135: You don't believe me?

As soon as Bai Xiaofeng reached the courtyard entrance, his nose subtly wrinkled.

"Hmm? This scent?"

Cool as frost, elegant as snow, it was the unique scent of his fifth sister, Bai Qingshuang!

His heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly stopped, his gaze suspiciously sweeping the courtyard, only to see Jiang Donghua leisurely sipping tea by the stone table, while Bai Qingshuang's figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Fifth Sister was here? What did she come for?!"

Bai Xiaofeng's expression changed slightly, and a hint of unease immediately welled up in his heart.

He quickly walked into the courtyard, suppressed his emotions, and asked with feigned nonchalance.

"Master Jiang, was my fifth sister here just now?"

Jiang Donghua looked up at him, and with his usual expression, nodded.

"Yes, Fifth Young Lady did come."

Bai Xiaofeng's eyelids twitched, and he quickly pressed on.

"Did she promise you anything?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Donghua frowned, and his eyes suddenly grew cold.

He slowly put down his teacup, his tone indifferent.

"Ninth Young Master, what do you mean by this?"

Bai Xiaofeng was stunned, and before he could react, he saw Jiang Donghua snort coldly, stand up, and fix him with a sharp gaze.

"Are you questioning this Master's refusal to assist you?"

"We agreed to cooperate, yet you doubt me?"

Jiang Donghua's tone carried a hint of indignation, as if he had been greatly insulted, and he even flicked his sleeve, turning his back, a posture that conveyed, 'You've disappointed me greatly.'

Bai Xiaofeng immediately panicked and quickly waved his hands to explain.

"No, no, no! Master Jiang has misunderstood! How dare I question you? It's just that Fifth Sister has always been very cunning."

Jiang Donghua snorted coldly, interrupting him.

"What are you afraid of? Afraid that she can make me break my promise with a few words?"

He turned around, his eyes like torches, his tone filled with a touch of heartache and indignation.

"Ninth Young Master, since I, Jiang Donghua, have promised to help you, I will never go back on my word! If you don't trust me, you can take these medicinal ingredients and leave now!"

This outburst of genuine anger was so convincing that it utterly bewildered Bai Xiaofeng.

Bai Xiaofeng was immediately filled with shame and repeatedly cupped his hands in apology.

"Master Jiang, please calm your anger! It was my overthinking! I absolutely did not mean to doubt you, it's just that Fifth Sister suddenly appeared."

Seeing his appearance, Jiang Donghua chuckled inwardly, but his face remained stern; after a moment of silence, he reluctantly softened his expression and sighed.

"Forget it, Ninth Young Master is also concerned to the point of confusion, I can understand."

Bai Xiaofeng felt as if he had been granted a great pardon and quickly offered a fawning smile.

"Master Jiang is magnanimous! I have already prepared the medicinal ingredients, do you think they are satisfactory?"

Saying that, he quickly took them out of his storage ring.

Jiang Donghua glanced at them, saw that the medicinal ingredients were of superior quality and the quantity was precisely correct, and then reluctantly nodded.

"Hmm, Ninth Young Master is quite efficient in his work."

Seeing his attitude soften, the heavy stone in Bai Xiaofeng's heart finally fell, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, Master Jiang wasn't truly angry, otherwise my struggle for the Young City Lord position would have been in jeopardy!"

Little did he know that Jiang Donghua's anger just now was all an act for him!

Red Silk stood by, observing coldly, and couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly.

"My junior brother's acting skills are truly wasted if he doesn't join a theatrical troupe!"

Red Jade and Bi Yao stood behind Bai Xiaofeng, with downcast eyes, seemingly respectful, but in reality, the corners of their eyes had already taken in Jiang Donghua's every move.

"This Master Jiang's acting is truly convincing!"

They had been trained since childhood to be Bai Xiaofeng's playthings, and what they were best at was observing expressions and playing along.

Jiang Donghua's feigned anger, his heartbroken tone, and even the detail of flicking his sleeve.

It was exactly like their own performances when they usually sweet-talked Bai Xiaofeng!

Red Jade pursed her lips, thinking to herself.

"This Master, isn't he perhaps a colleague?"

Bi Yao also secretly glanced at Jiang Donghua, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes.

"Indeed, no one who can thrive in Heavenly Serpent City is a simple character!"

However, even if they saw through Jiang Donghua's trick, they would never dare to say a word.

"If we dared to expose him, Ninth Young Master would be the first to not spare us!"

Bai Xiaofeng had a volatile temper and hated nothing more than others questioning his judgment.

If they dared to say that Jiang Donghua was acting, they would probably be slapped to death in the next second!

Thinking of this, Red Jade and Bi Yao could only silently lower their heads, feigning obedience, but secretly praying in their hearts.

"We only hope that this Master Jiang is a truly capable Alchemist, and not a fraud!"

Especially Red Jade, her heart was even more uneasy.

After all, she was the one who discovered Jiang Donghua first!

If Jiang Donghua was a fraud with an undeserved reputation, wouldn't she, Red Jade, become the culprit who led a wolf into the house?

"Oh no, oh no, if Ninth Young Master is deceived, he will definitely take his anger out on me later!"

The more Red Jade thought about it, the more afraid she became, her fingers unconsciously clutching the corner of her clothes, and even a trace of cold sweat seeped from her forehead.

Bi Yao noticed her unease, quietly touched the back of her hand, and gave her a calming look.

Red Jade took a deep breath, barely managing to calm herself.

"At this point, we can only take it one step at a time."

She secretly looked up at Jiang Donghua, silently muttering in her heart.

"Master, oh Master, you absolutely must refine the fire spirit pill!"

"Otherwise, Bi Yao's and my lives might both be lost!"

In a dark corner, a blurry shadow lurked silently, taking in everything that happened in the courtyard.

It wasn't until Bai Xiaofeng left with his maidservants that the shadow quietly retreated, moving like a ghost through the night, eventually returning to Fifth Young Lady Bai Qingshuang's residence.

In the courtyard, Bai Qingshuang held a jade pot, slowly watering a secluded orchid, her expression indifferent, as if she cared about nothing in the world, only the water droplets flowing from her fingertips reflecting a hint of depth in her eyes.

"Miss, your subordinate has investigated thoroughly."

The shadow condensed in the darkness, forming a man shrouded in a black robe, kneeling on one knee, reporting in a low voice.

Bai Qingshuang didn't even lift her head, only softly hummed.

The black-robed man immediately recounted everything he had seen and heard.

How Jiang Donghua was angry, how Bai Xiaofeng was terrified and apologized, even the subtle changes in Red Jade and Bi Yao's expressions were not missed.

After listening to the report, Bai Qingshuang's watering motion paused slightly, and her brows furrowed, as if a little puzzled.

"Winning over a Master Alchemist, is it that simple?"

She murmured in a low voice, her tone carrying a hint of imperceptible annoyance.

"If I had known this, I should have acted first."

But very quickly, she returned to her cool demeanor and said indifferently.

"Continue to observe in secret, do not alert the enemy."

The black-robed man respectfully nodded.

"Yes."

Before he finished speaking, his body seemed to melt into the shadows like ink, disappearing in a blink of an eye.

After he left, Bai Qingshuang put down the jade pot and slowly walked to the pavilion in the center of the courtyard, her fingertips gently tapping the stone table, a hint of contemplation flashing in her eyes.

"What is my dear elder brother plotting now?"

The corners of her lips curved upwards, revealing a cold smile.

"Or is he really about to break through to the Dou King realm?"

The night wind swept through, rustling her clothes and carrying away her whispered words.

Only the secluded orchid swayed gently in the moonlight, as if responding to her question.