In the low, cramped slums, Basil Bertram and Leah King led me, John Chou, and Rachel Lan along the rugged, uneven road. We were nearly out of the city, yet still hadn't reached our destination.
The wind howled endlessly. I was a little surprised, wondering where this father and daughter actually lived.
Soon, we noticed a dilapidated courtyard. Part of the wall had collapsed, but the house itself remained and had been reinforced. It was several hundred meters from the city, close to the black rocky hills. Inside, the place was fairly organized, though the environment was poor. We saw a well, but it was sealed with a wooden cover.
At this moment, Basil Bertram took out a small cloth bundle, looking very mysterious. Leah King opened the cover, and instantly, both John Chou and I widened our eyes. Inside was a crescent moon. Although the well water was black, the crescent moon was truly there. Leah King began to draw water, filled a bucket, and quickly covered the well again. John Chou stared thoughtfully at Basil Bertram, as if he'd realized something, chuckling to himself.
Basil Bertram opened the cloth bundle, and I was amazed by its contents. Wasn't that the Woodstone?
With a splash, Basil Bertram tossed the Woodstone into the bucket without another word. In no time, the scent of wine filled the air—a whole bucket of Morning Dew Wine was ready. I licked my lips, and John Chou immediately scooped up a large mouthful, drinking contentedly.
"If only we had something to go with the wine."
"Is there anything at home? I can make something."
Rachel Lan said, and Leah King nodded, leading her into the small kitchen on the side. The rest of us returned to the main hall.
"Brother, drink quickly. Otherwise, if it spoils, you won't get any."
I responded and began drinking. Basil Bertram happily joined in.
"Sigh, I don't know why, but this magical wooden lump must be my ancestral heirloom."
Suddenly, John Chou burst out laughing, spilling a bit of wine from his mouth. I looked at him in surprise as he clutched his stomach and laughed heartily, patting Basil Bertram on the shoulder.
"How should I put this? Brother, you're basically eating yourself. Better not tell him the truth."
I let out a sound of surprise. The Woodstone was proof of Basil Bertram's status as a Ghost Sovereign, the condensation of his power, yet now it was being used to brew wine. I was speechless. The crescent moon in the well floated on the water's surface—an extremely peculiar sight.
After a while, we began eating and drinking. John Chou's expression grew serious as he spoke.
"Remember, Basil Bertram will come by with this stuff whenever we want wine. Just sell us the wine. He doesn't come every day, but he'll drop by from time to time. The rest of the time, don't drink it yourselves. No matter how magical something is, if you use it too much, it loses its effect."
Basil Bertram looked at us in confusion, then nodded.
"By the way, do you two know me?"
"Of course. You sell fake goods on the street every day—how could we not recognize you?"