Xiao clan’s Grand Hall was a cavernous building of dark cedar pillars and cracked jade tiles, its walls lined with carved murals of the clan’s ancient glories, but all of it was marred by the signs of neglect and disrepair. Where once bustling disciples had come and gone with prideful steps, now silence lingered in the courtyard.

  And at the very center of this decline was Xiao Yun, the eighteen-year-old heir who was known more for drunken antics and chasing courtesans than for his talent, or lack thereof. But lately there had been changes.

  Xiao Yun had buried himself in the clan’s library. He had stopped going out and visiting brothels. He had even repaired his relationship with Xiao Lian, the once rising star of the clan. If one was inclined to believe so, he’d even helped her deal with her heart demon using a method from the upper realm. With the addition of their ancestor’s revelation and the Mystic Cleansing Jade, it finally seemed like things were slowly falling into place. The elders had watched with guarded hope.

  And then it happened: Xiao Yun had bought barrel after barrel of alcohol from the city taverns and inns, recklessly spending his increased allowance along with what little previous savings he had left. At least, that’s how it appeared from an outside perspective.

  So here he was, summoned before the elders once again, but this time things were a little different. The head guard, Xu Ming escorted him personally to the grand hall.

  Xiao Yun stood on the smooth tile floor; eyes lowered in respectful pretense. He knew their gazes. Seven pairs of eyes, each carrying weight he could feel on his shoulders.

  At the center sat First Elder Xiao Chong, white-haired and white-bearded, his presence still crackled faintly with the might of his Golden Core stage cultivation. Every wrinkle of his face spoke of discipline and harsh judgment. His long white hair was immaculately tied and his beard flowed down his chest like a frozen waterfall. His eyes, usually closed in serene meditation, were open today and they were fixed on Xiao Yun with a frigid disappointment that was sharper than any blade.

  “Little Yun,” Elder Xiao Chong’s voice boomed like a bronze bell, “we had thought you were... finally tempering yourself. Yet word reaches us that you squander wealth on unreasonable amount of alcohol once more. Do you take the clan’s decline as a mere joke?”

  Murmurs rose among the elders.

  The coldly elegant Second Elder adjusted her robes. “Five hundred barrels of wine was it? Young master, did you perhaps have a dream where all the alcohol in the Fallen Star city had disappeared and you decided to stockpile in case the dream became reality?”

  Gaunt and sinewy Seventh Elder scowled. “A seed rots in bad soil. Perhaps this boy was never meant to support the clan.”

  Xiao Yun sighed internally.

  ‘Here we go again. They think I’m back to my ambitionless drunkard self. If I tell them I’m inventing modern ethanol distillation, they’d either laugh or think I’m possessed. Best to lean into the nonsense they’ll accept…’

  He clasped fists and bowed. “Honored Elders, forgive my presumptuousness. I acted not out of greed nor lust for drink but out of guidance. Three nights ago, while in meditation I received another vision from the Great Ancestor Xiao Tianlong!”

  The Fifth Elder with a face creased like a scroll of unread wisdom tilted his head. “A vision?”

  “Yes.” Xiao Yun said with gravity. “Our honored ancestor showed me visions from the upper realm to guide me yet again! He showed me golden flames purging tainted liquid, purity separating from waste and a cup of such clarity that even immortals would compete for it. It was then I understood my duty: to create a beverage of unmatched refinement, a drink worth more than spirit stones.”

  The hall fell silent.

  The Third Elder, with eyebrows drooping like two snowy banners, murmured: “Another celestial vision from the great ancestor…”

  Elder Xiao Chong’s eyes narrowed like blades. “Do you think us fools child, that you invoke the ancestor’s name so easily at your every whim?”

  But Xiao Yun pressed on, voice impassioned. “This is no common tavern swill. It is a divine liquor, something this world has yet to taste. With it we can restore the Xiao clan’s fortunes. The wealthy will pay mountains of gold taels for a single jar. Cultivators will seek it for tempering their qi and spirits. With monopoly over such a product we’ll make Xiao Clan great again!”

  ‘If only I had some red caps to pass around.’ Xiao Yun couldn’t help but joke internally.

  The words echoed boldly in the hall. To make Xiao Clan as great as it once was… Among the Elders, doubt and desire wrestled.

  Xu Ming, who was respectfully standing by the entrance audibly gulped. He had heard the rumors spoken in hushed tones by some of the servants, regarding the ancestor’s remnant spirit guiding Xiao Yun, but hadn’t paid them any attention. If his words were to be believed, the ancestor had bestowed upon them the way to make wine worthy of Immortals! The very concept of such a wine was extremely alluring to someone like Xu Ming.

  The Fourth Elder’s eyes gleamed avarice. “Rare high-grade alcohol you say? Something cultivators would crave? Hmm... Such goods can fetch absurd prices in the markets. If this is true…”

  The Second Elder pursed her lips. “And if it is false? If he squanders the last of our wealth on experiments? We would be left a laughingstock! His idea with the Mystic Cleansing Jade worked out, but can we be sure that this one will work as well?” She spoke in a tone filled with doubt and apprehension regarding the clan’s future. After falling so low and seeing things get worse by the day, they finally had a small ray of hope, but what if that hope was a mere lie?

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The Sixth Elder, her painted face unreadable, tapped one crimson nail against the armrest. “Vision from a distant ancestor is a convenient thing. But… profit, monopoly and power, those words are indeed tempting. The Xiao clan needs innovation, even if it comes from unlikely mouths. Additionally, Xiao Yun has shown us that it’s indeed possible to make miraculous things with ordinary ingredients. Perhaps he’s telling the truth once more.”

  Xiao Yun, sensing the subtle tone shift bowed deeper. “Elders, I ask only a chance. Allow me to demonstrate. Additionally, Second Elder need not worry regarding the cost, what I bought from the inns and taverns was the dirt-cheap swill they couldn’t get rid of fast enough. It barely cost my few months allowance; it shouldn’t burden our finances any further, whatever funds were needed are already spent and I only used my personal assets.” He smiled mysteriously, while the Second Elder only watched him in measured silence.

  “Luckily the ancestor has shown me the way to turn that swill into divine nectar! If I fail, punish me as you see fit. If I succeed, Xiao clan will drink from rivers of prosperity. I stake my life on this.” He declared audaciously.

  There was boldness in his tone but also calculation. Xiao Yun knew the rules of these councils/executive boards: an oath of accountability softened suspicion and their overhead costs were low, additionally he had used his personal allowance and savings and not the clan’s resources for the purchase. This was a low-cost high reward endeavor.

  Murmurs rose again as the elders whispered among themselves.

  Elder Xiao Chong stroked his beard and spoke up with a voice that was low but sharp as knives. “Xiao Yun… your reputation is one of shame. Yet your recent diligence has sown the faintest seed of hope. I am not so easily swayed by words of visions. But…” His gaze swept the council. “The clan needs support. And perhaps… even a prodigal son may stumble upon fortune by Heavens will.”

  He raised his hand. “Very well. We will grant you one moon’s time. You will create this so-called celestial liquor. If it proves profitable, we shall support you. If you waste resources again like you’ve done in the past…”

  The temperature of his gaze could have frozen steel. “…then your third-circle cultivation shall be stripped of clan support and you will be cast out.”

  Xiao Yun bowed his head. “This junior understands!” Reading the Elders’ expressions carefully he had come to a realization. The amount of money he spent, although not exactly something they could afford to waste on frivolous things on the regular, wasn’t really enough for the elders to be making such a fuss over. Their intention in calling him here must have been mainly to scare him straight and learn more about his newest scheme and make sure he wasn’t falling back to his degenerate habits.

  Xiao Yun could have simply left and started the distillation process since he had all he needed, but something stirred inside him.

  “But elders, I don’t need a months’ time. Five days is the longest time I require. Within that time frame I will show you results. The ancestor’s vision was very clear this time, I will show you true liquor worthy of heavenly beings and Immortals themselves!” It shouldn’t even take him three days to finish setting up, figure out the kinks and distill some alcohol, but in Xiao Yun’s corporate experience it was better to under-promise and over-deliver. It was a way to prove your value in the eyes of the higher ups.

  The elders were surprised into silence by his boldness. If the truth was as he claimed to be, and he could make such wine in such a short amount of time, was the method really that simple? Wouldn’t he need a longer period for the wine to ferment?

  “And to prove my words, I will let Xu Ming, the wine expert test the end product. If you don’t believe my words, then believe his judgement!”

  Xu Ming was currently the most surprised and confused person in the room, suddenly being dragged into the clan drama. However, the promise of tasting heavenly wine did a great deal in reducing his anxieties.

  Giving a small bow, Xiao Yun left the confused audience in the hall and returned to working on his scheme.

  The third elder turned towards the first and asked somewhat anxiously. “Senior Brother, what you said about casting him out if he fails…”

  First Elder answered with a shrewd look in his eyes. “Rest easy Junior Brother. Although he might be a wastrel, he’s still a direct descendant of the clan. With his recent contribution, he’s already earned enough goodwill for us to take care of him for the rest of his life, even if he is unable to advance or make another contribution. I simply wanted to scare him into stopping his debased habits.”

  The Second Elder beside him had a similarly cunning expression. “Third brother, you are much too old and experienced to be fooled by the performance First brother put on. When have you seen him treat the younger generation cruelly?”

  The third elder gave an embarrassed laugh and the rest of the elders had a few chuckles.

  First Elder’s expression soon turned grim, however. “If he is not lying and telling the truth it would even be better, but similar to Mystic Cleansing Jade, it must be kept a secret if it comes down to that. You don’t need me to explain our situation.”

  All the elders got downcast and serious expressions on their faces, indeed being painfully aware of their plight…

  …Two days later, after fixing some minor mistakes and flaws here and there, his preparations were complete. Xiao Yun stood in a small courtyard on the edge of the clan estate. Glass vessels and brass tools lined the tables, most unused for years due to the clan’s dwindling resources. A few servants watched curiously as he arranged copper tubing, clay jars and heating cauldrons in unusual configurations.

  Xiao Yun ignored them. His mind was busy recalling half-forgotten chemistry lessons and late-night YouTube rabbit holes about moonshine distilling.

  “Heat the wine,” he muttered, adjusting the cauldron flame. “Then capture the vapor… cool and condense it and-”

  A drip fell from the end of the copper tube into a jar. Another. A slow and steady stream followed, clear as mountain spring water. Xiao Yun grinned.

  “There it is! Pure ethanol. Earth’s forgotten treasure.”

  He raised the jar, sniffing cautiously. The sharp scent slightly burned his nostrils.

  “Not bad, it should be about 35-40 percent alcohol, a little weak but I can make it even stronger.” Then he could sell it in different prices. Stronger the alcohol the higher its price would be by a large margin. Normal wines and other fermented drinks like strong beer had an alcohol content between fifteen to twenty five percent. Distilled alcohol he was making on the other hand would end up having double that, and with an additional round of distillation, it would rise even further.

  But Xiao Yun was cautious. He knew cultivators prized not just alcohol, but its effect on qi. So he experimented, putting small amounts of low grade fragrant spirit herbs and flowers into different batches, balancing strength with smoothness. Luckily, distilled alcohol was a good solvent and had little flavor of it’s on, so he could mix in a variety of delicious fruit juices and spiritual herbs to make different types of cocktails. The results were promising, and soon it would be the time for taste testing.