sweetness of the high-spirited drink. What's the point of cycling, anyway? This was what she sought all along. All her pain and distress were nothing but mere afterthoughts.

"Wang Li," Gale said, nudging her on the shoulder. "Don't waste the opportunity."

The innkeeper blinked as a distressed sign appeared on her expression. After a little more consideration, she nodded, and got down on the ground to sit cross-legged. She lost herself in cycling the excessively rich energy that was introduced into her channels.

She could feel her Qi growing, her spirit arts improving dramatically. In the span of a few hours, she would be able to make improvements by leaps and bounds.

Now it was Xiaolin's turn. Xiaolin stepped forward, hesitantly, taking in the medicinal drink first, even though she wasn't drunk. After ingesting it, she found the drink gave a similar result to the pure crystal, but instead of her body and spirit, it awakened her mind. Also, with that terrible bitter taste.

Worse, in that awakened state of her mind, she could feel even more of that bitter taste. She made a disgusting face and glanced at her master.

Gale handed her the drink as she sat cross-legged next to her elder sister as well. Her hair shimmered in bright gold the moment she ingested a sip of the spirit wine. Her eyes went wide as a spark of light flickered in them as well.

Xiaolin could intuitively feel her body absorbing all the benefits from the wine, as she grew warmed, her skin turning red, a somewhat different manifestation than her elder sister, but she had to ease her way with cycling as well.

As both women lost themselves in cycling, Gale moved from his seat to stand behind them protectively. Both of the women were sweating profusely, cycling eagerly as the rich energy not only benefits the spirit arts, but their bodies, too.

It was made by a sage, Gale would be cursing him if it didn't have any other effect.

Xiaoiln's new clothes were made of high-grade silk to be wasted just by that. Though he couldn't say the same for the innkeeper, who changed into a regular robe. Her wet robes were already stuck to her body, outlining her mature curves. Unconsciously, Gale found himself staring at her impressive figure.

He shook his head afterwards. Although the sight was a feast for his eyes, it would only make it difficult for him. It would take them an hour or so to cycle all the benefits into their bodies, well, slightly lower for his disciple.

Gale grunted, as it was too much time to distract himself.

Gale had nothing to do at that time other than look after them. So he made a drink for himself, although instead of the glass, he took in a big jug. He poured a mouthful amount of ambrosia into the common wine, as smelling the intoxicating fragrance in the air had affected him as well.

Gale sipped in the drink and felt all his distress and anxiety driving away. After done with the jug, he poured another one, sipping in slowly.

About half an hour later, Xiaolin showed signs of waking up from her practice. With her high speed of cycling and peculiar constitution, she easily beat her elder sister to get most of all the benefits.

"I feel so good," Xiaolin said, her voice dreamy, with a red blush on her face and neck.

"Even more than when your master bullies you?" Gale asked, stooping near to check on her state.

"Master!" Xiaolin squeaked. She misread his intention and hugged him, rubbing her face again on his cheek.

Gale let her hug him and ran his Qi sense to do a quick inspection of her. She seemed fine, intoxicated with the high-grade spirit wine in her system, but she already cycled a large part of it. Xiaolin would be fine by the morning.

Gale wasn't sure the same could be true for the older woman. Well, considering her case, she would take double the time in cycling, and more to recover. But her benefit would be better as well.

"Keep her company. She will need half an hour or more," Gale said, standing up. "I'll go and take a bath."

With that, Gale left for the bath with the jug half full of spirit wine.

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