Ye Tian smiled faintly. "Xinlan, I never thought you'd come up with a method like this. If you were a maid, I'm sure you'd become the young miss's favorite."
"Why would you say that? I'd never be a maid—I have plenty of my own. If I were to serve anyone, it would only be you," Zhang Xinlan said with a laugh.
"You did the work of several people all by yourself, and you finished cleaning so quickly. You've really opened my eyes today! But there's still one more room to go. Your Spiritual Power must be heavily drained, right? Why don't you recover before you continue?" Ye Tian suggested.
"There's no need. I'll recover after I clean your room. If it weren't for my last injury, this bit of exertion would be nothing. In fact, if you don't mind, you could stay in this room with me!" Zhang Xinlan said with a laugh, glancing at Ye Tian.
Ye Tian was stunned. He couldn't believe she would say something so bold. 'Who would believe this was the same woman?' Normally, Zhang Xinlan was quiet and cold in front of others. But right now, she was as passionate as a wildfire, exuding an irresistible allure.
"Don't joke around," Ye Tian said. "If we were really together, I'm afraid I'd do something foolish, and that wouldn't be good for you. If you think you have enough Spiritual Power to use that special method one more time, then go on."
"Heh! I'd actually like it if you did something foolish to me. I'm going to be yours sooner or later anyway, so what's the difference? But since you have your reservations, I'll respect your wishes. Just don't mistake me for 'that kind of woman,' alright?" With that, Zhang Xinlan walked out the door.
Ye Tian knew what she meant. But even if he harbored such thoughts, he didn't dare act on them. Zhang Xinlan had warned him that his Power Realm was too low to... be with her. Doing so would bring him immense trouble, perhaps even mortal danger.
After Zhang Xinlan left, Ye Tian remained behind. He sat in a chair, closed his eyes to rest, and let his mind drift to the unusual nature of this Detention Chamber.
'This is where the headmaster of Linyuan Academy conducts his Cultivation. The name "Detention Chamber" is just a facade for the students. The conditions here are better than anywhere else in the academy, so how could it possibly be a place of punishment?'
'The presence of a Spirit Gathering Array left behind by a Holy Land expert, possibly tied to some secret…' This made Ye Tian think back to the cave in Lisha City.
'Could what happened when I found the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma be related to this place? Or does Linyuan Academy itself hide some great secret?'
Before long, Zhang Xinlan returned, looking a little pale. "I've finished cleaning your room. Do you want to go see it?"
"There's no need. Thank you for your hard work, Xinlan. You should focus on recovering your Spiritual Power now. By the way, how is your injured Heart Vein? I haven't had a chance to ask," Ye Tian said.
Zhang Xinlan took out a Spirit Stone and prepared to absorb it. "An injury to the Heart Vein isn't something that can heal in a short time, but it's much better now. I'm sure it will heal completely once we leave this place. You don't need to worry."
"That's good to hear. Take your time recovering your Spiritual Power. I won't disturb you. I'll go back to my room and cultivate for a few days while we wait for the full moon." With that, Ye Tian left the room.
When he returned to his room, Ye Tian discovered a faint floral scent in the air. Yet, there were no flowers to be found. To his surprise, the fragrance was remarkably similar to Zhang Xinlan's natural scent.
After searching the room for a while, he found a white bead on the bed. It was tiny, only about the size of a fava bean, but it emanated a distinct, pleasant fragrance.
Ye Tian knew Zhang Xinlan had left it for him on purpose, to fill the room with its scent. It felt as if he had stepped into the private chambers of a noble lady.
Ye Tian sat on the bed, tucked the white bead under his pillow, and began circulating the Dragon Spiritual Power in his body to start his Cultivation. The Spiritual Qi in the room was incredibly rich, making it easy to enter a state of Meditation.
Cultivation was the fastest way to pass the time, and several days flew by in a flash. Although Ye Tian's Power Realm didn't break through, his condition improved significantly. He spent these days in pure Cultivation, completely free of distracting thoughts. The practice of visualizing his Martial Skills in his mind proved to be particularly effective.
In that time, Zhang Xinlan also fully recovered the Spiritual Power she had expended. She took the opportunity to inspect the Spirit Gathering Array once more.
She made her way to the door of Ye Tian's room but didn't enter immediately. Her Divine Sense told her that he was still in a state of Meditation, and entering rashly would disturb him.
There was still some time before the full moon, so she could only wait. She couldn't decipher the text on the Spirit Gathering Array's stone pillar by herself; it required a powerful source of Spiritual Power. Although Ye Tian wasn't exceptionally strong, he could provide support for a short time.
'However, the full moon is also when I'm at my weakest. My hidden illness nearly flared up during the last one. I wonder if something unexpected will happen this time… I hope not. Otherwise, we won't be able to find out what's written on that stone pillar.'
As night began to fall, Zhang Xinlan grew impatient. She had no choice but to knock on the door. At that very moment, Ye Tian opened his eyes, hearing the sound.
Ye Tian knew it was Zhang Xinlan. A glance out the window revealed that it was nearly dark. A thought suddenly struck him, and he jumped off the bed to quickly open the door.
"Xinlan, sorry to keep you waiting. I didn't realize I'd be in Meditation for so long. We haven't missed our chance, have we?" Ye Tian asked as soon as he saw her.
"We haven't missed it. But if you hadn't woken up, I was about to come in myself. Tonight is the full moon. I need your Spiritual Power to support me so I can see the text on the third stone pillar, so I'll have to trouble you.
Also, you know about my hidden illness. I'm worried it might flare up tonight, so we must act when the moonlight is at its peak. I'm hoping nothing goes wrong," Zhang Xinlan said, her tone serious.
Ye Tian was taken aback. "Didn't Ye Lin give you his blood last time? You didn't use it? And are you out of your medicine?"
Zhang Xinlan shook her head. "I still have some of the Elixir, but I have to take it on the night of the full moon. The problem is, after I take it, I'm left with almost no strength, let alone enough to read the text on the pillar. Do you understand now?"
"I understand," Ye Tian said, his expression turning serious. "Your hidden illness really is strange. In that case, let's go take a look right now. I'm sure our luck won't be that bad tonight. Once we've seen the text on the third pillar, you can take your Elixir. I'll take care of you."