Chapter 2: Transformation

  Lu Fan arrived in front of a store after winding his way through the streets.

  This was a shabby little shop with no name, and few customers. It made a living by selling small wine and snacks every day. The boss was a terrible old man, Lu Fan always called him Old Wu. This old guy was always drunk. Today was no exception, Lu Fan had already walked to his door, he was still hugging the wine jar and snoring loudly.

  The old table and chairs, with a musty smell. Dust everywhere, and a few mice could be seen playing in the corner of the wall. But Lu Fan liked this place, because it was quiet, without ridicule or sarcasm.

  "Old Wu, give me some wine."

  Lu Fan knocked on the counter, and Old Wu finally opened his drowsy eyes.

  Raising his eyes to look at Lu Fan, Old Wu first stretched out his hand. Lu Fan took out a copper plate and threw it on the counter.

  Lao Wu first put away the copper plate, then unexpectedly handed the wine jug in his arms to Lu Fan, saying in a slightly hoarse voice: "There's still half left, it's cheap for you. If you can't finish drinking, bring it back to me."

  Old Wu smiled and took out a bowl with a missing mouth and placed it on the counter.

  Lu Fan took away the wine jar and bowl, casually found a table to sit down, filled a bowl with wine, and tilted his head for a big gulp.

  The strong liquor went down his throat and into his belly, and soon Lu Fan felt his body heat up, as if a flame was burning inside him.

  "Good wine."

  Lu Fan couldn't help but praise it. He liked this store for a second reason, which was that the wine here was strong enough, unlike anywhere else.

  Old Wu smiled and said: "That's right, didn't you see whose wine it was? Lu Fan, you've been hit again?"

  Lu Fan sighed and said, "I'm always being hit."

  Old Wu said, "Don't say that. Don't you think it's a miracle that you're still alive today? I remember when you first walked into my store, you were as thin as a little monkey, almost dying. Look at you now, everything is normal."

  Lu Fan couldn't help but laugh, and Old Wu's words were indeed correct. When he was a child, the doctor had diagnosed him, saying that he would absolutely not live past twelve years old, but now he had lived to seventeen, and was still doing well, it was truly a miracle.

  Lu Fan turned his head and said to Old Wu: "Maybe it's because your wine is good."

  Old Wu's eyes flashed with a strange light, and he smiled similarly: "That's natural, my wine is certainly the best."

  "My woman abandoned me because I'm a useless person."

  Old Wu narrowed his eyes and said, "Then she will definitely regret it later."

  Lu Fan smiled lightly and said, "Old Wu, thank you for comforting me."

  Old Wu smiled and said, "Believe me, this is no comfort."

  Lu Fan poured himself another bowl of wine and said, "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I won't be able to come drink your wine again in the future."

  Old Wu's smile faded from his face as he walked over from behind the counter: "What's wrong? Are you leaving?"

  Lu Fan nodded and said, "Yes, I'm leaving. This year's martial arts academy test, I didn't pass again. I'm already 17 years old, at most there will be one more chance for the final test next year, but my family will never let me lose face completely. Probably after this year's annual festival, they will send me away, and I don't know where I'll be sent to, but it's definitely a place I can never return from."

  Old Wu sat down opposite Lu Fan with a wobble and asked: "So miserable?"

  Lu Fan nodded and said: "Right, it's that miserable. Old Wu, when I leave, I'll buy a few more jars of your wine to drink on the road."

  Old Wu said: "No problem. I'll definitely prepare a few more jars for you. But I think, why don't you just stay and try again next year? Maybe you'll pass then?"

  Lu Fan smiled, but his smile was tinged with sadness.

  "Get accepted? I've already given up on that."

  Old Wu said: "Then you won't practice martial arts from now on?"

  Lu Fan's eyes suddenly became sharp, and he said: "I will definitely practice martial arts. Martial arts are everything to me. Even if I can't condense my aura in this life, I am proud to be a martial artist."

  Lao Wu's expression changed slightly, as if he hadn't expected Lu Fan to say something so bold and grand at this time.

  Old Wu hummed softly.

  "Last night, the cold wind and the remaining moon; this morning, the sad rain and sorrowful snow. When will the bitter sea waves rest? One intoxication can resolve a thousand worries. Thinking of the ten years of martial arts from afar, tears flow into my cup. My heart has the vastness of the sky, but people must leave first - who knows, who stays?"

  Lu Fan listened to Old Wu's poem, his eyes filled with sorrow, and he raised the wine jug to start drinking heavily.

  Old Wu softly recited the last two sentences, stood up, and walked back to the counter.

  He slowly pulled out a small jar of wine from under the counter with his hand.

  "Come on, Lu Fan, drink this jar with me. I've been storing this jar of wine for twenty years now, today let's get drunk and forget our worries."

  Old Wu put this small jar of wine on the table.

  The aroma wafted through the air. Lu Fan, with a drunken gaze, looked at Old Wu as he poured him a bowl of wine and smiled, saying: "Why is this wine green?"

  Old Wu's face was calm and showed no signs of intoxication, he said in a low voice: "You've had too much to drink."

  Lu Fan smiled and said: "Right, I did drink too much. Let me try your bowl of wine to see what's different about it."

  He tilted his head back and downed a bowl of wine, feeling as if a flame had shot straight into his chest and abdomen from his throat. Lu Fan's entire face turned bright red.

  Lao Wu poured another bowl for Lu Fan and said, "Keep drinking, this wine is strong enough."

  Lu Fan felt like he was about to be speechless, after a long time, he managed to squeeze out two words: "Enough."

  After finishing speaking, Lu Fan drank another bowl, and this time he felt even more intense.

  Lu Fan seemed to hear his own skeleton making cracking sounds, his blood boiling, and his vision had already begun to blur.

  Standing up, Lu Fan said: "Old Wu, it seems I'm really drunk, no good, I'll go back first."

  Lu Fan walked out unsteadily, and Old Wu looked at Lu Fan's back and said: "Remember to come over in a few days to drink again, I'll keep this jar of wine for you."

  "Don't worry, I'll definitely come."

  Old Wu smiled and said in a low voice: "You'll definitely come."

  Old Wu lightly waved his hand, and the wine jar floated up like a ghost, then fell back onto the counter.

  Old Wu's fingers knocked on the table in a rhythmic pattern, shaking his head and humming softly.

  "Eight thousand miles of mountains and rivers, sword and wine; nine million miles of vastness, dreams and awakening. Three cups can connect the Great Way, one dou can understand the harmony of heaven and earth. The fun of yin and yang in a cup, human emotions in wine. I don't know who will be where tomorrow morning, who will laugh at me, and who I will laugh at..."

  On his way home, the north wind howled and the flying snow hit Lu Fan's face like a knife, but he didn't feel anything.

  He walked back to the Lu's house with a swaying body, and from afar he could already see the gate.

  But at this time, Lu Fan's center of gravity was unstable and he fell to the ground.

  Lying on the ground, Lu Fan felt that he had no strength left in his body, only the heat circulating inside.

  Consciousness gradually became a bit fuzzy, Lu Fan lay on the ground and didn't get up, the heavy snow slowly covered his body.

  A ray of light burst forth from his body, only to vanish into thin air. His body emitted a low hum, every pore on his skin opened up, and a visible stream of energy swirled around him.

  If there were any martial arts masters present, they would definitely exclaim in surprise, because Lu Fan's current state was too similar to the legendary "rebirth and bone transformation" of martial arts.