Rumble!
Charcoal fire roared, licking the bottom of the Xiao Hong Pot and making the spring water inside churn and bubble. Scalding steam rose into the air.
Tea utensils were laid out before Fang Yuan. With meticulous care, he first brought the spring water to a boil. He did not drink the first pot, using it to rinse the vessels instead. Then he covered the pot, poured the tea into cups, served it, breathed in its fragrance, and savored its taste. Every movement flowed naturally, carrying the flavor of emptiness and stillness.
His home was humble, but he still had tea.
Not only did he have tea, but it was the finest of its kind, cultivated by his own hands. His Tea Artistry, too, had reached perfection. His master, Heart-Questioning Hermit, had praised it without end.
Of course, the ill-mannered guest from last time hadn't been afforded this treatment.
The Clear Tea in the cups sent up a fragrant steam. Fang Yuan looked composed as he gently lifted one and slowly savored it.
To him, this was not only a form of self-cultivation, but also a way to remember Heart-Questioning Hermit.
Though his master had never taught him any Martial Arts or spells, he had taught him the Sitting-Forgetting Tea Ceremony.
Every time Fang Yuan brewed tea, it was an exercise in Cleansing the Mind, bringing him ever closer to the state of "sitting in forgetfulness."
What did it mean to sit in forgetfulness?
A Grandmaster had once said, "Cast off your limbs, abandon your intelligence, leave behind form and discard knowledge, and become one with Great Connection. This is called sitting in forgetfulness."
The highest ideal of Heart-Questioning Hermit's Tea Artistry was Unity of Heaven and Man, thereby attaining the state of sitting in forgetfulness.
He had been very fond of Fang Yuan's Tea Artistry. He had even gone out of his way to find and bring back a fine set of tea utensils.
Alas, things had changed beyond recognition.
As the tea fragrance curled through the air, Fang Yuan felt a warm stream flow into his belly, then turn into an icy thread carrying a cool sensation. In an instant, he forgot himself and the world around him, losing track of how many seasons had passed outside.
Dwelling in a Secluded Valley, far from the distractions of the world, Fang Yuan drank tea and tended his crops every day without fail.
Only with complete concentration could one achieve anything.
After finishing his tea, his mind was clear and empty, making it the perfect time to reflect.
"These past few days, I've tended every crop in the valley. Level Three Planting Skill is truly extraordinary. My own skill seems to have advanced beyond even the peak of my ability in the past. But the Mutation Probability is incredibly low. I've searched the whole mountain and valley, yet not a single crop has changed. Of course, the Red Jade Rice seeds haven't matured yet, so I don't know how they'll turn out. Still, the odds are far too low..."
Fang Yuan shook his head, rose, and picked up his hoe and bamboo basket. He went out into the fields and began his daily labor.
He watered, fertilized, and loosened the soil, then tended each plant according to its particular needs. Everything came as naturally to him as breathing.
When the sun reached its zenith, Fang Yuan sat on a rock and drank a gourdful of spring water. Looking over the fields laden with fruit, he felt the same joy a farmer might feel at harvest time.
As he chewed on a rice ball prepared that morning, a thought stirred in Fang Yuan's mind. A glowing screen appeared before him:
Name: Fang Yuan Essence: 1 Qi: 1 Spirit: 1 Age: 18 Cultivation: None Skills: None Specialties: Medical Skill [Level One], Planting Skill [Level Three]
"Essence, Qi, and Spirit should refer to my Physical Quality..."
Thanks to Heart-Questioning Hermit's care and his Planting Skill, Fang Yuan had never suffered much hardship. He had been raised on good food and drink, leaving him with a solid foundation. At eighteen, he was already as strong as many adults.
"Level Three Planting Skill, but the Mutation Probability is still so low..."
Fang Yuan sighed deeply and finished the rice ball in a few bites.
The rice ball was made with Pearl Jade Crystal Rice from the fields. Each grain gleamed like a pearl the size of a baby's little finger, as radiant as an Art Piece. Once steamed with water, it released the natural fragrance of rice and had an incredibly soft, tender texture. It was a peerless delicacy even on its own, without any side dishes. Paired with Pickled Beans and sour plums, it was refreshing and went down easily—better than any rare delicacy.
Jade Crystal Rice was rich in nutrients. Even its rice water could be given directly to babies in place of milk. After eating just one rice ball, Fang Yuan felt his energy restored, his strength replenished after a morning of hard work. He got up and began inspecting his other crops.
"Mm, the cardamom and Yellow Fruit are ready to harvest. Old Man Tian from the Medicine Hall should be coming around soon, too. I'll pick them now and trade them for some oil and salt..."
As he surveyed his land, Fang Yuan occasionally plucked a fruit and ate it, juice dripping down his chin as he planned ahead.
When he rounded a bend, a glimmer of jade-green caught his eye. He couldn't help slowing down and letting out a soft "Huh?"
A Tea Grove grew there, planted with Houkui tea trees. Their leaves were flat and straight, with a fresh, mellow flavor and the fragrance of orchids. Fang Yuan was very fond of them.
But at that moment, Fang Yuan stared at the tea trees before him, dumbstruck.
Among the many sturdy tea trees stood one that had turned entirely the color of jade, shimmering with a crystalline glow. Its leaves clustered like swords and spears, dancing like dragons and phoenixes. Though they had not even been processed, an astonishing tea fragrance already drifted from them, refreshing the mind and leaving a long-lasting aftertaste.
"Superb! The very best of the best!"
Fang Yuan circled the tea tree, marveling at it. "Is this the mutation brought about by Level Three Planting Skill? This Houkui has probably become a spiritual plant, hasn't it?"
Unfortunately, the only thing he had ever seen was a seed of Red Jade Rice, so he couldn't make a proper comparison.
But anything with such signs was certainly no ordinary thing!
"It's afternoon now. Perfect timing!"
Seeing the tea tree, and the fresh leaves growing on it, Fang Yuan immediately forgot all other thoughts. He happily began plucking the tips, intending to make tea as soon as he returned and see how it tasted.
"I can't... I just can't resist!"
After picking a few jade-green leaves, Fang Yuan swallowed and put one straight into his mouth.
"Mm..."
A bitter taste spread across his tongue, but before long, it changed into the rich fragrance of orchids.
Feeling his tongue grow slightly numb, as if jolted by electricity, and a clear current rush straight into his mind, Fang Yuan's eyes lit up. "Spirit Leaf—absolutely a Spirit Leaf!"
"This lingering bitterness is a delicacy in its own right. I can't take it anymore. The leaves already taste this good on their own. What will they be like once they're made into spirit tea?"
Fang Yuan's eyes shone.
Night fell.
Withering, rolling, and roasting—the process was already familiar to Fang Yuan. Though he was using different leaves this time, the steps remained the same.
By candlelight, he gazed at the newly made tea leaves, each as long as his index finger, straight as a sword, and evenly colored a deep green like jade, with red threads running through the veins. His expression was dazed. "Beautiful... simply beautiful! This newly made spirit tea is practically an Art Piece!"
Unable to wait, he took out his tea utensils and went through each step, from boiling the water to pouring it into the pot.
When he finally breathed in the fragrance, an astonishing aroma filled the air. Even in his little wooden shack surrounded by grass and trees, it felt as though he had arrived in a heavenly palace.
"Fragrance that carries far and grows purer, a lingering taste, unforgettable at first sight. It really is peerless!"
By then, after completing the entire process, Fang Yuan's expression had returned to calm.
The methods of Tea Artistry were, in essence, a series of steps that steadily cleared distracting thoughts from the mind, beginning with washing the tea.
Now, his eyes gleamed with a crystalline light. His thoughts were pure, as though he had returned to the innocence of a child.
A tea drinker first savored the aroma, then judged the color. Merely breathing in the tea's fragrance and looking at the clear, bright green liquid in the bowl stirred something deep within Fang Yuan. He brought the bowl to his lips.
Boom!
In an instant, it was as if thunder exploded in his mind.
He seemed to become a traveler making his way through a thicket of thorns. A deep, lingering bitterness shackled the tip of his tongue and his taste buds.
Just as he was suffering this hardship, a silver vase suddenly burst, sending its contents gushing forth. The thorns vanished, and his taste buds sprang open. A pure fragrance surged like a mountain flood, smashing through the rocks that had held it back and rushing through his whole body.
Fang Yuan stared blankly, a glimmer of moisture at the corners of his eyes.
Ordinarily, when someone tasted an incomparable delicacy, it could stimulate the tear glands and make them cry.
That was knowledge from another world in his dreams, but Fang Yuan had never imagined that a mere cup of tea could have the same effect.
"Good!"
After finishing the cup, he poured another pot of water. The fragrance gradually faded, but the taste grew richer.
Even after three or four infusions, the tea's flavor remained, as did its fragrance.
"Whew..."
At last, the pot was empty. Fang Yuan let out a long breath, but the taste lingered in his mouth, leaving a lasting aftertaste.
"This tea... is no ordinary thing. It even seems to have the power to make one question the heart..."
Fang Yuan wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. "Just one taste, and it feels as though my mind has been cleansed... Is this the effect of a Spiritual Object? Or is it a miracle born of chance, from spirit tea joined with Tea Artistry?"
A puzzled expression appeared on his face. Almost unconsciously, he brought up his attributes—and suddenly froze.
His attributes had changed:
Name: Fang Yuan Essence: 1 Qi: 1 Spirit: 1.2 Age: 18 Cultivation: None Skills: None Specialties: Medical Skill [Level One], Planting Skill [Level Three]
"Spirit increased by 0.2?"
Fang Yuan stared at his attributes and silently repeated the words.
The three values—Essence, Qi, and Spirit—had all risen to 1 on his eighteenth birthday, and had not changed since.
But now, the value under Spirit had increased by a full fifth!
In terms of the effects on his body, Fang Yuan suddenly felt more energetic and quick-witted, as though he had become much smarter in an instant.
"According to the theories from that world, Essence, Qi, and Spirit are the Three Treasures, the foundation of a person. The Cultivation World has a thousand methods and ten thousand paths, but in the end, none can escape this..."
"And judging by my observations and deductions, Essence refers to Essence Yuan—the physical body, strength, Bone Structure, and other things with form and substance. Qi refers to the power of Qi and Blood, which has neither form nor substance. Perhaps even the legendary Internal Breath belongs to this category! Finally, Spirit is the sum of one's mind, will, perception, and so on."
"The three aspects of Essence, Qi, and Spirit support one another, each with its own wonders!"
Fang Yuan looked at the remaining tea leaves, his eyes shining. "This tea has the miraculous effects of Cleansing the Mind and Increasing Spirit Yuan. I'll name it Heart-Questioning Tea."
Before you continue