Chapter 385 - Testing

Chapter 385: Chapter 354: TestingThe tea house was not large, with a thatched roof and bamboo mats as windows, barely shielding from wind and rain. Seven or eight long tables were placed in the middle, seating more than forty people.

Under the stove, the attendant was focused on burning fire and brewing tea. Beside the counter, the shopkeeper put copper coins into a drawer, picked up a heavy teapot, and with a smiling face served tea and water to the guests, apologizing for the drafty and rainy tea house and its coarse old tea.

A handsome young man in white waved the shopkeeper away, sniffed the warm, slightly acidic old tea, and showed a difficult expression, several times raising the tea bowl but then putting it down again.

He had a treasure sword on his right side and a sachet on his left, wore a white jade belt, and beside him sat a pure and lovely young maiden. Behind him stood a middle-aged man with closed eyes, breathing deeply, clearly a master.

Definitely the setup for a wealthy young master traveling.

The young maiden, seeing his troubled face, asked crisply, "Mr. Su, you have good tea with you, didn’t you drink it yesterday? Why not take it out?"

"Ahem, that’s famous tea bestowed by my elders at home,"

The young man in white lowered his voice in a somewhat embarrassed but boastful tone, "There are too many people here, and taking it out would easily reveal my identity."

"Many people...and prying eyes?"

"Yes, Miss Wang, look,"

The young man continued lowering his voice, "Those few bald men in the southeastern corner, with dragon tattoos on their left arm, are from the Fanhe Gang, dominating the Huainan section of the Jinghang Canal and monopolizing Cao Yun.

Those few men in the southwestern corner, though wearing cloth clothes, sit upright with sharp eyes. They must be either Jinyi Guards or elite soldiers.

And there are monks from Xiangguo Temple, Taoists from Dragon Tiger Mountain, Green Forest heroes, Southern Sea merchants, Hua Mountain swordsmen... all here to celebrate Old Lady Tu’s birthday.

Where there are people, there is a worldly society; where there is a worldly society, there is enmity.

Later when the ferry arrives, sailing to the sea, amidst the vast expanse, someone might seek to repay kindness or exact revenge."

With these words, the atmosphere in the tea house momentarily paused, even the middle-aged master behind the young man in white couldn’t help but open his eyes and shake his head helplessly.

Not this friend, you know this place is full of masters, lowering your voice will fool nobody. Revealing all identities at once is quite awkward.

However, daring to stay carefree in such a mixed environment indirectly proves that this young man with the surname Su must have an astonishing background.

People were already secretly guessing which manor’s young master or which distinguished family’s son he might be.

Swish—

The bamboo curtain lifted, a young man and woman closed their oil-paper umbrella, wrapped in fine rain and cool wind, stepped into the tea house.

The former wore a cyan robe and had a pair of finely crafted Information Integration Glasses perched on his nose.

The latter wore a two-piece ensemble, pink on top and green below.

"Master, there’s an open spot."

Gray Rain, who had dressed up as a maid for the rare outing, said excitedly, drawing curious looks from the room.

Li Cheng helplessly walked over and sat down, lightly tapping Gray Rain’s head.

The term "master" was a remnant of Qing Dynasty slavery, watching palace dramas every day, uninformed, deserved punishment.

’Wow, a room full of strange and talented people.’

Li Cheng casually placed the invitation copper plate on the table, called the shopkeeper for a pot of tea, and while waiting for the tea to arrive, used his Information Integration Glasses to scan everyone in the room, like checking a household registry for their background information.

This world truly had a martial arts backdrop, broadly divided into Postnatal and Innate.

For instance, among the nine Jinyi Guards in the southwestern corner, eight were Postnatal, the leader named Lu Hu, at the Innate Peak, Vice Thousand Households of Jinyi Guard.

The same Innate Peak included a square-faced monk—a Kuyu Monk of Xiangguo Temple,

A young Taoist—Zhang Fulu of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

The most eye-catching young man in white was named Su Konghu, the Young Valley Master of Myriad Miasma Valley, at Innate Initial Stage, while the girl beside him, Wang Biliu, was an ordinary person.

Of all the people, the only one unreadable by the Information Integration Glasses was the middle-aged man behind Su Konghu. They could only identify him as Song Zhong.

Hmm... Song Zhong, Good Name.

Li

observing the people in the room while they also observed him.

Face without sun marks, fingers without calluses, no signs of labor, definitely a wealthy young master. Furthermore, his sitting posture was not upright and his tea-drinking manner was casual, proving he was not from a prominent family, not seeming to have practiced martial arts...

"Excuse me, Sir, my name is Cao Meng, Vice Gang Leader of the Fanhe Gang."

A bald man approached, courteously cupped his hands towards Li Cheng, then took out a thick stack of silver notes from his breast, gently placing them on the table, "This is a thousand taels of silver notes, might I ask if you could part with it?"

"Wow, what they show in TV dramas is real. Truly, being naturally beautiful is a curse of red faces causing trouble."

Before Li Cheng could speak, Gray Rain brightened up and slapped the table, "Go away, go away, my relationship with my master is deep, how could I be bought with money?"

"Uh..."

Cao Meng reluctantly ignored Gray Rain’s misuse of idioms, "I was referring to this invitation copper plate."

Everyone in the room instantly understood Cao Meng’s meaning, glanced at the copper plate and silver notes on the table, waiting to see the amusement.

Historically, the Great Ming Treasure Notes were an idea the Ming Dynasty emperor came up with on a whim, with poor paper quality unable to last long, and only issued without withdrawal, overissued quickly causing inflation, and soon abandoned.

But the current Great Ming emperor, Emperor Yong’an ascended the throne at fifteen, reigning for forty-two years, during which he reformed and innovated, reducing the expenditures of the royal family, established the Navy Department, lifted sea bans, actively participated in overseas trade and colonial activities, opened new trade routes for revenue, reformed the treasury notes system, greatly easing social conflicts.

However, the good national affairs were a bad thing for the Fanhe Gang—the Great Ming originally highly relied on Cao Yun, but now opened sea routes, grain supplies could directly travel from the south to Shuntian via sea.

Cao Yun, and the Fanhe Gang relying on Cao Yun, had been quietly declining.

For Cao Meng, an additional invitation meant an additional chance to see Old Lady Tu at the birthday feast.

Perhaps it could give him the opportunity to climb the giant tree of the Tu family from Southern Sea, finding a lifeline for the Fanhe Gang’s transformation.

Privately, Cao Meng even prepared to surrender himself to Old Lady Tu, hoping she liked a robust bald fellow.

I really want to progress.jpg

"Sorry, not interested, please leave."

Li Cheng politely refused repeatedly, ignoring completely even when Cao Meng raised the money to three thousand taels.

"Honored guest, the tea is here."

The shopkeeper, with somewhat weak voice, walked over with a teapot, everyone in the room either Jinyi Guards or martial arts knights and monks, as an ordinary person he dared not offend anyone.

"I’ll pour the tea, sir, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider giving up the invitation?"

Cao Meng seized the teapot from the shopkeeper’s hand, seeing Li Cheng still refusing, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, left hand gripping the tea bowl, middle finger tip slashed down along the rim in a lightning-fast motion.

Crack.

The porcelain tea bowl split into two halves along the middle, the left half fell on the table, spilling tea water everywhere.

The amber-colored tea water in the remaining right half stayed still like amber despite having only half a bowl.

"Qi storage externally, excellent inner strength."

The Young Valley Master Su Konghu couldn’t help but raise his eyebrow, seeing his female companion’s puzzled look, he explained, "Martial arts realm, from lowest to highest, consists of Muscle Refining, Skin Refining, Veins Refining, Bone Refining, Blood Tempering, Washing Marrow, crossing Washing Marrow is Innate.

Capable of external true qi, able to hurt with fallen leaves and flowers.

Like Gang Leader Cao, with prolonged external true qi, obstructing water flow, general Innate Mid Stage masters cannot achieve."

"Please."

Cao Meng pushed his palm, the tea bowl and its tea water rapidly slid towards Li Cheng.

’If you know martial arts, you would understand our gap. If you don’t know martial arts, this tea bowl will brush your arms side, nailing into the wall. Preventing from offending a distinguished family’s son, creating enmity.’

Cao Meng secretly calculated,

Even discounting inner cultivation methods, external true qi, etc., his physical stats already exceeded Captain America, kicking over cars, pulling helicopters, winning Olympic golds without looking.

But alas, facing the flying half tea bowl, Li Cheng calmly reached out his hand and caught it firmly.

Then, to everyone’s shocked and bewildered gaze, his right hand showed vacuum suction, drawing the half bowl of tea water like a dragon sucking water, into his palm, disappearing.

Wang Biliu couldn’t help asking, "Mr. Su, what martial art is this..."

"Don’t ask, I’ve never seen it either."

Su Konghu scratched his head, glanced at his guard behind him. Song Zhong slightly frowned, remained silent, secretly murmuring, "Absorption Star Great Method? Beiming Divine Skill? Not quite, never heard any internal skill could directly absorb water into the palm, not a sponge."

"Good tea."

Secretly used Gravity Energy Ball to absorb the water flow, conveniently storing it into Backpack, Li Cheng smiled slightly, "Civility without reciprocity, Gang Leader Cao, let me also offer you a drink."

With that, he formed a handgun gesture with one hand, sharply activating .

From his fingertip, like a fire hydrant spouting water, burst a pitch-black torrent with chilling ominous aura, splashing all over Cao