Han Qiwu curiously asked, "Master, is lapis lazuli very rare? What kind of effect will it have if we put it inside a kettle?"
Master Shuzi continued working with his hands and quickly replied, "Back in my day, lapis lazuli was called golden essence or indigo. There's no domestic production; it was all imported via the Silk Road. Monks referred to it as 'wall glass.' Look at its color—doesn't it remind you of the sky? The Temple of Heaven used a large amount of lapis lazuli. Common lapis lazuli isn't hard to find, but high-quality lapis lazuli is rare. The two pieces you have are pure blue without a trace of impurities, not even a hint of golden specks, making them of extraordinarily high quality. My forging earlier was merely the icing on the cake, further purifying it. Its likely effect is to preserve and protect. You'll see in a moment."
Preserve and protect?
Like a natural pesticide?
That's not bad at all.
