CHAPTER 347: CHAPTER 301: ASKING FOR VOTES

"There is no longer a major issue, but recovery will take some time. After all, being ill for decades has taken a toll on the body, and it won’t fully recover without a few years of care." Mr. Mo glanced with pride at Lan Tian, who was obediently drinking tea; even Wu Zongyu and the others could hear the pride in his tone.

"It’s truly wonderful, Master, absolutely wonderful." Wu Hongfei, unable to contain his happiness, swiftly stood up; he was genuinely pleased. Given Lan Tian’s dislike for trouble, once cured, he surely wouldn’t want others to know and would attribute the recovery to Mr. Mo. As Mr. Mo’s disciple, he would be the direct beneficiary. This greatly enhanced his confidence in the upcoming competition for the hospital director position.

Realizing his loss of composure and being seen by the younger ones, a flushed Wu Hongfei straightened his clothes and sat back down with a stoic expression.

"It’s sufficient that our family knows. We can’t keep this hidden forever; those guarding outside will sooner or later find out. But let’s ensure that this news does not leak from our household; just be patient! In a few days, Beijing will be astir once again," Mr. Mo seemed to know what Wu Hongfei was thinking and specially cautioned him.

"Understood, Master." Following Mr. Mo’s reprimand, Wu Hongfei’s initial fervor slowly calmed down. Mr. Mo was right; he must not be the one to speak of this matter, as many outside were more anxious than him.

Seeing that Wu Hongfei grasped the implicit meaning of his words, Mr. Mo was very satisfied and set down his teacup. "Old age makes one easily tired; this old man will go rest first. And you, girl?" The last question was directed at Lan Tian.

"I’m also tired and will head back to rest in my room," Lan Tian spoke frankly. The spiritual energy was rich in the Ji Mansion, whether crafting talismans or inscribing arrays, work was done more efficiently. Not having spent much time at Ji Mansion, Lan Tian worked tirelessly, barely sleeping and mostly restoring energy through meditation when drained. Arriving home, she longed for a good sleep.

After the grandfather and granddaughter left, Wu Hongfei remained seated, deep in thought. From the snippets of conversation between Mr. Mo and his father, Wu Zongyu deduced it was possible that Lan Tian had already cured that important person.

Bai Qingqing, Wu Kun, and Sun Hai, having listened for a while, were utterly confused. In other words, they heard but did not understand, and the conversation about waiting after getting better seemed excessively chaotic to them.

"Master, what were you and Mr. Mo talking about in riddles?" Bai Qingqing looked at Wu Hongfei, with Wu Kun and Sun Hai also turning their gazes toward him.

"It’s nothing significant; Mr. Mo won’t be returning to Shanghai for the time being." As the subject was not for public dissemination, Wu Hongfei wouldn’t discuss it with them. Then, recalling something, he instructed them, "You fellow disciples should interact more with Lan Tian when possible."

Wu Hongfei hinted as much as was appropriate; some things weren’t to be spoken too plainly. As a master, he gave a hint, and whether they followed it was their choice.

Lan Tian was highly skilled in medicine, and interacting with her could teach them a lot. If it weren’t for Wu Hongfei being senior and feeling embarrassed, he would have liked to learn from her for a while. The more Wu Hongfei pondered, the more feasible it seemed. He wondered whether to ask the Master to intervene on his behalf.

Wu Kun and Sun Hai agreed readily, while Bai Qingqing hesitated and instinctively looked at Wu Zongyu, who agreed without hesitation, prompting her to agree as well.

...

Unaware of Wu Hongfei’s ulterior motive and his desire to learn medicine from her, Lan Tian wouldn’t mind even if she knew. She was currently too busy, with no time to be a diligent gardener tending to the nation’s blossoms.

After setting up an array in her room and washing up, she went to bed and slept soundly, missing dinner altogether.

That evening, as the family gathered for a reunion dinner, only Lan Tian was absent. Mr. Mo had someone call her, and the household waited; after a while, the servant who went to fetch Lan Tian reported back, saying the sign at her door read "Do Not Disturb."

Mr. Mo reflected on her not coming out to eat, thinking the girl must have been overworked, perhaps utterly exhausted from removing the poisonous insect, which takes a tremendous effort and is something the average person simply couldn’t accomplish.

Mr. Mo felt a pang of heartache. How much suffering the girl must have endured! Just a few days and she had visibly lost weight. From now on, he decided not to let her treat such peculiar illnesses.

"Don’t wait for her anymore, let’s just eat," Mr. Mo said, prompting everyone to silently start eating. Bai Qingqing swept her gaze around and then looked down at the bowl in her hands.

What did it mean to have people wait for so long only to say she wouldn’t join? If she wasn’t coming to eat, why didn’t she say anything before going to sleep? She’s acting even more aloof than Mr. Mo, having everyone wait on her and still Mr. Mo indulges her behavior.

It was only natural for Mr. Mo to dote on his granddaughter, and although Bai Qingqing knew her thoughts were wrong, whenever she saw Wu Zongyu paying attention to Lan Tian, she couldn’t help but feel a raging jealousy, secretly hoping something bad would happen to her.

While Bai Qingqing was still lost in those messy thoughts, Wu Hongfei was consulting Mr. Mo about a medical condition he encountered. With Wu Hongfei leading, several juniors successively sought advice, and their dinner extended till midnight before everyone dispersed to their respective rooms.

...

Lan Tian slept soundly, waking up feeling refreshed and energized. She opened her eyes to find it pitch dark inside. The bright moon hung high outside the window, and the courtyard was silent.

Lan Tian got up, washed up, ate two spiritual peaches, changed into her night clothes, opened the door, and stepped out, walking around in front of Mr. Mo’s room. Hearing steady breathing from inside, she raised her hand and her flying sword floated in front of her. Mounting it, Lan Tian zoomed out of Mo Mansion.

Ji Feng had put together a list of Mei Lan’s several masters, and Lan Tian also made a copy. It contained not only the addresses of their residences but detailed backgrounds of their ancestors up to eighteen generations.

Holding the list in one hand and a map of Beijing in the other, Lan Tian decided which family she should visit first based on proximity.

In this era’s Beijing, Lan Tian was not familiar at all, and even the Beijing of her previous life, she only knew well from a few frequently visited places.

"Qiao family, Tian Family, Nan Family..." Lan Tian’s finger moved across the map, looking up at the directions she pointed to. After a round of contemplation, she decided to first visit the Tian Family, which was closest to the Qiao family. She planned to investigate the Tian Family and then the Qiao family.

She would explore these two families tonight and continue with the others the next night. The flying sword flew towards the Tian Family.

Upon reaching the Tian Family, Lan Tian didn’t rashly barge in but circled around the airspace above. Not finding any signs of any array, she thought for a moment and then pulled out a Guide Talisman, activated it, and threw it in.

After a while, the Guide Talisman returned intact to Lan Tian’s hand, confirming there were no dangers. With a tap of her toes on the flying sword, she entered the Tian Family.

The Tian Family also had an old mansion, not as large as the Mo Mansion but still two-thirds its size. Searching room by room could take until dawn without finding her target.

Using her Divine Sense, she located the room of the target person, and Lan Tian headed downstairs. After observing for a while and noticing nothing unusual, she set up a simple Illusion Array at the door before slipping in.