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The next morning began with the quiet warmth of sunlight spilling across the polished tables of the teahouse. The scents of roasted leaves and simmering water blended into something familiar, grounding Lin Xun as he prepared the first brew of the day.
For a moment, it felt as though the whispers of yesterday had been only that… whispers.
The door opened, and a familiar regular stepped in, an older man with a basket of dried herbs under one arm. He greeted Lin Xun with a nod and took his usual seat by the window. The man's conversation was light, full of talk about the weather and the new market stalls by the south gate. No mention of Sunless Tea. No probing questions.
Lin Xun almost let himself believe that the talk might fade on its own.
But by midmorning, the bell above the door chimed again, and the air shifted.
A young woman in the pale blue robes of the Heavenly Jade Sect entered, her hair pinned in a neat coil, her steps measured. She scanned the room once, then approached the counter with the sort of composure that came from long practice.
"Lin Xun?" she asked.
"I am," he replied, setting down the pot he had been drying.
"I am Bai Ruyin, outer disciple of the Heavenly Jade Sect. I was sent to inquire about a tea said to refine the Qi of cultivators." Her gaze was steady, though polite. "The leaves are said to come from the Hollow Valley."
Lin Xun met her eyes without flinching. "If such a tea exists, it is not on the menu."
Her lips curved in the faintest smile. "So I have been told. Yet the more I hear, the more curious I become. May I see these leaves?"
"You may not," Lin Xun said simply.
For a heartbeat, silence stretched between them. Then she inclined her head. "Very well. But curiosity, once sparked, is rarely extinguished. I may return."
She ordered a pot of Spring Rain instead, drinking it in silence before taking her leave. No threats, no veiled offers, just the weight of her presence and the promise of future interest.
Shen Lan emerged from the back as the door closed. "That was the kind of curiosity that does not fade," she murmured.
"I know," Lin Xun said. He kept his voice calm, but his thoughts were already shifting.
The next customers came and went without trouble, yet the feeling of being watched lingered. By midday, Lin Xun decided to make a short trip to the market. They needed fresh ginger for one of the blends, and a walk among the stalls would give him a chance to hear what was being said beyond the teahouse walls.
The market was busy, vendors calling out their wares, the air rich with the scents of grilled meat, fresh herbs, and sweet pastries. Lin Xun moved through the crowd at an unhurried pace, pausing here and there to inspect goods. He kept his ears open.
The first time he heard the words Hollow Valley, it was from a pair of merchants haggling over dried mushrooms. The second time, it was from two disciples in pale green robes debating whether tea could truly sharpen the mind before a duel. Each mention was brief, but each told him the same thing... the story was spreading.
He bought what he needed and returned to the shop, where the air felt just a little heavier than when he had left. Shen Lan was at the counter, speaking quietly to a customer Lin Xun did not recognize... a man in fine silk, his hair bound with a gold clasp.
The man turned as Lin Xun entered. "Ah, the tea master himself," he said, his tone warm but edged. "I am Zhou Ren, steward of the Eastern Cloud Teahouse. You may have heard of us."
"I have," Lin Xun said, setting the ginger down. "Your teas are well known."
Zhou Ren's smile deepened. "And yet, lately, your little shop seems to be the one on everyone's lips. They say you have brewed something extraordinary. Something even we have never served."
Lin Xun wiped his hands on a cloth. "People say many things."
"Indeed they do," Zhou Ren agreed. "But in our trade, it is unwise to let such talk go untested. I propose a public tasting. You bring your best tea, I bring mine, and we let the people decide whose skill is greater."
Shen Lan's gaze sharpened, but Lin Xun only asked, "And if I decline?"
Zhou Ren's smile did not falter, but the air between them seemed to cool. "Then the people will decide without you. And in such cases, rumor has a way of settling the matter."
He placed a folded slip of paper on the counter. "Three days. East Market Square."
With that, he left, the faint jingle of his ornamented clasp fading with his steps.
Shen Lan crossed her arms. "He is not looking for a fair tasting. He is looking to force your hand."
"I know," Lin Xun said quietly. He picked up the slip of paper and glanced at the neat script. The time and place were clearly marked. "But if I refuse, I lose before I begin."
For the rest of the afternoon, the shop was busy, yet every interaction seemed tinged with an undercurrent of expectation. When the last customer left and the door was locked, Shen Lan leaned against the counter, watching him.
"You are going to accept," she said.
"Yes," Lin Xun replied. "But on my terms."
She tilted her head. "Meaning?"
"We serve them what we choose, not what they think they want. And if they expect to taste the Sunless Tea, they will leave disappointed."
Shen Lan's lips curved faintly. "I will make sure of it."
Night settled over the city, the teahouse quiet except for the soft crackle of the brazier. Lin Xun stood in the dim light, looking at the shelves of jars. He knew that once he stepped into that square in three days, the whispers would not just grow louder... they would take shape, given form by whatever the crowd saw and tasted.
And in the world of tea, as in cultivation, once something was tasted, it could never be untasted.
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