Each with their own designs

Qiao Bin was completely bewildered. Xu Yinyin, who had just left, came back with a brand-new straw in her hand and hurried over to Yang Ning.

Carefully, she slipped the new straw into the can. Then, instead of twisting her apron, she began winding her fingers around the old straw Yang Ning had bitten flat, trying to ease her nerves.

"Um... um... Boss, what Senior Disciple Brother just told you... about the Advisor position..." Xu Yinyin's voice grew quieter and quieter, until it was almost inaudible.

Behind his sunglasses, Yang Ning blinked, eagerly waiting for her to continue.

Xu Yinyin suddenly turned to Qiao Bin. "Senior Disciple Brother, how much is Master offering the Boss?"

Seeing Xu Yinyin—usually fearless, except when Yun Zishan was around—wear such a conflicted expression, Qiao Bin hurried to answer, "Thirty Spirit Stones a month."

Xu Yinyin immediately turned back to Yang Ning, her gaze full of resolve. "Boss, how about forty a month?"

"I..." Yang Ning had barely gotten the first word out when Xu Yinyin squeezed her eyes shut. "Wait! Don't say anything yet!"

Yang Ning choked on his reply at the sudden interruption. Still with her eyes closed, Xu Yinyin stamped her foot and steeled herself. "Forty-two!"

Qiao Bin's eyes widened, while Yang Ning found himself scratching his temple. The brief silence only made Xu Yinyin more nervous.

"Forty-four!" she blurted out, then shook her head. "No, forty-four is unlucky! Forty-five!"

At last, she bowed her head deeply. "Forty-eight... Boss... This really is the highest amount I can get them to agree to. I'm so sorry. If that still isn't enough..."

That was the biggest offer Xu Yinyin could make. She received twenty Spirit Stones a month as a stipend from the Law Enforcement Hall. She wasn't planning to take the extra money she offered Yang Ning out of the Hall's funds; she intended to make up the difference from her own stipend.

On top of her usual cultivation expenses, adding eighteen more Spirit Stones for Yang Ning each month—for a total of forty-eight—was already the limit of what Xu Yinyin could afford.

As for her little nest egg, Xu Yinyin planned to use it for a wedding with her future Cultivation Partner and for setting up a home together. She had never been in love, but that was the little romantic dream she had cherished for years.

Xu Yinyin took a deep breath. "Then... I'm sor—"

"Deal."

"Huh?" Xu Yinyin's head shot up.

"I said deal. Forty-eight Spirit Stones, deal! It's settled!" Yang Ning did his best to keep the corners of his mouth from lifting.

His sunglasses hid the way his eyes had narrowed into slits with delight. Xu Yinyin could only see his lips twitching slightly, and mistakenly thought he had agreed with great reluctance.

Xu Yinyin immediately clasped her hands toward Yang Ning, afraid he might change his mind. "Greetings, Advisor!"

Then Xu Yinyin shot Qiao Bin a meaningful glance. He immediately understood and clasped his hands toward Yang Ning as well. "Greetings, Advisor!"

"Oh, all right~" Yang Ning's voice trembled slightly with joy.

Xu Yinyin hurried to add, "Don't worry, Boss. I'll keep working here. If Master calls me away to train, I'll have Senior Disciple Brother fill in for me! And you don't need to give him a discount or pay him. Just treat him as free labor!"

"Huh?" Qiao Bin stared at her, never expecting Xu Yinyin to sell him out so quickly.

Yang Ning turned to Qiao Bin, his tone teasing. "Is that so?"

The idea of having Qiao Bin work for him for free, becoming his "Boss," suited Yang Ning perfectly.

Qiao Bin saw Xu Yinyin frantically gesturing at him from behind Yang Ning and realized he had no choice. He narrowed his eyes as his right eyelid twitched wildly. "Y-yes... That's right."

He lamented inwardly, There's nothing I can do. I was the one who agreed to this in front of the Hall Master. Well, even if I have to grind my teeth to dust, I'll just have to swallow it.

Yang Ning could no longer keep the grin off his face. Pointing at the Incense Burning Room nearby, he said, "Perfect. It's quiet today, and that room hasn't been cleaned in ages. Go tidy it up."

"Huh? Me? Weren't we supposed to wait until Junior Sister wasn't here?" Qiao Bin looked utterly stunned.

Yang Ning finally took off his sunglasses. "She's a young woman, after all, and she's never even handled incense. You'd make her clean the Incense Burning Room? Have you no shame?"

Qiao Bin knew he hadn't thought before he spoke. If Yun Zishan or any of the other junior disciples in the Hall found out he'd asked Xu Yinyin to clean the Incense Burning Room, they'd skin him alive.

"Fine, fine! I'll do it! I'll do it!" Qiao Bin hurriedly picked up the broom and dustpan by the room's entrance and resignedly went inside.

Yang Ning turned to Xu Yinyin. She showed her two little tiger teeth, her eyes curved into crescents, her face alight with the joy of having gotten what she wanted. Yang Ning smiled back. "All right, all right. Go get me a bag of chips. I'm hungry."

Xu Yinyin nodded at once and ran toward the shop with a spring in her step.

An hour later, Qiao Bin finished cleaning and left the shop to report back to Yun Zishan.

As the sun moved across the sky, footsteps sounded along the Bamboo Trail. A group of about ten Cultivators emerged from the Bamboo Forest, led by someone holding a map.