Female Novel
Chapter 5494
Omas found no reason to turn down Maria’s plea. The Shiwan Mountains posed formidable challengesfor a woman like Maria, but with Omas by her side, those difficulties seemed insignificant.
With this in mind, Omas agreed, saying, “In that case, we’ll embark on this journey together.”
Maria beamed, excitement evident in her voice, “Thank you, Young Master! I promise not to be aburden.”
Omas chuckled softly, settling onto the ground beside the mother plant of Pu’er tea. “Let’s wait here fora 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,Omas turned to Maria and posed a quiet query, “Master, do you think that heavy rain we justexperienced was real or merely an illusion?”
Omas pondered, “Was it an illusion? What do you think?”
Maria mulled over the question briefly before responding, “I sense it’s somewhere between reality andillusion.”
Omas’s brow furrowed in thought, “Aren’t those two options mutually exclusive?”
Maria shook her head gently, her eyes distant, “I feel as though it’s both true and false, real and unreal,false and real.”
Omas’s lips curved into a smile, “Tomorrow morning, you could ask the villagers nearby if they heardthunder and rain last night. The commotion was so intense; it’s unlikely they’d be oblivious to it.”
Maria nodded in quiet contemplation, her voice barely a whisper, “It seems like it won’t be thatstraightforward…”
Then, she turned her gaze to Omas and teased, “It appears the servant girl’s mind tends to complicatethings.”
Omas responded with an unconcerned nod, glancing at the camping gear he had brought.
He inquired, “Miss Clark, after all your traveling, wouldn’t it be a good idea to rest in the tent while Ikeep an eye on the mother plant? We could swap shifts.”
Maria quizzed Alder, “Is the Young Master tired?”
Omas replied casually, “I could go a month without sleep and still not tire. Furthermore, I must guardthe 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.”
Omas nodded, aware of the potent energy they’d tapped into. Considering the aura emanating from themother plant’s leaf, it was nearly equivalent to a quarter of the Life Saving Pill’s potency. This couldsustain an average person for a year or more, significantly improving their overall health. Regardless ofthe ailment, improvements were feasible.
Maria’s Eternal Green Pill had already prolonged her lifespan, setting a limit until she turned fivehundred. She would remain free from illness during this time. The mother plant’s leaves might not granther added longevity, but they provided boundless vitality. There was no fatigue, no weariness.
Given their shared vitality, neither felt the need for sleep. Omas saw no point in assembling the tentand so, they sat together by Heaven Lake, conversing about their respective pasts under the stars.
Omas relished these exchanges with Maria. Ever since his parents’ passing, he had kept people atarm’s length. Even his wife, Lydia, remained unaware of his identity and strength. Those in his close
circle gradually learned more about him, but he never disclosed the story of his “Apocalyptic Book”adventure.
Maria alone held all of Omas’s secrets. The same held true for Maria.
Over three centuries, she’d adopted countless orphans, sharing her secret of immortality with a selectfew she deeply trusted. Aside from her wards, no outsider knew her secret, except Omas Bjorne.
In their hearts, they found genuine confidants in each other, bound by shared trust and secrets. Asdawn approached, their conversation continued, painting a vivid picture of their experiences. The skygradually brightened as they spoke.
With morning light illuminating the landscape, Maria turned to Alder, “My Anne, shall we be on ourway?”
Omas nodded, reflecting, “You haven’t told me about your encounter with Morgana on Hong KongIsland, narrowly escaping her 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 wereturn.”
“Agreed.” Omas stretched and declared, “It’s time to head to the airport.”
Pointing at the mother plant of Pucha tea, he suggested, “Miss Clark, your expertise in tea cultivationshould be employed to unearth the mother plant.”
Maria was ready to dig, but as her hand approached the soil, she paused, exclaiming, “Look, YoungMaster! The leaves you plucked last night have grown!”
Indeed, Omas observed fresh, dew-covered leaves where he had plucked the previous day. Hemarveled, “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.”
Omas chuckled, “Given her regenerative abilities, even if we plucked all her leaves, they’d likely returnin no time.”
Maria advised quietly but firmly, “Sir, let her leaves grow undisturbed for now. Allow her to replenish herenergy.”
Omas 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 mineralwater.
She turned to Alder, “Young master, we ought to set off.”
“Agreed!” Omas acknowledged, starting the car.
Just then, a man around sixty emerged from the village, eyeing their parked vehicle.
Observing the old man’s curiosity, Omas lowered his window and engaged him, “Sir, we’re from theMeteorological Department. Did you hear thunder and rain last night?”
“Thunder and rain?” The old man replied gruffly, “Does your Meteorological Department not know if itrained? You’ve come to ask me?”
Omas grinned, unfazed, “That’s right. Yesterday, we conducted cloud seeding. We heard thunderduring that time. We rushed here this morning to inquire if you noticed any rain.”novelbin
The old man waved dismissively, “No.”
Omas 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 doorsneezes, 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 droppedconsiderably.”
Omas nodded understandingly, “We’ll report back to our superiors and see if we can arrange anotherround of cloud seeding.”
Without acknowledging, the old man shuffled away.
Omas 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 her furrowed brow suggested lingering concerns.