Chapter 206: Sending Tea Leaves

Hearing this, everyone remembered that his test with Lu Xun had not yet concluded, and they all turned their gazes to Old Tian.

"You win..."

Old Tian sighed, his face full of bitterness.

Comparing connoisseurship with the creator of the painting?

What a joke, even if he wanted to say he lost, he couldn't bring himself to say it!

Moreover, his adding his name had elevated the painting by nearly a grade.

"Teacher Zhang, here is your Jing Shen tea!"

Zhang Xuan had won, and Tian Gang brought over the teacup. Steam hovered, fragrance assailed the nose, and before even drinking, one felt refreshed and spirited, involuntarily startled.

Taking the tea, just as everyone thought the young man would drink it and savor its aroma, he turned his palm over and slowly poured it onto the ground.

Splash!

Fragrance spread in all directions, a clear scent filling the air.

"Teacher Zhang..."

Seeing such a precious cup of tea poured out directly, Liu Ling, Huang Yu, and the others were all startled, showing expressions of disbelief.

This was Jing Shen tea, which countless people longed to drink but couldn't... Even Huang Yu, an apprentice of a master teacher, wasn't qualified, and he just poured it out...

What a waste of a heavenly gift!

Everyone showed expressions of regret.

"Zhang Xuan, my grandfather kindly invited you to drink such precious tea, and you pour it out? What do you mean?"

Tian Long suddenly stood up.

When someone offers you tea, and you pour it out in their presence, that is a blatant disrespect.

Moreover, even he wasn't qualified to drink this tea, and this kid wasted it—absolutely unforgivable.

In his anger, regardless of whether the other party was a so-called painting and calligraphy grandmaster, he couldn't hold back.

"What a pity!"

Ignoring the other's roar, Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back, looking at the lush greenery outside the hall, his spirit seemingly having flown away, and let out a sigh.

"Stop putting on airs! You poured out the tea yourself, and now you say it's a pity. Do you really think the Tian family has no one?" Tian Long burned with rage.

You poured out the tea yourself, and now you say it's a pity—what are you up to?

Are you doing it on purpose?

The others were also baffled, unable to figure out what this Teacher Zhang was really up to.

Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, and the others exchanged glances, their faces full of confusion.

As master teachers, their insight was extraordinary, and they could discern many things, but faced with this young man before them, they found that insight had no effect, completely useless.

They couldn't discern his cultivation level, nor what he was thinking, nor what his next move would be...

It was as if this fellow was wrapped in a mystery.

Especially now, pouring out the tea, risking offending Old Tian... What the hell was he playing at?

If there really was no room for negotiation later, should they step in and mediate?

Just as everyone was utterly bewildered, Zhang Xuan turned around and looked at Old Tian not far away.

"Jing Shen tea, clear and tranquil, grows on cold mountain peaks, picked after the flowers bloom. Properly prepared, it can maintain a state of心如止水 (mind like still water) for a hundred breaths. This cup can only maintain it for twelve breaths. Good tea leaves wasted—isn't that 'a pity'?"

"You... how do you know this tea can only maintain the心如止水 state for twelve breaths?"

Old Tian, who had also been somewhat angry, couldn't help but pause upon hearing this.

The effects of Jing Shen tea, as recorded in books, could maintain a hundred breaths, but no matter how he brewed it, he could only achieve about twelve. He thought the records were nonsense, but now hearing this Teacher Zhang casually say it, he was immediately startled.

You haven't drunk it, have you?

Without drinking or tasting, you know the efficacy of my tea?

"You used deep well water from Sanyuan Terrace, exposed it to sunlight for two days, boiled it for half an hour to brew the tea; you used the [Seven Heart Circling Hand] technique for brewing; the teacup and tea set are the Qingdeng cups fired by ceramic master Wu Qingzi; to brew this pot of tea, you bathed and changed clothes in advance, ate vegetarian for seven days, and adjusted your state of mind to心如止水. Everything was done meticulously, fearing any mistake, yet... the brewed Jing Shen tea still didn't achieve its maximum effect; in fact, it can even be called a defective product!"

Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"You..."

Old Tian looked as if he had seen a ghost, not even noticing the teacup falling from his hand onto the table.

What the other said... was too accurate!

The water for brewing tea was indeed deep well water fetched from Sanyuan Terrace, he had indeed used the Seven Heart Circling Hand, and the tea set was indeed Qingdeng cups. Before brewing, he had bathed, changed clothes, and eaten vegetarian for seven days...

These were his secrets, unknown even to Master Liu and the others, and even Tian Long didn't know. How did this Teacher Zhang know?

And... he described every detail so clearly?

Legend has it that a true tea ceremony grandmaster can discern defects and problems in tea merely by looking, smelling, and tasting, offering guidance for improvement.

Could it be... he was not only a painting and calligraphy grandmaster but also a tea ceremony grandmaster?

If that were true, if he could offer some guidance, could he also break through the final shackles and advance to a higher realm?

His body trembling, Old Tian's expression instantly became excited, shaking uncontrollably.

Just as he was about to carefully ask the other, he heard Tian Long on the side roar angrily.

"How dare you say Grandfather's tea is a defective product? Who do you think you are? Believe me, I'll teach you a lesson right now..."

Hearing this, Old Tian's eyebrows jumped, and he nearly fainted.

He had reached a bottleneck in tea ceremony, unable to break through for years. Now that the other had accurately pointed out the situation with his Jing Shen tea, with proper guidance, he might break through. And this brat interrupted—wasn't that causing trouble?

Moreover, you want to teach a suspected tea ceremony grandmaster a lesson...

You're a grandson who ruins your grandfather!

If you hadn't been targeting this Teacher Zhang all along, he wouldn't have had such a big prejudice, and he would have built a good relationship early on, not provoking the other's displeasure.

Damn it!

The more he thought, the angrier he got, and his beard bristled: "Shut up!"

"Ah? Grandfather..."

Tian Long hadn't expected his grandfather to scold him like that, and he stood frozen, utterly bewildered.

"Get out of the way, don't be a nuisance here!"

Waving his hand grandly, Old Tian quickly stood up, walked a few steps to Zhang Xuan, cupped his fists and bowed, like a student, with respect and piety: "Teacher Zhang is right, the tea I brewed is indeed... a defective product, far from realizing the true efficacy of Jing Shen tea..."

He had to admit it, unwillingly.

The other had made no mistake; he must have seen something. If he denied it now, he would surely incur the other's disgust, and an opportunity for progress might be missed.

"This..."

"Jing Shen tea can maintain心如止水 for a hundred breaths?"

Hearing Old Tian admit it, everyone was in an uproar, looking at the young man not far away as if he were a monster.

Especially Huang Yu and Bai Xun, who kept scratching their hair, feeling utterly confused.

When this Teacher Zhang arrived, wasn't he completely ignorant of tea ceremony, knowing nothing?

How could he now discern all this at a glance, making Old Tian humble himself and admit his mistake?

On the side, Lu Xun and Wang Chao were even more frantic.

Wasn't this guy a waste?

A grandmaster who could paint fifth-realm paintings, and his tea ceremony left Old Tian in awe... Who the hell had ever seen such an awesome waste?

"I hope Teacher Zhang can point out where my problem lies, so I can correct it and not waste such precious tea leaves."

Admitting that he indeed couldn't bring out the efficacy of Jing Shen tea, Old Tian looked over respectfully.

"I came to your Tian residence as a guest, invited by the three masters, which was their respect for me. Yet I was belittled and dragged into a test..." Saying this, Zhang Xuan shook his head and looked at the old man before him: "Do you think this is the proper way to treat a painting and calligraphy grandmaster?"

"I..."

Old Tian was extremely embarrassed.

If the other were an ordinary person, it might be one thing, but he was a painting and calligraphy grandmaster, and even very likely a tea ceremony grandmaster.

Not showing due respect to such a person was bad enough, but to test him...

This was outright contempt.

A master teacher cannot be insulted, and neither can a grandmaster.

No matter the profession, reaching this level transcends countless beings, attaining an exalted state. Even in a titled kingdom, they are highly respected. Yet he had been muddle-headed...

"To be honest, I didn't want to say much, but since you sincerely seek advice, I can offer you a hint."

Zhang Xuan looked over calmly, his expression indifferent: "'Wine in a jade cup glows like moonlight,' fine wine requires special vessels, let alone famous tea? Jing Shen tea calms the mind, but the Qingdeng cups, though treasures left by a master, clearly have a fire attribute. Fire is hot and restless—how can it calm the mind? That is the first point."

"Tea ceremony is the way of calming the mind. Bathing, changing clothes, and eating vegetarian for seven days is respect in action. But since you seek calmness, why hold a birthday banquet? With the noise of a crowd, the mind is already unsettled. How can you brew the most perfect Jing Shen tea? That is the second point!"

"Consider these two points carefully; they might benefit your tea ceremony. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay longer. Farewell!"

Zhang Xuan waved his hand and walked out.

"Teacher Zhang, please wait..."

Before he had taken two steps, Old Tian hurried forward.

"Teacher Zhang, your two pieces of advice have enlightened me. This is a small token of my appreciation; please accept it."

With that, he waved his hand, and a box appeared in his palm. He gently opened it, and a rich tea fragrance wafted out.

"Jing Shen tea leaves?"

"This must be... two liang?"

"The Tianxuan Kingdom produces only three liang a year, and he gives away two liang?"

Smelling the fragrance, Liu Ling and the others' eyebrows jumped; they were all stunned.

This was definitely a great gift!

It was well known that even Emperor Shen Zhui rarely got to drink Jing Shen tea, showing its preciousness. Old Tian giving away two liang of tea leaves, enough for at least a dozen brews... his generosity was too great.

"It seems... Teacher Zhang's two suggestions, though they sounded ordinary, must have actually given Old Tian great help; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so generous..."

While shocked in their hearts, they also understood that the gift wasn't given for nothing. For Old Tian to give away so many tea leaves meant that what the other said must have hit the mark, truly benefiting Old Tian greatly.

Without even drinking the tea, just by looking, he pointed out the problem, making Old Tian willingly give tea...

How many more surprises did this Teacher Zhang have that they didn't know about?