Since the teahouse reopened, the nights in the Outer City had become a bit livelier than before.
Of course, "lively" was only a relative term. Almost no one actually ventured out to the Twenty-First District for tea after nightfall; aside from the old regulars, there were no new customers at all.
However, besides the regulars, some academy students came out of curiosity. They would order a cup of black tea, look around the shop for a long time, and then lower their voices to whisper about how this was the teahouse Setis Anna often visited, before moving on to campus gossip.
Li Yuan didn't mind this much.
Business was secondary; the teahouse was ultimately a hobby. If he truly wanted to make a fortune, it would likely be faster to continue working as a tea master for others.
After nightfall, it was a rare moment of peace.
Tonight, the teahouse was exceptionally quiet, with no one else but Li Yuan.
He sat behind the bar, brewing a pot of green tea for himself. Occasionally, drinking alone had its own unique charm.
The tea leaves slowly unfurled in the hot water, and the fragrance, carried by the spiritual spring water, quickly filled the entire teahouse. As the steam rose, it even washed away the slight psychic damage left over from organizing the tea canisters earlier.
He took a sip from his cup, a look of satisfaction crossing his face, and nodded to himself.
"It's been a long time since I've had a night like this."
Come to think of it, since the teahouse had been rebuilt, he hadn't spent much time alone in such tranquility.
The opening day had been incredibly busy, and people had been coming and going in the days following. It wasn't that he disliked it, but for someone accustomed to solitude, occasionally returning to a night filled only with the scent of tea and the sound of turning pages always felt more comfortable.
Li Yuan pulled an unfinished old book from the shelf. Just as he turned to the page marked by his bookmark, the copper bell at the door chimed.
Ding-ling-ling—
The wooden door was pushed open, and a figure in a black robe stood at the entrance.
The black robe was quite voluminous, and the hood was pulled low, almost completely concealing the person's face. Blending into the night outside, the figure appeared somewhat silent and detached.
Li Yuan looked up, and the "Welcome" that was already at the tip of his tongue got stuck in his throat.
He was slightly startled, and then a peculiar expression appeared on his face.
"Fellow Daoist... what brings you here?"
The robed figure didn't reply immediately. He closed the door and walked slowly to the bar. Once he reached Li Yuan, he reached up and pulled back his hood.
The hood fell away, revealing the face of a middle-aged man.
The man looked to be about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, with a lean face and steady eyes. There was a streak of white at his temples, yet he didn't look old. Compared to the withered old man who had been barely clinging to life in the hollow beneath the City of Divine Grace, the person before him looked as if he had switched to a completely different vessel.
If not for the familiar aura, Li Yuan might not have recognized him at first glance.
Xuan Wei—Daoist Qing Lan—the cultivator who had guarded the God of Light, Vernas, for hundreds of years beneath the City of Divine Grace.
Once Xuan Wei stood still, he clasped his hands and gave Li Yuan a solemn bow.
"Fellow Daoist Li, please forgive my unannounced visit."
Li Yuan set down his teacup, his expression returning to normal.
"All who come are guests. There's nothing to forgive."
As he spoke, he looked Xuan Wei up and down again.
"It seems those two pills worked quite well."
Xuan Wei looked down at his palms, a touch of emotion surfacing in his eyes.
"The pills you gifted me were nothing short of a second life. My damaged divine soul has been largely repaired, and most of the hidden injuries in my physical body have been eliminated. If not for that, I likely wouldn't have even been able to leave that city."
After saying this, he bowed to Li Yuan once more.
"I shall keep this kindness etched in my heart."
Li Yuan waved his hand.
"There's no need for that. It's enough that they were useful."
He then looked at him with a bit more curiosity.
"However, I'm a bit surprised... how did you find this place?"
Xuan Wei didn't hide it, replying, "Previously, the blood slave mark on Ignatius was connected to me by a single thread. After you severed it, that connection was broken somewhere near this city."
He looked at Li Yuan, his voice steady.
"In this world, I imagine only you could achieve such a thing."
Li Yuan nodded; that reason was plausible enough.
Xuan Wei continued, "Furthermore, while I was circling the outskirts of the royal capital, I discovered that this was the only place in the entire city where a formation had been laid."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the teahouse's surroundings.
"And it is an extremely powerful defensive formation. Although its aura is well-restrained and undetectable by ordinary cultivators, I have studied the path of formations. While I am not an expert, I can still vaguely see the signs. Thus, I took a bold guess that you would be here."
At this point, Xuan Wei looked at Li Yuan, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"There is only one thing I don't understand—given your strength, I doubt there is anything in this world that could threaten you. Why bother setting up such a powerful defensive formation around a teahouse?"
Li Yuan's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, and the smile on his face stiffened for a brief moment.
He couldn't exactly tell the man that his teahouse had just been blown up not long ago, so he was being "once bitten, twice shy" and didn't want to wait for it to happen again...
But saying that would be somewhat embarrassing. He cleared his throat and adopted a calm tone.
"It's merely a precautionary measure, nothing worth mentioning."
Xuan Wei glanced at him, seemingly still puzzled, but seeing that Li Yuan clearly didn't want to discuss it, he didn't press further.
Li Yuan took the opportunity to change the subject, took a sip of tea, and continued.
"You didn't come all this way just to thank me, did you?"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Wei's expression immediately became more serious.
"Indeed, I have actual business."
Li Yuan poured him a cup of plain water and pushed it toward him.
Xuan Wei thanked him and then spoke slowly. "Lately, people in the City of Divine Grace have been investigating you."
Li Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"Investigating me?"
"Yes," Xuan Wei nodded. "People from the Casnoe Empire's Inquisition. At first, it was just a routine investigation, but then several young people with special talents arrived. They seem capable of tracing past images within a certain range."
Hearing this, Li Yuan understood roughly what was happening. It was likely trouble caused by that identity badge he had casually fabricated.
Xuan Wei continued, "Those people aren't very strong, but their abilities are quite unique. They seem to involve the path of time. Although their methods are crude, it is rare to see the power of time in this realm."
He looked at Li Yuan.
"I was concerned they might continue their search and eventually find you here. Although you have no need to worry given your strength, I thought it best to mention it."
Li Yuan nodded.
"Thank you for the warning."
He wasn't particularly worried about being found; an ability like Time Retrospection had no effect on him. As for the empire, if they truly came knocking, whether or not he offered an explanation would depend on his mood.
Generally speaking, he would return courtesy for courtesy, but if they wanted to fight, that was even better.
Still, the fact that Xuan Wei had gone out of his way to warn him was a kind gesture.
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