The sun began to rise, its golden light shining through the window, gently illuminating the room. The warmth of the morning sun touched Ming Ze's face, stirring him from his sleep.
"Yawn…" Ming Ze stretched his tired body as he slowly sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes. His limbs felt stiff from last night's work, but as he thought about the number of guests he had served, a small chuckle escaped his lips.
It had been nearly a month since his life changed,since the day he met Boss Yuan.
Ever since that day, rumors spread among the outer disciples about how the inner sect disciples who had visited his humble restaurant had left satisfied and heard them praising his food. Naturally, the outer disciples became curious and so they came to try the food from him.
At first, they came just to see what the senior inner disciples had eaten. But once they tasted it themselves, they kept coming back.
And thanks to Boss Yuan, he was able to buy more meat than usual, allowing him to serve even more customers. However, while the food was popular, not all cultivators relied on meals,many preferred nutrition pills or fasting pills, making traditional food less essential to some.
But surprisingly… food was no longer the most important thing in his restaurant.
It was tea.
Whenever outer disciples asked what the inner sect disciples enjoyed most, Ming Ze always gave the same answer,spiritual tea.
A few wealthy outer disciples had decided to try it out, and once they experienced its effects, word spread like wildfire.
And just like that, his business flourished.
In just one month, Ming Ze had become one of the top 50 richest outer disciples in the entire sect branch.
But… there was one problem.
Despite his newfound wealth, he realized something troubling,he hadn't bought a single cultivation pill this entire time.
Between managing supplies, restocking food, purchasing spiritual tea leaves, and gathering the necessary spiritual herbs, he had neither the time nor the money to invest in his own cultivation.
For now… he would have to wait.
But the more Ming Ze thought about his restaurant, the wider his smile grew. Out of pure happiness, he began to hum a cheerful tune as he went about his morning routine.
Since he was still the only person managing the restaurant, there was no time to waste.
Grabbing a broom, he swept every corner of the room, making sure not a single speck of dust remained. Once satisfied, he took out a mop and began scrubbing the wooden floor, ensuring everything was spotless.
After that, he checked his food stock and the few spiritual tea plants he had been growing. Carefully inspecting each item, he went through his usual preparations, making sure everything was in order before opening.
Although the number of guests had slightly decreased compared to the first two weeks, there were still regular customers who arrived early. Being ready from the start of the day was essential.
"Hehehe…"
A soft chuckle escaped Ming Ze's lips as he finished his preparations ahead of schedule.
With thirty minutes left before opening time, he decided to enjoy a small break.
He filled a pot with water, then he set it to boil. Once it was ready boiling, he carefully mixed the herbs with the water and after finishing the spiritual tea he poured himself a cup of spiritual tea.
Holding the cup in his hands, Ming Ze took a slow, careful sip.
The moment the warm liquid touched his tongue, his mind sharpened, his thoughts became clearer, and a sense of relaxation spread through his body.
His muscles loosened slightly, and for a brief moment, he simply closed his eyes, savoring the aroma of the tea and the peaceful atmosphere.
"Cough."
In the seemingly peaceful atmosphere of Ming Ze's tea shop, a faint cough echoed through the room.
He heard it, but chose to ignore it.
"Cough, cough!"
This time, the coughing was louder, more persistent.
Even so, Ming Ze paid it no mind, simply taking another sip of his spiritual tea.
As the warmth of the tea spread through his body, he finally opened his eyes and froze.
A figure stood before him.
Shoulder length black hair, deep black azure eyes, and a green robe.
For a moment, Ming Ze's mind blanked.
Then, instinctively, he rubbed his eyes, trying to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
But no matter how many times he blinked the young man remained standing there.
A cold shudder ran down his spine.
Sweat began to seep from every pore of his body.
His hands trembled.
His muscles stiffened.
Because in that instant,he remembered exactly who this person was!
Without hesitation, Ming Ze shot up from his chair, his movements stiff and rushed.
Then, bending at a perfect ninety degree angle, he bowed deeply and saluted to the young man.
"G-Greetings, Boss Yuan!This ignorant one could not believe that Boss Yuan has already returned to the sect!This Ming would like to invite Boss Yuan for a special tea, made from the best spiritual tea leaves I currently have!Please, take a seat,I will prepare it immediately!"
Without waiting for a response, Ming Ze bolted toward the kitchen, his mind in a frenzy.
Meanwhile, Yuan let out a quiet chuckle, clearly amused by the reaction.
Unbeknownst to Ming Ze, Yuan had been watching him the entire time.
He had followed him silently hiding in his shadow, his movements were concealed thanks to his superior cultivation and the growing mastery of the Howling Gale Steps technique.
Ming Ze hadn't even noticed his presence.
And now…
Watching the flustered man rush around in a panic,Yuan couldn't help but find it quite entertaining.
But Yuan simply sat down on the wooden chair,the very spot across from Ming Ze's usual seat.
As he waited, he began to think about Ming Ze's situation.
From what he had observed, Ming Ze barely had time to cultivate as he didn't make any progress in his cultivation.
Instead, as he sees it,he had poured all his efforts into growing his business.
And it had indeed paid off.
The restaurant had improved significantly since the first time Yuan had visited with Li Yun.
Back then, the food stocks were much lesser.
But now?
Ming Ze had an entire room filled with ingredients,a clear sign of how much his business had flourished.
Even more impressive was the small indoor plantation of spiritual tea leaves.
For a normal outer disciple, growing spiritual tea was a costly investment.
Which meant that Ming Ze must have earned quite a sum in just one month.
It was an achievement worth noting.
As Yuan pondered this, only three minutes passed before Ming Ze returned, carrying a tea canister and a wooden cup.
With precise movements, he placed the wooden cup before Yuan,his actions graceful and practiced.
Then, with fluid expertise, he began to pour the tea in slow, elegant circles.
Yuan silently watched the performance.
There was no doubt,when it came to the art of presenting tea, Ming Ze is a true master.
A small nod of satisfaction formed on Yuan's face.
With the cup now full, Yuan gently lifted it, bringing it closer to his nose.
A soft, fragrant aroma rose from the tea, carrying the freshness of spring itself.
It was light yet invigorating, like the scent of morning dew on delicate flower petals.
There was a subtle hint of earthiness, reminiscent of trees standing tall in a misty valley.
A faint, almost sweet undertone lingered, like the first bloom of peach blossoms carried by the wind.
Yuan closed his eyes briefly, enjoying the soothing fragrance that filled his senses.
His expectations for the tea rose even higher.
Without hesitation, he took a small sip, allowing the warm liquid to coat his tongue.
Now, he would truly judge its taste and, most importantly, its effects.
This spiritual tea had an excellent taste and could be sold at a high price if better spiritual herbs were used.
Even with lower grade spiritual herbs, it already had a subtle but noticeable effect.
If he were to train a technique right now, he could clearly grasp it more efficiently, as the tea enhanced focus and concentration,a very useful trait.
However, for Yuan, the effect was limited.
His cultivation stage had already surpassed the point where this tea could offer much benefit.
But for someone below 5% in the Blood Purification Stage, this tea would be invaluable, especially for learning sword techniques or other combat arts.
With that thought, Yuan was satisfied.
He had expected far less, but Ming Ze was undeniably talented.
It was a pity that the Howling Wind Sect didn't invest much in alchemists, only prioritizing the powerfull cultivators.
If Ming Ze had been given proper resources, he might have had the potential to become a Master or even a Grandmaster Alchemist in the future.
But, in the end, the sect simply didn't care about such talents.
With a nod of approval, Yuan turned to Ming Ze and spoke
"Good tea, Ming Ze. This tea can enhance focus for cultivators up to 5% in the Blood Purification Stage,that alone exceeds my expectations."
A small smile tugged at his lips as he added,
"You've earned yourself a reward for this tea. Sit, enjoy the moment."
With that, Yuan gestured for Ming Ze to sit.
Ming Ze's eyes sparkled, his body trembling slightly with excitement.
He quickly took a seat, grabbing the spiritual tea he had prepared for himself before Yuan's arrival.
Taking a small sip, he let out a bright, satisfied smile.
Yuan watched as Ming Ze's face lit up with pure joy at the mention of a reward.
A small smirk formed on Yuans lips.
This was exactly what he had intended.
A well placed reward was the perfect way to slowly bind Ming Ze's to him,slowly but surely, making him rely only on Yuan and so becoming loyal to him.
"Humans Greed is truly as high as the Heavens themself"
With this though Yuan already knew what to do next.
He leaned forward slightly, his tone calm yet authoritative.
"Ming Ze, I can see that you haven't made much progress in your cultivation. But you should be reaching the end of the Mortal Awakening Stage slowly."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"You need to reach the Blood Purification Stage soon."
Then, with an air of nonchalance, Yuan continued,
"And since you've crafted such excellent tea, I shall not reward you poorly… and so i will reward you with three hundred merit coins."
Three hundred merit coins.
Ming Ze froze.
His mind went blank for a moment.
Three hundred merit coins?!
In just one month, he had barely managed to earn two hundred merit coins and most of that had already been spent restocking food and spiritual herbs.
But now…
He had just received the same amount and more simply as a small reward?!
He felt like he was dreaming.
Ming Ze's rank among the wealthiest outer disciples had instantly soared,rising from the upper top 50 to the high top 30.
This was a massive leap in terms of wealth!
His breathing quickened, his heart pounded.
This was insane!
How could someone just hand over such an absurd amount of merit coins without hesitation?!
While Ming Ze's wealth soared, Yuan's shrank. He had made 600 merit coins in a day,only to give away half, gaining nothing in cultivation.
Still, this was a necessary sacrifice,an investment for the future.
And Yuan wasn't bothered by it at all.
He had already forgotten about the wealth he lost.
Instead, he focused his gaze back on Ming Ze, his expression calm yet expectant.
A small smile played on his lips as he asked,
"So, what have you learned in these past months?"
His voice was steady, but there was a deeper meaning behind the question.
"Tell me everything.In detail."