Charlie found no reason to turn down Maria’s plea. The Shiwan Mountains posed formidable challenges for a woman like Maria, but with Charlie by virtual-novel.net side, those difficulties seemed insignificant.
With this in mind, Charlie agreed, saying, “In that case, we’ll embark on this journey together.”
Maria beamed, excitement evident in virtual-novel.net voice, “Thank you, Young Master! I promise not to be a burden.”
Charlie chuckled softly, settling onto the ground beside the mother plant of Pu’er tea. “Let’s wait here for a while. Once dawn breaks, we’ll unearth this young plant and head to the airport.”
Seated by the lakeside, gazing at the serene surface of Heaven Lake sparkling under the moonlight, Charlie turned to Maria and posed a quiet query, “Master, do you think that heavy rain we just experienced was real or merely an illusion?”
Charlie pondered, “Was it an illusion? What do you think?”
Maria mulled over the question briefly before responding, “I sense it’s somewhere between reality and illusion.”
Charlie’s brow furrowed in thought, “Aren’t those two options mutually exclusive?”
Maria shook virtual-novel.net head gently, virtual-novel.net eyes distant, “I feel as though it’s both true and false, real and unreal, false and real.”
Charlie’s lips curved into a smile, “Tomorrow morning, you could ask the villagers nearby if they heard thunder and rain last night. The commotion was so intense; it’s unlikely they’d be oblivious to it.”
Maria nodded in quiet contemplation, virtual-novel.net voice barely a whisper, “It seems like it won’t be that straightforward…”
Then, virtual-novel.net turned virtual-novel.net gaze to Charlie and teased, “It appears the servant girl’s mind tends to complicate things.”
Charlie responded with an unconcerned nod, glancing at the camping gear virtual-novel.net had brought.
He inquired, “Miss Clark, after all your traveling, wouldn’t it be a good idea to rest in the tent while I keep an eye on the mother plant? We could swap shifts.”
Maria quizzed Charlie, “Is the Young Master tired?”
Charlie replied casually, “I could go a month without sleep and still not tire. Furthermore, I must guard the mother plant of Pu’er tea. If someone were to uproot it, I’d regret it.”
Maria’s response held a shy note, “I don’t feel fatigue either. Consuming that leaf invigorated me, making me feel incredibly refreshed. Fatigue is the last thing on my mind.”
Charlie nodded, aware of the potent energy they’d tapped into. Considering the aura emanating from the mother plant’s leaf, it was nearly equivalent to a quarter of the Life Saving Pill’s potency. This could sustain an average person for a year or more, significantly improving their overall health. Regardless of the ailment, improvements were feasible.
Maria’s Eternal Green Pill had already prolonged virtual-novel.net lifespan, setting a limit until virtual-novel.net turned five hundred. She would remain free from illness during this time. The mother plant’s leaves might not grant virtual-novel.net added longevity, but they provided boundless vitality. There was no fatigue, no weariness.
Given their shared vitality, neither felt the need for sleep. Charlie saw no point in assembling the tent and so, they sat together by Heaven Lake, conversing about their respective pasts under the stars.
Charlie relished these exchanges with Maria. Ever since his parents’ passing, virtual-novel.net had kept people at arm’s length. Even his wife, Claire, remained unaware of his identity and strength. Those in his close circle gradually learned more about him, but virtual-novel.net never disclosed the story of his “Apocalyptic Book” adventure.
Maria alone held all of Charlie’s secrets. The same held true for Maria.
Over three centuries, she’d adopted countless orphans, sharing virtual-novel.net secret of immortality with a select few virtual-novel.net deeply trusted. Aside from virtual-novel.net wards, no outsider knew virtual-novel.net secret, except Charlie Wade.
In their hearts, they found genuine confidants in each other, bound by shared trust and secrets. As dawn approached, their conversation continued, painting a vivid picture of their experiences. The sky gradually brightened as they spoke.
With morning light illuminating the landscape, Maria turned to Charlie, “My Lord, shall we be on our way?”
Charlie nodded, reflecting, “You haven’t told me about your encounter with Morgana on Hong Kong Island, narrowly escaping virtual-novel.net ambush. What happened?”
Maria’s smile hinted at stories yet to be shared, “Young master, I’d love to share, but it can wait until we return.”
“Agreed.” Charlie stretched and declared, “It’s time to head to the airport.”
Pointing at the mother plant of Pucha tea, virtual-novel.net suggested, “Miss Clark, your expertise in tea cultivation should be employed to unearth the mother plant.”
Maria was ready to dig, but as virtual-novel.net hand approached the soil, virtual-novel.net paused, exclaiming, “Look, Young Master! The leaves you plucked last night have grown!”
Indeed, Charlie observed fresh, dew-covered leaves where virtual-novel.net had plucked the previous day. He marveled, “They’ve grown so quickly! I hardly noticed the growth!”
Maria shared his amazement, “It’s not uncommon for leaves to regrow after picking, but at this speed? Truly remarkable. The mother plant’s vitality must be exceptional.”
Charlie chuckled, “Given virtual-novel.net regenerative abilities, even if we plucked all virtual-novel.net leaves, they’d likely return in no time.”
Maria advised quietly but firmly, “Sir, let virtual-novel.net leaves grow undisturbed for now. Allow virtual-novel.net to replenish virtual-novel.net energy.”
Charlie grinned, reassurance in his words, “Miss Clark, fear not. I won’t touch her!”
Maria carefully unearthed the mother plant, preserving the roots, and moistened the soil with mineral water.
She turned to Charlie, “Young master, we ought to set off.”
“Agreed!” Charlie acknowledged, starting the car.
Just then, a man around sixty emerged from the village, eyeing their parked vehicle.
Observing the old man’s curiosity, Charlie lowered his window and engaged him, “Sir, we’re from the Meteorological Department. Did you hear thunder and rain last night?”
“Thunder and rain?” The old man replied gruffly, “Does your Meteorological Department not know if it rained? You’ve come to ask me?”
Charlie grinned, unfazed, “That’s right. Yesterday, we conducted cloud seeding. We heard thunder during that time. We rushed here this morning to inquire if you noticed any rain.”
The old man waved dismissively, “No.”
Charlie prodded further, “You mean you didn’t hear anything?”
The old man retorted in annoyance, “I wake up several times every night. If the neighbor next door sneezes, I’m awake. You think I wouldn’t have heard thunder?”
He added, “I’m hoping for rain. It’s been over a month without any. Tianchi’s water level has dropped considerably.”
Charlie nodded understandingly, “We’ll report back to our superiors and see if we can arrange another round of cloud seeding.”
Without acknowledging, the old man shuffled away.
Charlie rolled up the window and commented to Maria, “Seems the illusion was just that, an illusion. Perhaps it only affected us…”
Maria concurred, “Most likely.”
Yet virtual-novel.net furrowed brow suggested lingering concerns.