After Evan Yang finished speaking, he took along several spatial pouches filled with wine he had diluted—one vat turned into five hundred. Yet to outsiders, there was no way to tell the difference.
Unless it was that Mad Elder. Thinking of him, Evan called him down to come along.
"Got something for me to do?" Mad Elder grinned.
Evan smiled and brought a few tavern assistants along with Mad Elder to help out. Mason Liu had no idea the tavern owner was actually Evan; at this moment, he was thriving on Third Peak.
The assistants followed behind Evan, while Mad Elder walked at his side, swaying left and right like a true madman. Evan said nothing—he knew Mad Elder was terrifyingly strong, able to erase all traces of water without releasing a hint of aura.
In Evan's eyes, Mad Elder was truly formidable, so he always treated him with respect. Mad Elder, however, didn't care and just did his own thing.
"Boss, tomorrow is our mountain's big banquet. We'll be counting on you then." Mason Liu smiled.
Evan nodded. "My business relies on all the brothers from the mountain. It's only right that I pitch in."
Everyone liked what Evan said.
Evan wasn't wrong—Third Peak had tens of thousands of people, with thousands visiting every day, earning him a fortune in Spirit Crystal Ore.
They all knew Evan's wine was special, so none dared offend him—afraid of incurring others' wrath and losing access to such good wine.
This made Evan very safe at the foot of the mountain—no one dared target him. Yet Evan was puzzled: he only saw subordinates, not any of the upper echelon.
With questions in mind, Evan followed them up the mountain. The peak was bustling—though it was his first visit, he could feel the lively atmosphere.
"Where should I put the wine?" Evan asked.
"Just leave it for now. I'll find you when the banquet starts tomorrow. For now, you and your helpers can stay in the guest room." Mason Liu said.
Evan nodded, and he, the assistants, and Mad Elder were led into a large guest room with many beds—like a dormitory shared by many people.
Evan didn't mind—these details weren't important to him. He was here to gather information.
Mad Elder didn't care either—sometimes mad, sometimes lost in thought.
Evan told the assistants, "Stay here, don't wander off."
The assistants all had some cultivation, so they didn't need to eat. Evan wasn't worried about them starving and just told them not to leave.
As for himself, Evan went to the doorway. Mad Elder stood there, gazing up at the sky and muttering, "You're up there?"
"Senior, what are you looking at?" Evan asked curiously.
"I'm wondering if those people flying in the sky are really powerful," Mad Elder mumbled.
Evan said helplessly, "Senior, stop asking these questions. Just go up and try if you want to know."
"Kid, I'm done talking to you. I'm off to drink." Mad Elder grinned.
"Drinking again?" Evan thought of how Mad Elder sometimes cried, sometimes laughed, sometimes went crazy when drinking, and was surprised by his behavior.
"Relax, I'm not drinking your special brew. I'm having something else," Mad Elder laughed when he saw Evan's expression.
Sometimes Evan really wondered if Mad Elder had suffered some trauma in the past.
"Alright, stop staring at me. Go do your own thing," Mad Elder laughed.
"Then why don't you come with me?" Evan smiled.
"With you?" Mad Elder looked at Evan.
"Nothing else to do anyway, might as well check out this mountain," Evan smiled.
Mad Elder glanced around. Now that he was Evan's 'bouncer,' he had to follow orders. So he tagged along. Along the way, the two met many regulars from Evan's tavern, and everyone greeted Evan warmly.
"You're this famous here?" As they walked, nearly everyone greeted Evan. Mad Elder asked skeptically.
"I sell wine at the foot of the mountain—they love my wine, so of course we know each other," Evan smiled.
"Makes sense—even I got tricked into following you," Mad Elder laughed.
"Mad Senior, you can't say that about me. Otherwise, I'll take back your wine and you can leave—I'm not forcing you to stay," Evan smiled.
"Come on, with your wine, I could stick around for thousands, even tens of thousands of years," Mad Elder quickly laughed.
Evan hadn't expected Mad Elder to say thousands or tens of thousands of years—he wasn't planning on keeping him around that long. Evan laughed, "Mad Senior, you're joking. No need to stay that long."
"I mean, if I run out of wine, can you still brew more? Then I'd keep following you," Mad Elder laughed.
Evan nearly stumbled and grumbled, "Mad Senior, so that's what you meant."
"What did you think?" Mad Elder laughed.
"Forget it. Next time I get the chance, I'll brew some more for you," Evan smiled.
Mad Elder nodded. Just then, a row of people blocked the passage ahead.
Curious, Evan walked over and saw a group heading into a grand hall.
"Who are those people?" Evan asked someone he recognized.
"They're from the other six peaks. That's the First Peak Lord, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and as for the Seventh Peak Lord, he didn't come—his steward showed up instead," replied Evan's regular customer.
Evan knew he'd already dealt with the Seventh Peak Lord. The Third Peak Lord was the master of this mountain and was probably inside the hall now.
Evan, eager to know what was happening inside, activated Thousand-Mile Echo to listen in.
Unfortunately, the hall was soundproofed—even divine sense couldn't penetrate. "They really covered all the bases," Evan sighed to himself.
Mad Elder looked at the group and laughed, "Has the Human World really regressed? How are these weaklings serving as peak lords?"
Mad Elder's words immediately drew the crowd's anger. Evan knew Mad Elder was powerful, but he hadn't expected him to say something like that. If he didn't intervene, Mad Elder would definitely get mobbed, so Evan quickly laughed, "He's just drunk and talking nonsense. Don't mind him."
"Madman," the crowd muttered.
Evan hurriedly dragged Mad Elder away, grumbling, "Senior Mad, I know you're strong, but if you talk like that, the peak lords will definitely come looking for trouble."
"Them? I'm not afraid. I can't beat those in the sky, but the ones on the ground don't scare me," Mad Elder laughed.
Evan was confused—Mad Elder's logic was strange. Anyone who could fly was at least at the Golden Core stage; those on the ground just hadn't taken flight yet.
But Evan didn't press further and simply smiled, "Alright, Senior, I know you're strong."
"I can handle the dogs on the ground, but those freaks in the sky—not a chance," Mad Elder muttered to himself.
"Senior, what's wrong?" Evan asked helplessly after seeing Mad Elder mutter to himself.
Mad Elder snapped back, "What's wrong with me?"
"You're rambling again," Evan said. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Mad Elder like this—it happened often.
"Impossible. Even drinking trash wine makes me ramble? Guess I should drink less," Mad Elder muttered.
If Evan hadn't spent so much time with Mad Elder, he'd definitely think he was crazy.
"You just said the people of the Human World have regressed," Evan said helplessly.
"Did I really say that?" Mad Elder asked suspiciously.
"Yeah, you haven't forgotten, have you?" Evan asked, equally puzzled.
"Uh, looks like I forgot," Mad Elder replied.
Evan smiled helplessly. "Never mind, let's keep walking."
Mad Elder followed Evan as they walked. On the way, Evan asked curiously, "Senior, have you ever seen an immortal?"
"Immortal? Why are you asking?" Mad Elder asked, curious.
Knowing Mad Elder was lucid now, Evan smiled, "Everyone cultivates to break through to higher realms and become immortals. But do immortals really exist? I might not have believed it before, but after so many years of cultivation, I'm sure immortals exist—and they're everywhere, just hidden from us."
"Kid, you're right. Immortals are everywhere, but they never reveal themselves—unless they're courting death," Mad Elder laughed.
"Why?" Evan asked, confused.
"You'll understand once you get the chance to enter that place," Mad Elder laughed.
"Where?" Evan asked, puzzled.
"It's pointless to tell you now. Just keep cultivating and you'll find out," Mad Elder chuckled.
Evan muttered to himself, then smiled, "Is it the entrance to the Immortal Realm?"
"Oh? You know about the Immortal Gate?" Mad Elder exclaimed.
Evan was startled by Mad Elder's words. He'd only asked tentatively—after all, the Immortal Gate map was still incomplete and in the hands of the Third Peak Lord. He wasn't even sure the entrance existed. But Mad Elder's response made him suspect the Immortal Gate was real.
"Yeah, I've heard about it. But it's strange—why did it become a map? Has no one ever been to the Immortal Gate?" Evan asked, puzzled.
"Map? What map?" Mad Elder asked, confused.
Evan frowned. Was Mad Elder's Immortal Gate different from the map?
"So the Immortal Gate wasn't turned into a map? Or has someone been there before?" Evan wondered aloud.
"Oh, you're talking about that. I almost forgot. Yes, it was made into a map—but only by a few bored people. But even if you get the map now, how many can actually ascend to become immortals?" Mad Elder sighed.
Mad Elder's words made Evan feel as if the Immortal Gate hid some huge secret. Evan probed again, "Senior, do you know where the entrance is?"
"I know, but I've forgotten," Mad Elder laughed.
"Senior, how could you forget? Hurry and tell me! If you know the entrance, I wouldn't have to risk chasing after the map," Evan said excitedly.
But Mad Elder just shook his head helplessly. "I really forgot. If I remember someday, I'll tell you."
Evan felt a chill—he almost wanted to force-feed Mad Elder a Mind-Veil Pill to make him tell the truth.