Sect Master Bai's eyes showed confusion; he felt Jun Yelan was different from before.
He put away his whip and said coldly, "You are an assassin I trained myself, the best killing weapon in the sect. Everything is decided by the sect!"
Jun Yelan remained silent, his eyes deepening. No, Lan Yan hadn't told him that. He could have his own emotions, his own likes and dislikes, and people he cherished.
"What, you disagree?" Sect Master Bai frowned. If it were before, Jun Yelan would have shown no emotion, but just now there was a clear hint of defiance.
Had something happened to Jun Yelan recently to change him? "Where did you go after completing your mission?"
Jun Yelan's expression changed as he replied, "Your subordinate was recuperating from injuries." The Assassin Sect was powerful; only the Intelligence Sect could rival it. He absolutely could not let them target Lan Yan.
His palm tightened further. Lan Yan must not be harmed!
Sect Master Bai stared at Jun Yelan and raised his palm, striking directly at him.
Jun Yelan did not dodge. His chest took the full force of the palm, and a taste of blood immediately filled his throat. He snorted coldly and swallowed it.
Sect Master Bai looked at Jun Yelan's appearance. His martial arts were indeed a little weaker than before, indicating he was truly injured. He said indifferently, "Although you are injured, the sect's missions cannot be without personnel. You will take this mission."
He took out a piece of paper and threw it before Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan accepted it without looking. He had never had the right to refuse. From his birth, Sect Master Bai had told him he was a blade for the sect, to live for the sect and die for the sect.
But he was unwilling now; he wanted to see that person's smile more often.
"Oh right, you've adopted quite a few children," Sect Master Bai said casually, but his gaze was sharp.
Jun Yelan's eyes turned cold. "Sect Master Bai, those are my own affairs and will not affect the sect's missions." Everything about him was being scrutinized!
Sect Master Bai didn't care about those children, he simply didn't want Jun Yelan, this blade, to become dull. "Complete the mission well, and they will naturally be safe." He left in anger; Jun Yelan was increasingly resisting the sect.
He did not need a blade that did not obey.
Jun Yelan was left alone on the spot, clutching the paper in his hand. He shouldn't forget; his surroundings were full of danger. This time, Sect Master Bai was targeting those children, and soon he would target Lan Yan.
He could not get too close to Lan Yan, absolutely not!
He walked down the mountain, the light in his eyes dimming slightly.
Meanwhile, Lan Yan was waiting for Jun Yelan at the foot of the mountain, holding a lantern. Seeing a dispirited figure approach after a long time, she couldn't help but worry.
She walked over and asked, "Jun Yelan, what happened just now?"
Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan before him, his heart aching faintly. He suppressed the emotions in his eyes, stepped back, and said, "Nothing. It's late, we should go."
He walked straight past Lan Yan, his hands clenched into fists. He couldn't let Lan Yan continue to be in danger!
Lan Yan grew more puzzled and called out, "Jun Yelan." But Jun Yelan left without looking back, leaving her alone.
Holding the lantern, she said dejectedly, "Why has he suddenly become so distant with me?"
She returned to her room, lay on the bed, and tossed and turned. "System, come online quickly and solve my problem."
System: "Host, you've thought of this world too simply. Your relationship with Jun Yelan improved because you saved him. Now that Jun Yelan has repaid the favor, he has naturally returned to his usual self."
"No way." Lan Yan recalled Jun Yelan's expression just now, and her intuition told her it wasn't like that. "If it were just repaying a favor, he wouldn't have brought me here. I'm certain Jun Yelan feels differently about me, but something must have happened to make him act this way."
When she watched the sunset with Jun Yelan, things were fine. Later, Jun Yelan went into the forest alone, and when he returned, he had changed. She touched her chin; she needed to find out the reason.
System: "...Host, I think you can solve this yourself. How about this, you follow Jun Yelan tomorrow, and you'll know what he's doing."
"That's what I was thinking too. Looking at it this way, System, you're really useless. Go offline." Lan Yan closed her eyes, planning tomorrow's events in her mind.
The System was speechless. What could it do with such a host? It just had to endure.
The next day, Lan Yan woke up early and followed Jun Yelan. Fortunately, she woke up early enough to catch Jun Yelan as he left.
She stealthily hid behind Jun Yelan, watching him head towards a nearby town and enter the city.
Jun Yelan, sword in hand, was searching for the address of a restaurant on the paper. The mission was to steal the transaction list of the merchant Lin in the city. However, Merchant Lin lived reclusively, only meeting with his business partners.
He had scouted Merchant Lin's mansion; the guards were tight, making it difficult to enter, let alone find the list. Therefore, he needed to disguise himself as a businessman to attract Merchant Lin's attention and thus approach him successfully.
The mission also stated that Merchant Lin had arranged for people in a certain restaurant here to specifically gather information on merchants from other regions. This was why he was looking for a restaurant.
Lan Yan, following behind, noticed Jun Yelan wasn't stopping and seemed to be looking for something. She was filled with curiosity but dared not follow too closely, afraid of being discovered by Jun Yelan.
If she were discovered, her plan would be ruined. She followed Jun Yelan all the way, seeing him stop at a restaurant and wondering, "Is the item inside the restaurant?"
Jun Yelan stood at the entrance of the restaurant, looking at the sign above, and had finally found it. He walked in but was stopped, his eyes turning cold.
The restaurant attendant flinched; the aura of this person was too terrifying. He said softly, "Esteemed guest, our establishment is rather special. We require couples to check in."
Some swindlers also posed as wealthy merchants, so their restaurant had this rule to differentiate certain individuals. By observing the attire and demeanor of the accompanying wife, they could discern if the man was a true magnate.
Jun Yelan's expression soured. What a terrible restaurant! He had no wife, so he'd have to find another way to get in, furrowing his brow.
"Husband, why didn't you wait for me? I just took a little longer to buy jewelry." Lan Yan walked over with a feigned pout, linking her arm through Jun Yelan's.
Jun Yelan was startled. He looked at Lan Yan, wondering why she was here! It was dangerous here.
Lan Yan tightly gripped Jun Yelan's arm, preventing him from breaking free, and continued to smile at the attendant, "My husband is a famous wealthy merchant from Ding County, bringing me here to sightsee. Clear out your best room!"
She took a silver ingot from her怀 and tossed it to the attendant. Her previous career as a courtesan had one benefit: she had earned a lot of money.
The attendant's smile immediately became enthusiastic, "Certainly, we'll prepare it for Madam and Master right away." This Madam was so beautiful, like a celestial being, and generous with her money.
Although that man was cold, his aura exuded an oppressive presence. These two must be extraordinary.
Lan Yan looked at Jun Yelan and smiled, "Husband, let's go inside."
Jun Yelan sighed faintly, walking in with resignation. He couldn't refuse Lan Yan.