"Am I not good enough?" the Poison Mistress asked, lacking confidence. She considered herself as beautiful as Xi Shi, but Xiao Man's appearance surpassed hers, causing her to feel a sense of inferiority.
"No, you are very good. You just haven't met the right person yet," Xiao Man replied gently but firmly. "I was just lucky enough to meet the right person early on."
"Who is he? Where is he?"
"He..." Xiao Man's eyes dimmed for a moment. "I don't know where he is now, or if he is safe."
"You are separated?"
"Yes, so I must enter Wuji City to find him."
Upon hearing this, the Poison Mistress sighed, "If the assessment half a year from now is still Dragon Spirit Bamboo, then no one will be able to get in."
"What if I told you I had a way to obtain Dragon Spirit Bamboo, would you believe me?"
"Truly?" The Poison Mistress eagerly tried to sit up, but her body was weak and limp, unable to stand. She could only gaze at Xiao Man with her beautiful eyes, filled with excitement, "Can you really get Dragon Spirit Bamboo?"
"Yes."
The Poison Mistress pondered for a moment. "First, cure me of this poison."
"There is no antidote. In six hours, the effects will wear off, and you will be able to move again." Xiao Man stepped forward, helped the Poison Mistress onto the soft couch, picked up the quilt, and covered her. "Get a good night's sleep. We'll talk about anything after you wake up tomorrow."
"Xiao Qin," the Poison Mistress called out to him as Xiao Man was leaving, "Can you really not accept me?"
Xiao Man turned back with a smile. "You don't have any feelings for me. You merely wish to use the title of Mistress to protect the girls of the Wuqing Sect. I can assure you that as long as you join my Bafang Sword Sect, no one will be able to bully anyone from our Bafang Sword Sect!"
The Poison Mistress watched Xiao Man leave, a smile appearing on her lips. She had indeed not misjudged her!
Xiang Jian had something to discuss with Xiao Man and directly pushed open Xiao Man's door. "Sect Leader, I have something to di—scuss..."
Xiang Jian had just stepped one leg inside when he saw a young woman lying on the soft couch. He quickly retracted his leg, closed the door, and looked as if he had seen a ghost. When did the Sect Leader become a woman? Could he have been mistaken?
To confirm if he had indeed seen a woman, Xiang Jian opened the door a crack again and peered inside. Although he couldn't see her face clearly, the person lying on the soft couch was definitely a woman. Xiang Jian quickly closed the door, his expression growing increasingly perplexed.
"Vice Sect Leader, what are you doing here?" Zhou Yan entered and saw Xiang Jian standing at Xiao Man's door, looking bewildered. He couldn't help but ask.
Xiang Jian looked at Zhou Yan, his expression exceptionally colorful. "Zhou Yan, it's bad. The Sect Leader has turned into a woman!"
Zhou Yan was taken aback for a moment. However, he didn't believe the Sect Leader had turned into a woman. Instead, he thought a woman had intruded into the Sect Leader's room. He stepped forward, kicked the door open, and rushed in.
Xiang Jian wanted to stop him, but it was too late. Zhou Yan had already rushed in and stood before the soft couch, looking as if he had been struck by lightning upon seeing the woman lying there. For the person on the bed was none other than the Poison Mistress!
"Poison Mistress, how are you here!" Zhou Yan's voice was hoarse with excitement, as if the Poison Mistress's presence in Xiao Man's room was a devastating blow to him.
The Poison Mistress lazily opened her eyes. "Xiao Qin told me to lie here."
"Sect Leader..." Zhou Yan looked around. "Where did our Sect Leader go?"
"He went out," the Poison Mistress closed her eyes. "If there's nothing else, leave. I want to sleep."
Zhou Yan and Xiang Jian left the room and closed the door. The two men looked at each other, each seeming to search for an answer on the other's face. The Poison Mistress was in the Sect Leader's room, and where had the Sect Leader gone?
"Someone, when did the Poison Mistress arrive?"
"Replying to Vice Sect Leader, this subordinate does not know. We did not receive any news of the Poison Mistress's visit."
"You useless fools! Someone sneaked into the Sect Leader's room, and none of you noticed? Are you just eating rice?" Zhou Yan berated. The Poison Mistress had infiltrated the sect, entered the Sect Leader's room, and no one had discovered her.
"Do you know where the Sect Leader went?"
The attendant pointed towards the guest room. "This subordinate saw the Sect Leader enter the guest room."
Zhou Yan hurried to the guest room door. He wanted to rush in directly, but remembering Xiao Man's temper, Zhou Yan restrained himself and gently knocked on the door. "Sect Leader, are you asleep?"
"What is it?" Xiao Man's lazy voice came from inside.
"The Poison Mistress..."
"She was poisoned and couldn't move, so I let her have my room. Have someone guard the room and prevent anyone from disturbing her." Xiao Man instructed.
"Yes, Sect Leader." Zhou Yan replied.
"Doesn't the Poison Mistress specialize in poison? How did she get poisoned?" Xiang Jian inquired.
Xiao Man seemed to have fallen asleep and did not answer Xiang Jian's question.
Zhou Yan turned back to look at Xiao Man's room and sighed. He then instructed, "Someone, tidy up the south courtyard as soon as possible. The girls from the Wuqing Sect will likely be moving in soon."
Xiang Jian hooked his arm around Zhou Yan's neck, his face filled with pride. "How about it, brother? My new Sect Leader for our Bafang Sword Sect, not bad, right?"
Although Zhou Yan was reluctant to admit it, he still nodded. Their new Sect Leader, in terms of schemes and methods, was first-rate. The arrogant Kuangdao Association had fallen into his hands in just one day, and the usually aloof Poison Mistress had personally come to them.
"Vice Sect Leader, the beautiful Poison Mistress personally came to our door, yet why is our Sect Leader sleeping in the guest room?" Zhou Yan grabbed Xiang Jian's arm and asked.
Xiang Jian looked as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "How can a man and a woman be in the same room? The Poison Mistress is poisoned and can't move, and the Sect Leader is not someone who takes advantage of the vulnerable. Naturally, he has to sleep in the guest room."
Zhou Yan looked unconvinced. Wasn't their Sect Leader the type to seize opportunities when someone was down? When did he become so chivalrous? He dared to bet that the Poison Mistress's poisoning was the work of their Sect Leader!
"Vice Sect Leader, do you think... our Sect Leader is not capable in that regard?" Zhou Yan asked in a low voice.
Xiang Jian looked innocent. "In what regard?"
"Man's virility!"
Xiang Jian immediately understood. He looked at Xiao Man's room, and a look of confusion appeared on his face. He then thought that Xiao Man herself was a formidable alchemist. If she was lacking in that area, she could cure herself. Could it be that she wasn't interested in the Poison Mistress? Su Dan Novel Network
"That can't be right. Don't forget, she's a very skilled alchemist."
"Then why would she leave such a voluptuous beauty there and sleep alone in a cold guest room?"
Suddenly, a whistling sound came from behind. Xiang Jian managed to dodge it, but Zhou Yan couldn't. He only felt something hit him, it wasn't painful, and it carried a faint sweet fragrance. "What was that?"
Xiang Jian instantly put distance between himself and Zhou Yan. Once he was sure he was at a safe distance, he said to Zhou Yan, "Brother, you're on your own."