Feng Wuxi clearly hadn't anticipated this either. He stumbled a few times before landing safely with her, barely preserving the dignity of the Pavilion Master of Wuxi Pavilion.
Feng Yinwan patted her little heart, still shaken. "What's going on? Didn't I give you the antidote?"
Feng Wuxi lowered his gaze to his palm, equally puzzled. "For some reason, my internal energy is intermittent, as if it's being restricted by something..."
To be restrained by a mere sleeping powder. The words of complaint rose to her lips, only for her to suddenly recall the poison he had swallowed during the day. Feng Yinwan knitted her brows suspiciously and pinched him. "Does it hurt?"
Feng Wuxi was about to dismiss it as a stupid question, but as he carefully considered it, the pain indeed wasn't very pronounced. He paused upon hearing this. "It seems to not hurt much."
Now Feng Yinwan was certain. So that's why this fellow didn't notice anything amiss when he was getting the Lingjiang grass. He was completely dulled by the poison, his senses blunted! As for his blocked internal energy, it was undoubtedly another trick played by those people from the Immortal Medicine Sect!
She looked up and saw the old man smiling at her, his expression quite solicitous. "How is it, disciple? Did you get hurt?" He had a confident glint in his eye, believing she must now be interested in elixirs.
Feng Wuxi, only now realizing the truth, thought: *You're so noble, so amazing, you're using me as a test subject to recruit disciples! I truly appreciate this!*
With Feng Wuxi's internal energy obstructed, their already precarious situation became even more dire. Estimating that he wouldn't recover anytime soon, Feng Yinwan seized the opportunity and tearfully bid him farewell. "Don't worry about me. Take the Lingjiang grass and go back. I'll stay."
This fellow was more stubborn than she'd anticipated. "No! This Master cannot leave you here alone!" The Immortal Medicine Sect was as dangerous as a dragon's den and a tiger's lair. Feng Yinwan had come to help him, and he couldn't possibly abandon her.
The old man frowned, clearly displeased with the implication of his words. "Pavilion Master Feng, you seem to have a rather unclear understanding of the current situation."
What situation? The situation where they were trapped like turtles in a jar! "The reason I agreed to give you the Lingjiang grass was entirely for my disciple's sake. If you insist on being so ungrateful, then don't blame me for not holding back!" In the current circumstances, it would be child's play for him to control them.
Feng Yinwan wiped away her non-existent tears and declared righteously, "Don't worry, don't mind me. I can endure this little hardship!"
Feng Wuxi's lips twitched subtly. *Could you possibly dial back that smile a little?*
In the end, the old man did not agree to his request to stay together. He was driven out with the immortal grass, and Feng Wuxi's frustration reached its peak. In stark contrast was Feng Yinwan's joy and excitement at successfully infiltrating the enemy's ranks!
"Disciple, time is short. You will rest here tonight, and tomorrow morning, your master will have them prepare for the disciple ceremony. We will then go through the proper procedures." The old man led her to a serene courtyard. Feng Yinwan scanned the surroundings and was quite satisfied with the environment. The more secluded, the better. That way, she could act in secret.
While she was observing, the old man had already pushed open the door and entered the courtyard, speaking to her like a doting mother. "This place is usually empty, so things might not be fully equipped. If you need anything, just have your third brother, Shi, send someone over. His residence is not far from yours." The man following behind immediately responded, "Junior Sister, please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. Treat this place as your own home, and don't be polite."
Feng Yinwan was secretly plotting in her mind. She nodded perfunctorily, but when she looked up, she met the overly paternalistic gaze of the two men. Her body trembled, and a feeling of being sold off washed over her. *No, please be normal, you're scaring me...*
Thinking she was simply touched, the old man noticed nothing amiss. He patted her shoulder and proudly turned to the man behind him. "See? What did I tell you? Your junior sister is so lively; she'll definitely integrate into our sect right away!"
Behind them, the man nodded in agreement. "Master is wise."
Feng Yinwan: "?" Well, now it felt even more like it. Fortunately, after escorting her, the old man didn't linger. After a few more instructions, he left with the man.
Silence returned to the courtyard. Feng Yinwan let out a silent sigh of relief, but her mind remained alert. Infiltrating the Immortal Medicine Sect was only the first step. What was important was the figure of the dark-robed man she had glimpsed behind the screen earlier! If she remembered correctly, the old man had also been hidden behind that screen before appearing. What was his relationship with the dark-robed man? Did his insistence on taking her as a disciple have something to do with this matter?
A moment of surprise passed, and her fingertips once again touched the bracelet. The bracelet seemed to sense her, and it flickered faintly in response. Feng Yinwan looked at the brown patterns on the bracelet and fell into thought again. Since the ruined temple had shown anomalies, her connection with the bracelet seemed to have strengthened in some ways. For example, when saving Feng Wuxi today, the bracelet's perception of her thoughts was noticeably faster and more accurate than before. Was this change related to these patterns?
Her lips pressed together for a moment, but fatigue quickly set in. She put away her thoughts, closed the door, and walked towards the bed. As the candlelight in the room was extinguished, two figures hidden in the darkness on the treetops quietly retreated.
"Did you see? Is that the aura of Suiyue?"
"You're asking me? Weren't you looking too? That aura was so faint, I'd need a dog's nose to smell it!" The Xuanpao robes on the opposite side showed a moment of speechlessness. After a brief pause, he spoke again. "You stay here and keep watch. I'll go back to report this to the Holy Lord first."
"Why me again!" The man's indignant voice had barely sounded before the figure beside him had already retreated like a gust of wind, without a single response.
...
Feng Yinwan was awakened by being patted. The force on her face was neither light nor heavy, but it was incredibly irritating. She swatted away lazily, only for the other person to escalate. With a loud "slap," she was furious. Who was daring to slap her? This was absolutely audacious!
Upon opening her eyes, Feng Wuxi's cold, mocking gaze met hers. "Awake?" A moment of confusion, and then Feng Yinwan was fully alert. "Why are you here?"
She scrambled out of bed, only to be met with a barrage of cold sarcasm. "I was worried sick outside, and you, you slept soundly!" Feng Yinwan instinctively wanted to argue, but after wiping away the faint traces of saliva on her lips, she stopped. "Cough... Didn't I tell you not to worry? I'm fine here, everything is good."
Feng Wuxi was about to explode. He flung off the quilt, grabbed her by the collar, and pulled her off the bed. "Get up, come with me!"