Lan Yan followed Ruo Niang to a mountain peak, watching as a stone gate opened, revealing a passage.
Ruo Niang led the way, turning her head to see Lan Yan's distracted demeanor, and frowned.
Lan Yan didn't notice, her attention focused on the path ahead. She silently noted that after passing through the passage and several more stone doors, opening the final one would reveal another world.
Beyond that stood a seven-story building, each floor filled with countless cabinets. People were moving around in front of them.
These individuals carried plates, placing items from the plates into the cabinets, and taking items from other cabinets.
Seeing Lan Yan so quiet, Ruo Niang said, "This is your first time back since your wedding. The intelligence you've brought back in recent years has been excellent, and the Pavilion will reward you."
"Mmm." Lan Yan was more concerned about how to leave.
Ruo Niang said no more and brought Lan Yan to a room.
Many people in black clothes were present, their expressions grave.
Unfamiliar with the situation, Lan Yan stood obediently aside, waiting for them to speak. Meanwhile, she observed them; there were exactly seven of them.
They all looked at Ruo Niang, seemingly taking her as their leader.
Ruo Niang spoke, "Our Pavilion is currently in crisis because a list has been lost. Second Floor Master, what were your subordinates doing!"
The man in black closest to her immediately knelt, lowering his head and calling out, "Ruo Niang, it was my oversight this time. I didn't expect Old Lin to be so careless. His residence was the safest place, but somehow, the Assassin's Pavilion discovered it."
"Useless! You are from the Intelligence Pavilion; you should know there is no absolutely safe place in this world." Ruo Niang was so angry that she slapped the man in black hard. "They sent Jun Ye Lan. Can you fight him!"
Upon hearing Jun Ye Lan's name, Lan Yan felt a flicker of joy.
"Lan Yan, do you have any thoughts?"
Lan Yan looked up, seeing everyone staring at her, and said, "I agree with Ruo Niang. Our top priority now is to find the list. Shall I go?"
She raised her hand, appearing confident.
Ruo Niang pondered, "It's not advisable. Jun Ye Lan is too formidable, and you have no martial arts. Going would be suicide. Besides, they can't easily open this list; it's protected by our Pavilion's contraption techniques."
"Our people have already investigated and found that Jun Ye Lan was brought back to the Assassin's Pavilion, appearing to be severely injured."
"How is he?" Lan Yan blurted out. Meeting the others' gazes, she explained, "I'm worried the list might fall into someone else's hands."
Ruo Niang did not doubt her and nodded. "According to our people, the list is still with Jun Ye Lan. It seems this assassin has his own agenda. Now, we can only wait for Jun Ye Lan to emerge!"
This made Lan Yan even more worried about Jun Ye Lan. She knew the people in the Assassin's Pavilion didn't treat him as human and might use any means to deal with him. She hoped Jun Ye Lan could protect himself!
"In that case, we will stay in the Pavilion and train separately," Ruo Niang said, and the others dispersed.
Lan Yan also intended to leave but was called back by Ruo Niang.
"Lan Yan, your contraption skills are the strongest. Don't act alone recently."
Lan Yan: "..." She never knew she was so powerful. At the same time, she grew curious about the list. What was the reason for its existence? Was it truly just a list of Flower Pavilion members?
She considered a possibility: if both the Flower Pavilion and the Assassin's Pavilion, so powerful, were controlled by one person, that person could throw the martial world and even the court into chaos.
In that scenario, both she and Jun Ye Lan would be in danger, and this had to be stopped.
She returned to her room, and under the cover of darkness and a strong wind, she stealthily slipped out and followed the path she had taken.
However, near the stone gate, Ruo Niang appeared and asked coldly, "Lan Yan, where do you think you're going?" Ever since she met Lan Yan, she felt something was off about her.
Lan Yan forced an awkward smile. "Ruo Niang, I just couldn't sleep tonight and came out to look at the moon." She looked up at the sky, where the moon was completely obscured by dark mist, and her mouth twitched.
"Lan Yan, tell me the truth. Did something happen to you outside?" Ruo Niang frowned.
Seeing this, Lan Yan sighed. "Ruo Niang, you guessed correctly. Actually, when I was outside, a benefactor saved me. He doesn't even know I've returned. I just wanted to go out and let him know."
"I promise I'll be back soon." She raised three fingers.
Ruo Niang's face was cold. "Who? I'll speak to them. You must stay in the Pavilion now."
"Forget it, I'll just go back to sleep then." Lan Yan sighed and walked back to her room.
It seemed that entering the Flower Pavilion was easy, but leaving was not.
Ruo Niang watched Lan Yan leave before departing herself.
Lan Yan leaned against her door, looking at the moon outside the window, recalling when she and Jun Ye Lan had admired the moon together. Back then, she and Jun Ye Lan were not close, and both harbored secrets, but gazing at the moon brought them closer.
She still remembered Jun Ye Lan's usually cold face softening, his voice becoming gentle, and his willingness to be closer to her. "Jun Ye Lan, I wonder how you are? Have you been tending to your injuries?"
Thinking about this made her heavy-hearted, and she didn't feel like sleeping.
The system, unable to stand it any longer, spoke, "Host, if you don't sleep, I want to sleep. I've been listening to your sighs, and I'm about to be demoted."
Lan Yan felt like cursing but held back. "System, you heartless creature, just sleep then." She lay on the bed, covering her head with a pillow, then threw the pillow away and pulled the quilt over herself.
In the end, she looked at the canopy above her head and muttered, "System, do you think Jun Ye Lan is not in mortal danger? I'm worried about him."
"Host, if he were, I would have an alert," the system said helplessly.
Lan Yan continued, "But it's possible something like last time could happen, where he's left with only half a life. Can't we come to an agreement? If Jun Ye Lan is severely injured, please tell me."
System: "Host, telling you won't help; you can't see him anyway. Go to sleep!"
He did have a skill that allowed him to enter the dream of a task target, but he couldn't tell the host, or she would never stop.
However, Lan Yan was preoccupied with this matter all night, causing the system to also stay awake, staring blankly.
System: "..." A host with more affection for others than humanity.
At this moment, where Jun Ye Lan was imprisoned, he could also see the moon. Moonlight bathed him as he thought of Lan Yan. If Lan Yan saw this moon, she would surely be happy.
A slight curve formed on his lips, but an uncontrollable cough wracked his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He looked at the blood on the ground, utterly unconcerned, and focused on the necklace clutched tightly in his palm.
"Yan'er, no matter where you are, be safe."