Two hours earlier, dawn was just breaking.
In the southern forest of Beikanwei, a small wooden cabin flickered with candlelight.
This was Andrea's cabin.
"Awake?"
Andrea, inside the house, was boiling soup. The weather was terrifyingly cold. Although she didn't need it much, Wu Tian needed this bowl of hot soup.
Wu Tian, lying on the bed, was indeed too tired. He had stayed awake and vigilant for a full day and night. Upon arriving at the cabin, he had collapsed straight into bed.
Not sleeping was secondary; the most draining aspect was the constant, focused attention on everything around him.
After sleeping for nearly 10 hours, Wu Tian slowly woke up. The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was the retro wooden ceiling and Andrea's voice.
"Mhm, how long did I sleep?"
"Ten hours, to be exact. You slept very soundly."
Sitting up from the bed, Wu Tian gently rubbed his slightly groggy head and asked, "Did the blizzard stop?"
"Not yet. It won't stop until tomorrow morning, at least. For now, you should stay safely inside," Andrea replied without looking up, leisurely adding some seasoning to the soup. A bowl of American-style tomato bisque was ready.
"No, I need to save my son." Wu Tian patted his face, preparing to put on his clothes and leave.
After sleeping for so long, Wu Tian felt immense self-blame and anxiety. Every second that passed increased Lin Junhui's danger.
Andrea blocked him with a pot, tilting her head with an expression that clearly asked if he was out of his mind. "Where are you going? You have no map, no idea of the guard numbers, no plan whatsoever. Are you just going to rush in and die? They won't deliver you even if you're starving!"
Wu Tian knew he was eager to save his son, but what could he do in this situation? Andrea was no longer the Saintess; she couldn't help him.
"Oh, my dear Sister Wu Tian! Why don't you just sit down and drink some hot soup? I haven't even started my story yet, what are you rushing for? Don't worry, little Junhui will be absolutely fine."
Pulled onto a chair by Andrea, Wu Tian sighed heavily. Now that he had calmed down, it seemed there was truly no way out.
"How can you be so sure?" Wu Tian asked, forcing back the urge to burst into tears, deciding to listen carefully to Andrea's story.
At this point, he could only rely on Andrea.
Andrea didn't need the calorie-rich hot soup. She brewed a cup of clear tea, sipping it as she recounted her experiences since returning.
"Let me give you a heads-up first. The date of the Holy Mother's sacrifice is a month from now, December 13th. This date will absolutely not change. Before then, they will treat little Junhui even better than their own flesh and blood."
"Is this a special holiday?" Wu Tian asked, feeling his energy significantly restored after taking a sip of the hot soup.
(Ding, you have consumed the energy-restoring potion made by Andrea, immediately restoring 50% energy.
Gained benefit buff: Energy Recovery, continuously restoring energy for 30 minutes~) kanδん
乁(˙w˙乁).
"It's just a festival concocted by my poor mother. She believes it's the boundary between heaven and hell, and by observing this day, one can pursue eternal life." Andrea's eyes held a complex expression as she said this, but it was quickly replaced by determination.
"Let's just tell the story," Andrea said, taking a sip of tea and regaining her energetic demeanor. "After I returned from Huaxia, my mother discovered my whereabouts. My subordinates, seeing two identical me, didn't know who to choose.
However, I could feel it myself – the one standing before me was not Wang Xiaoxin, with whom I had completed the transaction, but my second personality, Hathor. She is an unadulterated witch.
My mother ignored us, only hurling a few foul curses at me. Seeing that nothing could be done, I escaped from the manor.
Strangely, my second personality did not pursue me, as if she had a more important task.
I always felt something was amiss, so I built a cabin here to observe them at all times.
In the past six months, they have collected many young children. I don't know the exact number, only that there are around 100.
It's as if they are preparing for some strange ritual. I only found out a week ago that my mother plans to hold a sacrifice, intending to achieve eternal life through these children."
Even as one of the personalities of the Eternal Life Cult's Saintess, Andrea felt such actions deserved to go to hell.
Did her mother go to church to pray every day just to ask the Lord to forgive her sins?
This was something that could never be forgiven!
But Andrea was powerless. She couldn't intervene and could only hide in the shadows, observing and waiting for an opportunity.
Wu Tian had been listening, his fists clenched, his eyes red. The worry for his son, coupled with a bit of sympathy for the other children, ignited his rage. He wished he could fly to the Holy Mother of the Eternal Life Cult and slap her right now.
The howling wind and snow outside dampened his fury. After finishing a bowl of hot soup, the two calmly continued their conversation, one listening, the other speaking.
"And for this sacrifice, my father was made a scapegoat. My mother used him to distract you and the Russians, while the rest were led by the head maid to the Bear Country to find a special item, a crucial part of the sacrifice.
That's the short version of my story. Next, I'll tell you about the guard distribution in the manor."
"Wait, how do you know so much about their affairs? Didn't you have to escape from the Eternal Life Cult when you returned?
Are you so well-informed even out here?"
"Sister Wu Tian," Andrea smiled slightly and said seriously, "Everyone has their trump cards and secrets. It's not good to reveal everything. We now have a common enemy, the Eternal Life Cult. You need to save someone, and I need something they possess. We both get what we need, isn't that good?"
"That makes sense," Wu Tian admitted, feeling he was being a bit too inquisitive and impolite, especially since he was asking for a favor.
Andrea definitely understood the Eternal Life Cult better than he did and knew their weaknesses.
Seeing Wu Tian cooperating, Andrea took out a piece of linen with something resembling a map on it. "Now, memorize this map."
Taking it, Wu Tian looked at it carefully. It depicted a map. "What is this?"
"A map of the Eternal Life Cult's stronghold. First, memorize the outer perimeter, then the inner layout. I have detailed records of these; you just need to memorize them."
"What do you need?" Wu Tian didn't believe in free lunches, and Andrea had mentioned needing something earlier. He wanted to know what it was.
"There's no rush for that. I'll tell you when the time comes," Andrea replied, keeping him in suspense and refusing to tell him the truth.
Riddlers are the most annoying!