Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 9

“Recently, Danyang City has been quite unsettled. You should be extra cautious, as even staying at home might not guarantee safety.” Ye Qingming’s tone was no longer as casual and teasing as before; it had turned slightly cold and low, which was the first time Gu Xiyan had encountered this from her.

She didn’t respond but instead lowered her head to ponder what had caused the sudden change in her demeanor.

At that moment, Ye Qinming sensed someone approaching. She had initially planned to take Gu Xiyan down but, for some inexplicable reason, suddenly stopped and vanished.

“Someone’s coming. I have to go,” she simply said.

Gu Xiyan was momentarily stunned. She turned her head to look at Ye Qinming beside her, only to feel a gust of wind, and then she was left with nothing but air. She blinked in surprise, feeling both helpless and a bit aggrieved. “I can’t get down.”

Meanwhile, Ye Qinming, who had turned invisible and stayed nearby, couldn’t help but laugh at Gu Xiyan’s pitiful and bewildered expression. It was the first time she had seen Gu Xiyan like this.

When Du Juan and Ah Qi arrived and saw Gu Xiyan sitting high up in the locust tree, they were dumbfounded. Fearing she might fall, they quickly ran over, arms outstretched, ready to catch her. “My lady! H-how did you get up there? It’s too dangerous! Don’t move… I’ll go find someone to help you down.”

Ah Qi was frantic. She couldn’t understand how their blind mistress had managed to climb so high and sit in the locust tree.

Du Juan was equally anxious. Gu Xiyan was always so graceful and gentle, never even raising her voice. Who would have thought she’d climb a tree?

Gu Xiyan was actually quite embarrassed. She forced herself to stay calm and said, “I just wanted to try it. Don’t worry, I can get down on my own. No need to alert others.” As she spoke, she felt her way down the tree, hugging the trunk and sliding down somewhat awkwardly.

Du Juan and Ah Qi were terrified. The locust tree branch was over ten feet off the ground, and the trunk was rough. Gu Xiyan’s delicate skin and blindness made them even more frantic, and they quickly moved closer to catch her.

“My lady, hold on tight and step on my shoulder to come down slowly,” Ah Qi said, hugging the trunk and bracing herself to support Gu Xiyan.

Gu Xiyan couldn’t gauge the height and could only inch her way down. Her physical strength wasn’t great, and though she was independent, she had been pampered since childhood. The friction from hugging the tree had made the inside of her arms sore, and her face flushed red from the effort. Finally, her toes touched Ah Qi’s shoulder.

She tried not to put all her weight on Ah Qi, but her footing was unstable. As she slightly relaxed her grip, she lost her balance and fell.

For Ye Qinming, such a height was trivial, and she knew Gu Xiyan wasn’t in any real danger. Yet, her heart still clenched at that moment. Instinctively, she raised her finger, and a gentle breeze instantly cushioned Gu Xiyan’s fall.

Gu Xiyan felt herself suspended in mid-air and closed her eyes, bracing for the pain. But amidst Du Juan and Ah Qi’s panicked cries, she landed on a soft barrier before finally hitting the ground, unharmed.

Du Juan and Ah Qi, who were on the verge of tears, quickly helped her up and frantically checked her body. “My lady, where did you get hurt? How are your arms? Does your leg hurt?”

Gu Xiyan was momentarily dazed, then shook her head and stood up. “Don’t cry, I’m fine. I didn’t hurt myself. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Ah Qi, still shaken, felt her arms and legs. Seeing no signs of pain, she finally relaxed.

“You must never do that again. It’s too dangerous. How did you even get up there?”

Gu Xiyan paused, then smiled faintly. “I just climbed up. It was quite fun.”

Du Juan and Ah Qi exchanged helpless glances. Meanwhile, Ye Qinming, not far away, couldn’t help but laugh, though she quickly suppressed it. She gave Gu Xiyan a deep look before turning to leave.

***

The tea-picking season was in full swing, and the new tea was being processed. The workshop was filled with the aroma of tea leaves.

After visiting a few times, Gu Xiyan felt reassured and began her usual routine of sitting in the tea garden. The tea tree was growing well, though it hadn’t sprouted yet. Gu Xiyan squatted in front of it, lost in thought for a while before reaching out to touch its leaves. She then watered it and sat in the pavilion.

She needed Ah Qi to read to her when she wanted to study. But recently, the household had been busy, and she was the only one with free time. So, after the maids prepared her writing tools, she began to transcribe the books she had read before.

Being blind made it difficult to judge the strokes of characters or know how her writing looked. In the early days of her blindness, her handwriting had become a mess, with characters smudged and illegible.

It took her nearly half a year to relearn how to write. Even now, after so many years, she maintained the habit. All the characters were deeply familiar to her, and she had mastered the strength, structure, and proportions of each stroke.

She wrote quickly, and soon a page of small, elegant characters filled the paper, each stroke exuding resilience and character.

Gu Xiyan easily lost herself in her work. It wasn’t until the sun began to set that she put down her brush. She stretched her stiff body, used a paperweight to secure the freshly written pages, and rolled up her sleeves to tidy up her writing tools.

Just as she put down her brush, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew in, lifting the curtains and slapping them against her. Instinctively, she reached for the paperweight, but the wind had already scattered the ink-stained papers across the ground.

The wind was eerie, cold, and carried a damp, fishy smell that made Gu Xiyan feel uneasy. Blind as she was, she couldn’t see that the sky around her had suddenly darkened, making the surroundings almost invisible.

The next moment, she heard rustling sounds, growing louder, as if something was parting the tea bushes and trees. There was also the sound of scales brushing against shrubs. Gu Xiyan quickly stood up and stepped back.

“Ah Da,” Gu Xiyan called out calmly, but she stopped herself from pulling the bell. Ah Da was never far from her, but with such a commotion and no one in sight, the situation was too bizarre. Bringing others here might only endanger them.

Before she could think further, the fishy wind was almost upon her. Gu Xiyan quickly vaulted over the pavilion railing, hearing a low, cold “tsk” of surprise.

She couldn’t see what was before her, but the hissing and the sound of scales suggested a snake. Yet, the human-like syllables sent a chill down her spine. Had she encountered a snake demon?

She quickly retreated. Familiar with the tea garden, she moved as deftly as a sighted person. Behind her, a massive black snake, as thick as a man’s embrace, watched her closely. Its lower body was serpentine, but its upper half was human, though its face was still covered in black scales, making it grotesque and terrifying. Its brown, vertical pupils were filled with greed. 

“You’re truly unique. So enticing. Devouring you will allow me to fully take human form.”

Gu Xiyan frowned and quickened her pace. But she was only human and blind. The black snake lashed out with its tail, wrapping it around her waist and lifting her into the air.

The stench of the snake’s breath and its flickering, crimson tongue made Gu Xiyan nauseous. The tight grip turned her face from pale to red, and she struggled to breathe.

The snake demon was ecstatic. It had been lurking in the human world for over half a month, unable to maintain human form due to insufficient spiritual power. But recently, it had discovered this exceptional being. Not only was she a perfect spiritual vessel, but she also exuded an immortal aura, likely a reincarnated deity. Such an opportunity was once in a millennium!

It opened its mouth, transforming into a gaping maw, and released its tail, intending to swallow Gu Xiyan whole. But just as she began to fall, a green, sword-like energy pierced the snake’s mouth. A red figure swept in, catching Gu Xiyan just before she fell into the snake’s jaws, and landed in the pavilion.

The nauseating stench that had overwhelmed Gu Xiyan was replaced by a soft, tea-scented embrace. Gu Xiyan felt an inexplicable joy—it was Ye Qinming.

Ye Qinming quickly glanced at the person in her arms, relieved she was unharmed. She turned to the black snake, her eyes glowing red with cold and merciless determination.

The snake demon, its soft palate struck, hissed in pain, its neck scales bristling. “So, there’s a demon in this garden. Even the tea tree has become a demon. How extraordinary. If you don’t want to ruin your cultivation, hand her over!”

Ye Qinming’s eyes turned icy, but she glanced at Gu Xiyan, who showed no fear. Calmly listening, Gu Xiyan seemed unsurprised that Ye Qinming was a demon.

“A mere few-hundred-year-old snake demon thinks it can dominate the human world. It seems no one has taught you a lesson,” Ye Qinming said with her usual nonchalance, laced with sarcasm. She smirked coldly. “She’s mine. A creature like you isn’t worthy of touching her.”

With that, she vanished and reappeared beside the snake demon, her demonic energy coalescing into a pale green sword. She leaped onto the snake’s back, slicing through its tough scales and removing three in one swift motion.

Bright red blood dripped from the snake’s body as it howled in pain, its tail lashing out like lightning. Ye Qinming sidestepped effortlessly and swung her sword again.

The snake demon, initially confident, realized Ye Qinming’s demonic power surpassed his. Her sword was unstoppable, and his iron-hard scales were no match for her.

Their battle stirred up a cloud of dust. Gu Xiyan, unable to see, could only hear the intense clashes and feel the ground tremble beneath her.

But she could tell from the snake’s cries of pain that Ye Qinming had the upper hand.

After nearly a hundred exchanges, the snake demon couldn’t hold out any longer. It retreated, panting heavily. “Stop! You must be from the Demon Realm too. We’re of the same kind. Fighting to the death over a human is pointless. I won’t take her all—just half of her spiritual essence. How about it?”

Ye Qinming instinctively looked at Gu Xiyan, whose expression seemed to freeze momentarily before returning to normal. Yet, Ye Qinming felt an inexplicable dimming of her aura.

She turned back to the snake demon, her words cutting and merciless. “She’s mine. You have no right to touch her.” Her demonic power surged, her green robes turning crimson, and her sword glowing red. She gripped the hilt with both hands and spun, delivering a devastating slash. The sword’s energy enveloped the snake demon, who paled and shrank to dodge, but its tail was severed. With a final shriek, it transformed into black mist and fled.

Ye Qinming, sword in hand, looked grim. She wanted to check on Gu Xiyan but stumbled to her knees, the sword dissipating as it struck the ground.

Sensing her presence, Gu Xiyan quickly moved to support her. “Are you alright?”

Helped to her feet, Ye Qinming looked at Gu Xiyan’s concerned face and felt a surge of irritation. She pulled her hand away and said coldly, “Do you know what that thing was that tried to kill you?”

Gu Xiyan’s fingers curled slightly, but she remained calm. “It wasn’t human.”

Ye Qinming stared at her. “So, you know what I am?”

Gu Xiyan lifted her head and smiled. “I smelled the tea. It was lovely.”

Now it was Ye Qinming’s turn to be surprised. “You knew all along?”

Gu Xiyan paused. “I had my suspicions, but I wasn’t sure. You seem unsteady. Are you hurt?” Ye Qinming’s breathing was ragged, likely from exhaustion.

Ye Qinming felt a surge of anger, her tone turning dangerous. “Do you know that my goal is the same as his? To kill you, take your spiritual essence, and refine it into a pill?”