Unintended Immortality

Chapter 176: Do You Eat Monitor Lizards?

“Greetings, sir.”

A middle-aged man approached, appearing somewhat handsome and dressed as a scholar. After respectfully bowing to Song You, he sat down on the other side.

The attendant brought over a set of elaborate tea utensils.

In this establishment, the tea wasn't simply brewed and served; instead, a dedicated person came to your table to brew it, showcasing their confidence in their skills and allowing you to experience something unique during the process.

This tea was likely the best in the Anle Pavilion, personally brewed by the shop owner, who had a reputation for being a refined gentleman.

“Is this your first time here, sir?”

“Yes, it is my first time.”

“You're not from Changjing?”

“No, I'm from Yizhou and have only recently arrived in Changjing.”

“Yizhou produces tea as well.”

“Yes, it does; the tea-horse trade market is located there.”

The shop owner moved gracefully, taking his time. He first retrieved some tea from a jar, placed it in a tea bag, and began to crush it gently with a small pestle while chatting quietly with his guest.

“This tea is homemade, but it originally came from Yangzhou. It reminds me of my father's youth. One time, he traveled to Yangzhou, and while passing through a certain place, he randomly chose a restaurant to eat at. The owner gifted him a cup of tea, and although the food was ordinary, the tea surprised my father.

“He asked the owner about it, and the owner merely mentioned it was local mountain tea. After many inquiries, my father finally obtained this tea and later created the qingzhushang tea.”

“That’s quite a coincidence.” the Daoist nodded in response.

It was hard to tell whether the story was true or not, but it was a common tactic; people often embellished stories about objects or themselves. Sometimes, it wasn’t necessary to discern truth from fiction.

The shop owner placed the crushed tea leaves into a tea bowl, still moving at a leisurely pace. He repeatedly ground them into a fine powder, then sifted it through a fine mesh, resulting in delicate tea dust.

Lady Calico watched intently, her eyes never leaving the shop owner's movements. At times, she seemed eager to see what this expensive tea was made of, while at other moments, she shifted her gaze to the shop owner, perhaps transferring her scrutiny from the tea to him. The shop owner remained composed, focused on his task, seemingly oblivious to her gaze.

As the finely ground green tea powder settled at the bottom of the bowl, it was a stroke of luck that the water in the small kettle beside them began to boil almost at that moment.

The shop owner moved it aside, waiting for the steam to dissipate before returning it to its place.

He then repeated, “This is spring water collected from Mount Chang, sweet and delicious, perfect for brewing tea.” The shop owner looked up and smiled as he spoke, “However, it must be boiled three times before it’s at its best for brewing.”

“You have a discerning taste.”

“That’s the essence of tea culture.”

“Mount Chang is quite far away.”

“Yes, it is distant, which makes it precious.”

“I’ve heard the former shop owner was very knowledgeable about tea.”

“Such praise from the world is often exaggerated.”

Despite saying this, it was clear that the shop owner was pleased with the compliment.

He first added a bit of water to the bottom of the bowl, turning the delicate tea powder into a paste. Then he poured water from a height, causing the mixture to float. At this point, a rich tea aroma began to fill the air, fragrant and refreshing.

But that wasn't enough; he still needed to paint on the surface of the floating foam. The shop owner carefully drew, and the Daoist didn't dare to interrupt. Even the little girl watched intently, not blinking.

Before long, the surface of the tea in the bowl was adorned with a bamboo grove painting. Though it was merely outlined with simple strokes, it was quite vivid.

The other bowl was prepared in the same manner.

“Please enjoy,” the shop owner said as he rose and bowed, then stepped away with light footsteps.

Just as he was leaving, he turned back to glance at Lady Calico sitting across from Song You. However, unexpectedly, the Daoist also turned to look at him. Startled, he couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered and smiled awkwardly before leaving.

“Lady Calico, please enjoy the tea.”

“Why not use my own bowl?”

“Please bear with it.”

“Oh...”

The little girl carefully picked up the tea bowl, raising it high so that the rim was nearly level with her eyes. She stared intently at the floating drawing on the tea's surface, seemingly lost in thought.

“Lady Calico, don’t spill it.”

“I won’t!”

“Don’t burn yourself.”

“Was it not good?”

“It was bitter and astringent.”

“Then don’t drink it again.”

“It costs a lot!”

“Money can be earned again,” Song You replied with a smile. “Speaking of which, you’ve already experienced nine of the Ten Wonders of Changjing.”

“Nine, really?”

“Yes.”

“I don't remember.”

“It’s alright. When you grow up a bit, and others mention something about Changjing, you’ll be able to recall it and tell them that you’ve experienced it too.”

“I’ve experienced it too!”

“And then they’ll be wowed, realizing that Lady Calico has been to so many places and seen so many things that others haven’t at such a young age,” the Daoist spoke as they walked.

“...!” The little girl’s expression tightened, and she immediately asked, “What about the last one?”

“There’s still one more...”

“What about the last one?”

“You can figure out that there’s a difference of one between nine and ten right away; you’re truly a prodigy.”

“That’s right!”

“I admire you...”

“What about the last one?”

“...” The Daoist pursed his lips, shielding his eyes from the sun.

The little girl quickened her pace, her small feet moving swiftly as she ran in front of him, walking backward while facing him.

“What about the last one?”

“The last one isn’t interesting.”

“Today’s not interesting either.”

“Kids can’t go to that one.”

“What about kittens?”

“Kittens can’t go either.”

“Oh...”

Only then did the little girl show a look of disappointment.

She slowed her pace and turned around, continuing to walk alongside the Daoist. But soon she looked up and said, “The person just now seemed like a monitor lizard.”

Children always had endless things to say.

The Daoist appeared to have a lot of patience and casually asked, “How did you figure that out?”

“I’ve eaten quite a few monitor lizards.”

“...”

“They taste about the same as raw chicken. The bones aren’t as hard as chicken bones and can be easily crushed.”

“...”

“Do you want some?”

“No, thank you.”

However, the number of demons in Changjing was indeed more than Song You had imagined, and their relationship with Changjing was deeper than he had thought; many of them had probably lived there for many years.

They gradually walked back to Willow Street. There was someone waiting at the entrance.

When Song You looked over, he found it quite amusing. He had just returned from the demon-operated inn, only to see another demon waiting for him at the door.

Interestingly, both of these individuals were among Changjing's renowned figures.