“Who exactly are you?” Upon hearing the maiden’s light and airy voice, the black-robed figure shrugged helplessly. After a brief silence, an aged voice slowly emerged, “I think you should have met me at the Xiao residence, right?”
Gently swaying a small, snow-white leg, Xuner’s eyes sparkled as she inquired softly, “What were you doing at the Galley family’s place?”
“I was entrusted to resolve some trouble.”
“Entrusted by whom?”
Her eyes narrowed into a faint curve, and Xuner pressed on with her questions.
“Uh, I can’t say that,” the old man chuckled, spreading his hands.
“But I want to know,” Xuner smiled faintly, her delicate face alight with a soft smile. She stepped forward, and her figure suddenly hovered in mid-air. Pale golden flames condensed rapidly into sharp spirals on her dainty hands.
“Hehe, little girl, I know you’re very strong now, but to try and stop an old man like me, you still fall a bit short,” Pharmacist Elder chuckled.
Xuner frowned slightly, but said no more. With a wave of her hand, more high-speed golden flame spirals appeared at her fingertips.
Seeing Xuner’s unwavering determination, the two people in the black robes felt a headache coming on. Sighing, Pharmacist Elder said helplessly, “I don’t want to fight you. If you get hurt, that guy will be heartbroken.”
“Alright, alright, I’m afraid of you. Today, something happened where an idiot flirted with a girl who is very important to someone. That someone happens to know me, so I was called to play the enforcer. It’s not easy for an old man to run around late at night, you know.”
Xuner’s long lashes fluttered, and a blush slowly crept onto her exquisite little face as it gradually thawed. Flipping her hand, the flame spikes in her grasp dissipated. Glancing at the black-robed figure, she smiled sweetly, “Old sir, you really do have a connection to Brother Xiao Yan.”
“Heh, you changed your address quickly.” The elder chuckled, “You must have already guessed that I have some connection to Xiao Yan, haven’t you?”
“Before, it was just a guess, but I couldn’t be sure,” Xuner shook her head with a smile. Bowing gracefully to the elder in mid-air, she continued, “Though I don’t know your origins, it seems related to how Brother Xiao Yan managed to leave his former despondency a year ago, doesn’t it?”
The elder gave a noncommittal, light laugh.
Staring intently at the black-robed figure, Xuner smiled sweetly and said softly, “No matter what your intentions are for getting close to Brother Xiao Yan, please don’t harbor any other thoughts. Otherwise, Xuner will consider anyone who poses a threat to him an enemy. Perhaps you are very strong, but believe me, I have the means to make such threats.”
“Tsk, what a fierce little lass,” the elder laughed, taken aback by the veiled threat in Xuner’s words.
“I just don’t want Brother Xiao Yan to be deceived and hurt,” Xuner smiled and bowed again to the elder. Smiling, she said, “It’s getting late. I need to return. Please don’t mention what you saw tonight to Brother Xiao Yan.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t say a word,” the elder nodded, adding playfully in his mind, “Because he already heard it.”
Seeing the elder’s agreement, Xuner smiled and was about to turn away when a green shadow suddenly flew through the air. Startled, she waved her hand and caught it.
Looking at the small jade bottle in her hand, Xuner paused and turned her gaze to the black-robed figure on the roof.
“You used a secret technique, and you’ll likely be quite weak for the next few days. Keep this Qi Nourishing Powder. Recover as soon as possible; someone would feel bad seeing you look so ill,” the elder smiled lightly.
Hearing this, a flush appeared on Xuner’s face. She gripped the jade bottle and nodded gratefully to the black-robed figure. Tapping the air with her foot, she swiftly disappeared into the darkness.
Standing on the roof, watching the figure disappear into the distance, the elder sighed softly, muttering, “Back then, you snuck into that girl’s room, performed a pointless meridian warming, and somehow won her heart. You’re really a lucky dog, I must say.”
Under the black robe, Xiao Yan touched his nose, well aware that if it weren’t for that childhood incident, Xuner’s attitude toward him in adulthood might not have been much different from her attitude toward Xiao Ning and others.
Of course, these hypotheticals didn’t matter in reality. Who could blame him for quietly entering the girl’s heart and leaving a mark?
Smiling smugly, Xiao Yan clasped his hands behind his head, letting the elder take control of his body as they quickly returned to the Xiao residence.
After arriving, to avoid Xuner’s notice, Xiao Yan carefully bypassed the courtyard where she lived before landing outside his room and darting inside, closing the door and windows gently.
Inside his room, Xiao Yan quickly removed the large black cloak and stored it in his storage ring, sighing deeply. He fell onto his bed, muttering lazily, “Ah, what a wonderful night.”
…
The next morning at the Galley family, Gally Bi’s face was frighteningly grim. Chilling energy emanated from him, making the beautiful maid trembling on the floor in fear.
Coldly scanning the room where Liu Xi had lived, Gally Bi growled, “You say Liu Xi has disappeared?”
“Yes, Clan Leader. Last night, the maid fainted for some unknown reason. When she woke up at dawn, Liu Xi was gone. I asked the guards, but none saw him,” the maid stammered.
“I noticed he never left the house after entering last night. Both gates of the Galley family were guarded by Dou Shis. There’s no way he could have left without us noticing!” Gally Bi hissed.
“I don’t know, either,” the maid’s face was pale, terrified of being blamed.
His eyelid twitched, and Gally Bi took a deep breath, his mind in turmoil. Ignoring the quivering maid, he began pacing around the room.
Seeing Gally Bi’s actions, the maid dared not move, remaining prostrate on the ground.
As he walked, Gally Bi suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on a small pile of white powder in a corner. His heart pounding, he crouched down and picked up a pinch of the powder, sniffing it. Instantly, his cold expression turned to one of shock.
Taking a deep breath, Gally Bi felt his legs weaken, a chill seeping uncontrollably from his heart.
“Liu Xi… was actually killed right under my nose?”
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