After ten hours of flight, Ye Chen hurried back to Jinling.
At this time, the He family of Jinling, along with the ninjas sent by the Ito family, had joined forces to comb through all the clues from when Xiao Churan left.
Even though they were all battle-hardened experts, handling this kind of painstaking investigation was still difficult to speed up.
Moreover, according to Su Ruoli, every clue was like an endless maze; following it led further and further astray, more and more chaotic, more and more muddled.
Ye Chen knew this matter was far from simple, but the feedback he received still left him restless.
So, after getting off the plane, he immediately called Lin Wan’er to ask where she was at the moment.
It was Friday evening at seven o’clock, and Lin Wan’er told him: “This servant is at Purple Mountain Villa. Does the young master seek this servant for something?”
Ye Chen said: “There are some things I want to consult Miss Lin’s opinion on. Is Miss Lin available?”
“Available.” Lin Wan’er’s voice was crisp as she said: “The young master can come directly. This servant will prepare tea and wait for the young master.”
Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief, told Hong Wu and Chen Zekai to leave together, and then drove another car sent by Chen Zekai’s subordinate straight to Purple Mountain Villa.
When he arrived at Purple Mountain Villa, it was already eight o’clock in the evening. The villa was very quiet. Qiu Yingshan and his wife, upon receiving Old Zhang’s notice, waited quietly at the entrance of Purple Mountain Villa with Old Zhang.
Even though they were all advanced in years, they still treated Lin Wan’er with the same obedience and respect as children towards their mother. Coupled with Ye Chen’s immense kindness to them, they dared not show any neglect.
Seeing Ye Chen, Qiu Yingshan stepped forward and said respectfully: “Mr Ye, you have arrived.”
Ye Chen smiled and nodded, asking them: “Where is Miss Lin?”
Qiu Yingshan then said: “The young lady is waiting for Mr Ye at the courtyard on the mountaintop.”
Old Zhang beside him also bowed and said: “Mr Ye, the young lady has instructed us to guard below and not disturb. This old servant will not accompany you up.”
Ye Chen knew their deep-rooted respect for Lin Wan’er, so he nodded and said: “Thank you for your trouble. I will go up first.”
After that, Ye Chen stepped onto the stone steps and arrived at the courtyard door. At this time, the courtyard gate was ajar, with a gap of nearly twenty centimetres. Through the gap, he could see Lin Wan’er sitting under the Mother of Pu Tea, boiling water and brewing tea. Just as he was about to knock to show courtesy, Lin Wan’er in the courtyard said: “The young master may enter directly.”
Ye Chen did not delay any further and pushed open the heavy wooden door to walk in.
At this moment, Lin Wan’er was wearing a white long skirt with a white fur shawl draped over her shoulders. Seeing Ye Chen enter, she immediately stood up and curtsied: “This servant was busy with brewing tea and could not come far to greet you. Please forgive me, young master.”
Ye Chen smiled and said: “Miss Lin, we can be considered comrades who have shared hardships and life-and-death bonds. Why be so formal with me?”
Lin Wan’er gave a sweet smile and said: “No matter what, etiquette must not be lacking. Grandmother taught this servant from a young age that even after marrying and becoming a wife, one must not forget courtesy towards one’s husband, let alone that the young master is this servant’s lifesaver.”
Ye Chen shook his head with a helpless bitter smile and sighed: “You have also been my lifesaver in turn.”
With that, he no longer stood on ceremony with Lin Wan’er and sat down directly opposite her.
After sitting down, Ye Chen looked up at the lush tea tree overhead and exclaimed in surprise: “I never expected the Mother of Pu Tea to have such tenacious vitality. In this cold weather, it is still so leafy and flourishing.”
Lin Wan’er nodded with a smile: “Although the Mother of Pu Tea failed her heavenly tribulation back then, she is now an immortal-grade reborn from the ashes. Ordinary weather can no longer affect her growth. She only needs to strive quietly and wait for the next heavenly tribulation.”
With that, she filled the teacup to eight-tenths full and handed it to Ye Chen: “Young master, taste it and see if it is any different from before.”
Ye Chen took the teacup and took a gentle sip, feeling the tea water carrying threads of spiritual qi into his abdomen. He could not help but sigh: “It seems the spiritual qi is denser than before, but it is still far from the level that would greatly aid cultivation.”
Lin Wan’er smiled and said: “Young master, do not be impatient. In three to five years, the Mother of Pu Tea will grow lush enough to shade this entire courtyard. By then, the spiritual qi in her leaves will be even denser, and she will truly be able to help the young master.”
With that, she comforted Ye Chen again: “For the young master, three to five years is but a snap of the fingers; it will pass quickly.”
Lin Wan’er’s intention was to say that Ye Chen’s lifespan would surely reach several hundred years, and if he unravelled the mysteries in the ring, perhaps even a thousand years. In the long river of a thousand years of life, three to five years truly was nothing.
