Clarification and Turbidity

"Ah?!" The moment Xu Yinyin heard the word "assassination," her heart felt like it was being fiercely squeezed, instantly leaping into her throat! Almost instinctively, she lunged to Yang Ning's side, grabbing his wrist without a word. She exhaled a wisp of true qi from her fingertips, intending to check his physical condition.

"Don't worry, Boss Yang isn't injured," Dong Xiaojie quickly explained upon seeing this.

Hearing her explanation, Xu Yinyin's taut nerves finally relaxed a little, but she still didn't let go of Yang Ning's wrist. She meticulously and repeatedly examined him several times, confirming that there were indeed no signs of poisoning or internal injuries within his body before she truly felt at ease.

Although Yang Ning's pulse felt somewhat peculiar to her senses, as if... something was missing, as if it had been forcibly stripped away, his overall physical condition was stable and showed no serious issues.

Dong Xiaojie watched Xu Yinyin remain so tense, unwilling to be the slightest bit careless even after her assurance, and couldn't help but feel a bit more worried about her Master's future "competitive landscape."

She unfolded the handkerchief from the counter, revealing a slender, jet-black needle within: "This is the poisoned silver needle the assassin shot. Junior Sister Xu, you're from the Law Enforcement Hall, so according to regulations, this matter should be handled by your hall. I am now formally handing over this important piece of evidence to you."

Xu Yinyin looked at the poisoned needle on the handkerchief, which glinted with a cold, eerie light. Her hands unconsciously clenched into tight fists, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

She immediately took out a specially made, custom leather box for preserving evidence from the storage pouch at her waist. With practiced movements, she used tweezers to carefully place the handkerchief and the poisoned needle into the box, closed it, and put it away.

After securing the evidence properly, Xu Yinyin's expression turned grave. She bowed deeply to Dong Xiaojie, performing a grand salute, and said with utmost sincerity, "Thank you, Senior Sister Dong! I, Yinyin, will remember this kindness! If Senior Sister Dong ever needs anything in the future, Xu Yinyin will spare no effort to repay you!"

Dong Xiaojie quickly stepped forward and helped Xu Yinyin up with her hands: "Junior Sister Xu, there's no need for this, please rise quickly!" She glanced at Yang Ning beside her and said gently, "Boss Yang and I are friends. Friends looking out for each other is only natural, and I truly don't deserve such a grand gesture from you, Junior Sister."

Xu Yinyin also realized her reaction might have been a bit too agitated, and her face flushed slightly. She quickly tried to recover, saying, "Boss Yang is an advisor to our Law Enforcement Hall, a special position. As a member of the Law Enforcement Hall, protecting the advisor's safety and investigating the truth is my duty. Therefore, on behalf of the Law Enforcement Hall, I express our immense gratitude for Senior Sister Dong's righteous intervention!"

Dong Xiaojie nodded and said no more, then turned to caution, "Although the assassin has already fled, it's hard to guarantee they won't return, or that they have accomplices. Tonight, Boss Yang's safety is entrusted to you, Junior Sister."

Xu Yinyin immediately straightened her back, cupped her hands in response, and said with a resolute tone, "Rest assured, Senior Sister Dong! With me here, no scoundrel will get within half a step of Boss Yang! I will ensure his safety!"

Dong Xiaojie nodded with satisfaction and finally cupped her hands towards Yang Ning, "Boss Yang, farewell."

Yang Ning also cupped his hands in return, "Senior Sister Dong, safe travels, thank you."

Afterward, Dong Xiaojie pulled open the shop's wooden door, and with a crisp, melodious chime of wind chimes, her figure disappeared into the night outside.

Once Dong Xiaojie was completely outside the vicinity of the Myriad Things Come shop, she subconsciously wiped her smooth forehead with her sleeve. As she walked towards the direction of Jade Maiden Peak's mountain gate, she murmured softly, a tone of relieved exhaustion in her voice:

"This day... so much information, the pressure... it's just too much..."

She summoned her sword light and quickly returned to the Jade Maiden Peak mountain gate. However, just as she landed after retracting her sword and was about to head back to her residence, she saw a tall, slender, and graceful figure standing quietly in the shadow of the large stone tablet by the mountain gate.

Dong Xiaojie's heart skipped a beat. She braced herself and walked over, respectfully cupping her hands towards the figure, "Senior Sister, I'm back."

Under the moonlight, the person turned around. She wore a simple, unadorned, pure blue martial arts uniform. Her shoulder-length short hair looked neat and sharp, and her pair of brown eyes were as calm as still water. As a female cultivator, she wore no hairpins, ornaments, or jade pendants, exuding an aura of efficiency and sternness. She was none other than Jade Maiden Peak's Senior Sister, the one most revered and trusted by all the female cultivators on the entire peak—Ouyang Biting.

"Junior Sister, come up the mountain with me."

Ouyang Biting turned and stepped onto the stone stairs.

Meanwhile, inside the Myriad Things Come shop, the atmosphere seemed to have significantly relaxed after Dong Xiaojie's departure. Yang Ning walked to the door and gently fiddled with the hanging, still faintly swaying iron wind chime, producing a crisp "ding ding dong dong" sound.

"This thing... did you hang it up today?" he asked, turning to look at Xu Yinyin.