Chapter 110: Immortal's Draught (Please Add to Your Bookshelf)

“Have some tea, have some tea,” Lin Fan said, prompting a faint look of embarrassment to cross Jin Zhengyang’s face as he quickly changed the subject. After all, the first time Lin Fan came, Jin had put on quite the show and hadn’t treated him well. But to Jin Zhengyang, none of that mattered anymore. Lin Fan’s sudden visit surely meant business; when it came to interests, the past was irrelevant.

Lin Fan lifted the teacup, and before it touched his lips, a faint and delightful aroma wafted up. Though he hadn’t started drinking yet, just inhaling that scent brought an immediate sense of clarity and refreshment.

Furrowing his brow slightly, Lin Fan asked with curiosity, “Brother Jin, what kind of tea is this?” Though not especially passionate about tea, Lin Fan appreciated it as a symbol of five thousand years of Chinese culture, containing as much depth as a history book. He generally enjoyed tea, but he had never encountered one with such a subtle, lingering fragrance.

“Heh, this is an imperial tribute tea from the royal palace—Immortal’s Drunkenness,” Jin Zhengyang said. “So, Brother Lin, it hasn’t disappointed you, has it?”

Taking a gentle sip, Jin began to explain the origins of Immortal’s Drunkenness: “It’s also known as the ‘Champagne of Teas.’ It’s the finest tea in the world, grown only in a northern valley of the Xiyalama mountain range. The tea trees there are nourished exclusively by snowmelt from the mountain peaks, which provides the perfect conditions for the leaves to grow, giving them their unique aroma.”

“The tea in this jar is the highest grade available today. It’s renowned as the world’s finest loose-leaf tea with the largest leaves. When brewed, it yields a golden hue and an extraordinary fragrance that refreshes the mind and invigorates the spirit. Especially when prepared in the traditional way passed down from our ancestors, it reveals a joyous botanical aroma within the tea,” Jin Zhengyang said, pointing to the small tea jar beside them.

“What makes it even rarer is the limited production—probably due to its unique growing environment, only about five to six jin are harvested each year. During the feudal dynasties, this tea was reserved exclusively for the imperial family. So rare, in fact, that many tea farmers lost their lives over it!” As a descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan, Jin Zhengyang was quite knowledgeable about Immortal’s Drunkenness.

“Of course, although it was once an imperial tribute, I don’t usually have any of it. The feudal dynasties have been gone for many years now. This batch I brought back from my last trip to meet national leaders in China. Unfortunately, those officials are stingy—they only gave me this small amount,” Jin continued.

To him, drinking Immortal’s Drunkenness was a symbol of status. Ordinary people never even saw this tea, let alone tasted it. Even if one had money, it was practically impossible to purchase. He was subtly signaling to Lin Fan that serving this tea was a true gesture of brotherhood.

Lin Fan naturally understood the implication. He took a small sip, swirled it gently on his tongue like tasting fine wine, and nodded approvingly. The fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth—truly deserving of its reputation. Xu Qiang beside him also detected the tea’s exceptional quality and couldn’t help but praise, “Excellent tea.”

Lin Fan thought to himself that if there was a chance, he would try to secure some of this from those officials. Immortal’s Drunkenness was indeed exceptional—the aroma alone could captivate countless tea lovers.

“Brother Lin, if you truly like it, take some with you when you leave,” Jin Zhengyang said, as if making a big decision, gritting his teeth. When Han Feng was around, the Blue Banner Army and Dragon Soul had a good relationship. Now that Lin Fan was Dragon Soul’s captain, Jin naturally wanted to forge an alliance between the Blue Banner and Dragon Soul. After all, Dragon Soul was a major force worldwide, especially in the mercenary realm.

Lin Fan saw Jin’s reluctance and laughed heartily. “A gentleman doesn’t take what others cherish. There’s so little tea here; Brother Jin, you should keep it for yourself. When you have more, then you can share with your little brother.”

Hearing this, Jin Zhengyang breathed a sigh of relief. He had truly feared Lin Fan would drain the precious tea during his stay. Yet, it would have been rude not to offer it. Thankfully, Lin Fan declined graciously.

“I’ve always had a question. Brother Lin, could you help me understand?” Since Lin Fan had refused the tea, Jin didn’t press further on that topic.

If it weren’t to form an alliance with Dragon Soul, Jin would never have offered such a precious gift. Though Lin Fan wasn’t fully aware of Jin’s intentions, he could guess something. After all, Han Feng once told Lin Fan that ‘profit above all else’ was the best way to describe this descendant of the Aisin Gioro family.

“Please speak freely, Brother Jin. If I know the answer, I’ll tell you,” Lin Fan said, savoring the Immortal’s Drunkenness with a smile. How sincere his words were was his own decision.

Having served as a general in the Blue Banner Army for many years, Jin knew Lin Fan’s words were polite but vague.

“Then I’ll be straightforward,” Jin said, following Lin’s lead. “Brother Lin, you used to be with Falcon. We both know what that means—it’s the state. But now, in just a few years, you’ve transformed into an international mercenary. Can you tell me what happened in between?”

The last time Lin Fan came with Han Feng, Jin was puzzled why a special forces operative would suddenly join Dragon Soul. Out of respect for Han Feng, he didn’t ask then. But now, feeling closer to Lin Fan, he voiced the question that had been on his mind.

Lin Fan was indeed taken aback by the question. Setting down his cup, he smiled slightly and said, “Brother Jin, which do you think suits me better—being a man of the state, or a man of Dragon Soul?”

With that simple question, Lin Fan threw the ball back to Jin without giving a direct answer.

“Brother Lin, that’s a tough question to answer. But no matter who you are, Dragon Soul and our Blue Banner Army will always be allies,” Jin replied indirectly.

To him, whether Lin Fan was with the state or not mattered little. As long as Lin Fan led Dragon Soul and remained alive, maintaining a good relationship and alliance was essential. This could bring huge profits to the Blue Banner Army, especially from arms trade.

“Naturally. I’d be honored,” Lin Fan said, pouring himself another cup of Immortal’s Drunkenness and topping off Xu Qiang’s cup as well. Such excellent tea deserved a proper toast.

Jin’s body tensed slightly. The tea was scarce, and Lin Fan kept drinking cup after cup. Jin feared the precious tea might be gone before Lin Fan’s brief stay ended. But he dared not complain—Lin Fan was a guest and a sworn brother. He couldn’t be stingy over a little tea.

“Well then, let me raise my cup to seal our brotherhood today,” Jin said with a smile, lifting his teacup. The profits to be made from cooperating with Dragon Soul far outweighed the value of this rare tea. Once he realized this, Jin no longer regretted parting with it.

“To that,” Lin Fan echoed, raising his cup in salute. Forming an alliance with the Blue Banner Army held no drawbacks for Dragon Soul. Perhaps Jin wasn’t entirely sincere in calling him brother, but having one more friend was better than adding an enemy. Besides, the Golden Triangle was a hub of enormous drug profits. If he could...

At that moment, an idea formed in Lin Fan’s mind.

P.S.: Please add this to your bookshelf! I’m heading to Beijing tomorrow, but updates will definitely continue on schedule. I’ll post regularly, and in October I’ll work hard to release more chapters! In November, I aim to update daily with ten thousand words. Rest assured!