Chapter 603 - 477: Lies

Yuelai Inn.

Qingtang felt that if she continued to wait, she still wouldn’t be able to find any traces of Situ Wan. She didn’t dare to go directly to the Lin residence to ask Lin Miao or Sun Youwei.

Doing so would mean exposing her identity as the daughter of Marquis Wu’an.

But Situ Wan had been missing for several days. She only sought some information from Shi Yin, the manager of Huaye Tower.

She was a disciple taken in by Situ Wan.

With her master no longer here, she too didn’t want to stay, to advance and retreat together with her master is just human nature; naturally, Shi Yin tried to retain her.

Seeing that he couldn’t keep her, he agreed to her resignation and even compensated her with an extra month’s salary, including overtime and bonuses for the New Year, none of which were deducted.

Such a magnanimous and kind employer, Qingtang felt a bit embarrassed to take the money.

Were it not for knowing the relationship between Sun Youwei, the mistress of the Lin Family, and the Wen Dao Sect, she would have felt Mrs Wan was behaving excessively.

It’s unreasonable not to acknowledge someone’s family and force them to return; this isn’t how you deal with a bull that refuses to drink water.

Even if the said master has her own hidden concerns, she has no qualifications to demand her daughter’s understanding and recognition, given her years of abandoning husband and daughter, without any care.

Mrs Wan wanting to take people back to the Wen Dao Sect is clearly imposing difficulties!

But as a registered disciple of the Wen Dao Sect, she couldn’t easily voice these opinions; the sect still treated her well, without the Wen Dao Sect...

Her elopement incident, even if her father was a Marquis Wu’an, a Grand General, likely would not end well.

Because she had connections with the Wen Dao Sect, the emperor feared the sect’s attitude, as Wen Dao Sect never favored marriages with the royal family, which was one of the sect’s unwritten rules for many years.

Though Qingtang was a registered disciple and not a formal disciple, her mother was. If Qingtang truly married King Qi, would her mother’s clan within the Wen Dao Sect sever ties?

Even if Qingtang’s maternal clan in the sect was just a minor group without much power, relying on the big tree of Wen Dao Sect isn’t insignificant.

As long as Qingtang does not marry King Qi, the Wen Dao Sect might not even blink an eye, for orthodox sects can’t forcibly interfere with the marriage freedom of a registered disciple.

However, if marrying into the royal family, it elevates to another level, the Wen Dao Sect would surely react.

Mrs Wan leaving without a word left her a bit dissatisfied, but thinking of the other’s different identity, as a person of the martial world, she was very free.

She could leave when she wished, stay when she wished, very carefree.

Furthermore, their relationship was close, but not close enough to warrant responsibility, and perhaps something had delayed her?

Or there was something to be handled which couldn’t be disclosed...

During these days, while searching, Qingtang was also contemplating, if Situ Wan did not appear, what should she do next.

The kitchen at Huaye Tower was still short-staffed, and she had learned under Situ Wan for a period. With her talent, she naturally mastered many skills.

Therefore, Shi Yin knew she was temporarily residing at Yuelai Inn and personally came over to have a talk with her. This time, she didn’t completely refuse.

She only said she would consider it.

In truth, she was quite reluctant to return home, whether to the capital or Juxu Pass, as then she’d become the daughter of Marquis Wu’an.

Not as free and comfortable as now.

She truly envied Situ Wan who could roam the world with her sword, being a heroine helping those in need, being righteous and chivalrous; she felt that was what life should be.

Unfortunately, her Martial Arts Cultivation wasn’t enough to support her doing that.

Unless she could reach the level of Situ Wan, not entirely but halfway at least, she could pretty much maintain her safety in the martial world.

Cough cough...

The girl next door coughed again, truly pitiful, a young woman traveling alone, with family not by her side.

Though they lived next door, they hadn’t actually met face-to-face.

Yesterday, it was heard someone came looking for the girl, but she was out, wasn’t home, apparently missed the person.

"Miss Hai Tang, would you like your hot water brought inside or left at the door?" From outside, the voice of the inn’s assistant sounded with a knock.

"Leave it at the door, I’ll take it myself!" Qingtang responded, for the past few days she hadn’t felt well and every night needed hot water to wash, otherwise, it was impossible to rest well.

Being a woman was inevitable, every month there were those few days, which was also why she hadn’t left Dongshan immediately.

Traveling with "blood," never mind riding, even walking was inconvenient, especially with worse conditions on the road, it was better to wait until the "Tiankui" was cleared before leaving.

After all, these few days didn’t matter, the capital wasn’t an option, the house there was large and sparsely populated, eerily uncomfortable and boring, while Juxu Pass though harsh had at least her father and stepmother to visit.

With her father’s pace, there probably was a sibling on the way from her stepmother.

This was good, with more siblings, the family would be lively, and there’d be someone to inherit the title of Marquis Wu’an.

In two more days, it would be cleared, and it was time to make a decision.

Qingtang rose, opened the door, just about to bring the hot water inside, a familiar figure stood in front of her.

She thought she was seeing things, rubbed her eyes, opened them again, it wasn’t a trick, there truly was someone.

"Wow, a great beauty!"

"Dead girl, watch your mouth, don’t you recognize your Aunt Wan?" Situ Wan returned to her true form, the corners of her mouth lifted as she playfully pointed at Qingtang’s forehead and jested.

"Hehe, Aunt Wan, you scared me. I thought you left me alone and didn’t want me anymore!" Qingtang said happily, thinking that if she hadn’t been feeling unwell, she might have left early and missed seeing Situ Wan.