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Pei Ji said nothing. He couldn't speak, either.

"Here, take the medicine box."

She picked it up from the ground and thrust it into Pei Ji's arms without giving him a chance to refuse. Then she pointed at the food in his mouth. "This is a custard bun I bought from someone else. You have to eat it while it's hot, which is why I said I needed to give it to you myself as soon as possible."

Then she added sternly, "Don't you dare spit it out! Hurry up and eat it! Do you know how much I paid for it? A tenth of my entire fortune! I'm poor, you know! Spitting it out would be like cutting a piece of your senior sister's flesh!"

Pei Ji: ...

Before he opened the door, the baleful intent inside him had already faded by more than half. Now, his mouth was filled with the soft, fragrant sweetness of the bun. It seemed to sweep straight into his insides, washing away the bloodied taste that had lingered there for so long.

Perhaps afraid he'd start spouting nonsense again after he finished eating, Ning Ning said goodbye and turned to leave, leaving Pei Ji standing alone in front of the door.

What kind of situation was this?

He'd prepared so many cruel, sarcastic things to say, but she'd left him unable to utter a single word. He could only stand there, stunned.

...What a good-for-nothing.

He couldn't even bring himself to snap at her.

He tried to force a self-mocking smile, but found his lips too stiff to move. The bun's fragrance lingered on his tongue. Pei Ji wrapped his hand around its base and took a gentle bite.

The warm, sweet filling flowed through his mouth like a thick, fragrant current. In an instant, the cold, broken body he'd been trapped in began to warm again. He flexed his bloodied, stiff fingertips and leaned against the doorway.

The moon sank lower, and shadows dappled beneath the trees.

The boy, wreathed in baleful intent, puffed out his cheeks and licked the sweet, milky bun.

=====

What Pei Ji didn't know was that after delivering the custard bun and returning to her room, the first thing Ning Ning did was take out a Communication Talisman and send a letter to an Outer Sect Disciple's room.

It bore a few large characters: Tomorrow at dinner, Pei Ji's courtyard. Be sure to do the job.

Ning Ning had no choice.

The system hadn't assigned a mission in ages, and when one finally came today, it was particularly outrageous—

The original host had noticed how much the elders appreciated Pei Ji, and her jealousy had grown ever stronger. She'd been set on taking revenge.

The Outer Sect Disciples were a mixed lot, and many had all kinds of side businesses: tutoring, doing people's homework, and beating people up.

She was this broke and the original host had still managed to stir up trouble, hiring people and squeezing out the last of her private savings. She truly was a model wicked female supporting character. Ning Ning couldn't compare.

In short, she had to contact the Outer Sect Disciples, discuss the business, and hire a group of people to go to Pei Ji's courtyard and give him trouble.

Of course, the story ended with Pei Ji defeating them all, but he'd been injured in today's arena battle. No matter how things turned out, fighting back tomorrow would aggravate his wounds and make his condition worse.

That's why Ning Ning had spent her entire fortune on a custard bun, as a quiet little gift to apologize.

The other party's reply came quickly, brief and to the point: [Received.]

But there was something Ning Ning didn't know, too.

She never would have imagined that in some room that night, someone else had sent a letter just like hers.

The message was identical, as if copied and pasted: [Tomorrow at dinner, Pei Ji's courtyard. Be sure to do the job.]

=====

So, the next day, when Pei Ji returned to his lodgings after dinner, the first thing he saw was seven or eight people gathered outside his door.

All of them had Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivation, unfriendly eyes, and masks over their faces.

"You must be Pei Ji."

The one in front gave a cold laugh. "You're out of luck. Someone hired us to teach you a lesson."

He sounded utterly confident. But as soon as he finished speaking, before Pei Ji could even react, another hearty male voice rang out from not far away. "Where's Pei Ji!"

Looking over, they saw another eight tall men slowly approaching along the path. They, too, had Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivation and masks over their faces.

The two groups stared at each other.

Their eyes were tiny, but their confusion was immense. With identical masks and matching postures, they looked like a pair of gourd brothers copied and pasted.

"Why are those people here? Did someone among us let the secret slip, so Pei Ji prepared in advance and hired people to protect him?"

Someone muttered this under his breath, and the people by the door immediately went on high alert.

They'd just surrounded that Pei boy, and now another aggressive-looking group had appeared nearby. Judging by their fearsome looks, they clearly hadn't come with good intentions.

At once, whispers and murmurs rose all around them.

"Well, well, playing the hero to save the beauty? What era is this? Who still pulls that stunt?"

"That's a bold question. So what if they know where Pei Ji is? Can they protect him?"

The one in front gave a cold snort, his voice booming like a bell. "Right here! What do you want?"

He sounded vicious, as though he wouldn't let anyone lay a finger on the boy beside him. He even stepped forward, shielding Pei Ji completely.

It was a gesture of possession.

But to everyone else, it looked like something entirely different.

—What old hen was that, guarding her egg?

Standing by the path, the Outer Sect Disciples Ning Ning had hired were just as baffled. They quietly talked among themselves, keeping their voices low enough that only those nearby could hear.

"What's going on? Why are there so many people around that kid?"

"Did Pei Ji know we were coming and hire people to protect him?"

"Does he really think we can't beat those guys? That if he gets someone else to stand in front of him, we won't be able to touch him? I'm going to beat them all bloody today!"

"What do we want?"

Their leader also stepped forward, his tone leaving no room for argument. "If you know what's good for you, get away from him now, or don't blame us for being rude!"

"Ha! Masked perverts! Come over here and fight us one-on-one if you've got the guts! We're taking this kid today!"

The two groups faced off, tension drawn taut. Then, someone provoked the other side, and a clear burst of killing intent flared.