area51novel Chapter 566 A Ghost Pokémon Residing in a Teacup? Can't Evolve Without Becoming a Tea Master?
Chapter 566 A Ghost Pokémon Residing in a Teacup? Can't Evolve Without Becoming a Tea Master?
Chapter 566 A Ghost Pokémon Residing in a Teacup? Can't Evolve Without Becoming a Tea Master?
The background of the caller is a classically and luxuriously decorated study, with bookshelves filled with various antiques that look very valuable.
"Host, we've been waiting for you!"
The person on the other end of the line sounded somewhat shrill with excitement.
【Oh my god, isn't that Masked Guy?】
[Holy crap, this guy seems to be constantly connecting with various livestreams. I remember he used to be an antique collector, how come he's now involved in Pokémon racing!]
[Tsk, I heard he's incredibly rich. Betting his entire fortune would be enough to ensure someone lives a life of comfort for a lifetime!]
Ye Yinchuan smiled as he looked at the somewhat flamboyant person on the other end of the line.
He had heard of the username "Fake Sweetheart" before. It was said that the user never showed his true face and claimed to be "handsome and charming, with a face that could charm thousands of girls".
"Masked Bro, there's no need to bet your entire fortune. This is a civilized livestream, we don't do that."
"Tell me, what is this Pokémon that's the only one of its kind in the world that's making you so excited?"
"hey-hey!"
Masked Guy chuckled smugly twice, then lowered his voice, feigning mystery.
"Host, let me ask you a question first."
Do you believe that there are antiques in this world that can move on their own?
This question caused the live stream chat to instantly go off-topic.
[Here we go, let's move on to the science segment!]
Of course I believe it! My robot vacuum cleaner works by itself every day!
[Does the boss mean it's haunted?]
Ye Yinchuan raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Oh?"
"Tell me more about it."
"Here's what happened!"
Golden Ball cleared his throat and began his story.
"I recently bought a castle that is several hundred years old at an auction."
"I discovered something unusual in the castle's tea room."
He paused deliberately, keeping everyone in suspense.
"A special set of tea utensils."
"—That's it? I've already taken my pants off, and this is what you're telling me?"
[Hey boss, are you kidding us? A tea set in the break room, is that unusual?]
Masked Guy looked at the comments and seemed to have expected it, remaining completely calm.
"To be more precise, the anomaly is among the teaware—a very exquisite antique teacup."
His voice became mysterious once again.
"The key point is—this teapot is amazing, and—yes! I suspect it's some kind of unknown Pokémon!"
"Alive?"
Ye Yinchuan repeated it, his eyes becoming somewhat playful.
"Yes! Alive!"
Masked Guy excitedly gestured to indicate his name.
"At first, I noticed that the teacup would change position by itself, but after installing surveillance cameras, I discovered—"
"It floats up on its own! It flies around the room!"
"Moreover, even though there's nothing inside, it can produce a kind of purple liquid on its own!"
'
[Holy crap? A Ghost-type Pokémon?]
I suspect it's some kind of ghost playing a prank.
This sounds interesting!
Ye Yinchuan did not immediately draw a conclusion, but continued to press for answers.
"Have you come into contact with that purple liquid?"
"You've hit the nail on the head, anchor!"
Masked Guy slapped his thigh.
"That liquid smells so good! It smells amazing!"
"It's a wonderfully refreshing aroma of black tea that I've never smelled before!"
"I couldn't resist, so I—I took a small bite."
[What a brave soul! Drinking liquid of unknown origin?!]
[Hey bro, are you feeling unwell right now?]
[For example, do you want to bite someone?]
"How does it taste?" Ye Yinchuan pressed.
"Delicious! Delicious enough to never forget!"
Masked Guy had a look of lingering satisfaction on his face.
"But—after drinking it, I felt a little cold and a bit dizzy."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yinchuan's expression became playful again.
I already had some guesses in my mind, but there were many things that didn't add up.
But he didn't say it outright; instead, he continued to guide the conversation.
"Besides these abilities, does it do anything else?"
"For example, did they exhibit any aggressive behavior?"
No! Absolutely not!
Masked Guy shook his head repeatedly, "But because I feel there's something wrong with that teacup, I'm afraid there might be a problem, or it might scare away a rare Pokémon—so I want to ask a professional to take a look."
"I understand. I think I know what kind of Pokémon it is. But to be absolutely sure, I still need to take a look before I can complete the identification."
Ye Yinchuan's smile conveyed confidence and assurance.
"Of course! Please wait a moment, host!"
Masked Guy was clearly prepared.
He pointed his camera at an antique coffee table carefully protected by a glass cover in the corner of the study.
On the coffee table, there was only one lonely, seemingly old blue-and-white porcelain teacup.
The cup is decorated with an elegant landscape painting, and the glaze is warm and lustrous, making it clearly not an ordinary item.
"This is it!" Masked Guy's voice was filled with the excitement of presenting a treasure.
[The protection is well done; you've put in a lot of effort.]
But from this perspective, there's nothing particularly special about it.
"Don't worry, I've actually observed it too. It only reacts when no one is around. It also reacts when you brew a pot of black tea and let the aroma fill the air."
Masked Man explained, while taking the hot black tea handed to him by the person next to him.
Although I can't smell it—
Even through the screen, seeing that smoke, one can almost feel the aroma of tea spreading.
The blue-and-white porcelain teacup that was sitting quietly on the coffee table suddenly wobbled slightly.
Followed by.
A tiny, slime-like head, made entirely of purple liquid, cautiously peeked out from the rim of the cup.
It has no obvious facial features, only two small, curious eyes made up of golden specks of light.
It seemed a little shy, peeking out and glancing timidly at the camera before quickly retreating back in.
Only a faint purple ripple remained on the rim of the cup.
Immediately afterwards, a liquid resembling black tea gushed out.
Holy crap! There's something there! And it's alive!
【Ahhh, so cute! What is this? Is it a purple slime?】
[Growing out of a cup? That's so cute!]
Is this what you're drinking? Make it clear!
The viewers in the live stream were amazed and had varying reactions.
"See that, streamer!" Masked Guy exclaimed excitedly, "That's how it is! Appearing and disappearing like a ghost!"
At the same time, he responded to the comments, saying, "Yes—it's my fault for not explaining clearly, hehe."
So, what exactly is this black tea? That seems really strange!
It can't be Apacha, can it?
"Yes, I saw it."
Ye Yinchuan nodded, his smile widening.
"Congratulations, Masked Guy."
"What you've discovered is indeed a very rare and very interesting Pokémon."
Its name is ————
"—Come and have some soothing tea."
As he spoke, Ye Yinchuan typed these words in the public chat!
"Want some soothing tea? Want a cup of tea? What a fitting name."
Haha, that's interesting!
What type is it? Ghost? Or Fairy?
"That's right." Ye Yinchuan confirmed the guesses made by the viewers in the live chat.
"Come to Sad Tea, Ghost-type, Black Tea Pokémon."
"They are a very peculiar kind of spirit, said to be ghosts that reside in leftover, cooled red tea."
"The purple liquid in the cup is their actual substance."
Ye Yinchuan paused for a moment, then changed the subject.
"Lai Bei Tea has a very core characteristic."
"They absorb the life energy of other creatures by having them drink a part of their bodies—that is, the purple tea."
"However—"
Ye Yinchuan's tone became somewhat playful.
"The taste of Lai Bei tea is generally extremely unpleasant."
"It has an astringent, bitter, and fishy taste, making it difficult to swallow."
"Therefore, most creatures will spit it out immediately after taking a bite."
"Therefore, they have difficulty absorbing enough life energy."
This statement came out.
The live stream room fell into an eerie silence.
Even the masked man was stunned.
It tastes awful?
He savored the memory of that wonderful, unforgettable taste.
This doesn't match what the host said at all!
【? ? ? 】
[Host, are you mistaken? Didn't Masked Guy just say it was so delicious you'd never forget it?]
[Yeah! Isn't that contradictory?]
However—the fact that he absorbed life energy does explain why Masked Guy felt cold and dizzy!
[This is terrifying to think about! This little cutie actually lives by absorbing people's life essence?]
[The host already said it's generally hard to drink, which means there's a second type!]
The live chat exploded instantly.
On one hand, there's the person's personal experience of "deliciousness that I'll never forget."
On one hand, there's the anchor's professional assessment that it's "extremely unpalatable."
So, who is telling the truth?
Seeing the screen full of question marks, Ye Yinchuan just smiled mysteriously.
"Of course I'm not mistaken."
"On the contrary, that is precisely what makes this Lai Bei tea so remarkable."
Everyone pricked up their ears, waiting for him to continue.
"Think about a question."
"For Lai Bei Cha to evolve, it must absorb enough life energy."
"To absorb life energy, one must induce other creatures to willingly drink it."
"But their natural taste is extremely unpleasant."
"This is a vicious cycle."
"So, if you were a tea spirit that refused to be ordinary and yearned to evolve, what would you do?"
Ye Yinchuan's question made everyone fall into deep thought.
What else can we do? That's just how talent is.
Was it a case of forcing someone to drink it?
That's so lame, and they'd definitely get blown away.
The answer is ————
Ye Yinchuan's gaze seemed to pierce through the screen, landing on the little guy who was cautiously peeking out again.
"effort."
"Day after day, year after year, striving to improve the taste of my tea."
"They will taste the real black tea and mimic its aroma and flavor —"
"They used the power of ghosts to gradually infuse these wonderful flavors into their own bodies."
"This is an extremely long and tedious process."
"The vast majority of those who come to Laibei Tea give up halfway through."
"But there are always some exceptionally talented, or rather—those with unwavering willpower, who are able to persevere."
Ye Yinchuan's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible approval.
"They keep trying, keep failing, keep improving —"
"Ultimately, he honed his originally unpalatable body into—a top-grade black tea that even humans would find intoxicating!"
"Only in this way can they attract enough prey," so that the prey, while enjoying the delicious meal, unknowingly give up their life energy.
"Masked Bro, the one you've encountered is just like this, about to achieve a life leap through his own efforts—Lai Bei Cha."
"You could also call him a self-made master of black tea!"
The mystery has been solved.
The entire live stream room was completely silent.
Everyone was deeply moved by the story and logic hidden within Lai Bei Cha.
A ghost Pokémon that has honed itself into an unparalleled delicacy in order to evolve.
What incredible perseverance and craftsmanship lies behind this!
[6. Are all Pokémon stories this inspiring?!]
[They really went to great lengths to absorb people's life force!]
So here's my question: Does Beicha only offer black tea, and not green tea?
Masked Brother stared blankly at the Lai Bei Tea inside the glass case.
He suddenly realized that his previous chills and dizziness were nothing at all.
To be able to taste such a cup of soul-stirring black tea, brewed with "effort" and "craftsmanship".
It's a steal, a huge profit!
"Wait a minute, host, do you mean that this Lai Bei Cha is about to evolve—and it can evolve as long as it absorbs enough life energy—"
Masked Guy's eyes gleamed slightly, he extended an index finger, and his mouth opened slightly, as if a light bulb had lit up next to his forehead.
"I have a bold idea, but I don't know if it's feasible?"
Could it be that—
You wouldn't be thinking of—
Ye Yinchuan looked at the masked man with a subtle and meaningful expression and said, "You're draining your own life force, isn't that harmful to your health? Forcing or tricking others into donating their life force, isn't that a bad influence?"
Masked Brother looked at Ye Yinchuan, and the two locked eyes, their lips involuntarily curving upwards, as if revealing the same expression as the "Imperial Seal of the State".
"Hey, Mr. Kirby, what are you saying? Let's not even talk about the fact that countless Blades are lining up to drink this absolutely delicious black tea—"
I have plenty of manpower here. The people working under me are like they've been drained of their energy at work. I'll just invite them over for a cup of black tea, give them a couple of days off to replenish their energy, and that'll be fine, right?
Although Masked Guy wears a mask and speaks in a serious manner, the smile between the lines cannot be hidden.
Wow, wow!
Even capitalists would weep! Going to work is one thing, but you're really draining my life force!
What kind of hellish joke is this? I actually find it surprisingly reasonable!
Stop laughing, I really can't hold it in anymore!
The chat room was completely ignited by Masked Bro's "capitalist bible"-like remarks.
Ye Yinchuan couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the man on the screen, who was wearing a comical mask but speaking the most honest words.
"Theoretically, it really is possible."
In the end, he still gave a professional judgment, speaking in a serious tone.
"As long as the frequency and dosage are maintained, the impact on the human body is negligible."
"Moreover, what one absorbs from the 'Sad Tea' is more of a vitality," rather than a substantial essence or spirit.
A good night's rest will make up for it.
"That settles it!"
Masked Guy clapped his hands, looking more excited than anyone else.
"Brothers, wait!"
"I'll call for backup right away!"
Masked Guy acted on his word and started recruiting people online.
"—Yes, everyone on duty who isn't out on fieldwork, call them over!"
"I'll tell everyone I'm treating you to afternoon tea, premium black tea, one cup per person, and you'll get half a day of paid leave afterward!"
"quick!"
Swift and decisive.
The efficiency is astonishing.
Less than ten minutes.
All the viewers in the live stream witnessed a truly magical scene.
Outside the classically luxurious study, a line of all sorts of working people stretched from the doorway all the way to the end of the corridor.
Some were dressed in suits and ties, while others were dressed as cleaners.
On everyone's face was a mixture of curiosity, doubt, and a numb sense of "what kind of trouble is the boss up to now?"
"Come on, everyone, don't be shy, line up, one at a time!"
The masked man acted like a waiter, warmly greeting his employees.
The first person called in was a young man who wore glasses and looked refined.
He looked at the small teacup under the glass dome, then at his boss's expectant eyes, his face full of resistance.
"Boss—this—"
"Drink! Would I harm you?"
Without hesitation, Masked Man handed over a cup of freshly brewed black tea from "Lai Bei Tea," exuding an enticing aroma.
The man, facing death without flinching, closed his eyes and drank it all in one gulp.
one second.
two seconds.
He suddenly opened his eyes!
His eyes shone with disbelief!
"Delicious! Delicious!"
A wonderfully rich and sweet flavor, unlike anything he had ever experienced before, exploded on his taste buds!
It was as if the soul itself had been elevated!
"It's just... a little intoxicating..."
After he finished speaking, he swayed, and his face visibly paled.
Immediately, someone helped him to a rest area.
Inside the glass dome.
The small Lai Bei teapot, the moment the man drank the tea, its purple body brightened noticeably.
It cautiously peeked out from the rim of the cup, its little golden eyes sparkling with a hint of nervousness and anticipation.
When it heard that heartfelt "It tastes good."
Its body swayed gently, happily.
Next.
The second, the third, the tenth —
One by one, the employees entered the study.
They savored the exquisite taste, exclaiming in amazement, and then, completely satisfied, were helped away.
Not long after.
After yet another employee drank that cup of "soul tea".
An unexpected change occurred!
Buzz—! !!! !
Inside the glass case, the antique blue-and-white porcelain teacup began to vibrate violently without warning!
A dazzling purple light shot into the sky from the rim of the cup!
The light was no longer gentle, but filled with a powerful, about-to-erupt force of evolution!
The purple liquid of Lai Bei Cha seemed to boil in the light, spinning, rising, and condensing wildly!
"Everyone, stay tuned! Here comes the evolved form of Sad Tea!"
Ye Yinchuan's voice was calm and powerful, resounding throughout the entire live broadcast room.
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