Brandon Fenn slowly woke up from his haze, completely unaware of what he had done. Seeing everyone lying there sound asleep, he laughed, "Your wine is really powerful—it can knock people out this badly!"
"This wine might not taste as good as the best, but it’s definitely the strongest," Hale said with a smile.
Brandon Fenn nodded and laughed, "Not bad, it really is strong. Luckily we're in the family estate—if we were outside, we'd be at anyone's mercy."
"Exactly," Hale replied with a smile.
When Brandon Fenn asked Hale for more of that wine, Hale helplessly explained that there was only one jar and it was already finished. In truth, even if he had more, he wouldn’t give it to Brandon—to prevent him from causing trouble.
Seeing that Hale had no more good wine, Second Young Master Fenn could only wake the others up one by one. At first, he couldn’t manage it, but Hale used a special method to rouse them.
Seeing that only Hale could wake them, Second Young Master Fenn laughed, "Your wine is way too fierce!"
The others woke up one by one, completely unaware of what had happened. All they could see was Second Young Master Fenn praising Hale’s skills.
Hale just smiled, and when he was about to get up and leave, Second Young Master Fenn had a guard escort him.
On the way, Hale asked with a smile, "So, how was it?"
"Brother You, your wine is truly impressive. The first kind brings illusions, and this one is just pure strength," the guard couldn’t help but praise.
"Those are just two types—I can brew others as well," Hale said with a smile.
"Really? Then next time, save me a small bottle," the guard said to Hale in a low voice, grinning.
Hale smiled, "Don’t worry, from now on we’re all brothers here."
"No problem. If you ever need anything, just say the word," the guard replied with a laugh.
Hale nodded, and only then returned to his brewing chamber.
After the guard left, Hale fell into deep thought, considering how to get close to Caleb Fenn’s people and find a chance to ask about Patriarch Daniel Yale’s whereabouts.
Planning to wait for an opportunity, Hale kept to his brewing room, making wine until, a few days later, a guard came looking for him. "You’re You Han?"
"Hmm?" Hale recognized this guard—it was the same one who’d come to the tavern to buy wine for Caleb Fenn last time.
"Caleb Fenn wants to see you," the guard said.
Hale hadn’t expected the opportunity to come so quickly. He prepared himself and followed the guard to another manor, where Caleb Fenn and Miles Fenn were waiting.
When Hale arrived, he drew the attention of both men.
"He’s here," the guard announced.
Caleb Fenn nodded, then walked over and smiled, "Welcome."
"What’s this about, Caleb Fenn?" Hale asked curiously.
"You’re now the Fenn Family’s brewer. As Caleb Fenn, I thought I’d treat you to a meal—just to get acquainted," Caleb Fenn said with a smile.
Hale secretly found it amusing, but kept a straight face. "Well..."
"Don’t worry, Brandon Fenn isn’t here today, so he won’t know. You’ll stay here for the day—he won’t find out," Caleb Fenn smiled.
This made Hale secretly delighted, and finally allowed a smile to show. "I see."
Seeing Hale’s smile, Caleb Fenn realized he had no objections. Overjoyed, he laughed, "Come, come!"
Hale sat down, and so did Miles Fenn. The guards were called over, and once everyone gathered around the table, Caleb Fenn started things off by raising his glass and drinking with Hale.
Hale didn’t hold back and joined in. After a few drinks, Caleb Fenn laughed, "This wine is flavorless. Do you have anything better?"
"I do have a small jar of good wine," Hale said, pulling out a little jar.
The aroma was so rich that everyone nearly lunged forward. Caleb Fenn glanced around and smiled, "How about this—whatever the price, it’s on me. Consider it my treat to everyone."
Hale smiled, "No need—just take it as my gift to you all."
Caleb Fenn laughed, "Alright, then I won’t be shy."
Everyone set out their cups, and Hale poured for each of them, then toasted the group.
Just like with Brandon Fenn and the others, everyone passed out. Hale closed the doors and windows, then gave Caleb Fenn the pill.
Caleb Fenn revealed the location of Patriarch Daniel Yale, but Hale didn’t understand—he was clueless about the layout of the Fenn estate. He decided he’d have to ask someone familiar with the grounds.
After restoring everything to its original state, Hale woke Caleb Fenn, then roused the others. They continued drinking for a while before Hale left.
"Fenn Whisper Court...where is that?" Hale wondered. That was the name he’d gotten out of Caleb Fenn, but the unconscious young master couldn’t explain the location—he only said it was a mysterious place in the Fenn Family estate, impossible to reach without a guide.
With Caleb Fenn out cold, getting him to lead the way was impossible. Besides, with so many Fenn Family members outside, Hale knew he couldn’t just barge in like some hero.
"It’s been almost half a month since I got here. I wonder how Daniel Yale and the others are doing." Hale muttered helplessly, having only managed to learn Patriarch Daniel Yale’s location so far.
His messaging stone was currently sealed, unable to send or receive transmissions—he’d done this to prevent the Fenn Family from noticing anything unusual.
Faced with this situation, Hale could only keep waiting for another chance.
About another half month passed. Second Young Master Fenn’s guard came over, smiling at Yang Han, "So, what’s this?"
Hale understood what the guard wanted. He casually took out a freshly brewed bottle and smiled, "This wine isn’t the best, but after a hundred years of aging, it’ll be amazing."
"Really?" the guard chuckled.
"Yeah," Hale replied with a smile.
"Thanks, then. I’ll head back—you keep busy," the guard said, smiling at his prize.
Just as the guard was about to leave, Hale smiled, "I’m not very familiar with the Fenn Family grounds. Brewing here every day gets boring—why not show me around?"
"Well..." the guard hesitated.
"You’re not planning to keep me cooped up here forever, are you? That’s no fun—how’s that any different from being a prisoner?" Hale frowned.
Seeing Hale’s displeasure, the guard quickly said, "No, no, I’ll take you for a walk."
[Irrelevant system message: Skipping as not part of the novel.]
"That’s more like it," Hale said with a smile.
So the guard led Hale around the Fenn estate. The place was huge—Hale opened his divine sense and mapped everything he saw into a blueprint in his mind.
Unfortunately, his divine sense was restricted here, with only a short range. Some areas opened up, but others remained blocked. Hale wondered, "Why can I see far with my divine sense in some places, but not in others?"
"That’s because the places you can see are just ordinary areas. The restricted zones are important parts of the Fenn Family estate, so there are guards hidden there. If you wander alone, be careful," the guard warned.
Hale nodded, "Got it."
Hale learned something new—the most important areas of the Fenn estate were all restricted to divine sense. To find Fenn Whisper Court, he'd have to get Caleb Fenn to guide him.
But that would be tricky—unless he could coerce Caleb Fenn. Doing that inside the estate would be dangerous, and might put Patriarch Daniel Yale’s life at risk.
While Hale appeared to be strolling with the guard, he was mentally noting which areas restricted his divine sense. After nearly half a day, with some places off limits, the guard said, "That’s enough, right?"
"I heard there’s a place called Fenn Whisper Court. Do you know where it is?" Hale asked with a smile.
"Fenn Whisper Court?" The guard looked puzzled.
Hale thought the guard might know, but he just shook his head. "Never heard of it."
"Forget it, then," Hale said with a smile. The guard escorted him back.
Back in his brewing chamber, Hale pondered how to keep searching for Fenn Whisper Court.
"Some areas restrict divine sense, and I can’t get through at all. The range is just too wide," Hale thought, feeling a headache coming on. For now, he decided to explore one small area each day.
So every night, Hale spent the morning brewing, and in the afternoon found excuses to wander the estate. At first, Brandon and Caleb Fenn’s people questioned him, but as he became more familiar, they stopped asking. The others saw him moving freely and didn’t bother him, treating him like a regular.
Another month passed. Hale had explored all the areas with restricted divine sense, except for one section where entry was forbidden.
"Could it be there?" Hale wondered.
After thinking it over, Hale decided to try his luck. The next afternoon, he headed there, but was stopped in a corridor. A guard said, "Entry is forbidden."
"What’s inside?" Hale asked, eyeing the corridor that blocked his divine sense.
"This is a core ground of the Fenn Family. Outsiders are not allowed in," the guard replied.
Hale had to step aside, thinking about his next move. The only thing he could use in the Fenn estate was his wine—after all, he was a brewer here. He uncorked a bottle and began tasting it leisurely in the corridor.
The aroma quickly drifted to the two guards. One looked like he wanted to grab Hale right away.
The other guard glanced at Hale. Though tempted by the wine, he knew his duty came first, so he held back and kept watching.
"Brother, want a drink?" Hale asked with a smile.
One guard hurried over, "Haven’t smelled wine this good in ages—I’ve got to try it."