White tea legend

Chapter 272 The Return of the Tea God
The dim light at dawn shone through the window screen, illuminating Lu Yu's desk in patches.

Piles of papers piled up like small mountains, and each piece of paper was densely recorded with his lifelong pursuit and understanding of tea.

With trembling hands, he picked up the pen and wrote the word "finished manuscript" on the last page. That was the final chapter of "The Classic of Tea", which he had spent his entire life on.

Lu Yu took a deep breath, tears overflowed from the corners of his eyes, and the tears slowly slid down along the ravine-like wrinkles, wetting the wrinkled collar of his robe.

He looked out the window and seemed to see his younger self wandering through the lush green tea gardens, exchanging ideas with tea farmers and studying the growth, picking and production of tea.

At that time, he was filled with endless curiosity and love for tea, and vowed to turn this feeling into words and pass it on to future generations.

But at this moment, when all the knowledge and emotions had condensed into words filled with the fragrance of ink, Lu Yu felt a deep loneliness.

His entire life was dedicated to tea - that initial passion eventually became his only companion.

He has no relatives or children around him. Lu Yu's state of mind is like a cup of indifferent tea, clear but lonely.

He stood up and walked to the courtyard, looking at the tea trees he had planted when he was young. They were still lush and green, but there was no one else to share them with. Lu Yu gently stroked the leaves of the tea trees, as if saying goodbye to an old friend.

Back in the room, Lu Yu took out a small bag of tea that he had treasured for many years. It was his most proud work, the culmination of decades of tea-making skills. He carefully put the tea leaves into the pot, lifted the pot and poured water, and the water was calm. The fragrance of tea gradually spread, like a clear stream, penetrating his lonely heart.

Lu Yu picked up the teacup, his hands trembling slightly. He wept softly into the tea in the cup: "My life has been devoted to this path. However, the road of tea is long and it is hard to find a true friend. The only thing I care about is tea."

In the tranquility of dawn, Lu Yu drank the cup of tea that belonged to him.

He felt his body gradually lighten, and his mind became extremely peaceful. At the moment he closed his eyes, he had no regrets in his heart, only gratitude, gratitude for being able to accompany tea in this life, and gratitude to all the people who had shared this hobby with him.

At sunrise, sunlight filled the room and shone on Lu Yu's peaceful body.

There was a faint smile on his weathered face, as if in a dream, he had flown to the tea forest he had longed for.

In his hand, he still tightly grasped the empty teacup, as if afraid that others didn't know that he was an old man who had dedicated his whole life to tea.

As the dawn broke, Lu Yu felt the end of his life. He held the final draft of The Classic of Tea in his hands, and through his tearful eyes, he could see his heart in the words. He spent his whole life in the art of tea, lonely but tenacious, with no one to share his company, only tea. Finally, with a sigh, he closed his eyes that were clear about the world, and passed away peacefully.

When the nearby tea farmers heard that Lu Yu had passed away, they spontaneously prepared a funeral for him.

Although they were poor, they were grateful because Lu Yu's "The Classic of Tea" made their tea business more prosperous. The news spread throughout the area, and countless tea farmers put down their work and came from all directions to see him off. The funeral procession was so huge that it meandered through the quiet country roads, and it seemed that even the sky was dimmed.

The moment Lu Yu's soul left his body, the Black and White Impermanence quietly appeared, trying to lure his soul into the underworld. Suddenly, a golden light appeared in the sky, holy and warm. The Black and White Impermanence was blocked by the light and hesitated for a step.

At this moment, Lu Yu's soul seemed to be lifted up by a gentle force and slowly rose to the sky. In the golden light, there seemed to be a sound of nature, welcoming this wise man who dedicated his life to the study of tea. In the end, Lu Yu's soul turned into a wisp of light smoke, dissipated in the morning glow, and rose into the endless sky.

Lu Yu's soul slowly rose in the golden light until it entered the eternal and quiet heaven.

In the heaven, clouds and mists lingered, immortal music lingered, and the gods lined up to pay homage. With the arrival of Lu Yu's soul, a great immortal music rose in the heaven, as if heralding the return of a new god.

Under the gaze of the gods, Lu Yu's soul gradually became brighter, and his figure became clearer in the fairy air, and finally turned into a majestic god. His eyes were gentle and firm, as if he could see through everything in the world. In his hand, he held the "Tea Classic" that he had spent so much effort on, and the book shone brighter than the stars in the heaven.

The Lord of Heaven personally issued an edict, conferring upon Lu Yu the title of "Tea God", in charge of tea affairs in the world and benefiting the world. Immediately, the Lord of Heaven waved his sleeves, and a magnificent temple appeared in the heavens - the Tea God Palace. This palace is deep and quiet, with tea trees planted everywhere, the tea leaves are emerald green, and the fragrance of tea is overflowing, as if entering a fairyland.

When Lu Yu returned to his position, the gods gathered around him, and the sky was full of auspiciousness. The whole heaven was immersed in joy and peace, celebrating the arrival of the patron saint of tea.

For several days in a row, the Tea God Palace was bustling with people and hundreds of immortals came to visit.

They brought fine wines and delicacies to congratulate Lu Yu on his ascension to heaven. Banquets were held in the palace for days, and guests were everywhere. The gods sat around drinking tea, telling interesting stories from the world, and sharing their unique insights on tea. Inside and outside the Tea God Palace, laughter and joy could be heard everywhere, making it a prosperous place in heaven.

As lively as the Tea God Palace is, Baicao Garden is as deserted.

The fairy in black sat alone under the paulownia tree, accompanied only by a parrot and a fairy maiden.

The black-robed fairy said to the parrot quietly, "It's so noisy outside, I wonder which fairy has ascended to heaven."

The parrot pecked at the fairy fruit and responded cleverly: "I'll go and have a look..."

As he spoke, he flapped his wings and flew out of Baicao Garden.

The bustle outside did make the Baicao Garden seem even more deserted. The fairy stroked the grass, looked at the fairy's lonely face, and said softly: "But this is also common sense. Everything in the world has life and death, gathering and separation, and there is excitement and silence."

The black-clothed fairy smiled slightly, and although she looked a little lonely, her tone was open-minded: "That's true. Moreover, being lively or deserted is nothing more than a state of mind. If your heart is not moved, what can the wind do to you?"

The black parrot flew to the Tea God Palace, wanting to see which deity had ascended to heaven, but unexpectedly it was Lu Yu.

This surprise was no small matter.

The cockatiel flapped its wings hastily, flew out of the Tea Palace, and flew towards the familiar Baicao Garden. His heart was filled with excitement and anxiety, because he had to tell the White Tea Fairy a big news - Lu Yu had ascended to heaven.

In the midst of the turbulent wind and clouds, the black wind parrot did not notice the figures of the two heavenly generals, Shen Tu and Yu Lei, in front of it. They had just returned from the lower world, wearing armor and walking through the clouds with tired and heavy steps. The black wind parrot suddenly bumped into Shen Tu's broad chest, causing the two heavenly generals to frown unhappily.

"Where did this reckless bird come from? How dare you bump into me!" Shen Tu's voice was like thunder, and the surrounding clouds and mist were dispersed.

Yu Lei also had an angry look on his face. He held his weapon tightly, and a fierce look flashed in his eyes: "Is this bird the cockatoo that accompanied Fairy Baicha? Let's settle the matter of the past today!"

When Fairy Baicha was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, she displayed her charm and humiliated the two gods Shentu and Yulei.

The cockatiel knew something was wrong. Its feathers stood on end in fear. It quickly retreated, begging for mercy: "Chirp! Chirp! It was an unintentional mistake. Please calm down, generals!"

At this moment, a gentle voice sounded, breaking the tense atmosphere: "Generals, what are you unhappy about?"

Lu Yu walked over slowly, exuding a faint fairy air and looking otherworldly.

When Shen Tu and Yu Lei saw Lu Yu, although they were still angry, they did not dare to act recklessly in front of him. The two looked at each other, and Shen Tu explained: "Master Lu, this bird was rude and we were just about to teach it a lesson." Lu Yu nodded slightly, turned his eyes to the trembling black wind parrot, and said in a deep voice: "This bird flew out of my Tea God Palace and bumped into the two generals. It was unintentional. I hope the two generals will forgive it."

Yu Lei frowned, unwilling to be outdone: "Immortal Lu, you may not know that the master of this bird once used her charm to tease us, causing the two of us to lose face in the heavens. What happened today is not only the vengeance of the collision, but also the old hatred that is hard to settle."

When Lu Yu heard this, a look of confusion appeared on his face. He didn't know who the owner of this black parrot was.

"Shen Tu, Yu Lei," Lu Yu said in a much more relaxed tone, "the past is like smoke, there is no need to mention it again. If this bird has offended you in any way, I will apologize to the two generals on his behalf. I hope you can forgive him this time for my sake."

Shen Tu and Yu Lei looked at each other for a moment, and finally relaxed: "Since Immortal Lu has come forward, let's drop the matter."

Seeing this, the Cockatiel was relieved: "Thank you, Generals, for your generosity. Thank you, Immortal Lu, for saving my life."

Lu Yu gently patted the cockatoo's head and said with a smile, "Go, report back to Baicao Garden that you are safe. You need to be more cautious in the future."

The black-wind parrot nodded gratefully, carefully avoided Shen Tu and Yu Lei, and flew towards the direction of Baicao Garden. Lu Yu turned to Shen Tu and Yu Lei and said, "You two generals have worked hard. If you have time, why not come to my Tea Palace to drink tea and relieve your fatigue."

Shentu and Yulei followed Lu Yu into the Tea God Palace.

In the palace courtyard, tea trees were arranged in an orderly manner, with dewdrops faintly visible between the green leaves, emitting a refreshing fragrance. Lu Yu led the two heavenly generals to sit in a quiet pavilion and personally brewed a pot of fragrant fairy tea for them.

"This is the fairy tea that I cultivated myself. I hope it can relieve the fatigue of the two generals." Lu Yu handed over the teacup with a smile. The tea in the cup was clear and bright, like nectar.

Shen Tu took the teacup, took a deep breath, and exclaimed: "Master Lu's tea art is indeed well-deserved. The fragrance of this tea is fresh and refined, which makes people feel relaxed and happy."

Yu Lei also picked up the teacup and tasted it carefully. The anger on his face had long since disappeared. "Immortal Lu, your tea ceremony is unfathomable. After drinking it today, I will know what the real immortal enjoyment is."

While the three of them were sipping tea, the cockatoo had already flown back to the Baicao Garden.

The cockatiel transformed into a human form and hurried to the black-clothed fairy: "Sister, who do you think the newly ascended fairy is?"

"Who?"

Wenxia, ​​who was watering the flowers on the side, looked up and asked.

"Lu Yu is the God of Medicine! But now he is no longer the God of Medicine, but the God of Tea."

The fairy in black froze.

Wen Xia, still not understanding the situation, asked, "Lu Yu, the God of Medicine? I've never heard of him! There has never been a God of Tea in the heavens either. Is he that powerful?"

……

"All the gods and Buddhas in the sky have come to congratulate, but the fairy from Baicao Garden has not come to congratulate."

The boy muttered to Lu Yu.

"Who is that fairy?"

"She is a weird person," the boy said. "The Lord of Heaven didn't confine her, but she stayed in Baicao Garden without leaving the house. She confined herself."

"There must be something unspeakable."

As soon as Lu Yu finished speaking, a black parrot flew in from outside the Tea God Palace, holding a jade bottle in its mouth and placing it in Lu Yu's hand.

"This is……"

"My fairy is not convenient to come and congratulate the God of Tea on his ascension, so she asked me to bring him a gift. This jade bottle contains the golden essence and jade liquid from the East China Sea. I will give it to the God of Tea to water the tea trees, which will help them grow."

The cockatiel said this, flapping its wings and flying away.

The boy came over curiously, and Lu Yu slowly opened the stopper of the jade bottle. A faint golden light shone through, reflecting in his deep eyes. He gently sprinkled the liquid in the bottle onto the tea tree, and the liquid drops merged into the soil silently like dew and rain.

In an instant, the branches and leaves of the tea tree touched by the liquid began to gradually stretch out, as if they were reborn. The edges of the tea leaves glowed with golden light, and the golden liquid slowly flowed between the veins of the leaves, as if injecting vitality into the tea tree. Then, the whole tea tree was shrouded in a layer of light golden mist, and the mist was steaming, as if it was surrounded by fairy air.

The boy opened his eyes wide in amazement. Lu Yu observed all these changes with a smile, feeling the vigorous breath of the tea trees. He knew that this golden essence and jade liquid from the East China Sea was not only a nourishing substance, but also carried the spiritual energy and divine power of the Dragon Palace in the East China Sea, which gave these tea trees extraordinary qualities.

Every tea tree in the tea garden began to show changes to varying degrees. Some tea trees that were originally growing slowly quickly sprouted branches and buds, while those that were already mature exuded a stronger aroma. Some tea trees even had strange golden patterns on their leaves, which were the marks of the spiritual energy contained in the golden essence and jade liquid condensed in the tea leaves.

The boy excitedly walked around the tea tree, touching the smooth leaves from time to time, feeling the vitality they conveyed.

Lu Yu stood quietly aside, his eyes revealing a hint of satisfaction and expectation. The tea produced by these tea trees in the future will surely be extraordinary and become a treasure in the fairy world.

"I didn't expect that the fairy in Baicao Garden is so polite." The boy said excitedly.

"You are quite polite. We should return the favor."

"What should I reply?" The boy's brain was working fast, trying to come up with some advice for Lu Yu.

Lu Yu said, "Why don't we go to her house in person and thank her?"

The boy nodded: "Okay."

He had never seen the mysterious fairy of the Baicao Garden.

"Then I'll go now. You guard the palace gate."

Boy: “…”

The boy could only watch Lu Yu’s back disappear at the palace gate.