Ch 40: Reflections In A Cup And The Flavors Of Life
Longevity Temple.
The current Longevity Temple could be described as extremely lively; the largest plaza is already surrounded by seated people.
The outer area is packed; tickets cost three hundred taels of silver each, and only small stools are provided.
The inner area is much closer to the arena; the seats are pear wood chairs, and each person has a small table board in front of them. On the small table is a plate of seeds and a plate of peanuts.
It looks like the treatment is much better.
This made the people sitting in the outer area somewhat envious; indeed, money buys good things.
However, when they saw the VIP area, everyone felt their Qi and Blood surge!
The VIP area’s seating couldn’t be called chairs; they were beds, furnished with soft bedding. One could lie down and watch the competition.
Seeds and pastries were placed nearby, along with freshly picked fruit.
However, this wasn’t what made them most envious. What they envied most was that each person in the VIP area had a beautiful woman accompanying them.
Xia Yan was the first to enter; at that moment, he hadn’t expected that watching a martial arts competition could be like this.
“Senior Xia, have a grape.”
The one sitting next to Xia Yan was the top courtesan of Hundred Flowers Residence, named Lin Xiaoxian.
With a graceful figure, she leaned tightly against Xia Yan. Her slender fingers picked up a grape and very gently fed it to Xia Yan’s mouth.
“Mmm, so sweet!” Xia Yan ate the grape while feeling the warmth pressed against him; even his breathing grew heavy.
The other people in the VIP areas were also enjoying this treatment.
“What? You are Senior Thunder Hand Sun Chengfu? This maidservant has admired you for a long time; it is truly a great fortune to meet you today!”
“You must be tired from coming here so early. Here, let me massage your shoulders.”
This made the numerous Jianghu people below red-eyed!
The gap is too big!
Why do they have female companions, while we only have small stools to sit on?
Tomorrow I’ll buy a VIP ticket too!
“Everyone, the martial arts competition will begin in one incense stick’s time. Please wait a moment.” Li Hanzhou said to everyone on the arena. “Also, if you have any needs, you can tell our Longevity Temple service staff. We sell tea; those who want tea can order, and we will deliver it to you immediately.”
“Should have said so earlier; I’ve been thirsty for a long time.”
Someone complained.
“Come here.”
A martial artist saw a Longevity Temple maidservant and beckoned her over.
“Guest, what do you need?” the maidservant asked respectfully.
“Get me a cup of tea.” the man said indifferently.
“Okay.” The maidservant nodded and asked, “Then may I ask if you want lower grade tea, medium grade tea, or upper grade tea?”
“What?”
The martial artist was stunned. I just want a cup of tea; do I have to choose between grades?
Before the martial artist could ask, the maidservant said, “Lower grade tea is one tael of silver a cup; medium grade tea is fifty taels of silver a cup; upper grade tea is a bit more expensive, three hundred taels of silver a cup.”
“Highway robbery?”
The martial artist couldn’t help but say.
“Guest, our lower grade tea is ordinary tea that can be bought anywhere, so it’s cheap. But medium grade tea is very rare tea, called Cup of Moon. After drinking it, you can feel a moonlit coolness, refreshing and invigorating. Regular consumption is very helpful for the body’s Yin and Yang balance and reduces the risk of Qi Deviation when cultivating Internal Cultivation Methods.”
The maidservant’s words made the martial artists present stunned. There are such effects?
This tea is so powerful?
It can reduce the risk of Qi Deviation?
“What about the upper grade tea?” someone couldn’t help but ask.
“The upper grade tea is called A Hundred Flavors of Life.” The maidservant continued, “This is the unique tea source of our Longevity Temple; you absolutely can’t drink it anywhere else. It’s slightly bitter at first, like life itself, but after the aftertaste, there’s a faint sweetness. Our Longevity Temple Patriarch once said that only those who understand the taste of our Longevity Temple’s A Hundred Flavors of Life can understand the true meaning of life and are true Jianghu people!”
“In the past, the Ancestor of Divine Palace Kingdom and the Ancestor of our Longevity Temple discussed Dao while drinking this tea, and finally ascended to immortality, creating a wonderful story!”
“Originally, this A Hundred Flavors of Life was never open to the outside world, but our Temple Master, in order to give back to Jianghu, has specially taken out this treasure of the temple for everyone to taste. We just don’t know how many people can understand the taste of this upper grade tea, and how many people can have the same broad-mindedness as the founding ancestor of Divine Palace Kingdom.”
This set of sales tactics was naturally taught to them by Li Hanzhou.
Sure enough, as soon as these words came out, everyone present was excited!
There are such treasures?
“Then… then I’ll have a cup of medium grade tea.” The martial artist wanted to drink the upper grade tea, but he couldn’t bear to spend the money.
At this moment, many people ordered tea.
Some ordered medium grade.
Some ordered upper grade.
The cheapest lower grade tea was almost never ordered; it seemed that drinking that tea would distinguish oneself as an ordinary person.
“Senior Xia, I also want to try that upper grade tea. I heard it’s what the founding ancestor of Divine Palace Kingdom drank. With your cultivation level and broad-mindedness, Senior Xia, you wouldn’t drink ordinary tea, would you?” Lin Xiaoxian looked at Xia Yan with an admiring gaze.
Xia Yan didn’t think much; with a wave of his hand, he ordered two cups!
Soon, almost everyone was holding a cup of tea.
“Cup of Moon?”
Looking at the tea in his hand, it really looked like ordinary tea leaves.
However, after the martial artist took a sip, his eyes lit up. Although the tea was hot, after taking a sip, he really felt a cold air flowing in his mouth.
“Truly extraordinary!”
Those who drank the upper grade tea frowned.
Because they really tasted a bitterness.
“Brother, do you think this tea is good?” A red-clothed martial artist felt something was wrong and couldn’t help but ask the martial artist next to him.
The martial artist beside him closed his eyes, savoring the bitterness in his mouth. To be honest, it wasn’t good.
However, he slowly said, “Unexpectedly, A Hundred Flavors of Life is quite good. Slightly bitter at first, sweet aftertaste, truly like life itself. I seem to have seen the Ancestor of Divine Palace Kingdom ascending to immortality centuries ago.”
“Ah, yes, yes, I feel the same way!” The red-clothed martial artist nodded repeatedly. “It seems we also have the same broad-mindedness as the ancestor of Divine Palace Kingdom!”
“Martial Uncle, these two teas sold really well. Where did you buy them?” Yun Qianzhu didn’t expect to make so much money selling tea.
“Ah? Didn’t you buy them?” Li Hanzhou said in surprise.
“Me?” Yun Qianzhu said in surprise. “The tea I bought wasn’t the kind from White Cloud City that costs ten copper coins for three catties, was it?”
“Yes.” Li Hanzhou nodded. “I found some wild mint behind the mountain and put it in, so it tastes cool.”
“Mint?”
Yun Qianzhu didn’t know what that thing was.
In this world, few people eat mint, so it’s normal not to know it; it’s just treated as a weed.
“Then what about the bitterness of the upper grade tea?”
“I added some ground licorice powder.” Li Hanzhou said calmly. “It clears heat and reduces fire.”
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