A nighttime visit to Xiao Yi Xian

Xiao Fan entered the Myriad Medicine Pavilion without mishap. When he spotted a heavily guarded courtyard, he knew where Xiao Yi Xian was.

At a time like this, the most heavily guarded place in the Myriad Medicine Pavilion had to be where Xiao Yi Xian was staying.

Hidden in the shadows, Xiao Fan surveyed the layout around the courtyard.

It was a simple courtyard compound, now surrounded by concealed sentries. Most of the guards looked relaxed, however, as though they hardly took their assignment seriously.

That made sense. After all, Xiao Yi Xian was a living, breathing person sitting right inside her room. There was no way she could slip out without anyone noticing, so their laxness was only natural.

And that gave Xiao Fan just the opening he needed to sneak inside.

Xiao Fan quietly climbed onto a nearby rooftop and hung beneath the jutting eaves. Under cover of night, he easily slipped into Xiao Yi Xian's courtyard.

Looking at her illuminated window, Xiao Fan flipped over and quietly slipped inside.

The moment he entered the room, Xiao Fan noticed moisture hanging in the air. A faint, captivating fragrance also drifted through the room.

While Xiao Fan was still wondering about it, he suddenly heard splashing from behind the screen.

Only then did he understand: Xiao Yi Xian was bathing.

What timing I picked...

If Xiao Yi Xian caught me... At that thought, Xiao Fan wanted to retreat the way he had come and quietly leave, only to discover that the circulation of Dou Qi inside him had slowed for an instant.

At that moment, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame surged through his body, and the strange sensation in his meridians vanished instantly.

A trace of curiosity entered Xiao Fan's eyes. He had only just stepped into the room, yet he had already fallen into her trap!

Without his Heavenly Flames, even a Dou Shi entering Xiao Yi Xian's room would apparently get caught out if he was careless.

It seemed Xiao Yi Xian had made astonishing progress with the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture!

Whoosh!

Just as Xiao Fan stood there distracted,

a length of white silk suddenly shot out from behind the screen.

Watching the silk stab straight toward his face, Xiao Fan shifted slightly to one side and dodged it.

He was about to speak when another strange fragrance wafted from the silk.

He hurriedly covered his nose and mouth, swiftly circulating his Heavenly Flames through his body to burn it away before cautiously speaking.

"Xiao Yi Xian, it's me!"

Upon hearing Xiao Fan's startled cry,

the attacks from the other side stopped.

A cute little head peeked out from behind the screen. Who else could it be but Xiao Yi Xian?

Perhaps because she had just been bathing, Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks were flushed.

As she tilted her head, her long black hair fell forward from behind her, still dripping with bathwater.

Xiao Fan could not help staring in a daze.

Once Xiao Yi Xian poked her head out and confirmed that it really was Xiao Fan, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Anyone would be nervous upon discovering an intruder in their home halfway through a bath.

Especially since Xiao Yi Xian's current relationship with the Myriad Medicine Pavilion was rather delicate.

"Sit there and don't move. Give me a moment."

With the danger gone, Xiao Yi Xian glared at Xiao Fan before retreating behind the screen, leaving only that petulant instruction.

Xiao Fan awkwardly rubbed his nose, found a nearby chair, and sat down.

Behind the screen, Xiao Yi Xian's face was full of embarrassment.

After all, she was completely naked.

Only a layer of cloth separated her from Xiao Fan.

Once she returned behind the screen, Xiao Yi Xian realized something awkward: her clothes had flown over to Xiao Fan's side along with the white silk she had sent out.

Since she kept all her poisons close to her body, when she discovered an intruder halfway through her bath, there had been no time to take out a medicine bottle without alerting him.

She could only scatter the poison into her clothes and use them to catch him off guard.

Poison? Oh no!

Xiao Yi Xian suddenly remembered that all the poisons she had just used were lethal.

At the thought of poisoning Xiao Fan to death with her own hands, her eyes gradually filled with tears, and she immediately ran toward him.

Meanwhile, Xiao Fan lowered his head from his seat and saw the white silk that had flown out earlier. Weren't those a girl's undergarments tangled up in it?

Leaving them on the floor hardly seemed right. Xiao Fan glanced toward the screen.

Xiao Yi Xian only just went back behind it. She probably won't come out so soon. I'll just pick them up and put them on the table for her.

And so, Xiao Fan reached out and picked up Xiao Yi Xian's clothes.

But the moment he took them in hand, he saw Xiao Yi Xian rush out with a distressed expression, looking as though misery were written all over her face.

Xiao Fan thought something had happened behind the screen. His gaze sharpened, and he hurriedly caught Xiao Yi Xian as she ran over, shielding her behind him.

Seeing the clothes in Xiao Fan's hand, Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly reached for them, hoping to find the antidote to the poison she had made.

Then she could ease the poisoning.

She had not expected Xiao Fan to pull her behind him the moment he saw her.

Only when she noticed his wary gaze did she realize that he thought there was danger and wanted to protect her.

Warmth stirred in her heart, and Xiao Yi Xian spoke softly.

"N-no... there's no one. I poisoned this room. I'm looking for an antidote pill for you."

Hearing her words, Xiao Fan finally relaxed his guard and turned to look at her.

Xiao Yi Xian did not know that his Heavenly Flames could burn away poison. Xiao Fan was just about to make a joke, but when he turned around, he could no longer tear his eyes away.

Xiao Yi Xian stood before him completely naked. Earlier, he had been too concerned about the supposed danger to notice when he pulled her behind him. Now, the two were pressed tightly together.

Looking at the alluring Xiao Yi Xian, Xiao Fan felt heat gradually take hold of his heart.

Sensing his scorching gaze, Xiao Yi Xian did not know how to react.

She could only murmur,

"Poison... it's poisonous..."

Looking at the flustered Xiao Yi Xian, Xiao Fan could no longer resist the heat within him. He wrapped both arms tightly around her, gazed at the beauty's lips, and gently pressed his own against them.

They stood amid the disarray of the room, entwined in each other's embrace.

A long time passed before their lips parted. Just as Xiao Fan wanted to go further, Xiao Yi Xian regained a shred of clarity in his grasp. She hurriedly pushed him away, lowered her head, and wrapped her arms around her enticing, snow-white body.

Xiao Fan also came to his senses. He hastily picked up the clothes from the floor and draped them over Xiao Yi Xian.

Looking at Xiao Yi Xian standing there in a daze, Xiao Fan did not know what to do.

"You... turn around."

Only when Xiao Yi Xian's soft voice sounded did Xiao Fan snap out of it. Turning his back to her, he stammered,

"Um... you... put your clothes on first."

After speaking, his face was filled with embarrassment as he stood with his back to her. He raised his hands to scratch his head, but that did not seem quite appropriate either, and for a moment he had no idea where to put them.

Watching Xiao Fan stand with his back to her, utterly at a loss, Xiao Yi Xian broke into a silent little laugh.

Only then, her pretty face crimson, did she hide behind him and begin dressing.

Before long, Xiao Yi Xian was fully dressed.

Yet she felt as though he were still kissing her lips, as though that tingling sensation lingered, along with her... That scoundrel.

She cast a reproachful glance at Xiao Fan, who was still standing in the same position. Thinking back to how he had looked earlier, she could see that he had not shown the slightest sign of poisoning.

It's all my fault for worrying that the sky would fall. But she had prepared those poisons according to the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture. Even a Dou Shi should not have been able to escape their effects.

Xiao Fan's immunity to her poisons made Xiao Yi Xian even more curious about him.

"Ahem..."

Not knowing what to say, Xiao Yi Xian could only cough awkwardly to break the silence.

Hearing her cough, Xiao Fan finally came to his senses and looked at her awkwardly.

In his previous life, Xiao Fan had been a homebody who had never even held a girl's hand. Today had been an entirely new experience for him as well.

So he did not know how he should face Xiao Yi Xian.

When he turned around, his gaze involuntarily drifted to her lips again.

Noticing his gaze, Xiao Yi Xian shot him a fierce glare.

Pretending nothing had happened, she asked with affected composure,

"What are you doing sneaking into my room in the middle of the night?"

At that, Xiao Yi Xian felt both angry and resentful toward Xiao Fan.

Who climbs into a girl's room at night? A lecher or... anyway, certainly not a decent person.

If he had not sneaked in, none of this would have happened.

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian glaring fiercely at him,

Xiao Fan did not know whether he should discuss tomorrow's affairs with her.

He was still wondering whether he ought to apologize for what had just happened first.

"Um... just now, I..."

Seeing Xiao Fan insist on lifting the very pot that should stay closed, Xiao Yi Xian was both embarrassed and annoyed. She hurriedly interrupted him.

"Nothing happened just now. Understood?"

With that, she glared at him again, as though saying, If you dare tell anyone, I'll finish you off.

Although Xiao Fan had no experience with this, he was not stupid. Hearing her say that, he knew it was best to skip over the subject for now, so he could only nod in agreement.

Yet a trace of disappointment passed through his heart.

Afterward, Xiao Fan began discussing the serious matter with Xiao Yi Xian.

He told her the information he had obtained from Shi Wan.

After hearing Xiao Fan's news, Xiao Yi Xian frowned.

But then she looked at him and asked,

"If you knew it was so dangerous, why did you come back?"

Looking into her eyes, Xiao Fan answered earnestly, "I couldn't just leave you to fend for yourself!"

Xiao Yi Xian said nothing in response, but a warm current passed through her heart, and the corners of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

"Then what are you planning to do?"

Xiao Yi Xian did not realize that her voice had unconsciously become much gentler.

Xiao Fan narrowed his eyes, looked at her, and said in a low voice,

"Make sure none of them leave."

Once they got down to business, the two discussed matters for half the night before finally settling on the script for tomorrow.

Deep into the night, after they had settled everything, Xiao Fan carefully climbed out through the rear window of Xiao Yi Xian's room, just as before.

He easily slipped through the surrounding eyes and melted into the darkness.

Unlike when he had arrived, Xiao Fan left with a few extra things in his Storage Ring.

After Xiao Fan left, Xiao Yi Xian gazed at the disarray in her room and sank into thought, sometimes smiling softly, sometimes frowning...