Backlash Part 1

Chapter 146: Wen Rouhan's Favourite Tea

Meng Yao gave Wen Qing a polite smile. The calm and almost regal way he carried himself through the door transitions easily to a demure deferential bow of respect. It hits the perfect balance between lowering himself gracefully beneath Wen Qing's status, while still rising back up to his place of authority. It is the sort of bow that Wen Rouhan and his sons would adore. It strokes the ego of the recipient with minimal loss in status to Meng Yao.

It's an impressive display, especially with how every motion looks natural and fluid. Every smile and gesture is reflected in Meng Yao's expression. There is no hollow emptiness in his gaze, dangerous frustration, or fatigue. Nothing to hint at just how deliberate such a gesture must be. It's good enough that Wen Qing briefly wonders if she isn't reading too much into it. Maybe she is adding intention where there isn't. Maybe Meng Yao is just excessively polite.

"Won't you sit?" Meng Yao gestures to the table.

Wen Qing took a seat and watched Meng Yao unhurriedly follow her to a seat of his own. Wordlessly he began to prepare tea. Every movement was fluid as Meng Yao took his time with each step. He made no effort to speak during this and Wen Qing did her best to conceal her own anxiety by remaining silent.

The silence made Wen Qing's skin crawl. It felt like her skin was covered in ants. She wanted to move. To shake her hands and rub at her arms to assure herself it was only her anxiety and nothing was actually there. She kept herself still and hoped her mask of calm was good enough to fool the Principle torturer that sat across from her.

Tea was poured with a practised ease, as though Meng Yao had spent countless hours perfecting this one task. Wen Qing lifted the cup in her hands bringing it close as she usually did. She slowly inhaled the steam, analyzing the fragrance. It was a tea she was very familiar with, Wen Rouhan's favourite.

Wen Rouhan had it served at the last discussion conference. Not to everyone. Wen Rouhan considered it beneath him to treat the other sect leaders with the same level of importance as he held for himself. Rather Wen Rouhan had the tea prepared and served to himself, Wen Qing, and Wen Chao.

Wen Qing did not recall seeing it served to anyone else, but admittedly she only noticed it was served to Wen Chao because Wen Chao had been too busy drinking wine to touch the tea. Wen Rouhan had quietly fumed at the sight of the full cup that had gone cold by the end of the banquet. Wen Qing had only had this tea a few times. The discussion conference had been one. It was a sign of favouritism and also a way in which Wen Rouhan was distinguishing his own clan as being above the others.

When Wen Qing was fourteen she had developed a new recipe for a medicine that could help a body hold spiritual energy. It had incredible applications for assisting in the formation of a golden core, and had the potential to assist in using spiritual energy to treat the injuries of a non-cultivator. Wen Rouhan had been so impressed that he invited her to have tea with him to congratulate her. He had served her his favourite tea and congratulated her for the accomplishment.

When Wen Xu earned himself a place among Wen Rouhan's generals, Wen Rouhan had gifted Wen Xu with this same tea. It was the only instance Wen Qing had been aware of Wen Rouhan gifting it to anyone. Since Wen Rouhan was proud of himself, his legacy, and his oldest son; it made sense that Wen Rouhan would gift it to Wen Xu.

Finding that Meng Yao had and was serving this tea was... Something between jarring and unsettling. Wen Qing could not quite decide which word applied more. Wen Qing knew enough to know that this tea was cultivated in Qishan exclusively for the QishanWen sect leader. Maybe once it had been for the main clan, or maybe it had been unrelated and Wen Rouhan took control of it to fuel his personal obsession. Wen Qing could only guess.