Enlightenment Tea?!
At those words, Song Wanjun, the Great Wu Eldest Princess, and the old eunuch both changed expressions.
Enlightenment Tea was a top-grade spiritual tea that grew only in the Heavenly Spirit Mountains, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth year-round. It could only be harvested once every several hundred years, or even a thousand!
Rumor had it that drinking it offered a chance to achieve sudden enlightenment.
Despite being royalty and holding the exalted status of eldest princess, Song Wanjun had never even seen what Enlightenment Tea looked like, let alone tasted it.
Go straight to the Heavenly Spirit Mountains and pick some?
What a joke. The person in charge of those Enlightenment Tea trees in the Heavenly Spirit Mountains was a supreme expert who had once attained the rank of Great Emperor!
Granted, he was now in his twilight years and had fallen from that rank.
But how could those still climbing the mountain dare mock, belittle, or challenge a god descending from its summit?
They might make it there alive, but they would never return.
Watching Chen Mu and Ye Qingcheng raise their cups and drink together, Song Wanjun and the old eunuch were filled with indescribable envy.
As they breathed in the tea's fragrance, they could not help wondering whether Enlightenment Tea was truly as miraculous as the rumors claimed.
And what unique flavor might it hold?
Song Wanjun had heard of Ye Qingcheng, the Sky Sword Sect's female prodigy. Despite her youth, she had relied on no one and firmly claimed the position of Saintess through her own strength, filling a vacancy that had lasted nearly a century.
Now, she served as Chen Mu's personal guard.
He had actually bestowed such a precious, elusive cultivation resource upon a mere guard—a treasure that even a fortune could not buy?
Was the Tianyuan Holy Land simply that wealthy?
Or was this Tianyuan Young Master himself generous to an unbelievable degree...
"Mu'er, could all this purple qi, this auspicious omen, have come from you drinking Enlightenment Tea?" Chen Tianlin asked.
Purple qi? An auspicious omen?
Only after hearing Chen Tianlin's words did Chen Mu and Ye Qingcheng look up and notice the strange sight above their heads.
Drinking tea and bringing forth purple qi from the east—that was rather interesting.
"I suppose so?" Chen Mu answered uncertainly.
"I truly envy the bond between you and your sister. I can't even remember how many years it's been since I last drank Enlightenment Tea."
Chen Tianlin mistakenly assumed that Chen Juexin, as Chen Mu's elder sister, had spent a fortune buying this Enlightenment Tea specifically to help him grow stronger.
Chen Mu could not be bothered to explain.
"Since you'd like some, Father, take this tea cake home." Chen Mu produced a brand-new, unopened cake of Enlightenment Tea out of thin air and handed it to Chen Tianlin.
"..." Feeling the hefty weight in his hands, even Chen Tianlin, who considered himself someone who had weathered plenty of storms, could not help being a little dazed.
This much!
Was this really not a joke?
Surely all the tea the Heavenly Spirit Mountains produced in a thousand years would not amount to even half of this?
Chen Mu paid no attention to what Chen Tianlin might be thinking. His gaze was drawn entirely to the system notification that appeared before him.
[Enlightenment Tea successfully gifted! Hundredfold rebate triggered. Congratulations, host! You have received Enlightenment Tea Cakes +100!]
As always, that felt pretty good.
"My son, you've moved your father so deeply! Come, let me give you a kiss!"
"Whoa!" Seeing Chen Tianlin lunge toward him, Chen Mu reacted swiftly.
He hurriedly reached out and braced a hand against Chen Tianlin's chest. "No need for that. Really, no need."
Remembering there were outsiders present, Chen Tianlin assumed Chen Mu was probably embarrassed and did not insist.
Watching Chen Tianlin's behavior, the old eunuch and Song Wanjun momentarily found it difficult to tell which of them was actually the Holy Lord of the Tianyuan Holy Land.
The dignified lord of a holy land actually had to rely on the young master for cultivation resources?
And even more outrageously, this was Enlightenment Tea, something most cultivators would never have the chance to see in their lifetimes, let alone ordinary people.
Yet Chen Mu had handed over an entire cake?
"By the way, Father, who are these two?" Chen Mu looked at the old eunuch and Song Wanjun.
"Let me introduce you." Chen Tianlin carefully put away the Enlightenment Tea Cake, then began making the introductions.
"This is Song Wanjun, the eldest princess of the Great Wu Dynasty."
"Your Highness, this is my worthy son, Chen Mu."
Worthy son?
It was the first time Chen Mu had heard those words from Chen Tianlin's mouth. They probably had something to do with that cake of Enlightenment Tea.
"Greetings, Young Master." Song Wanjun bowed.
"Your Highness's visit to my humble abode truly lends splendor to Qingyun Prefecture." Chen Mu offered the customary pleasantries.
She was a nation's princess, after all. There was no need to antagonize her and invite trouble.
Even if, in outsiders' eyes, the Great Wu Dynasty was merely a plaything in the Tianyuan Holy Land's palm.
"Mu'er, the eldest princess has come to discuss a marriage alliance with you. What do you think?" Chen Tianlin disliked beating around the bush and went straight to the point.
A marriage alliance?!
Chen Mu's mind raced, and he could roughly guess why the Great Wu Dynasty wanted this.
They were probably wary of the talent and strength he had displayed...
There's absolutely no need. It's not like I'm some great demon king.
"Father, please forgive me, but I must refuse."
Refuse?!
His words took Ye Qingcheng, the old eunuch, and Chen Tianlin quite by surprise.
Even setting aside her privileged status and royal background, Song Wanjun's reputation as a talented lady resounded throughout the entire Great Wu Dynasty.
Countless men longed to win a smile from her and gain her favor.
She had so many suitors that even an entire city might struggle to hold them all.
Now that Song Wanjun had come to his doorstep of her own accord, Chen Mu was actually refusing her.
Chen Tianlin even wondered whether his son had no interest in women and instead preferred men.
"May I ask why you refuse, Young Master? That way, this old servant can report your answer to His Majesty," the old eunuch asked.
"It has nothing to do with Her Highness. I simply have no intention of taking a wife for the time being," Chen Mu answered honestly.
Marriage and children were not currently part of his plans for enjoying life.
Besides, asking Chen Mu to skip every step and marry by imperial decree a woman he had never interacted with and was meeting for the first time... that really was asking a bit much of him.
Chen Mu considered himself a romantic. Everything needed a process.
"..." Hearing Chen Mu's answer, Song Wanjun let out a long sigh of relief.
Yet, for some reason, a faint, almost imperceptible sense of disappointment stirred within her.
Was that really the reason?
Or was it...
Her gaze unconsciously settled on Ye Qingcheng.
For Song Wanjun, who had grown accustomed to being adored by countless people, this made her question whether her charm truly lived up to the rumors.
She had never imagined that this would end with her being rejected.
Chen Mu's eyes were far too clear when he looked at her.
She could detect not the slightest impure thought.
Simply appreciating beauty did not count as an impure thought.
"I see. This old servant understands."
What else could he say?
If Chen Mu did not want to marry her, the old eunuch could hardly force him to wed Song Wanjun.
Not unless he had grown tired of living and was courting death.
Even Song Ao, the emperor of Great Wu, would not have dared, much less him.
The old eunuch had barely finished speaking when Chen Mu saw Song Wanjun move toward him.
His heart immediately rose into his throat.
He could not help wondering what she intended to do.
Then he actually saw Song Wanjun take out a scroll of... painting paper?
She unfurled it, revealing a verse written upon it: "Kill one man every ten steps, leave no trace for a thousand miles. Deed done, brush off your robes and depart, hiding your person and your name."
"Young Master, this is a verse I obtained by chance. I am very fond of it myself. Its quality is exceptional!"
"I now offer it to you, in the hope that you may soon realize the grand ambitions and mighty achievements in your heart!"
Song Wanjun looked as though she were painfully parting with a cherished treasure.
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