The Teahouse Owner

Yu Xing felt more than once that she was becoming weaker in this instance, but also more perceptive.

His blindness lasted only two seconds; before the person behind him could even pull the axe from the ground, his vision was restored.

The surroundings are not a traditional office; all the furniture, from desks and recliners to cabinets, is made of rattan.

Smaller branches tangled together formed a sturdy object, making the best use of the material.

These decorative vines have no black patterns on them, nor do they have the eerie feeling that belongs to the Ghost Tree. They are probably just discarded branches that fell off the Ghost Tree on their own.

In addition, the room is not square or rectangular, but rather like a tree hollow, with dense cracks in the walls. If someone with trypophobia were to come here, they would probably be crouching on the spot, trembling with fear.

There were no windows in the room. Of course, this was underground, and even if there were windows, they would probably only allow people to see the soil outside, making it feel oppressive and terrifying.

The smell of fresh blood rushed into Yu Xing's nostrils from behind, Yu Xing's eyes darkened for a moment.

"Sir Principal, what are you doing?"

He turned around with a smile as he spoke.

This was the first time Yu Xing had met the Principal of St. Johnis Middle School. Before meeting him, Yu Xing was a little curious about what kind of person could build a school into such a grotesque place.

Upon seeing it, however, I inevitably lost interest.

Before me stood a middle-aged man who looked respectable, about forty years old, whose hair was streaked with silver from years of hard work.

The Principal wore a well-fitting suit, a single-lens reflex, and a gold chain that extended from the side of his eye to his epaulettes, giving him an air of both refinement and high-class luxury.

The only thing completely out of place was the axe handle the Principal held in his hand.

Upon hearing his question, the Principal responded with a gentle smile, "I'm sorry, Roy, I startled you. I just heard you were recommended by the school doctor, so I wanted to test your skills."

He finally pulled out the axe, its gleaming blade pointing directly at Yu Xing, as if it were about to chop him down at any moment.

The entire surface of the axe was covered with deep-rooted rust left by dried blood; just one glance was enough to tell how many people this axe had killed.

"I'm delighted to have such an outstanding student in our school. Although your grades could improve, your help to our teachers is unprecedented." Seeing Yu Xin's gaze linger on the axe, the Principal feigned surprise and put it away. "I apologize for the rudeness."

"It's alright, Principal. Ever since I transferred to St. Jonas High School, almost everyone I've met has been this rude. I'm used to it." Yu Xing said with a smile, her words utterly infuriating, causing the Principal's fake smile to freeze for a moment.

"Humor is a virtue too." After a moment, the Principal's smile returned to normal. He pointed to the rattan sofa beside him. "Come sit here, child. I think we can have a good talk about where you'll be after graduation."

Yu Xing cooperated and walked towards the sofa, at the same time noticing the familiar black patterns on its surface.

The Principal probably didn't know the specific connection between him and Ghost Tree, and only thought that he had a special physique or special abilities, and was food chosen by Ghost Tree.

After all, Ghost Tree wouldn't willingly reveal anything related to the source of power to the puppets on the ground, so...

Are you trying to screw him over like this?

Yu Xing thought to herself, the smile on her face became more genuine.

That's wonderful.

He wanted to examine these patterns more closely.

Yu Xing and the Principal sat down comfortably on the sofa, facing each other.

A pot of tea was brewing on the coffee table in front of the sofa, with two upside-down teacups and the teapot placed together on an elegant plate.

The vines didn't attack him immediately. Instead, the Principal, as if he wanted to have a long talk, started the conversation. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Principal Anderson."

Yu Xing crossed his legs, his body language as arrogant as his words: "I know, I've heard of your great name in the school history."

"Oh, it seems you've gone over the school's history." The Principal gave him a meaningful look, then reached out and righted the overturned teacup, personally pouring him a cup of tea.

"Are you thirsty? We can chat while we enjoy some tea."

Yu Xing glanced at the tea.

This is clearly not any kind of tea in reality. The green tea leaves are very beautiful. After being steeped in hot water, they turn the tea into a light, transparent green, as beautiful as a piece of crystal.

If you smell it closely, you can detect a fragrance somewhat similar to that of bamboo leaves in real life.

"This is some good tea I got from a newly opened teahouse off campus. Hehe, this teahouse has become very famous these past few days. I even had to go to great lengths to get a packet. It's perfect for treating the students."

The Principal elegantly adjusted his monocle, took a sip under Yu Xing's gaze, and then exclaimed, "It is indeed fine tea."

"The possibility that the Principal intended to poison me cannot be ruled out," Yu Xing, picking up her teacup and smiling calmly.

So what if they poisoned me?

He couldn't be poisoned to death.

Moreover, a faint Spiritual Sense told him that there was indeed no substance in this cup of tea that would be harmful to him.

He slightly opened his mouth, intending to take a sip, at least to maintain a semblance of harmony with the Principal, because he still had an important item whose location he hadn't managed to get out of the Principal.

Who knew that it was all about sex? As he lowered his head slightly, his lips were about to touch the tea, and the tea leaves in the cup suddenly turned a bright blood color. The tea that was stained by the tea leaves also turned blood red, becoming more and more concentrated in the cup, like a cup of fresh blood.

The smell hasn't changed much.

Yu Xing paused, then looked up at the Principal.

The Principal laughed heartily and proudly boasted, "Isn't it interesting? The emerald green tea leaves don't change color with hot water, but when someone's breath gets close, they unfurl into vibrant blood-red leaves, turning the entire cup of tea bright red. How beautiful!"

"That's quite surprising." Yu Xing wasn't really interested in drinking the tea anymore, so he casually asked, "Does this tea have a name?"

"Of course," the Principal said, taking another slow sip before continuing, "The name of this tea is 'Seeking Xun Xing'."

Yu Xing's breathing paused subtly for a moment, then immediately returned to normal.

"The teahouse owner seemed to be a traveler from the East, dressed in a long blue robe, exuding an air of refinement. Especially the crystal bells on his clothes were truly exquisite." The Principal praised both the tea and the man, seemingly still reminiscing about their brief encounter when buying tea earlier.

"If I have the chance, I will definitely go to that owner's teahouse to buy tea again. Making a friend from the East might be beneficial for my future trip to the East."

Yu Xing chuckled softly. This time, he tilted his head back and drank the blood-red tea. The red tea warmed and soothed his entire body as it went down his throat. He could also feel a very familiar aura traveling through his body along his throat and stopping at his heart.

The aura did nothing but hover at the heart, seemingly waiting quietly for something.

Yu Xing also exclaimed in praise, "Excellent tea. Yi Qing, you truly live up to your reputation."