Insider Information

Before Yang Ning could politely refuse, she went on, her tone taking on a hint of mystery. "Please don't rush to turn me down. To show my sincerity, I can let you in on a little piece of insider information."

Her gaze unconsciously flicked toward the desk nearby, where the intelligence jade slip that had just been delivered that afternoon lay.

"Someone in the Law Enforcement Hall... is unhappy with you, the Advisor who came out of nowhere. Lately, they've been trying every day to find fault with you and frame you. They might even... try to assassinate you. Boss Yang, you'll need to be extra careful in the days ahead."

Her tone shifted, turning gentle and alluring once more. "But don't worry, Boss Yang. If things don't go smoothly for you at the Law Enforcement Hall, or you run into any trouble, the gates of Jade Maiden Peak will always be open to you. There'll always be a place waiting for you here."

Yang Ning turned around and calmly cupped his hands toward Shi Xuanfei once more. "Thank you for the warning, Peak Master Shi. I'll keep it in mind. Farewell."

With that, he didn't hesitate. He decisively parted the tinkling red crystal beads, reached the hall door, quickly put on his shoes and socks, then pushed open the door that had been immovable earlier but now swung open with ease.

When Yang Ning stepped out of the bedchamber, steeped in warm fragrance and an ambiguous atmosphere, the sky outside had been painted a resplendent orange-red by the sunset. The sun was slowly sinking behind the distant mountains. Dong Xiaojie had already been waiting outside the hall door. As soon as she saw him emerge, she hurried over.

"Boss Yang, Master ordered me to escort you back," she said respectfully.

Yang Ning gazed at the scattered lights gradually appearing at the foot of the mountain, but his thoughts had already turned away from the entanglements with Shi Xuanfei.

He silently calculated: At this hour... the drug should have taken effect already. I'd guess that when the Law Enforcement Hall disciples make their rounds first thing tomorrow morning, they'll find the undercover agent's body.

The solemn expression that unconsciously appeared on his face did not escape Dong Xiaojie. It left her feeling rather troubled.

"Boss Yang," she began carefully, her voice apologetic. "My master... if she offended you in any way earlier, I hope you'll be magnanimous and not take it to heart."

Yang Ning distractedly nodded, still immersed in his own thoughts as he considered how to handle things when he faced Yun Zishan tomorrow.

Although he had done his best to mislead them about the time of the undercover agent's death, he had indeed gone to Zhaoyu Tower the night before last. And during the time Xu Yinyin had left to fetch Spirit Fruits, two disciples on guard at Zhaoyu Tower could testify that he had been alone on the underground first floor for at least the time it took to drink a cup of tea. However he looked at it, he was somewhat suspicious.

As he silently worked out what to say when he faced Yun Zishan, he walked slowly downhill alongside Dong Xiaojie. Several times, Dong Xiaojie seemed about to speak, but each time she saw Yang Ning's brows still furrowed and his profile still grave, she swallowed the words that had reached her lips.

The two of them walked in silence all the way down the winding mountain path. They passed through the trail they had taken on the way up and finally arrived at the foot of the back mountain, where the Myriad Things Come shop stood.

Yang Ning looked up at the back mountain before him, covered in bamboo forest—though in truth, it was merely a rather large hill. His gaze settled on the shadowy bamboo grove halfway up the slope. His antidote for the day should have already been placed there. He stopped and turned to Dong Xiaojie.

"Senior Disciple Dong, you can leave me here. Why don't you head back—"

"Look out!"

Before he could finish, Dong Xiaojie's expression changed abruptly. She reached out and yanked Yang Ning forcefully toward her!

"Whoosh—!"

A faint whistle sliced past Yang Ning's ear! The next instant, a needle as fine as a strand of ox hair struck precisely where he had been standing. Its tail still quivered.

Dong Xiaojie's gaze instantly sharpened like a hawk's. She whipped her head toward the nearby bamboo grove! A blurry black figure flashed rapidly between the bamboo shadows, then fled into the darkness and vanished!

Yang Ning's expression grew even graver. His physique had risen to 15, comparable to a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator, but he was still fundamentally different from a true Cultivator—there was no True Qi flowing through his body! If not for the almost instinctive alertness and reflexes he'd gained through years of brutal camp training, he might not have even noticed that silent Silver Needle! His reflexes were nowhere near as fast as Dong Xiaojie's, who was already at the Core Formation Stage. By the time he'd realized he was in danger, she had already pulled him clear.

He quickly gathered his thoughts and looked at Dong Xiaojie. "Senior Disciple Dong, I thought you'd chase after them."

Dong Xiaojie kept her gaze fixed on the direction where the shadow had disappeared and shook her head, analyzing the situation calmly. "We can't chase them. What if this is a diversion, meant to lure me away? Then we'd be playing right into their hands. It wouldn't be worth the risk."

She crouched down to examine the Silver Needle embedded in the ground. It had passed cleanly through two dead leaves stacked on top of each other. The needle was a deep, shadowy black, and the pierced leaves were turning black and rotting at a visible speed, giving off a faint, foul odor.