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A chilly wind blew through the mountains and forests. Gu Youan pulled her clothes tighter. Ru Mei and Yuan An, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, stood deep in the bamboo forest.

Gu Youan and Jiannan exchanged a smile, both understanding what was about to happen.

Behind Rumei and Yuan'an stood four envoys. When Jiannan accompanied her down the mountain, they would become the twelve envoys of this generation.

Gu Youan and Jian Nan clasped their hands in greeting. As alluring as ever, she smiled and asked, "Xuanji, would you be willing to become Xuanji's Envoy?"

Gu Youan knelt down on one knee. "My lord, I am willing."

Lady Rumei took out a golden token and said, "Today, in the name of Elder Tianzi, I officially promote you to Xuanji Envoy, one of the twelve envoys."

Lord Yuan'an held a token and looked at Jiannan, chanting incantations, while the other four envoys stood aside holding clothes.

Gu Youan looked at the clothes beside her, which were dazzling and colorful.

Her eyes were full of joy, while Jiannan's eyes held a hint of sadness.

Wang Shu spoke first, saying, "I did not stop you from entering the secret passage in the back mountain back then. Now that you have become one of the twelve envoys, I hope that you will shoulder the responsibilities of the twelve envoys in the future."

"Your subordinates obey the order." The two men knelt down in response.

The promotion ceremony was not grand, and only Gu Youan was happy throughout the process. After everyone left, Gu Youan held the clothes and looked at Jian Nan in front of her, "Don't worry, I won't let you take any risks."

Jiannan shook his head and picked up the clothes from her arms. "This is top-quality soft armor. Can you guess why the clothes of the twelve envoys are different from those of ordinary disciples?"

Gu Youan sighed, "Hiding won't solve the problem. Now that we've joined the Emperor's Ship, we should carry out missions for it."

Jiannan walked closer to her, "Be loyal to the Emperor. This is an assassin organization. Once you become one of the Twelve Messengers, you will have to carry out even more dangerous missions. Xuanji, do you really understand what the Emperor's mission is?"

Gu Youan turned her head away. "Mo Wen asked me the same question that day, but my answer was always that I was willing."

"You accompanied me down the mountain that day, do you regret it now?" Gu Youan frowned as she looked at him, her pupils contracting. She understood him less and less.

Jiannan picked up his clothes and put the waist tag on his body. "Our next mission is about to begin."

Gu Youan looked at him with suspicion, only to see him pick up a note from his clothes. "General Ye died on the front lines, and the Ye family perished in the fire. There will inevitably be people in the court who speak out about this. Our mission this time is to kill the low-ranking officials who speak out."

Gu Youan looked at him in surprise, "Isn't this an undeserved disaster? Honest officials have always taken pride in offering advice, yet they are going to die under the assassin's blade and become victims?"

Jiannan chuckled softly, "You're not willing anymore?"

Gu Youan shook her head; she knew she had no way out.

Jiannan stroked her hair, "Why do you have to become an assassin at such a young age?"

Gu Youan turned her head away, her eyes revealing a stubbornness, "You went to the Ye family in place of Qingyang, is it also because you wanted to take Qingyang's place as the envoy?"

Jiannan, no longer the spoiled brat he once was, looked at her calmly and said, "Qingyang is your medicine man, he is not suitable to be the envoy, so only I can go."

Gu Youan suddenly pulled out a dagger and pointed it at his chest, "After today, whatever mission I carry out will have nothing to do with you."

Everyone wanted to protect Qingyang, but no one cared about her. Since that was the case, all her future missions would be unrelated to the person in front of her.

Jiannan lowered his head and looked at her slightly red eyes. "Xuanji, don't always bear everything alone. Look into my eyes. Now that we have become the Twelve Messengers together, we will carry out missions together from now on. I don't want Qingyang to get hurt, but I don't want you to be sad even more. The Gu worm is in both of your bodies. The two of you are going in and out together. It is not impossible that feelings will develop. But for assassins, feelings are a calamity."

Jiannan handed a jade pendant to Gu Youan, saying, "I am a member of the Jing family. This is a jade pendant from the inner quarters of my Jing family. If you encounter any difficulties, you can take this jade pendant to a pawnshop. My Jing family has been in business for generations, and we will definitely be able to help you through this crisis."

Gu Youan was surprised. When he was Jiannan, he would forget his other identity. Now, the personality of Sheng Jingche had less of an influence on him.

Jiannan suddenly grabbed his hand, "Who are you looking at through my eyes?"

Gu Youan took two steps back, her right foot hitting a stone. Jian Nan suddenly let go, and she stumbled and fell to the ground.

A sharp pain shot through her foot. Gu Youan gently lifted her shoes and socks, revealing a large, red, swollen area. She gripped her ankle, gritted her teeth, and gently twisted it. The bone cracked crisply as it was put back in place.

Gu Youan sighed, then suddenly looked up and said, "You are not Jiannan, Sheng Jingche."

Jiannan lowered his head and pinched her face. "It seems that Jiannan is really good to you, but do you know that he is someone who should never have appeared?"

Gu Youan slashed Jian Nan's palm with a dagger, "Jian Nan wouldn't be someone like you!"

Gu Youan knew that Sheng Jingche was the mastermind behind this body, and Jian Nan was likely unaware of Sheng Jingche's existence, but she understood that Jian Nan would never be such a scheming person.

Jiannan lowered his head, but Gu Youan pushed him away, saying, "Don't look at me like that."

For three years, Jiannan had always been infinitely tolerant of her, and she had long been used to Jiannan's presence. It was only when Sheng Jingche appeared that she realized her emotions could be so intense.

She couldn't bear the thought of her friend's body being taken over by someone else.

She limped to her feet, drew her sword, and said, "I don't care what your purpose is, but I am not someone who can be easily provoked."

She left resolutely, not to argue with Sheng Jingche, but to escape overnight. The swordsmen sent by the emperor were not easy to get rid of. She just felt so tired and wanted to get a good night's sleep.

While she was unconscious, a blurry figure appeared before her eyes. She grabbed the person's clothes tightly and slowly knelt down.

The intense beauty of the room was breathtaking. Gu Youan gazed at the vibrant red and slowly sat up, tentatively asking, "Xingxiu?"

Xingxiu brought the medicine to his bedside and gently placed it on the bedside table. "You fainted. This is my room."

Gu Youan looked around and said, "I guessed it. You're the only one in the entire Emperor's Mansion who would dress like this."

Xingxiu chuckled softly, "You were overworked and fainted. I saw Jiannan right behind you. Did you have an argument?"

Gu Youan didn't intend to let others know what had happened between them, and simply turned her head, saying, "He needs some time."

Xingxiu gently brought the spoon to Gu Youan's lips, "Stay here with me for the next few days, there's no rush for the mission."

Xingxiu guessed that there might be a conflict between them, but neither party was willing to tell the truth, so how could he, an outsider, persuade them?

“A single envoy cannot carry out the mission. Since you two have become envoys for this term, I hope you will not have any conflicts.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiannan suddenly appeared at the door, and Gu Youan gazed at his weary eyes from afar.

Jiannan pushed Xingxiu away, "I was so worried about you."

He looked at the medicine soup beside him and said, "Miss, I've only been away from you for a short time, and you've already fallen ill."

Gu Youan just stared at him quietly. Sheng Jingche wasn't him, and he shouldn't vent his resentment towards Sheng Jingche on her.

He waved his hand, "I want to sleep!"

Jiannan suddenly leaned down to look at him, and Xingxiu shook his head, pulling his arm. "She needs to rest. Let's leave."

Xingxiu sensed that there was something between the two. The two envoys should be the best partners for each other. Gu Youan had something on his mind. If this knot was not untied, their future cultivation would be hindered. Jiannan obviously did not know about this matter. He was very puzzled, but did not know how to bring it up.

Xingxiu advised, "She has been working hard for days and needs to rest. Let Qingyang come over."

Jiannan's eyes were dark and unfathomable, and Gu Youan's gaze dimmed as she leaned against the headboard, closing her eyes to rest.

The moment Qingyang's treatment was mentioned, both of their expressions changed. Jiannan flicked his sleeves and said, "I'm going to find Qingyang!"

Qingyang is Gu Youan's medicine man. Now that Gu Youan has become an assassin instead of a pharmacist, it is unknown whether Qingyang can cure Gu Youan.

After Jiannan left, Xingxiu looked at Gu Youan's expression and sighed, "I didn't even know that the knot between you two was tied to Qingyang."

Jiannan didn't want his good brother to become someone else's drug user, but the patient happened to be Gu Youan, the person they had chosen from the very beginning.

Gu Youan opened her eyes. "I want to sleep."

Xingxiu was speechless. "I thought you were just putting on an act in front of Jiannan."

Gu Youan looked at him with narrowed eyes, "I just haven't figured out how to face him yet."

Xingxiu took out a jade pendant, and Gu Youan touched her waist. "What do you want to say?"

He chuckled and said, "You've just become partners, so it's inevitable that you'll have some disagreements. Don't be suspicious of each other in the future; he won't hurt you."

Gu Youan lowered her head. She naturally believed that Jiannan would not hurt her, but she did not trust Sheng Jingche.

Why are characters who didn't appear in the original book here now? Gu Youan pondered for a moment.

Xingxiu placed the medicine in front of her, saying, "This is a calming soup. You'll feel better after a nap. You're just too tired."

The incense in the burner had burned out, and Gu Youan closed her eyes slightly. "Is there something wrong with your incense?"

Xingxiu chuckled softly, "Go to sleep. I don't know what happened between you two, but I think you need to sleep."

Gu Youan's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she tilted her head and fell onto the couch.

Xingxiu shook her head and covered her with the quilt. Jiannan walked in with Qingyang. "Qingyang, take a look at her."

Qingyang looked at Jiannan and said, "I didn't sense any fluctuations from the Gu worms. She was just too tired."

Xingxiu echoed, "Jiannan, what happened between you and her?"

Jiannan scratched his head. "Am I supposed to leave her to face the crisis alone?"

Xingxiu's eyes lit up. "She's your best partner. Don't let her face danger alone."

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