So Many Days of Entertainment, Gone Just Like That!

Ning Rongrong was next. She hesitated, then picked up the white porcelain cup before her and took a small sip.

She was still too young and inexperienced to make out many of its finer qualities.

But she could tell one thing: it tasted wonderful.

The sweet, silky tea washed over her tongue without a hint of astringency, leaving a delicate fragrance that lingered in her mouth.

[Well? That's the difference when you're outclassed!]

Ning Wen: "..."

Did he really need to be so proud of beating a little girl?

Where was his God King dignity?

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

Honestly, he didn't feel much.

Given the choice, he would rather drink Cola.

Tea did nothing for him. 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 was genuinely 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.

Heavens--!!!

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 Ning Wen's supposed identity.

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 brewed tea earlier, he had been smiling the entire time.

He had clearly been laughing at how bad she was, yet he refused to admit it.

He said he knew nothing about tea and hadn't laughed at her, but he couldn't hide the mockery in his eyes!

Damn it! He'd gone too far!

He was absurdly good at this, yet he had pretended not to know anything so he could secretly laugh at her!

Damn it--!!!

"You said you didn't know anything about the Tea Ceremony."

Ning Rongrong jerked her head up and stared straight at Ning Wen. Through gritted teeth, she asked, "Then why... does your tea taste so good?"

"Maybe I'm naturally gifted."

Ning Wen let out an awkward laugh.

[That's right. I'm naturally gifted.]

[No matter what I learn, everyone else is like a mayfly gazing up at the endless sky!]

[You foolish woman, face reality already!]

[Before you embarrass yourself any further!]

[That pot was nothing more than a casual attempt.]

[The immortal tea I once drank drew upon the spiritual waters of the stars and held the essence of heaven and earth. How could these ordinary leaves compare?]

Ning Rongrong was already struggling to contain her feelings. Hearing that sent her anger surging again.

"I admit my tea-making skills aren't as good as yours. I won't brew tea in front of you again."

She glared at Ning Wen, her large, watery eyes blazing with indignation. "Will that do?"

"Uh... I just made it without thinking much."

Ning Wen said awkwardly, "The tea you made was really good."

[It was quite good.]

[Your showy routine looked lovely. Too bad it was all for show.]

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

[At least you have a little self-awareness now, unlike before.]

Was this Voice Pack ever going to stop?

Ning Wen felt bad for Ning Rongrong.

Though it was hardly the first time.

"..."

By now, the taunts ringing through Ning Rongrong's head had pushed her past her limit.

Her little face flushed scarlet, her eyes reddened, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her whole body trembled with anger.

Bastard!

That complete and utter bastard!

He was infuriating!!!

Ning Wen's tea was simply too good.

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

Tea this good, with such an elegant depth that nourished both mind and Soul Power, was almost impossible to find.

Even after a cup, its sweetness lingered on their lips and tongue, leaving them savoring the taste.

They couldn't stop. One cup followed another.

They felt as though they might fill up on tea alone.

In the entire Tea Hall, Ning Rongrong was the only one stewing in anger and humiliation. She stood in stark contrast to the others as they savored their tea at leisure.

"Rongrong, Sister Yuehua is going back tomorrow, so you probably won't have any more lessons, right?"

Seeing her like this, Ning Wen decided to change 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!

After two whole months, the mountain weighing on her had finally been lifted!

Ning Rongrong's unhappy expression brightened in an instant. Joy took its place, and the corners of her mouth rose despite her best efforts.

Who cared about tea, or being mocked and embarrassed? None of that mattered anymore!

Freedom! She was finally free!

[Damn it! It's over after only two months of torment? She got off far too easily!]

[I wanted to watch her struggle and fail for a few more days.]

[And now my source of entertainment for all these days is gone!]

Most of Ning Rongrong's newfound joy vanished at once, and her mood soured again.

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 dwelling on it with regret.

Honestly, that was pretty inhuman.

"Little Wen, where did you learn to make tea like that?"

Tang Yuehua gave a small cough, then praised him. "That tea was exceptional!"

"I didn't have a teacher. I just brewed it however I liked."

Ning Wen spread his hands, looking perfectly candid.

[Who in this world could possibly be my teacher? Who would be worthy of it?]

[The principles of heaven and earth reside within me. I can grasp the rhythms of all things with a single thought. Why would I need mortals to teach me the basics?]

[The Tea Ceremony you've spent half your lives studying is nothing but a set of shackles in my eyes. How laughable.]

[Draw a wisp of the pure energy of heaven and earth into the water and the leaves, then brew it as you please. The result will surpass decades of mortal effort. This is a difference in attainment that no amount of hard work can overcome.]

[If I hadn't happened to be in the mood today, I wouldn't even have bothered to lift a hand to make tea.]

[Well, I suppose I can let these mortals glimpse the barest edge of the greater path, lest they spend their whole 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, we get it. You're amazing!

It was only a pot of tea, yet he could make such a production out of it.

The longer Ning Wen listened, the more he felt his understanding of the world being rewritten.

It was both over-the-top and embarrassing.

Fortunately, as long as it wasn't one of those cheesy pickup lines or domineering-CEO speeches, he was slowly getting used to it. It no longer made him want to jump out of his skin.

Ning Fengzhi and the others marveled silently.

So this was the world of Deities?

Mortals like them really couldn't understand it.