Blowing His Own Horn Beyond the Heavens!

That afternoon, at the Tea Hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

A breeze slipped through the window and stirred the curtains. The room was quiet and elegant, fragrant with tea.

Ning Rongrong worked with the tea set.

She rinsed the leaves, warmed the cups, poured the water, and served the tea. Every movement was graceful, precise, and fluid. She sat straight, her manner calm and composed, with no trace of the willful Little Witch she used to be.

An outsider saw a performance; an expert saw the skill behind it.

Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong watched quietly, satisfaction in their eyes.

It seemed inviting Tang Yuehua had been the right decision after all.

Even Ning Wen, a complete novice at the Tea Ceremony, could tell at a glance that Ning Rongrong moved gracefully and smoothly, like flowing clouds and water. She looked as though she had studied it.

And she had.

Two full months would have been far too long just to learn etiquette.

To win Ning Wen's favor and turn Ning Rongrong into a proper young lady of a great family,

Ning Fengzhi had asked Tang Yuehua to teach her not only court etiquette, but also everything she knew about the Tea Ceremony, Flower Arrangement, and Elegant Music.

Today was effectively her final exam.

She would show Ning Fengzhi, Gu Rong, and Chen Xin what she had learned over the past two months.

Even Ning Wen had been brought along.

This was also the result Tang Yuehua had to present to Ning Fengzhi.

Ning Rongrong took in their expressions, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

For the past two months, every day had been pure torment.

Once today was over, she could finally escape it and return to her old carefree life.

Ning Wen, just you wait.

Just then, the Voice Pack sounded again.

[Hmph! What a pretentious display of refinement!]

Ning Wen: "..."

It just finished tormenting Qian Renxue, and now it's going after Ning Rongrong!

Come on, can't you give it a rest?

Ning Rongrong's face darkened.

Calm down. Calm down. Pretend you didn't hear it.

Damn it, I can't take this!

Pretentious? Just wait. I'll show him what I can do!!!

I'm not pretending to be refined—!!!

Does he think I went through two months of hell for nothing?

Suppressing her anger, Ning Rongrong threw herself into brewing the tea.

I'll make that bastard eat his words!

[What a waste of good tea.]

[The water's too hot, the steeping time's too long, the tea-to-water ratio's off, and her pouring is stiff and forced.]

[It looks fluid, but it's riddled with flaws. She has the motions, but none of the spirit.]

[And she looks so composed. Where does she get that confidence?]

Ning Wen: "..."

He had not noticed anything wrong at first, but after the Voice Pack pointed it out,

Ning Rongrong, who had looked so composed to him moments ago, suddenly seemed a little... ridiculous?

The corners of his mouth rose against his will. He nearly laughed aloud.

Hold it in. Hold it in—!!!

Ning Rongrong happened to catch him looking as though he might burst out laughing at any moment.

The anger she had forced down exploded with a bang.

Her grip on the teapot tightened. The spout wavered, splashing a few drops of scalding tea past the tray onto the bare wooden table, where they left dark spots.

[Oh? Is that all it takes?]

[My eye for people is as sharp as ever!]

[Someone who truly understands the Tea Ceremony is relaxed in mind and spirit, letting their intent flow into the tea. They'd never be like her.]

[That woman Tang Yuehua only taught her the movements, not the state of mind. In the end, all she learned was an empty performance.]

[For all I know, Tang Yuehua isn't any better!]

[That's right. That must be it!]

[The Clear Sky Sect is full of brutes. What the hell would they know about the Tea Ceremony?]

[Tang Yuehua only devoted herself to it because she couldn't cultivate. Her talent probably isn't much to speak of.]

Now it was Tang Yuehua's turn to look grim.

Mocking her out of nowhere was bad enough. It had even started belittling the Clear Sky Sect.

Though, admittedly, it was not entirely wrong.

Ning Wen could not hold it in any longer. He let out a snort of laughter in front of everyone.

"What are you laughing at?"

Her anger boiling over, Ning Rongrong glared fiercely at Ning Wen.

"I... remembered something that made me happy."

Ning Wen hastily suppressed his smile and answered with a straight face.

[How laughable.]

[In my previous life, my strength surpassed the limits of the Douluo Universe. With the power of the Kunlun Mirror, I broke through the barriers between worlds and took all my wives to a new world.]

[There, countless Deities and Great Emperors lined up to invite me to taste tea and discuss the Dao.]

[Apart from the rare few worthy of my attention, I could hardly be bothered to give them a glance.]

[And she dares put on airs and show off such crude tea-making skills before me? She hasn't even reached the beginner level!]

[Hahaha! This is killing me!]

Ning Wen's mind filled with question marks.

This Voice Pack is really taking its bragging to the heavens!

Now it's claiming it broke through the barriers between worlds.

And those Great Emperors... surely it doesn't mean the kind I'm thinking of?

You're a God King from Douluo, the bottom rung of fantasy worlds. Even the weakest Great Emperor would turn you to ash with one slap.

That's taking a comparison way too far!

"What, do you think my tea-making is no good?"

Ning Rongrong set down the teapot and looked at Ning Wen, defiance in her voice.

"No... not at all..."

Ning Wen shook his head and said honestly, "I don't understand refined things like this."

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have received an additional reward: Transcendent Tea Mastery."

Just then, the system's reward announcement rang out right on time.

At the same moment, countless exquisite insights into the Tea Ceremony flooded Ning Wen's mind.

From ancient tea-roasting methods and choosing the right water to controlling the heat, entering the proper state of mind, and comprehending the Dao through tea... the essence of the Tea Ceremony and its countless elegant subtleties were seared into his mind and bodily instincts.

The Tea Ceremony, which had seemed unremarkable to him before, now became perfectly clear.

When he recalled how Ning Rongrong had brewed the tea, every flaw, every stiff and awkward movement, stood out starkly.

Only then did he realize the Voice Pack had been right. Ning Rongrong's grasp of the Tea Ceremony went no deeper than its outward forms.

[Even tea I brewed without trying would be a hundred, a thousand times better than yours, you stupid woman.]

"You say you don't understand it, so why did you laugh just now?"

Ning Rongrong's face reddened with anger as she looked at Ning Wen. "You were clearly making fun of me!"

"I really didn't understand the Tea Ceremony before. I'd only heard a little about it."

Ning Wen looked utterly innocent, as though he were the victim here.

[Even the little I know about the Tea Ceremony is better than what you learned from studying it.]

[Stupid woman, know your limits, would you?]

The taunts continuing in his head made Ning Wen burst out laughing again.