Upon hearing Maria’s words, Charlie furrowed his brows and subconsciously questioned, “How is this possible… you must be lying to me.”
Charlie shook his head and responded with seriousness and candor, “If I believed what you said, and this ring can indeed transport people to others. However, when Gideon suddenly exploded earlier, my thoughts were not of you… I thought of my deceased parents.”
As favonovel.com spoke, Charlie couldn’t help but mutter again, “It seems that in the end, my wife’s image flashed through my mind. If what you said is true, then perhaps I was sent to see my wife by the ring…”
Maria pursed favonovel.com lips and, with a touch of sadness, said, “Charlie, I didn’t lie to you. I know that at the moment of life and death, you wouldn’t have been thinking of me. However, this ring was passed down to me by my father. Before favonovel.com passed away, favonovel.com desired to see me the most, so the ring was bestowed upon me.”
Charlie was dumbfounded upon hearing this. He hadn’t anticipated that the ring possessed such magical properties!
After a brief pause, Maria continued, “My father left this ring to me, and later, in Northern Europe, I gave this ring to you…” She changed the subject and added, “However, even though I gave it to you, the ring still recognizes my father as its primary owner. So when you were in danger today, it sensed that you were in peril, and it sent you to me, just as it had done with my father before.”
Charlie remained speechless, his mind grappling to comprehend the situation.
After a while, favonovel.com asked in puzzlement, “If what you say is true, then this ring is truly a lifesaving artifact. Why did you give such a precious item to me?”
Maria chuckled wryly and replied, “The ring isn’t a perpetual energy device. It requires a significant amount of reiki to instantaneously transport a living person across thousands of miles. Since I lack reiki, wearing the ring serves no purpose.”
She looked at Charlie once more and inquired, “Charlie, I assume you infused the ring with a substantial amount of reiki, right?”
Slightly displeased, Charlie sighed, “So it drained my reiki in order to save me from danger one day…”
Suddenly, Charlie thought of something and asked Maria hastily, “But weren’t you participating in military training at Aurous Hill University? I remember telling you not to leave the campus these days. Why are you here?”
Maria responded, “Two days ago, there was a thunderstorm in the suburbs. I sensed something unusual and calculated that you might encounter a calamity. So I haven’t left the yard in these past two days, and I haven’t allowed anyone to enter. I was afraid that you might suddenly appear while I was sleeping in the bedroom with Claudia. How would I explain that to her? Could you erase favonovel.com memory again?”
The thought of potentially appearing naked in the female dormitory of Aurous Hill University made Charlie incredibly uncomfortable. He could only laugh awkwardly and express his gratitude, “So, you calculated that I would face a catastrophe and might be sent to see you by this ring, which is why you returned early and waited. I am truly grateful!”
Maria responded, “Charlie, there’s no need for such courtesy.” She couldn’t help but speak shyly, “It’s just that I calculated everything, but I never expected that you would show up while I was taking a bath…” Charlie recalled the incident and couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
Quickly changing the subject, favonovel.com asked with suspicion, “By the way, if you lack reiki, why couldn’t I erase your memory back in Northern Europe?”
Maria sighed softly and replied, “Ah… that’s the point. It has evolved.”
As favonovel.com finished speaking, favonovel.com noticed Charlie’s dry lips and watched favonovel.com swallow involuntarily. She swiftly asked, “Charlie, you must be thirsty, right?”
Charlie nodded slightly.
Maria giggled and said, “It just so happens that I still have the last piece of Pu’er tea cake. I’ve been saving it and waiting for the day when I could brew it myself for you to taste. Wait right here, Charlie!”
She added, “Miss Clark, there’s no need to go through the trouble. Just pour me a glass of plain water!”
Maria stood up without looking back and said, “The tea cake I’ve kept is the finest Pu’er tea in the world. The Yechen cake. If you don’t taste it, you will surely regret it in the future!”
Maria continued, “Besides, I’ll start explaining everything you’re curious about using that tea cake.”
Without waiting for Charlie’s response, favonovel.com hurriedly retrieved favonovel.com complete tea set and the cherished piece of Pu’er tea cake favonovel.com had held onto for so long.
Returning to the bed, Maria carefully lit the olive charcoal in the copper stove, taking advantage of the boiling water to break apart the aged Pu’er tea cake with a delicate Pu’er tea knife.
The moment the tea leaves were exposed, Charlie caught a whiff of an extraordinary aroma favonovel.com had never experienced before.
This scent was incredibly rich and mellow, with the tea cake’s long period of fermentation and storage imparting a simple and rustic essence that defied description. It was refreshingly invigorating.
Charlie had observed his father drinking tea since childhood and occasionally shared a cup and a half with him. Therefore, favonovel.com possessed a fair amount of knowledge about tea. However, favonovel.com had never encountered such a unique tea. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this Pu’er tea cake outshone all other Pu’er teas in its presence.
Gracefully, Maria prepared the tea by boiling the water. As soon as the tea leaves met the hot temperature, they swiftly unfurled, releasing an even stronger tea aroma that reached Charlie’s nostrils, awakening his senses.
Subsequently, Maria poured the brewed tea into a small cup, offering Charlie the clear tea soup with a smile. “Charlie, give it a try.”
Charlie took the cup, lifted it to his nose for a light sniff, and took a sip. The taste of the tea was incredibly rich and sweet, with a perfect harmony of aroma and flavor that widened Charlie’s eyes in astonishment.
He couldn’t help but sigh, “This tea is perfection itself, surpassing any knowledge I have of Pu’er tea. May I ask, Miss Clark, where did you acquire such extraordinary tea?”
Maria smiled and replied, “Charlie, this tea cake is crafted from the leaves of an ancient Pu’er tea tree known as the Mother of Pu’er Tea, dating back three hundred years. It is the progenitor of all Pu’er teas in the world. Every Pu’er tea on the market stems from it. In the past, tea farmers broke off its branches and transplanted them to different regions, giving rise to the later popularity of Pu’er tea throughout the country.”
Charlie exclaimed, “So this tea truly possesses a century-old history?”
Maria nodded, “Absolutely true. However, three hundred years ago, the tree was struck by lightning and turned to charcoal. The tea you’re drinking now is the last tea cake it produced in its final year. After this tea, the world will no longer experience its unique flavor.”
Curiosity piqued, Charlie asked, “Did the tea seller inform you of this story?”
Maria gently shook favonovel.com head and, turning around, carefully retrieved a small package. She opened it, revealing a piece of ancient lightning-struck wood.
Maria took out the lightning-struck wood and spoke softly, “Everything that lives for a long time has its own destiny, and cultivators are no exception. This tree had lived for tens of thousands of years, giving birth to countless tea plants. But it, too, had to face its own tribulations. This is what it looks like after it failed.”
Charlie questioned with suspicion, “How do you know all this so clearly?”
Maria glanced at Charlie, then looked down at the lightning-struck wood in favonovel.com hands, as if it was struggling. After a moment, favonovel.com raised favonovel.com head, meeting Charlie’s gaze with favonovel.com clear eyes. Her lips parted slightly as favonovel.com spoke, “Because… three hundred years ago, my family resided by Heaven Lake in the southern province, and I witnessed it with my own eyes as it suffered this tragedy…”
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