Jiang Wang infiltrated Ling Xiaoge stealthily.

The entire process was extremely secretive.

He wore a mask and was wrapped tightly, concealing his identity.

Had he not written a letter to Ye Qingyu beforehand, he would have been repelled by the sect’s protective barriers, with no chance of entering the secret realm.

Of course, Ye Qingyu, uncharacteristically, gave him a cold shoulder. She maintained a frosty demeanor throughout their journey into the Ling Xiao Secret Realm.

Jiang Wang was unaware that Ye Qingyu had once believed him to be dead.

However, he understood that his sudden disappearance would inevitably cause concern among his loved ones.

He wasn’t the type to be overly self-centered, believing that his near-death experiences entitled him to endless indulgence from his family and friends. Especially since he hadn’t informed anyone of his actions from beginning to end.

“Um, that…”

Jiang Wang attempted to lighten the atmosphere, his voice muffled by the mask, “The scenery is truly beautiful!”

Ye Qingyu led the way, offering no response.

Indeed, there was nothing to respond to.

Having grown up here, she was intimately familiar with every blade of grass and tree. Did she need Jiang Wang to point out the beauty of the landscape?

“Fellow Daoist, please be careful, the steps ahead are steep!” Jiang Wang offered his concern proactively.

Ye Qingyu: …

They were both cultivators of the Divine Power Inner Palace realm. Did he think she couldn’t handle a simple staircase?

She retorted, annoyed, “You should be thinking about how you’re going to explain things to An’an later! She’s been crying for days!”

“Ah, yes, yes.” Jiang Wang said with some guilt, “I should explain myself properly.”

Immediately, he added with a hint of confidence, “But I’ve already prepared myself.”

So, he only prepared for explaining things to Jiang An’an? His cloud crane message to her only said, “Fellow Daoist, please come and pick me up”?

Ye Qingyu’s face turned cold again, and she quickened her pace.

Jiang Wang was oblivious to what he had done wrong, and could only follow closely behind.

Considering Jiang Wang’s need to conceal his identity, Ye Qingyu deliberately led him through hidden paths, avoiding other disciples within the sect, until they reached Jiang An’an’s room.

At that moment, little An’an was practicing calligraphy, sitting properly at her desk, holding the brush correctly, writing each character carefully – Jiang Wang had bought her too many at once.

“An’an!” Ye Qingyu exclaimed with a bright smile, “Look who’s here!”

Little An’an turned around at the sound of her voice, and instantly recognized Jiang Wang next to Ye Qingyu, despite his heavy, cumbersome disguise.

Her small mouth pouted, and tears threatened to fall.

“The most adorable Jiang An’an in all the world, look what I have!” Jiang Wang quickly rushed forward, swept away her calligraphy tools, and conjured up a table full of delicacies as if by magic.

There were golden-paper pig trotters, crispy bamboo cakes, azure-woven noodles, cloud smile cookies… and a steaming pot of wild goose soup.

“These are all New Year’s gifts your brother prepared for you. I bought them in Wei, but the journey was long, and I got lost, so I’m late!”

After Ku Jue left, he thought about it and decided to return to Ling Xiaoge. No matter where he was going next, he had to explain himself properly to An’an. Her young heart was actually sensitive and fragile. If he left silently, she would definitely be sad.

Moreover, after Zhuang Gao Xian and Du Ru Hui’s failed assassination attempt, as long as he didn’t court death in Zhuang, he would actually be quite safe in the Western Frontier. A national ruler and a prime minister couldn’t spend all their time doing nothing but waiting to kill him.

The country closest to the desolate mountain where Ku Jue had beaten him up was Wei. He had made a special trip to Wei, asked many locals, and carefully put together a table of local delicacies.

When dealing with Jiang An’an, the greatest weapon he possessed was food.

Jiang An’an blinked her eyes, her long eyelashes trapping a tear that was about to fall, like glittering, shattered jade.

Jiang Wang felt his hand being grasped by a soft, warm little hand.

“Were you scared when you were lost?” Jiang An’an looked at him and asked earnestly.

Jiang Wang was taken aback.

He had simply made up a reason, saying that he had gotten lost. A Divine Power Inner Palace realm cultivator getting lost was as ridiculous as a Divine Power Inner Palace realm cultivator tripping on stairs.

Only a child would probably believe it.

And perhaps only Jiang An’an would always offer him the purest care.

“Yes, a little.” Jiang Wang said with a forced smile.

“Don’t be scared in the future. When you get lost, I’ll come find you!” Jiang An’an nodded, as if emphasizing her reliability.

Ye Qingyu said gently, “I can testify, An’an has been looking for you for days. She’s truly the best little sister in the world!”

An immense tenderness welled up within Jiang Wang’s heart, hidden beneath the mask, concealing his vulnerability.

“Fellow Daoist Ye, let’s eat together.” He invited, laying out bowls and chopsticks.

The gentleness on Ye Qingyu’s face quickly vanished, she glanced at him, and said coldly, “I have something to do, I’m leaving.”

With that, she turned and left.

Her attitude towards Jiang An’an and Jiang Wang was completely different.

Jiang Wang was utterly baffled. While helping Jiang An’an tear apart the golden-paper pig trotter, he asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

Little Jiang An’an was not a reliable explainer, but he had no one else to ask at this moment.

“Unhappy.” Jiang An’an said, munching on the soft, glutinous pig trotter.

Jiang Wang had removed all the bones for her, so she only needed to deal with the smooth, savory skin and soft tendons.

Her mouth full, she mumbled, “I get unhappy when you’re mean to me.”

“Ah.” Jiang Wang sighed, “It seems that Pavilion Master Ye doesn’t care enough about his daughter. He’s probably too busy with pavilion affairs to be as good to you as I am. It’s a pity that he’s a senior, so it’s not convenient for me to say anything.”

Jiang An’an looked at him strangely, her small mouth bulging, “Uncle Ye is very good to Sister Qingyu! She seems to be unhappy when she sees you?”

“Ah, really?” Jiang Wang belatedly realized.

Jiang An’an gulped down a mouthful of hot soup and nodded emphatically, “She left as soon as you started talking.”

Jiang Wang absently picked at a piece of crispy bamboo cake, letting the fragrance waft around his nose.

“That’s not right, I didn’t offend her, did I?” He wondered.

“Then I don’t know.” Jiang An’an shrugged like a little adult, and slurped down a big mouthful of azure-woven noodles.

These noodles were made from a unique Fengjiao wheat from Wei, which was azure in color, spicy and refreshing.

A flash of insight crossed Jiang Wang’s mind. He suddenly remembered that he had not yet returned the Dao Essence Stones he owed Ye Qingyu. He had repeatedly stated that he would definitely repay the resources Ling Xiaoge invested in Jiang An’an. But money was spent too quickly. He had almost emptied his savings again to buy An’an a squirrel box…

No wonder Ye Qingyu was in a bad mood! She must be afraid that he had forgotten his debt, but was too embarrassed to say it!

Having realized this, Jiang Wang understood what he needed to do.

Jiang An’an was completely unaware of what her brother was thinking. While eating noodles, she looked at the crispy bamboo cake he was playing with and asked, “Brother, are you going to eat this?”

“Oh, I already ate it, you can have it.” Jiang Wang handed her the bamboo cake.

Jiang An’an took it and took a happy bite, casually asking, “Why are you still wearing a mask?”

Jiang Wang rubbed his nose.

If it was to hide his identity, he no longer needed to conceal himself in Jiang An’an’s small room.

But how could he bear to let his little sister see his bruised and swollen face?

The old monk Ku Jue had struck with cruel cunning, not truly injuring Jiang Wang, but leaving behind those bruises that couldn’t be easily removed.

With Jiang Wang’s current strength, resolving the little trick left behind by a worldly True Person would require more effort and more time…

“I’m playing a game.”

Jiang Wang said very seriously, “A mask game. See who can wear the mask for the longest time, never taking it off at any time. I plan to wear it for at least a month to win first place!”

“What.”

Jiang An’an wrinkled her nose in disgust, “That doesn’t sound fun at all.”

“Okay…”

Jiang Wang sighed silently.

She would have definitely clamored to play together in the past.

The child was growing up.

His cultivation to coax the child was falling behind.