Chapter 604 - 477: Lies (Part 2)

"Silly girl, how could Mrs. Wan bear to leave you behind?" Situ Wan smiled indulgently, yet as she thought about how Qingtang was even younger than her own man, she couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile in her heart, wondering what kind of karma she had brought upon herself!

Moreover, the other party kept calling her "Wan’Er." If Qingtang found out she’d found herself a convenient "little uncle," who knows what she’d think.

Ah, for now, it’s better not to tell her this matter.

Anyway, she didn’t know how to bring it up.

"Qingtang, Mrs. Wan has to leave for a while, what are your plans next?" Situ Wan asked seriously. Although the young man hoped Qingtang would stay at Huaye Tower to continue working, as her cousin, she still respected her opinion.

If worst comes to worst, she could always tell him Qingtang’s identity. Given his relationship with Marquis Wu’an, he wouldn’t make things difficult for Qingtang.

"Mrs. Wan, are you leaving again?"

"I’m going to a rather dangerous place. I can’t even ensure my own safety, much less with you in tow, so you need to understand." Situ Wan explained. It was indeed very dangerous, dangerous enough to the degree where she ended up in bed with a man younger than herself, which was something Qingtang definitely couldn’t know, or she wouldn’t be able to face anyone.

As for how long she could keep it from her, she would keep it hidden as long as possible.

"Ah, Mrs. Wan, where are you going?" Qingtang asked with a face full of grievance.

"I’m heading to Longchuan Canyon. There’s a task there that I haven’t had the chance to complete. Now that I finally have the opportunity, I plan to finish it and then take you back to the Wen Dao Sect. You wait for me here." Situ Wan fabricated an excuse.

"Mrs. Wan, how long will you be gone?" Qingtang didn’t doubt Situ Wan’s words and asked further.

"At least a month, maybe three months, at most half a year. It’s an exploration mission, quite dangerous, and if I get trapped, I don’t know if I can come out alive. If I haven’t returned in half a year, you’re to relay my news back to the Wen Dao Sect." To make it believable, Situ Wan had to tell this enormous lie.

"Once Mrs. Wan leaves, I’ll leave too. Lady Shi Yin not only urged me to stay but also came to the inn to look for me. I promised to consider it, but I haven’t decided. Looking back, thankfully, I didn’t directly refuse, or I would’ve felt embarrassed about staying." Qingtang sighed.

"Mm, you did the right thing. Mrs. Wan has to leave because her identity is exposed, but you’re different. They still don’t know your true identity. You want to advance and retreat with me, but actually, if you reflect and decide to return, they will accept you."

"How should I say it then?"

Situ Wan thought for a moment: "You could say that you were too young and impulsive, and after leaving Huaye Tower, you realized the hardships of life. You couldn’t find your master, and it was hard to make ends meet, so you thought you’d go back to Huaye Tower and work."

"Wouldn’t going back like that make me a target?"

"Don’t worry, as long as you have the skills, even if there’s targeting, so what? Since Lady Shi Yin took the initiative to find you to return, she probably won’t deliberately target you." Situ Wan assured. As long as the young man had a word, working in the kitchen at Huaye Tower shouldn’t be too difficult for Qingtang.

"I understand, Mrs. Wan. I’ll go back tomorrow."

"Good, it’s settled then. Mrs. Wan will leave first." Situ Wan didn’t want to stay longer with Qingtang to avoid saying too much and having her flaws discovered. Leaving was the best strategy.

With her Meridian Passage Realm skill level, the walls of Dongshan City wouldn’t be able to stop her.

Where to go? Naturally, back to Miao Manor.

Only beside that man does she have the opportunity for "embarrassing" cultivation, and only that way can she restore her strength faster.

...

"Mei’Er, could you help me take a look at this Prevention Guide to see if I missed anything? Help me fill in the gaps." Lin Miao handed the freshly compiled "Prevention Guide" to Yue Mei’Er.

"Sure."

The tangyuan had already cooled, but once reheated, though the flavor might be slightly affected, it didn’t matter to someone hungry with a rumbling stomach.

They were made from southern glutinous rice, milled, dried, and turned into a wonderfully soft yet not overly sticky treat. The filling inside, with added honey and crushed peanuts, created an aromatic blend of sesame and peanut flavors.

These were even tastier than the traditional ones with just sesame filling.

Sweet but not cloying, the bowl contained eight tangyuan that quickly made their way into Lin Miao’s stomach, and even the soup was entirely finished.

"Young Master, do you want more? I made plenty; I can cook some more for you?"

"No need. Eating too much so late at night would make it hard to sleep and hurt my stomach. Having some to satisfy the hunger is enough." Lin Miao shook his hand, and with a couple of hours until daylight, breakfast would be due then.

"Young Master, it’s still early. How about you rest for a while, and I’ll call you when it’s light?"

"Alright." Lin Miao nodded. The epidemic would last for months at least, and though his cultivation was deep, he wasn’t made of iron. Rest was necessary.

Even resting for a couple of hours could restore his strength and spirit.

"Do you need Mei’Er to accompany you?"

"No, that’s not necessary." Lin Miao had just absorbed the Virgin Yin from Situ Wan and Lien Yurou, significantly advancing his cultivation. For now, he had no such desires, and besides, converting the absorbed Yin into his own permanent cultivation required time.

Even with a good appetite, eating too much could become tiresome.