Xiang Mountain Timely Rain

After calling out once, Jiang Yang fell silent and waited quietly.

Standing on the level stone paving, Jiang Yang finally had time to look around. Judging by the surrounding scenery, layout, and furnishings alone, Senior Brother Zhou must have put considerable effort into this place.

The Cave Abode stood against the mountainside, with a platform extending out in front. In every respect, it was far more luxurious than the Cave Abode he had been assigned.

As for his current Cave Abode on Morning Rain Peak, the tactful description would be lush with vegetation and pleasantly secluded. The blunt version was that it had long been abandoned and was falling apart, never mind sophisticated amenities like restrictions and formations.

Fortunately, Jiang Yang had no particular requirements for his living conditions. As far as he was concerned, all that mattered was that nothing impeded his cultivation, the spiritual energy was abundant, and its supply never ran dry.

While Jiang Yang admired the scenery and let his thoughts wander, he heard the door in the rock face swing open. A smiling young man emerged—Zhou Yanwei.

He came forward in a few quick steps to welcome him, saying warmly:

"I was wondering who it was! So it's Junior Brother Jiang. Sorry for the wait..."

As Zhou Yanwei spoke, he walked up to Jiang Yang and extended a hand to usher him inside.

"I was cultivating just now, which held me up for a moment. Please come in, Junior Brother Jiang."

The young man in the long gown had thick brows, large eyes, and a square, upright face. He had only been a little late, yet had still taken the trouble to explain. Whatever the truth of it, his words were pleasant to hear.

Standing tall, Jiang Yang cupped his hands toward him and said earnestly:

"Well... I came without warning. I'm sorry for disturbing your cultivation, Senior Brother Zhou."

"Oh, it's no trouble."

Zhou Yanwei waved a hand to show that he did not mind and continued:

"It's not as though I'm in sealed seclusion. Don't let it trouble you, Junior Brother. No need to stand around out here. Come, let's talk in my humble abode."

"Please."

"After you, Senior Brother Zhou."

After each politely deferred to the other, they headed into the Cave Abode.

Zhou Yanwei swept his sleeve, undoing the restrictions, and the door in the rock face immediately swung open. It looked small from outside, but once they entered, an entirely different world unfolded.

Jiang Yang's own abode consisted of only two stone chambers. Zhou Yanwei's, however, had a long corridor connecting several stone chambers on either side. It was quite an impressive arrangement.

"This really is a hidden world of its own. If your place counts as a humble abode, Senior Brother Zhou, then mine probably doesn't even qualify as a hovel."

Jiang Yang marveled at everything as he followed Zhou Yanwei inside, prompting him to make that joke.

"Oh, it was simply left behind by our predecessors. It looks spacious, but most of it is of no use to me."

As he walked, Zhou Yanwei pointed to either side and explained:

"For example, this Spirit Insect Chamber is for raising spirit insects and venomous beasts. I don't have that sort of ability, so it's always stood empty.

"And this Spirit Puppet Chamber is where artificers make puppets. But puppet-making traditions have dwindled these days, so this room is little more than a showpiece."

Zhou Yanwei made no secret of it. He was only a Qi Refining cultivator, and most of the stone chambers here were of little use to him.

"Oh... spirit insects and puppets. More useless knowledge to add to the pile."

Jiang Yang merely nodded at the explanations, following behind and taking everything in like a rider viewing flowers from horseback.

"It's spacious and well organized, with every facility a residence could need. How convenient. Are all the Cave Abodes on Rain Marsh Peak like this?"

Jiang Yang asked curiously.

The reception area lay at the end of the corridor. Rather than answer immediately, Zhou Yanwei invited Jiang Yang to sit before saying:

“Of course not. To be frank, the Cave Abodes on Rain Marsh Peak are generally better than those on Falling Rain Peak and Morning Rain Peak, but there are still differences in quality.”

"It took me quite some effort to secure this place. Few of the other disciples' residences on the peak can compare to mine."

Sitting upright in a solid firwood chair, Jiang Yang raised his brows.

“Snatch it? Aren't these Cave Abodes assigned?”

"Hahahaha... Junior Brother Jiang, oh, Junior Brother Jiang."

Zhou Yanwei heard this and threw back his head with a laugh. Pointing at Jiang Yang, he slapped his thigh before saying:

"They're certainly assigned. Who would dare violate the sect's rules? But exactly how they're assigned depends on the person. Let's put it this way—I have... a little family wealth."

Zhou Yanwei did not spell it out, but his meaning was already clear.

Though Jiang Yang had little experience of the world, he had at least come from an age of information overload. He simply had not made the connection at first. Zhou Yanwei's words immediately brought him around, and he hastily nodded.

"I understand now. Thank you for clearing that up, Senior Brother Zhou."

Zhou Yanwei smiled without speaking. He merely drew a hand from his sleeve and formed a seal. A glimmer of spiritual light flashed at his fingertips and vanished, after which he said:

“Wait a moment, Junior Brother. Try some of my Spirit Tea.”

Before Jiang Yang could ask anything, an earthen-gray phantom appeared around the corner. It was a thin, misty apparition, its lower half indistinct and its upper half barely recognizable as human-shaped. It carried a tray in its hands.

Wreathed in mist, the phantom floated over without any visible movement, set the tray beside the table, then vanished in a single flicker.

Smiling, Zhou Yanwei picked up the teapot, poured Jiang Yang a cup, and handed it over.

“Come and taste this [Xiang Mountain Timely Rain], Junior Brother Jiang. It's excellent tea.”

"Oh? Then I'll have to try it."

Jiang Yang curiously accepted the cup. The tea was clear and colorless as pure water, yet gave off an intense fragrance. Bringing it closer to inspect, he saw that only a single gleaming green tea leaf lay stingily at the bottom.

He had drunk [Heqiu Snow Bud] a few times before, but judging by fragrance alone, this [Xiang Mountain Timely Rain] surpassed it several times over.

The cup was small. Jiang Yang held it and drank half its contents. Before drinking, the tea had smelled richly fragrant, yet in his mouth it was colorless and tasteless, like plain water. He could not help frowning.

He glanced up at Zhou Yanwei and found him watching with a smile. Jiang Yang was just about to speak when a cool sensation suddenly rushed straight to his head.

The coolness circled through his Sea of Consciousness, stirring his Spirit Sense into activity and making his temples throb. It felt somewhat like his previous moment of enlightenment at Dew-Covered Lake, though the effect was much weaker—only about a tenth or a fifth as strong.

Only after Jiang Yang had tasted the tea did Zhou Yanwei speak:

"Well, Junior Brother Jiang? Have you gained anything?"

Jiang Yang set down his cup and nodded, then asked with a hesitant expression:

“My Sea of Consciousness feels cool and clear, and my Spirit Sense shows signs of growing. This tea must be something extraordinary. Senior Brother Zhou, this...”

Zhou Yanwei waved a hand and shook his head, saying earnestly:

"I know what you want to say. Don't worry. This tea is called [Xiang Mountain Timely Rain], a specialty of our Rain Xiang Mountain. You could call it precious, but you could also call it very cheap."

"Xiang Mountain Timely Rain comes from the Spirit Root [Dewglow Four Seasons Spring]. Wherever its roots reach, spring lasts all year. Its leaves begin a fresh green, deepen after ten years, and turn emerald after a hundred. Harvested and roasted with a secret method, then brewed in water and drunk, they can steady the soul and strengthen Spirit Sense.

The coolness you felt in your Sea of Consciousness after drinking the tea was the wondrous effect of this Spirit Root."

Jiang Yang grew thoughtful as he listened. He had naturally heard of the Spirit Roots of heaven and earth. Such Spirit Plants were generally nurtured by nature, each possessing its own wondrous properties. They often withered when disturbed and died when moved. Even those occasionally transplanted successfully would ultimately lose all their wondrous properties because the soil and climate did not suit them. Thus, Spirit Roots were exceedingly precious.

"So it comes from a Spirit Root of heaven and earth. How can I accept something so precious?"

Jiang Yang felt uneasy. It was not that he was being overly fussy, but unexpected kindness always carried a hidden price. He could not afford to be careless.