'Tch, this woman is impossibly foolish. Even someone like Fang Aohan could trick her. Well, this is just great. Now I have to go through the trouble of fixing this.'
Despite his grumbling, his actions didn't pause. Indeed, with a mere thought, a set of Golden Needles materialized in Yang Xiao's hand.
This was, of course, not the same set he had used to treat Yang Zhentian's blood ailment.
He had already given that set to Cheng Boxuan.
He had crafted this particular set in his spare time out of boredom. Since he had far more time than when he made the first set, this one was much more exquisite, with a complete assortment of lengths and thicknesses.
They were perfectly suited to his hand and effortless to use.
SWISH SWISH SWISH.
Soon, Yang Ziling's body was covered in Golden Needles.
Instantly, wisps of grayish-white mist began to pour out of her body.
This was a sign of the drug's potency being constantly stimulated and expelled from her system.
'All done. But this Golden Needle detoxification method is really draining. No, I need to rest for a bit.'
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Yang Xiao sat down to the side and closed his eyes to recuperate.
The most crucial element of performing the Golden Needle technique was one's spiritual energy.
Each application was a significant drain on that energy.
It would have been fine any other time, but this was the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion. Even though it was a Land of Inheritance, there were bound to be countless dangers lying in wait.
Yang Xiao had to ensure he was always in Peak condition.
Gradually...
An unknown amount of time passed.
The mist emanating from Yang Ziling's body thinned from a thick cloud to a faint vapor, and then to nothing, no longer surging outward.
With that,
Yang Xiao finally stood up.
'It's finally over. A treatment like this is so time-consuming and exhausting.'
Smiling faintly,
Yang Xiao stepped forward and removed the Golden Needles. He was about to wake her, but when he saw the exhausted look on Yang Ziling's face, he figured that expelling all that mist must have taken a toll on her.
So, he dismissed the thought.
He waited quietly for Yang Ziling to awaken on her own.
At the same time, his gaze fell upon the strange, 1st Layer tower.
'Who would build a 1st Layer tower? Could the number of floors have some kind of meaning?'
A thought struck Yang Xiao.
He grew ever more curious about what might be inside.
However, he wouldn't leave until Yang Ziling had woken up.
So, with nothing better to do, Yang Xiao began to examine the Secret Patterns on the tower's surface.
As he did,
Yang Xiao gradually became immersed in them.
His entire being was drawn into the world of the Secret Patterns.
Not long after Yang Xiao was lost in the world of the Secret Patterns, Yang Ziling, who had been unconscious with a contented smile on her face, frowned slightly.
Then, her brow gradually smoothed out again.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
The moment she did,
she realized her surroundings were all wrong.
She recalled the events just before she lost consciousness. Her thoughts had been sluggish then, too muddled by the drug to understand. But now that its effects had faded, how could she not realize that she had been tricked by Fang Aohan?
Endless fury surged through her heart.
"Fang Aohan!"
She bit her lip, secretly vowing to kill that scumbag, Fang Aohan.
How else could she possibly vent the hatred in her heart?
But soon,
the image of Fang Aohan's death surfaced in her mind.
Then,
she remembered Yang Xiao.
Suddenly,
it all came back to her, and for some reason, a sweet feeling welled up in her heart.
'He saved me... This is wonderful.'
But her thoughts quickly turned to the fact that Yang Xiao had killed Fang Aohan on the Sword Casting Sect's territory. And this strange environment looked nothing like the Pure Yang Sword Sect, or any other place she knew.
'Could something have happened?'
She couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
She subconsciously began to look around.
Just as her mind was in turmoil and her anxiety was mounting, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
Yang Ziling's heart...
instantly relaxed.
'But... I was just drugged, and he saw me in such a stupid state. Will he think I'm an idiot?'
Usually so straightforward,
and willing to face the consequences of her actions, Yang Ziling,
at this moment,
found herself completely at a loss.
She didn't know how to face Yang Xiao or how to salvage her image after acting so foolishly.
And just as she lowered her head in thought, Yang Xiao finally sensed that she had awakened.
He immediately stood up.
"Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"
It was a simple, caring question, but it made Yang Ziling incredibly embarrassed and also deeply touched. If not for him, her life would have been ruined. Seeing Yang Xiao's serious expression, she felt a fresh wave of embarrassment, but she still bit her lip and gave a slight nod.
When Yang Xiao saw her reaction,
he naturally understood her embarrassment.
He felt it would be best not to linger.
So he said, "You stay here for now. I'm going to go check out that tower."
"Okay."
She was like a well-behaved young wife.
At this moment, Yang Ziling was demure and obedient, looking utterly pitiable and endearing.
But Yang Xiao didn't stay to appreciate the sight.
He had been wanting to check out the tower for a while. He simply nodded and left.
Watching him leave,
Yang Ziling felt an inexplicable sweetness in her heart. She realized that not only had Yang Xiao not blamed her, but he had also been standing guard over her the entire time.
Coupled with the grace of him having passed on his sword techniques,
and the kindness he showed in rescuing her,
it would be difficult for her not to fall for him.