Chapter 35: Li ming’s great mistake
Li Ming woke up the next morning with one thought in his head.
Buns.
He had dreamed about them all night. Some had pork inside, some had cabbage, some were so big they could roll over mountains. When he opened his eyes, his mouth was still moving like he was chewing.
"Ah... life is hard without buns," he sighed.
---
Today, the sect had called all the winners of the exam to gather again. Li Ming arrived late because he stopped on the way to ask three different people, "Excuse me, do you know where I can buy buns around here?"
By the time he arrived, the disciples were already lined up neatly.
Li Ming? He was still holding his pillow.
Everyone stared at him.
"...Why is he carrying a pillow?"
"Did he sleep on the road?"
Elder Qin’s forehead vein twitched. "Li Ming! Do you know what time it is?"
Li Ming nodded. "Yes. It’s bun o’clock."
The whole hall fell silent.
Elder Qin almost fainted on the spot.
---
The elders announced that the winners would now be allowed to learn from the sect’s library. The disciples cheered.
"The library has countless techniques!"
"With them, I will rise to greatness!"
Li Ming clapped happily. "A library? Great! They must have cookbooks about buns!"
Everyone: "..."
---
The disciples entered the library one by one. Each person came out holding scrolls with powerful names: Dragon Flame Slash, Heaven Splitting Sword, Thunder Steps.
When it was Li Ming’s turn, he went inside, walked to the first shelf he saw, and grabbed a random scroll.
He came back smiling.
The disciples craned their necks to see. What ultimate art had he chosen?
Li Ming proudly unrolled the scroll.
The title read: How to Brew Tea Like a True Gentleman.
The hall exploded in laughter.
"Is he serious?!"
"He went to the greatest library in the sect... and picked TEA BREWING?!"
Li Ming nodded seriously. "If I master tea, then buns will taste even better. This is the true dao."
Elder Qin put a hand on his chest. "This boy... will kill me one day."
---
But the story didn’t end there.
That very afternoon, the disciples gathered in the training field to practice.
One boy showed off his new sword technique, slicing a boulder in half. Another girl used her thunder steps and flashed across the arena in lightning speed.
Then, everyone looked at Li Ming.
"What about you? What technique did you learn?"
Li Ming smiled. "Prepare yourselves. I have studied all morning."
He placed a small teapot on the floor. Steam rose from it. He moved his hands slowly, like a master.
"I call this... The Bun-Washing Tea Technique."
Everyone: "..."
He poured tea into a cup, lifted it high into the air, and shouted, "Behold my power!"
At that exact moment, the teapot whistled loudly. PSSHHH! A cloud of steam blasted out like smoke.
The disciples screamed. "AHH! It’s a smoke technique!"
Some fainted. Others dropped their weapons.
Li Ming looked around, confused. "Eh? Why is everyone running? I was just making tea..."
From the viewing stand, Elder Qin buried his face in his hands.
"...They think he invented some new hidden art. Heaven save me."
---
That night, the entire sect was buzzing with rumors.
"Did you see? Li Ming’s tea scroll turned into a secret smoke technique!"
"It blinded ten disciples at once! Incredible!"
"No, no, you don’t understand. It’s not smoke—it’s spiritual steam!"
Li Ming overheard all this while chewing on a dry bun. He nodded proudly. "Yes, yes. Spiritual steam. Very advanced."
Inside, though, he was just sad. Why is everyone so excited about tea? It didn’t even taste good...
---
Bonus Bit
Later that night, Li Ming tried again with the teapot.
He poured carefully, moved slowly, and whispered, "Bun-Washing Tea Technique... activate."
The teapot exploded.
Li Ming coughed, covered in steam. His bun flew out of his hand, landing on the floor.
He stared at it with wide eyes.
"...I have committed the greatest sin. A bun has fallen."
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
To be continued...