It was another proof that Zhou Xuan's worries were right, in the late afternoon, Si Chou arrived at Zhou Mansion from "Ji", with a large leather bag on his horseback, which was packed with many things.

  Zhou Xuan asked: "Old Fourth, what's in such a big package?"

  The four foolish faces smiled and said: "There are copper kettles for boiling tea, wooden rollers, mortars, water containers, tea strainers, ladle bowls, tea cups, and all kinds of famous teas."

  "Good one, old four! You really tried to trick me with this. If my brother wasn't so sharp, I would have fallen for it." On the surface, he exclaimed in surprise: "Didn't you say you didn't bring any tea utensils? Where did these come from?"

  "It's laughable, would I buy tea sets temporarily? I'm a wanderer, traveling all over the world, making everywhere my home. These tea sets are always with me, otherwise how could I drink tea? Am I supposed to go to some tea house and drink those low-quality teas?"

  Zhou Xuan wore a dejected expression, repeatedly saying: "Fourth brother, you're too cunning, really too cunning! I, Zhou Xuan, thought myself clever, but didn't expect that today's tea competition wouldn't even start before I fell behind."

  "Alright, I won't make things difficult for you even if I lose the tea competition. I'll stay in 'Jie Qiu Zhan Tang' and wait until 'Mo Bu De' passes away before leaving with my third brother. How's that? Isn't that magnanimous enough?"

  Zhou Xuan smiled secretly in his heart and said, "Fourth brother, aren't you going to enter the capital with me to participate in next year's Yuanxiao Chess Conference? The Tang Dynasty's top ten Du Hu Fu have gathered all the chess masters from around the world. This top-level chess battle is held once every three years. If you can't participate, it would be a real pity!"

  Si Chai Dao said: "I and Third Brother will naturally go watch the battle when the time comes."

  Zhou Xuan shook his head and said: "Watching a battle is just for the excitement, how about taking part in it personally and having a good fight?"

  The four fools opened their big eyes and asked: "What does this mean? How can I personally take the stage?"

  Zhou Xuan said: "The three chess players sent by the Fuhua Du Hu Fu are me, Zhou Xuan, Gu Liuquan, and Fu Yannian. Lin Du Hu and Xu Ci Shi thought that Fu Yannian's chess skills were a bit weak, so they entrusted me to pay attention to selecting another one. I originally wanted to let Old Fourth take the top spot, but you want to leave, it's really a pity!"

  With mouths agape, they were speechless for a long time.

  San Ci said: "Master, let Jian Nu take the lead. Jian Nu had already made a vow that day. He would serve his master for life. Even if my fourth brother won against the master in a duel, Jian Nu would not leave."

  "Third Brother, how can you be like this? I've worked so hard to fight for your freedom, and yet you say that even if I win, I won't leave, and still want to compete with me for the chess championship spot!"

  Zhou Xuan used a chess battle quota to turn the two brothers against each other. With a hint of "killing three with one stone", he chuckled and said: "Since I, this sword slave, am loyal and devoted, then there's no need to compete in tea-making anymore, right? Even if you win, it would be for nothing, but once you lose, you'll become a tea slave, an insect slave, and also a chess slave. Heh heh, perhaps this is exactly what the fourth brother wants."

  His eyes stared at his elder cousin, then at Zhou Xuan. With a burst of anger, he said: "The chess game must be played, but since my third brother is willing to be a slave, I have nothing to say about it. This bet has to be changed. If I win, I will go to the Chess War as one of the three chess players of Fenghua Prefecture next year. If I lose, I will be a slave and servant, at your disposal."

  Zhou Xuan has the ability to guide the development of the gambling game, making it more and more favorable for him. Now, in the tea competition, he is unbeatable, and even the famous Three Chis and Four Chis will fall into his hands. The more infatuated they are, the easier they are to deal with. Four Chis are easier to handle than Three Chis, as long as you can grasp their weaknesses.

  Zhou Xuan said: "Old Fourth, you are really cunning. If you do it this way, won't you be guaranteed to win and not lose? You have become my tea slave and chess slave. I will still think of a way to let you participate in the top ten Duhu Fu Chess War. Whether we win or lose at the tea fight, the result is the same. How can you be so confident of victory?"

  He said: "That's different, I win and I'm free, not bound by you, lose and it's like my third brother, a lifetime of slavery."

  Zhou Xuan retorted, "How is your third brother not free? As long as he doesn't harm my interests, he can do whatever he wants, and he's very carefree. Look at him now, spending his days fighting insects and playing chess, leisurely and contentedly - isn't that even better than when he used to roam the jianghu? The distinction between master and servant is just a nominal one; when have I ever treated him like a slave? On the contrary, I've always shown him respect."

  San Ci said with a flattering tone: "Master is right, Fourth Brother, you should also serve Master together with me. These days, I've seen that you're indeed much happier, and in Hongzhou, you always have a smile on your face."

  He glared with his beady eyes, which were surprisingly clear: "Third Brother, you're helping the tiger! I'm not happy at all, I'm not happy one bit. Just seeing Zhou Xuan makes me angry."

  Zhou Xuan said: "Old Fourth, you're stubborn, happy in your heart but unwilling to admit it with your mouth. Since that's the case, let's settle this in a tea room and see who comes out on top. I'll defeat you at your own proud tea ceremony, save you from a life of misery, and from now on, live a happy life! Alas, my magnanimity is truly too great!"

  Zhou Xuan, San Chi, and Si Chi rode their horses out of the west gate, crossed a small bridge, and arrived outside the White Cloud Temple. Si Chi mocked, saying: "Zhou

  "Wasn't choosing this Taoist nunnery as the site for the duel already a premeditated arrangement?"

  Zhou Xuan nodded and said: "Of course there is a setup, specifically to get you into the trap."

  Si Chī coldly smiled and said: "Drinking tea is not about fighting insects, even if you recklessly eat Xiao Mi Wan, it's still useless."

  Lin Han Yun waited in front of the watchtower, seeing the two great killing gods standing on either side of Zhou Xuan as he arrived. Although she had seen them many times before, the legend of their murderous exploits still lingered in her mind and she couldn't shake off a lingering fear, so she didn't dare to speak much. She led the three of them to the Qing Xiuyuan on one side of the Sanqing Hall.

  Zhou Xuan said, "The master of the White Cloud Temple is my distant aunt, so I'll borrow this elegant place to have a tea competition. There are ready-made tea utensils here, and also stored famous springs from various places. Fourth Brother can show off his skills now."

  Four people entered the tea room, and Jingyi Xianzi, dressed as a maid, came forward to pay her respects, saying "Young Master". She was still wearing a veil.

  Zhou Xuan's feet paused for a moment, her eyes slightly widened. Jingyi Xianzi was usually dressed in simple chessboard-patterned or apricot-yellow Taoist robes. Today, she was dressed as a maid, wearing an onion-green silk skirt and a tender lotus-colored long scarf. As she walked, her movements were elegant and refined, and her hair wasn't simply tied up in a bun, but was styled in a beautiful drooping horse-tail braid, making her look even more gentle and slender, like a celestial being.

  Si Chai put down the large leather bag in his hand and looked at Jingyi Xianzi, asking Zhou Xuan: "Who is this woman?"

  Zhou Xuan said, "It's my maid Yun Yi, who also loves tea ceremonies. I often instruct her on a daily basis. Today, she's my tea servant, fanning the flames, pouring water and serving tea - Fourth Brother, do you want me to find a tea servant for you too?"

  On the other hand, Lin Han Yun secretly scolded Zhou Xuan for being shameless, giving his sister a name that was similar to hers, and even saying that his sister learned tea-making from him. His audacity is truly rare.

  Si Chai looked at Jingyi Xianzi again, shook his head and said: "I don't need any beautiful maid to serve tea. The way of tea emphasizes clarity of mind and purity of thought. Beauty will affect the art of tea as well as the art of chess. Therefore, I have always hated beauty in my life."

  Zhou Xuan thought to himself: "Could it be that the Five Eccentric Wanderers' true manual is indeed the 'Sunflower Manual'?" He smiled and said: "Before we have our tea, let me first tell you a short Zen story..."

  Lin Han Yun immediately perked up her ears as soon as Zhou Xuan said he was going to tell a story, and listened as Zhou Xuan said:

  "Two monks and a beauty crossed the river, no bridge, had to wade through the water. The beauty asked Monk B to carry her across, but he refused, saying it was improper for him to be close to a woman. Monk A didn't say a word, just carried her on his back and waded through the water. After reaching the other side, the beauty thanked Monk A and they went their separate ways. Monk B walked for a while, then criticized Monk A for being unchaste and having been too close to the woman. Monk A said he had put her down after crossing the river, but Monk B couldn't forget about it - that's our Mr. Fourth!"

  Lin Han covered her mouth and smiled.

  The four fools angrily said: "I am Monk Yi, and you are that Monk Jia who got a good deal but still wants to show off."

  "Take it easy, don't get agitated," Zhou Xuan laughed and said. "Fourth brother, you were just talking about the subtleties of tea ceremony being serene and clear-minded, how can your temper be so hot? Are you trying to brew tea with your mouth?"

  "Cut the chatter, let's get started with the tea competition! We'll have five rounds: identifying the type of tea leaves, recognizing the taste of water, speed of brewing, color of the tea, and finally, tasting the flavor - you must say what kind of tea leaves it is and what kind of water was used to brew it!"

  Zhou Xuan said: "Alright, let's have it just like before, first taste the tea."

  Tea appraisal is done by looking with the eyes and smelling with the nose, and saying what kind of tea it is and in which month it was picked.

  Si Chai opened his large leather bag, took out six fist-sized ceramic jars from inside, arranged them on the table and said: "Zhou Xuan, I have six famous teas here, you come to identify them first."

  Zhou Xuan knelt down with his back straight and said loudly, "Yun Yi, bring those ceramic jars one by one, I'll identify them."

  Jing Yi Xianzi stepped forward, her slender hands holding up the first ceramic jar on the left, turned around and walked towards Zhou Xuan, quietly opened the lid, took a glance and sniffed it, and when handing the jar to Zhou Xuan, she raised her little finger on her left hand.

  Zhou Xuan stared at Jingyi's small finger, as white and tender as a newly peeled scallion, until she withdrew her hand. He then looked up, pretending to be looking and sniffing at the same time, before saying: "Jianzhou's San Yue Bei Yuan tea."

  Si Chai nodded and said: "Bei Yuan tea is good for distinguishing, let's distinguish again."

  Jingyi Xianzi brought over another can of tea leaves and lifted her white and tender left index finger.

  Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "In April, Changzhou's Yangxian tea."

  The four fools don't speak.

  Jingyi Xianzi picked up the third can, fourth can, and fifth can, and Zhou Xuan said one by one the origin of the tea leaves and the month they were picked.

  The four fools looked ugly.

  When Jingyi Xianzi brought the sixth can, she strangely didn't raise any of her fingers. Did she not recognize this tea?