"There's no rule forbidding books outside Taoism here." Taoist Master Yunlong still held out the book.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Tang Tang took the Buddhist scripture.
"Read it more often each day. It can help calm your mind," Taoist Master Yunlong added.
Tang Tang dismissed that. "It's not like I haven't tried. If it actually worked, would I need you to remind me?"
Taoist Master Yunlong paid no mind to her tone and simply smiled.
"So? Did you call me here just to drink tea?"
Tang Tang tossed the scripture aside and asked bluntly, "How did you know I wanted to jump, Taoist Master? What else do you know?"
Taoist Master Yunlong made no attempt to hide it. "I just felt that you might need help, young benefactor."
"Felt? Intuition?"
Tang Tang scoffed. "When the monks at the temples play charlatan, they at least act mysterious to fool people. Aren't you afraid of losing your livelihood, being this direct?"
Taoist Master Yunlong fell silent again, giving her an immediate demonstration of what "acting mysterious" meant.
Tang Tang: "..."
Once the water boiled, Taoist Master Yunlong took out a tea tin and brewed the tea himself.
Back with the Tang Family, Tang Tang had specifically studied the tea ceremony to adapt to life among the wealthy. She knew something about tea, and one sip told her this was top-quality Iron Goddess of Mercy.
Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Taoist Master Yunlong's worn, patched robe. He could afford such expensive Iron Goddess of Mercy, but not a new set of clothes?
Seemingly oblivious to her gaze, Taoist Master Yunlong drank his tea, refilled their cups, and brewed another pot.
Tang Tang's intuition told her that Taoist Master Yunlong was different from other charlatans, that she couldn't judge him by their