The road to 'Cloudstone City' was supposed to be a quiet journey of self-discovery. Instead, it was a slow-motion nightmare for Li Jian.
Every time he took a step, Ling Yue—the cold, ethereal beauty who could likely flatten a mountain with a flick of her wrist—stepped exactly two paces behind him. Her hand was constantly on the hilt of her jade sword, her eyes scanning every butterfly and squirrel as if they were demonic assassins.
"Ling Yue," Li Jian groaned, stopping in his tracks. "You're doing it again."
She stopped instantly, her expression as cold as a winter morning. "Doing what, Senior?"
"The 'Intimidating Aura' thing. You're scaring the birds. You're scaring the merchants. You're scaring me. Can't you just... look normal? Like a regular girl?"
Ling Yue blinked her icy blue eyes, looking genuinely confused. "Normal? I am a Core Formation cultivator. My presence is naturally attuned to the Laws of the World. To suppress it would be... an insult to the Dao."
Li Jian rubbed his temples. "Great. Just great. I wanted a quiet life, and I've acquired a sentient nuke that calls me 'Senior'."
They reached the gates of Cloudstone City by midday. It was a bustling hub of trade, filled with the smell of grilled meat, the shouting of street vendors, and the occasional flash of a cultivator's robe.
"Listen," Li Jian whispered as they approached the guards. "Don't kill anyone. Don't glare at anyone. We are here to find a shop. If anyone asks, I'm a failed student and you're my... distant, very grumpy cousin. Clear?"
Ling Yue's jaw tightened. "A cousin? Senior, my status—"
"Deal, or no more tea."
She bowed her head so fast her hair whipped. "As you wish, Brother Jian."
They entered the city, and Li Jian immediately headed for the 'Cheap District' near the West Gate. He didn't want a fancy pavilion in the center of town; he wanted a dusty, forgotten corner where he could brew his tea in peace.
He finally found it: a small, dilapidated two-story building wedged between a blacksmith and a fortune-teller. The roof had a hole, the sign was hanging by a single rusty nail, and the windows were covered in grime.
"Perfect," Li Jian smiled, his accountant brain already calculating the low taxes and zero foot traffic. "It's a dump. Nobody will ever come here."
"It is... humble," Ling Yue remarked, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the building. "A brilliant disguise, Senior. No one would suspect a Divine Tea Master lives in such a desolate place. Your wisdom is truly profound."
"It's not a disguise! It's my budget!" Li Jian shouted, but she was already inside, sweeping the floor with a gust of wind from her palm that nearly took the front door off its hinges.
As Li Jian started unpacking his few tea leaves, a group of shadows moved across the dirty floor.
Three men stood at the entrance. They weren't cultivators—just local thugs with thick necks and rusted sabers, the kind that preyed on new shop owners.
"New meat?" the leader sneered, spitting on the floor. "You want to open a shop in the West Gate? That'll be fifty silver coins for 'protection', kid. Pay up, or we break your tea pots."
Li Jian sighed. This was it. The classic 'Young Master' or 'Thug' encounter. He looked at Ling Yue. She was staring at the thugs with the same expression a human might have while looking at a cockroach. Her hand was moving toward her jade sword.
"Wait!" Li Jian jumped in front of her. If she drew that sword, the entire block would be leveled. "Let me handle this. I'm a professional."
He turned to the thugs with a bright, friendly smile. "Gentlemen! Fifty silver is a lot. How about a nice, calming cup of tea instead? It's on the house."
The thugs laughed. "Tea? You think we're here for a tea party? Give us the money or—"
Li Jian didn't wait. His hands moved with the 'Supreme Tea Brewing Technique' speed. In less than thirty seconds, three cups of steaming, aromatic liquid were sitting on a dusty table.
The scent was hypnotic. The thugs blinked, their aggression suddenly evaporating like mist in the sun. The leader looked at the cup, his hand trembling. He took a sip.
His eyes went wide. His saber clattered to the floor. He sat down on a broken stool and began to sob.
"I... I miss my mother," the lead thug wailed, tears streaming down his face. "Why am I a criminal? I wanted to be a carpenter! Life is so short... and this tea is so... peaceful..."
The other two thugs joined him, crying about their wasted youth and the beauty of the sunset.
Li Jian leaned back, satisfied. "See? No violence. Just good customer service."
Ling Yue stood in the corner, her eyes wide with newfound terror. He didn't even use Qi, she thought, her heart racing. He attacked their very souls with a single leaf. Senior's cruelty... is truly terrifying.