Chapter 55- A Cup Full of Dao

Tian picked a nice tree near a river for his tea service. The tree chimed every time the wind blew the leaves, making gentle and flowing harmonies. Whoever had made the enchantment had carefully tuned the sound so that it enhanced the serenity brought by the little river rushing over a shallow bed of stones. Ripples in the water, ripples in the air, all for an immortal moment.

Tian would definitely rather be here than in the Redstone Wastes. Just not here for the job he was doing.

“The sacrifices I make for my sect siblings.”

“Little Daoist Tian! I had heard you were inviting me for a cup of tea, but to think you picked such a romantic spot. This little Mei is flattered, but I must warn you, your big bro has already run away with my heart.”

Tian forced himself to properly look at Daoist Mei. She was a little taller than him, but only a little bit. A little more curvy than he was used to, but considerably less so than Daoist Steelshimmer. Her hair was nicely short, with perfectly clean tracings of dancing flames and spraying waves adding liveliness and fun. She had big eyes, he decided, and she made them look even bigger by opening them so wide.

“I have a soft spot for trees on riverbanks. They are wonderful places to sit and have a cup of tea. You will be the first guest that I offer my brand new, full experience tea service to, and it won’t cost you a single spirit stone. I’m using top quality fifty year old White Eyebrow Longevity Tea from the Bamboo Medicine Hut’s famed tea farms, too.”

“Waa! For me? Really?” She clapped and giggled.

“For you. Here, give it a look. The aroma, even before steeping, is heavenly.” Tian offered some of the dried leaves on a little tray for her to examine and smell. He had the basalt tea tray out, along with the Six Gentlemen tools Sister Shu had sent, and the two tea pets were waiting patiently to be cultivated with some tea qi. The kettle was warm, and his lidded cup was eager to be put to use. Even the tea cups seemed to quiver with excitement.

“Mmm. So fragrant!”

“Wait until it’s steeped. Then we can talk about fragrant.” He chuckled and started pouring boiling water over everything, purifying it and warming it for the service to come. The water caught the late afternoon sunlight, filtering through the enchanted tree, dancing over the basalt.

“Tell me, Daoist Mei, what sort of things do you study here in the Five Elements Courtyard? I know very little about the day-to-day life here, and I am eager to know more.”

“Eeeh? Well, it’s the usual sorts of things, I suppose. We cultivate, practice our talisman drawing, study astronomy, geology, meteorology, botany, alchemy, paint, ink and dye making, carving, weaving, and the other basic necessities of being an array master. Logic and geometry probably go without saying, but the more advanced study of calculating curves, quickly finding the factors of very large numbers, or solving equations missing multiple variables and the like are also completely mandatory.” She paused a moment. Then giggled. “Of course, I like to run off and play a lot.”

Tian smiled a little, and looked up from his work. “Daoist Mei?”

“Yes, Daoist Tian?”

“I promise at this table I will tell you no lies. You will see as much sincerity in me as I can show. So please, don’t belittle yourself.”

“I don’t think I did?” Tian met her eyes until she looked away. “It’s rude to stare at people. And what’s wrong with acting cute?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps nothing. But I saw the real you once, in the jungle. I would like to meet the real you once again, here at my tea table.”

This time she gave him a long look. It wasn’t cold, or flirtatious, or strange. She was just looking at him. Like she was trying to see all of him.

“Have you ever set two mirrors facing each other, then put a candle in between them?” She asked.

“Never.”

“The candle repeats infinitely. It would be so easy to be lost between all those candles, trying to find your way to the source of the light. One might wonder if the effort was worth it.”

Silence settled around them. Then she tilted her head to the side and asked, “What do you study, Daoist Tian?”

“How to kill, how to heal, and how to live as a human being. Listed in increasing order of difficulty.” He poured the dry leaves into the lidded cup, and carefully covered them with hot, but not boiling, water. “It just needs a few seconds for the wash.”

“Mmm. And… Daoist Wang?”

“Takes longer in the bath, though not excessively so.”

She snorted. “You know what I mean.”

Tian gently pressed the lid to open a gap, and poured the wash over the tea pets. The tea qi spread across the tray, making threads of red, blue and gold emerge from the black basalt. The pets seemed to shiver with happiness, though that was just a trick of the light. It was a transformation- bland water and dead stone were now filled with life.

“Here, smell the lid. Brother Wang works in the logistics department. In his free time, he reads and studies the world, thinking of how to make it a better, more caring, place. He is very brave, though I don’t think most people would recognize his kind of bravery. A bravery he has paid for, horribly. How do you like the aroma?”

Delicate fingers lifted the lid from his hand and sniffed the underside. “Bright, lively, full of freshness but with the aged scent of herbal medicine. I like it very much. What are you really here for, Daoist Tian?”

“Because I am trying to find out if you can be a good fit for Brother Wang, and if so, how I can persuade my… colorful… sect siblings to live in harmony with that fact.”

“And if I can’t fit well? If no peace can be made?” She offered the lid back, letting it rest on her slim hand.

“Then I don’t know what to do. Probably the wrong thing.” He took the lid back and set it to the side of the cup. He picked up the kettle and poured the first proper steep.

Daoist Mei’s smile changed, a cool little lift at the corner of her lips, a little crinkle to the corner of her eyes transformed warmth into cynical humor. Her hands were telling a different story. They were curled on her lap, looking relaxed and empty. But she was an array master, and the way she was subtly pinching her fingers said she was preparing for whatever “wrong thing” Tian might come up with.

“You don’t, however, seem the sort who would poison the tea.”

“I’d sooner die.” White Tea needed a bare minute to properly steep. This was the great virtue of good leaves prepared skillfully. Less water, less time, more leaves, and the flavor transformed far beyond the ordinary. Tea was a drink. Skillful tea was art. Tian prepared it with every ounce of his ability. He poured the tea into the friendship pitcher, then portioned it into the cups. “Taste it carefully.”

She smelled the tea. “Good tea. Very… good.” She took a longer second sniff, and her wide eyes narrowed. She sipped slowly. Then froze. Tian waited, not picking up his tea cup. Mei took another sip, seemingly without thinking. Her eyes were open, but far away. Soon she had drained her cup. Tian smiled and drank his tea. It really was delicious.

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“Compassion. Boundless compassion. That’s why I’m not running. You aren’t threatening me. You are hoping this goes well, and that Big Brother Wang and I are happy together. You really will do your best to make sure your Brother isn’t hurt, or any of your other sect siblings. You don’t even want to see me hurt. What a good brother you are. What a truly good brother!” Her voice got a little muffled at the end.