Chapter Twelve: Breakthroughs One After Another

Dao Sansheng was utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend a word the fat man was saying, and looked at him in confusion.

“Brother, Brother, Xue’er has brought morning tea for you both!”

Xue’er entered, wearing a pink gauze robe; her voice arrived before she did.

When the fat man heard Xue’er’s voice, he turned and dashed back into the house.

Dao Sansheng, who was bathing in the pool, looked at his own bare body. He’d been meditating clothed the night before and had no idea how he’d ended up undressed by morning. If that dream had been real, his clothes must have burned up.

Thinking of this, he called out to the fat man, “Fetch me some clothes, will you? They’re in the bundle at my bedside.”

The fat man grinned and stuck out his tongue. “I’m off to my own room. I’ll wait for Sister Xue’er to bring tea—surely it’ll be delicious. You’ll have to get your clothes yourself!”

As Dao Sansheng stood and stepped onto the bank, a graceful figure approached—pink gauze, long hair cascading to her shoulders, a black tray in her hand bearing two lidded teacups.

With a start, Dao Sansheng dove back into the water. The pool was shallow, its waters clear as crystal—thankfully, he’d just washed off the last of the grime, so though the water was slightly cloudy, it was just enough to obscure him.

Hearing a splash, Xue’er turned to see a figure diving into the pool. Curious, she peered into the water’s depths.

There she saw a man, stark naked, submerged beneath the surface. Judging by his build, it had to be Dao Sansheng, the one who’d come for the matchmaker’s meeting yesterday. Her father had told her his name; it sounded lovely, and seeing him here, in such a scene, only deepened her curiosity about this mysterious guest.

“What are you doing under the water? I’m talking to you! Brother, I’m waiting for you on the shore.”

Dao Sansheng surfaced, clinging to a large rock by the shore. Drops of water beaded in his hair and trickled down his face, splashing onto the rock.

“I was in such a hurry to bathe, I forgot my clothes. Could you help me fetch something to wear, Sister?” Dao Sansheng pleaded, helpless.

“You want clothes, don’t you, brother? Well, how do you like the robe I’m wearing?” Xue’er teased, slipping off her pink gauze robe and holding it in her hands.

“It’s still warm from me, so it must be comfortable for you, little brother,” she giggled.

“Look! There’s a big bird in the sky!” Dao Sansheng cried in desperation.

“Where? Where?” Xue’er lifted her head, searching the sky for the bird.

Seizing the moment, Dao Sansheng snatched the gauze robe from her hands, threw it over himself, and sprinted for the house—gone in a flash.

As the robe was whisked from her grasp, Xue’er instantly understood what had happened. “That rascal, he’s too much!” she laughed, tugging at her own collar. With her robe gone, her shoulders felt a little cold, her chest oddly chilly—she wasn’t used to it.

Dao Sansheng hurried back to his room, opened his bundle, and was relieved to find his clothes unharmed. He quickly dressed in his newly purchased garments: a white silk brocade robe, black boots, and a silver belt. He looked the very picture of elegance, radiating vitality and poise.

From outside came Xue’er’s voice: “Brother, you ran so fast I couldn’t catch you! Did you like my robe so much that you couldn’t wait to snatch it? Don’t worry, I won’t ask for it back.”

Dao Sansheng hastily tucked away his hair tie, hid the pink robe behind his back, nervously balling it up.

“There’s no use hiding it, I saw everything. Now, drink your tea, brother,” Xue’er said, handing him a teacup. Dao Sansheng took it with one hand, but with the lid tightly shut, he had to release what he was holding to use both hands and open it.

As soon as the lid came off, an intoxicating aroma wafted out. Dao Sansheng couldn’t help but close his eyes and take a deep breath. Never since coming to this place had he tasted such fragrant tea.

He took a sip; the flavor lingered on his tongue, its fragrance enduring—a truly excellent tea, the finest he’d ever had. Dao Sansheng couldn’t help but praise it.

Opening his eyes, he noticed something white in the cup—something that looked like a worm, or perhaps a tiny sausage, or something else he dared not imagine. Dao Sansheng felt queasy, but was too embarrassed to spit it out.

In a trembling voice, he asked, “Sister, what kind of tea is this? Why does it look so strange? I feel a little dizzy…” His wavering tone made Xue’er burst out laughing.

But she quickly composed herself and explained seriously, “That little worm is a spiritual creature called the Millennium Tea Sprite. It lives on thousand-year-old tea trees and is a rare spirit beast. Don’t be fooled by its small size; it’s born with the tree and, every thousand years, expels the essence it has absorbed in one instant. If you miss that moment, it’s gone forever.

“I got up early this morning to watch these two little creatures. When they expelled the tea essence, I caught them as quick as lightning. But it’s my first time—I didn’t know what to do, so I just tossed them in whole. Boo hoo… It’s all my fault, all my fault.”

Dao Sansheng didn’t know what to say and could only try to comfort the weeping Xue’er—though in the next moment, she was laughing again so hard her shoulders shook, catching him completely off guard.

Is she making all this up? Dao Sansheng wondered to himself.

“Fatty next door still hasn’t tasted tea made by my own hands. Xue’er, take some to him, but make sure he drinks it blindfolded—that’s his favorite way.”

“Then, Brother Sansheng, I’ll go now,” Xue’er said, and Dao Sansheng laughed until his stomach ached. “That damned fatty, wouldn’t fetch me clothes—just wait until I get my revenge!”

Fatty was singing in his room:

“Don’t look at my size, don’t look at my size,
My ambition soars so high,
No matter what waves block my way,
I’ll be the one to ride them by…”

Xue’er heard his singing from afar, entered, set down the tray, and began to clap enthusiastically.

“You’re wonderful, brother! Your singing is wonderful! I brought tea for you—I hope you’ll like it,” she cheered.

Seeing Xue’er so delighted, Fatty straightened his back and cleared his throat. “Of course I can sing. I’m handsome, elegant, and dashing—Xue’er, you understand me best!” He gestured grandly to prove his worth.

He reached for the teacup, but Xue’er slapped his hand away. Fatty looked at her, expecting an explanation.

“This tea must be drunk blindfolded. Drink it all, leaves and all, not a drop wasted. Let me tie the blindfold for you,” Xue’er said.

She blindfolded him, handed him the cup, removed the lid, and said, “Now you can drink, brother.”

Fatty downed it in one gulp, but not without difficulty—the cup slipped from his grasp, and something seemed to lodge in his throat. Thankfully, he inhaled sharply, and the obstruction was sucked down.

“Xue’er, what did you put in this tea? I almost choked on it—” he began, but before he could finish, Fatty sat cross-legged, forming hand seals in a smooth, practiced sequence.

The tea sprite inside him vanished, transforming into a stream of white liquid that flowed through his meridians, clearing blockages and circulating in a perfect cycle.

The white energy surged through his channels, completing several cycles. Then, stabilized, it rushed into another meridian, clearing another blockage just as swiftly, without a moment’s pause.

A third, then a fourth channel—it wasn’t until the energy had stabilized in his body that the power was spent, leaving not a trace behind.