Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 8

The situation continued to escalate, and the magistrate of Danyang was growing increasingly anxious. Although the two murders were bizarre and terrifying, seemingly not the work of humans, he couldn’t just ignore them. If the panic continued to spread, he would be held accountable.

While the case remained unsolved, Gu Ye brought new information. He had encountered Yang Shuo, the head of the Yang family and father of Yang Xunzhi, who looked deeply troubled. Yang Shuo mentioned that his son had fallen ill due to the stress of a failed marriage proposal and had been bedridden ever since.

Yang Shuo earnestly pleaded with Gu Ye to reconsider the proposal or at least arrange a meeting to persuade his son. Gu Ye tactfully changed the subject without giving a direct response, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Yang Xunzhi was a talented scholar, known for his integrity and pride as a literati. It was strange that he would fall ill from unrequited love for a woman he had never even met.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiyan also furrowed her brows. It was indeed peculiar. She had thought the Yang family had given up, but it seemed they were still persistent, using this excuse to force the issue.

“Dad, have you looked into whether Yang Xunzhi has been acting strangely recently?” Gu Xiyan asked.

“Not in detail, but I know that half a month ago, he went on an outing with a group of young talents from Danyang. He fell ill after returning and has rarely left home since, even skipping the poetry gatherings he used to love. Shortly after, Madam Yang came to propose marriage, and he hasn’t left the house at all recently,” Gu Ye replied, also finding Yang Xunzhi’s recent behavior highly unusual.

Gu Xiyan pondered for a moment. It was normal to stay home while recovering from a serious illness, but for someone who loved poetry as much as Yang Xunzhi to avoid gatherings for so long was indeed strange.

“Dad, it would be best to investigate the Yang residence. I have a bad feeling about this. When things are this abnormal, there’s usually something sinister at play.”

Although Gu Xiyan felt something was wrong, she had no concrete leads. After hearing her suggestion, Gu Ye immediately agreed. 

Recently, the streets of Danyang had become eerily quiet at night. After the authorities’ investigation, it was discovered that six people had gone missing in Danyang, in addition to the deaths of Young Master Qiu and Liu Yiyi. Among the missing were three men and three women, all young, aged between sixteen and twenty. If this was part of a single case, the coincidence was too striking—it almost felt like some kind of ritualistic offering.

Gu Xiyan had a natural sensitivity to such matters, but she didn’t voice her thoughts directly. Instead, she advised everyone in the household to avoid going out unnecessarily.

Two days had passed since her encounter with Ye Qinming. The tea leaves in the plantation had begun to sprout, and the tea-picking girls had started harvesting the new leaves. Gu Xiyan, who preferred solitude, hadn’t visited the plantation in two days, instead staying home to inspect the quality of the newly picked leaves.

The current batch of tea was intended for making dragon-and-phoenix patterned tea cakes. Only the finest, most tender leaves—one bud and one leaf—were suitable. Larger leaves were discarded, resulting in a very low yield.

Gu Xiyan picked up a few leaves, rubbed them between her fingers, and sniffed them. Satisfied, she said, “One bud, one leaf—perfect. But we need to finish harvesting quickly, or the leaves will become too large in a few days.”

The plantation manager, Manager Mu, nodded with a smile. “You’re right, my lady. This year’s timing is perfect, and this batch is of the highest quality. But are you planning to make ‘Dragon Snow’ this year?”

Gu Xiyan shook her head. “It’s too extravagant—labor-intensive and wasteful. We’ll focus on perfecting the dragon-and-phoenix tea cakes.”

“Understood. I’ll take my leave now to make sure the workers don’t slack off,” Manager Mu said, bowing before departing.

The process of turning tea leaves into tea cakes was complex, with each step directly affecting the final flavor and quality. Gu Xiyan loved tea and was dedicated to mastering its intricacies, but she found the current obsession with tea excessive. For many tea farmers, the burden was especially heavy. Dragon-and-phoenix tea cakes were tribute tea, and the Gu family had no choice but to produce them. However, the so-called “Dragon Snow” tea was something she disliked.

“Do you all take tea this seriously?” a sudden voice came from above. 

Gu Xiyan’s heart skipped a beat. “Are you up the tree?” she asked. She remembered there was a century-old locust tree to her right. From the sound of the voice, Ye Qinming wasn’t standing on the ground.

Ye Qinming lightly tapped a branch, causing the leaves to rustle. “You could tell just from that? Impressive.” She didn’t come down, instead leaning against the tree and looking at Gu Xiyan. After a moment, she asked, “I overheard you talking about dragon-and-phoenix tea cakes and ‘Dragon Snow.’ The names are interesting. What’s the story behind them?”

Gu Xiyan tilted her head as if looking at her and explained, “Dragon-and-phoenix tea cakes are named after the dragon and phoenix patterns carved into the molds used to press the tea. The selection of leaves and the craftsmanship are both exquisite, making it a tribute tea.”

“Tsk, even drinking tea is so complicated. You humans really know how to enjoy yourselves. So why aren’t you making ‘Dragon Snow’?” Ye Qinming stared at Gu Xiyan, her eyes gleaming with a strange intensity. It felt like it wouldn’t be long before the seal on Gu Xiyan’s body weakened enough for her to leave this place.

“‘Dragon Snow’ is an even more refined version of dragon-and-phoenix tea, created by officials to please the emperor. It’s made from silver-thread buds, where only the tenderest part of the bud is used. The leaves are steamed, and only the heart of the bud is kept, stored in precious vessels with clear spring water. The resulting tea cakes are called ‘Dragon Snow,'” Gu Xiyan explained calmly, though Ye Qinming could sense her disapproval.

Ye Qinming scoffed. “That’s sheer extravagance. Your human emperor lives a life of luxury that even immortals can’t match.” It was true—even Taiyi, with all his power, didn’t have immortals fawning over him like this.

Gu Xiyan raised an eyebrow, recalling how Ye Qinming had reacted to the tea the other day. “Miss Ye, do you not like tea?”

Ye Qinming glanced at Gu Xiyan, who was smiling faintly, then hooked her right foot around a branch and swung down, hanging upside down in front of her. “Did I say I don’t like tea?”

Her sudden descent caused a few strands of her hair to brush against Gu Xiyan’s face, and the breeze from her movement swept over Gu Xiyan. Startled, Gu Xiyan swayed slightly, nearly losing her balance.

Instinctively, Ye Qinming reached out to steady her. Gu Xiyan, unable to judge her position, felt disoriented and leaned slightly to one side. Worried she might fall, Ye Qinming didn’t pull away but instead placed a hand on her shoulder. Their faces were now so close that Gu Xiyan could feel the fine hairs on Ye Qinming’s face and the warmth of her breath. If they moved any closer, their lips would touch.

Even though she couldn’t see, Gu Xiyan felt a wave of embarrassment, her ears turning red as she quickly steadied herself and stepped back. “My apologies.”

For a moment, Ye Qinming was also caught off guard, her heart skipping a beat. But she brushed it off, amused by Gu Xiyan’s flushed ears and apology. “I’m the one who almost made you fall. Why are you apologizing? Besides, you’re not a man—what’s there to apologize for?”

Gu Xiyan pursed her lips, unsure how to respond, then said with forced composure, “Be careful not to fall.” Immediately, she felt foolish—Ye Qinming wasn’t going to fall.

Ye Qinming laughed heartily, then swung back up to sit on the branch. “Gu Xiyan, have you ever climbed a tree?”

Gu Xiyan was taken aback and instinctively shook her head.

A mischievous glint appeared in Ye Qinming’s eyes. “Then let me take you up a tree.” With that, she floated down, wrapped an arm around Gu Xiyan’s waist, and lifted her onto the locust tree branch.

Gu Xiyan was completely caught off guard. Unable to see, she felt a pang of unease as her feet left the ground and she found herself perched on the narrow branch with nothing to hold onto.

But she was used to staying composed and, for some reason, trusted Ye Qinming. She sat quietly on the branch, tilting her head toward Ye Qinming.

Seeing no trace of panic on Gu Xiyan’s face, Ye Qinming found her even more intriguing. Gu Xiyan was indeed unlike anyone else—fragile like any mortal, yet exuding a calm and serene aura.

Sitting beside her, she couldn’t help but say, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall. Even though you can’t see, sitting up here should feel different.”

She patted the tree trunk beside her and guided Gu Xiyan’s hand to it. “Hold onto this if it makes you feel safer.”

Gu Xiyan smiled. “Thank you.”

Sitting on the locust tree, she reached out to touch the leaves and the rough bark. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and the sensation of the leaves brushing against her fingertips was something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

She tilted her head up slightly and said, “This locust tree has been here for nearly a century. I used to play here as a child. It’s late March now, and the tree is just sprouting new leaves. By June or July, it will bloom, filling the air with a sweet, fragrant scent.” She turned to Ye Qinming and asked with a smile, “Have you ever eaten locust flowers?”

Ye Qinming had been observing Gu Xiyan closely. This eighteen-year-old girl possessed a maturity beyond her years, reminiscent of the immortals in the heavens, yet she carried a warmth and humanity they lacked. Her genuine smile, free from the usual distance and serenity, inexplicably put Ye Qinming at ease.

She shook her head, pushing aside other thoughts. She wasn’t here to chat—Gu Xiyan was her prey, and she couldn’t afford to grow soft. She wasn’t a kind-hearted demon; showing mercy to others was a cruelty to herself. From the moment she escaped the Northern Wasteland’s Abyssal Prison, she had vowed to show no mercy.

Suppressing her emotions, she asked, “Can you eat locust flowers?”

Gu Xiyan nodded. “If you’re still here when they bloom, you should try them. They’re quite good.”

Ye Qinming’s expression grew complex. “You haven’t even asked about my origins. I appeared out of nowhere, perhaps with ulterior motives or even ill intentions. Aren’t you curious?”

Gu Xiyan remained silent for a moment before softly replying, “If I asked, would you tell me? And if your intentions were malicious, I doubt I could stop you.”

Ye Qinming didn’t respond. She suddenly felt a pang of discomfort, realizing she shouldn’t grow too curious about someone who was destined to die—especially someone she found interesting. That was dangerous. She glanced outside; the demonic aura in Danyang had grown stronger, far beyond what small spirits could produce.

She needed to regain her strength quickly, take the spiritual energy from Gu Xiyan, and return to the Demon Realm as soon as possible.