Chapter 112: How to Read a Map

"So this is the lunch you prepared for me?!"

After a good while, Qianshou Feijian finally recovered from his shock, looking at Lian Ye with an incredulous expression.

He saw the Food Box containing sweet‑and‑sour pork ribs mixed with stir‑fried greens.

Next to it sat a bowl of seafood noodles, but the noodles seemed clumped together.

Qianshou Feijian's eyelids twitched wildly; he couldn't help but wonder if this really was food made by Lian Ye.

Could it have been scooped from a restaurant trash can?!

Such an unappetizing appearance kills any appetite.

"Uncle, eat it while it's hot; it'll be bad when cold," Lian Ye urged.

When he packed it earlier, the food retained only a little warmth; if he doesn't eat it now, it'll truly get cold.

Qianshou Feijian looked at Lian Ye skeptically, "You kid, you aren't trying to drug me, are you?"

Could a kid of this skill really have made such food?

Did his recent missions abroad cause his cooking to deteriorate?

"Uncle, the presentation is poor, but the taste is still decent," Lian Ye seemed to notice Feijian's doubt and explained, "Well, this is what I made..."

Anyway, he would never admit that the food was leftovers he ate.

Otherwise, this old kid would definitely lose his temper!

Qianshou Feijian stared at the unappealing food in the Food Box, his eyebrows twitching imperceptibly.

Under Lian Ye's expectant gaze, he lifted the clumped noodles with chopsticks, the sauce pulling sticky strands.

The moment it hit his mouth, a salty‑fresh flavor mingled with just‑right sweet‑and‑sour notes spread across his tongue.

Even chilled, the noodles retained a springy chew, while hidden garlic bits and fragrant vinegar in the side dishes unexpectedly awakened his palate.

With one bite, Qianshou Feijian realized it was Lian Ye's handiwork, and his furrowed brows instantly relaxed.

Although the presentation wasn't great, the taste was unexpectedly delicious.

Even after a long hiatus from cooking, this kid's culinary skill remains top‑notch!

He lifted another piece of sweet‑and‑sour pork rib; the instant his teeth cracked the crisp crust, warm juices mingled with caramelized sweetness erupted in his mouth.

Even with a messy appearance, Lian Ye's control over cooking heat was flawless.

Swallowing the final mouthful of seafood noodles, he set down his chopsticks and absentmindedly traced the bowl's rim with his fingers.

He actually wanted to sip the broth, but lamented the lack of a spoon.

And with Lian Ye standing there, he couldn't possibly lift the bowl to drink directly, could he?

Saving face is very important to him.

Qianshou Feijian could never afford to lose face with that person...

"Uncle, the taste is okay, right?" Lian Ye said proudly, eyeing the now‑empty Food Box.

He knew this old kid would never be picky.

Qianshou Feijian gave a slight nod, "The taste is good, but the knife work and plating need retraining."

"Mm‑mm, got it," Lian Ye nodded in acknowledgment.

Even if you killed Qianshou Feijian, he would never suspect that these dishes were Lian Ye's own leftovers.

Lian Ye silently kept the matter to himself, never telling the old kid.

Qianshou Feijian suffers from an extreme mental cleanliness obsession.

Years ago, the two began practicing the Separate Meal System.

Lian Ye always splits his meals into two portions—one per person—each eating their own.

In fact, the Separate Meal System is a tradition of the Ninja World.

But Qianshou Feijian's obsession forces him to enforce the Separate Meal System.

Others have no strong objections; for example, Senju Hashirama quite enjoys everyone eating together.

If this old kid found out the dishes were his own leftovers...

The consequences would be unimaginable!

Lian Ye calmly glanced at the mouth‑wiping Qianshou Feijian and breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems this old kid hasn't noticed anything amiss.

After the meal, Qianshou Feijian felt refreshed.

This is real food; he finally understood why Lian Ye despises Soldier's Ration Pill.

Who would want to eat Soldier's Ration Pill when you can enjoy gourmet food?

If Lian Ye weren't off on a mission, he'd wish the other side would bring him meals every day.

Lian Ye, seeing Qianshou Feijian finish, tidied the dishes and asked.

"Uncle, how's the situation in Konoha now?"

He has been patrolling the forest, so he's unaware of Konoha's current condition.

Earlier, Nara Hon had mentioned it in passing, but gave no details.

Qianshou Feijian, hearing this, pulled a document from the table and handed it to Lian Ye, saying slowly:

"At present, various nations have stationed troops in the Fire Country Border Region, ready to launch an attack at any moment."

Lian Ye took the document, noticing it was a deployment map of Konoha and the stationed forces of various nations, a hint of bewilderment flashing in his eyes.

Damn it, what the heck is this drawing?

Why can't he understand it?

Could those tiny dots be the stationed troops?

Qianshou Feijian, not noticing Lian Ye's expression, said, "The document in your hand is the current battle map."

"Hmm, I see."

Lian Ye nodded, expressionless, and placed the document on the table.

Qianshou Feijian, seeing this, his temples bulging, couldn't help but ask, "Kid, did you understand it?"

If he hadn't misread, it seemed Lian Ye had held the map upside down.

"Hmm, I didn't get it," Lian Ye replied honestly, still finding an excuse, "Uncle, this map is drawn too sloppily."

Qianshou Feijian twitched the corner of his mouth and subconsciously rubbed his forehead.

There's really nothing he can do with this guy.

They've all become Jonin, yet can't even read a map.

He also doesn't know how they got to the mission site when they carried out missions before.

Speaking of which, really won't failing to find the mission location cause the mission to fail?

In fact, Qianshou Feijian actually guessed correctly.

At first, when the mission was carried out, Lian Ye was the team leader.

But after getting lost twice in a row, the guide was switched to Tuan Cang.

"Come over," Qianshou Feijian gestured for Lian Ye to step forward, pointing at the map, "This is how you read a map…"

He felt it necessary to teach Lian Ye how to read a map.

So that in the future on the Battlefield, a situation where the map can't be understood won't arise.

Reading a map isn't hard; it's just that Lian Ye has never learned, so naturally he never understood it.

Under Qianshou Feijian's careful guidance, he quickly grasped how to read a map.

"So that's how a map is read…" Lian Ye said with some emotion.

This is vastly different from his earlier understanding, no wonder he often got lost.

Qianshou Feijian helplessly shook his head, "Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go back and rest."

He looked up at Lian Ye, expression serious, "Cherish the remaining rest time; the real war is about to break out."

Hearing that, Lian Ye was startled, but quickly recovered.

"Got it, Uncle."

Saying that, Lian Ye lifted the Food Box and left the Hokage Office.

Qianshou Feijian was reminding him to rest well during this time, to prepare for the upcoming war.

When the real fight starts, he'll definitely be sent to the front lines.

Qianshou Feijian stood by the window, watching Lian Ye leave the Hokage Building, murmuring softly.

"Kid, please don't die…"

ps: Thanks to the great Qianshou Feijian Hui Tu Zhuan for the gift, and thanks to everyone for the power generation.

Currently a total of ten chapters are owed; the weekend's two days can make up about six chapters, plus the usual four chapters of regular updates, meaning ten chapters in two days! The remaining four chapters will be gradually added…