Tea, Questions, and Counsel

On the eastern cliff face of the main peak of the Heavenly Wolf Sect.

At a height of thirty-three zhang above the ground, a cave was carved out of the stone wall, which was three zhang high and eighteen zhang deep.

Inside the cave, there are more than a dozen stone pillars, and the inner walls are all carved into the shape of medicine cabinets. The gray-white rocks are finely polished and made into drawers, all of which are engraved with small labels.

Apart from that, there were only a few prayer cushions and a medicine stove inside the cave.

This medicine furnace is made entirely of black iron, with a matte black finish. It has three legs and two handles, with a lion-shaped ventilation opening on one side and Qilin holding cinnabar in its mouth on the other.

Erlang Yue Chunfeng, wearing a scholar's cap and a gray robe, with a refined and elegant long beard, sat cross-legged beside the medicine furnace.

He replaced sleep with meditation, and after a night, he woke up from his meditative state with his eyes half-open and half-closed. He then clapped his hands in the air towards the medicine furnace.

When!!

The medicine furnace emitted a loud bang, Qilin's mouth suddenly let out a violent inhalation sound, while the Junmao ventilation vent spewed out mixed gases.

An invisible force seemed to be stirred within the mountains.

Inside and outside the mountain, the lanterns of the wooden buildings swayed gently in the wind, and an aura so pure that ordinary cultivators could not sense it floated into the air and gathered inside the cliff cave.

Once these invisible energies entered the cave, they manifested as a faint purple hue.

It looked like countless wisps of purple smoke, endlessly flowing, which the Qilin sucked into the medicine furnace.

The Suanni's ventilation openings only expel mixed gases, without leaking out even a trace of purple smoke.

Yue Chunfeng's eyes gleamed, and with a clear shout, he unleashed a multitude of palm prints and hand gestures, striking the medicine furnace from a distance.

This time, the medicine furnace did not make a sound after being struck by the palm force from a distance.

It was as if all the palm strikes from a distance had penetrated the furnace, without wasting a single bit of energy on it, and instead all of it had mixed and blended with the purple smoke inside.

After working for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Yue Chunfeng finally stopped his hand gestures and began to regulate his breathing.

The purple smoke continued to drift in from the outside, falling into the incense burner, but its original wispy appearance became increasingly orderly.

A thin wisp of smoke stretched endlessly, undispersed by the wind, yet it didn't enter the medicine furnace very quickly.

Yue Chunfeng stroked his beard and smiled, his expression one of complete satisfaction.

Unexpectedly, the smoke suddenly swayed slightly.

The shaking was minimal and did not seem to affect the efficiency of the incense burner.

But the swaying of the smoke came out of nowhere, leaving Yue Chunfeng puzzled. He floated forward and gently pressed one palm against the incense burner.

A moment later, his face showed surprise, and he used his Secret Sound Transmission technique to call out.

"Brother, brother, please come to my Pill Chamber."

His voice penetrated the mountain and reached the summit.

Soon, a figure flew in from outside the cave.

It was Yue Gude. He had his hair tied in a topknot, thick and bushy, with a pair of bright, round eyes, full cheeks, and a tuft of beard on his chin.

Judging from his appearance, he was very kind, with broad shoulders and a stout waist. He was wearing a thick brown robe and holding a wooden cane, giving him a very dignified air.

However, when he floated into the cave, his feet did not touch the ground; he was so light that it seemed as if he could be lifted up by the air without any effort.

The person drifted past the purple smoke, which remained unchanged, undisturbed in the slightest.

"Second brother, what's wrong?"

Yue Gude floated to the incense burner, saw his second brother gesturing, and reached out to press it down.

The incense burner vibrated at an extremely low frequency, seemingly forming a sentence that echoed continuously.

"I, Chu, accompanied by members of the Qingyun Sect, have come to pay a visit to the Heavenly Wolf Sect. We request an audience with the esteemed masters of the Heavenly Wolf Sect at the second wooden building in the Xun direction of the town."

Yue Gude looked surprised and followed the purple smoke outwards.

Yue Chunfeng stroked his beard and said, "This person actually saw through the relationship between the wooden building and the medicine furnace. Even while inside the wooden building, he could transmit a sound to the medicine furnace with just a wisp of his aura."

Yue Chunfeng shook his head, full of praise.

"A true master! He's the real master."

Yue Gude couldn't help but stroke the tip of his beard, pondering, "Qingyun Sect members, could they be the Qingyun Sect lineage that the Demonic Sect mobilized to wipe out because of a prophecy?"

Yue Chunfeng nodded. "Most likely."

"Such a master, and he's brought Qingyun Sect with him, we can't refuse to see him. Brother, you stay here and oversee things; I'll go and meet him."

Yue Gude waved his hand and said, "It would be impolite to receive such a master in the wooden building, but since he is sending this message telepathically, he probably doesn't want to make a big fuss."

"Alright then, Second Brother, you should conceal your presence and invite him to this cave. I will prepare some tea and refreshments and personally receive him here."

Yue Chunfeng nodded repeatedly, pulled a brocade handkerchief from his sleeve, and tossed it aside.

The handkerchief transformed into a wisp of pale white cloud, enveloping him entirely. Then, the cloud became transparent, making him invisible as he flew out of the cave.

Yue Gude walked to the medicine cabinet, counted three drawers from top to bottom, and opened the drawer.

Sure enough, there was a complete tea set and tea leaves in the drawer.

Yue Gude thought for a moment, then took out the entire drawer, reached into the stone cabinet, touched a hidden compartment, and with a click, pulled out three clean and transparent Baiyu bottles.

The shadows of tea leaves can be faintly seen inside the jade bottle.

He selected one of the bottles, put the other two back in the hidden compartment, and then closed the drawer. With a gentle force, he moved the tea set to the stone table, poured the tea leaves from the jade bottle into the teapot, gathered air from the sky to condense pure water, and poured it into the teapot.

In a short while, the tea reached a temperature that was almost boiling.

Yue Chunfeng used an invisibility brocade handkerchief to bring Chu Tianshu and Fang Wuchen to the cave.

As soon as he removed his invisibility, he saw his treasured jade bottle of fragrant tea on the table.

Ouch!

Yue Chunfeng pinched his beard, kept a straight face, and did not lose his composure.

"Ha, ha, Fellow Daoist Chu, this is my elder brother, the leader of the Heavenly Wolf Sect."

Yue Gude gestured and said, "Fellow Daoists, please have a seat."

Yue Chunfeng came over and poured tea for the two guests. Just by looking at the color of the tea, he knew that the amount of tea leaves in the pot was just right.

Sigh, my brother knows a lot about tea, but he knows a little too much.

"Hahaha!"

Yue Gude's laughter was smooth. "This is a tea tree from the very tree in front of the invaluable Wordless Jade Wall of Tianyin Temple. It can only be harvested once every sixty years. It's only because my second brother has a very close relationship with the master of Tianyin Temple that he has it in his possession."

"The tea is just right now, please have a taste."

After saying that, Yue Gude picked up a glass himself.

Among the major sects of immortality in the world today...

Among them, the Heavenly Wolf Sect, Tianyin Temple, and Incense Valley have the widest influence and the most disciples.

The Heavenly Wolf Sect is known for its profound Qi cultivation, the Tianyin Temple for its exquisite Qi-based health cultivation, and the Incense Valley for its most masculine Qi cultivation.

This tea is carefully cultivated by Tianyin Temple and is said to have the effect of cleansing the body.

Chu Tianshu took a sip and immediately noticed the clever design.

The vital energy of this tea leaves first moistens the throat, inducing it to contract and vibrate, producing various syllables that are difficult for ordinary people to discern, thus cleansing the body.

Using sound to refine the body is a common approach, but since the person who planted the tree isn't here, a fixed incantation for refining the body with sound can be formed solely based on the vital energy in the tea leaves.

The people of Tianyin Temple are truly skilled at planting trees.

Fang Wuchen felt radiant without even realizing it, and a faint blue Taiji Chi symbol appeared on his forehead.

"Oh, it really is the * Taiji Profound Clear Dao *."

Upon seeing this, Yue Gude nodded slightly.

The Qingyun Sect's cultivation technique, "Taiji Profound Clear Dao," was already somewhat famous, and the resulting Yuan Qi cultivation was exceptionally peaceful.

It seems that no matter what type of magical artifact it is, it can be smoothly activated using the Taiji Profound Clear Dao.

However, since most of the members of the Qingyun Sect practiced swordsmanship, and their cultivation levels were not very high, not many people in the martial arts world paid much attention to it.

However, after the Demonic Sect personally attacked Mount Qingyun, this sect became famous.

Masters from various sects who had previously interacted with the Qingyun Sect constantly recalled the sect's unique characteristics and carefully studied and recorded the sect's techniques.

Some have suggested that, apart from the fact that the number of disciples in the Taiji Profound Clear Dao is lower than that of the Great Brahma Prajna of Tianyin Temple, the Taiji Xuanqing Dao is not as high.

In terms of cultivating inner peace and simultaneously nourishing health, they are practically on par, subtly achieving the same goal through different means.

Yue Gude used a cup of tea to test Fang Wuchen's cultivation level.

Not only did it not Fang Wuchen, it also made Fang Wuchen.

Based on public opinion and upon seeing the sect leader's demeanor, Chu Tianshu roughly understood Yue Gude's style.

He is polite and courteous, receives guests personally, is bold yet meticulous, and is capable of handling matters.

"Haha, fellow Daoist, you treat me to such fine tea upon our first meeting; I should reciprocate."

Chu Tianshu raised his right hand and pointed it into the air.

A dense emerald flame ignited in mid-air, and above the flame, vital energy condensed to form a blue water sphere.

The water sphere was baked and boiled, seemingly absorbing the essence of the flames in the process.

The water sphere darkened in color but remained clear, with tiny fluorescent lights appearing inside, a pleasing sight like stars in the night sky.

Yue Chunfeng initially thought the fire was a strange green color, and even thought it looked off.

But upon sensing it, they discovered that this fire had none of the sinister or malevolent feeling one would expect from a ghostly fire.

On the contrary, it is more powerful, agile, and intense than the common Demon-Subduing Flames, and extremely vibrant with life.

Seeing that the water was fully boiled, Yue Chunfeng took a few teacups, pinched them between his fingers, and served tea from four cups.

The flames died down, the water dripped and gurgled, filling four teacups.

Yue Gude took a cup, took a small sip, and was immediately struck by a jolt.

Is this tea or wine?

Its aroma is fresher than tea, and its intensity is more mellow than wine.

If someone is afflicted with an evil disease, drinking this cup might completely eradicate the evil influence.

After taking a sip, Yue Chunfeng felt his mouth and lungs become lively, and his tooth roots tingled as if his teeth were about to grow back.

"The tea is quite good, isn't it? I'm planning to use my identity as Qingyun Sect to set up a scheme, employing my skills to fabricate clues about the Qingyun Sect's treasures."

Chu Tianshu hadn't finished speaking.

Fang Wuchen, Fang Wuchen but cough. He quickly covered his face with his hand, turned to the side, and coughed several more times.

When she turned to look at Chu Tianshu, her eyes were red and bright, filled with shock.

The two sides met, but didn't exchange many pleasantries.

How could you explain the entire key points of the plan in just half a sentence?!

Given that Fang Wuchen just drunk very strong tea, it's no wonder she choked and coughed.

Seeing that the cup in her hand was almost trembling and about to fall, Chu Tianshu gently patted the cup in his own hand with his left palm and handed it to her.

Fang Wuchen took it and tasted it, somewhat bewildered.

It felt icy cold, and the flavor was much milder.

The Yue brothers exchanged a glance, both remaining calm and composed.

"They falsely claimed that Qingyun Sect possessed some kind of extraordinary treasure, using this as a pretext to plot against the Demonic Sect?"

Yue Chunfeng held the cup in one hand and stroked his beard with the other, still savoring the novel taste of the tea he had just drunk.

"Fellow Daoist Chu's emerald green divine fire is the most I have ever seen in my life. Not only is its power pure, but it is also likely to be very effective in suppressing many evil and demonic monsters."

"If it is said that the prophesied Qingyun Sect's born Daoist prodigy was able to defeat the Demonic Sect by cultivating this kind of method, many members of the Demonic Sect would probably be willing to believe it."

Yue Chunfeng spoke slowly, having already devised many schemes in his mind.

After eliminating those with obvious flaws, the remaining ones all seem quite feasible upon a cursory thought.

The key to these schemes lies in the true identities of the Qingyun Sect and Chu Tianshu's novel divine skills.

"However, if I may be so bold..."

Yue Chunfeng said solemnly, "With Fellow Daoist Chu's cultivation level, it's as if you're completely unknown in this world. You must be Rogue Person the path of a reclusive cultivator."

"But why are you willing to come and help my Heavenly Wolf Sect fight against the Demonic Sect?"

Chu Tianshu smiled calmly, "Trust needs to be cultivated. The more powerful one is, the more responsible one is for the people under the Heavenly Wolf Sect, and the less likely one is to easily trust others. Do you think I'll stop being wary of you just by giving you a reason out of thin air?"

In other words, even if Chu Tianshu doesn't give a reason.

Faced with such a great opportunity and a brilliant plan, how could the Heavenly Wolf Sect remain unmoved?

Chu Tianshu always treated different people differently.

For large organizations like the Heavenly Wolf Sect, discussing interests directly is the easiest way to build a foundation for friendship.

Whether a genuine friendship can develop on this basis depends on the sincerity of both sides.

Yue Chunfeng pondered for a few breaths.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, the biggest difference between our righteous path and the Demonic Sect is that, even if we are wary, we are still willing to try to believe in reason first."

Yue Chunfeng raised his eyes, cupped his hands, and said sincerely, "May I ask Fellow Daoist Chu to give us a reason?"

Chu Tianshu was a little surprised and looked at Yue Gude.

Yue Gude glanced at his brother, said nothing more, and also cupped his hands in greeting to Chu Tianshu.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Chu Tianshu paused for a moment, then laughed out loud.

In the Great Xuan, even when trying to win over allies, they always tend to use interests as a tool when encountering each other for the first time.

After getting used to doing it this way, he unconsciously found it more comfortable to do so.

Unexpectedly, the first organization leader I encountered after arriving in this world was a bit... capricious.

"Very well, have you two ever heard of the phoenix, which does not sing for three years and does not fly for three years, because when it sings, it will amaze everyone, and when it flies, it will soar to the sky?"

"I was once unknown because I didn't want to accumulate a little fame; I wanted to make a name for myself."

Chu Tianshu still said some things that were half true and half false; after saying the false part, he revealed his true feelings.

"I will shake the Fortune of the world as quickly as possible."

"As for the Demonic Sect, I have seen and heard about their methods of crafting magical artifacts and the deeds of their followers, and I feel extremely disgusted. Therefore, I will stand against them."

He thought of the fox spirit's hairpin and lowered his eyes slightly.

The demon eats the heart and skins the Yaksha; the mountain wears human skin and transforms into a fake human.

After confirming the presence of the Demonic Sect in the village, the villagers were even willing to relocate the entire village.

The more wisdom and experience one accumulates, the more unbearable things can sometimes be deduced from just the tip of the iceberg.

A strange feeling suddenly arose in Yue Chunfeng's heart.

Chu Tianshu showed no trace of the demeanor of a Buddhist, but when he lowered his eyes...

Yue Chunfeng felt as if he had seen a Bodhisattva with lowered brows.

The Bodhisattva lowers his brows, a sign of compassion.

Fang Wuchen was standing nearby, also witnessed this scene and pondered to himself.

When a Bodhisattva lowers their brows, it is perhaps to use their eyelids to sever those impure thoughts.

"Since that's the case."

Yue Gude took the initiative to speak, "Fellow Daoist, please discuss the details of this round with us again."

"We need to make this round even more secure and credible."

Chu Tianshu touched his earlobe and smiled, "You two just gave me a bit of a surprise. Well, I have a request, so I'll just say it now."

Yue Gude raised his hand. "Please speak."

"I want to really try it—"

Chu Tianshu extended his hand, "Fellow Daoist Yue's cultivation level."