Chapter 3285: Special Tea

Special Tea

Hui Can did not question the old man’s words at all. They were in the Heavens Sect. No one could enter the courtyard without permission. "In that case, Senior Brother, take your time and enjoy your conversation."

Tuo Lin gave a nod, and just as Hui Can was leaving the courtyard, he called out, "Junior Brother, take the books with you. You can’t waste a single moment. Read more, and read well."

Hui Can chuckled awkwardly. "I understand, Senior Brother."

Once Hui Can was gone, Tuo Lin stepped out from the piles of books. He looked a bit embarrassed. "Apologies, Senior, but I don’t have anywhere you can sit."

Sage Yajna waved a hand. "There’s no need. Child, do you remember me?"

Tuo Lin carefully observed Sage Yajna. "You look familiar. I think that we’ve met before. What brings you here, Senior?"

Sage Yajna’s expression turned solemn, though a hint of awkwardness could also be seen. "The megaverse- the megaverse is in crisis. It’s time for you to step onto the path of becoming a savior."

Tuo Lin’s eyes grew large with excitement. "Is it finally my turn?"

Seeing the eagerness in Tuo Lin’s eyes, Sage Yajna’s awkwardness vanished. The child had become a recluse due to his innate condition rendering him unable to cultivate. This had resulted in him developing an unusual obsession with cultivation. He had even been convinced by Lu Yin and truly believed himself to be a savior.

Tuo Lin wholeheartedly believed something that others would not have considered even in their teens.

It was not even that the man truly believed what he had been told, but rather that he

had

to believe it. He treated Lu Yin as a role model. Believing in Lu Yin meant believing in himself as the savior.

The higher Lu Yin climbed, the more firmly Tuo Lin believed it.

Already, his belief bordered on insanity.

Seeing what had become of Tuo Lin made Sage Yajna’s heart ache.

He felt guiltily as he looked at Tuo Lin. "I’m your ancestor. I’m sorry, child. Your ancestor sincerely apologizes to you."

Tuo Lin looked at Sage Yajna with confusion, but also with a great deal of anticipation. "Senior, where’s my master? Why isn’t he here? How do I become a savior? I’ve read so many books. Really, so many..."

He spread his arms as if to explain himself, yet he failed to fully express what he meant.

Any random cultivator could read all of the book in the entire courtyard, but Tuo Lin could not.

He was just an ordinary human. Completely and totally ordinary.

Sage Yajna gently placed his hand on Tuo Lin’s head, the old man’s heart aching. He had always believed that, as long as his descendants could inherit the family legacy, the day would eventually come when they could cultivate again. However, Sage Yajna had overlooked what his descendants needed to endure throughout this process. Tuo Lin, his father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather—generation after generation—had waited with hope, only to see their hope destroyed. That was the hardest part to endure.

If they had not known anything about the world of cultivation, things would have been fine. Instead, they had all lived within that world and been shown respect by peak powerhouses, despite being unable to cultivate themselves. This pain that they had suffered—Sage Yajna could feel it from Tuo Lin’s near-insanity.

"Your ancestor is sorry to all of you.

"However, child, you can leave it now. Your ancestor will make things right." Sage Yajna looked at Tuo Lin with pity, patted his head, and then turned to leave.

"Senior, where are you going? What about me? What should I do?" Tuo Lin asked, terribly confused.

Without turning around, Sage Yajna waved a hand. "I’m going to discuss the matter of you becoming the savior with your master."

Tuo Lin’s excitement returned. "Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Master!"

Outside the courtyard, Hui Can found the exchange quite strange.

Savior? Did Master ask this old man to come here to put on a show? The look in his eyes, his demeanor, it was all completely perfect. It looked as if he really is responsible for Senior Brother’s inability to cultivate. What talent!

On the mountain behind the Heavens Sect, Sage Yajna met with Lu Yin.

Lu Yin was sitting at a stone table, and he looked up when Sage Yajna arrived. "Senior, please have a seat."

Sage Yajna sat down across from Lu Yin. The old man’s eyes involuntarily drifted back towards the courtyard below, where Tuo Lin resided. "Thank you, Lord Lu, for taking care of that child."

"He's my disciple. It’s not a question of whether or not I’ll take care of him."

"I’ve also seen how your other disciple treats Tuo Lin. Thank you, Lord Lu," Sage Yajna said. He stood up and offered a deep bow to Lu Yin.

Lu Yin did nothing to stop the older man. There was a tremendous difference in their ages, but the world of cultivators did not care about age. Acknowledging another’s respect was giving face, while disregarding it would have been considered normal. Lu Yin's current status and how he had treated Tuo Lin fully entitled him to receive such an excessive gesture from Sage Yajna.

Lu Yin motioned once more for the Sage to have a seat.

Sage Yajna sat back down and let out a heavy sigh. "I’m the one who wronged them. A legacy is more than just a cold, lifeless text. Every one of my descendants has been a person of flesh and blood with their own hopes. In the end, those hopes transformed into despair."

Lu Yin glanced down at Tuo Lin’s courtyard. "It’s true that a legacy is the continuation of a race. In such a continuity, where does each person, both ancestors and descendants, ever really care about others? Ultimately, each simply lives their own lives."

"Thankfully, this is now over. Rather, perhaps for Tuo Lin and the rest, this is a new beginning," Sage Yajna said, his voice heavy with emotion.

Lu Yin grew curious. "Is that because of the Great Sovereign?"

Sage Yajna's expression grew conflicted. "For the Great Sovereign to overcome Dukkha, she needed to defeat True God. The way for her to accomplish that was with her Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm. I was subjected to the Great Sovereign's trials through her Reversal Cycle. Over the years, everything, including cultivation, innate gifts, and even our family’s bloodline inheritance, was stripped away by her Reversal Cycle. That’s what caused my descendants to be unable to cultivate.

"Now that the Great Sovereign has passed away, her Reversal Cycle that bound me has dissipated, and I am also free." At this point, the old man gave Lu Yin a solemn look. "Lord Lu, by using my bloodline, I can allow Tuo Lin to step onto the path of cultivation."

The old man stood back up yet again and bowed a second time. "Tuo Lin will surely live up to your expectations, Lord Lu, and carry your legacy onwards. I humbly ask you to guide him. I, Sage Yajna, kneel to show my thanks."

Sage Yajna did not kneel simply to ask Lu Yin to guide Tuo Lin, but also as a gesture of atonement to his own descendants. In Tuo Lin, the old man saw the despair that his other descendants had suffered through. In order to ensure that his bloodline continued on, Sage Yajna had sacrificed all who had lived and died up until the current generation. Guilt led him to seek repentance in such a manner.

This time, Lu Yin did stop the old man. "Senior, they were born because of you. There's no need for this.

"Cultivation is done by choice. Even without being offered that choice, your descendants all lived lives that were far beyond those of ordinary humans. You did not wrong them; the gift of life surpasses all.

"As for Tuo Lin, he’s my disciple. I understand how to guide him. If you can help him, then consider it me owing you a favor on behalf of my disciple."

Sage Yajna showed a bitter smile. "With a favor from Lord Lu, there is nowhere in the vast megaverse that I cannot go. Thank you, Lord Lu."

Zhao Ran arrived from the distance, delivering tea that she set on the stone table. She gave Lu Yin and Sage Yajna expectant looks. She had prepared a new blend of tea for them.

Lu Yin looked at the tea and complimented the girl. "Zhao Ran, your efforts are getting better and better."

Zhao Ran beamed. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Sage Yajna glanced at the tea that had been placed in front of him, and then at Zhao Ran before finally looking at Lu Yin in confusion.

Lu Yin motioned for the man to taste the tea. "Go ahead, try it. Zhao Ran’s tea tastes wonderful. Don’t be concerned by its appearance—it’s actually improved greatly. In the past, her teas looked like they would kill you. Even Ancestor Lu Yuan hesitated to touch them, haha."

Sage Yajna was taken aback, and he looked at Zhao Ran again. This time, his expression was stranger than before.

Zhao Ran stared at the old man with open anticipation.

Sage Yajna stared back at her, seemingly deep in thought.

Lu Yin was puzzled by the reaction. "Senior, what’s the matter?"

Just as Sage Yajna was about to reply, Lu Yin's expression changed. "Zhao Ran, could you please brew two more cups of this tea? It’s really delicious."

"Really, Your Highness? I’ll get right on it!" Zhao Ran happily skipped away while humming to herself.

Sage Yajna looked like he wanted to say something, but someone stepped forward.

Lu Yin rose to his feet. "Master, what’s going on?"

Upon seeing who had arrived, Sage Yajna shot to his feet and bowed low. "This junior greets Mister Mu."

It was no surprise that the Sage recognized Mister Mu. Sage Yajna had followed the Great Sovereign for many years, and he was even older than Sovereign Dou Sheng. He had met many ancient powerhouses, not just Mister Mu. It was highly likely that Sage Yajna had met the Three Realms and Six Daos in the past, such as Chu Yi. He might have even visited the ancient Heavens Sect and met the Origin Progenitor himself.

Mister Mu looked at Sage Yajna. "It all starts and ends with a cup of tea."

Sage Yajna’s body trembled as he stared at Mister Mu in shock. "Senior, how do you know those words?"

Lu Yin was terribly confused, but he refrained from saying anything.

Mister Mu asked, "Where did you hear them?"

Sage Yajna shook his head, clearly confused. "I don’t know. I don’t know when, but those words have been stuck in my mind, unable to leave. I asked the Great Sovereign about it, but not even she could answer me."

Mister Mu asked, "Throughout your life, what was the most unique tea you’ve ever had?"

Sage Yajna instinctively looked at the tea on the stone table. "It was similar to this."

Lu Yin’s expression changed.

Zhao Ran? Right!

He suddenly remembered! Once, when Lu Yin had visited the Cyclic Universe and spoken to Sage Yajna, the old man had mentioned that he had once enjoyed a tea that had left a lasting impression, but he had never been able to replicate it. Could it have been Zhao Ran’s tea?

Mister Mu clasped his hands behind his back. "It wasn’t quite the same, but they were prepared by the same person."

"Destiny," Lu Yin interjected.

"No, Wei Nu," Sage Yajna corrected.

Lu Yin was startled. "Wei Nu?"

Sage Yajna nodded. "The tea that I mentioned to you, I drank it when I accompanied the Great Sovereign. Wei Nu was the one who brewed it for us."

Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed. Zhao Ran clearly had a connection to Destiny, yet Sage Yajna had enjoyed tea brewed by Wei Nu. Wei Nu and Destiny; the two really were linked and inseparable.

"Master, just what is going on?" Lu Yin asked.

Mister Mu's expression turned serious. "There are only two people who know the truth about this, neither of whom are Tai Chu or Tai Hong. It all starts and ends with a cup of tea. The time has finally come.

"I think it's best if someone else helps explain this." As Mister Mu finished speaking, the space beside him warped, and a figure stepped out.

Lu Yin was completely shocked by who appeared. "Destina?"

It really was none other than Destina, whom Lu Yin had seen transform into a thread of Destiny during her stellular tribulation. Destina should not have been able to appear here. She had tried to defy Destiny and had suffered a tragic fate for it.

Destina looked the same as ever, a stunningly beautiful young girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old. No one would recognize her as Destiny’s heir and one of the gatekeepers of the Twelve Heavenly Gates.

Destina smiled at Lu Yin. "Dao Monarch, it’s been a while."

Lu Yin had experienced countless storms and struggles to reach his current position, but he could have never anticipated Destina's appearance. Even more surprising was her apparent association with Mister Mu.

"I’ll explain everything, Dao Monarch. All of this was orchestrated by my master from the beginning, so please don’t blame me," Destina said with a smile. She looked pleased to see Lu Yin so surprised.

In the past, Lu Yin had been quite harsh in suppressing Destina, though his attitude mostly stemmed from his wariness of her master.

"Before we go any further, one thing needs to be clarified: Wei Nu is Wei Nu, and Destiny is Destiny. They are not the same person. Dao Monarch, only by understanding this can we understand the truth," Destina stated somberly.

Sage Yajna spoke up, "Lord Lu, since all of you have matters to discuss, I’ll take my leave."

Mister Mu replied, "There’s no need for that. You are also a part of this, and you have the right to know the truth."

Sage Yajna shook his head. "Senior, I have no desire to know. At this time, I just want to spend time with Tuo Lin."

Mister Mu remained silent.