Don't be afraid, fairy, I'm blind

Chapter 366 Snow Country Secret Realm
When You Su heard this, his heart trembled. He knew very well that Master Olympiad's proposal was not as simple as a casual stroll in the garden.

Xuexiangju is a well-known teahouse in Shuocheng. Although the three accountants tried their best to stop him, saying that the city lord would be back soon, Master Aoshu was determined to leave and did not listen to their dissuasion.

You Su stood up, followed the footsteps of Master Ao Shu, walked out of the gate of the City Lord's Mansion, and stepped into the neat streets of Shuo City.

It was still cold and windy in early summer in Shuocheng, but there was a constant stream of people on the streets. The cries of vendors and the laughter of pedestrians intertwined, forming a lively scene. What surprised You Su the most was that there were special workers in Shuocheng who were responsible for sweeping the snow on the roads.

The scene in this city is quite different from the desolate and desolate scene outside the city. Although it is not as prosperous as Zhongyuanzhou, it is just as lively.

You Su followed behind Master Olympiad Mathematics and also listened to the conversations of some residents, trying to find some unusual clues.

The Master of Mathematics still wore the exaggerated flower Taoist dress, looking around as he walked along the street, occasionally chatting with the owners of interesting stalls. If it weren't for his handsome appearance, he would have looked like a second-rate person. His familiar personality and exaggerated image attracted the attention of many people around him, but he was dismissive of those strange looks, as if he didn't see them at all.

You Su secretly praised him in his heart. He ignored him not because he was indifferent, but because he was no longer on the same level. Just based on this point, Taoist Hua was better than many powerful people. Judging from his young appearance, it was no wonder that he had achieved what he had today.

"Have you heard of this Snow Country Tea?" asked Master Olympiad suddenly.

You Su shook his head. "Of the teas from Beiaozhou, I've only heard of white magnolia tea."

Because this was the tea he had looted from Master Ling, and obtaining this trophy marked a huge change in his life, so he remembered it deeply.

"This tea is popular in Zhongyuanzhou and Nanyangzhou, but not many people drink it in Beiaozhou. After all, the weather is already very cold, and who would drink the refreshing tea for no reason?" The Aoshu Master smiled and said slowly, "The custom of drinking tea is not popular in Beiaozhou because there is no soil for growing tea. But since it began to learn from the development trajectories of other continents, tea has gradually become popular. But tea is an imported product after all, and good tea will only be more expensive in Beiaozhou, so drinking good tea has become a symbol of status in Beiaozhou."

"It's the same everywhere." You Su answered casually.

"Yes... People like to use external things to prove something." The Master of Mathematical Olympiad agreed and said meaningfully, "But too much profit also gives those people the opportunity to play tricks. If you only sell three cups of tea a day, I'm afraid what you're selling is not tea."

After saying this, Master Olympiad stopped beside an old woman pushing a charcoal stove and bought two steaming hot sweet potatoes from her.

"It's twelve cents in total, take it." The Master of Mathematical Olympiad put the money exactly into the hands of the old woman with limited mobility, and the old woman thanked him softly.

"Do you want to eat it?" Master Olympiad handed the orange-red sweet potato to You Su, and he took a big bite.

The down-to-earth level of this Master Dongxu was beyond You Su's imagination. You Su wanted to eat it very much, but did not want to show his full face in public, so he just took it but did not eat it.

"What are you going to do with putting it in the Qiankun bag? Roasted sweet potatoes must be eaten while they are hot." The Master of Mathematical Olympiad advised.

"Not hungry."

"If you're not hungry, what are you collecting?"

"You give it to me, why shouldn't I want it?"

"Good boy." The Master of Mathematical Olympiad smiled bitterly and continued to enjoy the sweet and sticky sweet potatoes.

"You feel sorry for the old woman who has to come out to sell sweet potatoes in the snow at such an old age, why don't you give her a little more money? I really didn't expect that a Venerable Dongxu would have so much money on him." You Su asked in confusion. Let alone giving a few more coins, even giving a few hundred taels of silver would be more painful to Venerable Dongxu than losing a hair.

The Master of Mathematical Olympiad laughed and explained, "Who said I felt sorry for her? Have you forgotten that I am a fortune teller? Everyone has their own destiny, and I never try to change anyone's destiny. I bought the sweet potato simply because I was greedy. And every commodity has its own value. Remember, disrupting the market order is against the law of Shenshan."

You Su looked up when he heard this, his vision was blurry. The colorful clothes of this Taoist priest were so out of place in this black and white world, but he had to admit that this person was quite interesting.

Xuexiangju is located in the eastern part of the city. It is an antique wooden building. Two red lanterns are hung in front of the door, swaying gently in the cold wind, emitting a soft light.

You Su and Master Ao Shu walked into the teahouse, and a warm feeling hit them in the face, along with a faint scent of tea, which made them feel refreshed.

The teahouse was bustling with people, and every seat was occupied. It could be said that it was more lively than most teahouses in Zhongyuanzhou. You Su looked around and saw tea drinkers either drinking tea and chatting, or playing chess, looking relaxed and at ease. However, under this seemingly calm appearance, You Su keenly noticed something strange. The eyes of the teahouse owner and the waiters flickered, as if they were always alert to the movements around them. This tense atmosphere made You Su more certain that there must be something fishy going on here.

The moment You Su and Master Aoshu stepped into the Snow Village, the hustle and bustle around them seemed to be paused. The warmth and aroma of tea in the teahouse formed a sharp contrast with the biting cold wind outside.

The Master of Aoshu looked around, searching for the Lord of Shuo City and the owner of Xuexiangju in the crowd. Soon, his eyes fell on a middle-aged man dressed in gorgeous clothes and with an imposing manner. The man had a dignified face and an unquestionable domineering look between his eyebrows. It was Qi Tai, the Lord of Shuo City. Next to Qi Tai was a middle-aged businessman with a smile on his face and a shrewd look in his eyes. He was Li Ming, the owner of Xuexiangju.

When Qi Tai saw Master Aoshu, a warm smile immediately appeared on his face, and he hurriedly came forward to greet him: "Oh, Master Aoshu, I am so sorry for not welcoming you from afar!" As he spoke, he bowed to Master Aoshu with an extremely respectful attitude.

The Ao Shu Master smiled slightly and returned the greeting, "You are too polite, City Lord. I am here unexpectedly, so I hope you will not be offended."

Li Ming also hurried forward and said with a smile on his face: "It is a great honor for our humble shop to have you come to visit us! Please take a seat. We will prepare the best Xuexiang tea for you."

The Master of Mathematics nodded and sat down at a table by the window with You Su. Qi Tai and Li Ming sat opposite them, looking very enthusiastic.

"I heard that this Snow Village tea is extremely valuable and only three cups are sold every day. I came here today to taste it." As Master Olympiad spoke, he picked up the teacup on the table and gently sniffed the tea fragrance.

Qi Tai heard this and smiled awkwardly: "Your Excellency is really knowledgeable. This Snow Country Tea is indeed rare. However, our shop has sold out today. I hope Your Excellency can forgive me." The Ao Shu Master raised his eyebrows and looked at Qi Tai with a smile: "Oh? Sold out? That's really unfortunate. However, since I'm here, I can't go back empty-handed. I wonder if the city lord can tell me where this Snow Country Tea is purchased from?"

Qi Tai's face changed slightly when he heard this, and he hesitated, "This... this purchase channel is a business secret, so it's inconvenient to disclose it."

The Master of Aoshu smiled faintly and put down the teacup: "Don't be nervous, City Lord. I just asked casually. However, I am quite interested in the tea ceremony. I wonder if the City Lord and the boss can talk to me about the knowledge of tea?"

Qi Tai and Li Ming looked at each other, looking a little embarrassed. They didn't know much about tea. The reason why this Xuexiang tea was so precious was more because of its scarcity and the story behind it, rather than its quality. But facing a master like the Master of Mathematical Olympiad, they didn't dare to show their weakness easily.

"Well... this tea is naturally fragrant and has a long aftertaste." Qi Tai laughed dryly a few times, trying to get away with it.

Li Ming also agreed: "Yes, yes, this Xuexiang tea is a specialty of Beiaozhou, it is definitely a first-class tea."

Upon hearing this, Master Oumain raised a playful smile at the corner of his mouth: "Oh? I see. However, why do I feel that the taste of this tea seems to be a little wrong?" As he spoke, he picked up the teacup again and took a sip.

Qi Tai and Li Ming's hearts tightened, and they looked at Master Aoshu nervously. But Master Aoshu just smiled and said nothing more.

The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. At this moment, Master Ao Shu suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, I have another important matter to attend to on this trip. I heard that the tax revenue in Shuo City has been growing slowly in recent years, so I came here to check the accounts. I wonder if the city lord can bring the account books of recent years to me for review?"

Qi Tai's face suddenly turned ugly when he heard this. He never expected that Master Ao Shu would come here to check the accounts. But facing a master like Master Ao Shu, he didn't dare to refuse easily.

"This...this account book is kept in the mansion. If Your Excellency wants to see it, I will send someone to get it." Qi Tai said while winking at Li Ming.

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Li Ming understood what he meant and stood up quickly: "Please wait a moment, Your Excellency. I will go and get the account book." After saying that, he hurriedly left the teahouse.

Soon, Li Ming came back with several thick account books. Master Aoshu took the account books and read through them carefully. You Su sat aside and quietly observed the changes in Master Aoshu's expression.

As time went by, Master Ao Shu's brows furrowed more and more. He put down the account book and looked up at Qi Tai: "City Lord, there seems to be something wrong with the records in this account book."

Qi Tai was startled, and asked calmly, "Oh? I wonder what problem the Venerable has discovered?"

The Master of Aoshu smiled slightly and said, "The purchase price of this Xuexiang tea seems to be a bit high. Moreover, I have hardly heard of these so-called importers. I wonder if the City Lord can explain it to me?"

Qi Tai couldn't help sweating on his forehead when he heard this. He hesitated for a long time before reluctantly saying, "These importers are all newly emerged forces, Your Excellency may not know them well. However, the quality of their goods is absolutely guaranteed."

The Aoshu Master shook his head and said, "The City Lord doesn't need to say more. Although I am not talented, I am also well-informed. I know a little about all the material importers in Beiaozhou. But I have never heard of any of the names in these account books."

Qi Tai saw that he could no longer conceal it, so he could only sigh and said, "Your Excellency is very perceptive, I admire you. To be honest, this Xuexiang tea is indeed not from any importer, but from another source."

Upon hearing this, Master Ao Shu's eyes flashed with a gleam of light: "Oh? Then I wonder if the city lord can tell me the real source of this Snow Village tea?"

Qi Tai hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to tell the truth: "This Snow Village tea... is actually picked from a secret place."

"Secret realm?" Master O'Mathematics raised his eyebrows slightly, appearing quite surprised.

Qi Tai nodded and said, "Yes, it is a secret place. There are many rare spiritual herbs and medicines growing in that secret place, and this Snow Village Tea is one of them. However, that secret place is extremely dangerous, so the quantity of this Snow Village Tea is extremely limited, and the price is naturally high."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Ao Shu nodded thoughtfully, "So that's how it is. No wonder this Snow Country tea is so precious, it turns out there is such a history. However, since the city lord knows the existence of this secret realm, why doesn't he report it to the God Mountain? If the God Mountain can send people to pick it, wouldn't it benefit more cultivators?"

Qi Tai heard this and a complex expression flashed across his face, with both helplessness and hidden worries in his eyes. He glanced at Li Ming beside him, who also looked embarrassed. It was obvious that he had expected this question, but didn't know how to start.

"Your Excellency, you don't know," Qi Tai said slowly, with a hint of bitterness in his voice, "That secret realm... It's not that we don't want to report it, but the situation is really complicated and it's not trivial."

Master Ouma frowned and motioned Qi Tai to continue.

"In addition to rare spiritual herbs and medicines, the secret realm also contains unknown dangers. Even for monks with high cultivation levels, it is difficult to ensure safe entry and exit. It was by chance that we discovered the entrance to the secret realm, and we suffered heavy losses before we got a small amount of Snow Village tea." Qi Tai paused here, as if recalling that thrilling experience.

After listening to this, Master Aoshu's eyes flickered, and he was obviously not completely convinced by this explanation. He tapped the table lightly, pondered for a moment, and suddenly asked: "So, when was the last time you entered the secret realm? Did you bring back any other evidence or items?"

Qi Tai and Li Ming looked at each other, a trace of panic flashed in their eyes. Qi Tai answered with a stiff face: "The most recent time... was yesterday. As you know, Your Excellency, this secret realm is not stable, and we dare not stay too long. We also know the principle of drying up the pond to catch fish, so we only took a little Xuexiang tea and left immediately."

"So, you didn't bring back any other items that can prove the existence of the secret realm, right?" Master O'Mathematics spoke calmly, but his eyes pierced through the disguises of the two like a sharp sword.

Qi Tai and Li Ming remained silent, apparently the Master of Mathematical Olympiad had hit the nail on the head.

The Aoshu Master sighed softly and said slowly: "Although I am not omnipotent, I know a thing or two about secret realms. Most of the secret realms in Beiaozhou have fixed rules and characteristics, but the secret realms you described seem too illusory, as if they were fabricated out of thin air."

At this point, Master Aoshu stood up and stared at the two with a sharp gaze: "I will give you one last chance to tell the truth. Where did this Snow Country Tea come from? Does the so-called secret realm really exist?"

(End of this chapter)