Martial Cultivator

Chen Chao listened to the story with great patience and asked, “Where did that set of tea ware end up in the end? Was it taken into the tomb as burial goods?”

The scholar smiled and said, “Half right. After that emperor died, the world soon fell into chaos, and an entire dynasty collapsed in the blink of an eye. Afterward, tomb raiders entered the imperial mausoleum, hoping to find those porcelain pieces, since they were extremely valuable.” ”Moreover, since the emperor regarded them as treasures, he would certainly have taken them with him as burial items. Sure enough, when they opened the imperial tomb, they did find those porcelains, but not many of them, only two or three pieces. The set of tea ware that the emperor cherished most, however, was not there.”

Chen Chao looked at the scholar and nodded, but did not ask further. In his gaze, there seemed to be an appreciation for the breadth of the scholar’s knowledge.

The old man noticed Chen Chao’s expression and could not help but stifle a laugh.

The scholar continued, “But the tomb raiders found a handwritten notebook in the imperial mausoleum. It was written in the emperor’s own hand, saying that he knew his end was near, and that burying the finest thing underground to never see the light of day again would truly be a pity, so he gifted it to a court official of the time.”

The scholar asked with a smile, “Care to guess which one?”

Chen Chao thought for a moment and said, “Though I know little of such history, since it was a set of tea ware, and sir brought this up in a teahouse, I imagine it must have been gifted to someone skilled at brewing tea.”

The scholar nodded and said, “Correct. It was given to an important official surnamed Lu. That fellow was rather ordinary as an official, but his skill in brewing tea was renowned throughout the world. Later generations seem to have revered him as the Tea Sage?”

At this, Chen Chao understood. The title Tea Sage had been mentioned by Xie Nandu; he remembered it.

Lu Ji had also authored a volume called The Classic of Tea, which later generations of tea enthusiasts regarded as a guiding canon.

When scholars drink tea, there is always tea lore to discuss. Ordinarily, each person would have their own story, but the scholar before him did not make things difficult for Chen Chao. After finishing his account, he lifted his teacup, took a sip, then nodded in praise and said, “The tea is good. It’s just that if this porcelain were that legendary set, it would be even better.”

As he spoke, the scholar looked toward the old man, while the old man merely smiled and said, “That thing is too precious. If I had it, running a teahouse would probably never be peaceful.”

Chen Chao did not speak. He only lifted his teacup. The touch was icy cool, without the slightest trace of heat, yet clear steam was rising from within.

He carefully took a sip of tea, blinked, and asked curiously, “What is this tea called? May I buy a few catties from the shopkeeper, to take back as a gift for friends?”

Just now, after drinking a mouthful of tea, Chen Chao felt his body grow comfortable, as if a stream of warmth was flowing within him. He did not know whether it was an illusion, only that he felt his injuries had healed a little.

The old man waved his hand and politely refused, saying, “Once the tea leaves leave this teahouse, they lose their flavor. If guest wishes to drink it, just come often. If you want your friends to be able to drink it as well, you can simply bring them along. But as for the tea leaves themselves, they are absolutely not for sale.”

Chen Chao nodded and did not press the matter. He only smacked his lips, then drained the tea in one gulp, immediately feeling a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth.

This only made him feel even more disappointed.

The old man noticed the young man’s disappointment, narrowed his eyes, and smiled as he said, “Allow this old man to say one more thing, this friend you wish to bring tea back for, is she a woman?”

Chen Chao raised his head, thought for a moment, then said frankly, “My beloved.”

The old man burst into laughter, but unnecessarily asked, “You still haven’t said whether it’s a man or a woman.”

Chen Chao said helplessly, “Of course it’s a woman.”

There are many in this world who favor men, but he was not among them.

For example, in a previous dynasty there had once been a famous scholar, whose learning was very high, but what made him better known should have been his fondness for men.

What was that person called again? Ma Xing?

It seemed to be that name.

The old man then turned to look at the scholar and said, “That figures. Judging from this guest’s vigor and spirit, he doesn’t look like one, but this guest over here, it’s hard to say.”

Those words were not very polite, but the scholar did not mind. He only narrowed his eyes and smiled, saying, “Even if I did favor men, I wouldn’t fancy you. Even when you were young, I wouldn’t have - too ugly.”

The old man narrowed his eyes and smiled.

Then this old man of indeterminate age said regretfully, “The season isn’t right. Otherwise, we could be brewing tea around a stove right now, that would be quite an enjoyment.”

The scholar said, “Even now, it’s not impossible.”

Chen Chao also grew interested and smiled, saying, “I wonder if it’s allowed.”

......

......

Perhaps moved by what the two had said, or perhaps because it had been too long since he last brewed tea around a stove, the old man called the two of them to go to the rear courtyard. After Chen Chao went over, he discovered that the old man’s backyard actually had a tea tree planted there, but it was far taller than ordinary tea trees, no different from a normal large tree.

In the rear courtyard, the fragrance of tea filled the air.

The old man brought over a stove, the scholar fetched a long bench, and Chen Chao found a tree stump.

Before the three sat down together, the old man lifted a large iron kettle, holding a few things in his hand, and said with a smile, “There’s nothing else to snack on, so just make do with these.”

Afterwards the three sat together. Although it was already early summer, Ying Prefecture was not far from the Northern Frontier, and it was actually not hot. Brewing tea around a stove at this moment could not really be called out of season, but to say it was especially fitting would also be hard.

Watching the old man toss the tea leaves into the large iron kettle, the scholar smiled and said, “Let’s chat about something idly? Why don’t you start, sir?”

This was his way of considering Chen Chao. After all, as a martial artist, the things he knew would certainly not exceed those of a scholar, and as for citing classics and texts, he was surely an outsider.

Chen Chao thought for a moment and said, “Earlier, at the Master Dong Shrine, I read some of Master Dong’s writings. Along the way, I’ve actually had quite a few doubts. Would it be possible to discuss them with you for a bit, sir?”

The scholar slightly frowned, but the old man laughed instead, though his smile carried a rather deep meaning.