Chapter 61: Strong Wine
Li Mu walked into Qin Lie’s little room.
Inside the room, pieces of scrapped spirit tablets were messily placed about. Many spirit tablets had shattered into little pieces. Some were even burnt charcoal black and exuded an unpleasant odor.
“You…” Li Mu grimaced. “This place is even dirtier than before you came here here. You said you were going to clean the shop for me, so what’s this?”
Qin Lie’s face was filled with awkwardness. “I was busy so I didn’t manage it properly. It will be better after a while.”
Li Mu nodded. “Mn, when one commits all their attention to something, they will not pay attention to other details. Most artificers that are even the slightest bit competent have this exact strange habit you do. Once they begin… they would be fully immersed, miss the other things in life, and be completely unaffected by any other matters.”
“Uncle Li also understands artifact forging?” Qin Lie was shocked.
Shaking his head, Li Mu continued, “No, but I know an Artificer. That guy has many bad habits and seems to have an obsession with cleanliness in daily life. He needs to clean everything and bathe many times a day, yet when he starts forging, he would become dirty to a frightening degree. He will not eat or bathe for multiple days and only return to normal once he stops.”
“Then, that senior must be extraordinary.” Qin Lie suddenly felt respect.
Li Mu smiled but did not confirm or reject the words. “You have recently shut yourself in your room to inscribe spirit diagrams, forgetting about food or rest. Your concentration and persistence is no less than that guy’s, but… this is definitely not the most efficient method. Sometimes, taking breaks appropriately, adjusting your state of mind, and waiting until you are fresh and relaxed before continuing can give you unexpected results.”
Qin Lie’s expression became serious as he said, “Uncle Li, please guide me.”
“This isn’t guidance, I’m just talking about a habit of my friend in hopes that you can gain a flash of inspiration.” Li Mu went silent for a moment and then started once more, “My artificer friend, when he encounters a barrier while inscribing spirit diagrams and cannot break through after repeated tries, would put it down completely for a period of time.”
He looked at Qin Lie and continued, “That guy will come out and shout to his heart’s content, drink liquor, find a woman to release himself, and completely forget the difficult problem he had. After several days letting go, all his pressure and his exhaustion would be alleviated. His tense nerves would also relax…”
“He would then start again on his artifact and put his full attention back onto the problem he was struggling with. Through this, he would frequently break through the problems he had and find the optimal solution, easily sweeping past his issues.”
Li Mu smiled slightly and stated, “His method is extremely effective. You can try to learn from him and might have unexpected success.”
“Shifting one’s attention to temporarily release oneself, completely forgetting anything related to artifact forging. Returning the mind to a normal and peaceful state after releasing all the built up pressure and then starting over once more…”
Qin Lie silently thought it over, and his eyes gradually lit up. He felt that that Li Mu’s guidance was very profound.
“Thanks, Uncle Li,” sincerely thanked Qin Lie.
Waving his hand, Li Mu signaled that he did not need to be so polite. He then invited Qin Lie. “Come to the courtyard and drink a little wine. A friend will come over soon. You can also accompany me and have a little chitchat.”
“Great.” Qin Lie put down the spirit tablet and walked out with him into the yard.
There was a big tree in the middle of the yard with a stone table and some benches beneath it. There were already some side dishes and wine on the table, giving off a fragrant and appetizing scent.
Li Mu had Qin Lie to sit down and then raised a wine bowl at him, saying, “Come, let’s drink and talk.”
“Don’t we need to wait for him?” Qin Lie asked, surprised.
“No need.” Li Mu smiled faintly and drank a bowl first. He then breathed out the scent of wine in pleasure, saying, “Don’t be polite, come, drink! This wine is very good.”
Qin Lie obeyed and gulped some down. WIth that, he started to cough loudly, his face flushing red.
He had never drank such strong wine before!
When the gulp of liquid reached his throat, it was like a fiery burning ball of fire sliding down. The next sensation was from his stomach, and it was like molten metal flowing inside him. It was so scorching that he almost cried out.
“Cough cough, cough cough, this wine, this wine is so strong!”
Qin Lie’s body was burning, his stomach feeling a scorching pain and his face became as red as blood.
“It’s like this when drinking for the first time. It will be fine when you get used to it,” Li Mu snickered. “If you can’t bear it, hmm, yo