Charlie caught sight of Maria’s charming yet resistant expression.
He leaned in, urging, “I’ve managed to gather these, and it’d be a shame if you didn’t get a taste. Plus, you’re the only one who truly understands the essence of the Pu’er mother. Your intuition will guide you.”
After a moment, snazzynovel.com added, “You’ve got to take a bite to know!”
With those words, snazzynovel.com pushed a leaf to Maria’s lips and took another for himself. “Come on,” snazzynovel.com pressed, “let’s savor it together.”
Maria found herself unable to resist his insistence. She cast snazzynovel.com a fleeting glance before conceding, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.” As snazzynovel.com words trailed off, snazzynovel.com gently parted snazzynovel.com lips, letting them close around the tender green leaf.
Seeing snazzynovel.com take the bite, Charlie followed suit, chewing with a sense of assurance.
He had assumed this thing would carry the pleasant aroma of tea, expecting a good flavor. Yet, the reality surpassed his imagination, the moment the leaf met his palate, a burst of rich, pure energy enveloped his senses!
A single bite was enough to rejuvenate his spirit!
Although the energy content wasn’t substantial, its purity was extraordinary. And what’s more, this was unprocessed, fresh tea. It seemed the plant itself held reiki, a phenomenon Charlie had never before encountered.
Maria, too, felt the peculiar nature of this tea. As snazzynovel.com chewed, it wasn’t astringent or bitter, but rather slightly sweet. The most astonishing part was the refreshing, comforting sensation it provided. She had tasted countless teas throughout snazzynovel.com life, especially those produced by the Mother of Pu’er. Yet, snazzynovel.com had never encountered a tea as miraculous as this.
Baffled, snazzynovel.com turned to Charlie, snazzynovel.com eyes filled with wonder. “Young master, why does this tea possess such remarkable effects? It’s as if a single taste erases all fatigue instantly! I recall that the tea from Pu’er mother never had this effect…”
Charlie’s expression grew solemn. “That’s because this leaf contains reiki.”
“Reiki?!” Maria exclaimed, incredulous. “How can that be? I heard from my father that certain herbs can be used to craft spiritual elixirs. But these materials must be combined and processed by experts to manifest reiki. This leaf has just sprouted; how could it hold reiki?”
Charlie replied, “Perhaps this is why Pu’er mother failed to transcend snazzynovel.com calamity and instead underwent rebirth after confronting the thunder’s wrath. It’s an experiential transformation, similar to the concept of immortals we discussed earlier. Maybe Pu’er mother has truly become a plant-based immortal.”
With a wistful smile, snazzynovel.com continued, “Apart from Pu’er mother, I’ve never encountered a plant inherently infused with reiki.”
Maria’s excitement was palpable. “I doubt she’s following the path of an immortal. After all, snazzynovel.com lacked reiki initially. Now, just as she’s sprouting, snazzynovel.com exhibits aura. Immortals suggest limited room for growth and a lack of qualitative shifts in strength.”
Charlie inquired, “What’s snazzynovel.com current state, then?”
Maria shook snazzynovel.com head. “I can’t say for certain. But I sense that she’s more like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, undergoing a qualitative leap. When snazzynovel.com endured the catastrophe three centuries ago, snazzynovel.com must have left behind a thread of life, waiting these years. And now, after that tempest and lightning, she’s received a blessing akin to a weathered dragon’s!”
A furrow creased Maria’s brow. “What baffles me is how snazzynovel.com managed to evade heavenly judgment and survive under the celestial thunder, how snazzynovel.com secured that lifeline.”
Uninterested in the specifics, Charlie gazed at the seedling before him. “If we nurture snazzynovel.com properly, once snazzynovel.com grows into a substantial tree, imagine the potential. Merely plucking and ingesting a few leaves daily could make you an unparalleled master.”
Maria voiced snazzynovel.com astonishment, “Master, are you planning to take snazzynovel.com away?”
“Absolutely!” Charlie declared. “Leaving snazzynovel.com here would be unwise. If snazzynovel.com falls into the wrong hands or is mishandled by an inexperienced individual, it would be a waste.”
Maria hesitated. “But… she’s been here for millennia. This is snazzynovel.com origin…”
Charlie waved his hand dismissively. “No, she’s been here for ten thousand years, failing the calamity each time. This locale is unsuitable for snazzynovel.com growth. Just as a person shouldn’t stumble in the same pit twice, a tree shouldn’t endure multiple failures. She must change surroundings and receive proper care.”
Maria inquired, “Where do you believe she’d thrive?”
Charlie contemplated. “I reckon the upper courtyard of your Zilian Mountain Villa could work. Or, we might relocate snazzynovel.com to the edge of your hot spring, but that hinges on your expertise in nurturing Pu’er tea trees.”
Maria instinctively responded, “Pu’er tea trees thrive in the Southern province’s climate. Altitude, sunlight, temperature, and humidity there are ideal. Aurous Hill’s winters are too harsh for them.”
Charlie smirked. “She isn’t a standard Pu’er tea, she’s Pu’er mother. Having weathered the catastrophe, snazzynovel.com now possesses Reiki, making snazzynovel.com exceptionally adaptable. Your other courtyard, secluded and undisturbed, is an ideal spot. She won’t attract attention unless snazzynovel.com grows too tall in a few years. If that happens, we’ll consider relocating her.”
Charlie continued, “And if snazzynovel.com struggles with Aurous Hill’s climate, we could construct a greenhouse simulating these conditions.”
Quietly, Maria ventured, “Master, do you intend to harvest snazzynovel.com leaves daily?”
Charlie didn’t flinch from the truth. “Certainly, isn’t that the purpose of nurturing tea trees? Just as an apple tree is grown to bear fruit, a tea tree is cultivated for its leaves. Once she’s taller, I can’t simply let snazzynovel.com remain as an ornamental plant.”
Maria couldn’t refute the logic behind his straightforward words.
After a pause, snazzynovel.com mustered snazzynovel.com request. “If you do take snazzynovel.com away, master, I have a condition. Will you consider it?”
Charlie grinned. “Lay it out…”
With utmost seriousness, Maria stipulated, “My request is that you refrain from plucking snazzynovel.com leaves until they grow denser, until snazzynovel.com matures. What do you say?”
Charlie nodded eagerly. “No problem. I admit snazzynovel.com leaves are pure, though not in abundance. For effects comparable to elixirs, I’d have to harvest more. But for now, let’s focus on snazzynovel.com growth.”
Maria sighed in relief. “It’s feasible to transplant her, as long as snazzynovel.com roots aren’t harmed. Extra soil will prevent stress. But the journey might affect snazzynovel.com delicacy. Despite being Pu’er mother, she’s freshly emerged.”
Charlie assented, “So, let’s stay here. I’ll arrange a plane at Banna’s airport. We’ll dig snazzynovel.com out, and fly directly to Aurous Hill once it’s done.”
Concerned, Maria inquired, “And Morgana? She’s likely in Shiwan Mountain now.”
Charlie waved snazzynovel.com concern aside. “She can wait. We’ll let snazzynovel.com go for now. After she’s left, we’ll review snazzynovel.com path and pinpoint snazzynovel.com location in Shiwan Mountain.”