Lanke Chess Edge

Chapter 409: Honey Crystal Tea and Troublemakers

The ingenious concealment technique of the small characters of the ‘Sword Intent Inscription’ was innate. Sometimes, even Ji Yuan could easily overlook it if he was not paying attention. Only after becoming familiar with it could he truly find the small characters wherever they hid. As was expected of the Grandmaster of Yuhuai Mountain who had cultivated for seven or eight hundred years, Ju Yuanzi’s cultivation was only slightly inferior to that of the old beggar. He even vaguely sensed the gaze of the calligraphy spirits.

He frowned and looked at the tree. After examining it for a while, he was still a little unsure. It seemed to be just an illusion. But at Ju Yuanzi’s level of cultivation, there was no such thing as an “illusion”.

He then found a reasonable explanation for himself: it was probably because of this extraordinary jujube tree. It was said that the jujube tree had developed sentience, although it had not yet condensed its spiritual core. But it was, after all, the jujube tree of Ju’an Pavilion, so it must be extraordinary.

The vague sense of being watched earlier must have come from this jujube tree.

However, as long as Ju Yuanzi didn’t ask, Ji Yuan pretended not to see anything, and poured a steaming cup of tea for everyone present, regardless of age.

While pouring the tea, Ji Yuan was also observing these people. He knew Ju Yuanzi and Qiu Feng, but he was meeting Immortal Ming Yang for the first time. He found that Immortal Ming Yang appeared to be a serious and rigid person, but judging from the behavior of the two boys back then, he was likely very protective of his own.

Shang Yiyi had become increasingly poised and radiant, but she was a little reserved and spoke very softly when thanking him. Wei Yuansheng had grown into a sturdy teenager, and although he was no longer as cute and innocent as before, he was still quite lively.

As for Wei Wuwei, he still looked the same, but his temperament had changed, which was clear from his demeanor.

When it was time to pour tea for Wei Yuansheng, the latter quickly picked up the teacup to receive the tea. For an ordinary person, this would easily have burnt their hand, but since everyone present no an ordinary person, Ji Yuan picked up the teapot and matched him in pouring the tea.

Before this, Wei Yuansheng had already eaten a few pastries on the table. He could only say that the taste was passable, nothing special. Now, smelling the aroma of tea, he felt that it was equally unremarkable, and it contained no spiritual energy whatsoever.

Wei Yuansheng was not disappointed, however. His eyes darted around, and with the tea still in his hand, he began to speak.

“Mr. Ji, our Wei family owns several tea gardens and has a lot of good tea. Shall we have someone send some over to you in a while? Also, you are familiar with the skills of our Wei family’s pastry chefs. Let us have two of them sent to Ning’an County to make things for you. They won’t stay at Ju’an Pavilion; we’ll buy them a house in the county town.”

Wei Yuansheng said with a smile, as if it were a joke, but if Ji Yuan nodded he would definitely have it done immediately.

Ji Yuan put away the teapot and smiled.

“You little rascal, are you complaining that the tea and snacks at my place aren’t good enough?”

“How could that be? I just think that you can’t buy the best in Ning’an County. Although Desheng Prefecture is also a bit lacking, our Wei family definitely has the best stuff, right, Father?”

Wei Wuwei coughed twice, then smiled and bowed apologetically to Ji Yuan.

“Mr. Ji, please forgive me, this child is ignorant!”

“Hahaha, you, the head of the Wei family, are more cunning than a devil. You apologize, but you see through me and are not angry at all.1 Well, well, since it is your first visit before the New Year, I will give you some good stuff.”

Ji Yuan was in a good mood and returned to the kitchen with a smile.

As soon as Ji Yuan left, Wei Wuwei immediately smacked Wei Yuansheng on the head. The latter cried out “Ouch!” and grabbed Qiu Feng’s hand.

“Master, my father hit me!”

“He deserves a beating! He doesn’t know his place in front of his elders!”

Qiu Feng chuckled and scolded, but a smile remained on his face. It wasn’t because he was happy that Wei Yuansheng was being cunning, but because he clearly recognized that his precious disciple was familiar with Mr. Ji, if he could make such jokes without any psychological burden.

Qiu Feng knew very well that, not even Senior Ju Yuanzi would be able to be so carefree or even dare to try, let alone himself or his senior brother Ming Yang.

“My nephew is eloquent; Mr. Wei has taught him well!”

Immortal Ming Yang said to Wei Wuwei, who simply smiled.

“Hahaha, the children are so lively! My Yuhuai Mountain is full of youthful vigor…”

Ju Yuanzi stroked his beard in admiration, and as he was about to open his mouth, he suddenly looked up nervously to the treetop. Just now, he seemed to have sensed a rustling sound up there, like some light breathing, or like very faint and short bursts of noisy laughter.

“Master Ju, what are you looking at?”

Ming Yang asked, and looked up to examine the tree canopy closely. He then discovered something unusual: a faint glow emanated from a certain part of the branches and leaves, and upon closer inspection, he could see a hint of crimson.

‘Fire jujubes!’

Ming Yang suddenly realized that the jujube tree in Mr. Ji’s Ju’an Pavilion had long since matured, not only possessing spiritual intelligence, but also becoming a rare plant with a spiritual root.

A ‘plant with a spiritual root’ referred to any plant that could truly bear spiritual fruits.

This wasn’t something that just any plant or tree could do. Even if an orange tree became a spirit, it might not be a tree with spiritual roots. The oranges it produced would certainly have some spiritual energy, but there was a vast difference between those oranges and spiritual fruits.

The spiritual fruits of plants with spiritual roots each had their own unique characteristics. Achieving them required the innate talent of the spiritual tree itself and a very rare opportunity. This opportunity was not influenced by the amount of spiritual energy or the strength of the plant’s power; it could be a large incident or an insignificant one, but it always had a mysterious influence. It could come in the form of an individual playing a tune under the tree just as it could be an opportunity achieved after being struck by lightning.

“Is Master Ju looking at those jujubes?”

Ju Yuanzi glanced back down and saw that everyone around him was looking up at the treetop due to his actions. He shook his head and replied.

“I’ve heard of the Fire Jujubes before, and seeing them today, they are indeed extraordinary. You may not realize it because your cultivation is shallow, but this Ju’an Pavilion is anything but simple.”

Ju Yuanzi looked towards the kitchen and whispered.

“We are beneath the jujube tree, and the richness of the spiritual energy here is almost comparable to that of my Yuhuai Holy Land. It is a perfect blend of the mutual generation of wood and fire, cleansing our bodies and souls and nurturing our spirits. The jujube tree deserves immense credit.”

“Huh? Spiritual energy?”

Shang Yiyi asked in confusion. In fact, not only her, but Wei Yuansheng and Wei Wuwei also had puzzled expressions, and even Qiu Feng and Ming Yang frowned.

“Haha, that’s why I said this small pavilion is no ordinary place. How could you possibly see through the secrets of Mr. Ji’s residence so easily? The divine light on the plaque outside is restrained, and the area it covers is divided into two parts: reality and illusion. What you have sensed is only one aspect!”

Ju Yuanzi didn’t need to smile; instead, he shifted his gaze back to the canopy.

‘Could it be that what I just sensed was… those fire jujubes?’

The moment this thought crossed Ju Yuanzi’s mind, he was startled. For a spiritual fruit to be this potent, it would be far too astonishing!

Once the idea took hold, the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. After all, his previous feelings were rather fragmented and complicated, so would be a stretch to attribute it solely to a single miraculous jujube tree. But if it were a fiery jujube tree with countless fire jujubes, that would be more plausible…

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Ji Yuan’s voice interrupted everyone’s thoughts. He had already come out of the kitchen, holding a small ceramic jar with a lid in his hand.

“Everyone, finish your tea and try this!”

Ji Yuan said as he opened the lid of the teapot and then that of the earthenware jar. He used a small spoon to scoop out two spoonfuls of something and sprinkled it into the teapot.

Everyone could see clearly that it was a collection of tiny crystals, with a faint, unique sweet fragrance wafting through the air.

“Sir, what is this?”

Wei Yuansheng asked in confusion. He sensed that this thing resembled sugar, but it was definitely no ordinary ingredient.

Ji Yuan didn’t want to add too much; after just two small spoonfuls, he immediately put the lid back on the ceramic jar and looked up at the canopy of the jujube tree above him.

“The jujube tree in my yard does not bloom every year. When the jujube blossoms are in full bloom, they attract swarms of bees to collect pollen and make honey. This is called Fire Jujube Honey Crystals, which seem to have some unique and supernatural properties.”

Ji Yuan picked up the teapot, which was only half full of tea, and shook it to mix the sugar inside.

“Come, try this tea again.”

He then poured tea for everyone again, emptying the teapot completely.

The tea didn’t seem particularly special in the teapot, but once it had been poured into a cup, a rich aroma drifted out, making those with weak willpower unable to resist gulping.

After Wei Yuansheng’s cup was filled with fresh tea, he couldn’t help but gulp down two large mouthfuls. He felt the sweet flavor burst in his mouth, but it wasn’t cloying at all. He also felt a warm, comforting sensation flowing through his mouth before seeping into his body, making him feel pleasantly warm.

While everyone else was drinking tea, Ju Yuanzi subconsciously glanced at the canopy of the jujube tree, staring at the fiery jujubes hidden among the leaves, before getting straight to the point with Ji Yuan.

“Thank you for your hospitality, sir. We have come here not only to wish you a happy New Year in advance, but also to inquire about your upcoming visit to Yuhuai Mountain, so that we can make preparations accordingly.”

Master Ming Yang added.

“Indeed, since this is your first visit to Yuhuai Mountain, we dare not be negligent and have come to pay our respects in advance.”

Ji Yuan took a sip of tea and savored the taste, finding it quite sweet and refreshing. Then he replied.

“Haha, there’s no need to prepare anything special. I’m not going to steal your mountain sect talisman. I just want to discuss going to Heng Province with you. If we were to decide everything here after you have come all this way, I might not even want to go to Yuhuai Mountain at all.”

Ju Yuanzi was clearly taken aback.

“Uh…haha, Mr. Ji must be joking.”

“Yes, yes, sir, please don’t joke. Yuhuai Mountain would very much like to welcome you.”

Qiu Feng was a little anxious. How could Mr. Ji not visit? Wei Yuansheng was the most outspoken. After finishing his tea, he refused the tea his father was offering him and interjected.

“Mr. Ji, you can’t go back on your word. The whole of Yuhuai Mountain knows you’re coming. If we came and you didn’t go, they’ll blame us. That would be so unfair to us!”

Shang Yiyi also softly hummed in agreement.

“Haha, just kidding, just kidding…”

Ji Yuan chuckled, then he looked at Ju Yuanzi seriously.

“When will Yuhuai Mountain set off? Can I go with you?”

“Since you are going, sir, Yuhuai Mountain, will certainly not dare to neglect you. Please rest assured that I will personally invite you to come with me.”

At this point, Ju Yuanzi hesitated for a moment before revealing a hidden motivation.

“Actually, it has been two sixty-year cycles since my Yuhuai Mountain last attended the Grand Cultivator Assembly. Of course, no matter how disappointing Yuhuai Mountain performs, we always receive invitations. Back then, Junior Brother Zi Yu caused a stir during the discussion of the Tao at the Grand Cultivator Assembly, so we missed both invitations. This time, your invitation just happens to coincide with our decision to return; it must be fate!”

Looking at Ju Yuanzi’s sincere smile, Ji Yuan couldn’t help but remark to himself, ‘I can’t believe your lies.’ It seemed that Yuhuai Mountain probably hadn’t even planned to go at all this time.

“Who is this Master Zi Yu, and why is he still at Yuhuai Mountain? He’s caused quite a bit of trouble!”

Ji Yuan couldn’t help but ask, “Do you remember how when the Old Dragon transformed into a True Dragon, this person seemed to have appeared afterwards, making the Old Dragon hold a grudge against Yuhuai Mountain…”

“Haha, ever since the Dragon Lord attacked Yuhuai Mountain, Junior Brother Zi Yu has not returned.”

Ji Yuan smiled.

“What a troublemaker!”

Basically, JY is calling him out for using his son to probe JY’s desires and test whether he has anything more supernatural