https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-286-Infiltrating-the-Zheng-Family/12554459/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-288-The-Secret-of-the-Bamboo-Pavilion/12554461/
Chapter 287: Supreme Spirit Tea
Chapter 287: Supreme Spirit Tea
"Master Shen, this way please."
The gatekeeper casually gestured and led the way forward.
Aside from asking their surname, he didn't inquire further, which struck Xu WanYun as odd.
Xu WanYun stood with her hands clasped behind her back, concealing a goose egg-sized stone in her wide sleeve.
"Something feels off," she whispered.
"What does?" Ah Qing asked, trailing obediently behind.
"We came here as unaffiliated cultivators. If the Zheng family intended to recruit us, why wouldn't they show any interest in where we're from and just let us in like this?" Xu WanYun walked slowly beside Shen Yi.
"Well, we're already here," Ah Qing said, looking around.
"Who knows what's going on in his head. He looks quiet and dull, probably a novice who just left his master's side." Xu WanYun transmitted her words via the goose egg-sized stone while shooting Shen Yi a smile.
However, the young man merely glanced at her indifferently.
"Hmph, full of pride," Xu WanYun muttered, turning away.
But Ah Qing whispered, "Actually, Big Brother Shen's temperament is pretty good already."
"What do you mean?" Xu WanYun's steps faltered slightly.
As if remembering something, her expression turned strange. "You even gave him the transmission stone?"
"I did..." Ah Qing replied.
Hearing Ah Qing's response, Xu WanYun felt embarrassed and tensed up. "That's not what I meant."
However, Shen Yi had already followed the gatekeeper into a side hall.
Inside the hall sat only three people.
Upon noticing their entrance, they didn't even bother to stand and greet them.
The oldest among them wore a dark green robe. His thin neck had faint dark spots, and his hands were hidden in his wide sleeves, giving him a lifeless appearance.
"This is my second uncle from the Zheng family, the younger brother of our family head," the gatekeeper introduced respectfully. He then added, "This is Master Shen, who came from the outside."
"Please take a seat."
The second uncle from the Zheng family lifted his gaze slightly, and the other two also turned to look at the young man.
Shen Yi nodded slightly and calmly took a seat.
Judging from his demeanor, the three exchanged glances, a strange light flickering in their eyes.
Soon, Xu WanYun and Ah Qing also arrived, their brows furrowing unconsciously as they stepped into the hall.
The gloomy hall was barely illuminated, exuding a stifling atmosphere.
Coupled with the three elders on the main seat, who looked like they were about to kick the bucket, the oppressive atmosphere turned slightly eerie.
Xu WanYun felt slightly uncomfortable and sat down next to Shen Yi with Ah Qing in tow.
Using the goose egg-sized stone, she transmitted, "One at the Utmost Realm and two at the Upper Realm."
That was an incredibly frightening foundation.
No wonder they had the backing of the Xuan Guang Cave.
"And who might this be?"
The second uncle from the Zheng family asked in a hoarse voice.
"My wife and son," Shen Yi replied nonchalantly, glancing at Xu WanYun, who nodded politely at the elder.
Ah Qing, on the other hand, stiffly smiled, inexplicably becoming Shen Yi's son.
"Your son has excellent talent and a handsome appearance. Like father, like son," the elder beside him complimented.
"He's alright," Shen Yi acknowledged, a hint of pride surfacing in his eyes as he spoke of his son.
The elders smiled.
It was only at this moment that the young man finally displayed some of the characteristics of someone from the wilderness. Despite his decent cultivation, he lacked experience and was like a frog in a well.
"Tea is served."
As the second uncle's hoarse voice sounded, maids quickly brought in tea cups and bowed respectfully before retreating.
Jin Baowen sat stiffly in the corner, surprised that he had even been offered a cup of tea.
Xu WanYun politely picked up her tea cup and took a sip, her eyes widening in surprise. "What a fragrant spirit tea. May I ask its name?"
With that, he deftly changed the subject and began chatting with Shen Yi about various interesting tales from far and wide.
Shen Yi remained silent, mostly unable to join in on the conversation.
"I take back what I said earlier; he's a good actor," Xu WanYun marveled through the goose egg-sized stone, impressed by how the young man was flawlessly portraying the role of an unworldly unaffiliated cultivator.
"Uh..." Ah Qing, recalling the earlier scene of Shen Yi instructing him to organize his storage bag, silently agreed that perhaps it wasn't just an act.
Time passed, and finally, Second Uncle Zheng cleared his throat. "Since Fellow Daoist Shen has only recently ventured out, why don't you stay at my Zheng family's estate for now? Though our mountain estate may not be luxurious, it has a unique rustic charm, and you need not stand on ceremony."
"Thank you for your hospitality," Shen Yi said as he rose to bid farewell and headed toward the door.
Ah Qing and Xu WanYun followed suit.
Jin Baowen, intending to seize the opportunity to further ingratiate himself with the Zheng family, had just begun to bow when he was dragged out by two Zheng family disciples.
"... "
Once the three were left alone in the room, their expressions turned gloomy.
They noticed that the tea in the cups on the tables had been almost entirely consumed, except for the cup in front of Shen Yi, which remained untouched from start to finish.
"What an ignorant and timid lone cultivator. Does he think we'd poison him? No wonder he's a rogue cultivator," one of the elders coldly huffed.
Second Uncle Zheng slowly stood up and walked over to the table.
He finally lifted his wide sleeves, revealing a strange and ghastly sight.
His palms were formed entirely of gnarled tree roots, barely resembling a hand with five fingers, and one of the fingertips was missing.
He waved his hand over the teacup, and light particles seeped out, gathering in his palm and transforming into deadwood that completed the missing fingertip.
After performing this display, he finally smiled and said, "You've misjudged him. He may seem like the head of the family, but in truth, he's just an empty shell, missing vital organs. He's at most a mid-stage Fusion Realm cultivator. That delicate wife of his, on the other hand, is the true expert, and I suspect she's no weaker than me."
"As long as that woman drank the tea, it's enough," another elder said.
The use of poison as a means of attack was unlikely to be effective against a Fusion Realm master unless one specialized in that area.
After all, most poisons were ineffective against those at the Infant Soul stage.
And a potent poison capable of affecting the Infant Soul stage would be impossible to conceal in a single cup of tea.
Not only was this tea free of poison, but it also contained a heavenly treasure.
It was a genuine... path to direct soul transformation.
Second Uncle Zheng's face, marked with dry, black spots, twitched with restrained excitement. He forcibly suppressed the joy in his heart, and madness surged in his cloudy eyes.
He was not the only one walking the path to soul transformation; the entire Zheng family was on this journey together.
Ascension for the entire clan!
However, they had come to realize that their own efforts were no longer sufficient, and now, by sheer coincidence, this unaffiliated cultivator had stumbled upon them, earning the qualification to join them on their path.
"Keep a close eye on them!"
The hoarse voice sounded like a beast's growl.
Outside the main hall.
Led by a Zheng family disciple, Shen Yi and his companions entered a courtyard.
"If there is anything you require, please do not hesitate to ask," the disciple said politely, bowing and then leaving the courtyard.
"Have you noticed that their attitude towards us has become warmer?" Xu WanYun remarked, sensing the abundant spiritual energy and growing curious about the nature of the tea they had consumed. Even with the Xu family's background, she had never encountered anything similar.
(End of Chapter)
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