The Old Monkey King's Test

The voice just fell.

Suddenly, a gust of wind descended from above.

The wind pressure was as heavy as a mountain, forcing him to retreat several steps!

Nan Xu steadied himself and looked up.

On the branches of an ancient tree beside them sat an old monkey. The old monkey was more than twice the size of an ordinary monkey, and its fur was a bright silver-white that gleamed with a cold light.

It sat upright on the branch, motionless like a sculpture, its eyes gleaming with obvious wisdom.

"As expected... only a spirited monkey with supernatural powers could brew such fine wine," Nan Xu thought to himself.

With his keen eyesight, he could naturally tell that this old monkey had probably lived for hundreds of years and its cultivation was definitely not shallow.

In a head-on confrontation, it could kill itself seven times in three seconds.

Despite this, Nan Xu was not particularly flustered.

Firstly, the player named "Little Gummy Bear" in the previous life was less than level ten when he obtained the monkey wine.

This proves that fighting is not the only way to obtain Monkey Wine.

Secondly... he had just won a highly anticipated culinary competition, defeating a seventh-ranked opponent with a ninth-rank victory, and his luck in the culinary world was at its peak.

With the blessing of good fortune, he would never die while searching for ingredients.

At most, he would just get a lesson from the old monkey, have his monkey wine and all his food stolen, and be dumped at the foot of the mountain.

Of course, even so, it was absolutely unacceptable to Nanxu.

He had already accumulated a lot of high-quality ingredients, equivalent to a full bag of gold coins in the game, and he also found the top-quality Monkey Wine. He was about to make a lavish exit.

If something happens now, there will be nowhere to turn to for help.

As expected, the old monkey did not rush to make a move. Instead, it slowly raised one paw, pointed at the bamboo tube in Zhi Xu's hand, and then shook its head.

The meaning is clear: you cannot take the wine with you.

Nan Xu pondered for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"Senior, I took this wine not for personal gain. I am a cook, and I wish to use this monkey wine to make a dish. Such fine wine, if its flavor cannot be brought out to its fullest potential, wouldn't that be a waste?"

"If I succeed, it will surely benefit your fortune in the food industry. I hope you will be accommodating."

He didn't know how the gummy bears had gained the old monkey's approval, and even if he did, he probably couldn't perfectly replicate them. So, he could only use his own method.

The old monkey tilted its head, looked at him for a moment, and showed obvious suspicion in its eyes.

Then, it suddenly leaped down from the branch and landed silently three feet in front of Nanxu, chirping softly.

The sound entered his ears and automatically translated into a meaning that Nanxu could understand.

"How could a mere child like you possibly bring out the full flavor of monkey wine?"

"If you can let me taste something even more delicious than my monkey wine, I'll let you take it!"

At the same time, a system notification sounded indicating that the task had been triggered.

[Ding! You have triggered the quest: "The Old Monkey King's Test"]

[Task Reward: Unknown]

[Failure Penalty: Loss of "Monkey Wine"]

Upon hearing this, Nan Xu looked at the monkey wine in his hand and frowned slightly.

Monkey Wine

[Rank: God, First Grade]

Quality Score: 99

[Effects: After drinking, Constitution +25, Strength +10, Agility +10; Maximum lifespan greatly increased; Internal energy cultivation greatly increased. This effect will significantly decrease with repeated consumption.]

That's right, the monkey wine brewed by this old monkey is of the highest grade in the game, namely [Grade One].

The quality score is also close to the maximum of 99.

Its quality is so high that it is almost a gift from heaven. It is virtually impossible to surpass it with a dish made from ordinary ingredients.

Fortunately, he was not entirely unprepared for the current situation.

Nanxu rummaged through the food bag for a while and took out a small bag containing spices.

Monkey wine is indeed of unparalleled quality, but it is, after all, wine. Wine needs to be paired with food to fully bring out its flavor.

What he wants to do is not to surpass Monkey Wine, but to make Monkey Wine a success.

Nanxu picked up a few flat stone slabs and heated them over a fire. Then he took out some spices from the small bag, carefully considered the amount for a long time, and mixed them with rock salt.

Then, he took out a small handful of peanuts from his bag—he had bought them casually at the foot of the mountain, intending to use them as food, but now they came in handy.

He shelled the peanuts, placed them on a heated stone slab, and slowly stir-fried them.

The heat was just right, baking the peanuts until the skin was slightly charred while the inside remained crispy. Then, he quickly poured in the seasonings, tossed the peanuts up and down, ensuring that each peanut was evenly coated with the thin layer of spices.

In no time at all, Nanxu had placed the prepared peanuts on a clean, large leaf and handed it to the old monkey.

Then, a small cup of monkey wine was placed next to it.

"It's finished. Please enjoy it, senior." Nan Xu made a "please" gesture.

The old monkey glanced at the small handful of peanuts, then at Nan Xu, and let out a sneer.

The meaning couldn't be clearer—can such an ordinary dish of fried peanuts really rival Monkey Wine?

You little punk, are you trying to fool me because I'm so naive?

Nan Xu shook his head and gave a calm smile: "You'll know once you try it, senior."

The old monkey suspiciously stretched out its paw, picked up a peanut, and put it in its mouth.

The old monkey's eyes lit up as soon as he put the peanut in his mouth.

Peanuts themselves are nothing special, but the thin layer of spices explodes with a strong spicy aroma on the tongue.

The flavor is so unique that it makes you want to eat more.

It hurriedly grabbed the second peanut, then the third, the fourth... one after another, unable to stop.

However, as he was eating, the old monkey suddenly realized something, forced himself to put on a serious expression, and let out a long howl.

With the aid of demonic power, Nan Xu easily understood its meaning—

The peanuts taste good, with a unique seasoning. However, compared to monkey wine, they are still miles inferior.

Seeing this, Nan Xu simply smiled and said, "My dish isn't complete if you only eat the peanuts."

He pointed to the bamboo tube next to the peanuts: "Snacks to go with drinks, of course, should be enjoyed with drinks."

The old monkey raised an eyebrow and lifted the bamboo tube.

What it wants is not the same taste as monkey wine, but a taste that surpasses monkey wine.

He's drunk this monkey wine hundreds of times. Can a mere side dish really make the wine taste different?

The liquor enters the mouth and slides down the throat.

In an instant, its eyes widened!

The same monkey wine is already a delicacy when drunk on its own, but with the addition of peanut and spice flavors, the wine becomes even sweeter and more refreshing than before!

This monkey wine actually tastes even better with just a small dish of peanuts!

With just one sip, it drank the entire glass of wine in one go.

The old monkey raised its head, its face full of lingering satisfaction.

A small glass of wine was far from enough to satisfy its appetite, but it completely whetted its cravings.

It swirled the glass, indicating that there wasn't enough wine.

Seeing this, Nan Xu smiled and said, "Judging from your reaction, senior, you approve of my dish?"

Upon hearing this, the old monkey showed a hint of annoyance. Although Nan Xu's actions had exploited a loophole, they had still managed to achieve its goal.

It could only squeak twice helplessly, wave its hand, and indicate that Nanxu could take the monkey wine with her.