After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 384 Three Questions about Tea

Following behind Li Xiaoyi, Shen Xu walked through a series of verdant corridors and secluded paths, finally stopping in a lush bamboo grove.

Despite the bright sunshine outside, a light drizzle was falling here. The raindrops fell silently, like smoke and mist, gently rubbing against the bamboo leaves and making a rustling sound.

A thin mist, like a veil, swirls around the bamboo forest, drifting gently in the wind, creating a dreamlike scene.

A faint, cool atmosphere lingered around, giving people an indescribable sense of refreshment and tranquility.

In the center of the bamboo forest, a simple and ancient pavilion stands silently, exuding a unique charm after weathering the vicissitudes of time.

Inside the pavilion, a small table is set up, where a refined and easy-going middle-aged man sits upright on a futon, brewing tea with his delicate hands. His gaze is focused and peaceful, as if this small world is enough for him.

For some reason, Shen Xu felt a little nervous despite being in such a pleasant setting.

"Xiao Yi, you can leave now." The middle-aged man's voice was gentle, but his gaze never left the tender green tea leaves that were churning in the jade pot.

After giving the middle-aged man a very proper bow, Li Xiaoyi left Shen Xu's side, seemingly not wanting to stay there for even a moment longer.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Xu slowly stepped forward. He had no relation to Li Xiaoyi, so what was there to be afraid of?

"This humble one, Shen Xu, greets senior." Shen Xu bowed respectfully, this was definitely the most proper bow he had ever shown to an elder since Uncle Wang had taught him etiquette.

"sit down!"

Shen Xu looked up and saw a middle-aged man wearing a light blue robe with a slightly worn collar. His eyebrows were like distant mountains, and his demeanor exuded a calm and unhurried air, somewhat resembling Li Xiaoyi.

He knew, of course, that staring at an elder was very impolite, so he quickly averted his gaze and sat down opposite the middle-aged man with a serious expression.

"Try it." The middle-aged man pushed the teacup filled with pale yellow tea in front of him towards Shen Xu.

"Thank you for the tea, senior!" Shen Xu carefully picked up the teacup. He first brought it close to the rim and gently sniffed it before taking a small sip. Then he frowned.

After taking another sip and savoring it carefully, Shen Xu gently put down the teacup.

"Please forgive my ignorance, senior; this tea is as bland as water."

"As bland as water." The middle-aged man chuckled twice, then poured a cup of tea from the teapot and pushed it in front of Shen Xu again.

Shen Xu looked at the middle-aged man with some confusion, but still picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and said in bewilderment, "Still as bland as water."

Upon hearing Shen Xu's words, the middle-aged man did not show any displeasure. Instead, he raised his head, looked calmly at Shen Xu's expressionless face, and then slowly refilled a cup of tea and pushed it towards Shen Xu.

The taste of this tea was a pleasant surprise for Shen Xu. The tea was fragrant, smooth, mellow and sweet. Even though Shen Xu didn't know how to appreciate tea, he could feel its extraordinary qualities.

"I am but a novice and cannot adequately describe the taste of this tea, but it is absolutely excellent," Shen Xu said, setting down his teacup.

But at the same time, a deep doubt arose in his heart. He had seen with his own eyes that the tea was poured from the same teapot as the previous two times, so why was there such a big difference?

"This tea is called 'Three Questions'. One cup asks about good and evil, one cup asks about right and wrong, and as for the last cup... you'll find out later."

"I can understand a little about 'asking about good and evil,' but what does 'asking about right and wrong' mean?" Shen Xu asked, glancing at the tea he hadn't finished drinking.

"The question is about the right and wrong of the thing you most want to accomplish." The middle-aged man picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then frowned.

"You are an orphan, raised by an old servant since childhood. Two years ago, you even adopted a brother and sister. Your background is relatively clean. Although your talent for cultivation is not high, you can still use the sixth wave in the Qi Nourishing Realm, which shows that your soul is strong and your comprehension is extremely high."

The approval of the Praying White Crane proves your noble character, the Three Questions on Tea proves that you are not just a person with excessive kindness, and your performance in the Sword Selection and Blood Central Realm is enough to prove that you are quite intelligent.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied with your performance. To be honest, I never believed that Xiao Yi would fall in love with a boy, but you have indeed become someone more important to her than me.

I owe Xiao Yi so much, and there's no way to make it up to her, so I hope you can take good care of her for me.

"If you're willing, everything in the Li family will eventually be yours."

Upon hearing the middle-aged man's words, Shen Xu remained silent for a moment before asking, "May I ask why you chose this time to break through to the Transcendent Realm?"

"The opportunity for a breakthrough is not something I can control. If I miss this opportunity, I may never have the chance to glimpse the scenery of the Transcendent Realm again in my life."

"What if I told you that your breakthrough this time is fraught with danger?"

"The path of cultivation is inherently fraught with risks, and who can be 100% certain of breaking through the elixir and achieving rebirth?" The middle-aged man appeared quite nonchalant.

"What if I said that the Five-Leaf Mystic Ice Flower might exist within the Blood Central Realm?"

"A glimmer of hope is not worth expecting."

"In your opinion, is Xiao Yi more important, or is the transformation more important?"

"I have reasons why I have to change my ways." The middle-aged man's voice revealed a hint of helplessness.

Hearing this, Shen Xu felt somewhat helpless. The key issue was that he didn't know whether the middle-aged man had ultimately broken through to the Transcendent Realm.

Because Li Xiaoyi's relationship with her father was clearly not harmonious, it's quite possible that she didn't mention her father to him in her previous life because of this.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Xu said, "Even if you hadn't said anything, I would have taken care of Xiao Yi. But I can never take your place. Besides, I don't think it's proper for a father to entrust his daughter to a stranger he's only met once."

Although my seniors praised me a lot, it was all superficial. I... am not someone you can entrust your life to.

"Don't you like Xiao Yi?" the middle-aged man asked casually.

"Senior, this matter has nothing to do with Xiao Yi. She is a good person, but I am not suitable."

"Can I ask why?"

"Just as my senior had a reason to undergo a transformation, I also have a reason why I absolutely cannot be with Xiao Yi."

"To love someone you can't have—there's no greater pain in the world. People are always troubled by various obsessions, preventing them from seeing what they truly want." The middle-aged man downed his tea in one gulp.

After Shen Xu walked out of the bamboo forest, he found Li Xiaoyi waiting for him outside.

What did he say to you?

"Let me take care of you."

"What's your answer?"

“A father asked me to take care of his daughter, how could I refuse?”

“I don’t need your care,” Li Xiaoyi said coldly.

"Indeed, you've always been the one helping me." Shen Xu smiled helplessly.

"He also said that he owes you too much and can't make up for it. He doesn't expect you to forgive him, but he hopes that you can talk to him calmly for my sake." Shen Xu said earnestly, staring into Li Xiaoyi's eyes.

Seeing the growing coldness in Li Xiaoyi's eyes, Shen Xu quickly said, "I'm definitely on your side, but now that I've come to see your father, I want to know his opinion of me."

"Is his opinion important to you?" Li Xiaoyi suddenly asked.

Shen Xu sighed inwardly, then replied, "Yes! It's very important."

After some time, Li Xiaoyi walked out of the bamboo forest with a calm expression.

"What do you think of me, senior?" Shen Xu asked with a smile, leaning against a thick green bamboo.

“You already knew that,” Li Xiaoyi replied calmly.