Ziyun Pavilion

Yun Zishan herself had never noticed that, since meeting the man before her, the heart that had known only cultivation and the struggle for the Sect Master's seat had quietly changed without her realizing it.

"Master? Master?"

Xu Yinyin's words pulled her from her tangled thoughts.

Yun Zishan gathered herself and turned to Xu Yinyin. "What is it?"

Xu Yinyin cupped her hands. "Master, let me take care of Lord Advisor tonight."

Yun Zishan's thoughts were in turmoil. Right now, all she wanted was to return to her room and ease her "abnormality" through meditation.

Yun Zishan waved a hand. "As you wish. I'll go rest first." With that, she pushed open the door and slowly climbed the stairs inside Ziyun Pavilion.

Xu Yinyin bowed behind her. "Farewell, Master." Anyone nearby would surely have heard the lightness in her voice.

Once the footsteps in the loft had faded into the distance, Xu Yinyin immediately turned and closed the door. She leaned against it, gazing at Yang Ning asleep on the bed, her cheeks flushed and her breathing unconsciously quickening.

She rose onto her tiptoes and peered ahead. Her embroidered shoes scuffed the floor for a long while, but she still didn't dare take that step.

The young woman's heart was at war with itself. A man and a woman alone together in one room—though he was unconscious now, still... still... this was so embarrassing! At the thought, she raised a hand to cover her burning cheeks.

Had Yang Ning not been able to clearly hear the breathing in the room, he would probably have opened his eyes and acted long ago.

Xu Yinyin tried to convince herself: He'd only passed out from a cold. She was just taking care of a sick person. What was there to be shy about?

But... wouldn't that mean they'd have to touch? No, that wouldn't do! It was too soon!

She was only going to get him some water and wipe his face. How could that count as touching?

Well... that did make sense.

After a bout of inner struggle, Xu Yinyin finally worked up the courage and tiptoed toward the bed.

But when she actually reached Yang Ning and saw his handsome sleeping face, all thoughts of tending to a patient vanished at once. She quietly brought over an embroidered stool and sat down, propping her chin in her hands as she gazed dreamily at his sleeping face.

The boss really was handsome. His eyelashes were so long, his nose so straight, and his skin so smooth... Last time we went down the mountain, he said the shop had a complete skincare set, but he still hasn't given it to me. I'll have to ask for it when he wakes up!

Xu Yinyin's gaze drifted downward of its own accord, finally coming to rest on Yang Ning's slightly parted lips.

Her heart missed a beat. Xu Yinyin, Xu Yinyin, what are you thinking? She shook her head hard, trying to shake off these ridiculous thoughts.

The next moment, she noticed Yang Ning's cracked lips. She immediately stood and looked around, only to discover there was no kettle in the room.

She got up at once, opened the door, and went out.

The instant the door closed, Yang Ning's eyes flew open. With one nimble movement, he sat up.

"Perfect chance!"

He hurried to the door, pressed his ear against it, and listened carefully. After confirming that Xu Yinyin's footsteps were fading as she went upstairs, Yang Ning immediately took out the items he'd prepared in advance: a poison pill he'd secretly kept from Poison Bee that day, the knockout incense he carried with him, and the waist token he'd swiped from Qiao Bin.

After that smoke-scented guy had held him for so long, swiping a waist token from him was only fair.

According to the plan Yang Ning had just come up with, he would first use the knockout incense to take down the disciples guarding the place, then use Qiao Bin's waist token together with the Guard Disciple's token to open the dungeon. Once he found the target cell, he'd make the Undercover Agent take the poison, and the deed would be done.

The plan carried some risk, but he was in Ziyun Pavilion now, with a path at the back leading straight to Zhaoyu Tower and no patrol disciples nearby. It was practically a heaven-sent opportunity. He had to seize it.

Yang Ning then slowly pushed open the door and cautiously peered into the loft.

A beautiful, three-story openwork pavilion lay before him. Looking up, he saw colored glass set into the dome at its center, through which the bright moonlight spilled, bathing the floor in a silvery glow. Beside his door was a staircase spiraling upward, its railings and the walls carved with flowing-cloud patterns. Pale-purple drapes hung from the banisters on the second and third floors.

Yang Ning crossed the threshold without a sound and headed for the main entrance of Ziyun Pavilion. Years of training in the camp had made his steps light as a feather, barely making a sound.

Just as his hand was about to touch the lock—

"Boss?"

The soft call made Yang Ning stiffen all over. He slowly turned around and saw Xu Yinyin standing prettily at the foot of the stairs, holding a steaming kettle wrapped with pink ribbon. Wisps of white steam curled from its spout.

Xu Yinyin looked puzzled and hurried over. "Boss, what are you...?"

Yang Ning smiled awkwardly and scratched his head, searching for an excuse. "I just woke up and realized I'd never been here before. This place is unfamiliar, so naturally I thought I should leave first."

Xu Yinyin didn't answer. Instead, she reached out and took his wrist. Yang Ning's heart tightened—he was still clutching Qiao Bin's Senior Disciple Brother waist token.

But in the next instant, Xu Yinyin tugged at his wrist and turned to pull him back inside. "Boss, this is Ziyun Pavilion, where my master and I live. You fainted at our Law Enforcement Hall, so we arranged for you to stay here. Just rest here in peace tonight."