Tales of the Teal Mountain Sect

Year 663 of the Stable Era,

Third day of the eleventh month

Forty-three minutes past the start of the first Inner Hour

The air was thick with the scent of fresh sawdust and herbs, the heady mix of the latter clear despite the cedar cabinets containing their contrasting scents. Floral and bitter, sweet and acrid, the potency medicinal odors accompanied by an invigorating tingle that tickled Yeung Lin's nose as he exhaled his first breath. It reminded him of the inner chamber of a pill cauldron just before firing—an aroma of disparate potential.

The Thousand Grain Pavillion had set a subtle array in the room to keep the aroma's circulating rather than disperse them—its shape subtly formed from the arrangement of innocuous tabletop curios and potted plants—to keep their guests enticed.

It was a clever application of techniques. There was nothing like the hint of discovery to whet a cultivator's appetite, and Yeung Lin was certain that a younger him would have spent an afternoon or five enthralled just learning the source of each and every aroma.

The array itself was quite simple as well, requiring nothing as insidious as bewilderment or entrancement to operate. Which meant that Yeung Lin wouldn't need to be troubled with informing his sect that one of their guests was abusing their hospitality, as the use of such arrays was highly forbidden.

Yeung Lin's guide led him across the floor, following the curve of the walls to avoid disturbing the throng of disciples. Stepping into a delicately engraved lift, they issued the attendant a set of quickly whispered instructions before returning to their original post.

Yeung Lin waited patiently as the attendant drew in a breath, his fingers twisting in a series of gestures against his palm that caused the lattice of floral vines to retract, raising them towards the top of the pagoda. The technique was well performed, the disciple possessing enough skill to properly harness the tree's qi rather than sustain it solely from his own effort. Even if his hand signs could use some more practice.

The lift slowed to a stop on the fourth floor, and Yeung Lin stepped off as it settled gently into place. The Thousand Grain Pavillion organized their goods in the classic arrangement, each tier of the pagoda offering items of increasing value to increasingly important clientele. The topmost floor was reserved for the representatives of prestigious families and sect leaders, who dealt directly with the leader of this subsect of the Pavillion. The fourth was merely for only somewhat important guests, who were handled by senior members.

As a result, rather than another attendant, Yeung Lin was instead greeted by a Field Master of the Thousand Grain Pavillion. He was a rather rotund cultivator, with neat hair and a chin that parents might refer to as jolly to dissuade their children from using more crass terminology. His wide collar displayed his rank for all that could understand it to see, the light brown silk decorated with a fine brocade that evoked the bark of an iron pine. Six bronze pinecones rested amongst its thin jade needles, indicating that he was quite senior even for his rank.

"Yeung Lin!" he exclaimed, approaching with arms raised in preparation of an embrace. A few of the other customers looked over momentarily in mild interest, while Yeung Lin sighed, recognizing what the tone of such a greeting indicated.

"Greetings, Du Chengyi," he said, greeting his long-time correspondent with a short bow. He hadn't quite anticipated his pen pal to be quite so…affectionate.

Du Chengyi sighed dramatically, settling for a hearty clap on both his shoulders as he rose.

"You don't need to be so formal brother! How long have we known each other? Centuries? Save the formalities for the elders. Ancestors know that they need them more than us!"

"It has only been 227 years since we began exchanging letters," Yeung Lin replied, using a friendly nudge to the ribs to dissuade a follow-up attempt at a hug.

"Exactly! And after so long, we finally meet! Come, come. Take a seat! There's no need for us to be so unfamiliar with each other!" Yeung Lin suppressed a wince as Chengyi threw an arm over his shoulder, guiding him over to a luxuriously appointed desk set against one of the wide windows of the pagoda's alternating walls.

"Your hair is different than the portrait you sent," Yeung Lin said, gently pushing the arm aside as they walked.

"Ah, I was feeling a bit restless with keeping it long a few decades ago, so I cut it short. I suppose I forgot to mention it."

"Indeed," Yeung Lin said. "And how are the lilies?" A probing question, on the off chance that he was being intercepted by an imposter. Somewhat unlikely, but it never hurt to be too careful about potentially getting dragged into some sort of intrigue.

"They're doing magnificent! Your recommendation to incorporate warmth in cycles that matched the year of their native glens rather than following weekly intervals worked wonders. The irregularity of the seasonal cycles was more important than we thought, especially with how the winters stretch every third year. I even brought a sample, so you could see for yourself."

He gestured towards a glass-screened cabinet, and a small potted sapling waved its thin branches at him. Yeung Lin hesitantly waved back at it as Du Chengyi laughed, releasing the plant from his technique as he settled into the thick cushions of his chair. He gestured for Yeung Lin to join him.

"So, how's my favorite instructor been?"

"I've been doing quite well since your last letter," Yeung Lin replied, joining him at rest. "I've recently acquired a training field of my own, and I am currently under consideration for the position of Senior Instructor. I even have direct disciples now."

"I never thought I would see the day!" Du Chengyi said as he reached between his plants. In addition to his prominent window view, his position had also afforded him enough space to accommodate a vibrant garden between his shelves and desk. His hands brushed his plants as he spoke, stroking pollen from flowers and plucking the occasional leaf or flower. The once viridian blooms darkened as he separated them from their branches, taking on the patina of perfectly prepared tea leaves as he deposited them into his pot.

It was a vessel befitting his station, formed from a single piece of carefully carved crystal. A bright amethyst spout and handle flanked a body so perfectly transparent that Yeung Lin could see each of the falling leaves spin in multitude through its kaleidoscopic facets. Chengyi filled it with water from a jade jug shaped like a leaping koi, which made an oddly pleasant burbling sound as it poured.

He added a single dried chrysanthemum before affixing the lid, an ornate copper piece decorated with narrow lines of power. The delicately engraved metal began to glow, and the stick of copper descending into the water below began to heat up.

It was far from the best heating array that Yeung Lin had ever seen. There was no doubt going to infuse the drink with a metallic note, but he decided to withhold judgement until after he had sampled the tea. After all, it could simply be an element of the mixture Chengyi had prepared. The world was vast, and he was more than willing to give anything a try at least once. Or twice. Or twenty-seven times, if that was what it took to find someone that was able to properly prepare the mixture.

The design of the teapot was quite a bit more interesting to him. A transparent side to see the leaves inside and judge the color would do wonders for his testing, and it added a pleasant aesthetic to the experience. There even seemed to be a slight fluctuation to the copper rod's flow, which caused the leaves and flower to dance pleasantly on a faint current. Practical and performative, as it would no doubt ensure that the ingredients would be evenly stirred. Such a simple concept, and yet one that he had never experienced before due to customary teapot materials.

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Yeung Lin quietly produced his notebook from his storage ring, sketching a quick diagram of the kettle as he added notes about the stone. Obviously growing his own crystal would be far too time intensive to see results any time soon, but perhaps there was an alternative solution.

-Glass as alternative material for ease of production? Consider alternatives with arrays.

-Method to temporarily see through clay? Application of the Prowling Eagle Eye technique? Limit technique to prevent misuse, perhaps adjusted for precise composition of clay?

-CONSULT SECT RULES TO RECALL HOW MUCH A PROHIBITED TECHNIQUE MUST BE ALTERED TO BE CONSIDERED A SEPARATE TECHNIQUE!!

-Develop new clay mix? Entirely to increase susceptibility?

Du Chengyi interrupted his musings with a polite cough, and it took Yeung Lin a flickering moment to realize that it was the second time he had done so.

"Apologies," Yeung Lin said, hastily putting his book to the side. "I was simply taken in by your teapot, and had to record it for posterity."

"And the technique for seeing through walls?" Chengyi asked with what Yeung Lin quickly realized was mock severity. "Brother, surely a cultivator of your status has better things to do than engage in such pursuits. Especially one of your position."

"I assure you, that it is quite proper," Yeung Lin said, consciously closing his notebook to prevent him from reading any further. "I doubt that I could acquire a crystal of such fine quality, and alternatives must be considered for the sake of my research."

"That is true," Chengyi said, stroking the side of the purple spout proudly. "I purchased this a century ago with the profits I made selling a crop of Yin Lotuses on a trip to the mountains on the eastern side of the continent. The local lord was quite proud of it, and I just had to have it. It cost me as much as eleven lotuses—market price, no less—but it was worth every petal. The smoothness is sublime, and it infuses the tea with the slightest hint of violet."

"Ah, so it is Twin Purples Amethyst from the Guttering Peaks," Yeung Lin said, gently tapping its side. The crystal chimed lightly, the sound crisp despite how full it was. "I recall you writing to me about your trip there. So, this is the fabled 'little pot' that you acquired."

"You remembered!" Chengyi said with a smile. "It would have been lovely to have the complete set, but sadly the cups were lost to a duel decades before."

"Someone bet the man for only his cups?" Yeung Lin asked incredulously.

"No, someone was insulted by the quality of the tea. They threw their cup at the wall in disgust, and the lord threw theirs in their face in retaliation. The remaining survivor of the set perished a few years later, after a cat knocked it off its display shelf."

"Interesting," Yeung Lin said.

"Indeed," Du Chengyi replied. "It would seem that not everyone has the palate to truly appreciate the nuances of fine flavor."

He moved to fill the cups he had prepared, which were a standard porcelain affair, with gold rims and a floral pattern in lapis blue.

"Ah, but allow me," Yeung Lin said, as Du Chengyi's hand closed around the pot. He produced a pair of his latest cups from his ring, setting one down in front of each of them.

"What a curious design," Chengyi said, peering at the delicate bands of metal inlaid into the pale clay. "Are these some sort of treasure clay from a distant land?"

"No, it is something of my own design," Yeung Lin replied. "The bands are a part of an array that will maintain the temperature of the tea. You simply need to fill it, and the cup will remain at the ideal temperature for hours."

"Ah, so like Volcano Stag horn?"

"No, that only stays at its own temperature perpetually. There are few teas that are compatible with it, and most of them are rather pedestrian. And while it's possible to work the material to match a different variety, such a cup would only be useful for that type of tea, so you would need a separate cup for every blend."

"The array that I devised observes the temperature of the tea when you pour it into it, so unlike most heavenly treasures it is incredibly flexible. It's based off of older techniques used by alchemists to fix the temperature of reagents for brewing, but I've been able to make it reactive so that it accommodates anything that is poured into it without requiring the user to adjust the array's structure to suit its contents. The demands on tea also helped my modifications, as it doesn't require the same level of intensity and precision that pills do."

"That might be true for some pedestrian teas, but a more refined tea is something else entirely," Chengyi countered, a slight twitch of his pride tinging his words. "Achieving the ideal temperature is no small feat. And only a pot such as mine is capable of that. Try for yourself and see." He aggressively poured the tea into Yeung Lin's cup, but for all his ferocity Yeung Lin noticed that not a single drop spilt onto either the table or his notes.

The pride of a batonist, Yeung Lin thought to himself. Not willing to waste even the smallest speck of his efforts. He took a sip of the tea, allowing the flavors to wash over his tongue as he breathed in its aroma.

It was, as expected, exceedingly good tea. A sublime bitterness, but carried well by the floral notes of the chrysanthemum. The hints of violet contrasted the vibrant aura of the ingredients' qi well, the taste of sunshine and meadows at ease with the outermost fringe of dusk's tinting of an evening sky. It evoked a strange feeling within him. An odd mix of melancholy and the remorse of missed chances but…yes, there was also the taste of a faint tint of hope, which became more pronounced as he took his second sip. It cut, no, that wasn't the right word. It slid through the other flavors, a piece that simply fit into their symphony in the second act rather than replacing it with a new interlude.

"I can see why some might dislike this flavor," Yeung Lin said aloud, as he set his half-drank cup on the table. "It has a very strong emotion to it."

"Yup, which is why I only use this pot on special occasions," Chengyi said, finishing his glass with a smile. "It's the least I could do for an old friend in his hour of need."

"Pardon?" Yeung Lin said, tilting his head a degree to the side. "I don't recall being in any great distress."

"Ah, I understand. Playing it cool, like a winter lake. Still on the surface, even as you're turning around underneath like a…like a…uh, you know…" Du Chengyi gestured vaguely with his hands, struggling to somehow salvage his simile.

"Are you attempting to liken me to a duck?" Yeung Lin asked incredulously. "Serene on the surface, like a noble in court, but struggling furiously beneath to not betray the illusion of comfortable ease?"

"Ah, yes, that!" Chengyi exclaimed. "It's always so much easier to come up with the words when I'm putting them on the page. In person, it's hard to be quite as eloquent as you, brother. You're exactly the same as your letters in person. Although, I did think that you would be a bit taller."

It's often easier to plan one's words over the course of minutes rather than moments, Yeung Lin thought, although he kept that to himself. After all, there was a chance that it might come off as too harsh depending on his delivery.

"I could say the same," Yeung Lin said aloud, and Chengyi clapped him on the shoulder again as he laughed at his words. Yes, his pen pal was certainly quite a bit more exuberant in person. He supposed that was something to look forward to in their usual correspondence. It wasn't unpleasant, so much as it was a touch…excessive.

"But to business," he continued, reaching into his pocket for the storage ring he had prepared. "I have the materials you requested, in addition to a quantity of spirit stones to offset the value of what I was able to obtain."

"What, so soon?" Cheni asked. "Surely we can spend some more time to get better acquainted and talk strategy before we need to get to that."

"Unfortunately, I can only afford to spare a short while today," Yeung Lin said. "A companion of mine is waiting for me, and so—"

"Ah, say no more brother," Du Chengyi interrupted, clapping his hands. A female attendant in a crisp peach uniform approached with a pair of rosewood boxes inset with a delicate floral pattern in jade and gold. "I had suspected that you would need it soon, but not quite THIS soon! The ingredients you requested, as well as the special item. I saw to its harvest personally, so I can assure you that it is of the highest possible grade. I do wish you luck, though, brother. I can tell you from experience that such things require sincerity to be accepted for more than their face value."

"I am sure that my companion will enjoy them, " Yeung Lin said, sliding his ring across the table. "We should meet again to talk, but I am afraid that I don't have the time to plan such a meeting at this moment. I did come here under slightly false pretenses, to ensure an element of surprise."

"Ah, I see, I see," Chengyi said, turning to his assistant. "Go get Li Jiahao to escort my honored guest out." The assistant bowed in acknowledgement, before making her way over to the cultivator refilling shelves on the far side of the room. Chengyi turned back towards Yeung Lin. "It can never hurt to avoid possible misunderstandings. My assistant Li Jiahao will prevent any issues that might arise from Mei's presence. Now go! I won't delay you any further on your noble quest! And we really should try to schedule another meeting. Just send me a letter. It'll arrive faster than they usually do, and I look forward to hearing the good news sooner than our usual delay!"

"Thank you very much," Yeung Lin said, with a bow. "Please feel free to keep these teacups as a token of my thanks. It would aid me greatly if one as experienced in the ways of tea such as yourself could offer me feedback on their quality."

With that, he carefully finished the last of his cup, before following Li Jiahao. As the two lifts were currently occupied on the fifth floor, he found himself being guided towards the stairs. A slight delay, but not an unpleasant one. It would allow him to see what sort of other goods the Thousand Grain Pavillion had to offer, and one could never be sure what sort of opportunities such chance encounters could offer.