Night fell, and all was quiet except for the occasional gentle breeze that rustled through the windowpanes.

Fang Han lay on the couch, gazing at the canopy above his head, his heart rippling like a calm lake tossed with a stone.

Gongsun Yaoqin lay quietly beside him.

She was extremely beautiful, with a graceful figure, just like a blooming flower in spring, charming and beautiful.

She exuded a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance, which wafted into Fang Han's nostrils, teasing his senses and making him restless.

"This is truly a test for me as a teacher."

Fang Han pondered to himself, and with a slight thought, the flickering oil lamp in the room went out instantly, and in a flash, the room was swallowed by thick darkness.

He turned his head and looked at Gongsun Yaoqin.

Even though it was pitch black all around, he could see things without any obstruction.

In the darkness, Gongsun Yaoqin's beautiful eyes were gently closed, her long eyelashes casting a shadow on her eyelids, indicating that she had quickly fallen into a deep sleep.

"Is she truly without any other thoughts, only wanting to sleep peacefully?"

Fang Han couldn't help but mutter to himself, but after thinking it over and over again, he couldn't find a reason. He had no choice but to force himself to clear his mind and fall asleep as soon as possible.

...

The sky was turning a pale white as dawn broke, and the first rays of sunlight gently bathed the earth.

Gongsun Yaoqin slowly woke up, moving very gently, afraid of disturbing Fang Han who was still sleeping.

As a beautiful apprentice, she was well aware of her delicate situation. If Fang Yingxue and Ye Qianqian were to see this, who knew what kind of trouble it would cause.

Gongsun Yaoqin knew in her heart that the road ahead to becoming her master Fang Han's woman was long and fraught with difficulties.

When Fang Han took her as his disciple, he may have considered severing any romantic feelings between them.

With the constraints of the master-disciple relationship, it would be extremely difficult for the two to take their relationship to the next level.

However, as time went by, Gongsun Yaoqin became increasingly attached to every minute and second she spent by Fang Han's side.

In her heart, even if she could not become Fang Han's partner in this life, she would be content as long as she could stay by his side.

Fang Han just turned twenty this year, in the prime of his youth. It is only natural for a man to get married when he comes of age, and he will probably be married and start a family in a few years.

Once Fang Han has a wife, it will be incredibly difficult for her to stay by his side.

Thinking this, Gongsun Yaoqin secretly made up her mind to find more opportunities to get closer to Fang Han in the future.

She believed that, given time, even if she couldn't make Fang Han fall in love with her, she could make him get used to having her by his side and find it hard to let go.

At this moment, she didn't have any urgent thoughts about breaking the master-disciple relationship; she was only focused on keeping Fang Han firmly under her control.

Fang Han was completely unaware of her subtle thoughts for the time being.

After all, a woman's thoughts are like needles at the bottom of the sea, deeply hidden, and Fang Han really didn't want to bother trying to guess or figure them out.

After Gongsun Yaoqin got up, Fang Han also got up.

City Lord Ye Tiannan's arrangements were meticulous.

Fang Han had just stepped out of the room and was leisurely strolling in the courtyard, stretching his limbs, when a clever little maidservant hurried over with light steps.

The young maid, dressed in simple clothes and with her hair styled in two buns, looked obedient and well-behaved. She walked up to Fang Han, bowed slightly, and asked respectfully, "Sir, would you like breakfast now?"

Fang Han nodded slightly and said gently, "Something light will do."

Breakfast was delivered shortly afterward.

On the exquisite tray lay a bowl of warm-colored rice porridge, steaming hot, its aroma fresh and enticing, clearly made with fresh ingredients.

Breakfast was served on a stone table in an elegant pavilion in the courtyard. The pavilion was surrounded by greenery, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers and plants, creating a tranquil and serene environment that whetted one's appetite.

At this time, Fang Yingxue, Fang Qing, Zhou Chi, Gongsun Yaoqin, Ye Qianqiu, Ye Qianqian, and others did not appear.

Presumably, the city lord's mansion had considered everything carefully, and even arranged for someone to deliver breakfast to their respective rooms.

Fang Han was leisurely enjoying his breakfast when suddenly a loud "thump thump thump" broke the morning's tranquility.

The sound was deep and rapid, one after another, making people uneasy.

Fang Han frowned slightly, listened carefully, and quickly recognized the sound as the beating of drums.

In this world, the sound of the drums at the city lord's mansion has a special significance; it is usually only heard when someone encounters an emergency and wants to file a complaint or seek redress.

At this moment, the drumbeats were as rapid as those during a military march, clearly indicating that the matter was of great importance.

Fang Han immediately put down the bowl of porridge in his hand, got up and walked towards the outside of the city lord's mansion.

Almost simultaneously, Fang Qing, Fang Yingxue, Gongsun Yaoqin, Zhou Chi, Ye Qianqiu, Ye Qianqian, and others rushed over from different directions to join Fang Han.

"Master, what happened?"

Gongsun Yaoqin's eyes were full of curiosity and doubt as she asked eagerly.

Fang Han remained calm, narrowing his eyes slightly, and said, "It seems that the Wen family is beating the drum to report the crime."

Just now, with a thought, he had already caught some subtle voices.

"That should be true. In Tianyuan County, there is a drum like this at the entrance of every city lord's mansion. This drum can be used to appeal for justice or to report a case."

Ye Qianqiu added from the side.

As the son of Ye Zhong, the city lord of Yanming City, he grew up in the city lord's mansion from a young age and was naturally very familiar with these rules and conventions.

"The Wen family? Shi Tianyong's wife is named Wen Min, and her family seems to be from Guyue City. Moreover, the Wen family is skilled in medicine and alchemy, and their status in Guyue City is not low."

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