Chapter 764 - 364: Snow Village Secret Realm (Part 2)

The Osu Venerable glanced around, searching the crowd for the figures of Shuocheng’s City Lord and the owner of Snow Village Inn. Soon, his gaze landed on a middle-aged man dressed in splendid attire, radiating a majestic demeanor. That man, with a stern face and an undeniably assertive aura, was none other than Shuocheng’s City Lord Qi Tai. Beside Qi Tai stood a middle-aged businessman, smiling brightly with shrewd eyes—he was Li Ming, the owner of Snow Village Inn.

Upon seeing the Osu Venerable, Qi Tai’s face immediately broke into a warm smile, quickly approaching, "Ah, the Osu Venerable makes an esteemed visit, how terribly negligent of me not to welcome you earlier!" He spoke while cupping his hands in a respectful salute towards the Osu Venerable, showing genuine deference.

The Osu Venerable smiled slightly and reciprocated, "City Lord, you are too courteous. My visit is also sudden, so please don’t take offense."

Li Ming also hurried forward, his face full of smiles, "Having the Venerable visit my humble establishment is truly an honor beyond words! Please, take a seat; I’ll immediately prepare the finest Snow Village Tea for you."

The Osu Venerable nodded, sitting by a table next to the window with You Su. Qi Tai and Li Ming took their seats opposite them, exuding utmost enthusiasm.

"I’ve heard this Snow Village Tea is extremely precious, sold only three cups a day. Today, I’ve come specifically to taste it." The Osu Venerable spoke while lifting the teacup from the table, gently sniffing the tea’s fragrance.

Qi Tai, upon hearing this, displayed an awkward smile, "The Venerable is indeed insightful. This Snow Village Tea is indeed rare. However, the shop has already sold out for the day, and I hope the Venerable will forgive us."

The Osu Venerable slightly raised his brows, looking at Qi Tai with a nonchalant smile, "Oh? Sold out? That’s indeed unfortunate. However, since I’ve come, surely I can’t leave empty-handed. Could the City Lord possibly tell me the source of this Snow Village Tea’s import channels?"

Qi Tai’s complexion subtly changed at the words, hesitatingly replied, "Well... the import channels are business secrets and difficult to disclose."

The Osu Venerable smiled faintly, setting down the teacup, "City Lord, there’s no need to be tense; I was just casually asking. Nonetheless, I have quite an interest in tea culture, and wonder if the City Lord and the owner could chat with me about the knowledge of this tea?"

Qi Tai and Li Ming exchanged glances, appearing slightly troubled. Their understanding of tea was actually minimal—the Snow Village Tea was esteemed more for its rarity and the stories behind it than for its own quality. Yet facing a lofty figure like the Osu Venerable, they dared not show their ignorance easily.

"Uh... this tea naturally has a refreshing aroma and a lingering aftertaste." Qi Tai forced a few laughs, trying to muddle through.

Li Ming concurred, "Yes, precisely, this Snow Village Tea is a specialty of Beiao Continent, an absolutely first-rate good tea."

Upon hearing this, the Osu Venerable’s lips curled into a teasing smile, "Oh? Is that so? However, I feel the taste of this tea seems somewhat off." Saying this, he raised the teacup again, taking a gentle sip.

Qi Tai and Li Ming became tense, watching the Osu Venerable with anxiety. The Osu Venerable merely smiled slightly, no longer speaking.

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. At that moment, the Osu Venerable abruptly changed the topic, "By the way, there is another matter I must address during this visit. I’ve heard that Shuocheng’s tax revenue has been growing slowly in recent years, and I’ve come specifically to audit the accounts. Could the City Lord possibly let me examine the records from recent years?"

Qi Tai’s expression darkened at those words, not expecting that the Osu Venerable’s visit would be for an audit. Yet faced with such a distinguished figure, he dared not decline lightly.

"Well... the records are all stored in the mansion. If the Venerable wishes to see them, I’ll immediately send someone to fetch them." Qi Tai spoke while giving Li Ming a meaningful glance.

Li Ming understood, swiftly rising, "Venerable, please wait for a moment; I’ll go fetch the records now." After finishing the sentence, he hurriedly left the tea house.

Soon, Li Ming returned with several hefty accounting books. The Osu Venerable took the books, carefully perusing them. You Su, meanwhile, sat quietly observing the changes in the Osu Venerable’s expression.

As time passed, the Osu Venerable’s brows furrowed more tightly. He set down the book, raising his head to look at Qi Tai, "City Lord, there seem to be some issues with the records here."

Qi Tai was shocked, forcing himself to remain calm, "Oh? May I ask what issues the Venerable has discovered?"

The Osu Venerable smiled slightly, "It seems the import price of this Snow Village Tea is rather high. Moreover, I’ve hardly heard of these so-called import merchants. Can the City Lord enlighten me?"

Qi Tai heard this, sweat began to bead his forehead. He stammered for a while before finally managing to speak, "These... these importers are newly rising powers; perhaps the Venerable is yet unfamiliar. However, their goods are guaranteed to be of quality."

The Osu Venerable shook his head, "There’s no need for the City Lord to say more. Although I’m not omniscient, I am fairly knowledgeable. Regarding Beiao Continent’s material merchants, I’m somewhat informed. However, these names in the records, I haven’t heard of a single one."

Qi Tai, seeing it was futile to conceal further, had no choice but to sigh, "The Venerable perceives with great clarity, I am truly impressed. To be frank, this Snow Village Tea indeed does not originate from some importers, but has another source."

The Osu Venerable’s eyes flashed with a keen light, "Oh? Then could the City Lord inform me of the true source of this Snow Village Tea?"

Qi Tai hesitated briefly, ultimately deciding to lay bare the truth, "This Snow Village Tea... is actually harvested from a secret realm."

"A secret realm?" The Osu Venerable raised his brows, visibly surprised.

Qi Tai nodded, "Exactly, it’s indeed a secret realm. Within that realm grows many rare spirit grasses and spirit medicines, and this Snow Village Tea is one of them. However, the realm is extremely perilous, which makes the quantity of Snow Village Tea extremely limited, and naturally, the price has skyrocketed."

The Osu Venerable, upon hearing this, nodded thoughtfully, "I see. No wonder this Snow Village Tea is so esteemed, given its extraordinary origin. However, since the City Lord is aware of the realm’s existence, why have you not reported it to the Divine Mountain? If the Divine Mountain can send people to harvest, wouldn’t it benefit more cultivators?"

Upon hearing this, a complex expression crossed Qi Tai’s face, his eyes carrying both helplessness and hidden worries. He glanced at Li Ming beside him, who also wore a troubled look, evidently anticipating this question yet unsure how to broach it.

"Venerable, there’s something you must understand," Qi Tai slowly began, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness, "The secret realm... it’s not that we are unwilling to report it, but rather that its circumstances are exceedingly complicated and extraordinary."

The Osu Venerable’s brows furrowed deeply, gesturing for Qi Tai to continue.

"Within the realm, besides the rare spirit grasses and spirit medicines, there are unknown dangers lurking. Even cultivators with profound cultivation have difficulty ensuring safe passage. It was by sheer chance that we discovered the realm’s entrance and suffered great losses to obtain a small amount of Snow Village Tea." Qi Tai paused here, seemingly recalling that thrilling adventure.

The Osu Venerable listened, his gaze flickering, clearly not entirely convinced by the explanation. He lightly tapped the table, contemplating for a moment, before suddenly asking, "Then, when was the last time you entered the secret realm? Were any other proofs or items brought back?"

Qi Tai and Li Ming exchanged a look, a hint of panic reflected in their eyes. Qi Tai, stiffening his resolve, replied, "The latest entry... was just yesterday. As the Venerable knows, the realm is unstable; we dare not linger long, aware of the dangers, thus only took a bit of Snow Village Tea before retreating quickly."

"Therefore, no other items proving the realm’s existence were brought back, correct?" The Osu Venerable’s tone remained calm, but his gaze pierced through the two men’s fa?ade.

Qi Tai and Li Ming remained silent, obviously exposed by the Venerable’s scrutiny.

The Osu Venerable sighed softly, speaking slowly, "Though not omnipotent, I possess some knowledge about secret realms. Most realms in Beiao Continent exhibit fixed patterns and characteristics, but the realm you describe sounds too ethereal, seemingly conjured from thin air."

At this point, the Osu Venerable stood, eyes ablaze with intensity as he gazed at the two men, "I offer you one last chance to reveal the truth. From where does the Snow Village Tea truly originate? Does this supposed secret realm truly exist?"