Besides that, Huang Huai still had plenty of questions he wanted to verify. For one thing, why had the Great Spirit God statue that came with the Holy Lord Emperor Guan statue mysteriously shattered, while the Holy Lord Emperor Guan statue had remained unharmed and even undergone a transformation?
And if the Holy Lord Emperor Guan statue could manifest in A World, what about the other statues? If he brought over a statue of the Great Compassionate and Merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva, or one of Mazu Niangniang, or one of the Three Pure Ones, could they manifest just like Holy Lord Emperor Guan?
Just thinking about it filled Huang Huai with excitement and anticipation.
After asking around, Huang Huai soon found Majiadong Alley and the man recommended by Du Wu, Master Ma Xing.
After talking for a while, Huang Huai could tell that Ma Xing was an honest, simplehearted man who wasn't good with words. But after hearing Huang Huai's requirements for repairing the house, Ma Xing thumped his chest and promised that, as long as the materials were ready, he would fix the place up as good as new and not disappoint him.
With his mind set on returning to the present world, Huang Huai naturally didn't want to waste time. He immediately invited Ma Xing to come with him to the house.
In the courtyard, Huang Huai explained what repairs he wanted, and Ma Xing nodded as he took notes. After walking through the entire property, Huang Huai looked at him and said, "Master Ma, I'll leave the repairs to you. That includes labor and materials. Give me a price."
Ma Xing nodded and muttered to himself, occasionally counting on his fingers. Only after a good while did he raise his head and say, "Boss, to meet the requirements you just laid out, the repairs will cost at least fifteen taels of silver."
Seeing that Huang Huai might misunderstand, he explained, "The main thing is that you want it finished in half a month, so this old man will have to hire a few people to help. That'll add to the labor costs. If you don't set a deadline..."
Huang Huai had spent several dozen taels buying the house. He had thought that fixing it up inside and out would cost at least several dozen more, so when Ma Xing quoted such a low price, Huang Huai smiled and said, "Fifteen taels it is. As long as you finish the job to a high standard and on time, I can give you a little bonus too."
At that, Ma Xing's deeply wrinkled face broke into a smile. He repeatedly assured Huang Huai that he wouldn't disappoint him.
After watching Ma Xing leave with the deposit and the money for buying materials, Huang Huai felt he had taken care of a major matter.
There wasn't much to worry about in A World. Ma Xing was handling the repairs, and Huang Huai only needed to check in from time to time. The present world, on the other hand, had plenty of things for him to deal with.
Not only were his parents and younger sister about to come visit, but finding the statues he needed to test his suspicions would also take some effort.
Before going back, though, Huang Huai wondered whether he should bring home some local specialties.
He pulled the door shut behind him and walked among the crowds. Shops lined both sides of the street, selling all manner of things—there was practically nothing you couldn't find.
Unfortunately, as he walked along, Huang Huai awkwardly realized that none of the goods in these shops seemed suitable to take home as gifts.
Then again, it made sense. In the present world, where goods were produced in abundance, you could buy just about anything if you had money. And the manufacturing techniques used for many products there were far beyond what this otherworld could manage.
Suddenly, Huang Huai stopped, a smile appearing on his face as he looked up at the shop before him.
"Xue Family Tea House."
It was a teahouse. Even standing outside, he could smell a faint fragrance of tea.
Thinking of his father, who was especially fond of tea, and his master, Great Daoist Master, Huang Huai walked into the teahouse without hesitation.
The moment he stepped inside, the fragrance of tea washed over him. Thanks to his father and master's influence, Huang Huai had some ability to judge the quality of tea, though he couldn't claim to be an expert.
An old man in a green robe sat cross-legged with a tea set before him. Steam drifted above the exquisitely crafted teacups. Across from him sat a middle-aged man in a long robe embroidered with a landscape.
Huang Huai recognized him at a glance. He was from the Great River Sect.
That landscape-embroidered robe had left a deep impression on Huang Huai. If he had only seen it once, perhaps he might not have remembered it, but he had encountered the same style more than once.
When he first witnessed the supernatural, the Seventh Elder in a landscape-embroidered robe had made a particularly strong impression on him.
Then, just yesterday, he had seen Peng Yu, the Peng Family's Third Young Master, wearing the landscape-embroidered robe issued to disciples of the Great River Sect. Seeing the same clothes again, there was no way Huang Huai wouldn't recognize them.
As if sensing Huang Huai's gaze, Han Song looked up at him, lifted the teacup before him, and took a sip. Then he smiled at the old man across from him and said, "Mr. Xue's tea-making skills are as superb as ever. I'll take this Spilled Jade Tea with me."
As he spoke, Han Song rose, picked up a tin of tea from a nearby table, and glided away.
The old man, still seated cross-legged, picked up a teacup and poured another cup. He looked at Huang Huai with a smile. "You look like a young man who enjoys tea. If you don't mind, why not try some of my tea?"
Huang Huai was taken aback for a moment, then understood. Seeing the old man's welcoming manner, he didn't stand on ceremony. He stepped forward, saluted the old man, and sat cross-legged. Without any pretense, he lifted the teacup and took a sip.
The tea was slightly bitter as it touched his tongue, but in the next instant, a crisp, refreshing sensation shot straight to his head. It was like gulping down a mouthful of ice water on a sweltering summer day when you were nodding off; his whole body stirred with renewed energy.
"Excellent tea! It really clears the mind and sharpens the senses, and the aftertaste lingers!"
At Huang Huai's words, Xue Qing's hand stroking his beard twitched slightly. He looked at Huang Huai strangely, clearly caught off guard by his assessment.
But Xue Qing quickly recovered and burst out laughing. "Good, good! You're absolutely right, young man. This Spilled Jade Tea really does clear the mind and sharpen the senses."
Huang Huai said with a hint of embarrassment, "I just like drinking tea. When it comes to the Way of Tea, I only know a little. I hope you'll forgive my ignorance, sir!"
Xue Qing rose with a chuckle. "Young man, what kind of tea are you looking to buy?"
After just one cup, Huang Huai soon felt clearheaded and refreshed, his spirits lifted. This wondrous change had already made him realize that the tea he had drunk was no ordinary brew. Suppressing his astonishment, he asked Xue Qing, "Sir, do you have any more of this Spilled Jade Tea?"
Xue Qing raised an eyebrow and glanced at Huang Huai. "This tea is called Spilled Jade Tea. It's the finest Spirit Tea at my Xue Family Tea House. Drinking it clears the heart and nourishes the spirit, so cultivators are especially fond of it. That's why it's also called Spilled Jade Spirit Nourishing Tea."
Huang Huai had already experienced the tea's ability to clear the heart and nourish the spirit for himself. He felt refreshed and alert, so he knew Xue Qing wasn't exaggerating.
And hearing that this so-called Spilled Jade Spirit Nourishing Tea was especially popular with cultivators only confirmed that it was no ordinary tea. He immediately asked, "How much does it cost?"
Xue Qing stroked his beard and said calmly, "Ten taels of gold per tael of tea."
Huang Huai wasn't surprised. Ten taels of gold for one tael of tea came to roughly two or three hundred thousand yuan. It certainly wasn't cheap. Even among the finest teas in the present world, which had once fetched astronomical prices at auction, few could match the price of Spilled Jade Tea.
But Huang Huai took a gold bar from his robes without hesitation and placed it on the table. "Sorry to trouble you, sir. Please get me two taels of Spilled Jade Tea."
Xue Qing wasn't surprised. Though Spilled Jade Tea was expensive and highly prized by cultivators, it couldn't really be considered a cultivation resource. Its value was far below that of the many resources cultivators truly needed.
Carrying two tins of Spilled Jade Tea, Huang Huai left the Xue Family Tea House in high spirits. Now he had a gift for his father.
Before you continue