Give a Cup of Fine Tea a Shake

Four years later.

Outside Dragonhide City, more than forty large compounds stretched together in an unbroken expanse. The Breaking Clan's medicinal fields spread from the foot of the mountain halfway up its slopes, while the hammering in the Defense Clan's workshops rang out from sunrise to sunset. From a distance, it looked like a small city.

The assembly line ran day and night.

Chain-driven conveyor belts clattered, and not one of the six sorting stations stood empty. Three mixing vats operated at once: tea leaves went into water, milk poured in, and sealed cups shipped out. A cup of milk tea traveled the entire assembly line in less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea. Workers rotated through three shifts, and hot vapor rose from the chimneys twenty-four hours a day.

Lou Gao crouched at the end of the assembly line, holding a metal can.

It was palm-sized, with a copper band encircling its sealed rim. Several round, plump Gugas were printed on its surface: one in a Penguin Suit, one dark gold, one covered in starlight, and one shining with silvery moonlight, all four squeezed together. At the center were the large words "Guga Milk Tea." Beside them were two lines of smaller print—

Give a cup of fine tea a shake, shake, shake. Shake your tea slowly; haste scatters the flavor.

Lou Gao unscrewed the lid, and the fragrances of tea and milk surged out together.

"It worked."

Lin Yuan took the can. The milk tea was still warm, its fragrance just like a freshly sealed cup's. He took a sip, then handed it to Guga on his shoulder. She hugged the can and gulped down two mouthfuls, her eyes lighting up.

"Delicious, guga!"

Dark Gold Guga came up from behind, squeezing her round body to the front and staring at the can. Guga shielded it, holding her stubby arms out in front.

"Mine, guga."

"...Let me taste it, guga."

"No, guga!"

Lin Yuan took another can from Lou Gao and handed it to Dark Gold Guga. She accepted it and drank in little sips, her eyes narrowing to slits.

Little Moon poked her head out from the other side of Lin Yuan's shoulders, reaching a small hand toward the can. Lin Yuan smiled and handed her another one. Little Moon hugged it and gulped down a great mouthful, her eyes curving into crescents.

Starry Guga had been standing by Lin Yuan's feet, gazing up. He looked down with a smile and handed her a can. Sky Star accepted it, took a tiny sip, and brightened. "Delicious."

"How long will it keep?"

"Sealed, it won't lose its flavor for three months." Lou Gao held up three fingers.

Bai He stood beside them, craning his neck.

"Three months... Doesn't that mean we can sell it in the other kingdoms?"

"Yes." Lin Yuan put down the can. "The Balak Kingdom, the Silves Kingdom, the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom, and the Gulei Kingdom. We can ship it to the Heaven Dou Empire too."

Bai He's pupils turned into Gold Soul Coins.

A month later, the first batch of canned milk tea was loaded onto wagons and sent off.

The Speed Clan's convoy stretched halfway down the street. Wooden crates were stacked higher than a person on the wagons, each bearing the Guga Milk Tea logo.

The Speed Clan could not keep up with the workload. Over the past four years, they had gradually recruited many agility-type Soul Masters, and their delivery convoys now covered the entire Star Luo Empire. Once canned milk tea was introduced, they recruited another batch specifically for long-distance routes. Bai He divided them into more than thirty convoys, each responsible for a different direction, casting a great net over the entire Star Luo Empire. The farthest routes took half a month per trip, and the horses came back noticeably thinner.

Before the convoys had even left the city, orders were already booked three months ahead.

Merchants from the Balak Kingdom paid deposits in advance and pitched tents by the city gates to wait. An envoy from the Silves Kingdom arrived on a swift horse and immediately demanded ten thousand cans. The Haagen-Dazs Kingdom sent its order by carrier pigeon, the handwriting a hurried scrawl. The Gulei Kingdom's merchant association simply stationed people in Dragonhide City, where they camped outside the workshops every day to press for shipments.

Bai He flipped through the account books until his hands cramped.

"Last month, all our hundred-plus branches across the Star Luo Empire were fully stocked. Canned milk tea reached all four kingdoms."

He swallowed.

"The branches alone brought in several million Gold Soul Coins."

Yang Wudi held his teacup, his hand trembling. He gave a snort, nearly laughing before forcing himself to hold it back. He raised the cup and took a sip, hiding half his face behind it.

"Not bad."

Niu Gao clicked his tongue beside him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Several million, and you call it 'not bad'? Old Goat, that mouth of yours is tougher than my plate armor."

Bai He looked up from the account book and shot Yang Wudi a sideways glance.

"Keep pretending. Go on. You can barely keep a straight face."

Yang Wudi put down his teacup, its base striking the table a little harder than usual. His expression remained cold, but the tips of his ears were slightly red.

"If I say it's not bad, then it's not bad."

Lin Yuan was twelve now.

Four years ago, he had been level thirty. Four years later, he was level forty.

Two and a half levels a year. Compared to his previous ten levels a year, he had slowed down so much that he hardly seemed like the same person.

Yang Wudi looked at him and asked,

"Why has your cultivation slowed down so much?"

Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair. Guga lay snoring in his lap, while Dark Gold Guga leaned against his shoulder, her eyes half closed. Starry Guga sat by his feet. Little Moon sat on a nearby windowsill, swinging her little legs.

"The Gugas can cultivate on their own. There are two ways to distribute their soul power."

Yang Wudi furrowed his brows.

"One is to feed it back to me and raise my soul power level. The other is to keep it inside their bodies and increase their Soul Rings' age." Lin Yuan patted Guga's head. She rolled over and continued sleeping. "I chose the latter."

"Why?"

"Because it's a better deal. A thousand-year Guga only has the strength of a millennium soul beast. A ten-thousand-year Guga has the strength of a ten-thousand-year soul beast. Which is stronger, four thousand-year ones or four ten-thousand-year ones?"

Yang Wudi fell silent. He stared at the four Gugas nestled around Lin Yuan. Each stood only as high as his knee, round and plump like four rag dolls.

"I reached level forty a long time ago," Lin Yuan continued. "I haven't absorbed a Soul Ring yet, but I never stopped cultivating. My soul power has been accumulating all this time. I haven't rushed to break through because I've been waiting for my body to become strong enough to withstand a ten-thousand-year ring. Once I absorb my fourth Soul Ring, I should be able to shoot up to level forty-six or forty-seven."

He raised his hand, soul power surging.

Three black Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet. They shone a glossy black, rotating slowly like three ripples of ink.

Yang Wudi stared at the three black Soul Rings, speechless for a long time.

"What a freak."

Lin Yuan rolled his eyes.

"What kind of way is that to talk? It's called genius, understand?"

He paused, then waved a hand.

"Forget it, forget it. A god can't be understood by mortals like you."

Seeing Lin Yuan act this way, Yang Wudi's eye twitched.

"What are you planning to hunt for your fourth Soul Ring?"

"A True Martial Mystic Turtle. Ten thousand years."

Three days later, in the Breaking Clan's main hall.

All three clan leaders had arrived. Yang Wudi sat on the left, Bai He on the right, and Niu Gao opposite them. Lou Gao crouched in a corner, turning a metal can over and over in his hands.

"The Star Luo Empire's market is already saturated," Lin Yuan said, standing in the middle. "Over a hundred branches and distribution channels in four kingdoms. Further expansion won't increase sales much."

He paused.

"The Heaven Dou Empire. There aren't any milk tea shops there yet. Hundreds of millions of people, hundreds of cities, an untapped market."

Bai He's eyes lit up again. Yang Wudi stroked his chin. Niu Gao leaned against his chair and slapped a large hand onto the armrest.

"When do we leave?"

"Start preparing. Decide for yourselves how many people each group needs. Lou Gao, bring the full set of assembly line blueprints. Have all the equipment and materials ready within a month."

"What about you?" Bai He asked.

"I'm going to the Star Dou Great Forest first." Lin Yuan stood up. "It's time to obtain my fourth Soul Ring."

Yang Wudi fell silent for a moment.

"Alone?"

"Four Gugas on par with ten-thousand-year soul beasts," Lin Yuan said. "What have I got to fear?"

"Wait for me to come back." Lin Yuan reached the doorway and looked over his shoulder. "Leave once you're ready. We'll meet in Suotuo City."

Guga lay on Lin Yuan's shoulder and rubbed her eyes with her stubby hands.

"Let's go, guga."

Little Moon circled out from behind Lin Yuan, her silvery figure flickering. "We're finally going out! I was bored to death, guga!"

Lin Yuan stepped over the threshold and headed toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

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