Humanity's love for alcohol likely dates back to ancient times. Regardless of the country or ethnicity, despite differing cultures and customs, our pursuit of fine spirits is remarkably similar.
Humans have a tendency to harm themselves—and they do so with great enthusiasm.
If you look closely, all the pursuits we cherish come with a cost to ourselves.
Tea is bitter, cigarettes are choking, and alcohol is sharp. Sugar water may be sweet, but no one gets addicted to it.
Perhaps, in some subconscious way, humans use these self-destructive behaviors to remind themselves: life is full of hardships, so we must find happiness in the bitterness, spiciness, sourness, and saltiness.
...
After a few drinks, with one person blind and the other accustomed to night shifts, they didn't even turn on the lights. Instead, they turned on Matt's radio, lowered the volume, and enjoyed a Chinese-style midnight snack to the sound of late-night music.
It was rare for Matt to let his guard down like this, to indulge for the sake of himself, for the current mood, and for the sheer enjoyment of fine wine and food.
In Matt's view, this was truly a reckless and indulgent way of living.
...
After three rounds of drinks and five flavors of dishes, the two finally shed their serious facades and defenses, laughing and chatting like old friends about their embarrassing moments.
It was mostly Matt talking. Being a master of time management isn't easy—Matt averages less than five hours of sleep per day. During the day, he does volunteer work, offering free legal services to the poor. Sometimes, he not only doesn't get paid but also has to spend his own money.
If Matt weren't highly skilled and occasionally able to take on serious cases, his law firm would have gone bankrupt long ago.
Daytime tasks drain his mind, and even at night, he doesn't get to rest—physically taxing work still awaits him.
As an ordinary person without any special abilities, Matt's battles with Fisk and the Hand in recent years can be described as nothing short of life-threatening.
The numerous scars on his body could easily rival anyone in the Marvel Universe. If he weren't somewhat of a protagonist, he'd be long gone by now!
But seriously, this guy Matt is really handsome!
In his previous life, when Leon watched the Daredevil spin-off series, he was curious and went online to find some Daredevil comics. He didn't remember much except how the comic writers kept praising Matt's outstanding appearance through narration and the perspectives of passersby.
Maybe Leon hadn't read many comics and was short-sighted, but in his impression, Matt was the only Marvel comic protagonist with such honors, making him undoubtedly Marvel's number one pretty boy.
Thinking of this, Leon sighed. How could such a good-looking guy have such a miserable love life?
Although a few drinks had somewhat dulled his senses, Matt still heard Leon's sigh.
"What's up? Regretting taking out the good stuff now?"
It was clear Matt was in a great mood, and his relationship with Leon had significantly improved thanks to this impromptu dinner without candlelight.
The way he joked already had the tone of longtime friends.
As a stereotypical straightforward Northerner at heart, Leon was never one to shy away from a challenge at the dinner table.
Hearing this, he took out a small glass of beer from his space—not much, just a small bottle.
With a bang, he set it on the table: "Matt! Today, I'll show you what real good wine is!"
[Shawshank Special Ice Beer]
Effect: After drinking, permanently increases health regeneration by 100% and permanently increases resistance to control-type abilities by 5. (Special Effect: When shared with someone, it grants an additional point of intelligence.)
Grade: Purple
Quality: Common
Remark: Nothing can stop your yearning for freedom.
Remark 2: Sunshine on your shoulders, as if you're a free man.
This was the best beer Leon had produced since obtaining the Wooden Monk's Barrel.
Leon, who usually skimped on using test tubes to store his alcohol, had deliberately bought a nice little bottle for this beer, intending to share it with someone someday.
Now that the atmosphere was just right, what's the point in holding back?!
It's you, Matt!
Seeing Leon take out a bottle that held no more than 200-300 milliliters at most, Matt realized that Leon had pulled out all the stops—this was the real deal.
Without any pretense, Matt downed the remaining wine in his glass with a laugh, pushed the empty glass forward, and said, "I have to see what kind of good wine you've been hiding!"
Leon also downed his glass, then poured the small bottle of beer into glasses for both himself and Matt.
After pouring out the last drop of beer, Leon put the bottle away. Ordinary people need to live frugally; living extravagantly is for the wealthy!
Raising his glass, Matt first brought it to his nose and took a whiff, surprised to find that it was beer!
Matt had expected that something Leon had so carefully taken out would be a cellar-aged liquor like brandy or rum, not beer.
Out of trust for Leon, Matt didn't underestimate the small 100-milliliter beer in his glass. He raised the glass and took a small sip, like a first-time drinker.
"Oh, this..."
Hahaha!
Leon had been holding his glass, waiting for this moment!
The beer from the Wooden Monk's Barrel was outstanding in flavor, and most of the drinks had a specific origin and backstory, making the experience feel almost mystical.
Shawshank. Just from the name, Leon knew what this beer was, and no wonder it had such quality.
After another small sip, Matt found himself savoring it not out of anything else but pure reluctance.
He also noticed that Leon had put the bottle away. He might just take it out to smell the aroma later. No doubt, getting another taste of this beer in the future would be difficult.
No matter how slowly he sipped, 100 milliliters wouldn't last long. When Matt swallowed the last drop, he let out a long breath: Refreshing!
As the beer went down, Matt felt his mind clear. The work stress and fatigue accumulated during the day seemed to vanish, leaving him feeling inexplicably relaxed and carefree.
"It feels like..."
"Flying in the skies of fate, a beautiful dream..."
"Hahaha!" Matt laughed. His friend was indeed an interesting guy.
Leon also drank the remaining beer in one gulp, leaned back against the couch with his cup in hand, and said, "Sunshine on my shoulders, as if... a free man..."
Matt clapped his hands: "Yes! That's exactly the feeling! That line is much better than your howling just now!"
Leon, dissatisfied, retorted: "You don't appreciate it, so don't criticize it and ruin children's aesthetics!"
Matt shot back: "You probably don't know how many people at the music academy cried their eyes out when I went to law school."
"So happy?"
"That's called crying their eyes out!"
"That's called tears of joy!"
The two exchanged banter, and before they knew it, they were challenging each other—not to fight, but to find a place to sing and have a showdown!
Leon had forgotten why he came here in the first place. Now, all he could think about was performing "Reform Spring Wind Sweeps the Land" for Matt, or if that didn't work, "After This Cup, There Are Three More," to show off his prowess as a karaoke master!
Matt was equally fired up, boasting that he could make a cello sound with a leaf and that his body was full of artistic bacteria, with drumming skills that were unparalleled. He even suggested they could do a duet with Leon on the suona!
It's said that alcohol brings out the true nature of people. Before drinking, I was timid; after drinking, I strike with a heavy hand!
The two swayed as they were about to leave for a singing competition. They didn't even pack up. Matt forgot he was blind—after all, with his built-in echolocation system and mental imaging, climbing over walls in the dead of night was no problem. The usual facade of being visually impaired was just for show.
Now, he even forgot to keep up the act, fumbling for his clothes and keys with his eyes closed, not forgetting to tidy the cushions on the couch before leaving!
Does this guy even seem blind?
Just as they reached the door and opened it, they stopped.
Standing at the door was an old man with a cane.
...
Leon remained silent because he didn't know what was going on. Matt said nothing, which was fine, but the old man blocking the door also remained silent—now that was a problem!
"Sir, are you here to see someone?"
Seeing the elderly man wearing a baseball cap, slightly hunched over, and appearing quite old and frail, Leon asked.
But the old man didn't respond; instead, he stared at Matt with a look that said, "You're heartless, unreasonable, and outrageous."
Seeing this, Leon thought, Do they know each other?
Hmm?
Matt, old man, cane...
Putting these pieces together, along with the old man's accusatory stance and Matt's silence...
Is this... Stick?
Sure enough, just as Leon was forming a reasonable guess, Matt spoke in a hoarse voice, with a tone that was complex and heavy: "Master, it's been a long time."
...
The plan to go out and sing was naturally canceled. After all, Lyon was still a guest, and the host's mentor showing up in the middle of the night might indicate something important. Dragging him outside at this moment would be quite inconsiderate.
So, they returned inside.
As the old man with the cane entered, he first glanced at the messy table, snorted, and then sat by himself at the farthest point from the table, near the small tea table by the window.
This ambiguous snort left Lyon with a poor first impression of the old man.
Was he really here to collect a debt?
Maybe he was upset because he saw the debtor indulging in food and drink without repaying the money?
Otherwise, why would a guest visiting in the middle of the night act so high and mighty? Couldn't he see there were other guests in the house too?
Lyon didn't know much about this old man. He hadn't even read much of Matt's comics, let alone anything about this guy.
All Lyon knew was that this old man, who called himself "Cane Old Man," was Matt's mentor and a blind man. He seemed to be quite skilled, perhaps even the leader of some... some Purity Society?
Anyway, someone in a leadership role.
That was about the extent of Lyon's knowledge.
Since the old man didn't give Lyon a warm reception, Lyon naturally didn't bother with him either. He lifted his mask slightly, revealing his nose and mouth, and sat down in his original spot to continue eating.
It wasn't hard to imagine that the old man's expression probably wasn't very pleasant.
He originally hoped that Lyon would take the hint and leave on his own, making it easier for him to speak with Matt.
But Lyon didn't play by the rules and just sat down to eat again!
The old man had waited outside for quite a while. While the men inside the house feasted and drank, the old blind man stood outside in the cold wind, waiting in vain.
What's with the young people these days? Don't they know to respect the elderly?
"Matt, I have something to say to you."
Lyon was still wrestling with a large shrimp. The old man waited for a while, growing hungry himself, and seeing that Lyon showed no intention of leaving and that Matt remained silent, he finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"If you have something to say, just say it!"
It was Lyon who spoke up. He wasn't a fool; he could see that the relationship between this mentor and apprentice wasn't very harmonious. Matt didn't seem too happy to see his mentor. In fact, just earlier, they were eager to go out and have some fun, but the moment the old man showed up, Matt's mood plummeted.
It seemed now that Matt didn't even want to speak to his mentor.
Given Matt's personality, Lyon started to form an idea and a guess.
"Haven't we all been waiting for you to speak?"
Lyon ate another cherry tomato and said, "But don't even think about asking for money."
The old man glanced at Matt, who still had his head down, not wanting to talk, then turned to Lyon and asked, "Who are you?"
"Me?" Lyon said, "I'm here to borrow money, but it turns out Matt is poorer than I am, so I couldn't borrow any. Instead, I ended up lending him some money."
The old man was momentarily confused, unable to tell if Lyon was joking or not. After a brief pause, he decided to ignore Lyon and spoke directly to Matt, "Matt, I need you to take my place."
Since entering the room, this was the first time Matt had spoken, "We've already discussed this, Master."
Raising his head, Matt said, "I'm not going to lead the Purity Society. I don't want to watch them die one by one for no reason."
As the master and apprentice spoke, Lyon was thinking: Ah! It's the Purity Society! I thought it was something like the Chastity Society! The name alone sounds anything but pure!
As Matt and the old man tacitly treated Lyon as if he were invisible, through their exchange, Lyon finally pieced together what was going on.
In simple terms, the Purity Society, led by the old man, had been constantly opposing the Hand, a powerful group with a force known as the Black Sky.
The old man was planning to assassinate the Black Sky, fully prepared not to return, and he wanted Matt to take over and continue leading the Purity Society in their fight against the Hand!
Matt had always refused because the Hand's power far exceeded that of the Purity Society. Those who joined the Purity Society were either seeking revenge against the Hand or were children that the old man had rescued from the Hand.
Over the years, Matt had seen many people in the Purity Society burn themselves out like fireflies for some ideals or justice. He knew he couldn't lead the Purity Society to victory over the Hand, so he kept refusing the leadership role.
Upon hearing this, Lyon couldn't help but think: Isn't this perfect timing!
So, Lyon interrupted their argument with a suggestion: "Why don't you just tell me where the Hand is, and I'll go kill them all?"
As soon as Lyon finished speaking, both the old man and Matt were stunned.
To answer a reader's question:
Yes, there is a female lead, and it's a single female lead. It's clearly written in the outline, but the protagonist's nature is to cause trouble! Don't worry~
And of course, the book will have a complete ending, no loose ends.
This is my first signed book, and the first one with loyal readers, so it's very meaningful to me. Even if it doesn't make money, I'll still write everything I want to say and give it a proper conclusion.
So, please rest assured about that ←_←
Lastly… please vote! Please add to your favorites! Recommendation votes are really, really important for new books, so ←_←
(End of Chapter)