Chapter 16 - Jade Tea

{Author's Note: Happy Monday everyone! Enjoy the chapter and if you want an additional chapter today drop some gifts! The stones help more than you know!}

As I'm teleported to this new world I'm filled with adrenaline and anticipation at the thought of my new goals...' I swear on all that is, I will become a new man that will not take s%&t from anybody in this world! '....

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In the year 99 AG, of the Four Nations calendar, deep into the southern earth kingdom is a large town called Gaoling. On the east side of the city, located closest to the mountain range is a medium-sized tea shop named "Jade Tea".

The Jade Tea brand is a chain of tea shops owned by the Beifong family, a wealthy and highly respected family in the earth kingdom who are based out of Gaoling as well.

Although the shop is popular, it cannot compare to famous venues like "The Jasmine Dragon", a nation renowned tea shop located within the upper ring of the great Ba Sing Se, capital of the earth kingdom.

Within the Jade Tea, there are people of all ages, some are chatting happily while some are sitting in udder silence surrounded by a gloomy aura, their thoughts are on the troubles of life but the tea seems to ease their tension.

Some of the quietest and most unassuming patrons in the shop are currently enjoying their tea with a table in front of them, this table is very distinctive as it is commonly known as a "Pai Sho" board. Pai Sho is a strategy tile game that takes much dedication and wisdom to master and is often seen in tea shops played by people too old or too unassuming for people to take notice.

Sitting quietly in the Jade Tea, in the far back corner was a middle-aged man with a constant scowl and long, unkempt straight black hair. He wore a black sleeveless silk top with gold trimming tied by the green sash wrapped around his waist. The top was worn loose enough to expose the fit body underneath and below the belt was a simple pair of green shorts.

This man had the natural look of a martial artist, this look was accentuated by his outfit adorned with green wrapping around his wrist and ankles commonly worn by practitioners. However, he was more than a simple martial artist, he was an earthbender.

Using what is commonly seen as a rigid yet balanced set of martial arts forms, an earthbender is able to channel their "Chi" into their technique creating the phenomenon known as earthbending. Chi is metaphysical energy contained within all beings in "The Four Nations" however, only a certain percentage of the population is capable of channeling their Chi.

There have been many examples of non-humans being able to channel Chi to a certain extent but the species capable of such feats are much less abundant than humans. One example was the "Sky Bison" raised and nurtured by the air temples but sadly, the air nomads are no more and the fate of these extraordinary bison is unknown to the world.

Compared with the general earthbender, this man, Xin Fu is known amongst the local benders as a proficient, cunning, and powerful practitioner with an overbearing and oppressive style. While drinking his tea he was contemplating his latest business idea to satiate his glutenous hunger for money and power: The Earth Rumble tournament.

However, just as he finished his latest sip and placed the teacup down onto the saucer, he froze, his eyes lost focus for just a moment before quickly regaining their hunger.

Xin Fu quietly and slowly finished his cup of tea, seeming to contemplate anything and everything while doing so. Sometimes he could be seen caressing the table's textures, sometimes he looked closely at the artistic design on his teacup, and other times he looked as if he was savoring the tea like it was the most interesting thing in existence.

All of these actions went unnoticed by the other patrons as others were generally less important than themselves. This reaction was noted by Xin Fu and he smiled into his teacup taking the last draw and ending it with an exaggerated breath of pleasure.

He very skillfully took out a few Earth Kingdom copper pieces and dropped them onto the table before making his way relaxedly outside the shop wearing a malicious smirk….