Free Web NovelChapter 248: Chapter 248: Drawn by the Scent
Because Hall Masters were forbidden from leaving Beast God City at will, Ao Er wore a mask whenever he went out.
Although Yu An had assured him it would be fine, it was best to avoid unnecessary trouble. Besides, he wasn’t conducting a grand, public search; he was operating in secret.
Other than him, only a few trusted confidants knew that the purpose of this trip was to find Yu An’s Beast Husband and Zaizai.
Ao Er didn’t realize that from Han Li’s perspective, he was probably the bad guy. He ran himself ragged and shouted himself hoarse, but he still couldn’t get Han Li to stop.
"Forget it... forget it. No more chasing..."
Ao Er gasped for breath. "We’ll wait for the Hall Master to arrive."
His subordinates were exhausted, too. They had tried every trick in the book. ’Why is our target so hard to catch?’
After that, Ao Er had his men keep a close watch on Han Li’s whereabouts, telling them to observe from a distance and not get too close.
It wasn’t until a dozen or so days later, when Yu An entered the city, that Ao Er finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hall Master, I saw Lord Han. But he seemed to think I was a bad guy, so..."
Ao Er was deeply troubled.
Yu An looked at the mask he was wearing, at a loss for words. "South Hall Master, where on earth did you find this mask?"
She had a feeling she knew what the problem was.
Ao Er touched the mask on his face and answered truthfully, "I just bought it on the street. It was the only kind left, so I bought it."
Ao Si gloated from the side, "South Hall Master, if no one else was buying this mask, didn’t you think to ask the vendor why?"
"No wonder Lord Han ran from you faster than a rabbit. With that green face and long fangs, who wouldn’t be scared?"
Ao Er was stunned for a moment. "So... that was it?"
"Yeah," Ao Si said, touching the ordinary mask he wore. "Look at mine. It definitely wouldn’t scare anyone."
Ao Er finally understood completely. He first led Yu An to their lodgings, then gave her Han Li’s approximate location.
"Hall Master, would you like me to bring men to help you catch—ahem, invite Lord Han and the young master out?" freēwebnovel.com
"No need," Yu An waved her hand. "It’s a bit late today. Let’s rest first. Tomorrow, I’ll just take a stroll around the streets."
’Then again, I might not even need to wait until tomorrow. Han Li might just follow the scent and show up today.’
Between the people Ao Er had brought and those who came with Yu An, there was quite a crowd. Fortunately, the courtyard was large and had plenty of rooms, so everyone could just about squeeze in.
Since she had been riding in a carriage the whole time, Yu An wasn’t tired at all. She had someone prep the ingredients, then grabbed a large wok spatula and expertly stir-fried several dishes.
Stir-fried pork with chili peppers, braised pork ribs, poached spicy beef slices... They were all rich, savory dishes, and the aroma drifted for miles. Paired with freshly steamed hot buns, the guards ate with gusto.
The men Ao Er had brought were, at first, overwhelmed by the honor. But seeing that the newly arrived guards weren’t surprised in the slightest and even unceremoniously picked up their chopsticks and started eating, they too hesitantly began to eat.
’We’re not dreaming, are we? The Hall Master cooked all these dishes? The Hall Master actually condescended to cook for us...’
’Wait, I can’t get distracted. Those starving wolves have already snatched all the braised pork ribs!’
Yu An, Ao Er, and Ao Si were dining at one table, but there were five pairs of chopsticks set out. Before Ao Si could ask if they were expecting a guest, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
The guard closest to the gate went to open it. When he saw the person outside, he froze.
Han Li, however, paid no attention to the stunned guard. His eyes, as if equipped with radar, locked straight onto Yu An’s face.
"An’an!!!"
He charged toward Yu An like a stallion that had broken free and embraced her with excitement. "An’an, I finally found you, SOB SOB SOB..."
Sandwiched between his Female Mother and Beast Father, Little Wolf struggled to poke his head out. "Here..."
"SOB SOB SOB, An’an, where did you go? I thought you’d been kidnapped again..."
Little Wolf’s words were cut off by his own Beast Father. Luckily, Yu An rescued him in time.
She patted Little Wolf’s head soothingly, signaling that she would handle Han Li first. Little Wolf obediently jumped down, wearing an expression that clearly said, ’My own Beast Father is so embarrassing.’
"There, there. I’m perfectly fine, see?"
A few words of comfort had no effect, as Han Li’s tears continued to fall freely. Yu An sighed and simply pinched the flesh at his waist. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
That did it. The waterworks stopped.
With tears welling in his eyes, Han Li whimpered, "An’an..."
"Don’t talk yet," Yu An said, making a ’pause’ gesture. "Have you two eaten?"
"Not yet," Han Li answered truthfully. "I was just about to take Zaizai to buy some food when I smelled cooking."
He had eaten Yu An’s cooking countless times, and his sense of smell was unusually sharp. How could he not recognize the familiar aroma and know whose hands had prepared the meal?
Han Li had immediately brought Little Wolf over to investigate, and sure enough, his hunch was right.
Yu An pulled him down to sit. Only then did Han Li see Ao Er and Ao Si. He subconsciously started to greet them, but Yu An stepped on his foot.
Although he didn’t know why, Han Li obediently shut his mouth.
Little Wolf blinked and remained silent. Only after Yu An finished introducing the "new identities" of his two uncles did he greet them.
Over the course of the meal, Han Li figured out that the person who had been chasing him and his son was none other than Ao Er. He wasn’t clear on the current situation, so adhering to the principle of "the more you say, the more you risk saying something wrong," he mostly just listened to Yu An.
Ao Er and Ao Si were both tactful men. They wouldn’t pry into matters Yu An didn’t bring up. Even though Han Li had just mentioned being "kidnapped," they didn’t probe further.
’Why dig so deep? It’s not like we get paid extra for it.’
Besides, compared to their true superior, the Beast God, they were emotionally more inclined to side with Yu An.
’I always feel like if Yu An and the Beast God ever had a falling out, we would definitely have to stand with Yu An.’
’No, no, what am I thinking? How could the Hall Master have a falling out with the Beast God?’
After the meal, Yu An pulled Han Li and Little Wolf into a room to tell them what she had been through recently.
Upon learning that the Beast God was actually a hidden villain, Han Li muttered a few curses. "He puts on a respectable front, but His heart is blacker than anyone’s, isn’t it?! Things had just finally calmed down, and now He’s stirring up trouble again!"
He had been dreaming of a lively and happy future for his family, and of going to find the Female Mother and Beast Father from whom he’d long been separated. Well, with the Beast God’s meddling, that had all gone down the drain.
However—
Han Li said excitedly, "An’an, you’re actually the real Beast God? Doesn’t that make me the Beast God’s Beast Husband?"
"An’an, speaking of which, after you take back your position as Beast God, if I were to go back to Han Ling City, would that count as me returning home in glory?"
Yu An laughed in spite of herself. "Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. You’re already thinking that far ahead?"
Han Li had a different take. "They always say that good triumphs over evil, An’an. I think that old fogey Beast God’s days are numbered. He’ll be kicked off His throne soon enough."
At this, he suddenly frowned. "Just calling Him Beast God over and over... we don’t even know His real name. It just sullies the title of ’Beast God’."
Han Li loathed evil, and since the Beast God had stolen something that belonged to Yu An, he detested Him all the more.
"You’re right," Yu An agreed. "But right now, no one knows His name, so we’ll just have to call Him that for now."
"By the way, Han Li, are you and Zaizai unable to leave the confines of Winter City?"
