Volume One, Chapter 12: The Enlightenment Tea!
The elderly man before her kept addressing her as “esteemed master” or “venerable senior,” which made her feel thoroughly uncomfortable.
“Very well, then! I can sell you some pills,” Su Qing agreed after only a brief hesitation. A deal offered on a silver platter was not to be declined!
Zhong Huai, the Daoist, was overjoyed and hurriedly expressed his gratitude. “Thank you, esteemed master!”
This was fantastic! If they could heal their injuries, their chances of escape would increase dramatically.
Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have imagined that in this small Peach Blossom Town, there would be such a reclusive and powerful alchemist living in seclusion.
If this venerable master was willing to aid their Qingyun Sect—even if only by selling them some pills—it might be enough to lift their sect out of its current predicament!
No, he must relay the news of this master back to the sect immediately!
If they forged a good relationship with this master, not only could they escape their troubles, but perhaps within a hundred years, the Qingyun Sect could rise to become one of the top cultivation sects!
“Master, how many spirit stones does each pill cost?” Zhong Huai asked.
“Spirit stones?” Su Qing blinked in confusion. What was that?
Zhong Huai suddenly felt he had been presumptuous. How could a great alchemist pay attention to something like spirit stones?
Remembering the spirit items still in his storage ring, he said, “If you don’t want spirit stones, I can offer other things in exchange!”
Su Qing shook her head. Too much trouble. Selling for silver coins was more straightforward. After all, refining pills had its costs.
With that in mind, she held up two fingers.
Two taels of silver wasn’t much! Though if this old man bought enough, she might consider lowering the price slightly.
Zhong Huai stared at her two fingers and suddenly realized.
Twenty million spirit stones per pill? That price was indeed low!
But with his limited resources, he could afford at most three top-grade pills.
Biting his lip, Zhong Huai pulled out a storage ring filled with spirit stones and placed it before Su Qing. “Master, this is all I have.”
Inside the ring were six hundred thousand upper-grade spirit stones.
If converted to lower-grade spirit stones, it would be even more than the master’s asking price.
He had spent thousands of years accumulating that much!
Zhong Huai’s heart bled at the thought.
The storage ring glowed with a deep green hue, adorned with elegant patterns.
Su Qing looked at the ring and then at Zhong Huai, wondering if this old man wanted to trade this ring for her pills.
But what use was the ring to her?
The thought crossed her mind: forget it.
She’d do it as a kindness.
After all, it was only three pills, and if they found them useful, it might bring her more customers.
With that, Su Qing rummaged through her bag and handed a bottle of healing pills to Zhong Huai.
Zhong Huai accepted it carefully.
Seeing the three perfectly round, top-grade pills inside brought an unmistakable joy to his face.
Excellent!
With these three pills plus the one already in his possession, his injuries could be completely healed in just one night!
“Thank you, master!” Zhong Huai expressed his heartfelt gratitude.
Rarity made these pills precious.
If he auctioned these three top-grade pills in the market, they could fetch at least one hundred million lower-grade spirit stones!
In fact, it was he who had gotten the better end of the bargain.
“Why don’t you have a cup of tea before you go?” Qingxi suggested.
Tang Xi, still annoyed, snapped, “I’m not drinking your tea!”
Zhao Ping chimed in, “If sister doesn’t drink, neither do I!”
Zhong Huai glared at his two disciples, and when they lowered their heads, he turned apologetically to Qingyi. “Then I shall humbly accept your offer.”
Qingyi went to the backyard and brewed a pot of tea herself.
The small courtyard was soon filled with the fragrant aroma of tea.
Li Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Such pure spiritual energy!
The tea was poured into cups.
The amber-colored liquid steamed invitingly.
Just smelling the aroma, Zhong Huai felt subtle signs of a breakthrough stirring within him.
What kind of tea was this?
Not only Zhong Huai, but Tang Xi and Zhao Ping also felt a warm sensation, as if they were enveloped in a blazing furnace, an indescribable comfort filling their bodies.
Zhao Ping took a few more sips, then suddenly his expression changed, and he hastily sat cross-legged.
He had broken through!
Zhong Huai was shocked beyond words.
His disciple had broken through a minor realm simply from the tea’s fragrance!
Could this be the legendary Enlightenment Tea?
Su Qing found it odd to see Zhao Ping suddenly sit on the ground but didn’t question it.
These people had been strange since they arrived.
“Master, is it really alright for me to drink this tea?” Zhong Huai kept swallowing nervously.
If this was truly the famed Enlightenment Tea, then the value of this single cup far exceeded the three top-grade pills!
Moreover, Enlightenment Tea was only spoken of in legends.
In his three thousand years of life, he had only heard of it but never seen it.
Su Qing found it absurd—wasn’t tea just tea?
“Of course you can drink it. It’s on the house,” she said.
Hearing it was free, Zhong Huai eagerly raised the cup and drank the tea to the last drop, even licking the cup clean.
Su Qing’s mouth fell open, suddenly annoyed.
Oh no! My cup is dirty now! Drinking the tea was one thing, but licking the cup was a bit much!
Hong Luan chuckled, watching these human cultivators with some displeasure. “Our master is just too kind. Those are leaves from the Enlightenment Tea tree! It takes three thousand years to produce only a few hundred leaves, and she’s practically giving them away!”
Even in the upper realms, the Enlightenment Tea tree was an exceedingly rare and top-tier spiritual treasure.
Each leaf possessed unique divine effects!
Only the master would treat Enlightenment Tea like ordinary tea leaves...
At the stone table, after drinking the tea, Zhong Huai felt an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy flood his body.
Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged and began refining the energy within.
In just a few breaths, his aura soared significantly.
He had broken through!
Zhong Huai achieved two consecutive minor breakthroughs, leaping from mid-stage Transformation Spirit to its pinnacle!
Even his injuries were nearly healed.
He sensed that the Enlightenment Tea within had not been fully refined, or else his cultivation might have advanced even further.
Su Qing found it strange.
Why did these people all like to sit on the ground?
Looking around, there seemed to be nothing special about the floor.
“You should try it too. This is tea I dried myself. It tastes quite good!” Su Qing said, pouring a cup for Li Yan.
Li Yan lifted the cup, carefully observing the tea.
A pale blue leaf floated within.
Feeling closely, he detected a faint coolness on the cup’s surface, though the tea itself was hot.
Could this truly be the legendary Enlightenment Tea?
Su Qing poured herself a full cup, took a satisfying sip, then noticed Li Yan staring absentmindedly at his cup.
Curious, she asked, “Brother Li, don’t you like tea?”
“I do,” Li Yan replied, drinking the Enlightenment Tea.
A stronger surprise flickered in his eyes.
Though the tea didn’t suppress curses, it saved him hundreds of years of arduous cultivation!
Yet he found it strange.
If this was Enlightenment Tea, why did it have no effect on this woman?
He had never sensed the slightest spiritual energy from Su Qing.
She could refine top-grade pills, and even the tea she drank was legendary Enlightenment Tea!
Who exactly was she?