Chapter 111: The Last Sip from the First Bottle of Wine

“Finally, it’s here.” Luo Hanya discerned through the corner of his eye, a flickering light within his blurred vision seeming almost within reach. His tattered clothes and mutilated flesh were but sighs of the past; at this moment, that white lamp was like the finger of Jesus reaching out to Adam’s creation, carrying all hope and strength, casting a vivid glow upon this monochrome ghostly realm.

“Foolish man, why such stubbornness? This lamp does not belong to you, nor does it serve you. Why cling to it so desperately?” The crow ruffled its feathers for a moment, speaking with a human voice.

Luo Hanya did not respond but stretched his right hand determinedly toward the white lamp. Only upon touching it did he slowly close his eyes, cautiously calming himself. Fatigue surged through him like the tide, rising relentlessly from every part of his body. This pleasant exhaustion engulfed him effortlessly, like the dark sea nearby—its rising and falling tides swallowing everything.

…

“Where am I? What happened to me?” Luo Hanya coughed, barely opening his eyes, confused as he gazed around. Black waves crashed one after another toward him, jagged black rocks dangerously close.

By the sea? Luo Hanya rolled over, pushing his hands against the ground to stand, but sharp fragments of stone pierced his skin, drawing blood. Only then did he notice he was lying on countless tiny, sharp pebbles. Cold seawater seeped into the small wounds on his body, sending tingling sensations through his skin that invigorated him.

“Cough, cough, cough…” Suddenly, he realized his lungs seemed filled with some unknown substance, making speech impossible. His throat was bitter and dry, as if it no longer belonged to him. His limbs tingled with numbness, and his skin clung dryly to his body like a sun-dried sponge, ready to crack with the slightest touch.

Squinting at the waxy sun over the black sea, he shifted his body to a more comfortable position, his mind reluctantly turning over the situation: “So, I spent last night in a place like this? Soaked in seawater, then dried out by the sea breeze?”

“But everything I experienced last night was real… Was it all the doing of that man in white? The sensation of brushing past death is truly extraordinary.”

“The tide of death… indeed an intriguing place…”

“Are you awake?” A sudden voice jolted Luo Hanya, bitterness flooding his entire body. He stiffly turned his head, preparing to confront another ghost.

“Heh, don’t be nervous. I’m different from that guy.” Luo Hanya turned to see a weathered middle-aged man drinking, none other than Ou Shinan—the man who had watched the show with the man in white the night before.

“Heh, I…” Luo Hanya strained his throat, trying to utter a few coherent words, but it was all in vain. Despite his utmost effort, no complete sentence came out.

Ou Shinan glanced at Luo Hanya struggling on the ground, smiled, and took a hearty swig from his bottle, belching contentedly afterward.

Luo Hanya’s facial muscles twitched involuntarily, sensing that this eccentric uncle was teasing him, deliberately drinking to provoke.

“Ah, this is a good thing.” Ou Shinan weighed the bottle in his hand, wincing with pain as he approached Luo Hanya and pressed the bottle to his lips. “Saved you the last sip—consider yourself lucky, kid.”

Understanding the meaning behind the gesture, Luo Hanya imagined what expression he would have made if he could—surely quite a sight. Inwardly, he mused, “A strange middle-aged man leaves me the last sip of his drink? Calls it a favor? Could it be some divine elixir, like in martial arts novels? The hero jumps off a cliff, meets a peerless master, gets healed first, then learns invincible techniques?”

He glanced behind him, realizing it was indeed the cliff he saw yesterday. “Could it be that I really jumped off the cliff? Is everything unfolding like a protagonist’s journey?” This thought stirred a flicker of excitement in his heart.

“Hey! Drink it or I’m taking it back!” Ou Shinan glared at the dazed Luo Hanya clutching the bottle with his lips, as if ready to snatch it away at any moment.

Not daring to delay, Luo Hanya forced a smile and, without using his hands, tilted the bottle to pour the remaining liquid into his mouth.

“How is it? Not bad, right?” Ou Shinan watched eagerly, expecting praise for his brew.

“Mm… mm…” Luo Hanya tremulously accepted the bottle with both hands and nodded in agreement.

Ou Shinan produced another bottle seemingly from nowhere, grinned proudly, and took another gulp. “Heh, I’ve been drinking this for years now. These days, I buy it daily, but the supply is limited—one sip less for you! Ah, I really am generous.”

Luo Hanya first froze, then erupted into a violent cough. His throat burned fiercely, and most of the liquid he had just swallowed was expelled.

“Oh dear! Look at you! You wasted the last sip of my first bottle today! Do you even know how much resolve it took for me to share it with you?” Ou Shinan was momentarily stunned, then scolded Luo Hanya with righteous indignation.

Meanwhile, Luo Hanya felt even more miserable. His body trembled slightly, dry tears threatening to spill from the corners of his eyes. He raged silently, “It’s just ordinary liquor! Inferior at that! No aroma, just burning heat! And he called it a great resolve? My hopes were wasted…”

Ou Shinan raised an eyebrow, amused at Luo Hanya’s frustrated expression as he closed his eyes. “Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”

“Huh?” Luo Hanya opened his eyes, looking at Ou Shinan with hope.

“After all, I’m no longer your obstacle. Besides, I think this is good—better for you to go back early and not waste time here.”

“You…”

“Remember this! I am Ou Shinan.” He looked deeply into Luo Hanya’s eyes, then produced another bottle from thin air, pressing it into Luo Hanya’s mouth again. “Drink this—that’s the real last sip of my first bottle today. Drink it quickly and heal your wounds!”

As the liquor entered his stomach, a warm current instantly spread throughout Luo Hanya’s body, followed by an overwhelming tingling and refreshing coolness.

Waves of comfort washed over his mind, and the irresistible pleasure made him moan blissfully, “Ah…”