Lan Yan scanned her surroundings, her gaze landing on a large box nearby. She propped herself up and said, "Jun Yelan, let's hide inside the box. You leave a mark on the wall."
Jun Yelan nodded. He first placed Lan Yan inside the box, then flicked a pebble from his hand, leaving several marks on the wall. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, he quickly ducked into the box, embracing Lan Yan.
Lan Yan leaned weakly against Jun Yelan's shoulder. What kind of shoddy quick transmigration world was this? She got injured every time! If there was someone in charge of these worlds, she would definitely complain to them properly.
Seeing Lan Yan's small, furrowed brow, Jun Yelan's worry deepened. He pricked up his ears, carefully listening to the sounds outside.
Those people who had come from the Lin family had reached the alley. Seeing the dead end, they also scanned their surroundings. The leader's gaze fell on the adjacent alley, but the person behind him shouted, "There are marks on the wall."
"Chase!" The group scaled the wall and left the alley.
Jun Yelan emerged with Lan Yan, swept her into his arms, and ran towards the outskirts of the city. His steps were faster than ever, his mind focused on a single thought: Lan Yan must be alright!
Lan Yan, however, lay comfortably in Jun Yelan's embrace. If she ignored the pain in her chest, she rather enjoyed the feeling of flying. Compared to before, her injuries were considered light.
The two of them successfully exited the city and returned to the small village. It was too late, and the children had already gone to sleep.
Jun Yelan gently placed Lan Yan on the bed, then rummaged through the cabinet for the medicine box. Inside, he found a heart-protecting pill. After handing it to Lan Yan, he took out medicine for external injuries.
After taking the medicine, Lan Yan felt much better in her chest. As expected of the top assassin, even the medicine for healing was so comprehensively prepared. At the same time, she felt concerned for Jun Yelan; to have so much medicine prepared, how many injuries must he have sustained normally?
Jun Yelan found the medicine for external wounds and looked at Lan Yan's chest, his ear tips turning red. His gaze darted away, and he placed the medicine bottle by the bedside, saying, "You can apply it yourself. I'll go out first."
"Okay." Lan Yan thought that Jun Yelan had a tougher night than her and should also get some proper rest. She then asked, "Jun Yelan, are you injured?"
Jun Yelan shook his head, tidied the quilt for Lan Yan, and couldn't resist reaching out to stroke her head. "I'm fine. You, on the other hand, should rest well. I'll be right outside."
Lan Yan was taken aback, her heart feeling sweet, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards. "Mhm."
Thus, Jun Yelan walked towards the door and stood guard outside, feeling a sense of peace. He had previously made up his mind to stay away from Lan Yan. However, Lan Yan's approach had made his heart waver.
He looked at the window beside him, from which he could see Lan Yan's silhouette. He murmured, "As long as I am here, I will protect you."
He would rather remain a guardian forever than have anything bad happen again.
Today, Lan Yan was injured because she helped him. If her existence were discovered by the Pavilion, she would suffer even more harm. Therefore, he had to make a choice.
The next morning, Lan Yan continued to rest due to her injuries, giving herself a proper holiday.
Jun Yelan had prepared porridge early in the morning and brought it to Lan Yan's room. He said with difficulty, "I don't know if it suits your taste."
"I'll know after I taste it." Lan Yan raised her hand to take the bowl but then rolled her eyes and said, "I don't have any strength. Why don't you feed me?"
Seeing Lan Yan's pitiable expression, Jun Yelan found himself unable to refuse. He held the bowl, scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and offered it to Lan Yan's lips.
Lan Yan naturally drank it down, chewing it in her mouth as if recalling the taste.
Jun Yelan asked, "Is it terrible? I'll make another bowl." He got up, but Lan Yan grabbed his sleeve, looking at him in confusion.
Lan Yan flashed a smile. "It's delicious." She gave him a thumbs-up and continued, "Seriously, Jun Yelan, it's delicious for your first time cooking. You have talent. I'll teach you cooking when I'm better."
It just lacked flavor, but that wasn't a big problem.
Jun Yelan's lips curved, and he nodded, continuing to feed Lan Yan. Joy bloomed in his heart, making him happier than eating himself.
"I'm full." Lan Yan rubbed her belly; she truly couldn't eat anymore.
Seeing this, Jun Yelan collected the bowls. "You should sleep a bit more. I'll call you when it's time for lunch." He helped Lan Yan lie down, and after seeing her close her eyes, he left with the bowls.
After he left, Lan Yan opened her eyes and smiled, "It seems this injury wasn't without its gains." She closed her eyes again. If she recovered soon, she could go and do other things with Jun Yelan.
Meanwhile, Jun Yelan returned to the kitchen. Looking at the five bowls of porridge he had wasted on the stove, he tidied up and headed to the back mountain.
Someone was already waiting for him there. He bowed and said, "Pavilion Master Bai."
"You still know I'm the Pavilion Master!" Pavilion Master Bai was enraged. He raised the whip in his hand and lashed Jun Yelan several times. "Useless. You can't even complete one mission."
Jun Yelan clenched his fists, standing still, his eyes devoid of emotion. He had grown accustomed to this life; he was always punished whenever a mission went wrong.
Before, he hadn't felt anything. But now, thinking of Lan Yan's eyes, he wondered if she would worry. With that thought, he caught the whip that was swinging towards him.
Pavilion Master Bai's masked face froze. He looked at Jun Yelan, feeling a sense of fear emanating from him. He frowned and roared even louder, "What do you think you're doing? Do you want to defy the Pavilion's destiny?"
"Don't forget, you grew up in the Pavilion. Without the Assassin's Pavilion, you would have died long ago."
Jun Yelan's eyes turned cold. "I have never forgotten. It's just that the Pavilion Master should know when to stop." He didn't want to see Lan Yan with injuries all over his body.
The rage in Pavilion Master Bai's eyes intensified. This Jun Yelan dared to defy his orders and even lecture him. If Jun Yelan wasn't the killing weapon specially trained by the Pavilion, he wouldn't care about this person!
"Fine, I won't punish you. However, since you failed this mission, you will undergo training and then complete the mission again. Remember, this is your last chance. If you fail again, you will lose your value."
The Pavilion had no need for a sharp yet obtuse blade.
Jun Yelan cast a cold glance at Pavilion Master Bai and turned to leave. He had known this outcome would come, and he would desperately cling to his worthless life, all for the sake of protecting one person.
Pavilion Master Bai behind him looked at the whip in his hand, then at Jun Yelan's retreating figure. "I was training him to deal with the Intelligence Pavilion. But now that he is so disobedient, I need to think of a solution. He's still useful before the Intelligence Pavilion is destroyed."
It seemed he needed to assign someone to watch him.
Jun Yelan dragged his wounded body to Lan Yan's door, a smile unconsciously tugging at his lips.
Just standing there, he could forget the pain, forget everything that had just happened, his thoughts solely on the person inside.
The door opened. Lan Yan looked at Jun Yelan, whose face was pale, and was taken aback. She asked, "Jun Yelan, what's wrong?"