The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

Mei's injuries were quite severe, and she would need some time to recover.

The toxins in his body have not been completely eliminated. If he moves rashly, the toxins will run rampant again, causing his injuries to worsen rapidly.

Xiao Ji carefully examined Mei's condition and saw that he was temporarily out of danger and his breathing was stable, which put his mind at ease.

The three of them had been on edge the whole time they were running, and now that they had finally found a secluded place to calm down, exhaustion and hunger washed over them like a tidal wave.

Looking at Yan Yan's eyes, which were slightly dull and lifeless due to fatigue, Xiao Ji felt a sudden pang of heartache.

He said softly to Yan Yan, "Yan Yan, you stay here and look after him. I'm going out for a bit."

"Father, where are you going?" Yan Yan's gaze followed Xiao Ji closely. In this perilous situation, his dependence on his father grew stronger, his eyes filled with unease and reluctance.

Xiao Ji gently patted Yan Yan's head and patiently explained, "I'm going out to find some food and water. You stay here and be a good girl. If we encounter any danger..."

He paused slightly, his expression becoming extremely serious, and then continued, "Just run on your own, don't worry about anything else."

The implication was that Yan Yan should not concern herself with Mei in a moment of crisis.

Upon hearing this, Yan Yan's eyes widened instantly, filled with shock and hesitation.

He subconsciously glanced at Mei, only to see her nod slightly and say solemnly, "Your father is right. Whether it's me or your father who is injured, the situation is the same. At any time, the first thing you must do is protect yourself."

Yan Yan understood that his father and master were giving him such instructions entirely for his own good.

But he was stubborn and deep down he disdained the idea of ​​"escaping alone".

On one side is his father, who gave him life and carefully nurtured his growth; on the other side is his master, who imparted all his knowledge to him and was deeply grateful for his guidance.

In his view, if he were to abandon his two loved ones in a moment of danger and try to escape on his own, what difference would there be between him and a coward who is afraid of death?

Yan Yan slowly shook her head, her eyes revealing a determination beyond her years, and said earnestly, "My mother taught me to be a man of integrity. I will not do such cowardly things, and I despise them from the bottom of my heart. Father, go in peace, I will stay here and protect Master."

His small face was filled with determination.

In the past, it was always his father and master who sheltered him from the wind and rain, creating a peaceful haven for him.

Now, he feels it's time for him to grow up and protect the two most important people in his life.

Yan Yan knew in her heart that she was not without confidence.

Although he is still young, he holds a powerful weapon in his hands that can turn the tide of battle.

As he thought of this, his gaze became even more resolute.

Looking at his son, who was so sensible that it broke his heart, Xiao Ji felt as if he had been hit hard in the heart, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.

He raised his large, kind hand and gently patted Yan Yan's head, his gesture full of love and reluctance.

Then, he took a deep breath, turned around, and resolutely plunged into the deep forest.

With Xiao Ji's departure, the empty cave fell silent, leaving only Yan Yan and Mei.

A slight chill permeated the cave, and water droplets fell from the cave walls from time to time, making a crisp sound in the silence.

Looking at his warm-hearted disciple, Mei felt a warm current slowly welling up in his heart. This warmth was like the warm sun in winter, dispelling the long-standing gloom in his heart.

This feeling of being cared for and missed seems like it's been a very, very long time since he last experienced it, so long that he's almost forgotten it exists.

His eyes gradually moistened, and tears quietly gathered.

He subconsciously reached out slowly and gently wiped away the trace of a tear.

Then, he chuckled self-deprecatingly, a smile filled with bitterness and relief.

He laughed at his past life, saying it was like a lonely shadow walking in a dark abyss, his heart and eyes filled with nothing but killing, his whole being cold-blooded and numb, as if he had lost all emotion.

But ever since she met Yan Yan, this quirky little devil, her heart, which was as hard as a rock, was gradually warmed and softened by him.

Mei knew very well that as an assassin, the worst thing she could do was to be soft-hearted.

In their bloody and cruel world, once you soften your heart, it's like exposing your vulnerability in the dark, and death is not far away.

"Old man, are you crying?" A clear, childlike voice suddenly rang in Mei's ear.

Mei shuddered and subconsciously looked up, only to see a magnified round face right in front of her.

Yan Yan's chubby little face was full of baby fat, with round, bulging cheeks, like a squirrel with its mouth stuffed full of food.

But at this moment, in Mei's eyes, which were filled with embarrassment, this cuteness instantly turned into a cruel mockery of his disheveled appearance.

Mei felt helpless and slowly closed her eyes, not wanting to face the undisguised gloating in Yan Yan's eyes any longer.

He parted his thin lips slightly and uttered two words coldly: "Shut up."

However, Yan Yan had no intention of letting him off so easily.

A short, chubby little finger gently brushed against the corner of Mei's eye.

Yan Yan then raised the tear-stained finger and waved it in front of Mei's eyes, saying innocently, "Master, look, it's wet."

As soon as she said that, Mei's face turned bright red, as if it could bleed.

He was both angry and anxious. Did this clever little devil really have to expose the shameful things he had painstakingly hidden?

How can he maintain his authority in front of this brat after this? It's so embarrassing!

"Those are water droplets, they're water..." Mei was both ashamed and anxious, her emotions instantly agitated, and she involuntarily coughed softly.

This violent coughing fit caused a sharp pain in his already unhealed wound, and in the blink of an eye, it gushed blood again.

Seeing this, Yan Yan quickly comforted her, "I know it's water, why are you so agitated?"

Mei was speechless upon hearing this.

He thought to himself: This little brat is definitely trying to annoy him!

Once he's healed, I'll give that brat a good spanking and teach him a lesson about respecting his teacher!

He forced himself to endure the pain from his wound, gently closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself down.

Suddenly, he slowly opened his eyes again, and those already alluring eyes were now filled with a chilling murderous aura.

He turned his head slightly and slowly looked out of the cave. With his keen intuition honed over many years, he sensed that someone was approaching.

"Put out the fire," he said urgently to Yan Yan in a low voice.

Yan Yan reacted extremely quickly. Without saying a word, she hurriedly covered the fire with the soil that she had collected earlier.

In an instant, the fire went out, and the entire cave was plunged into darkness.

Not long after, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the cave, accompanied by a gust of cold wind, and the voices of people outside clearly entered the cave: "Strange, I just saw smoke, how come it all disappeared?"

"Are you seeing things?" another voice replied.