Chapter 42: A Cup of tea, An Enlightenment

　　Qin Manyun looked at the Holy Emperor. “Luo Emperor, this is your territory after all. I came here on behalf of my master in hopes that you’ll help us look for the nine-tailed fox. The Linxian Palace would thank you sincerely.”

　　The Holy Emperor was caught off guard!

　　Thank your mom!

　　‘I have not wronged you. Why are you pushing me into the fire pit?’

　　Stealing the nine-tailed fox from the expert? He did not dare to even think about it!

　　“Could you tell me why you’re looking for the nine-tailed fox?” the Holy Emperor could not help asking.

　　After a moment of thought, Qin Manyun said, “Don’t worry, Luo Emperor. We don’t have any ill intent toward the nine-tailed fox nor do we intend on hurting her. The nine-tailed fox is a very rare species. Now that it has transformed into a human, it has a huge potential in becoming an Immortal. We only wish to invite her to join our Linxian Palace. We’re willing to train and support her with all of our resources in hopes that she’ll be able to cultivate immortality.”

　　“Phew…”

　　The Holy Emperor let out a sigh. If Qin Manyun came with ill intentions, he would have asked her to leave right away. He did not even care if that would offend the Linxian Palace! Now that Daji belonged to the expert, the Holy Emperor would not hesitate to make anyone that came with ill intentions the enemy of the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty, even if it was the most powerful man!

　　Right now, the Holy Emperor only wanted to be a loyal dog.

　　Seeing that the Holy Emperor did not speak, Qin Manyun continued, “Luo Emperor, it’s difficult becoming an Immortal. Now that the bridge between mortal and immortal has been broken, no one in our entire Cultivation Realm has managed to become an Immortal for a thousand years. The appearance of this nine-tailed fox is the most important key for us!”

　　Her tone was sincere and eager.

　　“Don’t worry, Miss Qin. I’ll do my best,” the Holy Emperor nodded to agree.

　　‘The bridge between mortal and immortal has been broken? No way! A powerful bigshot is residing in my Ganlong Immortal Dynasty! More amazing than the Immortals!

　　‘And the nine-tailed fox is right by his side. If I told you, would you dare go after it?’ the Holy Emperor was complaining in his heart.

　　Qin Manyun frowned slightly. She felt like the Holy Emperor was acting strange.

　　Why was that? It was a nine-tailed fox. Why did he seem uninterested? Was he refusing to help the Linxian Palace?

　　She continued to persuade him. “Luo Emperor, the Silver Moon Demon King is looking for the nine-tailed fox as well. If they find her first, they might ingest her core. Then, the nine-tailed fox would really go extinct. We have to take fast action.”

　　“Don’t worry, Miss Qin. I’ll make sure that the nine-tailed fox is safe,” the Holy Emperor said with a serious tone.

　　Meanwhile, he was laughing inside his heart. What was there to be afraid of? Li Nianfan would easily crush this Silver Moon Demon King without breaking a sweat!

　　Meanwhile, Zhong Xiu was looking around in the deeper end of the Treasure Vault. She frowned at the empty vault. This was supposed to be where all the elixirs and spiritual herbs were kept. Although she knew that they had given all the best elixirs to Li Nianfan, she still was not used to looking at the empty vault.

　　‘I hope Mr. Li will give us some blessings and turn the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty prosperous,’ Zhong Xiu said in her heart.

　　For a bigshot like him, even a speck of dust from the gap between his fingers would be a great opportunity to all the cultivators.

　　After sighing for a while, she started looking for tea leaves. Linxian Palace was among the top forces and had good relations with the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty. They would have to treat them with the greatest respect.

　　Normally, the Holy Emperor would keep the precious tea leaves here. While Zhong Xiu glanced around, she unintentionally came across a bag that was hidden away in a corner.

　　“Huh? Why have I not seen this before? Could this be new?” Zhong Xiu halted slightly. She picked up the bag to have a look.

　　The bag was not big and it seemed normal. Though the packaging was different from the other ones they had, it seemed rather original.

　　“If Luo Emperor left it here, this must be something extraordinary. I’ll use this to make the tea today, then.”

　　…

　　At the lobby, the Holy Emperor, Qin Manyun, and Luo Shiyu were chatting. Qin Manyun seemed rather absent-minded.

　　Click, click, click—

　　Meanwhile, footsteps were heard. Zhong Xiu walked over to them, carrying a tray with a teapot.

　　The Holy Emperor smiled. “Miss Qin, it’d take more than a day to locate the nine-tailed fox anyway, so there’s no point in hurrying. Let’s have some tea.”

　　Qin Manyun shook her head. “No need. I want to go to the place of the transformation to have a look.”

　　She could tell that the Holy Emperor was not in a hurry, and although tea might be a treasure in the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty, they were not as tempting to her.

　　“Sister Manyun, why don’t you take a sip before you leave? It won’t take up too much time anyway,” Luo Shiyu tried to convince her.

　　The Holy Emperor added on, “That’s right, Miss Qin. Although our Ganlong is nothing like your Linxian, these tea leaves are extraordinary. It’s rarer than a normal elixir!”

　　Qin Manyun could not decline. Her eyes landed on the teapot.

　　Huh?

　　She squinted slightly. The tea appeared different from any tea she had seen in her life. The leaves sank to the bottom without any impurities and the color of the tea was a light shade of brown—clear and calm—looking like refined amber from afar.

　　“The tea…is different!”

　　She was knowledgeable and particular when it came to tea. Although she had tasted all kinds of quality tea before, she was instantly drawn to it when she saw it!

　　A proud smile appeared on the Holy Emperor’s face. His tea collection was indeed extraordinary. Even Qin Manyun was impressed!

　　He raised his cup to examine it. With just a look, he was shocked.

　　Hmph?

　　‘What tea is this? I don’t remember my tea looking like this whenever I serve them to my guests? Where did Zhong Xiu get it from?’ he thought to himself.

　　Meanwhile, Qin Manyun already picked up the cup. The fragrance of the tea made her feel refreshed. Good tea!

　　She took a sip.

　　The bittersweet liquid entered her mouth, wrapping around the tip of her tongue. She could not help letting out a moan of pleasure, gently closing her eyes.

　　She did not swallow the tea and was tasting it in her mouth instead.

　　The taste of the tea became more bitter than it was initially, but her mind became clearer than it was before. Her memories surfaced from within and all the puzzling thoughts and incomprehensible problems she had were resolved instantly.

　　As the tea flowed down her throat, all her troubles vanished. A single tear escaped from the corner of her eye involuntarily. She did not mind it and took another sip.

　　Humm!

　　Suddenly, the Basics of Wisdom resonated in her ears. Her mind went blank and her body relaxed. The Holy Emperor and Luo Shiyu started tasting the tea as well and entered a similar state.

　　It was merely a cup of tea. Yet, it allowed them to enter the enlightenment state!

　　After one whole minute, Qin Manyun gradually opened her eyes, a hint of understanding and emotion in her eyes. When she looked at the cup, it was already empty.

　　What kind of tea was this?

　　Even the best tea leaves in Linxian Palace was nothing in comparison to this! They were definitely not on the same level!

　　That cup of tea was an opportunity for enlightenment. Even though she was in the Yuan Ying stage, it was still very beneficial to her.