The Joy I'd Had for Days Was Gone, Just Like That!

Next came Ning Rongrong's turn. She hesitantly reached out, picked up the white porcelain cup before her, and took a small sip.

She was still too young to make out all its subtleties.

But she could tell one thing: it tasted wonderful.

The sweet, smooth tea washed over her tongue without a hint of bitterness, leaving a delicate fragrance lingering in her mouth.

[Well? Now you see the sheer difference in our abilities!]

Ning Wen: "..."

Did he really need to be so proud of himself for picking on a little girl?

What happened to his God King dignity?

After grumbling to himself, Ning Wen took a sip too.

Honestly, he didn't feel much.

If it were up to him, he would rather have a Cola.

When it came to drinks, only Cola made him happy.

Ning Rongrong lowered her head like a chick that had lost a fight.

As much as she hated it, she had to admit it.

The tea Ning Wen had brewed really was delicious!!!

Forget what she had achieved after two months of grueling practice. Even Tang Yuehua, who had taught her the Tea Ceremony for years, probably couldn't brew tea this good.

Oh my god—!!!

How had he done it?

How old was he? Even if he brewed tea every day, he shouldn't have skills like this!

At that moment, Ning Rongrong completely forgot who Ning Wen was supposed to be.

Or rather, she was still too young to understand what it meant to be a reincarnated God King.

All she knew was that while she had been brewing tea, he had kept laughing. He hadn't stopped once.

He was obviously laughing at how bad she was, yet he refused to admit it.

He claimed he didn't understand tea and hadn't laughed at her, but he couldn't hide the mockery in his eyes!

Damn him! That was too much!

He was ridiculously good at it, yet he had pretended not to know anything just so he could laugh at her!

Damn it—!!!

"You said you didn't understand the Tea Ceremony."

Ning Rongrong jerked her head up and glared straight at Ning Wen. "Then why... does the tea you brewed taste so good?" she demanded through gritted teeth.

"Maybe I'm just naturally gifted."

Ning Wen gave a few awkward laughs.

[That's right. This Seat is naturally gifted.]

[No matter what This Seat learns, everyone else is like a mayfly gazing up at the heavens!]

[You foolish woman, accept reality already!]

[Before you humiliate yourself again!]

[This pot was nothing more than a casual attempt by This Seat.]

[The immortal tea This Seat once drank drew spiritual water from the river of stars and held the Dao's essence within it. How could these mortal tea leaves compare?]

Ning Rongrong had already been holding back her frustration. Hearing that sent her anger surging again.

"I admit my tea-making isn't as good as yours. I won't brew tea in front of you anymore."

She glared at Ning Wen, her large eyes brimming with indignation. "Happy now?"

"Uh... I just brewed it however I felt like."

Ning Wen looked embarrassed. "The tea you made was really good."

[It was quite good indeed.]

[Your showy moves were pleasing to watch. Too bad they were useless.]

[No matter how fancy your technique looks, you're still a complete amateur.]

[At least you've gained a little self-awareness since before.]

Would this Voice Pack ever stop?

Ning Wen felt pretty bad for Ning Rongrong.

Though this was hardly the first time.

"..."

By then, the barrage of mockery in her head had pushed Ning Rongrong past her limit.

Her little face flushed scarlet, her eyes reddened, and her clenched fists trembled along with the rest of her body.

Bastard!

That absolute bastard!

He's infuriating!!!

Ning Wen's tea was simply too good.

Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and Tang Yuehua were completely hooked.

Tea this good—elegant in its essence and nourishing to both mind and Soul Power—was hard to find anywhere.

After one cup, sweetness still lingered on their tongues, and its flavor stayed with them.

They couldn't stop, drinking cup after cup.

They felt as though they would fill themselves up on tea alone.

In the entire Tea Hall, only Ning Rongrong sat there seething. Her frustration stood in stark contrast to the others' leisurely enjoyment.

"Rongrong, Sister Yuehua is going back tomorrow. That means you won't have any more lessons, right?"

Seeing her expression, Ning Wen changed the subject.

It worked at once.

No more lessons!

No more getting up before dawn to practice tedious etiquette!

No more brewing tea, warming cups, arranging flowers, and playing the zither over and over!

No more suffering through that hellish training!

For two whole months, that weight had hung over her head. Now it was finally gone!

Ning Rongrong's gloomy little face brightened at once. Joy took its place, and she couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from rising.

Tea, mockery, embarrassment—none of that mattered anymore!

Freedom! She was finally free!

[Damn it! Only two months of torment, and it's over? She got off far too easily!]

[This Seat wanted a few more days to watch her struggle and stumble through practice.]

[The source of This Seat's joy these past few days is gone, just like that!]

The joy that had just welled up in Ning Rongrong's heart vanished by half. Her mood soured instantly.

Was he even human?

He had treated the hellish training that made every day drag on forever as entertainment.

And now that it was over, he was disappointed.

"..."

Ning Wen didn't know what to say.

She was finally about to be free, and this guy was still hung up on losing his fun.

Honestly, that was pretty inhuman.

"Little Wen, how did you learn to brew tea like this?"

Tang Yuehua cleared her throat and praised him. "This tea is extraordinary!"

"I didn't have a teacher. I just made it up as I went."

Ning Wen spread his hands, looking perfectly candid.

[Who in this world could become This Seat's teacher? Who would be worthy?]

[The Dao of heaven and earth lies within This Seat's heart. With a single thought, This Seat can command the rhythms of all things. Why would This Seat need a mortal to teach him the basics?]

[The Tea Ceremony you've spent half your lives studying is nothing but a shackle in This Seat's eyes. Utterly laughable.]

[Draw in a wisp of the pure essence of heaven and earth, let it mingle with the spring water and steep into the leaves, and even a casual brew will surpass decades of mortal effort. The gulf between our realms cannot be bridged by hard work.]

[If This Seat hadn't happened to be in the mood today, he wouldn't even have raised a hand to brew tea.]

[Very well. This Seat will let these mortals glimpse a sliver of the Dao, lest they spend their lives at the bottom of a well, never knowing how vast the sky is.]

[A mayfly dreaming of standing shoulder to shoulder with a dragon of the heavens was a joke from the start.]

Ning Wen: "..."

All right, man, you're amazing. We get it!

It was just brewing tea. How had he managed to make such a production of it?

Listening to him for long enough felt like having to rethink everything he knew over and over.

It was both absurdly dramatic and embarrassing.

Thankfully, as long as it wasn't some cheesy pickup line or domineering CEO quote, Ning Wen was slowly getting used to it. He no longer felt as if the embarrassment might blow the top of his head off.

Ning Fengzhi and the others marveled to themselves.

So this was the world of Deities?

Mortals like them truly couldn't understand it.