It stood upright, tilting its head from time to time, as if curious about their discussion.
"Master..." Zhong Zi lowered his voice, afraid of startling the little creature.
Bai Ran followed his gaze and saw Zhong Zi pointing to his feet.
A hint of surprise crossed Bai Ran's face, followed by a helpless smile.
She looked at the little sable, its round eyes meeting hers.
"Ah! It's that sable!"
Xiao Zi's exclamation drew everyone's attention. Bai Ran frowned; the little creature was indeed frightened.
It turned and bolted, disappearing in a flash.
"Catch it! Its owner must be from the Assassin's Pavilion!"
"It ran that way! Block its path!"
"Jiang Ye, you go east, we'll flank it!"
Bai Ran pressed her forehead in exasperation as the people in the room rushed out, all chasing the sable.
Only two remained in the spacious room: Bai Ran and Zhong Zi.
Zhong Zi sighed, his heart a mix of emotions. He never expected that the person they had guarded for days and nights to deliver messages was a sable.
"That little thing is unusual," Bai Ran said with a faint smile, calmly sipping her tea while ignoring the commotion in the courtyard.
Although it hadn't developed sentience, it could understand their words and discern their emotions.
Coupled with its ability to break through barriers, its owner was likely one of the two vice-pavilion masters.
Zhong Zi nodded slightly. "It must be following its contractor's orders to deliver messages daily."
Then, as if remembering something, Zhong Zi looked troubled.
"But even if we catch it, we won't know who its owner is..."
Would they have to capture the sable and then threaten its owner to reveal themselves?
Bai Ran sipped her tea, composed. "If I'm not mistaken, they won't be able to catch that little creature."
The rest could be considered after catching the little sable.
The courtyard was in chaos, livelier than daytime despite being night.
The creature's speed was extreme, its movements invisible in the dark, not to mention its ability to break through barriers.
"Huh? Where's the sable? Am I seeing things?" Jiang Ye rubbed his eyes vigorously. He clearly saw the snow-white sable run in here.
How could it disappear the moment he followed?
Zhu Que's angry voice rang out, "Jiang Ye! Did you see that guy?"
Setting up barriers was useless, and their proud speed was also futile at night.
Without a clear target, they didn't know where to chase.
"It must be around here! Let's surround and search!" Jing Feng rolled up his sleeves, his fighting spirit ignited by a sable.
"Jing Feng! What are you doing standing there! It's right by your feet!"
Xiao Zi glared at the furry little creature through gritted teeth, a gut feeling telling him that it was playing with them.
Jing Feng lowered his head, reaching out, but the sable kicked off with its hind legs and immediately dodged into a darker corner.
Zhong Zi listened to the noise outside, his expression helpless. His master was right; whether they could catch the little sable was still a question.
The entire City Lord's Mansion was in an uproar because of a sable, with constant clanging sounds.
Amidst the noise, Bai Ran, as she had for the past few days, opened the delivered letter and began to read.
As she read, her brows furrowed. Today's letter was different from the usual ones.
The signature was no longer "Night King," but "Ye Bai" and "Ye Ran."
The letter read: The little creature's name is Qing Qing. It might be a little mischievous, but it comes when you call.
Can you guess our identities?
— To our eternal master.
Bai Ran's expression turned somber. Indeed, Ye Bai, Ye Ran, and Bai Ran were not a coincidence.
Identity... did it refer to their real names?
Two men... one Yin, one Yang, one strong, one gentle... a tacit understanding like twin brothers...
Gradually, the clues began to converge, and two familiar faces slowly emerged in her mind.
After a long while, Bai Ran put down the letter, a faint smile on her lips.
Zhong Zi looked at her, puzzled. Was there something different about today's letter?
After the time it took for one incense stick to burn, Bai Ran stood up and walked into the courtyard. "Qing Qing."
Her voice was soft, but with a gentle call, the little creature quickly darted out from the corner and scurried to her side.
Bai Ran crouched down, and the little creature climbed onto her hand, standing on her shoulder.
The sable's furry head nuzzled against her, its demeanor very affectionate.
The people chasing the sable in the courtyard stood frozen, each looking at Bai Ran with a big question mark above their heads.
Zhong Zi inside the house also found it incredible. "Master? How did you know its name?"
Bai Ran looked at the letter on the table, her eyes gentle. "They told me."
They? Who were they?
Dong Ling and Zhong Zi's expressions sharpened, and they began to scan their surroundings. Someone had quietly entered the City Lord's Mansion...
Two people, and their strength was also considerable...
The courtyard was a mess, and the bright, warm sun began to rise from the east, painting the sky a fish-belly white.
On the rooftop, two faintly discernible figures began to become clear.
The little creature seemed to see its owners and leaped from Bai Ran's shoulder, scampering onto the rooftop.
Bai Ran's smile never wavered. How could she forget?
They were the ones who had accompanied her from the very beginning...
Although their figures were backlit and unclear, Xiao Zi and Zhu Que immediately recognized the two.
"It's you!"
Xiao Zi pointed at the two figures on the rooftop, his eyes wide with disbelief.
The waning crescent moon still hung in the sky, not yet completely dispersed. A gentle breeze stirred, rustling everyone's hair.
"You've come?" Bai Ran said with a deep laugh.
The two figures leaped from the rooftop and knelt devoutly before her.
"We have."
Jing Feng's eyes widened as he looked at the two familiar faces. "You are!"
"Qing Feng and Qing Yue!"
The effeminate man, with an innate charm, was as aloof and proud as the first time she saw him.
The resolute man, steady and reliable, was as unyielding as his first impression.
Ye Bai was Qing Feng, and Ye Ran was Qing Yue.
Ye Bai, Ye Ran, they took the surname "Ye" because they truly became their master's subordinates during the night.
The characters "Bai" and "Ran" when separated held no special meaning, but when combined, they were the names of their loyal individuals, sounding like Bai Ran.
Even the contracted sable took the surname "Qing." How could Bai Ran not recognize them? How could she possibly not recognize them?
"Rise."
The two stood up. From a distance, they appeared unchanged, but up close, the transformations were earth-shattering.